Advice for young artists

I have been interested in art since I was a young child. My mother was and is very artistic. She encouraged crafts and anything creative and imaginative. Although I didn't know I would take my love of art into a more serious path, there are a few things I wish I could have been told about art and the art world when growing up.

So here is some of my best advice for young artists.

1. Date all of your work.

One of the best things is looking back at old work to see what I use to like to make and to see how much I have evolved as an artist.. Making sure you put a year on your art and it will ensure you know how old you were when you made something. Just TRUST me on this one!

2. Not every work has to best your best.

When I was younger, I would start a drawing or painting and it sometimes didn't end up how I wanted it, which art can sometimes do. This is something that even experienced artists deal with but I wish someone could have taught me this early on. Just because a piece of artwork doesn't come out the way you were hoping,  doesn't mean that you are not talented. Sometimes what we want it turn to out to be isn't even close to how it actually ends up being. Let it happen naturally.

3. Do not compare your art negatively with other's.

This is something that I use to do a lot but mostly to myself in my head. I rarely verbalized my feelings about how I thought my art wasn't very good because another person's was so much better. Please do not discourage yourself from creating art because of envy of another person's work.  Let it be inspiration that fuels you instead and one day you will be the fuel for someone else. 

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4. You don't have to be a realistic artist to produce great art.

So many people tell me they wish they could draw "they can't even draw a stick figure." This makes me so mad that many people think that they can't create art if it's not realistic.  Think of all the world's amazing abstract painters for example.  If you love art and practice hard enough,  just like anything in life, you can be successful at it.

5. Enjoy what you do.

At the end of the day you want to make sure that you are enjoying your art and the process. Making art is a freeing and meditative experience if you view it as such. The minute you start to stress or loose interest, think about trying another medium or even take it back to a simpler art like coloring. It will calm you and might just be exactly what you need to get you back on track with a happy inspired path to brilliant artwork.

If you think this helped you or could help another artist you know,  be sure to share and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for coming by and if you would like to get notifications for my art blog hit the blue subscribe button at the top right of the page.

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy featured art of the day:

Little Boys Nursery dream wall art 

Song of the day:

Color of the day:
new age - 1444

The Importance of Selling Yourself as an Artist.

   

   

      Hello lovely artists. Today's blog is all about you. Who are you? No, not what is your art....WHO are You! Knowing who you are as an artist and human being is KEY for selling your art. Let's dive in today on The Importance of Selling Yourself as an Artist!

    

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     When people buy art, they want to feel a connection to the artwork they are purchasing. What do you mean connect with art?  They may feel a connection emotionally to the subject matter, it may be their favorite color, the piece could have been bought on a special trip or vacation, or maybe even as a gift for someone else they care about. There are so many reasons someone might form a connection with a piece of art. 

      Did you know you can help someone form a connection with your art? The easiest way is by selling YOU. There is a reason why there are so many articles on artists "behind the scenes". People want to know the soul behind the piece. If they feel like they know you, they feel like they know your art and quickly can become connected to it. 

Cloud Nine Studios

     What if you only sell your artwork online like an Etsy Shop? Just because people might not see you in person doesn't mean selling yourself isn't just as important! In fact, it might be even more important! Anytime you are contacting someone, whether it's another artist or potential client, you have the ability to sell yourself. Come up with a signature that fits you and your art when emailing back or communicating with others regarding your business. How are you promoting your online shop? I am sure that it didn't just happen overnight?

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         Promoting yourself and your art is one of the most important topics for having a successful career and I am sure I can write a novel about this subject. But connecting promoting your art with the help of promoting yourself is a tricky topic! There is no fine line with what works or not because everyone is different and will have to find their way that fits themselves. For me, writing is natural and I have an easy time expressing myself, so a BLOG has been a great avenue for promoting.  It is a great way for people to get to know me more personally and see behind the scenes to my art. 

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         A blog is a big investment of your time and energy and if you don't want to go down that road there are many different ways to promote yourself and art. Whichever you choose just make sure you are adding your own personality into everything you put out for people to see. If you are a shy minimalist, make sure you are promoting to fit YOU. Odds are your art reflects your personality and if you are promoting yourself in a big flashy way that doesn't feel right, people will be more likely to turn away.

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       If you are out in person meeting people for your art, dress the part. When I say dress the part, I don't mean you have to have on jean overalls with dried paint marks all over it. Who are you as an artist? Wear what makes you feel as much of that person as possible. When I say dress the part what I really mean is BE YOU. Trying to dress as someone else or what you think people will want to see isn't going to sell you or your art. Find your style and embrace it and people will be interested in what you have to offer.

