Visibility, or trying to transform from Painter to NAME.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

I like the bridal work you have done, especially the 1st one posted. Marvin told his students once that all you can do is sow the seeds and tend your investment until eventually it will show results.

I have followed this advise and although I have enjoyed a short up turn in business, I am really afraid of what this declining economy will do to the portrait business and all our efforts.

[Debra Jones]

As they say, nothing to fear but fear!
I have been hibernating in the 108 of Arizona and feeling very depressed. Less from the actual situation than the lack of ideas to improve it! I think that as long as I have the ideas those seeds are scattering.

I have had some criticism for the general concept. I personally think that there needs to be some consideration for style and originality. I am never going to be happy as a slick and photo realistic painter, so I don't want to even try to promote the look. I love painting so much, I am trying - in my samples - to emphasize an aspect of portraits that I feel I do better than others and steer away from the areas where I am less strong. I am not a background girl. So I try to keep a sense of the internal life of the subject and less of the real environment.

Using painterly demos I keep hoping the rebels will see themselves in the work and know they have the kindred spirit for the work. I am also a performer and have no problems with crowds. I have a hard time at the end of the night with missing brochures and no real names to follow up with. THAT is the economy.

Well, off to find puppies. I have been doing a nice little bread and butter fur and feather job so far. I just crave flesh. I am feeling a bit empty for lack of human subjects but there is a real joy in the pet portrait crowd. There is deep compassion for the imagery. They LOVE it or hate it. Nice to feel that in the reactions.

[Linda Brandon]

Debra, congratulations on your first prize win! That's a lovely and strong painting . It's great to see so much of your work on this thread.

My own Spidermen are either doing yoga or trying to strangle each other, depending upon my mood. (You know you're spending too much time in the studio when you actually start playing with them.)

[Alexandra Tyng]

Debra,

Congratulations on your prizewinning painting!

As for your marketing efforts, I think they are well thought out and executed. The key ingredient might just be patience. I would assume from the start that you will probably not see immediate results. In fact it might take a couple of years to see any result from what you do today. Just keep on consistently following your long-term marketing plan. Don't think of each effort as a separate thing that has failed because it didn't "work" right away. (Of course you might already be doing this.) It's a state of mind with a long-term goal.

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Dear Debra.

Many congratulations!

By the way, you're getting better and better.