White Oak Studio

Much to my surprise I did not get receive the Ox-bow, 2006 Professional Artist Residency. I don’t want to sound as if I was bragging but I did think my project was an inventive one.

Here’s the letter I received…

Hi Donna,

What exactly does that mean?

• There is no water in the studio?
• A proposal of 5 weeks is out of line?
• A papermaking proposal in October won’t work?

I am still in the dark?

“I believe real art, whatever forms it takes, is our essence revealed and expressed. And, to me, this act of courageously offering your essence regardless of the reception is a powerful act of LOVE that benefits others.” Ann E. O’Shaughnessy

Why is change so hard? Why is “letting go” of my comfort zone so damn hard?

The 13th Century mystic Rumi beatifully describes change and transition this way:

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness

Some momentary awareness comes

As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

I have much to learn.

Even if they’re crowded of sorrows

Who violently swept your house

Empty of its furniture,

Still, treat each guest honorably,

He may be clearing you out

For some new delight.

 ”Something that required the best of us has ended. You will miss it.   Anne Wilson Schaef

I learned something valuable this past weekend when I set up our booth at the Michigan Fiber Festival.

My “most valuable lesson learned” this year was that this particular show caters to do-it-your-selfers and in two days there I was able to fill an upcoming workshop of “Making Nature Scrolls” - one costing $60.00 for the class plus $10.00 for materials. Students were willing to pay $70.00 to learn how to make the scroll but would not pay $35.00 for a pre-made one. Hum…. (Another case of willing to pay for the “experience.”)

In the past four years that I’ve set up at the Fiber Festival I’ve focused on 1) making immediate sales and 2) getting people directed to the gallery. In the first year that strategy worked just fine. I made nice sales and Gene saw an increase in traffic at the gallery and also made several nice sales there as well. B-U-T Gas was not $3.00+ a gallon that year.

This year the rules of the game were quite different.

I knew that folks were not coming to the gallery that same weekend as they had been previously. Michigan’s tough economic times and high gas prices had put a damper on just casually taking a drive out to the gallery. I had already determined that I needed to go to them, instead. The challenge is how to do that while maintaining BCA shop hours….

Former gallery owner, Barb Bare of Foxglove Studio, found the answer for her was to leave the Blue Coast Artists group so that she did not have to maintain regular weekend shop hours and could begin to sell her flowers, art and wool fleeces at the farmers markets.

In spite of the tight economy, I found that Fiber Festival shoppers were still buying yarn by the bag-full but not so many high-quality wood $595.00 spinning wheels as last year. Conversations with the long time vendors gleaned that “when time are hard folks are no longer go places. When folks stay home they start to find themselves with time on their hands and want to use that time - and their skills - making craft items.” Ergo… yarn was selling big time.

So the Big Picture Lesson here is how to read the roadmap and change lanes quickly enough to get to the desired destination before the competition does.

INTERIOR VISION:  “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside awakes.” Carl Jung

This past week I also completed and mailed my submission to The Guild www.guild.com

In my opinion The Guild is the premier on-line company to sell one’s original, one-of-a-kind art work. I have been researching their website and catalog for almost three years now. Finally after completing my newest body work “Earth Elements” the handmade paper collages on canvas, I felt that I had work worthy of submission. 

It almost funny how this new body of work developed out of desperation and panic. I was preparing for my April/May 2006 solo exhibisiton at Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Niles, MI www.fernwoodbotanical.com when I got wind that my contact had left. When I checked in with the new organizer I casually asked how many displays did they have for my 3-D cast bowl forms? They replied, “Oh, none. Everything that is exhibited here MUST be 2D and hang on the wall.”

Talk about being in shock!! I was a year and a half into casting bowl forms and has approximately 6 completed and had very little time left to start over - especially when considering that I had to create almost 85 pieces to fill the Clark Gallery. Not only that, I was simply not prepared to get into framing, mat, glass and so on. It is both the issue of expense and of storage for me. (My under bed storage was already filled with my Indiana Dunes artwork.)

Somehow from this place of desperation, I came up with the idea of handmade paper on canvas and spent the next year figuring out how to adhere the paper to the canvas. From that chance encounter, “Earth Elements” was born!

So after almost three years of working on canvas I felt ready to send my newly photographed work to the Guild. The application process is rigerous and time consuming and according to the information on their website, ”less that 50% of artist who apply actually get selected.” Daunting!

My own observations is that the bulk of their work for sale is functional and 3-D. From my experience as a gallery owner, wall space of homeowners is limited. Both factors may limit my chance of getting selected. But on the positive my work is totally unique, it is created in earlh tones, soothing and contemplative (what a lot of people today crave in their homes) and is VERY seasonal which should be a real plus at their catalog layout and design is set up by the season.

My slides and submission was mailed in mid-August for the September 15 deadline and jury. Now the waiting begins.

The Mythical Chain of Chance: “How can you say luck and chance are the same thing? Chance is the first step you take, luck is what comes afterwards.”   Amy Tan 

Last night I began to read, Blog Marketing: The Revolutionary New Way to Increase Sales, Build Your Brand and Get Exceptional Results by Jeremy Wright, ISBN 0-70-226251-6. I am not so interested in building a brand as much as in looking at my layout and design options and creating a communication piece that engages any readers who might frequent it.

