Sharing my Story

As an artist, it is my responsibility to share my story.  When you make art, people always want to know the inspiration behind the pieces or why you've made a certain thing.  As most of you know, I make a lot of bird sculptures, and here is a short video about how it all got started.  I could go on and on about the symbolism of the birds in my works, but this little video certainly gives you a good idea!

Kudos to my amazing husband who did this for me.  He shot and edited, and then put this all together!  Thank you, babe!!

In this video, I'm building one of my newest sculptures, entitled Thinking Cap.

Let me know what you think!!!

Studio Workshop in my personal studio!

I am so excited to be sharing some news today!  I am preparing to start offering  
weekend workshops in my studio!  My first one is already scheduled for march 2 and 3, 2013, and I have a limit of 5 students.  I have a great studio space, but there is only enough room for roughly 6 (including me), not to mention my dogs! :)  And I am also pleased to say that my first workshop is already full!  We've got students from Colorado, South Carolina and Georgia, and I can't wait to share my studio with them. 

We are planning for a nice, relaxing weekend, creating sculptures of Human/Animal Hybrids.  We will be talking about techniques for blending the two bodies together, and focusing on construction techniques.  I'm going to have our lunch brought in both days to the studio so that we don't have to leave (and since I live in a rural area), and we are just going to play, play, play! 

If there's interest, I could easily see this as being a 2-3 times a year thing, depending on my schedule.  I enjoy sharing my studio with other people who are interested to learn.  I have gotten so much of my knowledge from workshops, that I wanted to start giving back to the system.  Going to workshops is one of my favorite things - I love the synergy that is created and the knowledge that is shared.  There is always something to be learned!

More information can be learned on my website, under Workshops.  Let me know if you have any questions!!  I'll be posting photos and a video soon, as we get closer to the date. 

Yay, for fun things and fun times!

Swan Coach House Gallery Exhibit

A few months ago I was contacted by a very nice woman at the Swan Coach House Gallery in Atlanta, GA.  She was the curator there and she was inviting me to join in their popular exhibit "Little Things Mean A Lot". I was so pleased!  And I even had enough time to make a few pieces for their show- which was good, since I had no more inventory of the small stuff.  (Yikes!) These pieces all have to be under 8", thus the name of the show. I think it's a fun theme, and I'm looking forward to seeing the show.  Since I have family in Atlanta, I'm going to head down for their opening reception.  That way I get to see my family AND the show! Win win!

These are the pieces that will be in the show.  Swan Coach House Gallery is a small space, so they requested 2-3 pieces from many, many artists to fill their gallery! I'm excited to see it,and I'm thinking I may just do some Christmas shopping while I'm there!! :)

Come out and join us! November 15, 6-9 pm! There will be over 300 works of art!

Damian Hirst Sculpture, Love it or Hate it?

Now, if you haven't already seen pictures of this sculpture, Verity, you are in for a surprise.  Damien Hirst is a very popular contemporary artist, who recently had a large bronze installed on the Illfracombe Pier  and when I say "large bronze", I'm talking about 67' of bronze!

I know there is a lot of talk about this sculpture, some people love it, others hate it, but oh wow, you have to appreciate it.  It's so monumental, and the process of creating this thing is just amazing. Take a minute to follow the link and look at how this piece was installed and created.  Just amazing. Absolutely amazing! 

This piece is on a 20 yr loan, so my question is, what will happen to this sculpture in 20 years, when the loan time is up??  Well, actually, I have two questions, how does one get funding for a piece like this?? The whole effort leaves me rather speechless!

~Kelly

Professional Development Workshop

This past weekend, I attended a Professional Development workshop here in Charleston.  The instructor was Didi Dunphy, and what an entertaining speaker she was.  It is a workshop put on annually by the Halsey Gallery and Redux Contemporary Art Center.  It was good- some of the stuff I already knew, but there was a lot that I either didn't know, or I know, but am not doing.  These kinds of classes are great for lighting a fire under you to get you moving.   Everyone needs a little kick sometimes!

