Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Post 144: Review of Society6.com - Artist Designed, They Print It

Artist Site: Society6.com Review

I recently joined Society6 today to give it a try. It is an artist site that touts 'the artist created the design and S6 does the work of printing it and shipping it to you' So the products list is extensive and can be anything from art prints - you pick the size and you can also select if you want it framed, to coffee or travel cups, to t-shirts, tote bags, aprons, etc. There's your Christmas list taken care of! It's an interesting concept. 

With that in mind, theoretically if you see an artwork of mine or (horrors!) someone else that you like, and your budget does not allow the purchase of the original painting, you have options to buy something else with a print of the artwork on it. Win-Win in my opinion. (hey that rhymes! 

The set up is very easy for the artist and very straightforward. Connect to your Paypal account so you can get paid if something sells (or so you can pay for something you buy) and go down the short check list to get up and running. A short bio is important, an image, things like that and you can start uploading your art images. 

Images

Good quality images are always vitally important and should be either PNG, JPG or RBG. Make sure their edges are clean and the quality is crisp and the maximum file size should be 150MB not exceed 400,000,000 pixels.

Check this link on the required sizes of images based on the merchandise that your image can be printed on https://help.society6.com/hc/en-us/articles/228101307-Pixel-Dimension-Requirements-and-Templates-For-All-Society6-Products. Depending on merch selected, you will need to adjust the image.


Some of my art designs uploaded in my Artist Studio

Keywords and Tags

On the internet, keywords are so very, very important. Your tags are your keywords as well as the words in your art title. If you were on Google and trying to find something for your mom for Mother's Day let's say, and you type in a few words to find her a great gift. 

If you typed "Mother's Day Gifts" you get 370 million results. Ew, bad, too much like work...

If you know mom would LOVE a tote bag with a "Sunrise at Nags Head North Carolina Tote Bag" printed on it, that tremendously cuts the Google results to 251 thousand results. Still large but look if we do that on the search on Society6.com with a few adjustments...

Using the filters, we can search for specifically tote bags, and use the keywords "Sunrise" or "Nags Head" or "North Carolina" and we can shop the artist made totes available there. Kind of nice to cut out Amazon for a change, right?

As with anything like this, read the help they provide and have a look at the "competition". Don't undersell yourself but see what other people are doing. I'm not convinced fine art should be here as yet, but an artist needs to make a living right? The internet SHOULD be a great resource to connect with art lovers anywhere.

Pricing Merchandise 

Society6 has a BASE PRICE - that's their cut. The artist adjusts the percentage to charge on top of that for each or all of his/her products. This is where it gets pretty easy for the artist to adjust. All at once adjustments and/or customize how you want your prices to go on top of their base price. The adjustments auto-adjust so you can see them real-time.

Generally, very easy and decently quick to set up. I already had a PayPal account set up which helped. Editing and adjustments are an easy task too. After that, it is up to you on spreading the word on your S6 shop, but there is plenty of help and suggestions for that too.

My affiliate link is http://society6.com?curator=[donnaliguriaart] which means I get a piece of the pie. Like I said, I am new on the site, so we shall see how it goes. I can update this post if I have additional commentary to add and -I hope- sales to review in my dashboard. 

Finally, I should say thank you for your support for small businesses. We appreciate it.

Question for you: What art sites do you use and has it worked well for you as an artist?

How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like my paintings? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Post 143: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores, Virginia, 10x20 Acrylic on Canvas (v1)

Painting Name: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores, Virginia (v1)

SKU: 06CC21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 10x20 Stretched Canvas
Price: SOLD
Edition Year: 2021
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

What Brought About this Painting?
There are a lot of birds I have been wanting to paint and a blue heron is one of them. Recently, an old friend of mine, Peter Olsen, visited Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia. He is known for taking some GREAT pictures especially when he comes up to BRS from North Carolina.

After this past Memorial weekend (May 28 - May 31, 2021) he posted a bunch of photos on Facebook. I spotted his blue heron photo and asked his permission to use it for a painting. Permission granted, the painting began.


