Thursday, October 2, 2008

Forget the Economy, Go Shopping!

Curved Line, 2008, Oil on Panel, 6x12

Even though I have had an increase in hits lately (not sure why) today I am going to send you all away to go look at other artist's blogs, specifically ones who sell their work directly to their visitors. These are the blogs I regularly check in on and have even bought a few things here and there.

So here we go:

I have been watching Karin Jurik blog almost since I began mine. I love her work and am in awe of how she works. She has also very gracefully integrated selling her own work with selling her work through the galleries that exhibit her paintings.

I recently purchased one of Carol Marine's paintings. I like how Carol has such a distinctive style but still pushes herself to try different subject matter and compositions. And her palette floors me.

Robert Chunn does wonderful still lifes of some of my favorite objects, boxes and containers. I have tried to paint these sorts of things myself but couldn't get them to click the way Robert does. I love his use of color, it feels almost vintage 70's to me somehow.

I recently added M.Collier to my bloglines and I guess I should know whether M is a male or female but frankly I haven't gotten past admiring the work in order to do any detective work. Anyone know? Wait, don't tell me, maybe the mystery is good....

One of the few artists here that I have met in person is Neil Hollingsworth and as always his work is stellar. He also successfully shows in galleries and his smaller works do really well on ebay. I really need to get me one of Neil's paintings someday.

I found Randel Plowman a few months back and I admit to obsessively collecting his small collages. I think I have at least six of them, maybe more. I have lost count because they are still tucked away so that Doug doesn't know just how crazy I am. Heh. Anyway, Randel's prices are incredible but you have to be fast if you want to buy anything. Someone out there (besides me) is snapping up those bird collages.

Steven Goodman is a recent find and I am so happy to have one of his paintings of a barn. He was also very helpful to me concerning selling my small pieces and I greatly appreciate his help and encouragement with that. Check out his digital prints, they are awesome!

Last July, Melody and her family visited our home last summer and we had a wonderful, but too short evening. I was also lucky enough to see her work in person and I can assure everyone that it is amazing. The jpegs are fine, but they really miss the details and subtleties of how her embroidery harmonizes with the painting.

Diane Hoeptner is rather new to the blog scene, and the first thing I do when I visit her blog is smile. I love her paintings of toys, they have a wonderful personality about them and they all seem to be smiling too. I like her flowers too; they are very bold and colorful.

And if you'd like the opportunity to get a free piece of art, go visit Ellen Sereda. She has a good promo going on right now to introduce her new blog and etsy store. Ellen is wickedly funny and I think she and I have the same life; art, kids and never enough time.

Obviously there are at least a million more that I wish I could follow but there is only so much time in the day and I already spend too much of it in front of my computer screen. And I have surely left some of you guys out so sorry about that. Please leave a comment with your blog links and include etsy and ebay links too, 'k?

18 comments:

Dale Anne Potter said...

What a LOVELY thing for you to do!!!
I'm one of those lurkers on your blog...enjoying reading and seeing your artwork.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

free art too????

andrea said...

Funny -- I just got curious enough after visiting Melody's blog to have a quick peek and here are all these great suggestions! I dare not visit too many, though, or else I won't finish the drawing I hope to finish today! I will be back to visit you, though.

Michael Reid said...

Thanks for the advise Tracy.

Melody said...

Thanks Tracy. I'm honoured to be mentioned in the company of such great artists.

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks, Dale, but just wanted to make sure at some art will get sold, even if it's not mine!

Go put your name in Gary! Good luck!

Hi Andrea, go finish your drawing (maybe you'll have better luck than I in getting away from you computer) and come back! I love your work by the way.

Hi Michael, are you one of my lurkers? Nice to hear from you.

You are welcome, Melody, and you fit right in I'd say.

Diane Hoeptner said...

What the??!! Looked at my stats today and they had ricocheted off the CHARTS. Dang, you popular!!! THANKS EVER SO much for the nod of approval and the linkage, Tracy. YOU SO ROCK!!!!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Diane, so glad to hear you had some visitors and I found it funny that you say I am popular. Read my take on popularity written a few years ago.

And PEOPLE! I am not seeing any links here! Come on, don't be shy!

A COLLAGE A DAY said...

thanks for the many mentions tracy!!!

r.

Kari Gibson said...

Definitely some good ones on there, and oddly a second mention today of Carol Marine, who I have just discovered tickles my composition fancy! Lots of new links/names too - I may be gone some time...

Natalya Khorover Aikens said...

thank you for the links, i enjoyed browsing this morning..

Anonymous said...

Great post, Tracy. Some of these are my faves too.

Takeyce
http://takeyceart.com/blog

Tracy Helgeson said...

You are welcome, Randel, you are definitely my very favorite collage artist.

Thanks Kari, yeah, Carol is pretty popular. Have fun looking around.

Hope you enjoyed the browsing Natalya!

I am glad you left your link Takeyce. I had planned to include you but for some reason I couldn't open your site yesterday. Not sure if it was on my end or if you had moved. Guess it was me, sorry.

Anonymous said...

That's ok. Thanks for thinking of me. I did move my blog to a wordpress blog a couple of months ago. The link above is the new one.
Takeyce
A Fine Art Blog

timelessmodern said...

I have bought two of Randal's collages since I read about it on your blog a few weeks ago. They are easy to get obsessed over. my boyfriend also bought a larger one for me through his Etsy site. Thanks for turning me onto him. I will definitely be buying more - they will make great Christmas presents for that price.

m collier said...

Hey Tracy – thanks so much for the mention on your bold. I check out your blog on the regular bases. You colors blows me away – wonderful. Enjoyed seeing your studio -- what a great place to create.

Tracy Helgeson said...

Janet, glad you also have gotten a few of Randel's collages. I am getting a little wacky with them, so I am hoping others will take over where I have left off over there:)

M! male or female? Wait, don't tell me! Maybe a hint:)

Thanks for coming by and it was my pleasure to give you a mention.

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