| | | | A Midsummer's NewsletterCheck out my new look!!! | | | | Dear friends, family, colleagues + art-lovers:
Greetings and happy summer! Philadelphia has been excessively hot and dry for most of the season and I can't say I'm enjoying it. I'm grateful for my air-conditioned studio and that all of my recent and upcoming gigs have been "inside jobs!" In fact, just last week I finished one of my new favorite murals inside of an Escape Room/VR Room in the Shenandoah Valley!
More info on all of these and more below but first- check out my brand-new logo!! I came up with the initial concept but it was my friend and colleague Jennifer Hoff and her team at Hoff Communications that brought it to life for me. Get ready to start seeing it everywhere.....Thanks Jennifer and Michael!!
Meanwhile, this newsletter is FULL with new things to share with you! In addition to participating in group exhibitions in NJ and WA, I've highlighted some recent commissions, samples of new work (including my latest mural) and work in progress. I also have more exciting projects coming up in the next few months.
Also in this newsletter: a plea for help from you, dear reader!! Read more to find out how you can help to support me without spending a penny.
Until the next newsletter, thank you as always for your continued interest!
Erica
| | | | | | I NEED YOUR HELP!!!
Dear reader,
Running a business/being self-employed as an artist is HARD WORK. I'm always juggling multiple projects at the same time, not to mention all of the invisible, unpaid labor that goes into operating a business. As a general rule, I work seven days a week including holidays (I even worked for a few hours on my wedding night!)
One of the aspects that I struggle with the most is MARKETING: I don't enjoy it and I'm not good at it (in fact, I'd go as far as saying that I have NO idea what I'm doing in that regard! Not a clue). Like social media and much of the rest of the internet, Etsy is an algorithm-based site and requires constant attention in order to keep momentum going and the "algorithm monster" appeased. During the Pandemic when my Etsy shop and the custom painting branch of my business were new, marketing was easy! People were home and online all the time, and I too was working almost entirely in my studio. The algorithm monster was quite pleased! Now that the world has opened back up though, peoples' time and spending priorities have changed which is completely understandable! I too am back to my Pre-Pandemic life and am back to working on projects outside of my studio such as murals, scenic work/faux finishing, teaching the occasional workshop, and serving on the Lansdowne Arts Committee (not to mention working on my personal projects and trying to pretend to have a personal life sometimes!). Needless to say, much of the time/effort/energy/resources that I would have been spending on marketing and advertising is now being used for other things and I've lost quite a bit of the momentum that I had been building over the past few years. I just don't want to see all of my hard work fade away just because I'm not spending enough time trying to outsmart an ALGORITHM.
And so what does this have to do with you, dear reader? Well, I'd very much appreciate your help with marketing! Here are some ways you can help me out without spending a penny!
*Follow and engage with me on social media. Liking and commenting on my posts on Facebook and Instagram (even Pinterest, if that's more your style!) helps to increase visibility!! If you want to go the extra mile, share my posts with your networks!
*If you own one of my paintings, collages or watercolors, post a picture and tag me! Better yet, send people directly to my Shop!
*Word of mouth! Literally just telling a friend, a neighbor, or a family member about my work can be extremely helpful. The best compliment I can ever receieve is a referral! Remember too that not all of my work is made-to-order!! I have TONS of existing paintings and watercolors that need homes (including a bunch of work that I'm actively trying to get rid of by lowering prices)!
*Host me! Is your business or office conducive and/or amenable to displaying artwork? I'd be happy to set up a temporary exhibition in your space! Let's chat! | | | | | | | | Recent Commissions!
If you've been following me for a while you're probably aware that I offer custom watercolors and oil paintings of homes, businesses, churches/temples/mosques, schools/universities, landscapes, interiors, pets, vehicles, etc. Featured here are an oil painting (top) followed by three watercolors of a school, a park, and a condo complex. Coincidentally (honestly, I didn't realize it until just now) all four of these paintings represent locations in Greater Philadelphia but I swear- I can paint any location (including your travel/summer vacation photos!!!). All you need to do is provide me with a clear, well-lit reference photo ;) I can also ship practically anywhere in the world.
