Conversions and the Year In Review
Art is made to be shared I am constantly trying to reach people of all walks of life, and convince them that they need to own at least one piece of original art. I have converted lots of people who are now regular customers. Mission accomplished! As for the rest of you – I’m still trying 🙂 When most people hear the words “original art”, the next thought they probably have is, “I can’t afford original art”. In my effort to reach and convert everyone, I am making sure I can create custom art for EVERY budget. Also know that 20% of MY net INCOME GOES TO ANIMAL RESCUES around the country! Doing my part to give back by donating custom paintings to rescue auctions almost monthly. MY LATEST ADDITIONS – simple pen and ink sketches with a splatter of watercolor on YUPO paper. I am also thinking of ordering some colored pens, and sketching in a solid color! Could be fun! Of course, this has my wheels turning and I am rolling around ideas for my next project based on these new sketches. Hoping to get something together by Feb, so if you are thinking about ordering you may want to wait until then – I will have lots of deals. Plus, your sketch could be part of my next book or calendar. These will start at $20 for a 4 x 6! Intro prices for a limited time! (You can find a full list of all of my styles, sizes and prices on my ‘Commissioning a Painting’ page) I am beginning with only PET PORTRAITS, but as soon as I get some examples, I will offer people and places! These are fun, quick sketches that make meaningful, unique gifts! Did I mention that they were amazingly priced??? WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH? If more color is your style, but you still like the sketchiness of pen and ink, you can step up to one of my MIXED MEDIA SKETCHES (pen and ink sketch with watercolor on YUPO paper). These start at $40 for a 4 x 6. Want the FULL WATERCOLOR EXPERIENCE? My full watercolors have much more depth, detail, broader color palette, and more time is spent to create each one. These start at $150 for an 8 x 10 Here is a side-by-side reference of ALL THREE STYLES. SEE! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! If I haven’t already, let me convert YOU! And please, think about GIVING THE GIFT OF ART! Share, share, share! Start small if you like, or go for the gold with a full watercolor painting of your pet, family, or travels! My list for January is already full, and I am also working to finish up all of the travel sketches for my latest project on Kickstarter.com, Sketch The World. If you have an event coming up that you would like a custom painting to give, the sooner you get on my order list, the better! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT! This holiday season has been amazing, as has the entire year! I couldn’t do this without all of my fans and customers! 2015 YEARLY STATS: – 175 paintings commissioned and completed – 33 paintings donated to animal rescues – TWO successful Kickstarter projects and two (soon to be three) published art books under my belt, thanks to many generous fans – lots of new customers and loyal “old” ones! I love you all! CHEERS!...
Read MoreHighs and Lows
The highs of yesterday, including my birthday and another successful art project campaign, were sucked away by the tragic news of a former student’s death. Not just his death – the news that he was murdered, shot in the street, and left to die. I don’t know what path he was on at this stage in his life, but I remember his kind heart, quiet demeanor. He did not deserve to die in the middle of a busy road at 8 PM before he was even 18. RIP Raheem. This breaks my heart. As some of you know, I taught elementary school in one of the roughest areas of Norfolk, VA for 8 years. I walked into the job at 24 years old, totally CLUELESS about what I was getting into. I couldn’t relate to these kids’ lives any more than I could relate to the Queen of England – yet, we connected. As a third grade teacher, I encouraged them, I taught them, sometimes I fed and clothed them, and mostly, I worried about them. I saw their amazing potential. I also saw what they were all up against – influences in their neighborhood, low expectations from society, neglect, abuse, unstable families and homes, no one to guide them down the “right” path, and at times hopelessness. I had trouble back then thinking that I, one person, could suddenly change the outcome of their lives. I still have trouble today, so many years later, feeling responsible that they are not all headed towards respectable careers and lives – safe and happy. I hear it a lot, and I have even said it – Everyone has choices in life. However, I know my choices at 18 were very different than Raheem’s. I was choosing what major to declare in college. I was choosing which new car I wanted. I was choosing what countries I wanted to visit on my trip to Europe that spring – all things my parents were mostly footing the bill for. My choices were very different. My life was very different. I just can’t relate, and neither can most of you. Keep this in mind when you watch the news or say something horrible and look down on an entire group of people – whether they are “ghetto thugs”, immigrants, or Syrian refugees. YOU CAN’T RELATE. You know nothing about what it is like to walk in their shoes. Empathy and love. Show it. Spread it. I am thankful that I am still connected to many of my former students including , T, who shared details about Raheem with me late last night. I couldn’t pick an emotion – complete sadness or anger? I think I had a mix of both and still do. T got an earful last night as I begged him to be better and not end up dead in the street. His response – “Miss wainwright, coming from me, these streets run too long, and u cant out run them. trust me, y’all didn’t teach us to go down the wrong path. u right we r better than that.” They are all better than even they know. I wish more people told them this on a daily basis. “You speak people into existence.” – those were the wisest words I have ever heard and came from a UVA professor in a teaching workshop I attended. People become what you tell them they are – good or bad. I just want good things for all of them. Yes, it is silly, but I really thought I could “save” them all. I tried my best to speak them into existence. I guess I just wanted everyone to see the greatness...
