Month: November 2016

Donation Bloviation Part Two

These are thoughts first published on my blog on November 13, 2013

Pencil drawing of a bridge over the St. John’s River in Tulare County. Perhaps today it is a bridge over the troubled waters of donation requests.

1. Some of those “beg-athon” events are really fun for the community and anticipated with happiness.

2. I’m not the only artist who is worn out from being asked to give away my work.

3. Artists can request that bidding begin at a minimum price, which will help them maintain some dignity and their work to retain its value.

4. Should other donors be paid for their contributions, such as hair salons, motels, restaurants, retail stores?

5. Does donating help their businesses?

6. Are they able to write off anything on their taxes?

7. Are they tired of being asked too?

8. Is there another way to raise money for good causes instead of through donations and auctions?

9. Is it possible for the non-profit to say “We’ll pass on that donation because it doesn’t represent you well and it won’t bring in money for us”?

10. Some members of the public sincerely anticipate a piece of art from their favorite artists, and it causes them to want to participate in the auctions.

Tomorrow I will share a letter from an artist friend that she sends to organizations that request donations.

P.S. Here are some photos from Saturday’s bazaar. It was a very good day!

My 10x10' piece of real estate for the day. — My 10×10′ piece of real estate for the day.

Before the show, some of the vendors check out each other's booths. — Before the show, some of the vendors check out each other’s booths.

Before the show, I like to enjoy the temporary quiet.

There was about a two minute lull between visitors, and I enjoyed this view out of my very large window.

donations Three Rivers Senior League Bazaar

Donation Bloviation

This is a reprint from November 6, 2013. Clearly the subject of donations is large in my thoughts during November.

Pencil drawing of bridge over the Tule River in Tulare County. Today, perhaps it is a bridge over the troubled waters of donation requests.

When non-profits want to raise funds, they hold dinners or tastings and have silent and live auctions to go with these events (called “Annual Beg-athons” by author Matt Gleason in the Huffington Post on 6/8/11). Typically, the first people they contact to donate items to their causes are artists.

Why artists? Why not dentists, lawyers, gas stations, pharmacists??

There was a year that I donated more than I sold. (Hmmm, someone might possibly benefit from a business manager here. . .) The next year, I began reading what other artists had to say about the matter, and as a result, I developed my own list of reasons for artists to not donate and a few for them to continue donating.

REASONS TO NOT DONATE:

1. An artist is only allowed to write off the cost of the materials.

2. Donating depletes inventory that is usually made by hand, involving enormous amounts of time.

3. Art work at these events usually sells for less than its full value.

4. If an artist develops a reputation for giving away work, those who previously have paid full price feel ripped off.

5. If an artist develops a reputation for giving away work, the buying public may begin waiting for the events instead of spending money with the artist.

6. If an artist gets tired of donating, she may begin donating second-rate work and damage her reputation. An artist friend once told me, “Just give them your bad stuff that won’t sell anyway.” Yikes, is that what is happening?? That’s not good for the organization, the artist’s reputation or the recipient!

REASONS TO DONATE (and some are pretty poor reasons):

1. An artist loves the cause and want to help.

2. An artist wants to reduce inventory.

3. An artist wants exposure (which is a myth in terms of building a business.)

4. An artist feels guilty and wants to “give back”. (What did he take in the first place??)

If you are part of a non-profit, you might rethink this common idea that artists are the best ones to approach for donations.

Here is an idea for non-profits: Ask to buy the work. The artist can sell it to you at a discount, you can write off what your organization spends, and you can begin the bidding at that price. Anything you receive above that will be profit for you, and none of the Reasons To Not Donate will happen.

Finally, here is a letter I’ve borrowed from New York Times writer Tim Kreider on the subject:

“Thanks very much for your compliments on my art. I’m flattered by your invitation to donate a painting or drawing or print or package of cards or to paint a mural. But art is work, it takes time, it’s how I make my living, and I can’t afford to do it for free. I’m sorry to decline, but thanks again, sincerely, for your kind words about my work.”

donations

Fun Holiday Bazaar

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This is always a nice event – lots of interesting merchandise, plenty of raffle prizes, pleasant people, beautiful location and good weather.

I will bring the iPad and the Square. Perhaps you will bring your checkbook or cash, because so far I’m 2 for 2 in that technology not working.

mem-bldg

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Three Rivers

The Season of Donations and Fund Raisers

‘Tis the Season of Donations and Fund Raisers, asking artists to give away their work.

I have a strong policy about this*, and it includes donating to an occasional cause.

The policy came after the year that I donated more than I sold.

This year I am donating an oil painting of an orange to Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery. They will give me one ticket to their event, but I won’t be attending. I don’t want to buy a second ticket for someone to come with me. And I don’t want to be there while my painting is auctioned, because if no one bids, I might just die of complete and total mortification.

