Occasionally I will spotlight other artists that I find interesting. Today its Steven J Park in Austin Texas. There are several genres here, two that appeal to me. One is some sketches he did of the protests in Iran. Very tense. The second is a series of Jazz oriented drawings that remind me of another artist selling items outside the Met Museum in NYC. Check him out!
theoriginalspark.blogspot.com
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
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A keychain sale and promotion
The one painting that evokes the most response is my Fishing boats-Tarifa Spain painting - the one at the top of this blog. As stated in the last entry (check the photo), I made business cards using the image,a keychain, magnets and a mouse pad. The cards need to be re-done since you can barely read my blogname. It looked great on the screen but in actual practice, not so much. But I took 20 and wrote the name on back and it got the usual response.
I put the keychain on my usual keychain for display purpose. I went to Redeemer Presbyterian Sunday night and a group went out for a bite to eat afterwards. A woman saw the keychain and immediately asked to buy it. She also took one of the cards. She will be a great saleswomen amongst her friends and I made a dollar.
This is one of the big things you must do, be always but gently promoting yourself. Carrying a few items around can stimulate people to start talking to others about you, saying look at this beautiful item. Hopefully my customer in France who bought the magnet will be doing that, too.
I put the keychain on my usual keychain for display purpose. I went to Redeemer Presbyterian Sunday night and a group went out for a bite to eat afterwards. A woman saw the keychain and immediately asked to buy it. She also took one of the cards. She will be a great saleswomen amongst her friends and I made a dollar.
This is one of the big things you must do, be always but gently promoting yourself. Carrying a few items around can stimulate people to start talking to others about you, saying look at this beautiful item. Hopefully my customer in France who bought the magnet will be doing that, too.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Pictures of Maywood Show, Maine Barn Progress and other things
My show at the Maywood NJ library is now open. The Flikr slide show shows what it looks like. It seems my friend Denise has her photos on display on the wall opposite me. Very fun. I will be adding this to the slideshow section.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackmckenzie/sets/72157626146494688/show/
I had some items made from Vistaprint including business cards and a keychain. Both look great but the blog name is too small and light to be really seen.
and this is current progress on the Maine Barn picture.It will look better.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackmckenzie/sets/72157626146494688/show/
I had some items made from Vistaprint including business cards and a keychain. Both look great but the blog name is too small and light to be really seen.
and this is current progress on the Maine Barn picture.It will look better.
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Maywood exhibit – an interview amongst friends
My paintings are now up at the Maywood, NJ Library and a friend – Denise Frawley, a photographer, is having her photos up at the same time in Maywood. She has a blog where she is doing a Photo a Day - http://denisekeeganphotography.blogspot.com/
We've shared what each has learned in our pursuit of this career - me all the websites I've found and how we need to be in many places and in all the social media. Denise checked out all the libraries in the BCCLS system and a few other things. This after her husband, Tom, made us a nice dinner of pork loin and brussel sprouts. Ive never been a fan of the sprouts, but his were delicious.
Susan Clark, a mutual friend is a writer and reporter for the North Jersey Media Group and one of the towns she covers is Maywood, so Denise and I became eligible to be interviewed by hew for the publication/website. We met each other at the Hawthorne Gospel Church singles group 10 years ago and have maintained a friendship despite a noticeable age differences , own artistic tendencies being the binding force. At various activities, you’d find Denise and I taking pictures of what was going on and whatever struck our fancy. Susan (under the name Susan Joy Clark) has written a book “And The Violin Cries”
http://www.amazon.com/Violin-Cried-Susan-Joy-Clark/dp/1424160987
and is working on the sequal.
Her father is creative also & has a thing for numbers. He created a Fibonacci T-shirt on Zazzle - http://www.zazzle.com/golden_spiral_and_fibonacci_spiral_tshirt-235765739168422667
Susan knew of both our attempts to publicize and make a dollar or two off our talents but could not do so unless it was in a town she covered. The Shows in Maywood provided that opportunity. We met at the Fairlawn Panera Bread and had a great time together. It seemed like an informal conversation until she brought some specific questions and even then there was a natural flow back and forth. We talked of how we approached our craft and what were things we liked doing. I mentioned covered bridges and how I like to show them at unusual angles and lighthouses , barns and fishing village scenes. We talked of how we got started and other topics. Nice time together. I mentioned that this seemed to be the set up of a joke – "A painter, a photographer and a writer walk into a restaurant...". Susan brought up the idea of our own art club. Who Knows! I sure it will be a fine article!
We've shared what each has learned in our pursuit of this career - me all the websites I've found and how we need to be in many places and in all the social media. Denise checked out all the libraries in the BCCLS system and a few other things. This after her husband, Tom, made us a nice dinner of pork loin and brussel sprouts. Ive never been a fan of the sprouts, but his were delicious.
