What Christmas means to me!

C is for the special cookies I bake for my husband even though I would much rather make drop cookies
     than cutouts!

H is for the hours I spend surfiing for that perfect gift and loving every minute of it.

R is for the real meaning of the season - spending time with family and friends.

I  is for the illusive silent moments I spend looking at the beautiful tree we decorated with glass memories.

S is for singing along with all the carols on the radio since the beginning of November!

T is for the trips we take to each year to my folks - always through a snowstorm for some reason and for 
    all the traditions we embrace year to year.

M is for the childhood memories of waking up and sneaking down to see what Santa left me.

A  is for Alway looking forward to the holiday season each and every year!

S is for sending cards to old friends as a way to keep in touch at least once a year.

Wishing all of you a joyous holiday season and a wonderous New Year!

Scrabble Tile Pendants on Etsy!

I just love making these scrabble tile pendants.  Each one is hand-painted and one-of-a-kind!  Such a unique gift for the hard to buy for on your Christmas list.  There are lots of tile pendants on Etsy, but most are not hand-painted!

I start by inserting a screw eye in the top of the tile.  I prefer this to gluing on a fastener - this won't come off.  I then paint on the design and seal it with a triple coat of Modge Podge. 

Only $10 for a piece of wearable art.  I am also having a sale now for 15% off your entire order so check it out. 

Thanks for all you do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to thank all my blog, facebook, twitter, and linked in readers and followers for your continued support!

Thanks to everyone in my on-line groups that are so generous with their information and expertise.

Thanks for my On-line aquaintences that have become friends.

Thank you to everyone that has purchased items from my various on-line shops.

Many thanks for all the encouragement and pep talks I have needed for these on-line endeavers.

Thanks to the powers that be for allowing me to pursue my creativity and even make a little money at it!

Special thanks to my husband for supporting me and letting me follow my dreams!

Commission cabinet door done~

I had a customer that wanted me to paint pumpkins on a cabinet door.  She had no more direction than that.  She also doesn't have email so it was not easy to get designs for her to look at.  Basically, she told me that I am the artist so just do what I think is best as long as it includes pumpkins.

The door was already painted so I basically had to do it without a drawing.  Also, I couldn't make any mistakes since I did not have the green that the store used to cover errors.  I procrastinated on this for as long as I could and jumped in with both feet yesterday and today. 

Here is the result - I hope she likes it!

We have winners!

The winner of the custom Canvas print from Uprinting.com is Susan Himmel.


True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 7
Result: 5

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Congratulations! Susan. I will pass your info on to Uprinting and they will get in touch with you.


Now for the Thank You card giveaway!

The winner is Miriam Climenhaga! Congrats!



True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 10
Result: 9

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Miriam, I will also pass your info on the Uprinting.com.



Thanks to all that participated!!!

I was nominated for a blog award!

Felicia from Another Bright Idea nominated me for a Kreative Blogger award.  Felicia is another great Etsy artist that I know from the Visual Artist's Street Team on Etsy. 

Look at these adorable Holiday Card Holders  from her shop!

She also has lovely Digital prints, photography, handmade paper, nature collages, greeting cards, home decor and more!

5 reasons to buy art!

1.  Express your personality!  With all the artwork out there depicting many subjects - You are sure to find just the right piece for you.

2.  Art is an affordable way to change up your decor without a total room makeover - Give a fresh look to your Foyer or Kitchen with an affordable orignal or reproduction.

3.  Art makes a great investment!  You may never plan to sell your collection, but it can be passed on to later generations and be a part of your family history.  The most important rule is 'Buy what you like'.  A piece of art will reward you every time you look at it.

4.  The way it makes you feel.  You may find a piece that speaks to you.  It may remind you of a childhood memory and bring you joy or express an emotion you have been trying to express.  It may even make you feel like a million bucks for way less $$$.

5.  You can own something noone else in the world does.  Original art is one-of-a-kind!

I know this is a luxury in this economy, but even now we all need to treat ourselves once in a while.  Buying art directly from the artist can save you 30, 40 even 50% since there is no gallery mark-up.  Find a new artist and support them - their work will likely be very affordable.  Buying art on-line is another very affordable way to purchase art.  It is even delivered right to your door.  If you love a piece. look into buying a reproduction of it for a lower price.  Ask for art for Christmas!

Etsy has many talented artists selling their work for reaonable prices.  Visit my shop as an example.

