Wholesale, To Do It, Or Not to Do It, Wholesale, that is the question!

Well, tonight, I just got my first wholesale order. on twelve plates.

I have studied for a week about how to sale on wholesale. Asked Etsy, in the Forums, and got some free info, from an Etsy member that posted in the forums on Etsy.

This is going to be a great learning experience, so I am going to share this for anybody who wants to know about wholesaling...

I feel like Alice, going down the rabbit hole...

here is the picture of what she is ordering

and this is it,

I have the winking picture her, update, i know the wink goes on the other eyes, lol, first mistake, and only another artist caught that, too funny. I will be updating this post with information to the links I mentioned in about a week. So, look, and, ask about them.

i have made this one several times, this one is going in my Etsy Shop shortly.

Four kissing plates,
Four winking plates,
and,
Four OMG plates,

It will take four weeks, I told her, and hopefully I will be done sooner!!
Wish, me luck!!...

Creating is In our blood, We are born artists!

When do we get interested in art? Is it from within, or do our parents influence us.

It is our innate desire to create. No other animal on this planet tries to create for no other reason than to admire the aesthetic qualities of what we just made. Which, we just do for the pure enjoyment in our youth, and agonize about creating in our adulthood.

                               Found this on a Blog, Childrens Drawings turned into Pillows

We find children's drawings as a work of art that will be conveyed by an adult as abstract, but as a child it is just a doodle. And then, there is this great book I found, 

This the blog where you can find the book!

My mom influenced me with the books she loved to buy for us as a child. She loved art. I would consider her an avid collector of stuff she wanted to create. I believe she was a frustrated artist.
She enjoyed nature so much and gave me her enthusiasm for it.

My Dad, on the other hand, was quiet about most things. My mom shared his drawings that he did of cartoon characters. They were quite good. I never really talked to him about art. He said he was proud of me, no matter what I did.

Creating is how we work out our problems, I believe. It can also be a great way to convey a story if you have no way of writing words. A picture says a thousand words. Cave paintings attest to that. We have been wondering the meanings for thousands of years. Symbols dance in our heads, just like they did in ancient times. Was it a way of capturing the animal first on the wall? Was the artist of ancient times trying to convey a story of what he had experienced? Was he trying to paint his dreams? We do that to this day. Maybe that artist was like the artist today. Telling stories of his environment, his history, his feelings, his dreams.

Working it out on the wall or carved in a stone, something comforts us when create. We carve designs on our tools, put it on our walls, our dishes, our clothes, even when we build, the structure takes on a design of it's own. It's not just a box to live in but an art piece, created not for shelter but for the pure enjoyment of aesthetics. Some even have more usefulness while still fulfilling the need for art.

This is a tent that even I would be happy to live in!

                                                           

                                                                      Greek 101

The pillars could have been just some straight columns, but the Greeks took their architecture one step further. I almost wonder if they created gods just to create art. It seems that in ancient times art reflected the religion of the times. 

And it still still does....

this was the last Celeste Prize. Want to be part of this, click on this!

This artwork reminds me of the ultimate dreamer, surrealist

Salvador Dali, this image was found on pinterest. amazing all the different versions of this on the internet today.

So, whether it is useful or not, we create.  I love that my art can be useful. I love that I create. I am human, after all...

All be it, a strange one, lol, Here he is all finished!! My Man in the Moon trinket dish, why be plain when you can have a face?!

Why Draw Portraits, David Walker Graffiti Portrait Artist, and Romanovna Art, oh yes, and me...

I have been thinking about why I do portraits. For that matter, why does anybody do portraits. And, when I mean do, I mean paint or draw in any way possible. From my own experience, I started when I was twelve, I drew my next door neighbor's son that I watched. He was maybe four or five.

It's that amazing feeling of capturing a likeness of someone that you know and that feeling you get when they like the image you drew of them. Or that feeling you get when you capture an emotion, I find that exhilarating!!

 It took me quite a while to feel confident with my drawing images of people. Here was a quick study...

This Drawing was done at Renato De Guia's Open Studio last year

I study artist's all the time. I appreciate everyone's style. Of course my favorite being realism. 

Just found an artist that does all his painting with a spray can, David Walder's Website!

David Walker has only been painting a few years, and only paints with a spray can, just amazing work. 

and then this one, 

Called Fatal Attraction by zeana romanovna

You'll have to go to her link to understand her meaning, I love this with the pixillation. Abstract realism, never new it existed. Then again, It could be called surreal realism, too.

