Oh, I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Lend me your eyes and I'll paint you a painting.

I’m not a starving artist, but I would like to eat more, lol.

I have tried many things to be a more successful painter, both in terms of the craft and getting my work into your homes.

I have been on Facebook for a long time and have sold a good number of pieces through it.

I have been on Instagram for about five years, where I have gotten way more ideas than sales.

I’ve had my own website for about six years, and about eighteen months ago, I had my site revamped by a professional to make it easier for people to navigate. Now it’s possible to buy directly from the website.

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25186 Same As It Ever Was 22.5x24.5 (Normally, I do not frame pieces, but this is an exception. I painted this size to fit a frame. After it dries and is framed, I will have a price. It is available.

About the Above Piece

Last week, I painted four pieces of the same subject (this barn) in different ways. I decided to paint a fifth approach.

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Back to the Topic at Hand

I have had people on Facebook tell me they wished they could get a piece of my work but have no more room on their walls.

People tell me they support the fact that I post several pieces of art every day.

People tell me they really appreciate that I am posting positive and real items on a fake-filled platform.

With this in mind, I started Artsharps on Substack so people can get behind-the-scenes stories about my work and home life. Even if you don’t have room for one more painting, this is a way you can support me. For the cost of a sandwich you can support my work without buying a painting by becoming a paying subscriber to Artsharps.

Reels

My latest endeavor is making reels.

I saw a young man making reels to support his hat business. Not only did he show his process, but the original reel was the story of how he got into the business.

I said to myself, I can do that.

Making reels has been fun, and it is another creative outlet for me.

I created my own formula. I have no idea if it moves any paintings from my rack to people’s homes, but here is my formula, should you want to be a real reel-maker.

1. I have an entrance scene or two. I dress up, since I have been on a dressing-nicely kick for a couple of years and, with the help of one of my daughters, I have amassed a good-sized collection of hats.

2. I enter the studio with a canvas.

3. I pause at my palette with either brushes or palette knives. Usually, I do some sort of brush acrobatics.

4. That is followed by several short painting scenes. The entrance and painting scenes are not always videoed at the same time.

5. Then there is an exit scene.

6. My signature scene, a ladybug crawling along left to right, comes last.

7. I add a rock'n'roll song.

8. All this happens in about forty-five seconds.

Here Is the Process in Video.

I am attaching parts of a video I recently created. These segments were laced together to create the entire reel. This one was just published this week.

Here is a link to see it.

I would love your input on how I might move more paintings from my racks to people’s homes.

Thank You

Thank you to all my paying subscribers, and if you are not one, I invite you to become one.