Good day

Cindy dropped off the paintings for the Worcester Windows Project. Our work will be displayed at the Telegram and Gazette building in a couple of days. We both put in two paintings. I put in two portraits of Cindy
and Cindy put in two landscapes.


She dropped them off a the ARTSWorcester building. An intern named Jess is in charge of the hanging. While there she talked to Jan; the curator of ARTSWorcester. She asked if we would be interested in hanging a joint show at the Quinsigamond Community College. We checked out the current show "Ruins" and thought it was pretty nice. We agreed to the show.

She also offered us a show in September in the ArtsWorcester Gallery in September. It will be the beginning of the gallery season. September is beginining to get VERY busy for me!
1) Show at ARTSWorcester with Cynthia Woehrle
2) Solo Show at Italian American Cultural Center
3) Show at the Worcester Artist Group (WAG) "Other Worldly" Show. Wanting 8 pieces to choose from.
4) Arts in the Streets show We will be setting up a booth to sell prints and t-shirts, post cards, etc.
I need to start making a Studio Schedule for myself.

Benjamin Franklin EVERYWHERE

Huge seated Ben Franklin sculpture at the Franklin Institute. This sculpture is the same size as the Lincoln Mememorial in DC.

Click on this pic to see a great tourist magazine the Official Visitors Guide to Philadelphia. The Cover is this sculpture at the Franklin Institute. (You can virturally turn the pages of the zine. It is pretty cool.)

Just got back from Philly. What a great city for an Artist! There were sculptures on every block it seemed at times. We needed about a week to do all the things that we wanted to do. Friday was a really cold day too and that also stopped us from doing as much as we wanted. We did meet with our contact from the Independence Visitors Center. That went very well. I dropped off a new sample of a 7 1/2" framed print that I will now offer. She seemed to really like it.

We also went to the closest mall on the same block. The The Bourse Building. It would be the place that anyone will go to to get food and there was a print shop in there. I talked to the owner and he loved my print sample. He bought one from me and will display it to see how it does. He was interested in a 12 x 12 print. While talking to him he told me that he owns the rights to many of the tourist pictures of the city, the liberty bell and other buildings like the city hall wich is a very popular image. He sells the giclees and other images to other picture stores to sell as well. He also told me about another guy that came in and talked to him for about 4 hours about a painting of Ben that he did. He said that it wasn't that good and he didn't think it would sell. This is the first time I have heard about anyone else painting Ben.

On Saturday we checked out the Constitution Center Gift store. They had original watercolors of some local spots. They were about 11 x 7 and went for $999.00. I asked for a manager and talked to a guy that used to be the purchaser. He remembered my name and asked if I had sent him a postcard. (good to be remembered!) He told me he will make sure that the new purchaser will get the info.

We went to the Body World exhibit at the Ben Franklin Institute. It was really amazing to see all the real anatomical subjects dissected and displayed in different ways. Being so interested in anatomy myself; I am really glad we took the time to see this exhibit. Philly is the closest place that the exhibit will be to us.

Ben Franklin's Grave. The pennys allude to the "A penny saved, is a penny earned" quote.

This is at Franklin Court. The house and printshop no longer stands but the privy pit still does.

This is a pic of the house that my friend lives in. She told me that the house was over 300 years old; Older then Ben Franklin!!

Philly Trip!!

We just decided to plan a trip to Philadelphia yesterday. My old friend from High School had offered us a place to stay. It is so nice of her to offer at such a short notice. The cheapest places we could find where about $80 a night (with comments of roaches and mice.)
We are now making a booklet to hand out to hotels, museum shops, and just about everyone. It will be focusing on the Giclee but also mention the other products available. It is currently 8 pages and each page is 1/4th the size of a piece of paper. Cindy has been working on the layout all night. The back page has this image and offers other products with the Ben Image on it. Maybe it will get some sales on our site.
We have also been working on our plan of attack. We just ordered 500 post cards to hand out, put on windshields, whatever it takes. I don't want to come home with any cards. I want to pass out all of them.
More latter.

