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Hola everybody!
Another busy day. My my, there are a lot of details in opening an Etsy shop and taking that big leap of selling your creations! Today was a day of testing out possibilities. Lucky for me when I run into a wall my sister is a fountain of patience and goodwill. We tried out different printing today (try, try again) to eventual sucess and jubilation. Though the output was the best yet, I confess... for a while there I was not so sure I could keep up. Whew!
Now, in art school they toss around quite a bit this stereotype of the fumble-thumbed artists trying to be their own businessmen. "Get an agent as soon as you can!" was the mantra from our Illustration professors. I get it. I do. And yeah, if I could just sit around drawing and sculpting and making prints or tinkering at new projects while handing off my designs to helpful little elves, wouldn't I? Wouldn't anyone?
Well, I was never one to deny elves anything... but I am starting to believe the more mechanical side of this process is there to help you release those creations out into the world with good tidings. Perhaps regarding the production side as an extension of the creative process takes the frantic feeling out of working from a strictly business mindset. The printing stresses me out, still, but it leads to the mailing part... that is deliciously fun for me... so I guess not all sides of production are tedious.
I'm still finding my way through having a business on Etsy compared to what I learned back in art school, luckily the actual process of being in business this way is a lot more exciting and rewarding than the litany of do's and don'ts we were treated to in school. Even through the rough patches.
I have already stalled one weekend when I was planning to go to Massachusetts in order to open the Gocco section of OUOU, not so sure if my whole week off is going to end up being co-opted by Etsy troubleshooting.
Time to listen to more Craftypod podcasts on time management! Best. Resource. Ever!
Still having fun with package design, I've been playing with the idea of rubber stamps (I know it should be backwards, but that photo was confusing) for added home-made-ey-ness. Or, because I've never tried to make my own rubber stamps before. I am also cooking my first sweet potato while I blog tonight. Mmmmm, first time for everything.
And, what am I reading while in the growing pains of my first month on Etsy? Yeah, that's right, the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. Gives me the option while I am biting my fingernails raw over fuzzy prints and shipping prices to either think about A. blogging or B. clouds passing through the sky (Zen gong sound). Obviously, I need some practice. But seriously? This book has a compassionate, generous, loving voice and has been an absolute pleasure so far.
Celeste got some lovely new books the other day too and I want to rave about this one before I go eat yummy dinner! Take a look at Emily's Balloon next time you are in (the best bookstore ever, or) your local bookshop. Sparse and delicate, grainy illustrations in subtle hues of (we call her "chubberton") Emily and her balloon make for a sweet rendering. Books that concentrate on toddler years, appropriately, are often colorful and cartoon-y... Emily's Balloon is a comfortable departure.
Well, you know... I like to keep busy. : )
Today I am pleased to introduce my new Gocco section in OUOU. Hooray!
There are a couple of card designs, some gift tags that I really love, and my first ever two-color print "Snow Day". Pardon my exuberant over-use of exclamation points in this post while I thank my lucky stars for helping me work in a medium I am wild about!
This drawing has gone through several versions before becoming a print. The first had very tiny lines matching the hair of the girl and sleeves on the boy. I was going to go for a dragon (yes, more dragons) behind them, but I just wasn't thrilled about those attempts.
Finally, after about a week at the sketchbook trying to draw out a new design for introducing myself to Gocco poster-making, I remembered these two and their unfinished dilemma. The drawing was altered yet again in order to keep from goopy prints, finest lines removed and dragon done away with for a new pattern drawn for the "sky" of blue you see behind their heads.
Yesterday was the final day of printing for this particular set and it was so much fun seeing them come together!
One of those moments when you feel very lucky indeed to be an artist is when while working on one project you suddenly figure out the solution to another, seemingly out of the blue.
The day before my first post in this blog, Celeste and I started using Gocco and I made a screen for this "I've Missed You, Little Monkey" drawing. Somehow she got lost in the excitement of the last few weeks and has not appeared in either the printed cards or Gocco silkscreens.
While waiting for the blue ink of "Snow Day" to dry I remembered this early screen, the design fitting eerily perfectly onto some large gift tags we had bought to experiment on.
What luck! And what a way to wait for the "paint" to dry, but to do more "painting"!
And then make cookies! ...Okay, you heard about the cookies already.
In conclusion I also want to add that I woke up this morning and we had gotten our first snow here. Awwww! Just like magic!
I participated in a swap just a little while ago, finally got a good picture of the item-in-question. Two sweet little green hair pins I just as easily could have had when I was 6 (I vaguely remember a green wool sweater that could have had these buttons...)! : ) Thank you twiddledee! They are gorgeous.
As predicted, a little mailing was the perfect cure for my printing frustrations yesterday. Just sit me down at my desk with some ribbon and tissue paper and I'll be right as rain in no time!
Today has been dedicated to arranging some space in my "studio" area to actually fit the way I use the space. Otherwise it is just a sea of piles scattered around the floor, scissors, CDs, rulers and photocopies intermingling about. My poor paint brushes are giving me pout-y-lip too. I found a couple of sketches from last year last night (impetus for the major cleaning effort) that I am still very fond of. If the Gocco and watercolors rumble later tonight... my money is on the watercolors.
