Getting ready for the Holidays on facebook... Artsy style

I've been noodling my holiday promotional images since Spring! Partly because I love styling my art, and partly because I think its important to have the holiday photography ready to go WAY before the holidays hit. I believe that, in this world of internet sharing, the photographs of our art as almost as important as the art itself. Almost no one who buys my art will see it in person before they bring it into their home. So, creating a brand, a "look" for my work is something that I spend a great deal of time on. I just finished a couple of images for my facebook banner and am just in love with them. They take a lot of work and I thought it might be helpful to someone else to share my process. This isn't the "right" way to do it, maybe. It is just what works for me. 

First, I collect things that I think would work for the look I'm going for. This time, I was collecting for Fall and Christmas. I especially like thrift stores for this because I buy more than I'll use and don't want to overspend. I audition many props before I come up with just what I think tells the story I want to tell. 

Here's the first image I shot for the fall facebook banner: 

raw photo before perfecting for my facebook page.

By looking at this picture, you can see the book I used to prop up the birds in the glass dish and a peak at the wall behind my drape. I like to take a group of photos, go to photoshop to see how it looks when cropped, and then go back and play with my items. Sometimes, I do this many, many times. I actually ended up climbing up on a chair and sitting on the back to get the shot I wanted. 

Here's a similar shot of the Christmas set up:

raw photo used for demonstration purposes only

You can see stuff I used to lift things up into the shot as well as a set-up that I ended up not loving. The roses are too bright and don't fit the look I was going for. I fetched another crochet shawl, changed out the nest on the cake, took LOTS of shots from different angles, and then... it all came together like magic!

Here are the final images:

LaBelle Mariposa 2015 Fall Facebook Banner

LaBelle Mariposa 2015 Christmas Facebook Banner

I cropped them wide because I plan to use them as banners on my facebook page. I find that leaving a blank spot on the bottom left works well for the way facebook lays things out. If you plan to promote your page, you'll want something that looks nice in that area, but that won't look silly if it's covered up because these images can be used for promotion. My log is in the upper right hand side because facebook doesn't put anything there. 

I use my best camera and set it to shoot without a flash. That's very important because a flash will blast out all of your hard work and make your image look depth-less. I welcome any questions in the comments section below. I hope you enjoy my photos and have fun making your own.!

Blessings,

Laura P.

Why I chose Etsy

I must confess... I resisted Etsy. I really wanted to do it on my own. I wanted to set up the look, style, feel, and environment in which I sold my art. So, I created my own website, stocked it with art and waited for the curious crowds to come knocking down my virtual door. Well, that didn't happen. So, I started looking at other options. At first, I thought I'd add just a few items to a site like Artfire because some of my cooler artsy fiends like and realized that it just didn't have the name recognition. I opened the account but didn't get much further than that. 

A turning point came for me hen I ordered a bag from a facebook friend, she requested I go through her Etsy site. She sells bags in her shop BrookVanGoryDesigns. She explained that Etsy helped her keep track of things and stay organized. This really hit home for me. I'm not that into organization. I'd much rather make art! 

When I seriously revisited Etsy, I found that they had lots of support and suggestions for people who genuinely want to make a go of it on their site. There is also a great deal of support from other artists. 

If you're doing research into what kind of success is possible on Etsy, check out this independent site that tracks Etsy sales: Craftcount. According to Alexa.com, Etsy is one of the top 1,000 websites in the world. Now, I understand not wanting to go with the crowd, and desiring to do things your own way. But, sometime we have to prioritize our time and choose what tasks are going to bring the greatest rewards.

What it comes down to is answering the question, "What is my goal?" Do you want to create a selling environment, or do you want to let someone else create the environment and you customize your own shop to sell your art?

I've had work on Etsy for a little over a month. I've had a couple of sales and I'm really happy with my shop. One thing I found very encouraging is other sellers who've included my products in Treasuries thereby exposing my work to a whole new audience. I'm following all the recommendations I've read on Etsy, Sharing my posting on social media like facebook and Pinterest, Blogging, adding a few items at a time, taking the very best photos I can... I'm giving this my best shot. You can follow along here to see how things go. I just wanted to take a minute to share my investigation and findings.

Blessings!

Ceramic Mice fresh from the kiln

Yesterday I said that I was excited about turtles coming out of the kiln. Well, they didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped, so they are back in again today. These little mice, however, I think are adorable. So, ready to overload on cuteness? Here ya go!

The mama in the top picture has one more trip through the kiln because I think she'd be super cute with mother of pearl glaze on her nose and in her ears. 

Come back often to see what's out of the kiln!

Blessings!

Sharing love and art on Etsy!

A group of ceramic birds right out of the kiln

I've tried so many ways to promote and sell my art. I even have had an Etsy account before, but when I started to get serious about sharing my happy art with as many people as I could, Etsy was the main name that stood out to me. So, I'm really excited to be adding new items to my shop every day, and to be creating new and exiting items, too! 

Clay birdies drying and waiting for the kiln. 

I've also been down many roads when it comes to art. Painting on canvas, my art car, paper clay, quilts... as you can see... LOTS! While I enjoy using paper clay, I am so intrigued with the permanence of ceramic clay. For instance, some of the oldest records we have of civilizations is their pottery. I feel that I'm making cute little critters and things that will out last me by a long time. And, when anyone looks at and holds my little love offerings, they feel and enjoy the creative energy I put in each and every piece. Here's some pictures of art in progress: 


While I started with these darling little birdies, I've been having so much fun creating all sorts of critters. Right now, I have some mice in the kiln that I can't wait to see when I wake up tomorrow morning. For now, I'll share some of the little critters that I've already placed in the shop. Do check back soon for photos of those mice. I hope they are as cute in real life as they are in my imagination!

mini critters made by Laura Pallatin of LaBelle Mariposa

Teeny tiny turtles by Laura Pallatin of LaBelle Mariposa

More birdies for my ETSY site

I've been working on birdies to add to my ETSY site. I just love the little darlings! It all started when my sweetie and I were planning to get married. I went looking for the perfect wedding toppers for me and, while I liked a lot that I saw, none were exactly what was in my head. So... I tried making my own. My first few attempts were still close but no cigar, then I came up with a couple I dearly love! They are the birdies pictured at the top of my blog. While they are perfect for me, I must admit that they are a little small. So, I think I've come up with the perfect wedding couple.

Taking pictures is always a challenge. I especially like this one because it looks like the birds are looking at the penny.

I also sculpted and painted a whimsical little purple couple for fun. They are pictured here to give you an idea of contrast in size between the slightly larger green couple.

For the rest of the week, I'll be working on my pretty pouches which I plan to submit to Somerset by this weekend.

Happy creating, friends!