How to Write a Newsletter

Today we are going to tackle a task that every serious artist should be doing on a regular basis: writing a newsletter. I know it’s easy to think that social media posting is enough and is the best way to connect with your online audience, but it’s only half the battle.

Tune in to see why it is soooo essential for any pro artist to put out a regular newsletter, and then learn a super simple formula for engaging your readers every time. A good newsletter is like a fun lil present in your audience’s inbox so don’t look at this as bullet points of your finished ‘to do’ list, try to figure out how to make it an exciting lil story of your recent artsy adventures.

Check out this newsletter here and sign up to receive mine every month here!

Choose 2-3 Exciting/Interesting Topics

• New piece of art or product

• New venture in your art biz (ie, teaching, new social media platform, new service offered, upcoming exhibition or collaboration)

• Recent achievements

• Recent difficulties

• Recent adventures (that fit in with your audience)

The Details…

• Expand each topic into 1-3 concise paragraphs and include photos and links as needed

• Break things up into bite-sized chinks to make it easy for your audience to read and digest

• Don’t make too long/ too long winded or they won’t read next time

• Include a CTA (call to action)

• Include a PS

Tips

• Be real! Be yourself and upbeat

• Use a friendly conversational tone in 1st person

• Turn any shared difficulties into a positive learning/teaching moment

• Offer exclusive content

• Occasionally offer an exclusive deal or sale

• Include clear pics of you in action or at work on a project

• Use consistent branding throughout (more branding info here)

• Have website and other pertinent info in your footer

• If you can, gather locations of subscribers so you can tailor email blasts to them about upcoming local shows or events

I use Mailchimp for my email service, but Mad Mimi and Squarespace also offer newsletter platforms as well.

It’s as easy as that folks! And if you ever need help with your own small art biz, just fill out this quick application to see if we’d be a goof fit for a little one-on-one art mentoring via webcam.

And here’s last week’s vid all about branding and looking like a pro.

8.9.2019

Solo Hike on Kapalama Ridge

I enjoyed a super epic 7.5 mile solo ridge hike for the first time in a hot minute. It was beyond exhausting and quite muddy, and conquering three false peaks before hitting the cloudy apex definitely brought the tiniest bit of frustration… but pushing yourself uphill in both the sun and the rain through sheer will and determination, simply for the glory of the challenge, is very nourishing to the soul and psyche. I’m grateful for every day I get to spend in this beautiful environment

8.7.2019

3 Easy Ways to Look Professional

I've got three super duper easy (and almost free!) ways for you to look professional within your art biz that you can start implementing today!

Spoiler alert: You're going to hear one specific word repeated a lot in this video, and that word is ‘Consistency’! Tune in to see how that one trait factors in to all of the facets of a growing business.

3 Easy Ways..

• Create your own brand

• Answer messages in a timely manner

• Be consistently there!

And remember, I’m available for art and art biz mentoring if you’d ever like some seasoned one-on-one advice with your own creative goals. Learn more here

Fiverr (for getting a logo made):

https://www.fiverr.com/

8.2.2019

Big Announcement - Workshop Teaching!

I’m super duper psyched to share that I’ve been accepted to teach an intensive figure drawing workshop this fall at the Honolulu Museum of Art School - Yay!!

I don’t have solid dates yet, but it will be a two day intensive with 6 hours each day and featuring a live model. We’ll be going over different types of light sources and the various shadows they form. For this session we’ll be using my fave toned paper to really bring the light out from the dark.

If you want to be kept abreast of this and future workshops drop me a line here.

7.31.2019

Ask an Artist 1 :: Q&A + Figure Drawing Demo

Welcome to my first Ask an Artist video featuring one of my figure drawings on toned paper! I love to help up-n-coming artists with all kinds of questions about portfolios, art careers, and even technique so I'm really excited about starting this new segment to help spread some artsy knowledge even more.

Please feel free to leave questions in the comments that you'd like me to touch on in future episodes!