As I usually do, I will look at it for a bit to see if it needs any more tweaking before I varnish it but I think its about there. What do you think? This picture may show the colors a bit better.



By the way, see the original photo at the "Painting in Progress" post.


How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like this painting? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!

Monday, June 14, 2021

Post 142: A Painting in Progress: Blue Heron

Painting Name: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores, Virginia

SKU: 06CC21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 10x20 Stretched Canvas
Price: SOLD
Edition Year: 2021
Commissioned? No

The Image for Reference:


Photo Credit and Permission Granted from Peter Olsen, May 2021 at Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia

Painting in Progress Images…
What would you name this Painting? Blue Heron just does not seem quite enough. Maybe a name suggestion will happen as the painting develops. Follow "the painting in progress" here and leave your comments!

Monday, June 14, 2021 5:10 PM - Roughed in the heron and the background

Monday, June 14, 2021 5:43 PM - He looks kind of ghostly doesn't he?


Monday, June 14, 2021 6:47 PM - bird has a bit of a hunchback. Blue Heron of Notre Dame. I'll have to smooth that out. 


Tuesday, June 15, 2021 8:32 AM - Still no legs but he has an eye. I like painting birds, and other critters. (That's the southern influence on me.) Feathers are such intricate delicate things. Our God and Creator really let His imagination soar (<- get that?) when it came to birds if you think about it. Their colors, how they are so exotic and different from each other, eh? (Eh? - That's the Canadian influence of friends and family there.)


Blue Ridge Shores is a lake in Louisa County, Virginia. The lake is man-made lake that began in 1960 as a resort community. The water has a lot of sediment in it, therefore the "color of water" has a green look to it. 

Coloring water also depends on other things like its bottom (or substrate), what's in it (even as recently as a good rainfall), the surface - refraction and reflection, and a biggie is the light which is directly influenced by the surface.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 11:11 AM - Still no knobby knees or those long luxurious "strings" of feathers. Coming along but a long way to go yet. Detailing feathers takes awhile. 

What NOT to paint opposed to what to include

Also, from the real picture at the start, I am assuming that the lumpy stuff on the dock are things I do not want to paint. When you blow up the photo, the nails on the dock are actually quite raised. Much for bare feet to be aware of.

I also did not include the stick on the pier as there wasn't really enough room to do it justice. So far I did not include the red reflector on the side of the pier. I'm thinking it over. Attention should be on the bird not the pier one might think.

I was just wondering what these guys sound like? Anyone know?


Tuesday, June 15, 2021 1:15 PM - Pause in the painting for a bit. My neighbor had commissioned a painting for me to do for her daughter, Alison's birthday. Alison is visiting a couple of days and we "sprung" the surprise on her. See the entries listed under the keyword "Richmond VA". Warms your heart when someone sees the work for the first time.

Face details on the heron coming together...


Tuesday, June 15, 2021 3:30 PM - She's got legs, and he knows how to use them. ZZ Top, right? At least these little rinky-dinky things will become legs. HOW do they hold themselves up with those stick legs? Baffling. Like bumble bees. How DO they fly with those big bodies and rinky-dink wings?

I am reminded of the famous painter that painted geese, ducks, etc and she never painted feet. The birds were ALWAYS in the water or sitting down. She had a thing about feet. If you don't know who she is, she's P. Buckly Moss, of Waynesboro, Virginia. http://www.pbuckleymoss.com/

I am currently really liking the idea of no feet. Guess I cannot get away with having the heron standing in a bucket of water.



How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like this painting? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Post 141: An Apple a Day, 10x10 Canvas in Acrylic

Painting Name: An Apple a Day

Does an apple a day actually keep the doctor away?

SKU: 06CB21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 10x10 Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2021
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

Painting in Progress Images…
Started this painting this evening, Saturday, June 12, 2021 and this is what I have so far...


Doesn't look like much yet but it will get better. It's 10:05 on a Saturday night. I think I'm hanging up the paintbrush for the evening.

