Oak Creek Printworks

Photo Contestants Beware: Read Contest Guidelines CarefullyPosted by admin on August 26th, 2010

by Nancy Haberman

Some time last spring, knowing that I was fond of hiking and photographing in the hills of Simi, a friend suggested I enter some of my images in a postcard contest sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce. I’m not usually lured by contests, but due to the particular subject matter of this contest, I have to admit, I was intrigued.

I’d always wanted to make postcards from my “Simi Rocks” images, a series of landscape note cards I created between 2000-2004, so I immediately I began a rough edit of my archived photos. Many of the note cards depict the Simi and the adjacent Conejo hillsides, which are dotted with gnarled and mangled oaks. The environment became inspiration for Oak Creek Printworks. The hiking trails that surround our little valley run through a rocky landscape that was home to the Chumash Indians, and later to early western film stars and crews. The few areas that remain open space tell tales of movie land cowboys and real life Indians. I swear there are commercials running on television Read the rest of this entry »

Greeting Cards Reign Supreme in 21st CenturyPosted by Nancy Haberman on June 15th, 2010

by Nancy Haberman

"Sunrise" by Jennifer Simpson

If you are reading this post, you are living in a world driven by technology. Paradoxically, there has been a trend in art and graphic design towards “things handmade,” or anti-technology. Where once a graphic designer strove to make designs and typography more perfect and mechanical, new designers rebelled by distressing type and creating designs that appeared constructed and hand crafted. If you are a reader of any of the Stampington publications, particularly Stamper’s Sampler and Take Ten, you’ll find examples of some of the finest rubber stamped and hand crafted greeting cards that I’ve seen by crafters in the western hemisphere. Complex designs using mixed media have found a home in the greeting card, even if they do use basic elements created by others.

Twenty-first century creative individuals have growing access to Read the rest of this entry »

School fundraisers feature student artworkPosted by Stephanie Ferguson on May 6th, 2010

OLMCS - Student art cards for sale in 2010 fundraiser

Our clients have great ideas. The mom’s at Our Lady of Malibu Catholic School decided to sell the children’s artwork as card sets for this year’s fundraiser. They printed up the cards, but were not sure how to package them. Following a little internet research, one of the moms visited us, wanting to see our clear plastic boxes. After trying a few different sizes to fit both the envelopes and cards in the same package, the result was a professional product for sale, worthy of any store or boutique. And economic too! In addition, the clear packaging allowed them to print a page to insert in the bottom of the box, profiling the artist and showing the prints enclosed.

Congratulations to all the budding artists at OLMCS, who now have the distinction of having sold their artwork. They are off to a great start.

Past clients include public and private schools, and Sister Cities International, which features artwork from children around the world. Take a look at some of their artwork. Perhaps it will inspire you. To check out packaging options, see recent blog article “Greeting card sets – a great marketing idea!” by David Heyman.

"Great Harvest" - ©2008, Sister Cities

"Quilt" - Weathersfield School

"Lions" - Montgomery High School

Marketing your art with your business cardPosted by Georgia Lange on April 29th, 2010

One of the most important items for all artists to have is a business card. It is the best way to market yourself to clients, friends, and new acquaintances. Another crucial item for the working artist is the hard-copy portfolio or “look-book”.  Wouldn’t it be nice to include your business card in your look-book in an elegant and professional way without the concern of having it fall out and get lost or damaged? This is why we are now offering a clear plastic protective sleeve designed especially for the business card! It has a double adhesive the back making it easy to attach to any surface and a single opening allowing the option to remove the business card while keeping the sleeve perfectly in place. This little sleeve is a must-have for any professional artist!

Get your business card noticedPosted by david on April 29th, 2010

By David Heyman

Business cards are such a common marketing tool that many times they lose impact, are easily lost or put in a drawer and the design of many of them is quite forgettable.

Take this under-utilized advertisement of your business to the next level with some simple tips to make sure that no one ever tosses away your business card again:

• Put your cards into a clear business card sleeve. When sealed, this will protect your card from dirt and fingerprints, and ensure that your smooth, plastic coated card stands out in a pile of business cards.

Unsealed and sealed bags with business card

• To make an even bigger impact, use a piece of foam core to back your business card inside a sleeve. This adds depth, and such an inherent value to your card, that no one will think of throwing it away! Read the rest of this entry »

13 Things to know about Small Business and the InternetPosted by Stephanie Ferguson on April 20th, 2010

The Internet is a level playing field
Whether your company is big or small you have equal opportunity on the Internet.

Internet is not cumbersome or bureaucratic
Small businesses without many layers of management actually have an advantage over larger competition by nimbly reacting to changing market conditions via the Internet.