One little game she had us play was to rewrite our artist statements in a Twitter format. 140 characters or less.  This will give you a concise statement about what you do, so that when you meet someone at a party or wherever, and they ask you what you do, you can easily tell them!  This is your one-liner. Memorize it.  Make it good, make it pop.  Needless to say, I'm still revising mine :)

She gave us samples of her different promotional cards and materials; fun stuff to see.  I'm pretty sure that all visual artists enjoy colorful, attractive cards. 

So, if you get anything like this in your area, it's worth it to spend a day in one of the these classes.  Even if you think you know everything already, there's always something to be learned.  Thank you, Didi!

Art With Heart Fundraiser

You know, one thing that always interests me is how one thing leads to another.  I just love the connections and how each little thing is such an important step in the big picture.  You can't see it at the time, but everything is interconnected.  I just love studying how connections and opportunities bloom out of each other.  

For example, earlier this year, I did a fundraiser in Charlotte (you can read about that event here), for the GBS/CIPD Foundation.  I had a great time and met some wonderful people.  Recently, I was contacted by the Art with Heart organization that helps victims of domestic abuse and many, many other things.  They put on a very nice event, and I am honored to be involved. I'm making some pieces right now for them.  The event isn't until Feb 2, 2013, but I wanted to go ahead and make their pieces.  I have decided to donate two of my larger wall birds, one will be entitled SOAR and the other one is untitled as of yet.  These pictures show the process. I took these photos today in my studio while I was working.

It's fun to do these fundraisers, and it's great that I can do a little something for these charities.

Have a great week, everyone!

~Kelly 

Large Jars

I have been so inspired by the large vessels by Alex Matisse outside the Bascom, that I decided to make some for myself!  I've had so much fun making them, but with my limited studio time, it has taken me SO long to makes these! I've completed one ((pictured), and there's another one almost finished as well  If these work out, they'll flank my driveway or my front porch.  Haven't quite decided yet.  

So now, I have to let it dry completely (which will take a long time), and then some poor soul (ie, my husband) will have to lift this sucker into the kiln.  I have no idea how much it will weigh once it dries! I have had fun building these.  All coil-built, for you clay heads out there.  I don't know why, but I have always been obsessed with working in a larger scale. The small stuff just gets so tedious for me!  I'll be sure to post pictures after it gets fired - if all goes well.  Hopefully I won't blow it up in the kiln!

Big Pots!

I know, I know, all of you are totally surprised that I have written a blog post.  But it's true - and here it is!

Even though I've been quiet in Blogland, I actually have been reading and staying up-to-date with everyone's projects.  And I've been busy in the studio, too.  Things are going quite well, actually, but I'm not quite ready to show pictures of the sculpture I've most recently made.  Once I finished that piece, I got started on a side project.  One inspired by the Alex Matisse exhibit of large vessels outside of the Bascom.  I have always been excited by the idea of making big pots! Perhaps it's the challenge or just the presence large pots have, but I've decided to go for it.  I've dabbled in it before, with mediocre results, but now I'm ready to tackle it again.

I'm making two big pots, to hopefully go in my front yard.  The one in back has gotten a bit bigger; right now she's at 25" tall.  I'm thinking that the fired, finished height will be about 34". 

The photo above shows that I use a hydraulic lifting table to build my pots on.  These are great, and save my back from climbing ladders, then having to bend over to work.  (It's hard being 5'1"!)  I can just pump up the table to bring the pot to a good working height, then lower it as needed.  It's a HUGE help in the studio for taller stuff.  Not to mention that it keeps me from lifting these pots everytime I need move it around!  I've lost track as to how heavy they are, but believe me, they aren't light.

So anyway, that's enough for now.  We shall talk soon~

Kelly

My Bronze is at The Bascom

I'm heading to The Bascom this weekend to see the Members Challenge.  It's an exhibit of the members' work, and I'm so happy to participate! It's going to be a quick trip, but I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit.  I'm taking a friend with me, and while it won't be a long vacation, I'm sure we will still have fun.  Anything arty is always fun, if you have a friend to join you!

