Working Artist 2/7

The Benefits of Exhibitions

Annie Mason
3 min read

One of the hardest things for me (which is true of other artists) is to price my work, especially for commissions. I tried developing a formula: for example, square inch x dollar amount. Or (hourly wage x hours spent) + cost of materials

This isn't me. I'm too lazy to track hours or note how much I used in paint or paper.

In the spring, I began to receive requests for commissioned artwork through the shop where I sell my greeting cards and prints. Suddenly, it was important to find a consistent base for pricing. It came to me that maybe I should check the local pricing of other artists. (well, duh?) I browsed around and found a website that is a gallery AND a working studio in Fredericksburg, Virginia. LibertyTown Arts Workshop has an extensive site. There are over 60 in-house artists in various mediums: oil, acrylics, decoupage, you name it. Add to this pottery, glass blowing, weaving, and more. It was a pleasure to browse the work AND shop pricing anonymously. I found a watercolor artist whose technique is similar to mine. My pricing seemed to be low in comparison.

While browsing, I noticed an upcoming exhibition, "Feast for the Eyes." LibertyTown has monthly exhibitions, usually with themes. They lay out a prospectus for the artist, and you submit your work based on the subject matter or theme. The monthly shows are frequently "juried," so an artist's entry may or may not make the cut. Two of my works were accepted, and what do you know? I was awarded First Place, to my delight and surprise. I wrote about this in a previous blog post: A Whim Turns a Win.

Now, I have the confidence of being in line with local artists, and I have been able to give potential clients a base price, plus add a bit if the requested building is complicated, which would require more time.

My relationship with Heather Boutique in downtown Fredericksburg is, without question, where I have established name recognition, as my artwork is displayed prominently in Heather's shop. For that, I am so grateful.

The Fredericksburg Collection has grown from an impromptu photograph of Caroline Street to a full-fledged portfolio of iconic Fredericksburg buildings. I am also looking for historic homes in the area and business establishments that have found a place on the cobblestone streets in this city.

The swipe of pen & ink (which I love) and watercolor (which I love), and threw in some crayons (yes, crayons), and the loose but recognizable views seemed to touch the visitors and residents who wanted these prints.

The unexpected and traumatic pandemic event certainly affected my friend, Heather, and her husband in their attempt to keep their small business afloat. For this, I am happy to be one of the artisans in the shop who work so hard and show their wares. Heather works very hard to keep her artisans prominent in the shop, which is for our benefit, and she helps bring in new clients.

This has led me to cull my 300+ artworks, both large and small. I joined another exhibition at LibertyTown Arts Workshop (Facebook page) this month. The theme is "Tell Me a Secret," and my entry is shown here:

ree — "What is It You Seek?" by Annie Mason watercolor, acrylic, and decoupage

I am proud to be among the amazing artists inspired by this intriguing theme. Take a look at the full group of artists' work here: Tell Me Your Secret, a National Juried Exhibition

What's in the future? Who would know? I am scheduled to be a solo artist at another gallery in town in February. It's fun to stretch your wings...and fly.

The pricing? Not so very important. What are the benefits of exhibiting in a local show? Priceless.

I would hesitate ever to say that the primary function of an exhibition is sales. An exhibition can do what you intend and also things you never intended.

So, what are the benefits of showing your artwork in an exhibition?

You get an opportunity to meet your target customers
You can collect a lot of customer data
You can network with your peers in the industry
Your prospects see your presence
Customers get to see your products on display

The primary aim of an exhibition or gallery is to deliver the story behind its creation, inspiring budding artists to discover/develop new attributes. More people ask about your work, and what prompted you to paint this work.

Do you have questions about "What is It You Seek?"

Ask in the comments.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

10 Surprising Art tools that I can't work without!

Annie Mason
5 min read

Even if you are not an "artist," you probably know the basic materials you would normally use: Canvas or watercolor paper, brushes, acrylic paints, or watercolor paints. The basic stuff that artists have is in abundance.

