In an effort to build more vibrant blog, I signed up for a class called Blog Triage with Cynthia Morris and Alyson Stanfield.  My first assignment is to describe the people I want to visit and read my blog.  My first impulse is to say I want everyone to read it, but do I?  It really is a giant question, and one that I have wrestled with for several years (who is my audience).  I realize that to reach an audience it would certainly help to know who they are, and maybe where they are.

I guess I need to say what it is I do that requires an audience.  First is art-or at least my vision of art.  I have been told that to call myself an artist might be a bit snobby, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder sort of thinking.  But, I do create and my goal and motto is to capture a moment in time with a brush and the colors of nature.  I paint with oils, acrylics, watercolors, and pastels.  I do impressionistic to realistic paintings of things I find in nature…flowers, landscapes, creatures, and still life set ups. I paint them on canvas, on paper, and even on walls (though I must admit I have not found the walls as enjoyable as the other surfaces.)   I also paint (in acrylics) a traditional style of folk art on functional sufaces.  Items that can literally hold photos, mementos, etc that capture a moment in time.  I do boxes for weddings, funerals, births, anniversaries, and any special occasion you can think of.  I even have a box that will hold a wedding dress! (It comes with a stand that makes it a very unique side table.  No one would guesss that inside is a very special momento of a wedding day!)  So I hope to reach the audience that is looking for a special one of a kind gift. Letting that person inside of my world helps them know how special a gift of my creations can be. Bloging invites the reader inside the writers world. It makes a gift even more personal (especially when the art is actually personalized as I can do). 

I also love to design items for which I write up instructions, package them and market them as lessons.  That leads to teaching.  My family, friends, (and students) say I am a natural teacher.  I can’t help but teach.  It is who I am.  So whether I have a traditional classroom setting, and I am up in front of a group of students, or in a one on one setting, or in an informal group, class, gathering, I am always teaching and reaching to meet the individual needs of people who are in my presence.  It is so much a part of me I don’t even realize I am doing it.  (I come from a family of teachers, have a B.S. and a Master’s in Education fields, and have taught in both public and private schools.)  I strongly believe that everyone can learn, and it is up to the teacher to find the modality which best suits the student to learn.

At this time in my life, my children are grown, grandchildren are blessing me, my husband of 34 (almost) years is retiring, I now just want to paint, paint, paint.  AND I would love to be able to earn a steady income from my art!  As we hope to travel some, and take advantage of the freedom from set hours, I plan to take my art with me, painting, photographing and perhaps teaching on the way.  I want to spend time out west with my husband, and I would love to teach a class out there while he hunts, fishes, and scouts.  I want to photograph the mountains, the streams, the big skies.  I want to see it all!

So, my blog can be my travel companion as well.  I hope to reach others who want to learn to paint, those who want to hear about my travels and the beautiful sites we hope to see.  As I create my art I want to share photos of the places as well as the steps to creating the art, and of course pictures of finished pieces.  I imagine my audience could be young adults to seniors.  Moderate income to upper level incomes.  Actually more important than the age or income would be the things the readers enjoy.  My readers would enjoy art, nature, peaceful environments, some might be interested in history, preservation of our beautiful world, and others might just like to see or hear about the special frog I encountered in Lebanon, TN (he graces the top of this blog!).

I love words, so I look for readers who enjoy a get away.  I teach so I hope to reach other artists who want to learn, and as a student or a teacher I am always learning so I know I will do a lot of learning and growing.  I imagine that young or old the blog readers will be obviously comfortable with my blog style of prose, and I hope they will write back with comments and questions.  I want and need this communication to feed me as an artist, to help me grow to new heights.  Having an audience seems to demand a higher sense of perfection. 

