12 posts tagged “art”
Originally published at sixhours photography by caroline moore :: blog. You can comment here or there.
I listed my photographs at Artfire.com this weekend, in the interest of finding a promising alternative to Etsy and just generally trying to get my name out there... and I'm off to a really "fiery" start! Someone posted my "roast" print on a popular scrapbooking forum, and just a few short hours after launching, my brand new Artfire shop has almost 400 hits and 1500 item views. Wow!
Unfortunately, most of the comments toward my photos are negative, and some of them are downright mean (who knew scrapbookers were such a grumpy bunch?), but hey, exposure is exposure. Calobee Doodles is getting some positive attention as a result of all the extra traffic, so I can't complain!
It will be interesting to see how the Artfire shop does given its unique start. I'm always surprised by what appeals to people (and what doesn't). My photography gets much more attention at Etsy--in the form of treasuries and front page features--than my doodles... but I've sold equal amounts of each type. I suppose there's something to be said for making art that appeals to two drastically different audiences.
Speaking of which, I'm in the process of redesigning sixhours.net to add my illustration. I'm not doing much photography right now (unless adorable baby portraiture counts) and it seems silly to keep sixhours exclusively for photography when the portfolio hasn't been updated in over a year. At least it will look somewhat current with the illustration included. Now I'll be lucky if I can find the time to sit down and code it.
Originally published at sixhours photography by caroline moore :: blog. You can comment here or there.
I finally have a chance to catch up with my favorite blogs and get down to business! The business of blog-writin', that is.
I've been working on a lot of projects lately, and each one requires me to shift gears a little. Programming, design, photography... all distinctly different processes that have me feeling like a Jack (Jaqueline?) of all trades; but it's a very competent feeling. That's good to have when one is swamped with work!
The photo to the right is part of the recent product photography I've done for Allison Strine Designs. Allison is an incredibly talented artist--I adore her work, and was honored when she accepted my bid. I've had a lot of fun working with her and I've enjoyed working with her products, so much so that I had to keep a pendant and a magnet for my very own.
Last weekend's EtsyMaineTeam meet-up was wonderful! It was great to put faces to names, to network a bit, and learn more about what the artists in our state are doing. I had the pleasure of meeting our team leaders, Becky and Jennifer, as well as Ms. Jamie, whom I've known online for years but had never met in person. She came with her crafty family to boot! She and her husband and sister just opened Sweetland Retreat, an artists' bed & breakfast in Manchester, Maine.
I also did some trading while I was there. I made out like a bandit, and my prints were well-received. I will have pictures of my new treasures soon. You can also look forward to reading my posts every Friday on the new EtsyMaineTeam blog! Double the me, double the fun, right? I thought so!
Originally published at sixhours photography by caroline moore :: blog. You can comment here or there.
It's looking suspiciously like the end of the year, what with all the white stuff on the ground and the holiday lights twinkling in the windows. It's hard to believe that tomorrow begins 2008. Where did 2007 go?
Here's where...
1) This was the year of Big Commitments. Tim and I bought a house and got married (and in the same month, no less!) so I think those two events tie for Most Significant Event of 2007.
2) As for photography, this was a good year in terms of productivity (as evidenced in the amount of work in the portfolio and at Flickr). I set a goal for myself in February, that I would do one photo shoot per month for six months. I completed that goal within a slightly different (read: longer) time frame (thanks to certain distractions--see #1) and I think the results are fantastic... and by that I don't necessarily mean the photos themselves, but the fact that I'm enjoying photography again.
3) As extra motivation for #2, I opened an Etsy shop where I sell prints of my photos. So far Etsy has been a great experience, though sometimes I'm genuinely surprised that people actually buy my art. I need to work on the self-confidence thing, but hey, that's what therapy is for.
4) We got a(nother) kitten! Apparently two cats weren't enough. He's giving us a run for our money (as evidenced by the fact that my poor hands are practically plaid, all criss-crossed with kitty claw marks), but it's a cute and fuzzy run.
As for the holiday festivities, we had a good time with both our respective families, and there was far too much deliciously fattening food to be had. Note to self: Find and purchase a used treadmill. You need it.
My one and only new year's resolution is to continue on the one-photo-shoot-per-month (but no pressure!) schedule. It seemed to work well enough last year!
Originally published at sixhours photography by caroline moore :: blog. You can comment here or there.
I've felt inspired recently, which is a nice turn of events, all things considered. I keep a file of ideas for photo shoots, and lately it's growing and growing. I like when this happens. Sometimes I think I'd be content to collect ideas and leave the picture-taking to someone else... but there's something so satisfying about seeing the images in your head unfold in front of the camera. Usually they surprise me.
I've been thinking a lot about the process of making art--more specifically, my process, which isn't much of a process at all, truth be told. I'm too passive, in that I'm content to wait for ideas to come to me rather than actively seek them out. I'm content to dabble but never commit fully, because I'm afraid that the results won't be what I'm looking for. I'm afraid to fail, and you can't fail at what you don't start.
Thinking creatively doesn't come as naturally as I'd like it to. There was a point in my life where it did, when I was very young--too young to truly understand the meaning of "not good enough", and making things was an act that gave me the purest pleasure. I held up my craft paper sculptures and little felt dolls and was proud of them simply because they were mine.
(Just imagine what I could do if I had that kind of innocence now! What any of us could do, for that matter.)
Fear gets in the way of good art-making. It's hard to push past the doubt, to acknowledge the prospect that all your hard work could be for naught. I spend far too much time arguing with myself. "That one's a good idea, but it's been done before." "I could do that, but I don't have X, Y, or Z." And there are the old standbys: "I'm not talented enough. I'm not good enough. I don't have enough time."
