Organize Your Ideas

     We had a great January Westsider's SCBWI Schmooze/Mingle/Schmingle meeting to start out the new year. We discussed goals for the year and beyond.  How do you keep track of your short term/long term goals and new ideas?   Thanks to our Schmingle coordinator, Suzy Engelman Block, who gave us the simple idea of using a folder and some post-its keep us on track.  

     Post-its are great for rearranging priorities, for adding and subtracting from your idea/goal folder.  As soon as I open my folder, I see the art and writing projects I want to tackle first or remember a promotional idea, etc.  There are so many colors and style of Post-it's, you'll easily be able to find what works for you.  

If you’re like me , you have these items in your studio already or can use whatcha got on hand to do the job.  Get as fancy as you like, or keep it simple.  Here is how I made mine.   

I used:

Poster board

Vellum – enough for four pages.

Linen book binding tape, but duct tape or artist’s white tape will do.

Clear Con-Tact shelf liner for my cover ( I use this for everything. Even covering my studio table.) It’s easy to remove (NOT FROM PAINTED WOOD) and replace when it gets dirty.

Label maker

Post-its of various sizes and colors

1, Cut two pieces of poster board for front and back cover

2. Cut one piece of poster board for center “page.” 1/8” smaller in the width

3. Tape the front cover to the center page with book binding tape.

4. Tape the back cover to the center page with book binding tape

            This will give you a folder four pages.

5. Decorate your cover.  Collage works great.

6. Cover with clear Con-Tact (this is easier than you think and makes it easy to wipe clean)

         Cut Con-Tact slightly larger than folder when opened. Lay Con-Tact out and set folder on it.                Smooth with a credit card or fingers. It’s easy to reposition.

7. Cut 4 pieces vellum slightly smaller than your cover and pages.

8. Hinge tape them to the top of each cover/page.

9. Create labels to name your pages.

            My folder is organized: with Art/Writing/Promo for three of the pages with a fourth page for                      “FUN” misc art projects.

            Each of my four pages includes: a NOW sheet of vellum and and LATER page on the poster board under the vellum. Post-its are easy to transfer,add or remove.  I find this set up easiest for me to “see” in an instant what’s I need to work on. It’s also super simple to add your ideas to the "later" pages.  All your idea & goals in one place!

Happy Goal Setting and Organizing!

Fear or Love- The Year I Choose

On a recent visit from my brother, Chris, he asked me to go with him to see Marianne Williamson speak. She was very inspiring and one part of her talk really resonated with me. She spoke about how we can choose to see the world through fear or love.  I've always struggled with anxiety. Fear has accompanied me most of my life. After meditating on that choice, to see through love or fear, I had an epiphany.   Fear hadn't been my passenger along life's journey. It was driving me.  Where ever it wanted to go, In a vehicle with very dirty windows.   

"Seeing" through fear and not love, has  distorted everything.   And I've spent all this time not seeing my life, my art, my family clearly.   In reference to my artwork, I wasn't seeing it with any truth.  How can people tell you that they love your work and you kind of scratch your head and say, "huh?" They are not looking at it through a filter of fear. They are looking at it through love.  

Here's to 2016!  The year I choose.  Here's to taking the wheel with a new pair of windshield wipers! 

Postcard Printing Problems

The woes of black and white printing.

      Can you see the difference between the card on the bottom and the card on the top?  When I sent this file to Vistaprint, (shout out to Vistaprint, who reprinted these for free)  it appeared to me to be a solid white background. My monitor did not show this square of grey on the bottom card. (I pumped the contrast for you for this photo)   I thought a black and white promotional mailing would be a bit easier to prepare than color postcards. No calibration of monitors that are off. No RGB to CMYK disappointment.   But, surprise, surprise there is always a way for the simplest things to become complicated.  What shoulda, coulda, woulda to do?

1. Print the card on your own printer before sending off to printing house.  The light from my monitor is enough to obscure this small amount of gray. The print out proof would have shown me an obvious problem.

2. Use the eye dropper tool in Photoshop with the info box open.  This will show exact percentages   of color (even tiny amounts of black)  anywhere in your image. Even if they look pure white on screen.

    What I did wrong:  I took a greyscale image and then added a couple of layers with truly white backgrounds for the text and added width of the card.  That art layer did not have a pure white background.  Once I added the other layers with truly white backgrounds, I should have seen the difference.  But my monitor did allow. If the grey would have covered the entire printed piece,  it would really have looked fine to send out.   Next time I will be sure the background of any greyscale image is pure white using, the lasso to select and delete, bump the levels or using curves.  Lesson learned!