Love the colors in these portraits, love pencil only, but wow what a difference.

Note to self, practice more portraits.

Painting for Profit, What Drives An Artist

My first paid mural. Each wall meticulously painted with a detailed fantasy of a jungle. I was paid $300.00 to do it, and glad to do it too! Now that I look back at it, I was trying to prove something to myself. That I could complete the job of creating a fantasy painting all out of my head, all by myself. Nothing to do with the money, until after I saw what I could create.

I had a job teaching art in a jail. Long story, but the thing was, it brought me experience. I had very little painting and drawing experience before I started teaching. I always say that my students taught me. One, to practice, I did so many portraits of my students, a reward for them, practice for me. I also, talked my way into projects by saying I knew more than I thought I did. I built some confidence in myself. 

I had to make other people believe which made me believe in myself. I had to prove myself to my higher ups that I could do the job. I was so worried I would fail, but grateful for the challenge. Here is the first mural I did with the help of my students in the East Max Facility at Pitchess Detention Facility.

This is the only picture I can find of this mural. It was at least 60 feet wide and 20 feet high, That little box in the corner is a 2 foot x 3 foot speaker, and the reflection at the bottom is a stainless steel table the inmates use in the dining hall. My students did the under painting and I did the detail. Thanks to a certain Deputy for loving the murals in the facility, he talked the Lieutenants and Sergeants into allowing my students to come in and paint this with my instruction. I never told them I had never painted a mural, how hard could it be, right? 

Reminds me that's how I got the job in the first place, boy, did I need a job, only wanted to do art, studied art, and with just small fabrications, and little experience, I was allowed to have a job where I could learn as I went. In fact, that is what all my first jobs were all about. To learn life and to make a living. 

Motivation of an Artist, Where it Begins

Haven't been posting for awhile, 

I am thinking of changing direction of my blog to promote more websites and artists.

along with showing you what I am doing. 

What am I doing, well after a short vacation, of which, on the last day there, I broke my ankle. It gave me time to pause and rethink where I was going with my art, my life, my blog. Not in the same order, and more than what I mentioned... I want to reflect about my other artist friends art, they are amazing artists.

And also, to give you insight to what motivates an artist, like me, to pursue their art. 

I have a love hate relationship with my art, as, I think, most artists do. We are our own worst critic, at least I am to me. I believe some artists try to hide this from the public until they make it. Then they say, I knew it all along, I knew I would be great. 

Artists don't do art to make money, but it is always great when we can make a living out of what we do. I made my living through teaching art, I always had to have my thumb in it somewhere. Now it is a great supplement income only through perseverance and hard work. 

Warren Scherich, click on his name and you will see my favorite piece so far, made by him. He is a sculptor, and a painter, but I believe his passion is sculpting. He works endlessly in his yard sculpting, You can find him on face book, too! Warren's page, follow him, you won't be disappointed!

Here he is showing his paintings at an upcoming event

Master at work, He has his own rock garden. Wonderful abstract sculptures in his garden. He loves to share his work and his ideas, here is doing a short video of his work. You tube video of his process here....

What motivates an artist? Passion, pure passion, we can't help what we do, we are driven by our passion.

I find his process fascinating. In the mean time, I am going back to working on my art next week, 

New Moon Cups, Moonshine is on the Rise

Being the New Year, and having January start with a new moon was so wonderfully rare, that it inspired me to make some wonderful moon mugs for your moonshine! Well the moon shine is optional...

My favorite is this one, so far. Also, I learned something, when customers are interested in your items before you put them out in there shop, make sure you post ALL of them before you tell them that you put them out! I posted just a couple, and then emailed a customer to tell them I was posting them, and they started buying them right and left, before I could get all the cups out. It was a frantic morning. I think she was thinking they would sell out. They are a hit! Thanks to all my customers for their support!

New Year, New Stuff, Husky Ring Dishes

A new year and I am so behind of myself. I am busy making moon cups and ring dishes, the most popular items in my shop. I am learning to follow my customers in their wishes and the new items are paying off.

Now in the works are various ring dishes, not yet fully made. Here's a peek

Huskies are now part of my line of ring dishes, and it all started with a Teddy Bear.

Also coming are my nature filled cups, air plant pods, and a little surprise.

