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Sunday, June 10, 2007

THE BUSINESS OF ART

garden party mandalaGarden Party Mandala - (Summer Series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2007

As some of you who have been following my blog may know, I was recently accepted into a 10 month Artists in Business focus group. One of the features of this group alyssumis access to a business counselor to help guide and assist us through this process. My counselor and I met for the first time today. On my way to the meeting, I noticed a little patch of tri-colored alyssum planted around a light post and I made a mental note to take a picture of them after my meeting. I was really attracted to the three colors and thought they would make a pretty pattern in a mandala.
This mandala marks the beginning of the next leg of my journey, hunkering down to the nuts and bolts of creating a business. It's a good thing I have a well developed left side of my brain.

So my next step is to begin investigating ways of bringing down my production costs, because right now I am losing money the way I am printing for what I am charging. When I forged ahead back in February designing and producing my cards I pretty much thought it would require some procedural adjustments somewhere down the line. Looks like that time is now!

I did a tiny bit of maintenance on my blog this weekend too and added an icon in my profile. I use that mandala on my business cards. If you go to the beginning of my blog, it was also the first image I posted here last year.

I also added a few more artists' blogs I like to read. If you aren't familiar with these really fine artists, I hope you will take the time to go meet them and appreciate their many talents.

2 comments:

Artists With Artitude said...

I just visited your blog and as the image appeared, I gasped. Truly. All the more that you were going to a serious meeting with a lot on your mind, I imagine...but the artist in you could not resist whispering:"look down here." Beautiful.

dianeclancy said...

Hi Sue,

Stunning image - though very different from many of your others (to my mind). More spinning, the light pulsing in a constant flow - from the center out - but evenly all aound the mandala. Very fun!!

I am so excited for you that you have gotten into and started this group! Way to go!

I will be eager to hear how you meeting went with your counselor. That is so exciting - I have never had a single mentor like that before - though many people have helped me.

Your icon looks so excellent!! Really wonderful!

I will eagerly follow your info about printing costs - as you know. I too am disturbed that my printing costs are so much higher than a mutual friend of ours ... not quite sure what to do about that. I will be watching your process!!

Good going!!

~ Diane Clancy
www.dianeclancy.com/blog
dianeclancy.blogspot.com