This Girl Is On Fire! Shooting With Justin Ramsey

I'm having a hard time describing my shoot with Justin Ramsey. I guess I could say I had a metric-crapload of fun standing in front of his camera as he worked his magic. He started off quiet, but extremely personable. As the night progressed he got school-girl-level giddy and it wasn't until later that I discovered why. I've done shoots where I just didn't click with the photographer, it was awkward as hell and left me feeling gawky and graceless because I just couldn't get into it. With Justin, that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

First off, it was my first time wearing heels. Yes, I know, ridiculous, I'm a shame to womankind, blah, blah. I borrowed a pair from a friend and hoped for the best. Try as I might, those things are beastly to walk in. My brain can't wrap around how people dance in them. Justin ended up carrying me from rock to rock as we shot on top of Table Rock Mountain here in Boise Idaho. It was also my first time wearing pantyhose, if you really want in on the details. Those also suck in my humble opinion (My So-Called Life fan for lyyyyyfe)! I didn't feel completely awkward, I was wearing my prototypical black clothes. I'm usually swathed head-to-toe in black, it makes me feel good. Bright colors make me feel like I'm a bug zapper attracting every mosquito in the city. The heels made me feel a little ridiculous, but I oddly find myself wanting some of my own now.

We had zero plans for this night. We drove up the mountain hoping to catch the sunset and we caught fire instead. There was a couple up there practicing the art of Poi, or fire dancing. Justin's brain mobilized and we keenly befriended them. One of them did their dangerous looking spinning gig behind me as Justin rushed to get the settings on his equipment just right. The images turned out beautifully and they were unique. That location has been shot every way imaginable, yet, by chance, we found a way to make it different.

After departing from our new, talented friends we hit up downtown Boise for some more unplanned photography and Justin delivered again. It's photographers like this that make me love modeling. He made me feel like I was a part of the creative process, like it was a collaboration. I am hesitant to take even a smidgen of credit because I just stood there as he did all the work!

Justin and I are both artists, and true to form we both were our own harshest critics. But, I can't deny, we were a good team and created some awesome art!

My Shoot With Elm Photography ID, and a Little Q&A About Modeling and my BOOTS!

This weekend was a busy one for me. I did three photoshoots total. I've decided to do a separate blog post for each one just to keep things organized! One of the shoots I got to do was with the lovely Edith from Elm Photography ID. I loved this shoot because I totally got to be myself. I got to wear my weird black clothes that I love ever so much, and I got to have a fun time! Edith was a pleasure to work with! She was very sweet and personable. She made me feel very comfortable and I'd LOVE to work with her again!

Many people have asked me lately why I model. Well, it's pretty simple, some girls go get their hair done, or a pedicure, or have a shopping spree. It's their little treat to themselves that makes them feel better. That's what modeling is for me. Sure, sometimes I am advertising a product or service, but usually it's just for my own personal enjoyment. I'm an artist to my core, so to me modeling is just a form of a collaboration with a fellow artist. It helps me to network and make friends who have similar goals and hobbies.

I also got a lot of inquiries about my boots. They are actually WWII gaiters that I purchased here on Ebay. I LOVE them! I wear them over black combat boots. If for some reason that link stops working because the seller runs out of stock you just have to search "Swiss leather gaiters." I always get complimented when I wear them. They're a pretty unique item!

Enough with the blabbing! Here's a few of my favorite shots. It was hard to pick, they were all so good!! Please go check out Edith's other work!

www.facebook.com/ELMPhotographyID
www.elmphotographyid.com 

This was my first serious attempt at an acrylic painting. About midway through I went to the art store for better paint because I was discovering that I really enjoy acrylics! I've painted with oils before. I even took an oil painting class. I just don't like it, and it kind of turned me off of painting for a long time. I recorded the entire process of this painting and made a speed video. It was about 15 hours of footage compounded into a video that's under three minutes! I hope you guys enjoy it, and I hope to do more!!

Here's some stills I took while painting. I am probably driving the seasoned painters out there crazy with my lack of technique! I learned a lot while doing this!

Playing faux-tographer

Photography is still pretty new to me. I typically only shoot artsy photos with my daughter. Prior to today's shoot I haven't had much practice with group photography. I had a whole plan envisioned for this shoot, but the pouring rain sorta washed away my plans. We made the best of it and ended up winging it! A very big thank you to Alyssa, Bailey, and Shakira for being my cold, wet models today!

The headpieces worn in this shoot were made by me and can be purchased here!