A new twist on the vintage Silhouette

I had an artist's reception last night for my local library show.  Lots of good food and conversation!  I love to hear what people think of my artwork and how it makes them feel.  I got many compliments on this silhouette and questions on how I did it. 

I love find and sell vintage silhouettes on Ebay.  I thought that it would be fun to do one myself.  I used black enamel to reverse paint (paint backwards) on the underside of the glass.  I then baked the glass in the oven to set the paint.  The background is a watercolor sunset done on watercolor paper.  This was such fun to do and I really want to find time to do more!  This piece is for sale on Etsy.

Vintage silhouettes were often painted on convex or 'bubble' glass.  Artists of the 19th century sometimes applied their cut or painted silhouettes on lithograph or watercolor backgrounds which bring even more attention to the regal simplicity of the shade portrait itself.   Learn more about Silhouettes here.

Custom Card Giveaway!

Holidays are just around the corner, ‘tis the season to be merry and giving custom thank you cards is the perfect gift to express your warm thoughts to your loved ones.

One lucky blog reader will be jingling all the way with a pack of 50 Custom Thank You Cards with envelopes, all for free! UPrinting cards are made from high-quality paper and cardstock and will surely bring holiday cheer to your friends and family.

These would make great personalized holiday cards!

Prize Offered: (50 ct.) 7 x 5" (folded to 3.5 x 5") Custom Thank You Cards with plain envelopes


Shipping: Free UPS Ground within United States


Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs. We will negotiate better shipping rates soon.

I even get 50 cards for hosting this giveaway!
The prize includes plain envelopes, but check out the custom printed envelopes available!

 You can see reviews of Uprinting's great service here!



Contest ends 11:59pm on Sunday November 15th! Get those comments in! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post that includes your name and email address and  a fun way you may use the cards.
You can also blog about this giveaway, linking back here and to http://www.uprinting.com/ . Leave another comment that you did so to get another entry and/or Twitter about the giveaway and leave a comment that you did so!  Be sure to include @uprinting in your twitter!

If you are the lucky winner I will pass your info on to Uprinting.com and they will contact you directly.


Thanks again to Uprinting for providing the prize~!

The Blog Sponsorship Team
Twitter: @uprinting
Blog: blog.uprinting.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UPrinting
Yelp!: www.yelp.com/biz/u-printing-los-angeles

GOOD LUCK!

Canvas print Giveaway!

In preparation for the Holiday season UPrinting.com is rolling out another giveaway – 16x20 rolled Canvas. Rolled canvas prints are perfect for home decor, photo prints and signage. I am in turn offering this giveaway to you! 

These would make great client or customer thank you cards!

Giveaway Prize: (1) 16x20 Rolled Canvas for One Lucky Winner
Size: 16x20 rolled canvas
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs. We will negotiate better shipping rates soon.

I even get a canvas print for hosting this contest!

Check out the canvas prints to see how cool they are. You can see reviews of Uprinting's great service here!

Contest ends 11:59pm on Sunday November 15th! Get those comments in! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post that includes your name and email address and a description of the image you would like to use on the canvas.

You can also blog about this giveaway, linking back here and to http://www.uprinting.com/ . Leave another comment that you did so to get another entry and/or Twitter about the giveaway and leave a comment that you did so! 

If you are the lucky winner I will pass your info on to Uprinting.com and they will contact you directly.

Thanks again to Uprinting for providing the prize~!

The Blog Sponsorship Team
Twitter: @uprinting
Blog: blog.uprinting.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UPrinting
Yelp!: www.yelp.com/biz/u-printing-los-angeles

GOOD LUCK!

New painting - Weathered!

This one was tough - a lot of close-up bark.  Evil I tell you - evil!  I took the reference photo in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.  The house and landscaping were lovely.  I titled it 'weathered' because of the bark. I think it once started out as a clematis vine many years ago.  I was drawn to the purple window, purple flower combo. 

Harper's Ferry is a really nice spot.  Beautiful scenery - 2 rivers come together and lots of hiking and SHOPPING!  I spent a couple days there and took beau coup photos.  I'm sure more paintings will come from them,

I am having a tough time getting a good photo of this one color wise.  I will have to wait for a sunny day around here to give it another go.  I tried a float frame for the first time.  I think they really add some punch to a canvas. 

Thanks for looking!

We have a winner!!!

