What I've been 'up' to...

I'm so busy doing my art...of course...

but now I'm also a Distributor

of a Health/ Nutrition Product that is

hands down

the best I have ever tried.

I've been taking the product since September and it has been

great...

most importantly...I feel great...

and with each birthday that comes and goes...

I've been worried I'll start feeling my age.

That hasn't really happened since I've been 

taking the shakes and the vitamins.

So...I'm now offering a few of the products

on eBay...

and while I'm at it..

I've included a few

'motivational....inspirational'

original art prints

to go along with them.

I'm having to offer the products at

retail...to stay compliant with the company...

but anyone who is interested

and wants to learn how to get it at wholesale/ preferred customer prices

or Free...

just go to this link.

What Shall I Do?

I've got so many things I WANT to do...and so little time to do it in.

It would probably not be as big a deal

if I were actually 'making a living'

doing what I'm doing...

mostly my Rustic Goth Etsy Shop.

But...things have been

more than 'strange' over there since March.

Every time I think things are

'back to normal'

they decide to change things up..

and whenever they do this...it seems

it affects a whole lot of shops

for weeks and weeks.

And...my shop just happens to be one.

So...I'm trying to best figure out

what I should do.

I wanted to do a bunch of new

floral paintings...especially for CMZ Art...

but it may end up being a

huge waste of time.

I hate being so dependent on One Venue...

but since I refuse to ever go back to

eBay...I guess I'm 'stuck'.

I've got shops at

Artfire,

Zibbet,

1000 Markets...

all of them still without even 1 sale...

maybe I'll do a bunch of new stuff for

my Zazzle shops.

I don't make much money...per sale...but

I do make sales on each of my Zazzle sites...

so that may be where I end up

putting my new floral 

and other

CMZ Art pieces.

Yep....I think I've talked myself into devoting a week

or so...to doing a whole bunch of new pieces

exclusive to Zazzle.

Sometimes I just have to

'commit it to paper'

Taking a little time for art...

I've been juggling so many things lately...

and having computer issues again...

my stress level is up..

and my productivity down.

So..I'm taking a little time for art.

I need a break away from the computer for a bit..

it really has begun to

'rule' my life lately.

1000 Markets

I was going to wait to blog about

1000 Markets until

the shop I  just opened there was actually

'ready'.

But...since I am very NEW there and am still

finding my way around..

when time permits..

I don't know when they will change their

'Staff Picks'..

I decided to run a wide 'sampling' of all of the art that I do...

on 1000 Markets...

and I started with a few of my Rustic Goth pieces...

well..long story short...

my shop there was approved yesterday 

and today

"The Aviator"

is featured as one of the

'Staff Picks'...

I'm very flattered.

I'm Learning About Licensing

Every year...after the busy holiday season..

we all experience such a slow down in business

that it gives one 'pause to wonder' if

things will 'ever' pick up...

and these times can be 

very 'trying' on the soul...

so this year I decided that..

rather than to fret and worry

(I gave 'worry' up for Lent)

that I would instead turn to new

ways to 'expand' my business

in the markets available.

Being first on eBay...and then on

Etsy and several of the other smaller sites..

which mean doing the art..the marketing..the shipping..the bookkeeping..etc..

all by myself..

I've also got 'space' on sites like

Imagekind..

Art.Com/ Artists Rising

which offers my prints

on Amazon

(see the links at the bottom of this post and my sidebar)

Zazzle

which mean that I create the image..

and they do all the work.

I get paid..periodically..in royalty type payments..

still..I have to do the work of putting my work

on the sites...and all that

goes with that.

So..I decided...since I'm not getting any younger...

that it would be a good time to 

learn about licensing my art.

I'm still in the 'beginning' stages

of learning..

but I am a fast learner.

I forgot to mention when I first published this post..
that my "go to" source in my
licensing education
is the Art Licensing Blog
by Tara Reed.

I'm finding a lot of useful information on
her blog...check it out!

Our next show!

I'm not sure why....
but we didn't take many of my
CMZ Art pieces
to the last show.

So...I'm including a lot more pieces
for next week-end's show.