Find out about one-on-one art mentoring with me here:

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/fine-art-mentoring

Purchase original figure drawings from my sketchbook here:

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/shop?category=Originals

Today's questions came from Instagram as well as Quora, where I like to help folks with their artistic development questions. You can see more info I've helped folks with here:

https://www.quora.com/profile/Caleigh-Bird-1

And if you'd like to see whenever new questions get answered on my blog, sign up here:

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/birds-of-a-feather

Here are my other vids I reference in this video:

Drawing Materials:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUcnWwKL59g

Capturing the Light in Figure Drawing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlMi5izeBaM&t=895s

7.26.2019

Ask an Artist: Portfolio Help + Oil vs Acrylic + Affordable Art?

I'm excited to announce a new segment here and on my YouTube channel, 'Ask an Artist' where I will be answering some of the most frequent questions I, and many others, get asked about portfolios, the art biz, and life as a working artist. This crazy contemporary art world can definitely be a handful to navigate so I thought this would be a fun way to learn together from each other's challenges.

And please feel free pop me a question here or in the YouTube comments for a chance to get it answered on my next 'Ask an Artist' vid! Yay!

How do I start an art portfolio?

Make sure to have 8–12 strong works that have a cohesive theme and make sense together as well as an artist statement about your collection of works. It’s really important that the artworks have a similar style/medium/subject/color scheme/something to tie them all together. If you’re still testing out all kinds of styles and mediums maybe give it a little time to form a complete idea.

If you need help writing a really exciting artist statement I have a step-by-step video with lots of examples and motivation to help get you going since most artists find this is the most difficult part of getting a portfolio: How to Write an Artist Statement: Motivational Step by Step

You’ll also need to make sure the photos of your art series are high quality and clear. I’ve got a video on how to take excellent art pics using natural light with no fancy equipment: How to Photograph Artwork Using Natural Light

And last but not least, if you’re applying to a gallery, grant program, or really anything else art related with your portfolio you’ll probably need an Artist CV too which is basically an art resume. I’ve got a video on how to make yours really shine, even for artists just starting out: How to Write an Artist CV

Hope those resources get you started in the right direction!

Why do so many fine artists prefer oil over acrylic paint?

Oils tend to have the richest pigment and take the longest to dry giving them the most time to be blended/ worked thus producing the smoothest transitions. They can also be used opaquely as well as translucently which helps captures the light in a myriad of ways.

Not to mention the quality and lightfastness that oils provide are essential for serious artists who want their work to last generations. Many artists start with acrylics but not many go back to them after attempting oils. Not to say that there aren’t amazing acrylic painters, but the luminosity and durability of oils can’t really be beat.

Where can I find affordable art?

Usually colleges and universities have 1–2 art sales per year that are a great way to support up-n-coming artists. Sometimes local farmers markets have artists showing too.

Also, make sure you are following your favorite artists on social media as well as subscribing to their newsletters if they have one to be kept abreast of any sales or specials they might be running.

Leave your questions in the comments for a chance to have them answered on the next ‘Ask an Artist’!

7.24.2019

How to Paint Anything Realistically

Ok friends, I hope you came here ready to learn today because this video is chock full of tons of info that you can apply to basically any painting you’re working on that will help you depict a wide range of subjects more realistically. Yay!

I am thrilled to share with you a list of tips that are general enough to work across a large variety of subjects, but yet specific enough that if you take a little time to hone these skills you will absolutely become a better realist painter:)

I am an oil painter but these tips work with acrylic as well. Enjoy the vid and scroll down for your handy dandy realism checklist

It’s as easy as….

• Start with a clear reference image

• Create a strong drawing

• Take time to mix proper colors and plenty of them

• Go slowly - use small direct strokes with the correct sized brush

• Pay attention to the surface of the material/subject you are depicting

• Utilize multiple layers as needed

• Continue correcting until desired look is achieved - be patient!