But, I hope this oil painting of an orange brings $60 at a minimum, because that is what I would charge for it if I sold it myself. (And the IRS would allow me to write off the cost of the canvas, the metal hanger on the back of the canvas, and the oil paint. Pray tell, oh wise bureaucrats, how do I calculate the cost of the oil paint??)

Orange #130, 6x6", oil on wrapped canvas — Orange #130, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas

*Perhaps it is time to reprint that policy. . .

More on Membership

Somewhere recently I heard that it is a “subscription economy” we are in now, rather than a “membership economy”.

Several of the computer programs I use no longer just sell the program. Instead, they sell a subscription that is either paid monthly or yearly. So, I bought outdated versions, because my internet service isn’t dependable enough. I need the thing to be on my computer, not out there on the World Wide Web. And, I don’t need any more monthly expenses.

Then I got thinking about memberships to stores: I quit Costco because it bothered me to pay to shop (and a couple of other reasons.) But, I joined Amazon Prime for free shipping, because I don’t have to drive down the hill using up gas and time and adding miles to my car.

Lots of free internet services offer premium versions and upgrades. I don’t pay for the premium version of this blog platform because this one works. It already costs me about $500 a year to pay someone to keep it up to date.

I don’t pay for an upgraded version of LinkedIn. I enjoy reading their articles and finding links to good articles online but it isn’t a great use of my time.

Someone far wiser than I (Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism and The Disciplined Pursuit of Less) suggests that when you have to decide whether or not to pay for something that used to be free, think about it this way: “What would I pay to get this if I didn’t have it?”

The business of art requires continual decisions. Choices and consequences, choices and consequences.

100_1890_1 — What shall I do?? Join? Not join? Subscribe? Become a member?

There. Take that, subscriptions. Guess I showed them. — There. Take that, subscriptions.
Guess I showed them.

Membership

Have you heard that we are now living in a “membership economy”? When I read articles and opinion pieces about marketing, particularly marketing online, this idea of membership is promoted regularly.

Before I knew we were in this new “era” (fad, trend, phase, something. . .), I struggled with all the requests to join various organizations.

3 different historical societies, 2 library organizations, 5 art groups, 2 chambers of commerce, and at least 2 more groups that I don’t know how to classify want my money every year. If every organization charged $25 per year, I’d be out $350 a year and buried in newsletters and little cards to put in my wallet. Oh, and there are the stickers they send for your car window and the magnets for your refrigerator.

I do belong to the Auto Club (my car is 20 years old with ~~208,000~~ 210,000miles on it – how is that possible??) and to a few of the aforementioned groups because sometimes it is the only way to be able to participate in various art shows without paying an additional fee.

I’ve puzzled over how to create a membership to my fan club. (Wait – I am supposed to call the participants “collectors”? Hmmm, first I need fans, then I need to form a club, then figure out what they get for joining, design tchotchkes to persuade everyone it is worth the fee, figure out some sort of discount or other enticement to let members feel special, and finally, figure out some sort of internet dealiemabob so that it is automated.

Nah. I’m busy. Gotta keep shredding those membership requests so the bad guys don’t join in my name.

Samson is running away from requests to become a member of The Cutest Kitten Society, Fierce Felines United, and Tabbies International.

Backyard Boutique Report

I found the location of the Backyard when Trail Guy and I took my stuff down on Friday to set up. Then we covered it all with drop cloths against the morning dew.

The next morning I left home in the dark, parked far from the Backyard and hiked in through the dawn’s early light. Like that phrase? Sometimes these shows feel as if I am preparing to do battle. Such is the business of art. (And it was a hike – I had food and water with me.)

HEY! There was a sign proclaiming Pop-Up Market in the driveway! I’m still liking the name Backyard Boutique. It was damp and coldish on the grass at 7 a.m. and I was amazed at the organization of all the pop-up tent tops in the Backyard. There must have been 30!

The sun was a welcome sight. The doors opened at 8 and the steady stream of people began.

This is the booth of my friend Brenda who invited me to join the show. She makes felted purses and iPad cases, and they are beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. She sells them for $60 (I think that’s the price), and having made a couple myself, I know this only barely covers the cost of the yarn.

Speaking of iPads, I took one to the show so I could accept plastic from people using the Square. I tested it on Friday and it worked! I tried it on Saturday and it wouldn’t. That’s 2 for 2. . . instead of buying a device to further my sales, I seem to have bought Trail Guy an expensive radio, weather and Mineral King webcam checker.

My booth was in the back under the trees on the dirt. I chose this location because the trees provided shade, since I don’t have a pop-up. I usually don’t do outdoor shows, so haven’t needed one.