Promotional mailings may be the first time a client sees your work.  We want them to say, "I want to see more!" Not, "I wonder how that happened?"

Being a Pack Leader

            I like a simple life.   I have one dog, one kid, one husband.  I’ve often wished that I had one focus for my creativity.  I see so many of my fellow artists and writers stick to their pursuits with such single mindedness I can only dream about.  I’ve often questioned why I  have a studio cramped with a sewing section, a clay section, a bookmaking section and a painting section.  I’ve wondered why, on some days, my abilities are illusive, my priorities unclear.  Well, I’ve finally realized that I have been blessed with a multitude of muses.  I finally have accepted my “jack of all trades” approach to creativity isn’t the work of one wacky muse.  I’ve got a bunch!  I just need to step up and be a good leader to them all.  I’m starting to listen to those creative partners.  Ignoring one’s desire for attention over another, gets my head spinning.  Not allowing the right creative spirit to be in the lead wastes away my day as I force the work, when I should be flowing with it.  

              Cesar Milan says, we should be the pack leader with our pets. I say that applies to my pack of creative partners as well.  My multitude of muses, have been stuck in the wrong order.  I have not been the best leader.  I have tried to control the outcome without listening to the needs of my pack. If my muses and I were a sled team, many days I've placed the wrong dog in the lead and we've ended up with disastrous drawings or wretched writing.   Art was created, but it was slow going and anything but good. 

          I vow to my pack, from now on, I will send up the right partner to whisk us down the trail of creative bliss. Hike!

Spooky Sketch

4 x 4 Spooky Sketch Challenge by kat mcd. 2014

Took part in my friend, Joan Charles', 4x4 halloween sketch challenge. (see more at http://illustrationmatters.blogspot.com )  Thought this came out creepy and cute at the same time. I guess I'd describe most clowns that way.  Love doing challenges like this one. Gets my creative juices flowing. Gets me focused. Gets a finished sketch that might become a full illustration out of me with out tears and gnashing of teeth.

At the Los Angeles Westsider's Illustration Schmooze, our leader Suzy, came up with "baby steps." Tiny goals that you can complete before the next meeting.  One of the great ideas that has come out of this is her, doodle a day challenge. For those beginning their drawing career or veterans, it's a wonderful warm up, without needing to plan out where it's going. I usually think way too much before I pick up a pencil.

So try out an existing challenge or create your own. I dare you...Happy sketching!

Cat People = Great People

Whew. I made it through my first ever art/film festival and I had a blast.

Me at LA Feline Film Festival 2014

Here's what I learned:

       Plan, prepare, plan some more. All of my research and planning made the day a lot let stressful.        Being organized, made the set up much easier but it still took twice the time I thought it would.

 Sheets make great walls! As does burlap. I was very happy with my backdrops for my original             paintings. The burlap allowed a nice breeze through and still created a semi solid "wall" for my       banner and Enormouse Orange Kitty.  The sheets worked well and gave us shade.  With 100               plus temps the previous week, I was concerned about melting in my booth. Lucky for all of us             and the cats too, the weather goddess took pity and provided a gorgeous day.

Chains are great for hanging....and swinging in the wind. I didn't anticipate the height of the tent     and should have gotten longer chains and staked them to the dirt.  The lovely breeze had my             canvases twirling. Instead of "s" hooks I would have used C clamps to make sure none could fall.

Signage. I think I would have had more signs with information all around. Giving customers a               reason to hang out and read all about the cats in my paintings.

Paper Dolls, Prints and Original Cat Art

What sells? Can't be sure for next year. This year it was original paintings and prints. I did sell a bag,
but  I think they make better displays than product. There were lots of free bags at the festival and with so many people having too many bags cluttering their cars, even a hand painted one becomes an extra item.  That was right out of a few customers mouths. So I'll use them to attract, but unless I make high end styles....there's an idea.....I won't expect them to be a big seller.

My son "helping" out >'y'<

Oh, and if you bring your 12 year old, you'd better let him bring his ipod. It's a loooong day. He did get to see his mom "at work." And see how lovely cat people are. I had a wonderful day just soaking up the "catmosphere" and appreciating people's reaction to my work.  Didn't get to meet LiL Bub, but there is always next year. Meow!

Festivus for the Rest of Us Cat Lovers.

LA Feline Film Festival
Join me for some fun, films and fur!