January | 2017 | Real Art Is Better!

At the start of each new year, we always stop to think about what we’d like to accomplish in order to grow our art business. Having goals keeps us stay focused. Here is the list for 2017.

Complete our first public art project. After applying for dozens of public art projects, we finally were selected for one! I’ll be working with a metal fabricator in Fairbanks to build three bicycle racks that will be installed in front of Ryan Middle School in Fairbanks. I expect to learn a lot from this process.

Grow sales of prints and originals. As always, Maria and I will continue working to get the word out about my art. Progress will be measured in revenue, website traffic, and social media interactions.

Complete first artist in residence. I will be the artist in residence at Manitoba Cabin in February. We’ll stay there for three nights, and I will paint two pieces on site. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to be inspired to create paintings in a beautiful setting with few distractions.

Have two solo art shows. Right now I am scheduled to have two art shows in 2017. One at my favorite venue, Midnight Sun Brewing, in June, and the other at a new venue to me, Crush Wine Bistro and Cellar in October.

Continue to complete all commissions on time. I’ve had a perfect record of completing commissions on time and to the patrons’ satisfaction, and my goal is to continue offering that service to the best of my ability.

Keep applying to grants/public art projects. The chances of getting grants, or public art projects are pretty slim, especially for an emerging artist, but if you don’t buy a lottery ticket, you definitely won’t win, so we’ll keep applying.

Use the studio space to grow revenue. We use the studio mainly as our work space, but occasionally we open it to the public to make the space pay for itself. We’ll continue to open the studio on First Fridays, and will also continue teaching art lessons. We’ve even considered hosting a singles’ paint night.

Each year we’re grateful to be able to work for ourselves, and to make a living selling my art. We’re grateful to everyone who makes this possible. Here’s to a successful, fun, and inspiring 2017!

Every holiday season I get a lot of requests for commissions, so this year we decided to cap the number of paintings to only 10. Somehow that list filled up quickly, and as I finished them one by one, more orders came in. In total I ended up painting 25 commissioned paintings. Each one was approved and accepted by the patron (sometimes after minor changes), and arrived in time for the holidays. We mailed paintings to many places around the country like Texas, Virginia, Oregon, and a couple were even mailed to Belgium. They were commissioned as gifts for spouses, co-workers, significant others, parents, and close friends. Each painting had a special story behind it, and I loved being in on the surprise. My favorite painting was the portrait my brother commissioned of his wife. I suggested a parody of the Mona Lisa with personal touches that symbolized important parts of my sister-in-law’s life. Her reaction was priceless, and we got it on video (see below). We take a picture of every painting that leaves the studio, so here is a slideshow of the paintings I made this holiday season (click on the pictures to view a slideshow). They are all oil paint on wood panel, framed in a natural ash wood frame. If you’d like to commission one, just let me know.