In other news, my baby girl is turning 1!! Wow, what a year it has been. I can say that it hasn't always been the smoothest, but we have enjoyed our girls so much.  I am so LUCKY to have such a wonderful family!  Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Light Fixture for my Studio

Today, I got to pull this out of the kiln!!  It was too hot to handle just yet (I'm bad about being unable to wait to unload the kiln!), but I leave town tomorrow and I just had to see it.  And I'm so glad, because I am excited about how it turned out.  This was a fun piece to make - I totally let myself be free and just have fun.  My brush strokes were big and bold and I just got some good colors on there.  Drawing and carving the flowers was fun and free, and the only tedious part was cutting the holes.  I just had to make sure there wasn't any clay clogging those holes.  That would have driven me crazy!  

I've made pendant lights before and had so much fun with the process.  I enjoy making things for the house or studio, especially when they turn out so well.  This light says "Creative Spirit" since it is going in my studio, and I want to draw creative energies into that space.

I'm headed to The Bascom tomorrow to drop off my bronze.  I'm quite excited!  Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!!

~Kelly

Member's Exhibit at The Bascom

I'm pretty excited! If you guys remember, I took a workshop a while back at The Bascom and I really loved it.  I loved the area and the vibe of the school.  It's all in this post here.  So, since then, I have joined their membership and now they are having an exhibit of their members work.  
 

I had a bronze casting made of my Protect sculpture and this is the piece that I will be exhibiting.  The show will be open for approximately 2 months, starting Aug 18, and I am so pleased to be able to participate.  I'm having a custom base made for the sculpture right now, so as soon as that is ready, I will be able to photograph the piece.  It should be ready in just a couple of days.  I'm going with a nice walnut base this time, as opposed to the black granite that everyone seems to use.

If you are ever in the Highlands, NC area, you should really take the time to head over to The Bascom.  They have a great retail shop, outdoor sculptures and trails. 

I'll be back with photos soon!

On Truthfulness

Hi everyone,

I've been thinking about this post for days. I've been writing it and rewriting, thinking about how I wanted it sound and the things I wanted to say. Nothing sounded perfect, so here goes nothing.

I've been in a weird place over the past month. No doubt about it, being a parent of two young girls is difficult and beautiful, all at the same time. The day to day stuff can be hard, sure it is, but it has been made harder by the fact that I'm an artist who feels the NEED to create. I haven't been working in the studio as much as I'd like. In fact, it's pathetic to me how little I am actually in the studio. It's frustrating, and irritating , and makes my soul a bit unhappy. I stop blogging, and I find that I struggle to keep up with social media. I feel like I have no new content, and it all kind of makes me grind my teeth. Then, once i feel the machine slow down, I know it's so hard to get it going again, and I get even more stressed.

So this is why I haven't blogged in over a month. Really? A month? That's just nuts.

But on the other side of things, I love my girls so very much. Yesterday and today, my baby girl has been sick. She's running a pretty good fever (101 and 102), and she's a limp, hot baby in my arms. I've done nothing but hold her and rock her, and maybe some dishes here and there, and that's all I've wanted to do. I've let her drool on my chest, and turn me into a sweaty mess with all of her body heat, and that is all fine by me. It's times like these, I don't care that I'm not creating. I know there will be a time when I can get back to it. I know my girls won't be small forever. They are already growing so fast. So fast it hurts.

So as you can see, I'm conflicted, and feeling a bit torn between my two loves, family and art. I am trusting that it will all work out, that this is a tricky time.

It's hard for me to write all this. I don't want to sound ungrateful or whiney, because I do see how unbelievably fortunate I am. I just want to be honest and truthful about some of the issues an artist/parent goes through. If you have anything you'd like to share on this topic, please feel free. I'd love to hear your stories.

The making of a Commissioned Piece

I've been trying to write this post for so long!! It's just embarrassing that it has taken so long to do this.  Around my house, it is difficult to get a 30 minute window of peace in order to work on the computer!  Ah, the joys of having two young children in the household... :)

I have been wanting to share these photos with you.  This is the commissioned piece I told you about here, and I photographed the stages of building that I went through when making this piece.  I build these pieces out of solid clay, just forming it with my hands into the rough shape I am looking for.  It helps me to be able to see the whole piece as one, rather than working from top to bottom or vice versa.  Then using a wood rasp, I further refine the shape.  Smoothing comes next, as the wood rasp leaves a pretty deep texture.  I like to have the pieces relatively smooth even though I am going to add lots of texture.  It helps me to see the smoothness of the 3-D curves.  Then the fun begins.  I get to start adding texture to the piece!  I use anything and everything to make texture.  No object is safe if it has a cool texture on it :)  I use everything from cabinet knobs to chopsticks to rubber stamps to cake decorating tools.  I have even used the bottom of my shoe!