Read MoreRollercoaster
This is my 3rd big art project, and I feel like an expert at times and a complete novice at others. Pretty much what I go through constantly about my art, my projects, my books…everything. At times you feel like you have it totally together and are the best of the best. Other times you feel like a total failure, that everything sucks – your work sucks, marketing skills suck… You just have to push through the pity parties (which I had the other night when I ran out of wine)… and get back to work! For those of you who don’t know, I am coming to the end of my latest art project on kickstarter.com – Sketch The World. WHAT IS KICKSTARTER? – kickstarter is a website where you can launch creative projects which are funded by a crowd (crowdfunding). It is a good way to reach potential customers and serves as a bit of a resume for us artsy folks. I have used this site to create over 140 paintings and publish two book of my artwork – each with over 70 images of my work. Here are some things I have learned through the entire process: 1) It is more stressful than watching cards dealt in Vegas when you have $2000 down on the table. 2) Most people don’t watch videos or read information to learn more about things that are unfamiliar. I need to become better at pulling them in and getting people to “click”. 3) Good fans and friends back your projects – GREAT fans and friends create multiple kickstarter accounts and spread there pledge between the accounts to help your backer numbers. They totally get it. 4) people still, no matter how much I explain it (see #2), don’t understand the terms “backer“, “rewards“, and “pledge“, when it comes to these projects. A “backer” is a supporter. The “pledge” is the $ you are spending to purchase a “reward” (item created) from the project. Simple 🙂 I am not asking for handouts. I am, in fact, giving you HUGE deals on custom art if you become a part of the project and purchase custom paintings. You will be REWARDED. 5) It is difficult to sell yourself and reach people. People who clock in and clock out of a job may not fully grasp the concept of self-marketing and most likely, find it annoying. Again, I gotta come up with fun ways to market myself. 6) It may pay to hire some kind of promotion company for my next project. Maybe. I just don’t know if I can rationalize $200-400 and there is no guarantee it will produce profits. 7) loyal customers are loyal customers – no matter what I am painting or promoting. I love them so much. 8) If I don’t outdo my previous projects, I feel like a total failure. Doesn’t matter the factors. 9) I check in on my project stats (times video has been viewed, backer #’s, etc.) WAY too much. It makes me a little crazy. Staring at the numbers won’t make them go up – just like staring into the fridge won’t make something you want to eat suddenly appear. 10) I tend to worry more than I work when I have a project running – I mean, this is my income for the next few months (at least, 15% is). 11) “strangers” from the kickstarter crowd backing the project are, in a word, unpredictable. They tend to back and then cancel their pledges because they are serial backers (having backed over 100 projects) who change their minds constantly. It is not...