Who am I writing for?  YOU, the artist comparing and sharing news, the art collector and appreciater looking for new work, the student wanting to learn new techniques and get new ideas, the naturalist enjoying the beautiful of the earth and its inhabitants,the historian who wants to learn more about the techniques of traditional styles of folk art, or the fine art techniques, the friend who wants to keep in touch, the company who seeks that unique item for their cherished employees or clients, the parent who needs a gift for the best teacher, the person who wants a bit of bliss in their home or office (a painting that will take your mind on a mini mind staycation), the family celebrating the newest addition to their family (baby or four legged friends),and those remembering and/honoring the life or accomplishment of someone special to them with a gift of a Moments In Time box.

I have not been blogging like I should.  I wonder at times why would anyone read what I write.  I don’t get a lot of feedback from the peanut gallery. (smiling at this)  But, I know that to be a viable blog, one has to write, and getting noticed isn’t an overnight thing.  So why am I not blogging?  Too busy? 

Life has a way of keeping you on your toes.  I have always been one who focuses on one thing (sometimes excessively) to the exclusion of something else.  When I moved to my home in 1985 I spent the first two weeks (kid free thanks to grandparents) trying to take control of a huge mess!  We moved in during a terrible ice/snow storm with more stuff than would fit in the house.  The previous inhabitants had to leave in a hurry and did not clean the house before they left.  A family of 5 or 6 left the walls looking like food had been thrown on them, and the yuckky brown shag carpet was full of trash.  I had planned where every piece of furniture would go, bought curtains for each room, but had no idea of the work it would take to get it all together.  I knew no one.  My husband was busy working a new, very demanding job, so I was on my own.  I cleaned, painted, and prayed that the water and electriciy would not be shut off until my car could leave the ice covered drive (at the top of a very big hill).  I had only meager cleanning supplies and furniture in the house for the first week.  My children and their grandparents were stuck in our previous home also without many basic supplies due to the surprise storm.   Fortunately they soon got away to the grandparents home, and I was able to find the electric and water companies, and begin the work.   

Long story short, at the end of 2 weeks I needed to get the children home even if the boxes weren’t unpacked, and the painting not done.  With the children here (ages 4 and 2) I found very little time to continue to focus on the job of getting the house perfect.  Boxes went for months, some years, before they were unpacked.  I felt as if things would never get done.

  I had left a buddng career as a teacher of decorative arts with classes several days per week. I had friends who swapped child care with me, and a great support system.  At the new location I began to get calls to come and teach at local shops, but I was so overwhelmed with the unpacking, the snow, and no one to care for the children that I had to say no.  As the children grew I slowly began to paint and then teach, but time to spare was minimal.  A growing family, a husband who traveled a lot meant I had to learn to take care of the home, the kids, the finances, the yard, and my aging parents in another state. 

Time became a blessing and a curse.  I, being a people person, was involved with family, church, school, and community and finding time to do my art seemed impossible.  I took care of everyone else and let my needs be last.  That is what the good mother does isn’t it? 

Learning to prioritize is an ongoing struggle, learning to say no is a major obstacle for me.  I have learned to allow myself to let go, to fail rather than do nothing, to listen to my body and relax when I need to, and to make a plan and work it until it is done.  I have learned to ask for help and delegate jobs.  I can forgive myself for not doing something the I assigned to myself. 

My art time is still a struggle.  I photograph scenes I can visualize as paintings, I get excited by a drop of water on a leaf or a spider’s web and can’t wait to paint it, but I stop short of just doing it.  My files are full of things I want to do, need to do, and have to do.  I have a plan for that.  I will paint, sketch or draw something everyday this year!  Ouch, that is in print!  Is that a commitment? a promise? a goal?  I believe it is an excellent goal sounds good to me.  If you are an artist, or have some passion you want to pursue why don’t you join me.  Set a goal to work/play/explore your passion a little bit each day, and then let me know what you plan and how you are doing with your plan.

I wish for you a Happy New Year with all 365 days of it focusing on your passion!

Let’s stop and give thanks for all our blessings.  I have had a wonderful summer, spending time with family and friends, painting, gardening, and loving those grand kids!

