helvi smith
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Thank you.   More please.

7/23/2014

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I work very hard at the marketing aspect of my art business.


That hard work is beginning to pay off in a BIG way.


I cannot tell you know what has been happening - but it is all good.


Very very good.


Stay tuned, and thank you.
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Guerilla Marketing

7/13/2014

1 Comment

 
UPDATE:
I received back 13 paint sticks so far.
Here is what I learned...
Children find paint sticks.
Very few adults find them.
CRAZY STREET PEOPLE FIND THEM.
So next time I will have them handed out to people who do NOT look CRAZY at the Farmer's Market or another local event. 
Maybe hand the out to the staff at the local college or hand out to local businesses.

I am represented in a gallery called Off the Walls Gallery, in Shelton, Washington.   Shelly, the owner did a cool marketing venture, where she put out glittery pine cones in the town and they had a tag on them to bring them to her gallery and the finder would get a gift.   
Loved the idea!
How to make that work for me? 
  Hmmmm....

Let's see.
I use house paint as my medium.
House paint comes in cans and the paint store always gives you a wooden stir stick with each can of paint.

I try to use recycled paint - but I can never find used black paint, 

so I have to buy it new. 
  I was at the Miller paint store yesterday and he made me my black paint and then asked if there was anything else I needed.

Yes. 
  Why yes there is.  
 I would like 50 stir sticks.
Please.

OMG.   
Stir sticks are cheaper than penny candy!
  They charged me 6¢ each.   
  A bargain!  
 Oh, I DO love a bargain!



Picture
There they are!   
All fifty of them!
Picture
I painted the advertising sides black.  
Picture
Then I painted white stripes on them...
Picture
I wrote on the back of each one, a note to the finder of the stir stick. 
  "Return this to the Helvi Smith Studio for a Free Gift!  1914 Elm Street - www.helvismith.com"
Yeah.
50 times.
I wrote that.
Picture
I happened to have an empty can to carry 
them around in.


Ya know, I have the BEST friends!  


 I called Kathy, and on 30 minutes notice, 
asked her to help me hide

 these around town.

She said yes!
Picture
Here we go!   

Kathy even carried the bucket for me!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
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I am curious to see how many make it back to the studio.
I am guessing, maybe 10-15.   
Let's see!
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Where do ideas come from?

7/8/2014

2 Comments

 
When the woman who does my hair is washing my hair - I am looking at the textured ceiling.   I see a 1940's woman wearing a long dress with slit up the side and the dress has padded shoulders and she is wearing a big hat with 
a huge floppy brim.   
 And over there, to the right, is an alien with big wonky eyes.
Yep.
I am an artist.
I see art everywhere.
Pouring cream in my tea in the morning.  Oh!  

The glorious swirls!
Inspiration is everywhere.


Picture
Look at this!  
 My husband brought this to me tonight.  It was in the driveway.   
An oak leaf with oak galls on it.
Stunning!
This was a still life painting that just turned out butt-ugly.
Time to change it up. So the tool of change came to save the day.
No going back now.
I really liked this little Rothko painting that was part of the painting.
I half-liked this table too. But not 100% loved. So it had to go.
Now two painting opportunities from one awful painting.
Bye bye Rothko.
Bye bye table.
Hello, uh whatever...
Oh. I made swoopy shapes that looked a little pod-like. Nice surprise, that...
Pods. Definitely pods.
Picture
This is an approximation of how the painting will look when stretched on bars and ready to hang.   It will measure about 30" X 25".    Titled, "Pods" and free shipping in a tube.  $325 - paypal is accepted.
2 Comments

A Series of sorts...

7/5/2014

1 Comment

 
So, most days, I am alone in my studio, painting, listening to music, checking Facebook, puttering, painting, checking Facebook, painting and Facebooking.  
 Is that even word?  
 Facebooking?     

Here is what I have been 
working on lately...


Click on the photos for comments on each one.

Here is another one:

1 Comment

    I post on Facebook  and Instagram all the time about what I am working on.  Click on the BLUE links and check it out!

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