Let Me Introduce Myself

I just started Substack a couple of weeks ago, and I wrote this introduction.  I thought I would share it here.  This is probably the most in depth writing I have done about my artistic life,  It's kind of lengthy.  I'll warn you ahead of time.  

Hello. My name is Mary Ann. I am an artist and linocut printmaker from northern California. I live on the coast, up where the redwood trees grow. It’s a very beautiful part of California. Here I live with my husband, my two cats who are the inspiration for my cat artwork, Hobbs and Oreo, and my wonderful dog Willie. 

Like many artists, I was a creative kid. I loved drawing and painting and crafting. I took art classes in high school, then applied to two great art colleges in New York City, where I grew up, Fashion Institute of Technology and the School of Visual Arts. My parents were not encouraging me to follow an artist’s path, at all. But when I was accepted to both schools, they begrudgingly let me go to Fashion Institute. Alas, my time there was short. Only one semester. I had visited CA the summer before school started and decided I wanted to move there, and I did, six months later.

My first job when I arrived was at an art and frame shop, and it also had the nicest three room gallery in town. I sold art supplies, learned and then did customer framing, and for ten years, I ran the gallery. What an honor that was. I met many of the local artists, chose art for the exhibits, set up the shows and hosted the gallery openings. 

While working that job, I attended a local junior college and took art classes, drawing and painting mainly. That’s when I fell in love with watercolor painting. For twenty years, my main medium was watercolors. I painted regularly, two days a week. I loved it.

I started showing my art in local galleries regularly when I was twenty years old. Pretty much right after I started painting. My paintings started selling right away, and that gave me encouragement to keep following my art path. As my paintings matured, I applied to other galleries within the US, and started showing nationally.

After twenty years, I took a break. My dream of becoming a full-time artist was just not happening. Painting and trying to market my art in two days was frustrating and making me very unhappy. I decided to go get a “regular” job. That regular job just about killed me. In the end, they let me go, and that was the best thing that could have happened. I was free.

While working that “regular” job, I took a couple of jewelry making classes in metal smithing. I started making wire wrapped and beaded jewelry and started selling that on the side. I also started an online gem shop on Etsy, Adornajoy Gems. That was very successful for many years, until more and more sellers started flooding the marketplace.

About seven years ago, I decided to try, for the third time, linocut printing. Inspired by the beautiful artwork I was seeing on Instagram, I thought, why not. The first two times I experimented with linocut, I hated it. Too difficult to get a good print. But I have learned so much since that time. I’m not saying I love it all the time. It is a challenging medium. But more often than not, I am enjoying the process. 

Why cats? I adopted my first cat about twenty years ago. His name was Tiger. He changed my life. Since then we have had three other cats. As an introverted person, I connect to furry creatures more easily than people. I have a home based studio, and they join me there everyday. I feel, I am truly blessed to share my life with these beings. They inspire me, and are the subjects I like to recreate most.

Oh, one last side job. For the last five years, I have been doing consulting and co-instructing workshops on marketing art, or the business side of art, with local artisans through our Small Business Administration. That is a federal government agency that helps start and support small US companies. I love learning about marketing art and sharing what I know. I believe artists deserve to make money, and a living if they so desire, from their creative endeavors.

As for my own linocut art prints, I have mainly focused my attention to showing them online, though I do have a couple of local shops exhibiting them also. I have many international collectors of my linocut cat artwork, thanks to the internet. 

I am truly grateful for all of my followers, and the friends and collectors I have connected with online. I am grateful to be where I am right now in my art career. Thank you for reading my first longer form, blog post today.

Printmaker, Nishida Tadashige, and His Influence on My Recent Art

I recently became aware of a Japanese artist whose work I LOVE.  In many ways, it reminds me of my own.  When you look at some of the images below, I think you will see why.  

I could not find a lot of information about the artist.  His woodblock prints are represented in many galleries, but he does not have a website that I could find.  This is what I was able to glean from my research.  

He was born in 1942 on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima.  He pursued his studies at Chiba University in Japan, and then later, in the 1960's, traveled to Spain and the US for post-graduate studies in art.  He started out as a painter, but later became a woodblock artist.  He is very well known worldwide for his cat prints, and his landscapes.  Today, he lives in Chiba, Japan.

Here is some of his work.

Something that I like about Tadashinge's cat art is that he will use one cat image he has drawn, and use it in a few different background settings.  And at times, change the color of the cat from black, to a white cat, to a ginger cat. That inspired this last body of linocut art prints that I am currently releasing.  I like this idea so much, I know I will be trying it again in the future.

I hope you liked meeting, in brief, Nishida Tadashige. I'd highly recommend looking him up online just to see more of his beautiful cat art.  If you love cats, I know you will love his work too.   

A Date at the Museum

Last Friday, I decided to take an artist's date to see a new exhibit at the Morris Graves Museum.  This is an awesome museum we are fortunate to have in our small community in Eureka, CA.  They have some of the best shows by local and national artists and the exhibits change every month.  