I was a bit disappointed in the fall colors, but they did show a little.  I was looking out today at the sky and thought of the many colors I could add to a painting.  I saw purples, reds, blue, grey, and white.  The brown leaves could have red tones as well as gold tones.  So, yes, I can see beyond the photo’s and create my own color scheme.  I am thankful that I have seen glorious fall colors, and sun drenched trees and I can paint my trees any color I choose!

My friend Patsy and I  tried our hands at plein air a few weeks ago.  It was a challenge, but I was very satisfied with my first piece.  I am anxious to do more of this painting out of doors, from life and not from a photo.  It forces you to look deep and to see more than a quick glance.  The sunlight is constantly changing  and altering the shadows and colors so you only have a limited amount of time to capture a vision.  I did a quick sketch (with Transparent Oxide Red oil paint), and then placed in my local (main) colors, then I began to fill in the areas of trees, grasses, fences, etc with a little more detail.   I painted a scene with hills, a barn, and fields in the late summer sky.  The fields had a lot of gold where the crops had recently been harvested.  It was a greying day so we sat just inside my friend’s carport to avoid a downpour.  Because I could…I painted blue skies with a few clouds.  In reality the skies were grey when I started.  As if I had willed it so, the skies cleared, and the clouds really did appear. 

I finished and framed the 8×10 oil in a dark wood frame.  It will likely remain with me to reminisce my first plein air piece. 

I’ll post a photo as soon as I can.  I am on the road now, exploring new places.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Well the kiddo’s have headed back to school, and soon the weather will begin to chill.  That means time for Fall Festivals.   Hope you visit your favorite festivals and look for me! 

Last week I set up a mini show at our local, hometown bank to share with my friends and neighbors the folk art that I do.  This week I am taking in my watercolors to share.  It is called Spotlight on Business.  A lot of banks are offereing space to their customers to share their business with the public. 

I have had a couple of requests for Christmas Ornaments already, so I will start on them soon.  Right now I have several Brides/Grooms boxes to do!  Tis still the season for weddings around here it seems.

Just sent in two articles to “Paintworks” magazine for their 2011 issues.  I am working on two more.  They are all watercolor pieces which I know you will enjoy.  One is watercolor basics which demonstrates my watercolor techniques in a very simple way. 

I spent a lot of time last year getting my business set up, and this year have come to the conclusion that the KISS principal is best.  So, I am practicing what I preach and going back to some of my simple bookkeeping techniques instead of fighting with a computer program.  (I’d rather paint than learn a lot more computer stuff. LOL)  My studio is in good shape and ready to welcome my creative soul.  I am ready and anxious to go. 

See you soon with more updates and photos, too!

I received a challenge from Alyson B. Stanfield to look back at 2009 and see what I have accomplished.  In the hurried pace of our lives, we often fail to look back and review to learn and give thanks.  I thought I would take that look back and see what happened to 2009.  Alyson gave us several questions to begin our review so we could realize all we have accomplished in the past year and see where we need to make improvements.  I should explain that Alyson is a business coach who works primarily with artists.  I found her book through an online seminar I attended and have found it to be a wonderful source of information for artists and for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit!

A couple of years ago, I came to the decision that I would put my energy towards art.  Now I have taught painting for over 30 years, of course painting all that time for myself and occasionally for others.  In the early 80’s, I met people in a company known as Ceramichrome.  The manufacturing facility was located near my home at that time in the town of Stanford, Kentucky.  Stan Clifford and Jim Miller asked me to use the paint they were making and compare it to other brands of craft paint.  I did, and boy was I impressed with the coverage of the paint, which was intended as paint for ceramic bisque pieces.  It did not, however, have the sheen other craft paints had.  The chemists or mixers fixed that, and the company went on to become Deco Art paints.  I was fortunate to be around when the first bottles of paint were introduced.  In fact, I, via cut and paste, helped design the first label.  I was hired to teach some of their staff to “tole” paint and became a liaison between the ceramic industry they had been and the growing decorative painting industry.  I was given a phone card (for long distance calls) and told to call the “big brushes” to offer them a complete set of paint to try for free!  Can you imagine that, giving a woman a calling card and telling her to talk on the phone about something she absolutely loved!  What a job. 