Excuses. Lies. Fear.
But I've found that the simple act of acknowledging that fear is enough to help me push it aside, if only a little. And it's so much more fun having ideas when I'm not afraid of failing them before I've even tried!
Once again, I've submitted something to JPG Magazine! This time it's a cross-processed slide of a farm in rural northern Maine. As soon as I saw the "Dreamscapes" theme, I knew I had to submit this photo - it just fits.
If you agree, you can vote for me here!
Anyone else submitting work to JPG these days?
Item: Business is booming at the Etsy shop. And by "booming," I mean I've made more than one sale in the month since I opened! I am pleased, especially since I opened the shop on a whim, not actually believing that people might, you know, buy stuff. I've even gone so far as to order some custom business cards, in hopes that I can continue to spread the word.
Item: This weekend was April's photo shoot weekend. Unfortunately, I have little to offer you in the way of proof of said photo shoot, because the results may or may not be part of a gallery/boutique opening in October. The best I can do is this test shot in the ever-popular "bloody egg" motif. The rest of the series has absolutely nothing to do with cheap fake blood, so don't think I'm giving anything away. I shot this solely to prove that I did pick up a camera this month!
If the photos aren't accepted, you will see them soon. If they are, you can congratulate me, and I will debut the series on my Web site in October. Ooh, secrets!
What I can do is talk a little bit about the shoot itself. I didn't arrange anything with any of the girls (aka the models) this month, because it's getting very close to finals time, and everyone is scrambling to finish the semester, and I'm feeling a wee bit antisocial (what else is new?). As a result, April was "Still Life Month," which meant two whole days of fighting with my studio lights and bending/kneeling over my not-so-ergonomically-correct studio setup. It's not ergonomically correct because it's an overturned laundry basket covered with a white sheet. Makeshift what? And why is my back throbbing? Oh, right.
I really love the new photos, despite the back strain, so you'll have to trust me when I say it kills me to keep them from you, dear Internets! It really does! I'm already itching to upload them to my new flickr account. Bear with me, please.
Item: It's 80 degrees outside. 80 degrees! How do we go from snow, ice, and rain to 80 degrees in the span of a week? We live in Maine, that's how. Not that I'm complaining... it just seems wrong to be enjoying 80-degree weather when the trees haven't even shown buds, and the grass is still an unpleasant greenish-brown baby poo color.
I spent most of the weekend working on this: A digitally illustrated alphabet poster. I may not have leet illustration skills, but I can draw cartoons well enough (my specialty used to be cartoon chickens - fear the talent) and I thought it might be fun to do a version of the ABC's and print it as a poster. It may not be a work of Art with a capital A, but I think it's cute.
All this stems from the fact that I've been thinking I should try a creative pastime that doesn't involve so much waiting... one of the pitfalls of having somewhat elaborate and wacky photographic ideas is that they often require a good deal of preparation and planning before I see results, sometimes so much that I lose interest in the idea before I've had a chance to pick up the camera. Let no one accuse me of having a long attention span. Digital illustration is something I can play with in the in-between, thereby satisfying my need to create on a more flexible basis. I may even have to take a drawing class soon, and see if my hand-eye coordination is really as bad as I think!
Okay, so I know I'm a little late to this etsy thing, and I'm probably preaching to the choir, but I'm fascinated and inspired. I'm also getting very little done at the office, but never mind that!
I created a treasury list of some of the neat things I've stumbled across there so far, but that barely grazes the surface. I have a great big fat "gimme" moment at every other shop.
I also added some new prints to my shop, in hopes that I'll be able to support the newfound etsy habit. If my total amount sold ever equals my total amount spent, I'll be lucky.
We had a fun time walking around campus and looking for creepy light sources. The whole concept was a last-minute, pull-'er-outta-my-ass ordeal, and I think it goes to show that while my ass may not smell like roses, it can produce some interesting stuff! The S.O. can attest that some of that interesting stuff has done a number on our plumbing... but I digress.
The idea that sparked the theme of this shoot was "running away from home", a throwback to my younger days, when I, in a seven-year-old's short-lived fit of rage, would stuff my pack with my favorite worldly possessions (a small packet of Beer Nuts, a sample bottle of Pert Shampoo, my blankie, and a jump rope I'd made out of fabric scraps) and sternly announce to my parents that I was leaving and never coming back. I would then proceed to stomp around at the edge of the yard, daring myself to go further into the woods than I was allowed, and periodically looking over my shoulder at the house to make sure my parents knew I was totally serious, damnit.
Well, I never made it very far, but maybe this girl did. And she didn't bring any Beer Nuts.
It's funny to think how odd we must have looked, wandering around the campus, occasionally dumping stuff on the ground... me, swearing at my camera and pretending to be all professional-like by directing Naomi, She Who Does Not Need Direction Because Obviously She Can Read Minds. Seriously, she always knows exactly what I want from a shot two seconds before I do. "Hey can you maybe... oh! There! Just like that." And she probably knew I was going to write that.
It was a great deal of fun, and I'm so happy that we got to work together again. Thank you, Naomi! Two down, four to go!
I'm finally selling prints again, with the help of etsy.com. That place is like crack.
http://www.sixhours.net/prints has a sample gallery, or you can go straight to the source: http://calobee.etsy.com
If there's something you like that you don't see listed, or if you'd like something in a different size, feel free to send me an e-mail or a Vox private message and I'll see what I can do!
