Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Promote, promote, promote!!!

Today was a day of promotion, well sort off........

Firstly I put my new car door magnet on my little brum brum, I only bought one as it was free on vista print ( well as free as anything is on vistaprint) and I didn't want to pay for my own design as I need to have a rethink about that, so any design was fine for now. I wanted to put it on the back of the car but the bits and bobs on there, stopped me so I put it on the drivers door. As I was driving along it occurred to me that the majority of people were on the passenger side, ( walking along the pavement) so I changed it to the other side, after this photo was taken.
At the same time I bought the car magnet I also bought a small banner, so I wanted to put it up and take a photo , it was a nice day for a walk and I also nipped across the road from where I was putting it to get a picture of this lovely house, that is at the entrance to the National Trust property, Clevedon Court, When it opens again in the spring I will go and have a proper nosey, as I have never actually been in the 22 years I have lived in the area.

As I was putting up the banner and walking round, this chap was watching me the whole time, I think he thought I was bonkers and never took his eye off me. He then came right up to the fence to get a better look. Beautiful isn't he?

The banner is only small but I am really pleased with it, it stands out and replaces the white one that I did myself.

But it does look a bit weedy next to the Craft centre one.

The old one that I took down wasn't very good as I had done it will marker pen and it just didn't show up. It seemed a shame to waste it so I got out my acrylic paints and went over it again. I think it looked much better and decided to put it up by the motoway junction.


That sounds a bit riskyI know, bit there is a path that goes from the back of the craft Centre to the motoway roundabout. So another walk was in order. I knew there was a pathway round the roundabout as I had seen people walking on it before. But opps when I go half way round the pathway disappeared down the back to industrial estate. So after a little detour, I had to back track and then walk along the grass verge of one section of the roundabout to get to where I wanted to put it. There are loads of banners just on the road leading up to the motoway junction so I thought it seemed like a good choice and wasn't a distraction to any driver. I also noted that the other signs had been up for months so I knew they weren't being removed so they obviously weren't causing a problem to traffic.

Its the little one on the end, probably not very noticeable among all the others but hopefully a couple of people will see it. I pass it everyday as I go to the centre, so I will keep an eye on it.

After all that I just had time to do a bit of painting........ I know yet another wave, but I am obsessed. There is quite a bit to do before its finished but it a good start I feel.

There were also a couple of comedy moments today.
One couple couldn't open the door to get out ( my door is sticking a bit) I couldn't get past them to help and they wouldn't get out of the way, I just had to leave then to struggle and stop myself from giggling as in their panic they actually locked the door.

I then had a couple of elderly ladies that came in to ask me if Jeff the jewellery maker was around, I told then he should be back any minute, so they said, 'Thats ok, it will be nice to have a look round all the lovely studios', then promptly walked out without looking at my studio!!! haha obviously mine isn't one of the lovely ones???

After all that I am quite shattered, so off to have a nice cup, ahhhhhh


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Studio - doors, names and chairs

Well this week has been strange. There have been visitors coming to the centre, but not unfortunately through my door. I have no idea why but its very odd that people come all the way out to the centre, go into the 2 studios at the beginning then, don't go any further. Those that do make it further just don't come into my little space. I think there are 2 reasons for this, firstly I am having to keep my door shut ( brrrr), and even though I do have bigs signs saying please come in, I think people find it hard to go though any door with no window or limited view of what is behind.. Also I quite often hear people outside the door, read my studio name, 'Wellydog Gallery' and then say, 'Its only paintings", This leads me to think if its the word Gallery that puts people off. I used to be Wellydog Designs, but when I started to put my paintings into a Folksy shop, I needed a name just to distinguish between the 2 shops. Instantly I came up with gallery and it seemed appropriate so I went with it. This name just then came with me a year later when I set up my studio. So I am thinking when I move to my new studio I will change it. I wont give up Wellydog, I know a lot of people don't think its appropriate and doesn't imply what I am doing, but its personal to me and I really want to keep it.
So the choses so far are
  • Wellydog Art- studio and workshops
  • Wellydog - Studio and workshops
  • Wellydog - workshops and studio
  • Wellydog Art
  • Wellydog
Have I lost you yet or sent you to sleep? If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.

Talking of my new studio, I bought some furniture. I found this great site on the internet that sells off ex-business furniture. I bought 12 chairs from a lovely lady which unfortunately had to close her successful cafe, due to a lease problem. I bought them all for £48, this is what they look like.
Can you guess what colour I may paint a feature wall? ( still not totally decided yet).
The new studio is taking up a lot of my thinking time, and it has started to make me wonder about how much time I waste in other areas. I am particularly thinking about my folksy shop. I spend a lot of time promoting items that currently for various reasons, Folksy re-design problems and Christmas being a couple of them, don't sell. So I think I am going to have to stop promoting, my online work, while I concentrate on my studio relaunch and focus on advertising my workshops and art lessons, ready for the new year. I will keep my shop, I just will probably be very quiet for a while about it.

I have done my new timetable, for classes, which you can see on my website http://janiceashworthwatercolourartist.weebly.com/workshops-and-art-groups.html

I have a new banner that has just arrived to put up at the end of the road and I am starting to send out invites for my opening on the 7th.

I have been buying so much for the new studio that when I saw I needed new business cards, I worried abut the expense, so I set about making my own out of old art work, cut to the correct size with my details hand written on the back, hopefully they should keep me going until I need new ones.

What do you think??

Monday, November 21, 2011

An Invite


Grand Opening

As from the 1st January 2012, Wellydog Gallery and workshops will be moving to Studio 4b at Clevedon Craft Centre. All future workshops will be in the studio itself. This offers easier access and facilities aimed specifically at Art students, including the free use of a small Art library .

From January 1st, I will be running regular art groups. These will allow people to develop their own work. Or alternatively be set with new challenges, with the support and help from a qualified art tutor.

(inexperienced artists will be advised to attend beginner's and improver's workshops before attending these groups)

These will be every Wednesday afternoon and most, but not all Saturday afternoons.

Exhibitions will be held at least once a year for all my students who wish to enter work

You are invited to a Grand Open Day on

7th January 2012

(11am – 4pm)

You will be able to view the new studio and book sessions at a discounted rate.

(If booked with a deposit before the end of my 1st opening week)

For more information, to book or request a copy of my new timetable and price list

Please either

e-mail Janice.ashworth@btinternet.com

or ring

07702090684

Please feel free to pass this on

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Survey

Any artist or photographers, please can you spare a couple of minutes to do my survey please?
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/99ZHH6X

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Dida

Can I introduce you to Dida..
I am so pleased to be able to show you one of the commissions I have been working on. It was a real joy to do. I believe this is a Christmas present for a sister who has adopted this little elephant, who had fallen down a drain.
I had loads of pictures to choose from and she was so beautiful I thought it would be great to combine a few images together. So this is the finished result. I had great feedback so am very happy and am quite sad to see her go. She has been a bit of a talking point in my studio of a few weeks while in progress.