Sales were steady all day, I met many nice people and reconnected with old friends. Then I came home and reconnected with this friend. Please excuse the blur and enjoy the cuteness of Samson when he isn’t biting.

Backyard Boutique

Please forgive me for bothering you on a Saturday. It seemed prudent to remind you of this backyard boutique today.

Today I am participating in a backyard boutique at a home in Visalia along with about 30 crafters. As far as I know, I am the only painter, or “fine” artist or perhaps you could call me a “2-dimensional artist”.

People are sensitive about such things.

Me? I am an artist, not an “artiste”. WHY do people insist on saying it that way?

But I digress. Stop by if you are in Visalia from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2016-craft-fair-flyer-2

Three Rivers Museum Mural #2, part 2

The new mural in the Mineral King Room of the Three Rivers History Museum took about 5 hours to paint. It is taking 2 days to tell you about it.

I was zipping right along, just slamming this Mineral King mural of Sawtooth out of my brushes like nobody’s business. (Now that’s a quaint phrase – “nobody’s business”? What does this mean?)

Louise stopped by. She is the Mineral King Guru, an accomplished and published author, and a dear friend who has helped me with several of my murals. I said, “Hey Louise, will you look at this while I hold the window in place so we can be sure that I didn’t cover the peak of Sawtooth with the wooden separator of the window?”

Ahem. Houston, we have a problem.

So, I moved the peak of Sawtooth to the left. Seeing double? Yeppers. Two Sawtooths. Wait. Should that be “Sawteeth”?

No problemo. (a little Spanish lingo for you to balance the French lesson yesterday) Let’s fix the sky, shorten the right side of Sawtooth and add some yellow so the whole world isn’t green, gray and blue. (“Let us” – “us” is the royal we. Thank you for your participation – I appreciation the help and enthusiasm.)

In fact, let’s add a tree. Trees are good. This looks green, but it really is red fir.

Museum Man Tom wedged the window into place so we could be sure of everything. I think you need to see this in person to fully appreciate its coolness. The glass makes some obnoxious reflections in the photograph. The camera’s flash washes out the colors too, but I couldn’t hold still enough without it.

In spite of the difficulties, you can see the peak of Sawtooth, and there is a sense that you are looking out of the window because of the space between the window and the mural.

Now, no plastic and no window. It was a little weird to paint with such sloppy edges, but the window frame will cover the roughness.

The apparent darkness at the top of the sky with that stalactite is the shadow from the roof and rafter tail of the “cabin”. The lighter circle in the sky is a mystery, probably related to the way Museum Man Tom moved lights so I could see what I was painting.

Now have a look at the “cabin”. You’ll have to stay tuned or stop by the museum after the window is put in place and secured. I didn’t dare put it in and risk cracking another pane of glass. (No, I didn’t crack the first pane. For once, I wasn’t the Breaker, although I continue to be a loser in the true sense of the word.)

Cabin facade in Mineral King Room of Three Rivers History Museum

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Mineral King mural Three Rivers

Three Rivers Museum Mural #2

Do you remember during the last post about the Three Rivers History Museum Mineral King mural that I advised you to stay tuned?

This week we resume our ongoing saga of Mineral King murals.

A man built a cabin facade (sorry, I don’t know how to make the little comma in the air above the “c” in “facade”. . . in case you are confused, it is a French word, and it is pronounced “fuh-SAWD”. It means fake front.)

Where was I?

In the Mineral King Room of the Three Rivers History Museum at the fake cabin front.

Cabin interior facade in Mineral King Room of Three Rivers History Museum

I bought that window at a garage sale because it is my favorite color and because it is neat-o, but I had no idea of how to use it. It sat in my workshop for 2 years or more, and then it was needed in this “cabin”.

The idea is to feel as if you are inside a cabin, looking at a Mineral King scene through the window.

First, I had to draw it. Wait – first I had to decide what to paint, then I had to put plastic and tape all around so I wouldn’t splatter or spill on the “cabin”.

Can you see it? That’s okay. You don’t have to. I do. I did. See the 2 photos beneath? These were my guides. I had to be careful to place the peak of Sawtooth where it wouldn’t fall behind one of the “bars” of the window. (I can’t remember what that word is, the wooden things that separate the panes of glass.)

Woohoo! This is going fast, and I just know it will be easy.

Fall down laughing. . . I forgot an important principle about painting murals. The smaller they are, the longer they take. “Longer” in relative time. Instead of about 1/2 hour per square foot, it is closer to an hour per square foot. This is because I keep detailing and detailing. I hope I remember this the next time I bid a mural job, and I hope I remember this and PACK A LUNCH!

Trail Guy to the rescue – he has kept me from being a starving artist for 30 years now.

This is too long. I’ll continue tomorrow.