As a novice I reviewed the blog world terminology and I read some interesting “case history’s” - examples of real-life blog writers and how they decided what to include in their blog. I really like the example on page 102, by Rebecca Thomas Designs. This resonated with me because not only was this blog author in the jewelry design business (and a woman) her blog layout seemed as if it might work for me. That information, however sketchy and basic was quite valuable to me as a beginning blogger. In fact, I plan to visit her site (IF it is real) today to view it up close and pewrsonal.

The book suggested working with the blog for at least two-weeks prior to going “public.” That time frame has been deemed enough time to learn the in’s and out’[s of the blog world and figure out how to use the program. (I might need more time than that as I am still making the transition from the MAC world to the PC.)

Also valuable to me is the chapter on determining “What am I Trying to Accomplish?” That made me pause and take stock.

 My Blog Goals:

1. Process my artistic journey as I make the transition from gallery owner to exhibition and consigning artist.
2. Share those “lesson’s learned.”
3. Establish myself as an expert in the world of art and artists.
4. Build community among artists.
5. Create a way for prospective customers to find me without the overhead of my existing Web Site.

I have yet to figure out how to get the blog “out there” to be read AND how to do a “spell check” but that will come in later chapters I imagine.

Over and out!

“Every single chapter marks another cycle of my life,” from Moving On, by Sara Ban Breathnach.

I am waiting to hear from Ox-bow about my proposal for the position of one of six 2006 Fall Professional Artist Residency (PAR). The proposal was due August 15, (Naturally, I sent mine early). I tried to create a “look” that was both professional and creative, using Laura Lein-Svencners (a mixed media artist from IL) wonderful folder idea. Thank you Laura!

My proposal was created using a Staples hard cover folder with attached plastic sheet insert that hold materials while seeing through the clear sleeves. Laura’s proposal had a bold and clean cover sheet design (with photo of the artist) which I adopted. I mailed my packet in a wildly colored “Paste Paper” color- coordinated (black/gold/red) Tyvek envelope to hopefully stand out ”from the crowd.”

I submitted the following items that were required:

1.  10 slides labeled, current writing sample, or digital images
2.   Letter of intent on use of residency
3.   Current resume’
4.   Desired dates of residency

The date for the meeting to discuss the proposals is August 24, and I am now waiting on pins and needles for the decision.

On one hand the timing for the PAR is absolutely the worst - Fall - our busiest time of the year in the gallery. And, yet I felt compelled to apply now because this is the first time a Fall residency program has been offered. (Fall is now an option for the first time due to the newly built, heated dorm wing.)

My “gut instinct” tells me that I have a good chance because the program is so new and:

1. Not many will know about the “new” Fall PAR residency program so that should work in my favor.
2. Others who might apply will most likely be back in school, teaching or studying as students.
3. Those who might be aware and can apply - might not have enough lead time to make this work for them.

 I only learned about the PAR opportunity on a chance visit to the Ox-Bow website. www.Ox-bow.com

As a former Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo member and grant recipiant, I learned from my grant writing experience there that timing can mean the difference between being selected and not selected. My acceptance as the Artist-in-Resident at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 2004 also taught me that luck also plays a big factor in such a decision. (I was only one of 21 artists who applied for their second year program which tipped the scales in my favor. )

I was also driven to apply because I believe I have a sound artistic idea and quite frankly, I truly NEED this time of solitude and focus without the expectations of commercial  or academic demands. I deeply desire to this dedicated block of time away from the many demands of my home, garden, husband, dog and art gallery. I need to think, dream, plan, write and create - and above all “process.” I have a lot of difficult decisions to make this fall and a in-depth period of solitude can give me the quiet thinking time I need to make them.

My project is an one-of-a-kind artists book titled “Into The Meadow” created using handmade paper made from Oxbow meadow grass, my photography and encaustic panels. This book will be displayed in a standing, 6 panel, wooden frame. And as part of the PAR program it will most likely be exhibited either at Oxbow or in a local gallery. This exhibition opportunity excites me as it could be a foot in the door of a Saugatuck Gallery and should look good on my resume’.

I already ALSO know I want to write about my time at Ox-bow in various artists publications like The Crafts Report and perhaps others. I am aware even as I write this, that I am creating this blog in order to process my thoughts and feelings as well as document my experience at Oxbow (even though I realize I am putting the cart before the horse as they say.)

“It is my job as an artist right now to do - not judge - the work.” Donna Allgaier-Lamberti Visual Artist

I have been thinking about creating a blog for some time. This might be just the needed alternative to our expensive website after my transition from gallery owner to artists only is completed.

Granted it won’t be as “fancy” or as creative as www.WhiteOakStudioandGallery.com … but it will be free.

Essentially, my work now is an experiment to see if:

• I can figure out how to create a blog
• I can create a vehicle that communicates my path as an artist
• I can create a vehicle that is accessible to current and potential customers and patrons
• I can create a blog that anyone wants to visit.
• Create a blog that will create community among artists.

 As with any new endeavor…Time will tell.

Goodnight and good dreams.

“Something has ended and something new has begun and this path will be the way I discover just what that something will be.” Moving On, by Sarah Ban Breathnach