Artsy Shark
A Site for Emerging Artists
Featured Artist Brennen McElhaney
Jul 27th
Artsy Shark presents the portfolio of talented painter Brennen McElhaney. See more of his impressive work by visiting his website.
Brennen McElhaney was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Looking for a change of scenery, he studied fine art and illustration 3000 miles away at the Rhode Island School of Design. After returning to California, Brennen married Sheila Springer in 1992, and as newlyweds they had the unique opportunity to run a fine art gallery for a time.
Pursuing his fine art, Brennen went on to have one-man art shows at a number of galleries on the West Coast, establishing collectors across the USA and Europe.
During that time he served on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Art Association. For nearly 11 years, Brennen worked as graphic illustrator / manager at Big Dog Sportswear.
In 2005, Brennen, along with his wife and their three children, relocated from California to Western North Carolina (near Asheville) where he is currently working on a series of landscape paintings of the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding areas. He is a signature member of Western North Carolina Plein Air Painters, and is represented regionally by The Design Gallery, The Gallery at Studio B and Alta Vista Gallery.
In addition to painting, Brennen works as a freelance illustrator and as art director for Oodles World, an Asheville based entertainment and media company.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings are a personal record, a visual journal of scenes that have caught my attention. My goal is to document the beauty that I see in the landscape, and create a record of my impression for others (and myself) to enjoy. My artistic process relies heavily on observation — that is to say I trust my eyes to “tell” me what to put on the canvas, how to paint it, what is important, and what is not.
Recurring subject matter in my landscapes are mountains, trees, rivers and lakes, cityscapes and architecture. My work is optimistic, reflecting a sense of contentment with my home in Western North Carolina and my appreciation of the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Brennen authors an art-related blog entitled “ArtWorking”. He writes about his art and the stories behind various paintings, occasionally showing the development of works from start to finish. Some posts serve as a travel journal and include pages from his sketchbook. He also discusses self-promotion for artists, providing a detailed descriptions and examples of successful ways for artists to market their work, including portfolios and a gallery prospecting strategies.
He has been married for almost 20 years and he and his wife have three children. They don’t have a TV. They eat almost every meal together. They home-school their kids. Brennen appreciates the opportunities offered by living in the modern technological age. He enjoys discussing art and networking on Twitter and Facebook.
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Artist Profile: Smart Strategies for Licensing
Jul 25th
By Carolyn Edlund
How planning and excellent presentation put one new company on the road to success
Linda Warner Constantino
Linda Warner Constantino and Dona Warner are sisters, and partners, in Linadona Botanica™ LLC, an art business which debuted in January 2011. Both of them have extensive backgrounds in fine art. Linda is a plein air painter who also teaches watercolor, portfolio development and Photoshop (she’s a certified expert) at Savannah College of Art and Design. Dona holds a degree from the Tyler School of Art, and is a former sculptor who now works as an administrator in the production of art.
Linda creates the artwork, while Dona acts as a critical eye and takes care of the business end. They have put together a first-class package to present to manufacturers who would license their artwork, and are a prime example of how preparation and excellent presentation make all the difference. Linda and Dona agreed to share their experience.
AS: What has drawn you into the world of art licensing?
LC: As an artist I paint plein air landscapes, still life painting and a variety of illustrative work, using watercolors, oils or sketching from life. Over the years I have focused more on botanical subjects, working almost exclusively from life.
Using my hand painted botanicals, I apply my skills in Photoshop to design repeat patterns, manipulating the background colors, scale and juxtaposition of forms. My intent is to try and lend a more contemporary feel to the botanicals while retaining their natural appeal.
Although botanical subject matter is not new to the art licensing world, there is always room for a different interpretation. I am continually inspired by nature and like the idea of art on useful things like aprons, tabletop, or stationery.
I am attracted to art licensing because it is somewhat speculative. I can create what inspires me and then “go fishing” with the designs. I find a greater sense of freedom to be creative and pull from my own personal experiences with the subject matter that I choose.
AS: Your portfolio shows designs on prototypes. What is the thought process behind this?
DW: We start with a pattern and then determine the type of product we might like to see it on. We try to consider the manufacturers perspective as far as the ability to market the product. In a way, it advances the dialogue between licensor and licensee to see the art prototyped, which in turn, helps determine if there is going to be a good business fit.
Linda creates product templates using the vector tools in Photoshop (not Illustrator) and brings scanned art into Photoshop. Then she finesses it onto the templates using clipping masks, pattern fill layers and layer styles.
AS: You’ve done a lot of research before exhibiting. What suggestions would you have for other artists looking to get involved in shows?
LC: Walking the Surtex show provided us with a wealth of information about what presentation style appealed to us as much as it defined how we did not want to present ourselves.