      I am always working on promoting myself as the truest me I can. Recently I have stumbled upon an app called Periscope. It's a way to connect with live streaming all over the world. I am able to allow people inside my art studio and to get to know me as an artist. I have already had sales from it. When people listen to me and see a piece being worked on in my studio, they connect with it. Come follow and join me inside my world of art! Periscope: Cloudninestudios

        Who am I? I am an artist. business women, blogger, painter, dog mother, wood burner, jack-of-all trades, handy-woman, girlfriend, lover of all things pink, roommate, outgoing bubbly personality, dreamer, rustic junky, athlete, astrologer, nature goddess, crafter, YouTube addict, and much much more, Thank you for all who already know me and are a part of my life. Thank you for all who are new and I hope to get to know you more. Who are you? Let me know in the comment section below. I can't wait to hear about you and your art!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

stay weird, home decor, rustic decor, office decor, quote block, black, quote, customize, personalize, distressed, rustic sign by - DaisyThirteen

Song of the Day:

Audioslave - Be Yourself

Color of the Day:

Benjamin Moore's 'Champion Cobalt' #2061-20

How to turn your dream into a color scheme - Week 2

YIPPEE it's Friday again! This is the second weekly Friday Dream Scheme post. Friday's blog posts are about one of my dreams that I have had either recently or from past years that I recorded in a journal. Then I make a color scheme to go along with the dream! Here we go!

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I haven't had any dreams in the recent past, so I decided to go back in my dream records again and revisit one from my past. This was written in my dream journal dated for 

January 15, 2010

       I had a little monkey friend on my right shoulder the whole dream. He looked like a Capuchin monkey. I was managing to float on top of what seemed like an inner-tube and I was in the middle of the ocean. There was a strange unknown man who was following me but couldn't seem to go fast enough to catch me. He kept shouting warnings to me until we entered an area of the ocean with a few tiny islands only big enough to fit one tree. I paddled my way to the center of the area with my hands and feet and I looked back and saw that the man had stopped. He was looking at something.

        Two huge Orca whales and a dolphin  were coming right for me. I was terrified but out of instinct I grabbed one of their dorsal fins and rode it a ways away and then let go. This feeling of being pulled away by the mammal was euphoric. The whole time the monkey remained on my shoulder. I remember feeling like I would fall off my inner-tube but I managed to stay attached to it. That is all I remember.

Here is my dream color scheme! Each color represents a certain part of the dream or feeling the dream gave me. The first color is the blue that represents the ocean. The second color is a brown-grey I see when I think of the monkey on top my shoulder. The third color tan is the general color I get from the small islands and the following fourth color green is the tops of the single trees. The fifth color of light grey was from the feeling of panic I felt when being chased my the man and feeling like I was fall off my tube. Lastly the sixth and final color represents the intense black of the Orca whales.

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This is something anyone can do! Write down your dream and create a color scheme from it. Use it to make a meaningful painting for your bedroom or to pick out your outfit for the day. I believe we have dreams to guide us and show us things that are hiding in our subconscious. This is just one way to use the wonderful information your mind has given to you while asleep. 

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It's great when I can look back at a dream journal almost 6 years ago and read a dream and perfectly picture the dream as if you had it last night. My dreams are very precious to me and even more so are my dream journals. I can do so much by just looking at one dream I have had. Color schemes are so much fun and easy to make I really recommend trying it yourself.

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It was interesting for me to see how my color scheme from last week and this week compare. They ended up being pretty similar because both dreams has very similar feelings of anxiety and euphoric moments. Very little color but when it was present it was vivid. Which is why the green of the trees ended up being so important. If I was to create a painting from this color scheme I would make sure to use the green as the highlights because it is such a contrast from the others.

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Well we did it again! Another week, another color scheme. How are you guys enjoying it? Has anyone had any dreams that they have written down lately? Have you tried this yourself? Let me know in the comments below and maybe I can make a color scheme of one of your dreams! Don't forget to subscribe and everyone have a wonderfully inspiring day!

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios




Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Burlap pillow, dream pillow by - 112FarmhouseLayne

Song of the Day:
Cranberries - Dreams

Color of the Day:
BENJAMIN MOORE ORIENTAL IRIS 1418

What if you were seeing color for the first time?

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Imagine you are having a conversation with a blind person. They have never been able to see anything and you have the job to describe and make them understand what color is. How do you do that? How do you begin to describe the color pink? How about orange? 

