Two very different Open Studios [23]

How do you do it? This week we share our reports from two very different open studios. One spans over 3,000 square miles with one that covers an area of just 3 square miles.

In this packed episode we also discuss the surprise of finding you enjoy something you didn’t want to do, and the importance of facing challenges – even if we would really rather have a duvet day.

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So how was it for you?

We share the lessons we learned from exhibiting at Open Studios this year, the things we got right and what we’d like to change going forward. 

As we dive into our sales and wonder how many of them were due to event publicity versus our own following online or from past collectors, is this still a good option to share your work?

A few thoughts and ideas to build on: 

  • People enjoy seeing work in progress, sketchbooks and anything you can do to show how you make your work
  • It’s a plus to have things at all different price ranges so that people can choose the level of investment that suits them … this can include cards, prints or small works on paper. 
  • It’s a good idea to offer an incentive for visitors to leave an email address – perhaps a raffle for a small painting?
  • If someone likes a painting but doesn’t buy, get an email address and follow up with a photo.
  • How it feels isn’t always how it actually is, so track your data (counting visitors, sales etc).
  • Follow up after the event with an email thanking visitors and collectors.
Art Juice podcast Open Studios for artists

Audience Question

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Mentioned: 
Find out more about Alice’s upcoming class within True Colors: https://alicesheridan.com/artists/
Listen to the “Own It’ podcast:
https://ownitthepodcast.com/232-getting-out-of-your-own-way-louise-fletcher/

Contribute to the podcast here:

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Are limiting beliefs holding you back? [22]

Many artists carry around ideas and beliefs that don’t serve us, and which actually often don’t even feel like beliefs. Instead, they feel like established facts. It’s only when we recognise the problem, that we can start to challenge the thoughts that are preventing our next move – and replace them with something more effective.

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What to do when you are your own worst enemy… (we’ve all been there!)

Art Juice podcast

We discuss some of the more common limiting beliefs held by artists – things like “there are too many artists,” “I’ll never be good enough,” “there’s no money in art,” or “the place I live is no good for selling art.” 

We also share some of our own limiting beliefs and discuss the strategies we have used to overcome them, including EFT, hypnosis, talking with friends, and learning new ways to approach our thoughts.

Alice points out that a belief is just a thought that you keep thinking and suggests a step-by-step approach to shift through any unhelpful belief. 

  • Identify a belief that is keeping you stuck or small. Observe it gently, become aware of it and how it is keeping you held back. Thank it for the opportunity to bust it open!
  • Acknowledge the truth within your belief and then ask yourself: “Is this belief ultimately true for me?” Gather all the evidence to prove why it doesn’t have to be true (like pouring water on a fire). 
  • Write a new story and adopt this as your new, more supportive belief.
  • Use affirmations to reinforce the story (although these need to be close enough so that you can believe them!).

Even if you replace all your current limiting beliefs, new ones may arise to take their place, but we both feel that having a process to deal with them is the key to ongoing success. 

Audience Question

We also answer a listener question about whether it’s appropriate to announce sales with social media posts or red dots. We both agree on this one – communicating our success is a key part of presenting ourselves effectively to the outside world and there is nothing to be ashamed or feel icky about. But we also agree that humility is important to balance the success stories …. There’s nothing more annoying that someone who presents a relentlessly perfect image!

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Inside / outside inspiration

Finally, we’ve both been inspired by meeting people . A visit from a Canadian artist friend got Alice’s creative juices flowing, and Louise was energised by meeting blog readers and podcast listeners in person. 

Mentioned
The Work of Byron Katie
Susan Sakamoto

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Why you should break the rules of mixed media [21]

Our main topic was inspired by a question from a listener, who asked ‘why on earth would you use oil pastel with acrylics!” He went on to say “Surely this will lead to problems later in the longevity of the paintings? Oil and water just do not mix after all!”

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This week

Louise talks about coping with busy open events as an introvert, and Alice is venturing into outsourcing as she prepares for her open studios. You can find out about the Artists at Home weekend 14-16th June here, including all the artists taking part and how to visit.

When do you experiment with new materials?

Art Juice podcast experiment with mixed media

This question launches a wide-ranging discussion into the way we use materials and the risks we are willing to take. We also ask whether materials experimentation should be reserved for certain times, or is it OK to experiment mid-painting.

We share some of the mistakes we’ve made with various media, and we debunk some common concerns. At the root of it all, we agree that oil and water don’t mix – and we think that’s the fun of using them together! We both believe that risk-taking has been a key factor in our artistic development and we share a belief that you can’t know in advance which media or technique will be a catalyst for new adventures – the chance element is surely part of the journey?

But we also make no claim to technical expertise and cannot promise that our paintings will last hundreds of years. In the end, we feel the trade-off between utmost creativity and guaranteed longevity is worth it – you may not agree and that is totally fine. We all make these decisions for ourselves.

Audience Question

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Inside / outside inspiration

When magic moments come true and you finding your work hanging alongside your idols and the joy of simple “a-ha” moments with technology,

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

When is it time to delegate? [20]

Do you ever feel like a boiling frog? So busy that you don’t  notice that “enjoyably in demand” has turned into “totally overwhelmed and frazzled?” As artists, it’s often a challenge to ask for help – partly because some of our work HAS to be done by us, and partly because we can’t accept that anyone could do things as well as we do!

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This week

Louise’s perfectionist streak has come in to play as she gets ready for the first weekend of North Yorkshire Open Studios.. you can vist on 8th & 9th of June https://www.nyos.org.uk/

Are you like a frog in hot water?

If you feel like you don’t have enough time to get everything done, you’re not alone. We ask if systems and tools can help you plan your time, how being honest with your choices makes all the difference, and when it is really time to delegate tasks. (And if it IS time, how on earth do you decide which ones and who to trust?!)

We also discuss overwhelm in the context of preparing for exhibitions – we have some ideas of how to display unfinished work and wonder if perhaps someone will fall in love with the raw unfinished state of a work in progress. (and then what do you do?)

So many questions! And even if we don’t have all the answers, we’re happy to share how we each manage hectic schedules and packed ‘to do’ lists. 

Audience Question

If you have a question you’d like us to discuss, click here to send it to us

Inside / outside inspiration

Louise is enjoying using some lustrous paint from Art2Life Alice has been to the Central St Martins degree show with mixed feelings, but struck by large scale paintings by Troy Rosewell

Follow Alice on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio
or Louise @louisefletcher_art

Credits
“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License