Read MoreAmbition – A Blessing and A Curse: Part II
THE DEFINITION OF AMBITION – a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. However… Let me go ahead and preface this blog with a THANK YOU TO ALL MY SUPPORTERS! Whether you interact on my page, share my work, commission my art, have backed this project (and/or one of the last) – I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU. Without you, I wouldn’t be painting at all. That being said, I am a tad competitive (especially with myself) when it comes to…..well, everything. My last two Kickstarter projects had 57 and 71 backers, respectively. Each surpassed $5300 in funding, and gave me steady work for 3 months, then books to create and publish. In order for this latest project, Sketch The World, to feel successful to me (and for me not to feel like a failure as an artist and business owner), it HAS to surpass the last two, in backers and funding. Has. To. How do I do that? How do I WORK HARDER to make that happens? More importantly – how do I do that without going broke with ad fees, over spamming people, or basically just coming across as a begging, starving artist? (NOT the look I am going for) I know, I know….I need to celebrate any successes, accept failure and grow, etc., etc.. This latest project was over 50% funded in less than 24 hours. However, the last two were completely funded in 36 hours or less. The first one was 200% funded in 12 hours. So, as you see, the bar is set high. I even read this fabulous article a while back, “11 Things That Scare Creative Artists (and what you can do about them). One of the first things mentioned, “Failure”. I can read as many articles as I want and use “positive self talk” all day long…but, success means doing better (than before or better than others) and reaching goals – just the way the world works. I SHOULD BE GROWING and GETTING BETTER AS AN ARTIST. BUT, HOW DO I JUDGE THAT???? One of the few ways I can, by how many people commission my art. So, you see why 11 backers out of 6500 fans FEELS like a failure. Yes, this is only day 2, the end of summer when everyone is starting back to school, and the project does has 36 days left. But still, it is not an IMPROVEMENT from my last projects….yet. And I won’t feel successful until it is. Period. If it isn’t successful, I will of course blame myself and go through a million “what if I…”, “I should have…” scenarios. Hate that. ON A POSITIVE NOTE! – THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BACKED THE PROJECT EARLY and/or SHARED IT – We are closing out on DAY 2 of the project and have 36 DAYS LEFT! – the MINIMUM goal of $1000 hasn’t been met yet!!! Like my last projects, I am hoping to FAR surpass that goal (the more funds, the more paintings painted and featured in the book). I have a personal goal of $8000 which would cover 80-100 paintings and the book and give me steady work for about 5 months) – There are still 3 FREE painting size UPGRADES available to my first 10 backers! ANY pledge will be REWARDED, and I am grateful for EVERY BACKER. Remember, BACKERS MATTER! It is like a grand opening…a crowd brings a crowd. Here is some info in nice, colorful, picture formatting 🙂 READY TO JOIN THE JOURNEY AND BE A PART OF THE PROJECT? I need everyone’s help to make it happen! Click my project link, HERE! Watch the videos, read the info,...
Read MoreDisappearances, Broken Legs, Teeth, and Blue Moons
This has been the week from hell….just gonna get right to it. But, to set your mind at ease right away, if you backed my Second Chances project, your book will still be to you very soon. If it isn’t, it will be no fault of mine. So, let’s get to it. My week: It started with all saved copies of the completed 42 page book disappearing from my computer. Then yesterday, my mom fell and broke her leg, and my LO lost a tooth but apparently swallowed it. Thankfully, my family is on “vacation” during all of this (by vacation, I mean back in our old city trying to clean up and rent out our duplex), so I am able to work through all this craziness with one of my best friends and wine. Also, things usually happen in 3’s, so it is hopefully over. The Blue Moon last night was amazing, however, gravity is not working with us very well. The Book I was working on finalizing and ordering a copy for myself to edit in person on Monday night. I work with a program called BookWrite through Blurb.com, which I had to download to my computer. The program was giving me issues (being slow), so I saved and quit, like I have done about 200 times during this process. I went to work on it the next morning and not a single saved copy could I find – not one from the day before, a week before, or even a month before. I usually back things up, but with this program, I have trouble opening the back-up…so, I didn’t have a current backup. I have, of course, been emailing customer service and not really getting anywhere. For some reason they are not grasping that the book is G.O.N.E. They are treating it like I am having trouble saving it and taking 24 hours to get back to me each time. Not happy about that either, and it is very unlike them. This coming Monday, a computer “genius” friend will be combing through my hard drive to try to locate it. I mean, it HAS to be somewhere, right? Plan C, is just to hope my memory doesn’t fail me and start the entire book over. If I have to do that, I am going to shoot for about 3 days to get it done.I have cried, screamed, and thrown things ( the computer being on the top of that list). I have also resolved that purchasing a MAC will be the result of my next project, because screw all this happening again. My Mom’s Leg She fell. She lives 6 ½ hours away, which I hate. She is also very embarrassed about all of it. However, she needs help considering she lives in a 3 story house, has a huge Lab, and runs her own landscaping business. I will be working hard to solve the book thing immediately, so I can drive into town and help her out for at least a week before my LO starts school. The Tooth Probably the least significant, but upsetting because I am a saver of all things, including teeth. This is the second one she has lost and it is really lost. That sucks. So, there it is. I am apologizing to my backers and thanking you for your patients. Everything was going so smoothly, and I really hated writing this. Hopefully I will have better news next week…and a better week in...
