art/work

Here's a post that got stuck in draft. It's a little dated but true.

The MGLCC art show has given me a jump start into selling my photographs, my art. I'm still trying to work on thinking of myself as an "artist" and photographer. Artist comes easier of those two. Here's a picture of me at the show:




My next art project, I think, is Art for Hope, an event to benefit Hope House, a local nonprofit that works with kids infected with HIV or AIDS. My issue with that is it requires me to give them 40% of what I bring in. 40 percent! I signed up because what other experience do I have? It'll allow me to create a listing of people that want to be notified of my shows. Goal 1: 7 e-mail addresses. We'll see. Plus, I don't have to pay a register fee, booth fee, etc. Many festivals require that and I'm really not ready for that. I might be able to bring in more cash from that event that originally anticipated because Wal-mart offers some awesome photo packages that makes it cheap to print pictures. This won't work on the Untitled shot of my dad, my most popular shot thus far, because the machine associated with the deal alters the colors (automatically) when it prints. The concern outside of profit margin is the amount of money I'm going to have to put into this show in order to have things to sell while I'm there. I don't want to be negative $200 at the end of the day, ya know. I have about 2 months to prepare for this event, I think. They didn't confirm that I'm being accepted into the show, only that they have my application. There's no mentioning of it being a judged event but I'm not sure that it's first come, first serve either. I'll follow up next month to see how things are looking. Until that mid-Nov date, my art goals are:
1. Add 4 shots per month to my facebook album. That means I should have 25 photos posted by the end of November.
2. Print 100 pictures to sell, at least 15 different shots. This gives me a starting place, though I know that more diversity will be better for selling. I have to start somewhere. And, realistically, I'll probably print at least 2 of everything in the facebook album.
3. Include a variety of print sizes to sale: 11 x 14, 8 x 10, 5.5 x 7, framed 4 1/2 x 7 (I just bought 40 black or white frames from Target)

Last art update: My sold count is up to 4 prints, same person as before. My dad took 2 or 3 when I showed him what I prints while giving him the one he originally requested. My Valerie shot is the 2nd most popular; he got one of those.

Current Project: Get on with VA Memphis! I'm working on a job application as I type. I'm applying for 4 Social Work positions right now, including the one I really want with HUD VASH. It'll allow me to screen applicants for section 8 vouchers (vets only) My mom does that now which might be my biggest hindrance to getting the job. An opening in Jackson has formed as well as Memphis so I'm letting them I'm willing to move if need be. Apparently, I only have to sign a lease once every three years. Okay. Convenient for my job search, I tell ya. Maybe I'll put more effort into leaving Memphis early 2011, if not sooner, now that I know that.

artist!

I just sold $45 worth of photographs. Wow! This moment is now on my lists of best moments ever. Me? Little ol' me and my lazy work? My smile is humongous. And, I get to donate 15% of that to charity as part of the deal. Beautiful. My first sales:

I also got an order from my dad for a 8 x 10 of him. He's the only one from my family that came to my art opening. It was SO good to have him there. I was hoping that he'd take his inclusion as love. Maybe he did? Whatever the exact response, he's impressed. He liked his photograph and didn't look at it and instantly know that it was him. He wants a large copy of it so he can post it at home and people will come over without even knowing it's him. He plans to have a frame built for it.

We still didn't discuss the gay thing. He came.

And my friends are the best. Six of them came to support me. I feel loved.

Last night, it was great hearing how people discussed my pictures, the details they saw, the adjectives they used! It's amazing to see your work through someone else's eyes. I don't know that I've ever done that before. I usually get, "How'd you do that?" (stop motion), "Amy takes really great photos," "That's not a good picture of me," "That's a really good picture of him" et cetera. Last night was different. People talked about color, background details, light.... It was fantastic. Fantastic. Marvelous.

I wonder what my first arts & craft fair will be like :D.

Last night, I thanked Cindi on facebook for getting me here. I think she got me. Thanks again, (non-reading) C. And thank you Julia for putting this whole thing together and letting me participate. And thanks Will for your dedication to the Community Center and supporting such diverse programming. And thanks wonderful Audrey for having the book club and giving me a reason to regularly go to the Center and feel connected. Thank you reader for your photo vote. Untitled was the shot of choice at the art show as well.

Ah. This is becoming a long post. I'll stop now but do know that I would have thanked you too if I only I kept talking. Blessed Be.