If you're considering a custom painting as a gift for a birthday, holiday, wedding, anniversary, retirement, closing, or any other occasion, the sooner you order the better! This time of year is comparatively slow for custom orders but once the fall rolls around the holiday orders start pouring in, and rates start to increase!
You can either order directly from my website (recommended if you're local to Greater Philadelphia and want to pick up your painting from my studio) or from my Etsy shop (recommended if you require shipping). | | | | | | | | | | | | Another Extra Special commission.....
This painting, completed earlier this spring, is also extra special to me! It is a 16 x 20" handpainted ketubah (for a Jewish wedding), with handwritten calligraphy by my dear friend Patti Paulus. It was such a joy to be able to collaborate with Patti and create something so special for this couple for their wedding (which happened to be on my birthday!) Click here to learn more about Patti Paulus for all of your custom lettering needs!
Patti and I can't wait to collaborate again and we'd love to make something for your special day! Contact me to get started. | | | | Exhibiting in Materials Matter at Powell Lane Arts in Collingswood, NJ
I'm delighted to share that I have two paintings in Materials Matter at Powell Lane Arts Center! My work was selected for this show because of how I incorporate scraps, off-cuts, and other materials (like peeled paint skins) from my larger projects as a muralist and scenic painter into my personal studio work. Scroll down to a later segment in this newsletter to see some new "Paint Skin Collages," which are also directly descended from larger projects!
This painting, Ghost of a Chance (from my current body of work, "The World Without Us") is one of my favorites from last year. Scroll down to the next segment to watch my artist talk with gallery owner Caroline Kearney earlier this summer!
Exhibition runs from June 6th-August 4th! 6 Powell Lane, Collingswood, NJ 08108
The World Without Us: Ghost of a Chance. 17 x 17" oil/acrylic on muslin Interested in this painting? Message Art4Everyone@PowellLanearts.com | | | | | | Artist talk with Caroline Kearney at Powell Lane Arts
Check out my artist talk with Caroline Kearney one of the founders of Powell Lane Arts! This conversation highlights my second piece in the Materials Matter exhibition, Nowhere to Be.
Exhibition runs from June 6th-August 4th! 6 Powell Lane, Collingswood, NJ 08108
Nowhere to Be. 14 x 14" oil/acrylic on muslin Interested in this painting? Message Art4Everyone@PowellLanearts.com | | | | | | Upcoming group exhibition in Seattle, Washington:
My painting, End Days: Every Other Wednesday (also from my series The World Without Us) is headed cross-country to the Fishbowl Gallery in Seattle! More information about this exhibition coming soon..... | | | | | | Brand-new mural at Massanutten Resort in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley!
I JUST finished this mural at the Massanutten Resort in mid-July, and it might just be my current favorite!! It's located at Real Escapes: Escape Room + VR where I had worked on another project earlier this summer! More on that in the following segment....
Because the Escape + VR Rooms are open from 1-8pm daily, I actually painted this mural overnight! In fact, for about a week before I began this project I was "sleep-training" (incrementally going to bed later and later) so that by the time I arrived in Virginia I'd adjusted to being nocturnal (or, in "Vampire Mode" as a colleague recently coined it!). This project was completed in about 55 hours over the course of four overnights (yes, seriously!). When working at someone's home or business my goal is to get in and out as quickly and unobstrusively as humanly possible! Check out my Instagram and/or Facebook for time-lapse videos of this piece in progress!
"A breathtaking property, Massanutten Resort® features 6,000 acres of mountain fun at its very best. Unique in both its size, variety of amenities, and outstanding condo and hotel accommodations, Massanutten has secured its spot as one of the premier all-seasons resort destinations on the East Coast. Massanutten Resort® offers many unique amenities including the Indoor/Outdoor WaterPark, Ski and Adventure Park area, two fantastic golf courses, farm-to-table dining experiences, shopping and recreation options, along with a day spa for complete relaxation and rejuvenation. Located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, Massanutten is easily accessible from many major cities." | | | | | | Earlier this summer: my first gig at the Massanutten Resort!