What is an artist date you might ask?  The idea came from a book written by Julia Cameron called The Artist's Way.  Julia describes it as a date where you set aside a block of time, perhaps a couple of hours, to nurture your creative consciousness, your inner artist.  In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you preplan and do on your own.  This alone time feeds your inner creative self with inspiration.  I know.  I've done this many times.

Examples of artist dates are going to the movies, the theatre, a gallery, or a museum; going to the zoo, the botanical gardens, shopping, or a restaurant.  But it is time you spend alone, not shared with friends or family. 

My favorite artist dates are going to see art in a gallery or the museum.  And it just so happens they are both within a block of one another, as well as a pizza restaurant and an old fashioned handmade chocolate shop.  You know I have to visit them all for the perfect artist date.  :)

This month's exhibit at The Morris Graves Museum was called "Guardians: Spirits of Protection" by Ann Savageau.  

These 15 human sized figures were made of found objects that had washed up on the beach, castoffs as Ann saw it.  The sculptures were created in response to tragic events that happened to Ann and to the pandemic.  

These figures were truly awesome and inspiring to see.  If you are interested you can read more about Ann and her traveling exhibit here.  

Book Recommendation - The Artist's Way

The Artist's Way is a book I highly recommend.  I have read it three times so far, and I'm considering starting it again very soon.

I first became aware of the book, The Artist's Way, many, many years ago and it is still as relevant now as it was when it was first published in 1992.  It was written by Julia Cameron with the help and inspiration of Mark Bryan.  Julia has been writing and teaching workshops and classes based on the principles of this book for decades.  Julia and Mark describe this book as "A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self." 

Julia sees everyone as a creative.  She lays out a 12 week program for discovering or recovering one's creative self, with exercises and tools to help get past creative blocks and move forward to living a more creative, fun and fulfilling life.

Your form of creativity may be drawing or painting or any of the arts, it may be singing, writing, acting, gardening, or how you decorate your home. There are so many ways to be creative and Julia's suggestions and tools are helpful for them all.  

Julia considers this book a spiritual path to creativity.  She believes that by connecting with a Greater Source, a Greater Creator, it will help free up your own creativity.  You do not need to believe in a God to have success with the tools in this book.  Just an open mindedness that there is a source of creative energy, outside of yourself, that can help you be more creative.  Here are Julia's basic principles behind the book.

One of the foundations of the book is called Morning Pages.  Julia asks that you journal write three pages, by hand, first thing in the morning when you wake up, before you do anything else.  This is free form, stream of consciousness writing.  Not creative writing.  It's a way of clearing your mind and releasing any critical thoughts, feelings or negativity that may be getting in your way and blocking you from being productive.

Another tool that I highly recommend from the book is the Artist Date.  This is a time you set aside for yourself, to do something you like to do, every week.  You take yourself on a "date." Julia describes it this way: "An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist.  In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you preplan and defend against all interlopers."  I love artist dates.  I have done this numerous times and I have to say, so many times I come home feeling so inspired.  

Examples of artist dates are going to the movies, a theatre, a gallery, or a museum; going to the zoo, the botanical gardens, shopping, or a restaurant.  But it is time you spend alone, not shared with friends or family.  

There is so much wisdom shared in this book.  My review is just a taste of all she has to share. Julia shares inspiration, affirmations, personal stories, ideas, exercises and so much more.   I highly recommend taking a look at this book if you are looking to open up to your own creativity.  

Eight Tips for Starting an Art Collection

Starting your own art collection can be a very fun endeavor.  You don't need thousands of dollars to get started buying art. Everyone can enjoy buying art and starting in an affordable way.  Whether it's a print, painting, photograph, or sculpture, the key is to choose something YOU love and feel good about purchasing.

There are many places to buy art: in galleries, online, at art fairs, festivals, and open studio events.  In a gallery, you will be speaking with someone who represents an artist.  A middle man or woman between you and the artist. Many artists prefer selling their art this way because they can then just focus on creating, while the gallery representative sells their art.  Galleries take a commission for selling art, as much as 50% to 60%, depending on where the gallery is located.  In most cases you can do better buying directly from the artist.

Since Covid, many people have become more comfortable with shopping online, even for art.  Sales for artists increased tremendously, and are still going strong.  Many artists have an online presence, a website and social media accounts, and you can communicate directly with them to find out all kinds of information about them or the artwork. This is a really good place to start researching the artist who's work you are interested in. 

Here are some things to consider when starting an art collection...

1. Follow your gut.  Buy what you like, what appeals to you. You are going to live with it.  Often buying art from an emerging or beginning artist is more affordable, and it can also appreciate in value over time.  Just because an artist is just getting started showing their art does not mean they have not all ready been putting years into learning their craft.  