So after the texture is satisfactory to me, I start to hollow out the form.  I just start by digging into the back using a clay tool.  Here you can see the pile of trimmings as I worked.  I'm trying to get relatively even thicknesses in the walls of the sculpture.  I try to get about a 1/4" thick wall or maybe a tad more.  

I have rolled out a slab of clay for the back, and scored the back of the sculpture in preparation for attaching the back.  Scoring it and adding liquid clay creates a sticky glue-like surface.  Now I can attach the back and smooth out the seam.

I like to add a little keyhole for hanging, and then sign the bottom of the piece.  Now the next step is to let it dry for a while (3-7 days), and then fire it the first time.  Even the firing takes about 1.5 days with the actual firing and then for the kiln to cool!

I told my client that they could choose whatever colors they wanted for the finished piece, so it hasn't been glazed yet.  However, I will try to photograph those steps and share them as well!

Hope everyone is doing well this summer!

-Kelly

Charlotte Fundraiser

Great attendance! and plenty of food

So we had the big fundraiser event in Charlotte, and it turned out to be a wonderful evening!  The woman behind it all, Hannah, did a marvelous job, down to the smallest details. You can read about her amazing story here.  Hannah brought in a well-respected Charlotte interior designer to help arrange the art, and they put in special lighting to highlight many of the works.  Rarely, have I seen that much effort go into an art event.  The fundraiser was held in two penthouse condos that were for sale, and so we had access to kitchens and bathrooms! Yay!  There were even lovely little napkins and soap in the bathrooms.  Those are the kinds of details that I noticed and appreciated.

Mike Lewis,  performance painter

Gotta love that red "SOLD" dot!

And here's the fun part :) I sold two pieces and got a commission for a third! So that's exciting!  I've already built the piece (it's still drying), but my next post will show details of how I made it.

Charlotte sky from the Penthouse

It was a great night and I was so honored to be a part of it.  And even better, some of our friends, that we don't get to see very often, were able to attend and we got to hang out with them too.  It was a win/win situation!  

Hope everyone is well and I'll be posting soon about that commissioned piece...

Kelly

The End of the 101010 Project

Wow - it has been a crazy two weeks, but I have so LOVED reading everyone's answers to these questions!  I thought a few of the questions were hard, and I had to do some real thinking about the answers.  

But that's why it was great - it made us think.  And I really and truly thought "my" question - the color question - was so cool.  I am very color-oriented in my life and it seemed to be a perfect fit.  

I want to thank Robin for coming up with such a fun and exciting project!  And what's more is that she is going to do two more sessions of this same project with other artists, and once again, I'll be jumping around, reading everyone's answers.  The next session kicks off on June 15.

If you missed some of the soulful goodness that has been shared, make sure and head over to the blog that holds ALL THE DETAILS on the project: CLICK HERE

So if you stuck with us the whole way, thank you.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Now it's back to our regular programming :) 

Have a great rest of the week!!

Kelly

What color is your Business? ~Me!!

So here is my answer to the big question.  I figure there's no need to put my photo on here :) You guys already know what I look like!

Kelly Thiel 

of Kelly Thiel Studio

Name of Business: Kelly Thiel Studio

kellythielstudio.com
kellythielpottery.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kellyTpottery
facebook.com/KellyThielSculpture

Years in Business: 10

Brief Bio:  An artist and a mother of two young girls, Kelly Thiel lives in South Carolina, USA creating award-winning clay and bronze sculptures, as well as doing art journaling and mixed media paintings.  She just finished building a new studio at her home, and is dying to log some real hours in there!  Kelly is doing her best to live life to the fullest and enjoy each day, with her art and her family.

What color describes my business? 