This is something I thought about SO MUCH as a young child. I don't know why this was such a recurrent topic that ran through my mind. I definitely think it is an odd thought for a child to think about but I have always been fascinated by color and how each human being perceives it. 

Being an artist, color effects everything I do. I have posted a blog previously on how colors can make people feel certain ways or think about certain things. What if you were blind or color blind? How could this effect you as a person?  If I couldn't see color or even some of the shades of colors I know I would be a different person. 

I am someone who loves and is effected by color so much to the point where I have a bag of colored pens at work and everyday I come in and sit down and decide what color I want to write with. Today I picked Dark Blue probably because I am wearing a dark blue dress and felt like I connected with that color today. (Color me crazy but that's how I am!)

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   If you are like myself and can see color vividly and are not colorblind I hope this blog and the images and videos incorporated in it help to remind you that you are blessed with an amazing gift. If you are colorblind I hope you get excited for what the future might bring for you and the world that you see! Color is magical and taking a second to be grateful for the small things you make take for granted is what it's all about! 

Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Colorful Felt Wreath - Vibrant Colors - Party Wreath - 14 inch wreath - Party Decoration - Colorful Door Decoration by- JameandJacqsCrafts

Song of the Day:

OneRepublic - Life In Color

Color of the Day:

Nightingale

The Wonderful World of Wood Burning - Pyrography

Hello Again! Today I thought we could talk about a type of art that I have gotten into within the past year and I am OBSESSED! Wood Burning or "Pyrography". I really enjoy experimenting with new mediums and different materials to create on. On a whim near Christmas of last year I decided to buy a starter kit just to play with......Well, I ended up making up practically all of my Christmas gifts to friends and family using it! I couldn't get enough and I was jam packed with different ideas.

This was one of the first pieces a made from an old TV tray. My mother and pops are moving to Oregon so I burned the state on the tray with their "clan name". I stained the outside and sealed it with varnish. They loved it! It was a fun, simple, and thoughtful gift. Homemade gifts are definitely better than bought!

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I have continued to adventure away with my wood burner and was lucky enough to get a ton of really great tips for my burner that allow me to create some unique lines and shapes. Also it came in a great organized container with different sections that I can separate however I want. If it keeps easily tidy I am already in love! 

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What is so appealing about burning wood? I grew up in a very "rustic family' which is odd because I grew up in a normal suburban town in Michigan just outside of Detroit. Not the most rustic places in the world but that's just how my family was. My mother grew up in Colorado and most of our love for wood and nature was probably brought on by her. So even the idea of working with wood I was drawn too and had been painting on wood for a while and it feels much more organic. 

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I have a love / hate relationship with the fact that it's pretty much permanent so if you mess up it is almost impossible to fix. I am use to oil painting which is easy to work with since it stays wet for so much longer and you are fix your mistakes much easier than say watercolor or even acrylic. I have learned this great "scraping" technique with a small razor to eliminate light burns in areas you don't want. But I tend to use the burner on the higher settings and it burns rather deep, quickly which tends to not scrape well. I end up with big divots in those areas.

(This video is a really great example on how to scrape some mistakes away from your burning.)

I had sketchbooks filled with these great doodles I came up with for fun a while back. I never thought I would end up doing anything with them but when I decided to make small wood burned paintings out of them I was pleasantly surprised at how CUTE they turned out! 

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Mixing paint on a wood burned area is so much fun because it can almost feel like you are coloring. you have to be very careful not to get too close to the burn or the paint tends to run down in the burn and it's very hard to "wipe away" but it is fixable for the most part and I think the finished look is really stunning! 

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Mixing paint on a wood burned area is so much fun because it can almost feel like you are coloring. you have to be very careful not to get too close to the burn or the paint tends to run down in the burn and it's very hard to "wipe away" but it is fixable for the most part and I think the finished look is really stunning! 

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Well that's it for today everyone! Thanks for stopping by and if you are even slightly interested in trying out wood burning after reading this I ABSOLUTELY recommend it! For more on pieces like "The Owl" below, be sure to check out my Etsy Shop! Or follow me in Instagram where I frequently post these step by step pictures of my process through a piece! Thanks again!

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Until Tomorrow - Dream Away

Samantha Menzo

Cloud Nine Studios

Etsy Featured Item of the Day:

Custom Made To Order Wood Burned Sign With Pressed Flowers by - EarthenAllure

Song of the Day:

Ellie Goulding - Burn

Color of the Day:

Ben Moore Tuscan Red 1300