Art Marketing, Warming Up daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Warming Up

7x5 $150

Don't we all wish it was warming up today? It's been a chilling winter in southwest Florida. This morning it's 39 degrees with a wind chill of 23 and an expected high of 53! Those of us who have lived here a while have adapted to warmer temperatures and are quite uncomfortable when the temperature really dips down. Most of us have gotten rid of the northern clothes we came with since they were just taking up room our limited closet space. We're left to make do with layers of our everyday cottons.

I've got three layers on right now and looking for something warm that will fit over it all. At the grocery my fellow islanders are wrapped in layers of clothes and scarfs they bring out for the cold. But there's always a stray northerner in a tee shirt and shorts who thinks the weather is perfect!

At least we know it won't last for two long. Perhaps someone from the cold north will like today's daily Everglades painting as a reminder as a reminder that paradise does exist! I'll be happy to send it up, free shipping.

Many of the artists have been thinking a lot about art marketing in the declining economy. We're looking for new and better ways to promote our art. Some of us have worked so hard that we're beginning to get marketing fatigue! However, there's an article in today's Marco Eagle that I'd like to share. It's an article including 44 ideas for growing profits, but really is a list of good business practices. If you have a good product and people know about it, the edge is to be a good business person. That goes for any type of business, including art.

Selling Art in the Slump, Whisper on the Wind daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Whisper on the Wind

5x7, $150>

Today's Everglades painting is of a clump of palms that has become quite familiar to me. I've pushed their surroundings back a little to focus on the group. Yesterday a cold front came through, and the skies darkened as the wind picked up. To me they look like they have their heads together, trying to hear what the wind might be telling!

Selling art in the slump is not easy for artists, and we're lucky to have the help of people like Alyson Stanfield, an art marketing coach who gives back by giving away a free Art Marketing Salon. Eight Marco Island artists have taken on this challenge, and business reporter Quentin Roux of the Marco Eagle, our local newspaper wrote an article about the Salon. It was easy to submit the article because Alyson included a sample article and all we had to do was fill in some of the local information. He took the information and we're delighted with the publicity.

But more important was that it began a dialogue between our local newspaper's business reporter and the artists. He told me he liked hanging out with artists. I told him that I thought the business of art was important to the economy of an area. If he liked Marco artists, he should attend the Blue Mangrove Gallery's reception for artist Tara O'Neill. There just might be some artists there! The Blue Mangrove is a wonderful Marco art-business success story, and Tara paints a story of village life. This particular exhibit is all about beach umbrellas, and each painting has a story to tell. Our reporter may have been going anyway, but it was nice to see him there, taking pictures and talking with people about the art. Stop in and see the exhibit and think of the Blue Mangrove when you need a gift or a treat.

Other artists have expressed interest in the Art Marketing Salon, and Marco Center for the Arts will host a brown bag lunch at noon on January 22 to discuss art marketing. We'll discuss what you'd like available. It may result in another Salon, so save the date and come along at noon if you're interested.

Art Talk, Gold Rush Daily painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn

One of the things I really enjoy outside of the studio is Marco Island's Artist Tabletalk luncheon. We're a group of professional artists who meet once a month to talk art. Yes, only art! We try to have only one conversation going at the table at a time. Not easy, but each artist around the table takes a few minutes to tell their news. It could be an award or an honor, experiments with a new media, comments on struggles and joys in the studio or "en plein air." All subjects are shared and discussed in a lively and supportive manner. After that, if nothing is pressing I try to have a topic or question for discussion that connects us to the broader perspectives of the art world. We usually end with "show and tell" or critiques of our work. The two hours pass all too quickly and we ask about health issues and and families as we leave.

This month I proposed that we take on the challenge of blogger Alyson Stanfield's Art Marketing Salon. It's free, and the only obligation is committment. There were eight people at the table and all jumped at the chance. We'll hold our organizational meeting soon and look forward to learning all we can about this important subject.

Today's daily Everglades painting is "Gold Rush" in honor of all the economic woes of the past week. I had no idea that total panic about finances could be achieved so easily! Real? Yes. Scary? Yes. Can I do anything about it? No! Back to studio for comfort? Yes!

Gold Rush
5" x 7"

acrylic on board
$150 with free shipping and handling in the US