We tried to get ideas about the type of products that might work with our designs, current trends and the quality that specific manufacturers had to offer.
In preparation for exhibiting your work, we suggest:
- Give yourself a full year and get organized with a timeline of what has to be done and when.
- Develop your materials with both a consistent look and message. Repetition helps the audience to begin to identify the imagery with your name.
- Take advantage of the free promotional opportunities and have a story to tell that is your own.
We did a small scale mock-up of our booth in foam core board and placed scaled copies of the artwork into the model to help us visualize the overall look of the booth This made installation so much easier because the majority of the decision making was done in advance.
AS: Your botanical style is “authentic” to your personal vision, exemplified by your blog, which is about gardening. How this was developed?
Dona Warner
DW: Our blog is about art, gardening, cooking and the home: the things which influence our lifestyle. Choosing to illustrate flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables as the theme for our business is really the result of a lifestyle that we shared starting at a very young age. It was not unusual that we each chose to study art and then came full circle to create a business that is very much about bringing art into the home, using nature as our subject.
We have a shared sense of aesthetics that makes for a great partnership, and bounce everything off one another to reach a level of refinement that we can both feel good about. We are brutally honest with one another – through the process of collaboration, it can often lead to something far better.
Featured Artist Jill Price
Jul 23rd
Artsy Shark presents the portfolio of Canadian artist Jill Price. She has a unique approach to an unusual subject matter. Enjoy and visit her website to see more of her work.
What are your goals?
One of my current goals is to find the right audiences and representation for my work. I have been doing all of the research of shows, social marketing, and applying and paying to get into exhibition space by myself and I am getting burnt out trying to keep track of all that needs to be done to self-promote.
I have recently begun to scope out art agents to take my work to art fairs as well as make some contact with galleries in larger urban centres which cater to designers/decorators. I figure if I can get a few people working for me, I can just focus on the creative production. But beyond all this, I feel I am getting close to creating a product that will have a larger audience appeal and still be true to my artistic practice and environmental agenda.
What are you working on now?
Currently I am working on a show entitled Fabricated Landscapes that will exhibit at an amazing space called Double Door Gallery in the rural community Anten Mills. The work investigates the suburban sprawl and the domestication of rural objects and livestock to suit a suburban lifestyle.
Although the iconography is playfully graphic and nostalgic, the work addresses how technology has undermined both the purpose of humans and animals alike, and how disconnected we are from the land that sustains us. Combining carving, painting, and stitching on surfaces of fabric, wood, and plexiglass, I juxtapose materials that are natural against those which are manufactured and plastic.
It is my hope that this body of work will serve to reach a large demographic due to it’s minimalist approach to some big issues. From a community stand point, I am currently collaborating with two other artists to organize a Nuit Blanche event in Barrie, Ontario in celebration of Ontario’s Culture Days at the beginning of October. We are hoping to have over 30 artists install work in the downtown as well as have people performing readings, music, theatre, etc. every half hour from 7 pm til 7am in the morning.
I am also competing a lot in Art Battles, which are live painting competitions. These events are helping to raise my profile outside of my immediate community. My next one is to take place down in Toronto, Ontario on July 26th where I will paint off against 15 other artists to win the audiences vote. We are only given 20 minutes to complete our work of art, which is then auctioned off to the crowd. Later that week I will be painting live on stage at the Aurora Jazz Festival to the music of Martin Acouin Band.
What inspires you?
I would have to say that car rides to see family serve to be one of the biggest resources / inspirations for my work. As my husband drives and listens to one of his books on tape, it gives me time to contemplate all that I am observing, as well as ponder the politics which inform the constantly changing landscapes that pass by in the window.
I am also inspired by the work of other artists. I am drawn to art that uses unconventional materials to communicate their message. I often flip through old and new art magazines making notes about which work I am drawn to and why, as well as to find methods or materials which would lend themselves well to my own practice. Most recently, I have been drawing on childhood memories to arrive at new stories and iconography to incorporate into my work.
Alaskan Artist Finds Success in Niche Market
Jul 21st
By Carolyn Edlund
How one artist has used regional images and themes to market her line.
Jill Marshall came to Alaska in 1975 for a three-month stay, and hasn’t looked back since. She started a graphic design firm called Marshall Arts Design, which has evolved into a business where she uses her skills in graphic design and painting to create greeting cards which have become extremely popular.
Jill blends her love of her adopted home state with the wildness of Alaska’s people and place, weaving these themes into a strong niche line which has resulted in sales of over 30,000 cards in over 75 gift shop locations. “We have a large visitor industry here in Alaska,” she says, “So I aim my card art to that audience.” Jill wholesales her cards directly to the gift shops. “We have a wholesale gift show in Anchorage which makes it easy to access shops in remote locations. Some of the shops are reachable only by air or sea. It would be difficult and costly to visit them all individually.” She also sells her card on her website.
