Protect Yourself

Here's a link with information on how to protect yourself from con artists when selling your work. A lot of the information is common sense but here it is:  http://www.artscams.com/

Also, don't forget to protect yourself in the studio. As most ceramic artists are aware, silica in clay dust can potentially be harmful to the lungs. Here's a link that briefly describes silicosis and prevention methods:

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-dangers-of-silica-dust-a200957

This link provides a little more in depth description of silicosis: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec05/ch057/ch057i.html

Another Admired Ceramist

This is a link to a Ceramist, Todd Leech, that I had the opportunity to meet while in college. I admire both the content of his work and his incredible textural surfaces.

http://www.toddleech.com/

And a very moving "You Tube" clip about Todd and his work "Drowning and Rejuvination." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTRsNR3VZUI

I can relate to Todd's work featured in the video because he and my husband both received organ transplants around the same time period, however, for different reasons. Todd has perfectly captured the full spectrum of emotions that one undergoes through the deterioration of health to the hope of imagining a future in this amazing installation. 

Much Admired Ceramists

Here's a couple "You Tube" links for a potter, Steven Hill, whose work I admire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_R5hafdS_U&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYQMJuP8r5c

I mentioned Susan and Jan Peterson's book "The Craft and Art of Clay" on an earlier post, titled "References," and recently found a 92 page + preview of that book on Google Books (click on the blue links on the table of contents page for additional pages). Here's the link: http://books.google.com/books?id=PAZR-A9Ra6EC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

One more link: This is a fantastic site that focuses on glazing at Cone 6: "Electric Cone 6, Mid-fire Potters"
http://cone6pots.ning.com/

New Links Directory Page

Please check out the new "Favorite Ceramics & Marketing Links" page that I added to this blog yesterday evening. 

The link is located at the top of the right hand column. I've tried to add all of the links listed in my blog posts but will take another look to make sure that I haven't missed anything. I also welcome suggestions for other links to add to the list.

Iron Oxide Wash

I ran across some of my college notes a few days ago and found this recipe for an Iron Oxide Wash:

1 teaspoon Iron Oxide
1 teaspoon Rutile (I've been mispronouncing this. It's pronounced roo-teel)
1 teaspoon Nepheline Syenite
2 pints water

*for black add 1 teaspoon cobalt carbonate

Guest Posting

If you would like to write a "Guest Post" and have it posted to this blog, please contact me via the email link on my profile page. I would love to have posts containing marketing tips, success stories, studio tips, instructional videos, glaze recipes, galleries that feature emerging artists, and anything else that would be helpful. I promise to post a link to your website, Etsy shop, or other sales site along with an accepted post.   Hope to hear from you soon! If you would like to comment on a post, click on the post's title and you will be able to do so. I would also love to hear about topics that you would like to see me write about. No guarantees but I will certainly do my best.

Also, I just received this little guy in a box of tea yesterday while firing a load of work. He now resides on the top of my kiln...hope he helps : )

Artist Website Tips to Increase Gallery Attention

Just found an article online that I'd like to share. It's about making your website more attractive to gallery owners. The site is called "Art Marketing Secrets"
 http://artmarketingsecrets.com/2010/06/12-tips-to-grab-galleries-with-your-artist-website.html
It appears that they have a lot of other useful information but it's getting late and I have an early morning tomorrow.

Marketing Stuff

I just found this terrific site called  "America Creates"  http://www.americacreates.com/

The site offers american artists an opportunity to sell their work. What I truly like about the site is that the artists listed are required to be juried in. It appears to be a newer site. However, there is a lot of inspiring ceramic work listed by very talented ceramists.
Best ceramics blog
Here's another site that I recently ran across called "Empty Easel." It can be found at http://emptyeasel.com/

Lots of helpful marketing information!

Also, please visit my new website at http://beverlymarusa.com I will continue to add more work through out the month.

** Just opened : http://www.americacreates.com/beverlymarusa/galleries

My Very Talented Nephew

Please take the time to visit my talented nephew's website at:
http://ARShondrick.com
Andrew Shondrick
B.F.A. University of Akron

Welcome Friends!

After only beginning this blog about a month and a half ago, it has been visited by the United States, Canada, Japan, India, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hungary, Israel, Germany, France, Australia, and South Africa. I am overwhelmed by the fact that it has been viewed over 140 times. Welcome to everyone! Please feel free to add comments, helpful hints, questions, or just say hello. Also, thank you so much for visiting!

And, a few more: welcome to United Kingdom, Serbia, Belgium, Italy, Bahamas, Slovenia, Brazil, Greece, Netherlands, Indonesia, Romania, Latvia, and Poland!

Photographing My Work

As we all know, an artist wears many hats. Artist, marketer, business manager, public relations manager, and some (including me) photographer. It would be wonderful to be able to pay someone to take over some of these jobs. However, as an emerging artist, I do not yet have that luxury. I plan on spending most of my day photographing artwork so I can finish up the website that I've been working on. I have included photos of my photography set up. Of course, I have made it as inexpensive as possible. I'll start from the back of the set up and work forward. I have a home-made photo paper roll holder attached to the wall that was made from 2" x 8" scrap wood left over from a previous household project. Holes were drilled into the side supports to accommodate a left over piece of conduit, again from a previous household project,  that now supports the paper roll.

   

The lights used are Smith-Vector. The bulbs are blue tinted daylight adjusted tungsten made by Eiko. 500 watt, 4800 kelvin, 110v-120v. They cost about $7.00 each. The lights are set at the same height and aimed at about 45 degree angles on each side. The use of a third light attached to a boom would be better. It would be located directly above the object being photographed and would help to reduce shadows. Here's the overall set up:

Make sure to set the white balance on the camera by putting a piece of white paper under the lights and finding the white balance manual setting on your camera. Fill the frame with just the white paper before doing so:

And here's the photographed piece. However, I believe that I will be pulling the table out a little to adjust the background shadow and adjust the lights a little lower to reduce the side shadows. Also, make sure that the room is dark when photographing by blocking out any windows and turning off lights other than those used to light your piece. It's a good idea to download that first photo before proceeding to do more pieces. It's much easier to see what adjustments need to be made on a large screen rather than the small screen on the back of the camera.

After adjusting the photo paper and lighting. Notice the reduction of side shadows from dropping the lights a little and also notice the more gradual appearance of the background shadowed area from pulling the table further from the wall and rounding out the transition from the flattened area of the paper on the table to where it attaches to the wall.