Jaime, Wendy and I have
been soooo busy
putting together
'wearable art' pendants...
including my...
'Blackbirds'

'Wildflowers and Dragonflies'
and so many
of my most popular
CMZ Art pendants.

I will be listing some of the
pendants in
my Zibbet Shop
early next week.

I also hope to have some
pocket mirrors to list there
in the coming weeks.

I finished my commission pieces.

"Sophie's Seal"
is a companion piece
to
"Sophie and the Baby Seal"

I took it on as a
"special request"
and I'm very pleased at how it turned out.

"Sweeney and Jack"
was a 'huge challenge' for me.
To do a painting on
a 24" x 48" canvas was a 'first'
for me.
It actually turned out very well...
the picture doesn't really show
how well it turned out...
but..the collector is very pleased and I guess
that is most important!

A few more ornaments.

Here are a few more of the
'art doll' ornaments
I did up...
with my daughter, Wendy's, help.
(She cut my patterns, sewed and stuffed...so all I had
to do was
paint and varnish.)
My little 'cheerleader' still needs to be varnished...
luckily I included her in this
''photo-shoot"
so I won't forget.

Art for Cancer Video

As I have mentioned before...
I am a member of the
"Art for Cancer"
group on Imagekind.

I wanted to share a lovely video
of art from the members
of this group.

A few of my favorite paintings

"Heartache and Poetry XXIX"
by
Jaime Best

A favorite of mine!

"I'm Off to See The World"
by
Kat Hannah

I like this piece
"Lost"
by Mike Best.
He's done several in this style
and I like everyone of them.

My Tuscan Art

It has occurred to me that I have
woefully neglected any
mention of my
Tuscan Art Zazzle shop.

For three years...2004-05 and 06...
I concentrated a lot on
'tuscan art'...
I 'opened' my Tuscan Art Zazzle Shop
at the same time.

Since that time...I have pretty much
just let that poor shop
tend itself.
And yet...I sell items on quite
a regular basis from the shop.
I've sold several sets of Tuscan mugs...
all kinds of cards and magnets.

I guess it's easier to keep 'on top' of a shop
that one has to manually tend to
on a daily basis.
If you don't tend to it...
you risk losing it.

With Zazzle...one can set it up
and forget about it
until you get a royalty payment.

Zazzle is really easy to use...
you upload your pictures...
select your product...
write a description...
set a royalty amount...
and offer your product for sale.

I am 'everywhere'...

....at least, that is what it feels like.
I started selling my art online in 2004.
Back "in the day"... I sold on eBay...
but, I thought it necessary to join several other sites
and groups....not really sure why...but, I'm still with most of
those groups and sites.

There's Art Wanted ...
..the first image uploaded there was September 7, 2004.
I really need to pay that site more attention...I
have enjoyed being there.

Art by Us
I signed up there in January 2005.
I sold quite a few paintings
when I first started listing there...unfortunately
the site just never took hold...and now
most of the sales there seem
a bit 'suspect' to me.
(That's just my opinion, of course...)

I'm over at Art.Com
been there since 2005.
Basically...there, I just submit my images...
they make the sales and send me a
commission once or twice a year.
Nothing I can live on...but, hey...I'm not doing the work either.

There's my EBSQ Portfolio
I've combined my CMZart and Rustic Goth pieces there
since it costs me money every month...
been there since 2004...
almost all of the art I've listed online is
in my portfolio there.
(I didn't quite understand how to use it at first...
and deleted quite a few of my early pieces.)
And..lately, I don't always 'remember' to upload
my pieces like I used to...I need to get better at that.


Anyway....when I 'google' myself...I find
it rather fun to see all the places
I have 'stuff' going on.

The image on this post is linked to 'ThisNext' ...
(if I did it right)
I don't even know how I ended up
there??

Jaime's Shop

My daughter, Jaime, is one of the
top five most popular Sellers on Zibbet.
I thought it only fitting to give her
a little 'publicity'....though
she doesn't really need it.

She sat down with me in 2004...for some
'quick painting lessons'
and now she is 'kicking my behind' in sales.

I'm very proud..of course...
and maybe even a little envious.
Truth be told...she works sooooo hard...that I doubt
I could keep up with her pace.

Give her Zibbet Shop a visit....and see what you think.