Marshall Arts Designs started with traditional watercolor featuring natural elements of birds, berries, animals, flowers and Christmas themes. Moving into a more whimsical style led to the Wild Women series, which combines drawing and computer graphics. Jill recently has expanded into the licensing market, meeting manufacturers at the Surtex show in New York. She continues to explore and grow as an artist, and states that she believes in the old saying “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
AS: Which of your design collections are more popular – traditional or “wild”? Are you marketing them differently?
JM: They are both about equally popular. Of the traditional ones, the Flowers of Alaska series sells more than the Berries, Animals and Birds series. There are five paintings in each series. Each gift shop has different ideas of what sells best for them. Both visitors and residents purchase the cards and posters. The Wild Women series (there are 20 of them) has sold very well too. The two styles are so different that gift shops have no problem carrying both, which are sold as individual cards and boxed. I market each collection the same way. They are aimed at women (since they do the majority of card purchasing) both visitor and resident.
AS: What niche markets have been successful for you? Are you selling to
stores in the lower 48 states?
JM: I guess you could call Alaska a niche market! I have not expanded to stores in the lower 48 at this point. I am working on designs that have less of an Alaskan theme to them to appeal to wider audiences. I am undecided if that’s something I want to take on myself or work through a distributor because of the logistics involved, Alaska is very far from the rest of the U.S. and travel and shipping are not inconsiderable expenses. I’m still looking at the numbers.
AS: Any future plans to expand this line or release any new collections?
JM: I’ve redesigned the Wild Women into bookmarks. I’m also looking into magnets of the designs. I’m always coming up with new ideas for the next Wild Women set. Since I release them in sets of 10, I have to wait until I’ve got that many worked up. I also keep looking for ways to repackage the existing artwork to continue to generate revenue from them. That’s one of the best parts, you keep generating revenue long after the original work is done.
AS: Any advice for beginning artists who may want to start a greeting card
line themselves?
JM: You are the artist, manufacturer, salesperson, advertiser, distributor, and accountant all in one. It’s important to give the appropriate time to each of those job titles. Not just the fun ones. I choose to do it all myself. I’m a business person (having run my graphic design firm for 23 years) and an artist so I already had those skills. I did have to learn to talk to the shop owners and sell myself and my product. I’m an introvert by nature so gaining good interpersonal skills was important.
Go out and look at the competition. There’s a lot of it! It’s important to have a look or concept that sets you apart. And to test market it as much as you can. Show it to people in the target audience and listen to their feedback. Talk to as many shop owners as you can to get their insight as to what sells and what doesn’t. And really pay attention to the business end. The numbers have to add up.
Featured Artist Mako Fufu
Jul 19th
Artsy Shark presents featured artist Mako Fufu, who combines East and West graphical influences to create her unique style of art. See more by visiting her website.
I was born in Argentina in August 1st 1983, with a mix of Italian, German, Spanish and French blood. As if this mix wasn’t enough already, I was attracted by all things Japanese from an early age. I´m hyperactive and curious and cannot stay still, nor limit myself to a single media, style or theme: I´m always eager to explore new grounds.
Since words seems to be not enough to transmit my deepest feelings and switching moods, I canalize it all through my artworks. My signature style could be defined as sensual and full of life.
I´m a self-taught artist. Still, I’ve complemented this self-acquired knowledge by studying for a Graphic Design degree on the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), but quitting it after a while. It wasn’t what I’ve expected. I´m currently starting my studies for a degree on Visual Arts on the National Institute of Arts (IUNA).
My goals are:
-Being the best artist I can by learning new techniques, trying new media, practicing and improving my own style. And having fun while I do it!
-Inspiring people, beyond the fact they´re artists or not. I like to let everybody know that if you´re really passionate about something you can get to make your dreams come true. You just have to put your mind and heart into it.
-Making a good living from this, so I can keep on doing what I enjoy, reaching the most people I can . . . with the least stress possible!
Right now I´m making murals as often as I can (I really enjoy it), filling up my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project 2011, and I´ve just started working on my own webcomic!. I always wanted to share stories about facts that happened to me, good or bad, but in an enjoyable humorous way. I think it´s important to be able to laugh about situations that have pissed you off in the past, that way you get the most of them. And if you get to laugh about them too, you´ve made the most of them!. They´re available here.
I´m inspired by art made by passionate people. It may be animation, murals, illustrations, movies, music… you can tell when the work came from the artist´s heart.
Featured Artist Leah Jay