I had to think about this one for about 2 seconds.  Then I knew.  Pale Yellow.  My business is Pale Yellow for several reasons.  Right now, I know that my business is a paler version of what it could be.  I want it to be a bright, blazing, and cheerful yellow, but right now it isn’t.  My business is at a slow simmer and hopefully over the next few years as the kids start school, I’ll be able to turn up the heat and bring it to a boil.  It’s an exciting thought and one that keeps me awake at night!

So that's it!  You've read answers from 10 different artists.  Have you thought about it yet?  What color is your business?  It's an interesting question and I'd love to hear your answers!

What color is your Business? ~Nolwenn

Today, we have Nolwenn, a multi-faceted person.  She is also a teacher, in the online playground 21 Secrets, which is a super fun e-course for art journalers.  Welcome, Nolwenn!! (Great photo, huh?)

Artist Name : Nolwenn Petitbois

Business Name : Inner Worlds

Years in business : 2

Blog: http://inner-voices.net

Shop: http://InnerWorlds.etsy.com  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InnerVoices.net

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NolwennP

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NolwennBC

FlickR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolwennp

Brief bio:  I am a self-taught Mixed Media artist.  

Dreamer. Lover. Passionate. Gratitude Warrior. Bookaholic. Cook. Art Journaler...

I would never have thought that painting and creativity would be in my daily life and even less my business until not so long ago. I believe that nothing happens by coincidence and so that I do have powerful messages to share through what I create. I am a Mixed Media artist because my heart and soul need to play and discover all the time and Mixed Media allows me to mix and match techniques and materials.

My artwork usually represents strong whimsical women (that I called «Nixies») who have a positive message to deliver to the world, to you. I believe in the important power of Positive Affirmations and of Gratitude, that both guide me in my creative process. I am a life-long learner, and love to unravel new ways to make my path lighter and stronger. Healing is a huge part of my life path, I am now also a Practical Reiki Master and noticed how it shifted the way it affects my creativity and the entire process of it.

I am also an art journaler and is currently a teacher in the art journaling collaborative playground 21 Secrets that opened its doors in April 2012.

     What color describes your business?  

I would say «Teal». Because running Inner Voices feels like being on a constant wave. Sometimes I crash and burn on the rocks that are put on my way, sometimes I feel like I am on top of the World and can accomplish everything my Heart and Soul desire.

I am swimming in a huge ocean of Creative beings and it is not always easy to find my place, to figure out how to get noticed in all the wonderful art that is created and shared and sold each day.

We are nearing the end of this project, and on Monday, my answer will be posted!  Don't forget that you can go to the project homepage for more information!

What color is your business? ~Jan

Jan Avellana of 

Hazelnut Cottage

What color describes your business?
 
Right now, my hand stamped jewelry business is in transition in a big way, so I’d have to say that dark grey describes my business at the moment. There are many things I am letting go of, many new things I am venturing towards, but right now I am in the middle of getting from here to there. This is the scary moment of letting go, that moment of leaping before the net appears. All is not lost, since I do believe that the best is yet to be, that’s why I’ve chosen “grey” and not “black”! There is a quote by Anatole France and it reads: “All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is apart of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.” This is what “grey” speaks to me today...

here's my bio:
Jan Avellana is a mixed-media artist with a passion for art making, books, deep conversations, and seaside adventures with her three favorite men (ages 5, 8 and 42).  Jan spent the better part of her adult life trying very hard to be a grown-up with a traditional job. The birth of her two sons released her to follow her heart and reclaim the artist she has always been. In 2007, Jan created a line of silver hand stamped jewelry under the Hazelnut Cottage brand. Today, she revels in mixed-media messes, making heartfelt connections with others through art and words.

In print, you can find jan in  “The Pulse of Mixed Media”, “Inside the Creative Studio”, “Artful Blogging, Winter 2011” and “ClothPaperScissors Studios”. In life, you can find her immersed in the studio or at the beach (with paint in her hair). Online, you can find Jan here:

{etsy shop} http://www.hazelnutcottage.etsy.com
{blog} http://www.hazelnutcottage.typepad.com{newsletter} http://tiny.cc/pjtn9{facebook} http://www.facebook.com/hazelnutcottage

Only two more days of this blog project!  My answer will come on the last day, May 14th.  This is pretty cool, huh?