Did you know, however, that there are a lot of items tucked in the supply closets that we (meaning me and more than likely others) wouldn't be without?

Here's my list, in no particular order.

1. Kneaded Eraser

You need a kneaded eraser. 😂

Approx size 1-3/4" x 1-1/4" x 1/4"
This little guy is my lifesaver.
I make mistakes. I do.
I can't be without this.

I have used this little item since my undergrad days as an art major. I don't know who invented this rubbery eraser, but it sure does the trick for the oops, the pencil lines that don't belong, or the charcoal smudges that were not intentional.

A kneaded eraser is an essential artist's tool for erasing, yes, but also for blurring edges, highlighting, and using other subtractive drawing techniques. It is made of a flexible gummy material that you can mold to any form or take a small piece to access hard-to-reach areas. Artists often use a press-and-lift technique with kneaded erasers rather than rubbing them across surfaces. This method leaves paint undisturbed and does not damage even soft paper. Kneaded erasers are versatile and absorb graphite, charcoal, pastel, and chalk on contact.

My kneaded eraser ➡️

You can stretch it into any shape; the dark marks picked up can be smooshed into itself and disappear. I have used an eraser to its death when it's just time for a new one.

This Faber-Castell kneaded eraser comes in a small case, which keeps it from drying out.

2. Templates

Yes. I can draw a pretty good straight line, sometimes a decent circle. However, when I am doing an art piece for sale, I want sections of my image to be perfectly formed.

These are my go-to tools when doing details on my pen and ink drawings.

3. Small Plastic Spray Bottle

You can find them at your local dollar stores (pictured from my local CVS store), Amazon, or most retail stores.

What do I use these for? I never know when they can come in handy. I use them to lightly spray a section of the paper I want to paint. I can also use thinned tempera paints for special effects like snow, rain, or a speckled background.

4. An Old Toothbrush

You don't need to throw that old brush away. The stiffer, the better. It's another great technique for splattering paint.

clip from Makani Art (on YouTube)

5. Stumps & Tortillions

Yes. I know. These are not just lying around the house. If you love charcoal drawing (like I do), these are in good supply. These are so easy to use, and once you have tried them, you realize that these paper stumps have a lot of uses.

Charcoal pencils and sticks (similar to this one)

Blending Stumps and Tortillions Paper Art Blenders with Sandpaper Pencil Sharpener

Charcoal drawings are not common, but when I do them, these tools are amazing at giving me control of softening and shading areas of my images. I used them on the vintage Christmas images for this season; one is shown here:

6. Mr. Clean - Magic Erasers

Yes. We're back to something that you might have around the house. These are amazing for household cleanup and marks on the wall. They are also equally brilliant in taking care of issues with watercolor paint. When I have dropped paint where it was not intended, I clip a small piece of a large pad. Then I wet it lightly, squeezed any extra water off, and patted the errant paint. Violá! A light touch and the paint is gone.

7. Artist Tape

I know artists use painter's tape to mask off sections where they don't want to paint. I do use Painter's tape, and it works pretty well. However, using too much watercolor paint along the edge removes some of the paper.

Recently, I discovered Artists' Tape, which I ordered on Amazon. I like this tape because it has a more linen feel and sticks nicely on watercolor paper. Best feature: It DOES NOT pull off any paper when removed. I bought the three-pack, and the other painter's tape will wind up in my husband's work area.

3 Pack White Artist Tape

8. Glue

Artists use many different types of adhesives, but here are two basics that every studio should have.

ARTnews Recommends (PVA): Lineco Neutral PH Adhesive

Self-adhesive Linen Hinging Tape

PH is neutral, water-soluble, and dries clear, which is important to the artist. It’s perfect for woodworking, bookbinding, handicrafts, and wallpapering. It’s also useful for sizing a porous medium such as canvas or wood or sealing a finished collage—just covering the surface in a polyvinyl acetate layer.