Locally Published

I went to the show at WAG and one of the guys I met last time told me he wants me in his "Other Worldly" show in September. Yikes! Two shows in one month. That's how it always happends for me. "If it rains, it pores!" He told me he wants about 8 pieces to choose from. I will have to find 8 pieces that I don't intend to show at the other exhibit for him to choose from. I need to get my butt in gear about making new drawings and paintings.

Another Masonic website called LostWord responded to my email about the B.F. Prints. He is willing to give it a try but all the other prints he sells are in the $5 range. He doesn't think that a $220 print will do well. I am currently looking into printing poster quality prints of Ben. I will have to print up a few and see how they come out. If they like that product instead I will try to make some money off that. I will still have to charge $20-$25 for it to make it worth my time and trouble. I don't see the problem with justifying it as it is a new portrait that is unavailable from anyone but me.


Doug Chapel; Founder of ANT! (Arts -n- Things) is a guy that gets stuff done in this town. He plans events for artist and craftsmen alike to be able to get noticed and sell their wares. He puts out a pop culture zine that is about the size of the TV guide. He included me in his latest issue. The zine is Called Action Geek and I am featured on page 23. I am hoping to get some more recognition from the locals.

Getting out there

Art Marketing Secrets; a great website for artist marketing their work just featured me on their main page today. I just discovered this site yesterday and will be checking in often for new entries, and of course for regular review of older articles. I had just been reading a the article about giving and commented. He then took my article and put it on the main page.

They also have a Webpage building service. On that page are some interesting articles for artist that want to get the most of their website. Worth the time to check them out.

I decided which paintings to include in the Worcester Windows event. I will be featuring my portraiture. I figured it would be a good idea since there are a lot of "suites" in the neighborhood that would be good to target. As opposed to the "other elements" in the down town area. I will be putting two paintings in and Cindy will be putting two paintings in the Telegram & Gazette Building. Cindy will also (as mentioned already in the last blog) be showing one painting in the Chamber of Commerce Building. The CofC Building wanted a "Spring" theme. A theme I have nothing for.

Good day

Just found this BLOG it links back to my site. I commented on his blog and he liked my work so much he made a blog about it. I was happy to find it.

I was just contacted by the Italian American Cultural Center and they want to show my work in either April or September. I decided to do the show in September because I have been so busy marketing that I have had little time to get in my studio. This latter date will give me time to get some new work done and it is the same time as the stART on the STreet event. So if I do that event I can tell everyone that I am actually showing my work in a gallery. Happy to get a show planned for this year.

Freemasonstore wrote back again prompt as always. The told me that my info was submitted to posting and would be up in about a week. I wrote them and asked them what catagory it would fall under. I sugested and ART or a BENJAMIN FRANKLIN catagory. With the BF catagory they could put other products like the literature they have. They wrote back (promptly) and told me that they used to have an ART section that sold prints in the past and closed the catagory when all the art sold. They will just be reopening it with my work.
They also told me that they will be sending out a newsletter to inform all their customers of the new print. Another reason to be happy.

Rocco also gave me a referal. A possible new client for some portraiture work!! We talked and she seemed very excited. She wanted her two sons painted and her husband said he wanted her in the portrait too. We talked about prices and I gaver her a 60% cut off the third portrait. She sounded ok with it and she needed to talk to her husband again. She wanted one portrait with all of them in it and I tried to talk her out of that. I prefer to do single portraits because they are more personal and intimate. I hope she takes the idea. Yet, another reason to be happy!

Still waiting to get called back about the two Ben prints that the funeral home wants. I made up a price package and sent it to Rocco so he will have some concrete numbers to tell people.

Waiting

I have been waiting for so long it seems.

Waiting for the Independence Visitors Center to get back to me about selling the Giclee and other items from my site.

Waiting for anyone to respond favorably to all my comments on all the other blogs out there about Ben.

Getting traffic to my site but getting no sales that way either.

Setting up all the links on the different Yahoo Groups (startonthestreet, ANT!, Worcester-Artist-Group) and still getting no sales. arg!!

