We lost--close, but lost. Lots of good spirit. Alex G. hit a triple...These guys are really out of the babyhood league and are connecting in a great way these days. Lots of little errors-- The parent contingency were riled up as the ump, on his way out of the field, declared that the Tburg team were unsportsmanlike. One father chased after the ump and questioned that. There was lots of talk about the next steps and who they were going to talk to. Urg. I thought it was a game.
Trucktown is in Tburg this weekend. Jeff, the wonderful, my mainstay at Maguire said they were actively moving cars (which is good) and rehabbing the trade-ins as fast as possible. No more snowtires...amazing how quiet the ride is.
A and I had dinner around 9 at Carls. Driving through our village at 9 was amazing. There were a ton of people out and about. Our new Aceto/Stiles Gallery was open with a real crowd milling around with people sitting at tables, congregating on our new sidewalks etc. Even the silent A. remarked on the buzz. It was great.
Stayed up late. Finished the Papillon piece and started the grinning dog. Have Christmas by the tail--did a nice rendering (albeit it is almost logo like) of a deer, also a stack of presents with one of them being the globe. I think the client has a nice selection to choose from. It was interesting to use red and blue (instead of red and green as it immediately neutralized it...but without a strong white element, it did not even read as "patriotic". Stole the a bow from the dachshund project for the present piece for the comp. Created a mail piece for a thing Darren, otherwise known as the Ape, from Little Chimp Society. Made up two pieces wallpaper with my new kit of butterflies (what a nice resource!! new parts!) and sandwiched the Papillon piece in between. Slid the whole magilla into a clear envelope and made a handcut butterfly label with Requiem type. Tres elegant. I made a few more after I saw how good they looked. I might offer them to a client as a special thank you to send to key donors. I love having parts and pieces that can morph over into other layouts...even if its for a sketch to move the work forward. Maybe some month will be parts month...might really be worth it to create a bunch of stuff I love and need. What do you think?
Started work on a simple illustration website with Erich. We are thinking about how and what as it needs to happen soon (I am making August 1 the deadline as it would be right and tight to finish the SU program with some more serious marketing going on).The other approach doesnt seem to have any energy behind it. I have bought www.qcassetti.com for the illustration work--nothing there yet.
Interestingly, I was considering dumping one of the portfolio sites I have had for the past year. I had a very engaging and informative conversation with a guy who I respect for his web savvy and understanding of the illlustration market. Any new discovery I make about illustration--he has beaten me to it--has engaged and added value). He advised that it takes easily three years to get traction...(this doesnt surprise me...as I preach it takes 5 years to my newbie clients who want to be in a profit mode immediately), and that the things I have been doing with multiple portfolio sites make sense (along with a few communitities I participate in). He said, rightfully, that if someone is looking for an illustrator, and they go to one site(and you are there) and then go to another site (and you are there) and so on...its good. You are remembered. You are available. You are there. Building brand recognition is what I tell my clients--so listen up (I say to myself).
I told him my gaff about telling future illustration clients that I was a graphic designer. He confirmed that telling art directors that stuff is sudden death. Seems simple, but not for this numbnut. Stay in your role as an illustrator. Don't be helpful that way. All good information. I am sticking with my representation there and doing foliooplanet too. More is better with this sort of marketing. I guess a good way to look at it...is if you buy a list, mail some postcards (just one time through you are spending $3,000). Take the same $3,000 and put it towards 5 portfolio sites. I betcha touch more people. I betcha it yields that same amount of work (to dat $0). My clients are the place that I am getting work/paid for illustration.... Maybe there is something there.
Later>>