I moved from that area in 1985 (February 11 during an ice storm, to be exact) and had to leave the job soon after.  I tell you this to know where I came from.  During this time, I attended several Society of Decorative Painting Conventions, wrote magazine articles for Deco Art, designed my own patterns, taught several days per week, traveled with Deco Art and taught for them at conventions and trade show, and yet I did not believe I had any ability or the right to call myself an artist. Remember, I was drawing and designing my own patterns, cutting my own wood pieces and selling then, and doing quite well while raising two small children, keeping house, and all that went with that.

Now move forward 20 or so years, and I decide maybe I do have some ability.  I took a few watercolor classes and found them to be so fulfilling.  I crave the time to paint and create.  I live and breathe with my head so full of ideas.  I entered a couple of pieces in juried shows and was actually accepted.  I painted a large sculptured horse, and it won accolades.  Okay, a few good pieces still don’t tell the whole story, but the point is people are now buying what I am designing and painting. 

So, I decide I want to make this a career, and the rest is my history in the making.  I found a coach to help me in the business of art and started down this road.  This is where Alyson comes in, and I begin to review the past year.

I won’t go into all the questions she asked, but  I HAVE answered them all for my sake.  In 2009, I was co-owner of Bliss located in the Blue Velvet shop on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky.  I sold several paintings there and met wonderful new friends, but the Blue Velvet Shop closed, and I moved on.

I traveled to seminars and painted with some wonderful new teachers, met more new friends, and gained a lot of new skills.

Through my business classes, I have learned about QuickBooks, Adobe Photoshop (still struggling there), set up a website with a wonderful web master, Marian Jackson, (still building that, too), learned about blogging and now have a blog, and twittering and Facebook, and I have linked up with several other social and business networking groups.

I have a beautiful home studio where I love to work, and new business cards and signage have been printed.  I have a monthly newsletter with a growing audience and take part in several annual shows.  I am now in three galleries in the Kentuckiana area and am beginning to plan traveling teaching events.  I was published in the Decorative Painter Magazine this year.  I consolidated all my notes with names and addresses on them to one computerized mailing list.  I set up regular (kind of) studio hours and now spend time daily working there.

I have begun working with Traditions Paints (acrylics), using them as watercolors and like an oil paint (more on that another time), and am listed as one of 70 or so artists in the world who will be teaching in a new online art education program beginning in 2010!  I also have played with adding pastels over watercolors, and the results are beautiful, if I do say so myself.

I have learned to delegate and to say no, as well as how to express an opinion out loud (not a small task for me).  I have accepted what I am not qualified to do and asked for help in learning or accomplishing filing, computer technology, and bookkeeping tasks.

I look back at 2009 and think about all I accomplished and say, “thanks” to all those friends, family, and mentors who have lead or dragged me towards my goals.  I am excited about 2010 and what is to come.  I have more to do to get my business in order, and I need to paint every day to grow my skills.  I am happy to be healthier but still need to do more towards the goal of good health and, dare I say it, losing weight!  

I hope I haven’t bored you with this evaluation of my year.  It has been good to step back and put in writing what I have done.  I encourage you to try it.  I would love to hear from you on your 2009 and your goals for 2010.

Peace and creative energy,

Pam

I have set up my tables in the living room, and begun to load them up with  pieces I am taking to Winter Fair, the last show of the season.  I am tired, having painted and prepped for the shows spending long hours, but how many people get tired doing something they love.  I am so lucky!  I’ll slow down a bit next week, but still paint daily.

