My library art show for the month of January is at the Cresskill, NJ public library.It will begin January 2nd. Cresskill is a nice quiet little town in the Northeast section of Bergen County NJ. The area the paintings will be displayed is out in the open (not a community room in the back somewhere) and right by the front door. Check the "Art Show" banner on top of the blog for the library's web site.
I've been doing these library shows for a year with minimal results in terms of sales (1 painting), but alot in terms of good reviews from people seeing them in the library. With the new websites by Yola and Vistprint (maybe Fineartamerica soon) maybe something will start to happen soon.
I will be posting pics of the library show setup next week.
quote - + I am out to introduce a psychic shock into my painting, one that is always motivated by pictorial reasoning: that is to say, a fourth dimension. Marc Chagall
About Me
- Jack McKenzie
- Paramus, New Jersey, United States
- No, this in not a blog about gardening in any way, but a journal of my journey to become a professional landscape painting artist. For years, I’ve given my paintings as wedding gifts without thinking of profiting in some way from it. I worked for 18 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC as a computer programmer. I have been a painter since 1990, coincidentally, when I started working at the Met. I watched Bob Ross do his thing on Channel 13 in New York and decided I could do this, too. I have no formal training. I incorporate Bob's wet-on-wet technique for sky and water. My subject matter is covered bridges, lighthouses, fishing village scenes, barns, etc. Maine, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia and Spain are some of the places I have painted. My style is detailed and sometimes people think a photo of the painting is an actual photo of the scene. I hope to continue and grow in this medium. I also like to cook & dance. I am also a committed Christian. I am taking commissions - painting your landscapes style photos or your vacation home. Prices on request. contact me - Jackmck@juno.com my website is www.artofjackmckenzie.com
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Check out my other website - from Yola
As with Vistprint, I forgot I had signed up for a website from Yola. Its a work in progress right now, but I hope you will check in from time to time. For the "store" section I am directing people to my blog merchandising section (www.landscapesbyjack.blogspot.com) but will set up links to my Zazzle site, just click the picture. There is a link on the right side of this blog to the Yola site.
http://jackmckenziesart.yolasite.com/
Quote: Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. Camille Pissarro
http://jackmckenziesart.yolasite.com/
Quote: Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. Camille Pissarro
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Here's a picture of an old painting of the Jersey Shore - "No Room On The Fence"
Every once in a while, I come across pictures I took of old paintings that I have no idea where they are. I had an album of all these old pics, but lost it.
This one is called "No Room On The Fence". I gave it to someone for a wedding gift and forget who that was.
Its a painting of a hurricane fence protecting a dune on the New jersey Shore somewhere, probably Island Beach State Park, since that was my friend's favorite beach to go to. We'd be there during the day and then head north to Seaside Heights for the boardwalk or head to Point Pleseant for the Lobster Shanty.
As I find more of these I will post them and maybe find out who has them.
Quote: No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.
Oscar Wilde
This one is called "No Room On The Fence". I gave it to someone for a wedding gift and forget who that was.
Its a painting of a hurricane fence protecting a dune on the New jersey Shore somewhere, probably Island Beach State Park, since that was my friend's favorite beach to go to. We'd be there during the day and then head north to Seaside Heights for the boardwalk or head to Point Pleseant for the Lobster Shanty.
As I find more of these I will post them and maybe find out who has them.
Quote: No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.
Oscar Wilde
Friday, December 16, 2011
I finally have a website (from Vistaprint)
For the past year that I've trying to make a few bucks from my talent for painting, I've been relying on my blog, with dismal results. So, I've been looking around at different sites that offer do-it-yourself websites. They are not as elegant as professional site makers, but with limited resources, it will do for now.
I went on Vistaprint and discovered I had signed up for a site with them a year ago and with a great name, www.artofjackmckenzie.com. It seems from the statistics page I've had a bit of traffic, but since there was not much on it, nothing happened. Forgot I had done this.
Well, Ive been busy making up for lost time! Please visit it and check out what I've done. Its a work in progress. I've added the link to it on the right hand column. Comments will be appreciated!
Quote: To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist. ~Schumann
I went on Vistaprint and discovered I had signed up for a site with them a year ago and with a great name, www.artofjackmckenzie.com. It seems from the statistics page I've had a bit of traffic, but since there was not much on it, nothing happened. Forgot I had done this.
Well, Ive been busy making up for lost time! Please visit it and check out what I've done. Its a work in progress. I've added the link to it on the right hand column. Comments will be appreciated!
Quote: To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist. ~Schumann
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Selling my paintings on a new site - Yessy
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Great Christmas gifts from Intricate Creations LLC
Friday, December 2, 2011
My West Elm + Etsy Holiday Show experience
The West Elm + Etsy event was an honor to be chosen for, but in the end got no sales, but a lot of good comments on my paintings.