I am also trying out making little animal charms for a necklace. Hope it works out they way I want it to be. Not too fancy, they will have a ball and chain. 

Black Friday is Today, Black Friday is here to stay

I never participated in Black Friday until just the last two years....

Now I know why people love Black Friday, everyone loves a good sale, especially me, so....

I am offering 30% in my shop tjCervantesArt just click my name and it will take you there. Remember though, it is only for items that are available now, not for made to order items.

Here are some items available.....

Moon Jars and Moon Beams, Man in the Moon Faces, Glowing Translucent Porcelain

 Featured on the Etsy Blog about Moons, these moon jars are available in my shop now made with a translucent porcelain. Hard to achieve, but I have been working on finding this kind of porcelain where I live.

Clay is different all over the country, even the world. There are some porcelains that cost  because of the scarcity. The is some porcelain found in Norway that is Limoge porcelain

I tried to get some porcelain some potters were using in the midwest and east coast, but it isn't available here, and I wasn't sure it was translucent.

Well my favorite clay store, which is really just a warehouse of ceramic supplies, I found the clay I wanted, it is called Frost 6 at Laguna Clay in the City of Industry, CA.

Well here is what it does which made me so excited...

See this wonderful glowing moon!! and of course you can use it as a trinket jar too.

I made some ring dishes and jewelry bowls with clay as well. It just makes the piece look so refined. And it helps that I throw so thin. That is probably key in the creations

So now my new goal is to make the carved letters I do stand out through sheer light. 

This piece the lettering just glows when it is in the sunlight. 

Here is the top of the ring dish, for marriage, a ring pillow, and it holds the wedding rings in the dove tails

Under glazing and Seashells

A new endeavor of mine is making porcelain bowls that look like abalone, I am becoming a fast friend of Laguna Clay in the City of Industry. I browse through the web for things to use in my pottery. I have come across Amaco underglaze watercolors and Amaco underglaze pencils. In this photo I use the watercolors but I laid into it a little thicker on the one and got better results. I glazed with a clear glaze and fired to cone 5. I think this temperature holds the color the best. I am making a whole set of dishes like this now, and today is bisqueing day. I have more wonder creations just waiting to post.

 Underglaze pencils at work, but I found the spraying with a solution of 1 pint water with one tablespoon gum solution works best. I found this information from The Big Ceramic Store.

I don't know which to work on first, so, I am working simultaneously on both. The drawing can get tedious but the abstract abalone design is so much easier and mind freeing. I do love to draw, but it is nice to just let go and be free in your design.

The New Ring Pillow, a Porcelain Ring Dish for Weddings

I have been designing ring dishes. I love the jewelry bowls that I have been making but I was asked to make a ring dish for a wedding. The person had seen the jars and the teapots I make using small animal forms of a fox, and a bird. She requested a teddy bear, well two since it was going to be a ring pillow for her wedding.

Well I decided to make a one with a fox...

and then a platypus...

and then someone contacted me and asked me if I could make a Mr and Mrs Fox ring dish, well I couldn't disappoint her, it was a rush job, but I think it came out okay...

The one thing I learned in this is that, nothing is ever perfect, the Mr. and Mrs. Fox ring dish wobbled so I discounted it. And of all things, I guess rushing, I left out the - for the "F" in Fox when I put the name on the bottom, or it burned out. I am not sure which. But  what I do know is that every firing is learning curve. And check, double check and check again, each item before firing. Then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Ceramics, Crazing can be fixed!!

I haven't been here in awhile, but something happened that I have to share. I have been getting what is call crazing on my pottery off and on through my pottery rebirth for the last three years. I was told there was much you could do about it. But when my whole kiln came down with crazing I thought I would look for a solution on the internet.

Lo and behold, one of my favorite potters who is on Etsy had a blog where she discusses just this thing I was having trouble with, Crazing. I talk about it in a previous post, Ceramics, a Lesson in Crazing. Well she had the solution to my problem, fire it again and it will all go away, and it did!!

Before

After

Can you believe it not a crack, anywhere. 

So you ask, what was that potters name? I will even give you the blog where she explained the soluton. She has a lot of good ideas, books to read and solutions with more that just this one. Here is the post on crazing from her blog, Suite One Studio.

I will be trying to post some more interesting things about my art experience, I just had to write this down. This is wonderful to me!!