I used to not paint daily, but a couple of years ago I decided to set a goal to become a full time artist.  Like the slow turtle, I am learning many lessons, applying them and working, now, daily to reach my goal.  As I sit here at the computer, I am surrounded by words of encouragement from the likes of Robert Genn  and Alyson Stanfield.  My studio is a sanctuary, a workshop, and my favorite space.  I am making a place a peace and tranquility where I can go to zone in to paint.

I made a decision this year to only do inside shows for both practical and health reasons.  I will focus on build a web business, developing online classes material and entering juried shows.  My mother always asks me if I am rich yet.  I say no, but I really am. Well, not as reflected by my bank account, but in all other ways I am a very wealthy person.  I am blessed to have a wonderful family to surround me, new grandbabies being born, and children who want me in their lives.  I have a talent, skill, or gift that I am using and am constantly learning new techniques and stretching my wings.  Through art I have met so many new people that I would never have know in my small town. 

The biggest lesson I learned this year was to build a relationship with people first and foremost.  Do not try to sell, just share your self with others and the business will come.

November is a time for giving thanks, and I did give thanks for all I have, but December is a time to look back on the year and count your blessings.   so, I am looking back, thanking God and all those who have come into my life this year, and looking forward to 2010!  A new beginning!

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Woodland Beauty, my first attempt at painting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Oil on wax paper, early 1970’s

What does this mean to me?  I just finished a juried show which lists me as a juried artist in acrylics and watercolors.  My booth had an assortment of both mediums.  As people came by the booth, I introduced myself by saying  something like,

“Welcome, I have traditional style folk art and watercolors.  Depending on how I feel on a given day, I may choose to do a fine art style of painting or a traditional style of folk art.  I have mostly American and German styles represented here.  Enjoy your browsing and let me know if I can answer any questions.”

I watched as some people focused on the prints and watercolors, and other zoomed in on the folk art.  Then I heard the dreaded, oh, she does tole painting, comment.  Now that used to frustrate me, anger me, or leave me feeling less than adaquate as a painter.  However, I finally realized that most people have no clue about the different styles of folk art, the similarities and the differences between the styles. The comment was my problem, not theirs,so  as a result I have decided to share my thoughts and a little history of painting with you, my blog followers.  I hope you will at the very least enjoy my pennings, and perhaps even learn a little bit more about who I am and where I have come from.

When I first picked up a paintbrush in the 70’s, it belonged to my college roommate.  I doubt that she had any idea that her leaving her “tole painting class” supplies and instructions on our coffee table would launch a career for me, but that is where the painting bug bit me.    My mom had done ceramics and decorated plaster molded items as had many women of her age group.  As the ceramics hobby market became flooded, a new group of painters emerged. Tole painting in the 70’s was the hot new craft on the market.  Priscilla Hauser was the one painter who caught me eye.

 Time passed for me and I found myself a newlywed in a new home, new town, new state and away from everything familiar.  I arose one morning and prepared breakfast for my husband and I, cleaned up the kitchen, and immediatly set the table for supper, and  wondered what I would do from that point on.  That movers had gone, the house was basically in order, I had no job, no friends, and my husband had gone to work.  I remembered painting , so  I found my way to the local craft store and bought a book by Priscilla Hauser( For Whom The Bell Tolls).   I opened it up, read the supply list and purchased the supplies.  The store clerk suggested I take a class, but no, I thought why spend money on classes.  Everything I needed was in the book.  I went home and began painting everything in the book….on wax paper.  I couldn’t afford any surfaces after putting all my money into the book and supplies. 

Long story short is the local teacher was my new neighbor, so she was called by the store (who recognized the address proximity by my checks) and I made my first painting friend.  Lola Jacks came patiently to my home daily to encourage me, and eventually won me over to being a student in her classes. 