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max:  18

Result:

10

Powered by RANDOM.ORG
 
The winner is My Serenity Way.  Congratulations!  I will pass your info on to Uprinting.com.

A great GIVEAWAY! 250 stickers printed with your design~!

I know that it is bad form to have 2 giveaways back to back without blogging in between, but this is such a great prize that I couldn't resist!  Uprinting has again donated a great prize!

Giveaway Prize Details
250 Stickers/Labels for One (1) lucky winner
Sizes: 2” x 3.5”, 2” x 4”, or 3” x 3”
Paper: 70 lb Label Matte
Specifications: Full color front, blank back; 4 Business Day printing

To sweeten the pot, we are offering FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the USA (Canadian residents need to pay shipping and taxes). Offer is not available to residents outside the US and Canada.

You can use these for Promotion, Holiday gift labels, party favors, fragile stickers - whatever you can come up with!  You get to provide the design to Uprinting.com.
I even get a set of 250 for hosting this contest!

Check out the stickers  to see how cool they are and you can also check out their reviews to see what a great job they do!

THIS IS A SHORT ONE!   Contest ends Monday November 2nd! Get those comments in! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post that includes your name and email address and what you will do with the stickers.
You can also blog about this giveaway linking back here and to http://www.uprinting.com/ .  Leave another comment that you did so to get another entry.
If you are the lucky winner I will pass your info on to Uprinting.com and they will contact you directly.

Uprinting will send you a coupon code for the stickers on November 6th! 

Thanks again to Uprinting for providing the prize~!

GOOD LUCK!

Another Winner!

True Random Number Generator




Min: 1

Max: 22

Result:

9

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

We have a winner!  Drumroll please........  Brenda Thour is the lucky recipient of the 100 free postcards from Uprinting.com.  Thanks to everyone that participated and to Uprinting for the great prize!

A great blog giveaway! 100 free postcards from Uprinting.com

OK - this is not your typical give away.  You get to deal with Uprinting and get your own design on the postcards.  How cool is that?  These postcards can also be invitations, thank you cards, note cards and more!

Giveaway Prize: 100 Postcards for One Lucky Winner

Size: 4x6; Paper: 14pt Cardstock Gloss; Printing: Full color both sides



Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US (Canadian residents pay shipping and taxes. Offer not available to residents outside of the US and Canada)


One Week ONLY!  Contest ends Friday October 23rd!  Get those comments in!  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post that includes your name and email address. If you are the lucky winner I will pass this on to Uprinting.com and they will contact you directly.

It is great that Uprinting is letting me offer these to you. I will also be getting a set of postcards for hosting the giveaway. 

You can check out their postcards to see what a great prize this is! 

GOOD LUCK!

Tweedle Dum and Dee!

Hi all!  My husband and I volunteered at the Rome Art and Community Center Halloween House last year as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.  We handed out Candy on Trick or Treat Street for the kids.  By popular demand we were asked back for another Tweedle command performance!

Tonight 11/16 and tomorrow night 11/17 we will be reprising our roles.  This is a great event and their Haunted House is legendary scary....

Check it out here:  http://www.romeart.org/halloween.html

Steve and I stick to the kiddie stuff - I hate things jumping out at me in the dark.

I reluctantly share pics from last year and you will understand when you see them.

Spooky Studio

I showed you my studio at Christmas time - well here it is decorated for Halloween.  It is a real mess so ignore that part.  I should have picked it up before shooting the photos.  Anywho,  my husband just loves Halloween so I have to decorate almost as much as Christmas.  We have a tradition that I draw the design on the pumpkins and he carves them.  We usually get lots of compliments.

Here is a sample of our work.

Thanks for looking!

Odds and Ends.

I wanted to mention that I have signed up to blog sponsor ( a new verb?) Uprinting.com.  I will get great free items to give away on my blog.  They seem to be very positive about this exchange and have some great products to boot!  Look for a postcard/greeting card giveaway this month- you get to have your own design printed - just in time for Christmas.  Very cool! 

I used to have some artwork in South Colton, NY at the Adirondack Artisan shop.  I was very disappointed to hear that the shop closed.  My friend, the shop owner, had been evicted from the building after trying to get small business loans and stimulus aid.  She seemed like a perfect candidate for this money.  Of course, government moves very slowly so the landlady did not want to wait.    I picked up my wares and need to find another venue.  We shall see what I come up with.  Any ideas?