What is that???
DO I SEE A LIGHT ON THE HORIZON??

I just got a call today from Rocco. It seems that someone called him about the print! Charlie O'Teri (spelling?) from O'Teri Funeral Home in Franklin. He left a message and told me that he is a big Franklin Fan and wanted 2 prints. I called the home back and talked to his son, gave him some prices for the prints (unframed) and told him that I could frame them if he wanted. I offered him a standard 17 inch print at the regular $220 and the 28 inch print (actual size of the original painting) at $300. (cheaper than I should have told him)
His son said maybe tomorrow or Sat. He would call back.

Also

The Freemasonstore.com wrote again and said that my info was submitted to the upload list and would be submitted in the week. (I guess maybe within the next few weeks) I wrote back to reconfirm my email address and also plugged having a new catagory: ART or Ben Franklin. The Franklin section could include other books they already offer, but I am kinda hoping for the Art section idea to be used. I guess we will have to wait and see.

on the other hand;

1.Action Geek contacted me this week and wants to feature my work in his book. It will probably be only one page but I asked him to include my store address.

2.The Italian American Cultural Center contacted me from the yahoo goup and asked me if I wanted to show in Apr. or Sept. I just wrote back saying Sept. would be good and maybe it would put a fire under my ass to create some new works by then.

3.Pete Caputa IV from Wine Tasting and Networking; seemed to like mine and cindy's work and asked us if we had stuff ready to hang. I just wrote back saying almost all our work on the website is already framed. I am hoping they choose us. They only do this event a few times a year.

4. I told John Pascarelli from Pascarelli Gallery about the Blank Canvas Magazine and convinced him to write an article about his gallery. I told John that I would give him some quotes to include in his article. He took me up on this offer and added a pic of my Adam I to the article. I hope it gets submitted!! Cindy wrote an article about her stuff and submitted it a couple of weeks ago. If they both get in it would be great for us!! Since I was in the last one it was her turn to submit. But I figured if I could indirectally get included too ... all the better! (fingers crossed)

5. Cindy handed in one of her older works for Worcester Window. Her work should be displayed in the Chamber of Commerce Building down town in the next week or so.

"For Love or Chocolate"

The Bright Water Gallery show seemed to be a success. When Cynthia and I got there one of my cards was being rung up at the register. Always a good thing to see. They had a nice set up for displaying a large number of cards in one of the rooms.
Cynthia's cards were in this room. She did a series of 3 cards that came out really nice. She used some of her older landscapes along with lyrics from a Lucinda Williams song. "I Envy the Wind". A Very Sexy Song!! They were just perfect to be used in a card. My cards and artwork are in the front room on a table and next to the table on a lower shelf (not the best spot).

We of course hope not to get any cards back at the end of the show but can always sell them in any future events that we participate in. So it works out either way.

BENJAMIN FRANKIN: back to the original reason for this blog in the first place! Rocco is drawing up a Masonic medallion for the framing of the Benjamin Franklin Giclees. I am very excited to see what he will come up with. The CNC Machine he has is pretty amazing and full of potential. It is what he used for the original medallion used for the town seal. He is in the process of gathering freemason symbols. With the open invitation that the FreeMasonStore.com left me to introduce new Items once I get them "ironed out" I am anxious to offer more and better items.

Valentines Day

Cynthia and I have been making some Valentine's Day cards to sell at the Bright Water Gallery in Worcester. They are having a "For Love or Chocolate" show. It is a handmade Valentines Event.

I, of course am using my Love Series images. Cindy is using her landscapes.

hump day

Just getting used to this blog thing. Starting to work out some detail about offering Pre-framed prints.of the Ben Franklin Print.
Worcester Artist Group (WAG) contacted us about the "Worcester Windows" Project. They have space in the Chamber of Commerce Building on Main street. I need to drive by and see how big the windows are. Jan from ArtsWorcester told us that they also needed windows in the T&G building. I am not sure if I want to put my portrait work in or some of my Leaf paintings. Need to figure that out.