• Feel free to give yourself/the painting/a part of the painting a break if things go awry and get frustrating; A day/week/month break can do wonders for a technical snafu

Here are some great reference vids for more detailed information:

How to Improve Your Drawing for Painting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N2fZphjt1I&t=16s

How to Make a Painting Surface + Transfer Your Drawing to Canvas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XozulwC3fM&t=5s

How Much Oil Paint to Use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1noq6pwHsAk&t=16s

Mixing a Light Skin Tone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfVn2X2NpN8

Mixing a Melanin Rich Skin Tone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQIncWs6eY&t=217s

How to Paint Sheer Lace Fabric:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CYXlKWXXEE

How to Paint Gold Jewelry that Really Shines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44zBEQN5MiU&t=30s

Good luck and happy painting! Remember I’m always here for some one-on-one mentoring as well.

7.19.2019

Hawai'i Art Studio Tour

Aloha and welcome to my third happy Hawai’i studio tour! I have recently moved into a new spot and finally have my lil Nest set up just the way I like it so I am excited to invite you in today!

I live in the super lush and peaceful back of the Palolo Valley here on O’ahu and I literally just listen to birds singing outside my studio window all day. My home and work/creative space are one in the same so I have figured out a number of ways to stay organized and productive. I hope you like how I have my lil space all set up:)

If you haven’t seen my last studio tour (of the bungalow I refer to in this current vid) here’s the quickie tour of that space as well as my detailed art setup and living area - including my outdoor bathroom! Those are some of my most popular videos and really offer a fun view into my life as a Hawai’i based artist.

Ergonomic Studio Habits:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2-AFpNG41M

Sock Monster Release Update Here:

https://www.caleighbirdart.com/sock-monster-release

Shoutouts to the artists on my wall!

@misweethart

@farina.aguinaldo

@paintedpatrick

@dosbandidos

@beanthequeen_

@kiyaglorini

So fortunate to be able to build such a personal original art collection! What a way to remember the fantastic artists I’ve met here on island (since we’ve become friends through attending the figure session when I’m not modeling too).

@sergiogarzon

How excited was this girl when she first received this portrait in the mail all the way from Scotland a couple years ago?!

Nicola @nicolpops and I did a portrait trade in our own styles back in 2017 and it’s one of my most treasured possessions to this day :)

Thanks for joining me today! Make sure to jump on my Birds of a Feather list to hear all about the personal ups n downs in the Nest I don’t share anywhere else:):):)

7.12.2019

3D Oil Painting :: Orkida

Here's a lil 3D painting I created not to long ago and realized I hadn't posted yet. Coincidentally this will be the last video filmed in my bungalow that I'll share, while I'm working on filming my new studio tour this week:)

Hope you enjoy this shortie today! Here are the vids I mention throughout:

How to Mix Melanin Rich Skin Tones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQIncWs6eY&t=217s

How to Pour Resin Layers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxmP_I9gEvM&t=415s

How to Improve Your Drawing for Painting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N2fZphjt1I&t=16s

7.6.2019

Plein Air Painting at Makapu'u Beach

Just had another luxurious day painting outside with another sister artist of mine, Jae. This time, however, we opted to go to the beach and paint in our bathing suits! So fun!

There was some light cloud cover which made the day just perfect and a few local kiddos wound up coming over to check out what we were creating. I’m pretty psyched too because this is the first plein air landscape painting of my own that I have actually liked - ha!

I know we artists can be hard on ourselves, but pretty much all my landscapes painted from life have been a disaster. Since I like to get so detailed with my oil paintings, I have a really hard time relaxing and generalizing enough to capture as much information as a landscape provides. You know that saying ‘you can’t see the forest for the trees’, well I feel like I can ONLY see the forest for the trees so every time I try to render a scape I get lost trying to represent every leaf and every branch.

Anyhoo, we all have to practice at anything before we have skills and plein air painting is no different :)

7.3.2019