Aloha from Maui! My name is Brandis Sarich and I create paintings of animals, specializing in man’s best friend, the dog. I am represented in galleries, retail stores, and I represent myself at art fairs. Here are a few thoughts about these venues.

Galleries

I presently have a few galleries that represent me. They take the industry standard 50-60% of my sales and it can be a long process to get paid. Positives include having a big splashy space with my name in gold letters over my artwork, publicity, and festive show openings. Galleries make me look good.

Retail Businesses

A high end doggie boutique seemed a natural place for me to advertise my custom portraits by displaying my paintings of dogs. This has not turned out to be a sales venue, but provides a lot of exposure, so that when I meet people at art fairs they are already familiar with my work.

Art Fairs

Art fairs are hard work, but fun and very lucrative. The process of applying is tedious, there can be rejection by juries, and art fairs require a financial investment in display and travel. Two or three days of being outside in the heat, saving work from being destroyed by windstorms, packing up at night, and setting up in the morning is exhausting… and then there’s talking, talking, talking with potential patrons for two or three solid days. For this hard work I am paid immediately for 100% of my sales, and make contacts for future commissions. It is also a great way to see how people react to my art, what they are attracted to, and to get a different perspective of my art through the publics’ eyes.

At this point in my career, meeting hundreds of people every year and having my art displayed across the country is key to my success. The art fair is the best venue to meet lots of people quickly so I can be in my studio painting the rest of the time. The retail venues and galleries I have chosen provide status and legitimacy by beautifully exhibiting my work. I believe that sales are generated by having all three venues and that none  can stand alone. They are all important in my development as a prosperous artist.

Brandis Sarich

You can learn more about Brandis and her work by visiting her website.

Green, green, green. I happen to be a big fan of green, especially when you combine it with the color yellow. I am a big Ducks fan, you see. (And for those of you who aren’t familiar, the Oregon Ducks’ colors are green and yellow.) But more importantly, I’m a huge fan of “being green.” No…not the song Kermit sings. Not green with envy. Not green like one of my son’s favorite superheroes the Incredible Hulk. Rather, “being green” in a way where we’re leaving something of this beautiful planet for future generations.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and sometimes people here take a lot of heat for being green. It is a standing joke among my peers. I have heard all the snide remarks about the hippies out in Oregon. If being a hippy means that I get to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and enjoy the scenery of one of the most beautiful places on Earth, then I am proud to be one!

At Documounts, we take being green seriously. We strive to make decisions on a daily basis that balance the needs of our customers with the needs of our business while minimizing our impact on the planet. I want to share one of those decisions with you here, as it has come up many times over the past couple of years.

Some of our loyal customers have emailed about the amount of packaging paper we include in our boxes. That is a great question and one we have struggled with over the years. In the end, we use that paper for two reasons: 1. It protects what we believe is very precious cargo. We do not want to see your products damaged. 2. Our hope is that you will recycle or re-use that paper like we do, keeping it from a landfill somewhere. We go through large amounts of plastic each month. As a business, we have looked at the option of using that plastic to fill your boxes. Unfortunately, in Portland we cannot have our plastic film picked up for recycling by our local waste hauler, so we could not in good conscience send it to you knowing that likely you would not have plastic film recycling either. Sending it to you didn’t seem like a responsible and sustainable option. So, we partnered with a couple of different local companies to recycle all of that plastic. There is a small cost for us in that we do have to deliver it, but that expense is nothing compared to the amount of good we believe we are doing by recycling it.

As my wonderful team would joke…. I never get my point across quickly. I will attempt to wrap it up now. Every day at Documounts we do little things to try to protect this amazing place we call home. Whether it is teaching our new team members from various parts of the country what it means to recycle or the decision to re-use mat boxes to ship your full sheet mats to you, we try to do our part. For you, that part may mean something completely different. At my house, it means getting my almost-four year old to turn off the light when he leaves a room! Or getting my thirteen year old daughter to use five minutes to shower instead of the twenty she prefers. Whatever it means to you, I hope that you will do your part, however small it may be. Everything good we do will help ensure a beautiful place to photograph and paint for generations to come.

Chris

Showing at art festivals around the country, I have heard countless visitors say, “I wish I could make a living taking pictures!” or “I wish I could stay home all day making art!”  When I hear that, I think,  “So do I!!!”

Making a living making art is a constant juggling act.  I am a photographer. I am a framer.  I am a customer service representative.  I am a data entry clerk.  I am a salesperson. I am the shipping and receiving department, the accountant, the marketing manager, the travel agent, the truck driver and the web site designer. And I am really, exceptionally skilled at using a tape gun.

I used to feel huffy that people seeing my art didn’t appreciate all of my hats or realize how much of the work I do is no fun.  Then I realized if I’m doing my job right, all of the “backstage” effort becomes invisible.  I WANT someone who is standing in my booth to see me as an artist and see my work as something that has magically appeared in their town for them to enjoy, and maybe keep.

I try to figure out how to spend more time in my creative zone and less time in the business department, but it is a struggle.  One of my strategies for making the business side feel more integrated with my creative life, is to be very particular about who I do business with.  It’s great when I call to order mats and someone (Hi Judy!) will ask how my season is going or actually cares what shows I’m doing.  It makes me feel like I have partners who are invested in my success and well being.

It’s a philosophy that makes business sense.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been rescued by one of my vendors.  Rush orders sent to odd locations around the country…spare parts found…shipments received when I’m out of town.  Not to mention that when someone knows me and my business, they can give me suggestions for how I might use their offerings to better advantage.

This is how I try to be a “full time” artist.  If my photos represent my sense of perspective, and my respect for small beings making big efforts, then I want my business to reflect that.

About the Artist

Audrey Heller has been a “full time” artist for over twelve years.  She exhibits, rain or shine, at top juried art festivals around the country, as well as in more climate controlled environments like galleries and public spaces.  Her hardcover book, “Overlooked Undertakings” is a treat for all ages.  Her work has been featured in and on publications around the world.  Visit her on the road, or at www.audreyheller.com.

I loved playing outside as a kid. For fun my siblings and I would set up obstacle courses in the yard, capture bugs, and pull up weeds. My dad was a beekeeper, and my mom had a small vegetable garden. Somehow, none of these things stuck with me moving into my adult life.

Recently though I was looking at some beautiful garden photography and many of my childhood memories came flooding back to me! So, in the spirit of the upcoming spring and the innocence of childhood here are some quotes and beautiful garden photographs that I discovered. I hope you find them as inspiring as I did!

“All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar.” –Helen Hayes

“I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature’s rebirth?” –Edward Giobbi

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” –Margaret Atwood

Rachel

Right about now in our gray & drippy Northwest winter, our thoughts turn to spring.  In anticipation of the botanical explosion that’s coming just around the seasonal corner, let’s talk about the color green.

Green has an ability to calm and refresh us. Did you know that people waiting to appear on TV sit in “green rooms” to relax? Or that those of us who work in green offices have fewer stomach aches?

Even the names of green are soothing:  jade, green apple, silver pine, celadon, lichen, mist, cypress, aloe, sage, grass, spruce, sauterne, moss.

But more pertinent to you – our customers – is that green mats enhance and complement artistic imagery in a way that makes other-colored mats, well…green with envy!

We offer a rainbow of green mats – but how do you choose just the right one?  Here’s a table showing some popular options.

BK – Berkshire   CB – Canterbury   C – Crescent   B – Bainbridge   A – Artique

You can see these and many more in the Matboard section of our website here.  Or,  feel free to call us to talk about what might be the best choice for your project – we love to help.

Judy