As I mentioned above, my most recent mural is located within an escape/VR room at the Massanutten Resort. Earlier this summer I painted the escape room (Knights of the Golden Horseshoe) itself! I don't want to spoil the surprise by posting pictures, but let's just say it involves a log cabin......
Click here to see more of my past scenic, mural, and other large-scale projects!
| | | | | | More new Paint Skin collages!
Right before and during the early days of Lockdown, I began a series of collages comprised mainly of the pieces of dried paint that I peel out of my 5-gallon mixing buckets when I’m working on a mural or scenic project. In 2020, I made over 350 8 x 8” “Paint Skin” collages but have always had it in mind that I wasn’t quite done with them. Earlier this spring, I began going back into some of the remaining collages in the series and adding new cut-paper collage elements, imposing a sense of order over an otherwise abstract scene. Here are three of my new favorites! More like this can be seen on my website and shop, with MANY more to come! | | | | | | New markdowns on older work!
Out with the old, in with the new! Over the course of the summer I've been working on dropping prices on selected older paintings.to make space for new work! Click here to check out my section of clearance items. | | | | | | ART FOR THE CASH POOR
Back in June I participated in InLiquid's annual Art for the Cash Poor (AFTCP) event for the first time since Pre-Pandemic! I had intended to participate last year but the event was cancelled TWICE due to weather!!!! If you weren't able to make the event, you can always check out my Etsy shop and website! | | | | | | Lansdowne Arts Committee: Eco Impressions at the 20*20 House Gallery
Aside from my own work, I am also a member of the Lansdowne Arts Committee (FKA Lansdowne Arts Board)! In the past I have helped to curate and organize exhibitions in the 20*20 House Gallery and the UtilityWorks Kiosk Gallery, both in Lansdowne. Earlier this summer I installed our latest group exhibition: Eco Impressions: Art for a Sustainable Future in our beautiful 20*20 House Gallery (and our newly re-opened second floor!!) The theme for our next open call will be "Bodies in Motion" and the exhibition is slated to open in mid-September.
Follow the Lansdowne Arts Committee for more info and updates!
| | | | | | New oil paintings in progress.......................
Whenever I get a little bit of downtime, I try to spend it working on my own personal projects! For the past year and a half or so I've been working on a collection of paintings under the umbrella title "The World Without Us." Three of the paintings in this series were featured earlier on in this newsletter (see the segments about my work at Powell Lane Arts and at the Fishbowl Gallery) and many more are in various stages of completion.
This image depicts a current painting-in-progress, based on the Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui. Check out more paintings in this series on my primary website. | | | | | | What's next?
I'm currently in the design/planning phases of three big projects: one will be the facade of a giant gingerbread house, another other a mural based on the Tree of Life. The third project isn't official yet so I'm reluctant to even say anything else about it lest I jinx myself!
These two images above represent inspirations for upcoming projects- I did not make either of them! Stay tuned for more updates on these and other projects throughout the summer and fall.... | | | | I HAD A BIG BIRTHDAY IN MAY.
If you know me IRL or follow me on social media, you probably know that I celebrated a Big Birthday in May. As to be expected I have mixed feelings on the subject, but I at least I got to spend my birthday in Hawai'i! This is me on the last day of my 30s, hiking the Hoapili Trail in south Maui. You can expect some new Maui-inspired paintings later this summer (currently in progress) once I get rid of some older work!
I also acknowleged my birthday by sharing 40 of my proudest creative accomplishments. If you missed this series of social media posts, check out my Instagram and/or Facebook and scroll back to May/early June for some highlights from the past few decades!! | | As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. Your continued support is very much appreciated!
-Erica
| | | | | | | | | | Our mailing address is: Erica Harney Studios Lansdowne, PA 19050
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