What color is your Business? ~Sonya

Another artist, Sonya, shares her answer to our question.

Sonya of 

sonyamacdesigns

What color describes your business?   

The color that describes my business these days is GREY ... a sweet combination of black&white  (which express my view of this world)

http://www.sonyamacdesigns.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/sonyamacdesigns 

https://twitter.com/#!/sonyamacdesigns 

http://www.youtube.com/user/sonyamacdesigns 

Years in Business = 12

I’m this crazy JESUS loving creative … with 2 children living smack in the middle of Tennessee. The seeds of my creativity were watered with knitting needles, yarn and nine kittens on a rock covered patio in the mid sixties. Today, we hold the fort down with a few less kittens (3) … and thankfully my creative edge remains in tact. I’m often inspired by some odd ball stuff & compelled to create by the sweet whispers of the HOLY Spirit. An idea generator am I. Creative collaboration is a sweet spot with me and many have locked creative hands with me to work on projects like The Bond & Respond Quilt project of 2010, Inspired Studios Magazine & The Creative Biz Marathon. My service to HIM in the body of the church currently is that of Women’s Ministry Coordinator, Southeast Baptist Church Murfreesboro TN. 

What color is your Business? ~Jean

From Seattle, we have Jean, who works in colorful jewelry.  She also does art journaling, and other fun creative projects!  Here is her answer to our question:

Jean Simrose

jsimrose@gmail.com

jeansimrose.typepad.com

jeansimrose.etsy.com

What color describes your business?

I’ve always had an affinity to turquoise. When I was designing my business cards I decided to use a favorite photograph my husband took of a dragonfly. To make the picture more dramatic we decided to make a color negative of it. The red dragonfly turned out turquoise and the green rosebud turned purple.

Turquoise: represents a higher heart; creative communicators; trusting intuition and femininity.

Purple: represents higher mind power; good judgment; peace of mind and inspiration.

I love these two colors together and they seem to fit with my creative business.

Tomorrow, we have Sonya's answer to the question.  Don't forget, if you want to learn more or read other answers, click here.

What color is your Business? ~Robin

Here is Robin, a lady I much admire.  She seems to have endless energy, and so much enthusiasm for her creative business.  She is a very hard worker, and a mother too!!

Robin Norgren 

Name of business: Robin Norgren Studios

Social media links:

Website: http://www.robinnorgrenstudios.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/robinlnorgren

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/wellofcreations.myetsyshop

Years in business: 4 years

Brief Bio:

 I strive to live life to the fullest.  No matter what.  I have grown into myself through my love for Jesus and HIS LOVE FOR ME. Art, motherhood, business, creativity and yoga are the cherished vehicles for this deepening.   Life can be FULL, JUICY, MEANINGFUL, PURPOSE FILLED, LOVELY.  I want to help you come to your fullest life.  I create workbooks, ecourses and workshops that chronicle my change and growth and offer you ways to find out what YOUR FULLEST life will be. 

What color describes your business?

I can’t believe I am saying this but the color of my business is pink!  I am not normally into pink and actually I very rarely wear the color.  When I first started my business I gravitated to orange and yellow and all things funky, all things boho.  And then suddenly my life, my heart, my business took a feminine turn.

I got more heart centered, more soulful.  The business became more about the “why” I do business and why I was just the person to serve those that connect in my business.  So here I am embracing who I am… and embracing pink.

Still more to come!  We have more ladies answering the big COLOR question, so keep checking with me here.  If you want to read the other questions and learn more, click here.

What color is your Business? ~Alease

Here is Alease, who is obviously very business-oriented, and her answer to the question.

Alease Michelle of 

The School of Creative Business

Name of Business: 

The School of Creative Business

Social sites:

Blog: www.schoolofcreativebusiness

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AleaseMichelle

Twitter: Alease Michelle

Years in business:  

4

Bio:

As an expert, Alease lends knowledge to the press, editorials and serves as a subject-matter expert. She is a sought-after presenter in the areas of creative marketing, personal image, branding and fashion.

As a professor, Alease is committed to her student’s education, furthering their exposure and considers their success a direct reflection of herself.

