Portrait of Linda, watercolor 14x11(Ipainted for upcoming article in Watercolor Magazine)

My life is becoming increasingly busy - with writing my column in Watercolor Magazine, blogs for Fine Art Views and American Artists' online forum, an occasional article for Workshop Magazine (I'll be writing 2 this year - one on Daniel Keys and another on Stapleton Kearns), my ebooks, and last but definitely not least - my paintings.

I'm writing here this morning to let you know about my upcoming blog series for Fine Art Views which will be about Adding Value to your artwork. I'll include many quotes and conversations from my mentors, including Jack Beal, Sondra Freckelton, Nancy Guzik and Richard Schmid. Just this weekend, Richard gave us words of wisdom at lunchtime about painting what we love... getting to know everything about that subject.

Right now, I'm writing for http://artistdaily.com twice a month, but that could turn into a weekly series. My blog there is called, "The Artist's Life".  I write once a week for Fine Art Views, and it is on this forum where I'll begin the "Adding Value" series. Yep, the title sounds kinda commercial, but the series won't feel that way. It's about painting for both Love and Money... with Love first and then the money following. It's about mastering our chosen medium and subject matter - it's about creating truly remarkable work "worth remarking about". Finally, it's about how it feels to be a professional artist, what to expect - what other artists both renowned and lesser known, experience in their daily pursuits.

I'll post my links to these articles on Twitter and my facebook page. You can follow either one with the following links.
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Woodward/159774076315?ref=nf

Twitter: http://twitter.com/loriwords

Oh, and thanks for all your participation on both Fine Art Views and American Artist forums. It's been a lot of fun exchanging ideas and experiences.

I've been so busy since I've returned from Tucson that I have not had time to update this webs site, but will do so soon.  I intend to feature other artists' work - especially those whose I've collected... as well as add a tutorial about art marketing or painting.  I also have to get my next article for Watercolor Magazine finished by the middle of April.

Having said that... any time you can get your work published in books or magazines, go for it. It will encourage collectors to see the worth of your art.  So far, I've got my column in Watercolor, authored a Walter Foster book, been featured at the Richard Schmid art auction, etc. When I set up the display of my work either at a gallery or on my own, I make sure I have copies of these publications on a table nearby (saying it is the gallery copy).

Although entering juried competitions is somewhat of a gamble, if you can manage to get your work published online or in a magazine article, you're golden. Even if you don't win $$ for the show, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than placing ads in magazines, and it confirms that other folks in the artworld think your work is of high quality.

Of the artists I know who do enter juried comps on a regular basis, they often get rejected many more times than they get accepted, but it is still worth entering... because you never know...

One causion though... don't bother if you don't think your work is on par with the best entries.  Get really good first by intelligent study (maybe a workshop) and tons of practice. Making art is like a sport - you have to practice almost daily to become an expert, and you'll need a good coach as well. I've seen artists gain national status with just 5 years of painting when they give it their all and get sage advice from the best.

I've been learning from videos, and while they're expensive, they are certainly less costly than attending a workshop:  My favorites are: Richard Schmid, "June", Morgan Wiestling videos through Lilidahl Publications.