2. Research an artist whose work you may be interested in.  Check his or her web presence online.  You can find out so much about them from their website and social media accounts.  Or if they are in your local area, visit their studio and talk to them directly.

Showing my linocuts during our North Coast Open Studios

3. Look for artists on Instagram.  Instagram is the best social media platform for seeing artists and their work. Many are self representing, meaning they do not have galleries representing them.  Many artists like representing themselves, they like interacting with their collectors and followers.  I do.  I don't want a middle man or woman representing me.  I think I can speak best about my own art. Instagram is an amazing platform for finding art of all art forms.  If you follow artists there, you can see how they create their artwork as well as get to know who they are and what is important to them.

4. Start small.  You do not need to start with high priced pieces. Works on paper are generally less expensive than works on canvas. By works on paper I mean drawings, various methods of printing, collage work, etc.  Works on paper used to be considered less valuable because they are harder to take care of.  But now with all the high quality papers being made and quality framing materials, that is changing. So start with what you can afford and work your way up as your collection and budget grow.

5. Did I mention framing? Framing choices are very important, especially for works on paper.  I have a blog post written all about the ins and outs of framing.  After all, I used to be a framer in my past life.  Here is a link to that post. 

6. Diversify your collection by purchasing different media.

7. Art makes us emote.  How do you want to feel when you look at a piece of artwork? Do you want to feel good, positive, optimistic?  Do you want it to remind you of someone? A person or beloved pet? Art can be the start of a conversation.  And art can be healing too. But art will definitely make you feel.

8. And lastly, if you are looking to buy art as an investment, do thorough research.  Study an artist's background and career and look for artists whose work has a proven track record of increasing in value over time.

Remember that art collecting should be fun.  It's a personal journey and there are no strict rules.  Trust your instincts, follow your passion, and enjoy the process of building a collection that reflects your unique taste and style.

On Finding Inspiration

The Oxford Language dictionary defines inspiration as "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially creative." 

But where does inspiration come from? I think it's different for everyone. A quote can be inspiring, a good book or a movie, a video or a good speaker.  There are so many different ways to get inspired. That is part of the joy of living.

When I'm looking for inspiration for my next linocut print, normally I look no further than ALL the photographs that I have taken of my cats for the last 10 or so years.  My husband bought me my first digital camera so I could record my cats from the very first one I ever adopted, my cat Tiger.  

The boys, Hobbs and Oreo

And then when the iphone came out, there was no stopping me from taking photos anywhere and everywhere.  I LOVE taking photos.  I take a walk every morning and I often have my phone in hand, photographing pretty flowers in bloom or a friendly cat I see along the way.

Dahlias from the Sequoia Park public gardens

Instagram is another source of inspiration for me.   Instagram started out as a photo sharing social media platform. It seemed quieter then, more peaceful, more subtle.  I started an account 6 or 7 years ago now, and there were no videos at that time.  Videos are good for learning the process of making art, and that is very helpful and inspiring. Most of the accounts I follow are other artists: printmakers, painters and photographers are my favorites.  

Quite often on a Friday afternoon, I go out looking for inspiration.  I take myself out for lunch and go to visit the local art exhibits at a local gallery and museum.  I live in a very active art community in northern CA.  Theatre, dance, music, festivals, we have it all, and many many visual artists. So the art shows here are quite wonderful and inspiring.  My most favorite gallery here is the Morris Graves Museum, which used to be a Carnegie Free Library.  The quality of the exhibits they have are truly amazing.  Just the architecture alone is awe inspiring. I make sure I go every month to see what they have newly displayed.  There is nothing like seeing art in person. 

 

 

Inside the Morris Graves Museum

 One more source of inspiration, for me, is nature.  I am fortunate that where I live has MANY beautiful trails and places to visit in nature.  I live on the coast where we have rugged beautiful beaches, peaceful rivers, forests and the redwoods, all close by. Anytime I need a bit of a pick me up, I just get in the car for a short ride and visit one of these beautiful locations. 

The beautiful northern coast of California

Inspiration is everywhere.  Sometimes you have to go out looking for it.  Sometimes it just comes to you. I've had it come to me in the shower, in a dream, and on a walk. You never know when it will strike.  And sometimes you just need to get in the studio and start working before you get that to have that ah ha moment :)

The Hug

"The Hug," my latest linocut art print has a bit of a story to it.

Two of my cats inspired this print. The first was Tiger. Tiger is no longer with us, but when he was, he was a cuddly boy. Tiger and I had this thing we would do. I would carry him around the house, which he loved, and we’d end up at our large front window, the one with the tree right outside, and we’d watch the world go by. This was some of my favorite time with him. Now Hobbs, my other cuddly boy, likes to do the very same thing.

I made this print to honor of all the cuddly kitties out there and their Mama guardians who love them. 💕

“The Hug” is 10”x14” in size. I used Caligo Safewash black ink by on thick gorgeous Stonehenge paper.