Read MoreBook Preview, Latest Finals, and Miscalculations (in your favor)
More project updates for all my fabulous Kickstarter backers, or anyone else who is following along with Second Chances. I had another jam packed week with my LO’s b-day party and lots of guests, but I will be back to work in full swing tomorrow to finish up the last 2 paintings on my table (would be one, but I miscounted, as explained below), and complete the book! Here is the final count of portraits. I would like to apologize for apparently not being about to count. I thought I had 58 total portraits to paint for the project. A few late add-ins after the project ended must have tripped me up. You will be glad to know there are MORE paintings than initially thought. 76 total rescued pet portraits will be featured in the book 15 are previously painted portraits 61 have been painted since April, specifically for the project The book will be 38 pages long. For the sake of design, I had to add a few more pages. 30-35 just wasn’t going to cut it. That is also a plus for you! For anyone who did not back my project and/or order a book, they will be for sale through Blurb.com as soon as completed! The cost for a softcover version will be about $30. If you want A SIGNED COPY, you can order through me for $35. Just email me for info! (shainastinard@yahoo.com) Here is what I have been up to this week: As promised! Pics of the book in progress! Book design is complete and spaces left for the 3 final portrait pics I need to add. I am finishing up a few fine details and then I’m done! I can only take shots of my laptop, since the program I use is on there. Here is the cover and a few of the pages! The inside pages will be dark grey – ignore the purple, that is only for me to see the page borders. You can see the rest of the pages off to the left. I only have a few more titles to drop in and bits to finish in the “About Me” and “Thank You” sections. Hope you are enjoying the updates!We don’t have many to go and you will soon have a signed copy of the book in your hands (for those that ordered them).Can’t wait!...
Read MoreToday Was A Good Day
Today was a good day! Last night… not so much. This is the face my paintings were seeing because NOTHING was going the way I wanted it to. I had to walk away as the words of Scarlett ran through my head, “Tomorrow is another day…”. Today, it got loud. It was colorful, spontaneous, and IT WAS FUN! Here is what I accomplished today! These are paintings #34-39 for the project, Second Chances, all in progress. So in love with ALL THE COLORS! I can’t wait to finish them all up. Since I am a bit of a binge painter, it may not happen until the end of the weekend. But, they are off to a great start! If you are not following along with the project and want to, just visit my Tumblr blog. It is all about the project, all the time, as the paintings happen! You can also keep up on my Facebook page (like and comment enough and you could also win FREE ART and major discounts on custom paintings!) Oh, and if you are an Instagram person, you can also check me out over there! I’m EVERYWHERE! I really need an unpaid assistant to help me keep up! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT and all the interaction on my sites! CHEERS! –...
Read MoreIn The Zone
In the last 5 days: – FIVE paintings completed – FOUR new orders, one of which is 2/3 of my average monthly income – FOUR new sketches started – the ink part complete (did those all today) ON A ROLL! Hoping it keeps going! (and knocking on wood, now) Besides the rush order, I am having to let people know that their paintings may take a tad longer than usual because I am in the middle of this amazing rescued pet project, which has a deadline. Speaking of, I am HALFWAY done with the painting part! I will be taking two short vacations this month, which may put me a little behind. But, if I can have another painting spree like this one, I will surely catch up. RUSH! RUSH! So, this nice woman finds me on ETSY and says that her mother has favorite a few of my paintings. She wants a special gift for her mom’s birthday coming up, so the siblings want to go in together and order a portrait. The catch – the photo was taken in Hawaii and it is of 14 family members AND she needs it in 10 days. I always love a challenge and I also love big paychecks like this one would be, so I told her I would do it! I am having a blast and it is going easier than expected, even though what you see below has taken me over 4 hours to complete. She also informed me this morning that her mom may be contacting me to have the exact same photo painted, and to nicely put her off if she contacts me, LOL! I really hope they record the mom’s reaction to this painting at the party, and her daughter deserves a prize for being a Gift Whisperer! 16 x 20 mixed media sketch. The ink is done and has to dry for 24 hours before I add watercolor. So many fingers and toes! Of course they are all wearing flip-flops. Ugh! However, they are all stunningly beautiful, so that helps. I am loving all the words of encouragement on my FB page! Keep it up! It is working 😉 WHAT’S COMING UP! – ‘Second Chances’ , the book, will hopefully be completed and mailed out the first of July – My next project, ‘Sketch The World’ will be launching sometime in August! Get your travel photos ready!!! There will be a book of all the paintings AND a BONUS CALENDAR! Maybe a good Christmas gift? Which leads me to… – Never too early to think about CHRISTMAS ORDERS! I book up fast, and with two projects back-to-back, you need to get on the list. I am sure I will be running some sales for early orders starting in October (same as last year). Come early, SAVE MORE! – My MONTHLY BIGGEST FAN GIVEAWAY is always going on! Interact and share often – win FREE ART! Simple. Thank you for all of the support! I love reading your comments on my page and feel that I have really gotten to know so many of my fans! You guys are my cheerleaders and my marketing team 😉 I would pay you but, …wait I kinda do! (hint: MBFG) CHEERS! I leave you with Phetzer, the party dog! Like him, I also hope to be wearing a flower necklace with an added frosty beverage in my hand next week 🙂...