Internet is not expensive
Unlike traditional advertising that can require tens of thousands of dollars to make an impact, you merely invest in good website development and keep it current to make an impact on the Internet.

Prominence on the Internet is based on trust
How your website competes on the Internet (its page rank) is based on history (length of time on the WWW), how many visitors are attracted to your content and how many other “trusted or popular” sites yours is linked with.

The Internet is a democracy.
Visitors vote by clicking on your site. Other sites vote for you by

<to read more click here>

Jeanne M. Brown is a writer, publicist, marketing professional, fundraiser and blogger. She develops programs that boost sales and increase product awareness. Visit her at http://www.jeannembrown.blogspot.com/.

The Unpredictable Pricing of Fine Art – What Artists Need to KnowPosted by Georgia Lange on April 1st, 2010

by Georgia Lange

Over the past few months, I have attended many opening (and closing) receptions for art exhibitions at various galleries in the Santa Monica area. Many of the artists displaying their works were new to me. Some were well known to me, though I had never had the honor and privilege of gazing at their original pieces in person before. The most memorable of these artists was Dave McKean and the work he had on display at the Billy Shire Gallery last month. Then there were those artists whose works I had been watching Read the rest of this entry »

Market and network like the prosPosted by Georgia Lange on January 19th, 2010

If you are serious about being an artist and marketing your artwork, you want to be taken seriously by curators, collectors, and other artists. It is vitally important that you pay attention to what other artists, collectors, and curators are up to. Artists learn by looking; it is simply indispensable in the profession. However, you would be surprised just how many artists there are out there who skip the necessary steps to get their feet through the right doors.

Read the rest of this entry »

Why Should Artists Blog?Posted by Stephanie Ferguson on January 7th, 2010

by Nancy Haberman

It seems these days everywhere you look, people are talking about using the internet to earn money. Regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur running an online store or an artist displaying your work online, your goal should be to drive qualified traffic to your website. A qualified visitor is someone who is genuinely interested in the products or services being promoted, and who is ready to take a specific action (called a conversion), such as making a purchase, filling out and sending in an online form, or calling to schedule an appointment.

Anyone can publish a website, but unless you have a plan of action and know what you want your site to achieve, it will be next to impossible to determine if you are successful. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that once a website is posted, your job is done. That’s like opening a store and forgetting to advertise that you are open. Once a website is online, your marketing has just begun.

Read the rest of this entry »

15 ways to sell your artworkPosted by Stephanie Ferguson on December 29th, 2009

There is nothing better as an artist than to see someone display your work and to know that they love and appreciate it. Whether art is a hobby or you earn a living with it, there are always opportunities to sell your art. If you are struggling with how to go about it, the ideas below can be combined to create your own strategy for marketing your work.

• Artist Cards, Editions and Originals (ACEO) – use as business cards to promote your work. Your original art on the front, your contact & product information on the back.

• Bookmarks – again, use as a business card with your art on one side and your information on the other.  Bookmark tassel and sleeve sets can get you started.

• Promotional pieces – T-Shirts, coasters, mugs, etc. – Check out Cafe Press.  Wear your art – “mobile marketing” – then hand out an ACEO or bookmark when someone is interested in your art.

• Mail your art
- Use postcards of your art to advertise your work, sell sets of postcards or give as gifts
- Envelope art – advertise as you send out your mail

• Sell prints. These days it is easy. Fine art printing companies are widely available on the Internet and elsewhere. Many of them do digital capture as well as the printing itself.

• Develop a blog or your own online gallery. At a minimum, get a simple web page where people can view your work and contact you – people expect this.  Get a free hosted blog at WordPress.com. If you decide you want your own website, check out free web hosting here, then get free blogging software for your website at WordPress.org.

• Sell on eBAY or ETSY – great places to sell your specialty greeting cards or even original art. List your work on eBay to appeal to consumers who don’t have the time or inclination to pay gallery prices. Set a reserve price that assures you’ll get a decent return on your time.

• Art shows – This can be a great way to get your work seen in the local market. Galleries often host these shows, so they do all the advertising. See our recent blog article for information on shows and how to prepare for them. To find shows in your area you can go to festivalnet.com, or Google “craft show index”.

• Set up a booth at your local farmers market, flea market or swap meet to sell your work. This can be fairly inexpensive.

• Ask to have your art displayed at local libraries, restaurants, Barnes & Noble in the café area, etc.

• Sell through an online artist cooperative.

• Network – join museum or artists’ groups and local business community groups.

• Enter competitions.

• Display or sell your work at church & temple bazaars and holiday boutiques, convention centers and community centers.

• Approach companies that will sell your product. Just because you are an individual, don’t assume that companies won’t want your product. Check out Lady Bones.