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The link between tapestries and painting
In 2023 I added tapestries to A Cup of Cloudy’s arsenal of artwork. Unlike many of the other decor items I sell, tapestries demanded a lot more hands-on work outside of the usual painting, surface design, and click “order.” Suddenly I was sewing, ironing, and working with woven fabric – a totally new medium to me. Of course I was still painting and designing for these. But I was also involved in the weaving, sewing, stuffing, and attempting to translate my illustrations onto a completely different surface. I felt strange going from painter-illustrator to tapestry maker. I love painting, drawing, and digital art. But when I started sewing I fell…
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Home decor that makes your space feel like you
YOUR HAPPY PLACE Personalizing your home decor plays a big role in how you feel about your space. Cookie cutter is fine, but boring. And why be boring when you could be you? Today we’re going to talk about how art can help transform your house into the place of your dreams and what to consider when choosing art and home decor. MAKE IT ABOUT YOU Before you start shopping for new art, get some ideas on paper. It’s good to have a vision, vibe or loose plan. Here are some prompts to help you make your home decor about you: — What vibe do I want for the house?…
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I love painting custom artwork — here’s why it’s the best
UNIQUE ART FOR UNIQUE FOLKS I love painting commissions — portraits, homes, meaningful places, plants — because custom artwork is always so much more personal. When I paint illustrations just for me, they’re super personal to me and hopefully others can connect to it on a deeper level. But when I make custom artwork for a client to be specific for them, it’s guaranteed to be a meaningful piece of art that they’ll cherish. Painting commissions wasn’t always fun for me. A few years ago I vented about these growing pains here. I used to find them stressful because I had a hard time managing deadlines and adding more work…
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Juried Art Competition: What to do when you lose
WHEN YOU’RE NOT A WINNER This weekend I did some live painting at Paint Out at the Park in Dearborn. It was a super cool juried art competition where dozens of artists were given 4’x4’ boards to paint over the course of three days. The winners were given cash prizes and honored at the event, which was part of the larger Dearborn Homecoming party. I had a lot of fun and created a beautiful painting. I painted a couple of teapots, complete with little cups and tea leaves. I’m so proud of my work, even though I only got to spend two of the days on it (thanks, day job).…
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Is being an artist a real job or a real risk?
YOUR TITLE MATTERS Being an artist is a real job. And, it’s truly not any more risky than any other job. Let me tell you why. Last week I got laid off from my job at the newspaper. For the past three years, I’ve hidden behind the “safe” title of Copy Editor. It sounded impressive at parties, in professional settings, and when someone asked, “What do you do?” I felt comfortable giving my answer. I felt justified knowing that I spent my days reading, writing and designing in a job that aligned with my college degree — English — as if my previous choices needed justification. But while I spent…
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How it feels to start taking commissions — the emotional truth
WHAT’S THE TEA, SIS? Well if you don’t have any, I do. It’s not real gossip, because it’s really about me. Here’s my tea: I’m stepping into doing commissions slowly but surely but I want to say out loud that it’s SO uncomfortable for me. Let me explain. NOTE: This article was written in April 2019. My relationship to commissions has changed a lot since this point! But I’m leaving it up because artists early on in their art journey can possibly relate. Check out my more recent post on commissions here. I APPRECIATE THE WORK I love knowing that people like my work enough to pay for something custom…
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3 Ways to Perfect Your To Do Lists (for Creative Types)
THE POWER OF TO DO LISTS Artists are stereotyped as being super quirky, always late, fashion-forward, unorganized, and people seem to think we’ve always got our head in the clouds. But that isn’t (all) true. We can be totally organized and have super productive days, too. We can work on our latest projects bit by bit everyday, all while keeping up with marketing, vendor events, and commissions — not to mention the hustle and bustle of life. It all starts with a great to do list. If you plan your day ahead of time, you’ll wake up knowing exactly what you plan to do, when, and how much you’ll get…
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Proven tactics to make more time for art right now
THE TIME IS NOW It always seems like there’s not enough time for art. Life gets in the way. School, work and family take up so much of our time, no matter how great our desire to create more, accomplish more, BE more. The truth is, you can’t keep doing the same things and wait for the free time to just show up in your life. You have to act. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference in your artist career. Below are some strategies that are guaranteed to free up time for art if you take them seriously. CARRY A SKETCHBOOK There are small pockets of time…
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Overwhelmed with Art Commissions? Try these 5 Strategies
GET FREELANCE FREEDOM For many freelance illustrators, juggling commissions and clients can be a burden. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workload, there’s a strategy to getting the type and amount of commission work you want. 1. TIME ESTIMATES When you have more clients than you can handle, you might start delivering artwork late. This not only makes the client angry, but it makes you look like a loser who doesn’t have their business together. They probably won’t recommend you to a friend or request to work with you again. To solve this, tell people a realistic date for when the piece will be completed. Don’t tell them what…
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Productivity is about creating instead of consuming content
BE A CREATOR NOT A CONSUMER Today I’m sharing a tip that has helped my art career immensely. Once I changed my perspective on my own art and productivity my whole course of action changed. Here it is: Create before you consume. All successful full-time artists act as creators, not consumers. They draw, draw, draw, and only peek at what others are doing after they’re done. They don’t spend all day on their feeds gawking at what other illustrators have made or where their next exhibit is being held. If you consume other people’s content all day, you won’t have time to create your own. PRODUCTIVITY IS ABOUT YOUR MINDSET…
