Brains!

My favorite piece I painted for the RISD sale!

Feliz Navidad

I've been distracted with the holidays and everything else on my list wrapping up (ha, no pun intended!). With George Michael's "Last Christmas" filling my head and The Muppet Christmas Carol screening multiple times, I'm happy to share this sushi-inspired piece before family, friends, and fruitcake take over.

On a side note, I will be participating in a small Art Sale on December 16th at Waterplace Condos in Downtown Providence. The sale starts at 4:00.

Happy Holidays!

Minco/ alamode Collaboration

Minco/ alamode Collaboration, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

My friend Linda from alamode made these cute necklaces with my art in them! There are only a few, and hopefully in April they'll be in my shop (unless they sell before that time at an April 4th show). We have wanted to work on something for a while, but at first I was a little stumped with how to use the circle. At first it was just small icons, but in the end I think the faces worked out in a fun and clever way.

Success!

Oh joy oh joy! The RISD sale was a HUGE success! Thanks to everyone who bought something, especially the doctor who made a BIG purchase for his new office. My friend, Ana, who sells beautiful jewelry also did well, especially since there are many jewelry makers around. I was next to her booth for the first time and was simply amazed how crowded and active her area was for the whole day.  I know many people are thinking about art sales right now, and if it's worth it because of the economy, so here is my two cents on why we did well...

* This is "Art & Craft Sale for dummies", but both of us have a very distinct look to our products. Ana and I use very distinctive colors in our lines which helps with branding and making us look professional.

*There are many sales, but do your research and find out what kind of buyers will be there. For instance, the sale Ana and I were in brings in many upper middle class buyers, people who have not been hit as hard economically (or in some cases, at all!). If you are in a smaller area, newer sale (that maybe isn't as on the radar like other seasonal events) or know that the sale attracts a certain audience who doesn't have as much income (college kids, young families, etc) than that's good to know.

*Ana and I make sure our prices cover our overhead and are fair to us, but we also know not to mark up too much just for the sake of marking up. Ana's jewelry is beautiful (and not what I would call cheap) but compared to her competition she was a bargain. Pick a number that feels right for both you AND your customer.

*Don't waste money and you'll rake in more profit! I was tickled to see that Ana's expensive-looking suede displays were actually cardboard structures she had hot glued fabric over. So much cheaper! I have to be cost effective and cheap at this stage of my life. Having something vertical at my table helps to get attention, so I have a table easel holding a large painting of mine. That's all I need, and it's way cheaper than buying display walls. All these things reduce your investment and allow you to enjoy more profit.  

Okkie dokkie. Good luck to everyone doing Art& Craft Sales!

RISD ART SALE 10/11

Whew! All that late night painting has paid off as I get ready for the RISD Art Sale on Benefit Street in Providence! This is just a peek at all my small paintings ready to go (yes, they're originals, not prints). I hear the weather is going to be great, and I hope even though the economy is doing...not-so-peachy, we'll say, that folks will still be looking to score some fun artwork for themselves or others (Christmas shopping HAS started for some, you know).  It's this coming Saturday (10/11) from 10am-4pm if you're in the area!

Sally Eyepatch

I'm pretty happy with this little painting I made yesterday just for fun (it will end up in the RISD sale). I like this time of the year where I'm just painting these little guys and not having to worry about what exactly happens, because usually I'll make one or two that I really like and it inspires something different for my online portfolio pieces.  This one has even made its way into the Tween portfolio I'm sending Scholastic Press and the others. It's sweet but still a little funky.