The Hinging Tape is essential for framing my artwork.

9. Cutting Tools

Goodness, I would be lost without my cutting tools.

Olfa Snap-Off Blade Uti

A utility knife is handy for so many tasks:

Cutting mats, quick trim on paper, the box that arrived with new watercolor paper, and carefully trimming down your colored pencils when they are too short for the sharpener.

Fiskars 199700-1001 Scissors Softgrip, 7 Inch

10. The Tool Box to Fit You!

This is my "toolbox"! It has the items that I am constantly pulling out. It might contain what you need and give you ideas to add to your "box" for your hobby, craft project, or artwork.

PROFESSIONAL Scott 75130 Shop Towels low lint strand cleans glass in my frames.
Tools Claw Hammer, 60-014, 8 Ounce Similar to one shown which I have had for YEARS.
X-Acto® Knife Blades, No. 11 Blade With Safety Dispenser, Pack Of 15 and cutter blades.
Cabinet tip screwdriver. I use this for hard to get to places when I am cutting mats.
Long Nose Pliers. Handy when I am attaching a wire to the framed artworks.
Staedtler Pencil Sharpener. Two hold dials accommodate different sizes.
Shop Towels, 14"x12", 50 Pack You can bet I use these in my art studio.
Uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil . My FAVORITE. Rotates the lead refills.
Cotton Swabs. Lots of use. Dab with paint for little circles. Cleans up small spots.
I can't live without items YOU use for your art, photography, crafts, knitting, candlemaking, or other hobby tools. (Scroll down at the end of this post for comments).

Pin it, please!

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Create a Seamless Pattern with Photoshop

Annie Mason
3 min read

My background in art involved paintbrushes, paper, pencils, paint of various sorts, and something to paint. As I began a major in Graphic Arts I moved into the realm of photography, copy, advertising, layouts, fonts, and the technology which existed in the late 1960s. Would you believe that in order to "justify" the print in those days, I had to type my copy on a keyboard that kicked out a roll of tape with a pattern of holes? The tape was then fed into a linotype machine.

The holes matched the copy that had been typed on a keyboard. The copy could then be set to align to right, centered, left, or justified.

Can you imagine? I am typing this now and all I have to do is look to the top and pick out my desired alignment.

Point of note: in 1967 when I was a graphic arts student at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) I was allowed to do the copy process whatever we were working on...but I was NOT allowed to work the printing press because that was a "man's job."

Whaaaatttt!!!!!

My next art experience was when I transferred to Westfield State University to continue my education. My major was then "fine arts" so I was back to using paints, and paper, and added potter's clay, weaving, sculpture, and art history.

Back to the point. I LOVE ART. I say it often and now, in retirement, I paint almost every day. I also have a mantra that may seem cliché: Learn something new every day.

I have written here in this space, however, that digital art is a whole other animal. One of my principals at one of the schools where I taught elementary art proposed that there be a computer at every grade level, and he mandated that at least one teacher in each level learn how to use it. This was around 1976, and the computer was still elusive in the classroom. Most teachers cringed. I couldn't wait.

When I started using watercolors again after my retirement, my daughter gave me a phone case from Society6 with a small bird. We began to check the site, and she said, "Mom, you should upload your work to this platform." I didn't know what "upload" meant; I had to learn about pixels and assets and edit my artwork for print.

I've come a long way since then. I can resize, HTML, embed, change the hue, rotate, and transform with the best of them (well. maybe not with the best). My daughter has been impressed with how well I can navigate in Photoshop. It has been a slow process but I love learning.

I have subscribed to SKILLSHARE. This is where I really took off in learning how to make Seamless Patterns from my artwork. I joined my favorite artist-friend, Cat Coquillette https://www.skillshare.com/user/catcoq You can read my earlier Meet the Artist - Cat Coq to get to know her better.

Here we go. Start with the more traditional plan: watercolor image. You want one dominant form, then some middle-sized elements, and finally small "pieces" of the floral designs.