Tole painting at that time was apples, strawberries, daisies, grapes, cute little people, comma strokes, etc. Drawing was not taught much, but instead you traced a pattern, applied it to your prepared surface, and used the brushes and paint colors the instructor suggested. It was so easy (the ads said) that anyone could do it.  I like many others found great joy in creating that which we had never thought could be done by untrained, and untalented painters.  Looking back I can see the design influences of early American folk artist such as Peter Ompir in a lot of the designs, but they were simple and cute, but they lacked depth.  The work was done in oils, and we painted on anything that stood still.  My first paintings not on wax paper were on soup cans (made great pencil and brush holders), and old wood pieces I found at thrift shops.  I still look for old pieces to paint on, that hasn’t changed, but now the designs are not as cutsie and usually more detailed.  The Tole painters became Decorative painters and a new confidence has risen.  Instructions are becoming more technique oriented and less project oriented, but that’s another subject. 

Back to tole painting:

I have always been taught that Tole Painting by definition is painting on tin as tole is French for tin,  but the term tole painting has become synonomous with decorative painting of almost any style and on a lot of surfaces that were not tin or even metal. 

Wikipedia has the following article on Tole Painting:

Tole painting is the folk art of decorative painting on tin and wooden utensils, objects and furniture. Typical metal objects include utensils, coffee pots, and similar household items. Wooden objects include tables, chairs, and chests, including hope chests, toyboxes and jewelry boxes.

The practice began in 18th century New England, and was also extensively carried on among German immigrants in Pennsylvania. A separate, related tradition occurs among Scandinavian countries and immigrants, including Norwegians, Danes and Swedes. German tole painting may concentrate more on metal and tin objects, while Scandinavian may concentrate more on wooden objects and furniture. Patterns in the two traditions vary slightly as well.

Modern tole painting typically uses inexpensive, long-lasting and sturdy acrylic paints. Good quality wooden work is sealed, primed and sanded before the decorative paint is applied.

The most beloved family objects tend to be high quality utensils or furniture, painted freehand with favorite patterns, colors or flowers, humorous themes, family in-jokes, or illustrations of favorite or family stories. The perceived value of a tolled utensil increases with its quality as a utensil, the quality of the art, and the personalization, the story, of the work.

An advantage of tole painting as a craft is that a bad painting can be sanded off and repainted. One of the signs of such repaintings is a black-backgrounded tole-painted object. Very often such objects are repainted, especially if the furniture or utensil is valuable and the painter is inexperienced.

Hello friends,

I am madly getting ready for a show this weekend at the American Legion Highland Post on Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY.  (It is just across the street from a great Krispy Kreme at the Waterson exit!)  So get your self a hot donut and a cup of coffee and join me at the Lousisville Artisans Guild Holiday Showcase Saturday (10-7) and Sunday (10-4) and get started on that Christmas Shopping!

Now for the newsletter, I have signed up with I-Contact to send out a monthly newsletter called “Paintings and Pennings From Pam” .  Along with my website, it will give you news of my current shows, information about art supplies that I use and recommend, painting instructions and it will let you shop online for both my artwork and supplies and links to galleries carrying my original art work.

If  you receive an invitation from me just click on the link at the bottom of the page to let me know you want to subscribe,or, even easier, go to my website  (www.pamelakingsleyseay.com)  and you can subscribe on the first page, and bingo! Once a month you will get your own copy of “Paintings and Pennings from Pam”.

Please feel free to share this info with your friends.  I look forward to getting to know you even better.

See you Saturday or Sunday!  Mention this blog and get a free notecard at the show!

Pam

November is a busy month for PK Seay Studios.  Take a minute now and check out the News and Events Page to see the dates of upcoming shows.  The first show is the annual LAG event and I’ll have a new set of Christmas Ornaments there that you will love. They make great package decorations and inexpensive gifts for everyone on your list!

The second show is a local church show and I’ll have some great bargains on some beautiful pieces that will NOT be at any other show.

Don’t forget the grand opening of Bliss Gallery and Gifts coming the first Friday in November.  Julie Diehl, owner, is my former gallery partner!  Now Julie has opened a beautiful new Gallery AND Gift shop in West Port Village.  You will love the location!