Thanks for listening!

Another Winner!

We have a winner for Felicia's beautiful note cards!  I used 19 as the upper limit because I made one comment.

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 19

Result:

10

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

 
The lucky winner is Wehaf! I will be sending an email shortly to let them know.
Thanks to all that participated - I appreciate it!

I enjoyed working with Felicia Kramer on this special give-away.  I plan to have more freebies in the future so check back often.

DOUBLE GIVE-AWAY!

This is an exciting undertaking.  It is fun giving away someone elses artwork! 

Felicia Kramer of AnotherBrightIdea and I met in the VAST Etsy team and have teamed up to do a double give-away.  I am giving away one of her wonderful works of art and she is giving away something of mine on her blog.

Let's get to know Felicia a bit better and see some of her wonderful work.  This piece is one of my favorites of hers.  This is a beautiful digital collage entitled 'Hope for a New Beginning'.

lmr:  Hi Felicia!  How do you start your morning? – Coffee? Tea? Juice? Smoothie? Other?

Coffee, coffee, coffee

lmr:  Please introduce yourself and tell us where we can find your work on-line.

I’m Felicia Kramer. My Etsy shop is http://anotherbrightidea.etsy.com ; my blog is www.feliciakramer.blogspot.com .

lmr:  Please tell us a little about your family.

I’m the quintessential middle child – right smack in the middle of nine children.
I am single, no children of my own, but I have a huge extended family and tons of nieces and nephews that I adore. I was born and have lived most of my life in Michigan, except for a few years in San Francisco, still my favorite city.

lmr:  Tell me about your etsy shop. You have such lovely and varied items for sale!

I’m celebrating my one-year anniversary with Etsy this month. I have some handmade paper collages, photography, greeting cards and digital prints. I absolutely love doing digital collages and altered photographs, although I don’t think I’ll ever learn everything there is to know about Photoshop. Right now I’m also working on Christmas items – I’ve already posted some wreaths - that’s my favorite holiday.

Robin's Egg Blue Pinecone Wreath

 

lmr:  How long have you been an artist? Are you formally trained or self-taught?

I always wanted to be an artist and I did art and crafts for fun, but I was never encouraged to pursue it seriously. I finally enrolled in college at the ripe old age of 30 and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University. I have never regretted that decision.

lmr:  What inspires you? Where do you look – or go – for inspiration?

I’m very much inspired by nature. I have a very small enclosed patio garden which I have crammed with as much as I can fit in that small space, and flowers and natural materials appear in a lot of my art. My garden is also my quiet space. If I need to take time out to refresh and meditate, I’ll sit on my garden bench and just watch the birds at their feeder and the chipmunks chasing each other.

lmr:  What part of being an artist is hardest for you, or that you dislike the most?

One thing I didn’t anticipate when I chose to become a full-time artist was the amount of time that must be spent on getting yourself and your work known. I’m not very comfortable selling myself and my art, and would much rather spend all that time creating instead of being in the business of marketing and advertising. But it’s a fact of the artistic life so I do it.

lmr:  What do you do when you’re not being an artist?  What are your favorite activities?

When I’m not doing my art, thinking about my art, or thinking about doing my art, I enjoy gardening, reading, decorating, spending time with family and friends, and traveling, although I haven’t been able to do much traveling lately.

Halloween ACEO

lmr:  Now for my favorite question!  Tell us five things that most people – maybe even your family – don’t know about you.


1. I love dark chocolate, raspberries and nuts – alone or in any combination.
2. I hate the phrase “nothing can be done.” (There’s always choices – maybe not ideal, but they’re always there.)
3. When they first appeared, I said the Beatles were just a fad.
4. I’ve been nicknamed “mad dog” – when I get my teeth into something I’m quite stubborn and determined.
5. I left my heart in San Francisco. Really.

LOL - The Beatles would beg to differ!  Many thanks to Felicia for patiently answering my questions.  NOW for the Give-Away!!!!!!!!

Felicia has graciously given these beautiful cards for anyone to win.  To enter just leave a comment here and I will draw the winner next Tuesday 9/29 (only one week away) around noon time.

A set of four blank inspirational note cards from my “Words” series.

"Smile"

“Relax”

“Dance”

“Dream”

You can see the cards up close in her shop: http://anotherbrightidea.etsy.com/ in the Greeting Cards section.