Read MoreWhen Paintings Talk
Sometimes, a pet’s personality just pours through a painting. Recently I had three pups to paint, which are part of ‘Second Chances’, and they were all “speaking” to me. Loudly. I really had a hard time turning off the voices while I was painting. See if you have the same problem when you look at them. So expressive! Carly – happy go-lucky, fun and playful “AWESOME! I love the cheery color, and pink is my FAVORITE! Are you done yet? I want to go play!!!” Lizette – proper, a tad high maintenance “Did you get my eyes right? Yes, they have to be the perfect shade of Aqua – not too much green and not too much blue, with a touch of gold. Make sure you capture my poise. A lady always sits up straight, you know. ” Darby – melter- of- hearts, kind, gentle, and totally loveable ” My mom is going to love these so much! You are doing great! Let me know if you need anything – a nose lick, some cuddles. I just want to make sure you don’t have any stress!” It was so much fun paintings these “siblings” for Donna. I hope they all enjoy their paintings for years to come. What an adorable group! All these portraits are part of my project, ‘Second Chances’. It was successfully funded through Kickstarter.com. After I complete all the paintings, the entire collection of 72 rescued pet portraits will be published in my next book! There is a link on my home page! Cheers! ...
Read MoreA Lot Going On!
I know I am probably confusing you guys with all these themes, but sometimes my ideas just take off and I gotta go with it! This is what was on my brain while I had a little time before starting all these awesome rescued pet portraits. TRAVEL!!!! LONDON, PARIS, ITALY, SICILY, ANTARCTICA, MEXICO, PERU, ISRAEL, and 3 states in the US!!!! Wow! You guys are amazing and sent some fabulous travel photos! I wish I could paint them all!!! If I did paint one of yours, you can have the original for 50% OFF. They are all 5 x 7 or 4 x 7, so $30 or less! THANK YOU for helping me expand my portfolio and get some examples ready for my next project, Sketch the World, which is launching in August. I hope you will all support my next project and book! This one is going to be a blast! ** If you do purchase your painting, it will BE IN MY NEXT BOOK, which will also be discounted for you if you back the project when it launches! ** LONDON I was given a few photos of places around London, and I wish I could paint them all. I chose this one because I loved the angle and detail. It is of the clock tower, Midland Hotel, St. Pancras Station. Beautiful. ISRAEL So excited about these piece for a few reasons: A) it is my first sketch of anywhere in Israel B) the photo is from a very kind customer, Raizy, who lives in Israel and I am so excited that we have crossed paths C) I am a history junky, but don’t remember ever learning of Mesada and Herod’s Palace overlooking the Dead Sea. How could I have missed this in all of my history, culture and art history courses??? So, I got to do research which is always fun!!! D) the photo is awesome! The palace was constructed by King Herod around 37 BCE to protect the western side of Jerusalem. So many awesome things about this place, like how the heck they supplied water for everyone in the fortress! Oh, and these birds are Tristam’s starlings – very friendly and will eat out of the tourists’ hands! Things I think people should take away from these paintings – Explore and absorb all you can about this world and the people in it. There is amazing beauty in knowledge, understanding and tolerance. ITALY I think if I could live anywhere in the world, it may be Italy. I have only visited once, but fell in love. I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain and am still waiting to return. SICILY UNITED STATES The reference photo for the Capitol was taken by the customer’s grandfather back in 1959. History times two. Love. ANTARCTICA MEXICO From what I understand, I was one of the last people to climb to the top of this amazing step pyramid. After our visit in the summer of 2002 (I believe), they stopped allowing the public to climb the stairs. What a view and you feel so connected to, yet disconnected from the past. Ancient people definitely observed the world around them on a different level. I wish we still did the same, but we are all too busy with our head in our phones and computers. FRANCE Thank you so much for the amazing photos and all of the support! These sketches make me miss traveling so much! There are so many things I still want to see and places I can’t wait to show my daughter. Traveling changes you for...
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