As a mixed-media artist, Alease participated in several exhibitions. Wishing to market her artistic endeavors, she found little advice available. This, coupled with her passion for education – she tracked her online marketing & branding journey and founded The School of Creative Business.

Current Projects:

On a 12 Week Sabbatical

 (video updates) https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150720851787080&saved#!/video/?id=818177079

101 Free Resources to Grow Your Creative Business

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150720851787080&saved#!/SchoolofCreativeBusiness/app_197602066931325

Creative Entrepreneurs of the Month Interviews

http://aleasemichelle.typepad.com/my_weblog/creative-entrepreneur-interviews/

Starting Points for Creative Entrepreneurs webinars

http://www.anymeeting.com/AMStudio

 What color describes your business?   

Blue- not in a depressing way, but in the positive enlighten way.  Blue is uplifting to me. Makes me look forward to the next day.

To view more questions and to learn more about the 101010 Project, click here!

What color is your Business? ~Leanne

This energetic soul creates inspiring artwork with lots of happy colors in it.  Here is her answer.

Leanne Wargowsky of 

From Chaos Comes Happiness

Name of Business: From Chaos Comes Happiness


Social Media Links:
Blog: www.fromchaoscomeshappiness.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/From-Chaos-Comes-Happiness/125848910797771
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/chaostohappiness

Years in Business:  Approaching 1


Bio:

Born, raised, and currently living in the Chicago land area, this happily chaotic soul is definitely a newbie in the universe of creative businesses.  Last August, after 25 years in healthcare, I was released from days of insurance and hospitals and I started listening to my inner artist.  My dream, From ChaosComes Happiness, was born.  I'm not doing it alone, though, as my support system is wide and deep with a husband who encourages me and two beautiful daughters who inspire me.  While I have a long way to go in this business of mine, I'm determined to remain true to who I am, and stopping just long enough to smell the roses along the way.

What color describes your business?  

When I first read this question, I thought "easy peesy!" But the more I looked at the color wheel, I felt drawn to so many of the colors out there. Trying to narrow an artistic person down to one color is quite a challenge. The color RED is represented widely in my studio, as bookshelves and frames and accent pieces here or there. Red gives off a great energy and inspires me to take chances and be BOLD in my work. However, I must choose YELLOW as the main color to describe my business . . .  Bright and sunny, and full of creative energy. Yellow is said to stimulate mental processes and encourage communication. Much of my art has to do with inspiring and encouraging, and I can't think of a better way to encourage communication with others. "Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun." - Pablo Picasso

To view more questions and to learn more about the 101010 Project, click here!

What color is your Business? ~Stephanie

Here is the second artist to answer our question: What color is your Business?  I've followed Stephanie in her online life for a while now, and she seems like such a happy, energetic person.  Here is her answer.

Stephanie Amos of Koi Studios

Name of business: KoiStudios

Social media links:

Web- http://www.koi-studios.com

Blog- www.samos-koistudios.blogspot.com

Twitter-http://www.twitter.com/stephanieamos

Etsy- www.muddypotts.etsy.com

www.samos.etsy.com

www.stephanieamos.etsy.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/samos/39883324558

Years in business: 7 years

Bio:

I live in the mountains of Colorado with my amazing husband, three loving dogs, two handsome horses, and the queen of all cats. When I'm not out riding, I am usually in one of the two studios at our home where I paint, throw, sculpt and shoot my camera. I am more or less a free spirit in the sense that I can never sit still and am easily distracted by my interest in trying something new. I am fascinated with color and texture which is not limited to just art, but architecture as well. I love to travel and have been to many beautiful places and look forward to seeing the rest of the world real soon. 

What color describes your business?

After putting much thought into this I have concluded that orange describes KoiStudios. I have three reasons why. One is that orange is one of my favorite colors. It’s such a cheerful color and makes me happy. I would hope that anyone that collects my art is happy when they receive a package from KoiStudios. The second reason is that orange is a warm and inviting color, one that represents me and my business well. The last reason reflects the name of my business, KoiStudios. When I think of koi fish, I immediately think of the orange koi first. So naturally, orange is the best color that describes my business!


To view more questions (and answers!) and to learn more about the 101010 Project, click here!