This offer is available worldwide, with free shipping.

Please visit Felicia's BLOG to enter to win a beautiful Tile Coaster from yours truly, featuring my painting "Spanish Courtyard"

Feel free to sign up for my newsletter on the left to hear about more give-aways and specials!

Thanks and Good Luck!!!!

September Newsletter

I wanted to post my first newsletter in hopes to lure more subscribers. You can do so to the left. I am trying to grow my business and hoping this will be a way to get to know you and for you to get to know me better.

Drumroll please.....


http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/526393/f3cd1a4d73/1584002293/8aa924c3ab/

We have a Winner!

My contest has ended and we have a winner.  Very few people commented in the thread so I used the list of those that signed up via the sign in form in the time frame.  The random number generator picked #17 and that corresponded to (drum roll please....)  Dale Anne Potter.  I will notify Dale Anne shortly.  She gets to choose a piece of art from my etsy shop and receive a 5x7 giclee reproduction from it!  Congratulations Dale Anne!

Thanks to all who signed up for my newsletter.  You should be receiving it shortly :)

Random image to go with my random number!

Just a reminder!

My contest ends today - you can win a 5 x 7 professional giclee reproduction of your choice in my Etsy shop!  Just sign up for my newsletter and you will be entered.  I will announce the winner tomorrow!

For more info:  http://artbylmr.blogspot.com/2009/08/cool-contest.html

Scenes from a fair!

Here are some pics from my first craft fair. It was at the Rome Art and Community Center http://www.romeart.org/. My dear husband was sweet to stay with me the whole day. From now on, I will probably let him go home after set-up until tear down. It just isn't easy to put up these tents alone. He even ended up helping other people with theirs even though this was his first time too.

Here is my booth in all its glory. Now that I see it from this perspective - it looks kind of bare. It seemed quite full when I was inside. Gotta work on my layout!

The grids worked great! They are very affordable and really easy to use. You can just fold them up still attached together for the next time. They are 6' tall though and required us to put down the front seat to fit them in.

All in all it was a nice day - met lots of people and many took my card. A few sales and some inquiries about portraits and such. I was ready to pack it in by 5:00 though! One more this weekend and that is probably my quota for a year.

Inspire me Thursday!

I don't seem to be very good at doing this, but this weeks topic is cupcake! I love cupcakes and have a great ACEO that I did as a commission for a birthday gift. The info I had to work on was that the birthday girl loves 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and that look.

Don't forget my give-away contest. Check it out here! http://artbylmr.blogspot.com/2009/08/cool-contest.html

Zazzle store~

Well, I finally succumbed! The lure of having my designs on Keds sneakers and postage stamps was too great!

I opened a Zazzle store. For those of you who have thought of trying another venue for selling your artwork - this one is totally Free! No shop or premium fees upfront. I also have a cafepress shop and that does have a fee for a premium shop. They have more products than Zazzle, but Zazzle has the advantage of only adding one type of mug. for example, and the buyer can choose whatever style of mug on the product page they like.

It is a no lose situation unless you count the time you put into it.

I only have one design so far, but I will be adding more.

Fine art by Lynne Reichhart


Don't forget my contest! Sign up for my newsletter and you have a chance to win a 5x7 giclee reproduction of your choice. See below for more details!

All you need is Art!

New Design at Cafepress! Get it on t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs and more!

I love this one. You can see all the products here: http://www.cafepress.com/artgiftsbylmr/6855374

Don't forget my contest.

To get subscribers I am holding a contest! All you have to do to enter is subscribe to my newsletter (to the left) and post a comment here that you have done so. I am giving away a 5x7" professional giclee reproduction of the artwork of your choice from my Etsy shop.

Cool Contest!

I have added a widget to my blog on the left to sign up for my newsletter! I would love to share some stories, tips, updates and specials with you.

To get subscribers I am holding a contest! All you have to do to enter is subscribe to my newsletter and post a comment here that you have done so.

I am giving away a 5x7" professional giclee reproduction of the artwork of your choice from my Etsy shop. You just need to pick a work of art larger than an ACEO. Keep in mind that I may have to do some cropping to fit the dimensions.

I will order the giclee of your choice within a week of the close of the contest. Oh Yeah, the contest runs from today 8/10 through the end of the month. I will use a random number generator to choose the winning subscriber on 9/1.

Keep those subscriptions coming! I will do my first newsletter in September once I get some subscribers.