This appears to have been their first try at this in NJ. Its been elsewhere (Totonto, Austin) and the first time doing this event nationwide at the same time. One of the sellers mentioned she had a friend doing this at the Scaramento store. The two Etsy reps Banard and Lowe, had no idea that the store was on a busy highways and not a mall. They came from the New York office by bus, which dropped them off ½ a mile from the store and they had to walk up Rt 17 to get there (near Trader Joes). We all agreed it was a learning experience for them and a Saturday afternoon would have been better than a Thursday night. I found out they had not done any local advertising, just to mailings to West Elm customers. I had checked the Paramus.Patch on Thursday morning and, not finding it, I put it in the events section. Nothing in the Record or other papers.
Most of the people there were friends and family and some customers.
Joining me were Honizukle Press – hand made cards
Banjo and Bone – Jewelry
The Knit Garden – knit products
Sherry Truit – hand made jewelry
Their Etsy addresses and below
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Honizukle http://www.etsy.com/shop/BANJOandBONE?section_id=7912851 http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKnitGarden http://www.etsy.com/shop/sherrytruitt
We all got along great
It seems the Paramus store had more displayers lined up, but several dropped out. They prevailed upon Sherry Truitt who lives near Philly and was supposed to be in the Princeton store to come up to Paramus. Nice trip for her, but she has healthy on-line business, too.
The store and Etsy people were very accomodating and helped in everyway they could, helping us find all the display elements we needed. They gave us tables right by the entrance but another part of this was the Christmas ornament making table and that was in another part of the store with the event sign, which was not a good idea. Every thing should have been centralized. They did I said this but got nowhere. They did make us individual signs for our shop to our order. I had mine say “Jack Mckenzie Art – Providing you with a VISUAL vacation”
The pictures from all the other stores show some pretty good food laid out, but we had some mini muffins and water. They talked about getting pizza, but that never happened. I went over to the Starbucks next door and got a bagel.
The event as listed to end at 9pm but the store usually closes at 8. There was a gurad at the door who locked the door at 8 and was supposed to ask the people if they were there for the Etsy event, but did not. Do that. They should have kept the doors open. Again I asked about this and got multiple answers and things stayed the way they were.
As the old quote goes “If it weren’t for the honor of the thing..” I have mixed emotions about being there It was an honor to be picked to come, but disappointed with the results. Helps to get all those nice comments about my paintings, but… I told Barnard that I was on Etsy for less than a year and seemed surprised but pleased they would pick me. I have posted the photo-stream on my blog on one of the top bars of the blog next to the Cliffside Park Library pictures, so check them out. Thanks to Tom and Denise Frawley and Denise Navas Cericola for showing up for support.
I sure with the info they got on this, the next one will be much better
This appears to have been their first try at this in NJ. Its been elsewhere (Totonto, Austin) and the first time doing this event nationwide at the same time. One of the sellers mentioned she had a friend doing this at the Scaramento store. The two Etsy reps Banard and Lowe, had no idea that the store was on a busy highways and not a mall. They came from the New York office by bus, which dropped them off ½ a mile from the store and they had to walk up Rt 17 to get there (near Trader Joes). We all agreed it was a learning experience for them and a Saturday afternoon would have been better than a Thursday night. I found out they had not done any local advertising, just to mailings to West Elm customers. I had checked the Paramus.Patch on Thursday morning and, not finding it, I put it in the events section. Nothing in the Record or other papers.
Most of the people there were friends and family and some customers.
Joining me were Honizukle Press – hand made cards
Banjo and Bone – Jewelry
The Knit Garden – knit products
Sherry Truit – hand made jewelry
Their Etsy addresses and below
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Honizukle http://www.etsy.com/shop/BANJOandBONE?section_id=7912851 http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKnitGarden http://www.etsy.com/shop/sherrytruitt
We all got along great
It seems the Paramus store had more displayers lined up, but several dropped out. They prevailed upon Sherry Truitt who lives near Philly and was supposed to be in the Princeton store to come up to Paramus. Nice trip for her, but she has healthy on-line business, too.
The store and Etsy people were very accomodating and helped in everyway they could, helping us find all the display elements we needed. They gave us tables right by the entrance but another part of this was the Christmas ornament making table and that was in another part of the store with the event sign, which was not a good idea. Every thing should have been centralized. They did I said this but got nowhere. They did make us individual signs for our shop to our order. I had mine say “Jack Mckenzie Art – Providing you with a VISUAL vacation”
The pictures from all the other stores show some pretty good food laid out, but we had some mini muffins and water. They talked about getting pizza, but that never happened. I went over to the Starbucks next door and got a bagel.
The event as listed to end at 9pm but the store usually closes at 8. There was a gurad at the door who locked the door at 8 and was supposed to ask the people if they were there for the Etsy event, but did not. Do that. They should have kept the doors open. Again I asked about this and got multiple answers and things stayed the way they were.
As the old quote goes “If it weren’t for the honor of the thing..” I have mixed emotions about being there It was an honor to be picked to come, but disappointed with the results. Helps to get all those nice comments about my paintings, but… I told Barnard that I was on Etsy for less than a year and seemed surprised but pleased they would pick me. I have posted the photo-stream on my blog on one of the top bars of the blog next to the Cliffside Park Library pictures, so check them out. Thanks to Tom and Denise Frawley and Denise Navas Cericola for showing up for support.
I sure with the info they got on this, the next one will be much better
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