Lost Wandering Nomad In Search Of a Niche To Live In

This week has been a busy one. I had a lot of orders for Christmas. It's been hectic dealing with that. It seems no matter how many times I tell people to order early they still wait until a week before to order, which sends me into a frenzy because I really hate turning people away. I'm finally finished with all my commissions and am beyond ready to start working on my own art. This is the first drawing of a series I plan on doing called "Ethereal". It's simple and fun with sort of a darker aesthetic.

Ethereal 

Let me tell you, drawing things like this

 is a breath of fresh air when you mainly

 draw highly detailed, realistic portraiture!

I'm even carrying this nebulous style over to my photography. I took a break from drawing and got some pictures. My daughter Kira was a good little model, as per usual!

I don't think I've ever had a true hobby that wasn't art related. I've been creating things since I was a little girl. We won't get into how old I am, but let's just say, I've been at it for awhile! Yet, I still consider myself to be in an "exploratory" stage. I want to do it all. I want to draw in every style there is. I want to paint, take pictures, model, act, make videos, sculpt... That list goes on and on, and I hope it never stops. Because I continue to try new things I get scared that I'll never have my own "style". My style varies so much and is so dependent on what I'm feeling that day. Maybe one day I'll find myself a little art niche to crawl into and dwell in, but for now I think I'll continue being a wandering nomad that consumes just about everything!

How To Write an Art Blog That Your Followers Will Look Forward To Reading

Today I stumbled upon a lot of information as I was reading about blogging and vlogging. It became apparent to me that I am doing it completely wrong!

I am a freelance artist, I primarily do portraiture. I thought I'd start and art blog and vlog to help get my name out there into the ether and support what I love to do -- art!
I wrote down a huge list of topics to write about; How to draw hair, how to draw realistic skin, how to get started as an artist, etc. That's all fine and good, but what hit me was I am writing for an audience that isn't interested in buying art, or seeing what I'm up to. I was writing to up and coming artists that need help of some sort. This is not the type of internet presence I want to have. I would have gone to college for teaching if I wanted to be a teacher!

I'm glad I discovered this early on in my art blogging journey. I want my target audience to be people who enjoy my art, my opinions and my all-around weirdness. I'm still fairly new to the world of art and the things I write about will be a view behind the scenes of the life of an artist.

If I'm up at 4am I'm either really into a drawing, or drunk. 

There is a market for everything out there. I don't care if you collect crab gills, or sell bugs, or maybe you want to write about hamsters. There are other people out there who are interested in what you have to say. You just have to be sure that your blog/vlog is designed for them. If you are trying to sell something, or run a business off your blog it's mission critical that you know exactly who you are writing to. Pay attention to the types of people that are following you. Be sure to take the time to respond to things they say on your various social media site. Build a relationship with theses people and find out what it is they come to hear about from you. These are the people who will be buying your products.

My plan is to envision a certain type of person that I'd like in my audience. I plan to write for this imaginary person that personifies the audience I want. Sure, some people might not care much for what I have to talk about and what I'm doing on a daily basis, but I'm hoping to use my videos and blogs to connect with other artists as well as potential clients.

See? I'm still screwing up as I type. Maybe I should have been a teacher instead! Here I am writing about the business side of art. Not the actual art, or glimpse into my freaking crazy life!

I feel stupid that I haven't had this realization sooner. I was focusing so hard on content I forgot to think about what type of audience I want, and to write for them! For all you bloggers/vloggers, Are you putting things out there that are actually beneficial for your goals? Do you just throw it all out there and see who hits subscribe, or are you planning for who you want to talk to?

Okay, I'm done playing Kurstin the teacher. I'm gonna go paint and give my ideas an overhaul and work out some new marketing goals!

When Artists Get Stuck In a Rut

If you're an artist of any kind I'm sure you have gotten a little bored with art from time to time. Maybe you are sick of drawing the same thing all the time. Maybe you've pigeonholed yourself into a particular style, or maybe you feel like you're drawing skills have sort of plateaued. If you're anything like me, those feelings send you into a panic. Especially when drawing is your career and you can't really afford to get burned out.

This is what has been happening to me lately. I typically draw realistic portraiture. All that precision and detail can kind of get my brain in a knot. I noticed that I was losing interest in drawing a bit. I was bored! I love drawing faces, but I decided to put a spin on it and let loose a bit. Doing these latest drawings of mine feels like a brain dump. Like my brain vomited on my paper. I don't think about what I'm drawing, I just draw whatever comes into my head. No reference photos, no eye strains from trying to see subtle details of the face. Just pure creativity.

It's okay if you get bored with your art. I actually think it's a good thing. Some people give up all together when they get “stuck”. My advice is to try a new medium or a new subject. Branch out a little bit from what you're used to doing! You might just surprise yourself! Sometimes it's a good thing to take a break from it and come back with a fresh mind when you're ready. Either way, don't give up! Keep truckin'!