Visit my Etsy shop here: http://artbylmr.etsy.com/

Clinton Art and Music Festival, Clinton, NY

Visit Clinton Art and Music Festival



I am participating in the festival this year. It draws many artisans and shoppers each year. Live music is constantly playing during the day. It is just one big Partay!



Please join me. I am setting up with the Central NY Etsy Team.

Great Art resource/advice site

I subscribe to Tony Moffitt's Art World blog and really find him to be very insightful and knowledgeable.

He posts daily on a wide range of subjects from framing to finding a gallery. The best part is it is all FREE! I hate getting a tease and then having to buy a book or pay for a class to get the answers I am looking for. Tony is also open to addressing suggested subjects from his followers!

You can find his blog here: http://tonymoffitt.blogspot.com/

How cool is this?

Sorry to gush, but I just think it is sooo cool to have my art on a Flip Video recorder. If you have never checked out Cafepress.com, you really should. Artists can put their work on different products such as mugs. t-shirts, tile coasters and yes, Flips! You can find the flip here: http://www.cafepress.com/artgiftsbylmr.386048649 There are also many more affordable items featuring this design and lots of other designs too.

Zazzle is another shop like Cafepress. I need to check it out. One thing I have noticed there is you can put your art on sneakers:) Isn't technology grand?

Ta ta for now!

A new LARGE piece for me!

Good Morning! At least it is while I write this. We are having some very large trees trimmed around the house today so wish me luck that I still have a house left when they are done!

I finished this large (for me) painting on 24x18" canvas. Gallery wrapped with deep sides painted for a professional look. I took a photo of one of my iris's a long time ago and came across it recently. I used it as a reference for this piece.

I am having trouble getting the colors right though inthe photo. The iris is more purple than blue-purple and the green is also less blue. Any suggestins would be welcome. I have a digital camera and they tend to 'blue' colors.

I will be adding it to my Etsy shop soon so check it out. http://artbylmr.etsy.com

A little poetry to make you smile (or cringe)!

When your dreams soar, there are no boundaries!

I am not a poet or writer by any means, but here goes.....

'At this Point in my Life' (An artist's Life)

At this point in my life I wonder about things that once seemed so far away.

Will I have enough to live on in my golden years?

And why is my hair so gray?

At this point in my life my endeavors are new.

The lucrative job I no longer do,

Replaced by more creative ventures I thought I'd never pursue.

At this point in my life I seem busier day to day.

Asking how did I ever punch the clock?

When did I have time to play?

At this point in my life I thank God I still have my love.

My husband and my art.

My health and my heart.

My happiness and my friends.

The freedom to start over again!

Summer Art and Craft Fairs or 'What to heck am I doing?"

Am I crazy? Am I nuts? Will I even sell anything? Why am I spending all this money? Why am I doing this to myself?

These are the things I keep asking myself. These are the woes of the first time craft fair participant. I got swept up in the frenzy of a wonderful group I belong to - The Central NY Etsy team. They are having a couple group shows and I am doing one of them. I am also doing one show all alone - Ack!

Reality then sunk in! OMG - I have to have a tent and table covers to the ground and something to hang art on and I need merchandise! I have been frantically ordering Giclee reproductions, backing board, cello bags, display solutions and on and on. I am gobbling up resources giving tips on how to run a great booth and what you need to take with you.

Now that I got that off my chest - I have discovered some great sites with solutions for the artist - even the cheap artist. I know many use peg board and create their own displays. This summer my husband did not need another project so I looked to the web to find me the perfect and reasonably priced art display. I found these grids walls at ABC Target. They are free standing and at $58 for a Z shaped set of 3 walls they were also affordabe. I have seen these in use - My friend Cathy uses them to display her lovely cut paper artwork. I got the idea from her for these grids - Thanks, Cathy!!

I also needed a magnetic board to display magnets on. I turned to my good friend Amazon and found a nice looking large black framed magnetic white board from Board Dudes for $24.

I am not a seamstress by any means so I had no intention of making a table cover that looked nice and fell to the ground as it is recommended ( covers any boxes and other stuff the customers don't need to see). Tablecloth Designs to the rescue! They carry tons of sizes and offer custom sizes too. They make everything to order - even their standard sizes, but I had my order in 2 days for under $40.