Sunday, June 13, 2021 8:30 AM Are they starting to look like apples yet? What a difference in the lighting from the picture last night and the one this morning! That's not the painting colors - that's the lighting!


Monday, June 14, 2021 6:52 AM - I volunteered at Clearbrook Center of the Arts both Saturday and Sunday. It was so nice to get to know other members of PWAS and be able to ask more experienced artists questions about various art business and art techniques and how their experiences shaped how they conquered those challenges. 

Back to "An Apple a Day" today...

Monday, June 14, 2021 9:53 AM - Now, do they look like apples? I hope so because - completed painting...



What Brought About this Painting?
Sometimes you need a theme painting for art galleries, shows, certain months, etc so for a collection of "Fall / Autumn" pieces, this will add to that collection.

How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like this painting? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!

Friday, June 11, 2021

Post 140: A Painting in Progress and Done: I Turn Orange and Fall

Painting Name: I Turn Orange and Fall

SKU: 06CA21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 10x10 The Edge Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2021
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

What Brought About this Painting?
"I Turn Orange and Fall" is a painting geared toward the PWAS (Prince William Art Society) gallery at Clearbrook Center for the Arts at Tackett's Mill for the September / October Fall Theme wall. The theme is of course, autumn / fall seasonal paintings.

Painting in Progress Images…


Friday, June 11, 2021 10:32 AM: I don't see any orange yet.



Friday, June 11, 2021 7:23 PM - Now I see some orange! I think I'm done with this guy, what do you think?

How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like this painting? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Post 139: Winter Series: Black Icicles, 4x12 Acrylic on Canvas, set of 3

Painting Name: Winter Series Black Icicles

Title: Black Icicles 1
SKU: 06BX21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x12 Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2021
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

What Brought About this Painting?
For the PWAS (Prince William Art Society) art gallery at Clearbrook Center for the Arts at Tackett's Mill, in Woodbridge, Virginia, the gallery has a theme wall to the immediate right when you come in the door. (Free to visit, so you know) The theme changes bi-monthly and of course for November and December the theme is Holiday/Winter. In preparation of that upcoming theme I am offering this (probably) 3 canvas series on Black Ice, or Icicles as it were.


Black Icicle 1

Black Icicles 2 and 3 are currently on the canvas and will be uploaded here as they are completed. I have an idea for something on the theme wall for September and October which also follows is a Fall theme....I look for ideas that are not the usual fall leaves, pumpkins etc. 

Title: Black Icicles 2
SKU: 06BY21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x12 Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2021
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop


Black Icicles 2

Title: Black Icicles 3
SKU: 06BZ21AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x12 Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2021
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop


Black Icicles 3

All 3 Winter Series Black Icicles



How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like this painting? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Post 138: Bee Series 1: Buzz the Bee, 4x5 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

Painting Name: Buzz the Bee

Bumbles and Honey Bees welcome to my garden! There is a small store next to Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill that is called The Bee Store. It is adorable. Everything having to do with bees. A lot of the traffic that comes through Clearbrook are going to or coming out of The Bee Store.

SKU: 06BW21ACL2
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x5 Stretched Canvas
Price: SOLD
Edition Year: 2021
Series: Busy Bee Series 1
Commissioned? No

What Brought About this Painting?
With a garden in my backyard this summer, and anyone that knows me well knows it is a small garden, it attracts the small creatures. A fence deters the larger ones. But "Buzz the Bee" is welcome here, any time.


I like doing small art. It's quick (usually) and cute in my opinion. Let me know what you thing too. 

How to Shop, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks: 

Facebook: DL Art on Facebook
Instagram: DL Art on Instagram
Pinterest: DL Art on Pinterest
Behind the Canvas Blog: Donna’s Cave Paintings Blog

Like this painting? Need a handmade, original painting as a gift for a friend or family member? Or if you want to commission me to do a similar painting for you, please contact me through this blog or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.
Side Note, if you have purchased one of my paintings, please send me a picture of YOU with the painting and I will post it on the corresponding blog page.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Follow, Comment, and Review!