I hope this isn't getting too boring, but I wanted to give a shout out to these companies. One last resource I want to mention. I get my giclee prints from iPrintFromHome.com. I love these guys. The quality, color and packaging is ourstanding. The turnaround is super fast and they are very professional! I have only ordered gicless, but they have a large range of products,
including canvas prints. They also offer promotional services for their customers. You can list your upcoming shows on their website and they will also include them in their newsletter that has a large circulation. I could go on and on, but I won't (too late!).

Thanks for reading my rant - let me know what experiences you have had with craft fairs. I would love to hear them.

New Watercolor and a frugal tip from the Cheap artist!

This watercolor was inspired by the beautiful Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. They have gorgeous ceiling displays and this is one of them. Can you say Vegas, Baby! The delicate paper parasols just screamed to be painted in translucent watercolor. You can find this in my etsy shop http://artbylmr.etsy.com.

Being a starving artist, I am always looking to save a buck. I was in Kmart the other day looking for storage bins since we artists have so many supplies everywhere. They have bins that stack, slide and everything else that run 6,7,8$ or more. Just next the the bins there was a pile of white dishpans that cost less than $2. I snatched some of them up. They are a good size, have handles and are solid which is sometimes better than the sides with holes.

Just a little hint from you friendly neighborhood cheap artist!
Thank you very much.

New ACEO

I try to get at least one ACEO done when we go to camp for the weekend or longer. This time I did this colored pencil piece of a crystal vase and flowers. I wanted to work on reflections in glass and I hope to do more like this. This new work is for sale in my Etsy shop. http://www.artbylmr.etsy.com

I didn't have much art time this trip - still gettting things opened up. We got the dock in, set up the screen house and picnic table and various other chores. Now we are ready for company! Any takers???

Catching up!

Hello! It has been too long. Things have been crazy! Summer always is. Last week my Mom had a breast biopsy. I went 'home' to be with her since she is a self-proclaimed wimp. We were all very relieved that it turned out benign. She is still sore, but cancer free! It was a wake up call that my Mom is getting older. Most people that meet her can't believe that she is 73. She is a little dynamo and very active. I hope I am as spry when I get that age.

I missed my featured week at Top Artists Directory last week. It is still up so you can still take a peek. http://topartistsdirectory.blogspot.com/

I tookl down my show at the library and really felt a loss after doing it. I sold 3 paintings so it was a success! What a great feeling to have people like your work enough to shell out their hard earned money for it.

Back soon with more news and photos.

Inspire me Thursday!

I want to find the time to particiapate in this fun site more often. They give a topic each Thursday to inspire creativity. This week I have some items ready to post. Check out: http://www.inspiremethursday.com/

The first is an ACEO I once did for a challenge to portray Feng Shui in Black, Red and Gold. This ACEO symbolizes 'harmony'

The second image is of a pink Hibiscus that I did in acrylics on canvas panel (5 X 7") . I took the reference photo on the island of Kauai. That is the only Hawaiian island I have been to, but it is beautiful and much less commercialized than others. There are some parts you can't even drive to.

Thanks for visiting! Lynne

I set up my show at the library today!

I wanted to share some photos I took of the library display. It is a nice, cozy space with shelves to display the work on. Melissa, the library manager, is great! She does oodles of promotion for the shows.

Blog Giveaway on featured blog!

I am featured on the Women Prenuergalore blog here: http://women-prenuergalore.blogspot.com/2009/04/interview-with-lynne-reichhart-from-atr.html

She is also featuring a blog giveaway of my hand painted poppy tile pendant so check it out! You just have to leave a comment to be entered once and you can also earn multiple entries. It is a simple as that!

Invitation

You are all invited~!

I sent out invitations today. I am looking forward to setting up the show 4/28. Please join me if proximity allows it :)

Art Show at the Oriskany Library

Everyone is invited to my solo show during the month of May at the Oriskany Library in Oriskany, NY. I am busily having things framed, writing up labels, doing a price list and other such stuff. This is my first show of this magnitude. The library manager is planning lots of promotion. She is great!

The reception is Thursday May 7, from 6-8 pm. I will provide some goodies to munch on. I plan to post some photos after I set up on 4/28 since I know most of you are not from around these parts.

Here is a new painting I did for show. It is a watercolor on 140 lb. paper. My Christmas cactus has always bloomed whenever it pleased - Easter time this year. I can't complain because even I can't kill the darn thing. I definitely do NOT have a green thumb.