Susan Clark, a mutual friend is a writer and reporter for the North Jersey Media Group and one of the towns she covers is Maywood, so Denise and I became eligible to be interviewed by hew for the publication/website. We met each other at the Hawthorne Gospel Church singles group 10 years ago and have maintained a friendship despite a noticeable age differences , own artistic tendencies being the binding force. At various activities, you’d find Denise and I taking pictures of what was going on and whatever struck our fancy. Susan (under the name Susan Joy Clark) has written a book “And The Violin Cries”
http://www.amazon.com/Violin-Cried-Susan-Joy-Clark/dp/1424160987
and is working on the sequal.
Her father is creative also & has a thing for numbers. He created a Fibonacci T-shirt on Zazzle - http://www.zazzle.com/golden_spiral_and_fibonacci_spiral_tshirt-235765739168422667
Susan knew of both our attempts to publicize and make a dollar or two off our talents but could not do so unless it was in a town she covered. The Shows in Maywood provided that opportunity. We met at the Fairlawn Panera Bread and had a great time together. It seemed like an informal conversation until she brought some specific questions and even then there was a natural flow back and forth. We talked of how we approached our craft and what were things we liked doing. I mentioned covered bridges and how I like to show them at unusual angles and lighthouses , barns and fishing village scenes. We talked of how we got started and other topics. Nice time together. I mentioned that this seemed to be the set up of a joke – "A painter, a photographer and a writer walk into a restaurant...". Susan brought up the idea of our own art club. Who Knows! I sure it will be a fine article!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Maywood Library Show, new cards, interview and Linkedin
Well, my show at the Maywood, NJ library is finally up and running. Here's the slideshow of the paintings involved.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackmckenzie/sets/72157626124919996/show/
My new artist business cards from Vistaprint should be here my Saturday. They have my Fishing Boats - Tarifa Spain painting on them. Cant wait to see how they come out.
Tomorrow I sit for an interview with Susan Clark, an friend who works for the North Jersey Media Group and wants to put the show in her paper. Another friend, Denise Frawley, will also be there to be interviewed since she is going to be showing her photographs at the Maywood library at the same time. Susan wants to use the two friends displaying at the same time hook for the story.
I am a member of the Art Professionals Worldwide group on Linkedin and posted the show on that site too.
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=44784423&gid=119532
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackmckenzie/sets/72157626124919996/show/
My new artist business cards from Vistaprint should be here my Saturday. They have my Fishing Boats - Tarifa Spain painting on them. Cant wait to see how they come out.
Tomorrow I sit for an interview with Susan Clark, an friend who works for the North Jersey Media Group and wants to put the show in her paper. Another friend, Denise Frawley, will also be there to be interviewed since she is going to be showing her photographs at the Maywood library at the same time. Susan wants to use the two friends displaying at the same time hook for the story.
I am a member of the Art Professionals Worldwide group on Linkedin and posted the show on that site too.
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=44784423&gid=119532
Monday, February 21, 2011
update on the Cape Anne Painting, Maywood library exhibit, and Garrison
Its been a couple of days since the last post and I've been delinquent in my painting accountability. The Maine Barn painting is still in the drying phase for the barn portion, but it should be okay tomorrow. Here is the progress on my Cape Anne.
I still have not heard from the Maywood Library people, so I will call tomorrow. Meanwhile, my photogrpher friend Denise has been busy emailing all the libraries in the BCCL database and is going into Maywood also with her photos, so we will be co-exhibitors.
I checked out a few more places with art, one being Garrison which is an artsy little town across the Hudson from West Point. Nice Place, but the cost of a table there is huge - 285 for a standard table and 500 - 1000 for an area in the food court. Here's the site
http://www.garrisonartcenter.org/acf/index.htm
I was also checking out the Cold Springs festival, another very nice little Hudson River down with an active arts community. In checking out the application I noticed a table pricing error - a 20x20 is $185 and an 8 foot is only $14. I emailed the promoter about it.
Check out the site. its got some really nice pictures.
http://www.coldspringriverfestival.com/
Both these need NY state tax id numbers and a resale cetificate. Is it worth the hassle?
I still have not heard from the Maywood Library people, so I will call tomorrow. Meanwhile, my photogrpher friend Denise has been busy emailing all the libraries in the BCCL database and is going into Maywood also with her photos, so we will be co-exhibitors.
I checked out a few more places with art, one being Garrison which is an artsy little town across the Hudson from West Point. Nice Place, but the cost of a table there is huge - 285 for a standard table and 500 - 1000 for an area in the food court. Here's the site
http://www.garrisonartcenter.org/acf/index.htm
I was also checking out the Cold Springs festival, another very nice little Hudson River down with an active arts community. In checking out the application I noticed a table pricing error - a 20x20 is $185 and an 8 foot is only $14. I emailed the promoter about it.
Check out the site. its got some really nice pictures.
http://www.coldspringriverfestival.com/
Both these need NY state tax id numbers and a resale cetificate. Is it worth the hassle?
Friday, February 18, 2011
New Painting - Row Boats-Menemsha Pond
This shows a bunch of fishermen's row boats at a dock on Menemsha Pond in Marthas Vineyard. For the past 10 years or so, Ive gone with friends to Martha's Vineyard in mid-June to stay at the Hostel in East Tisbury and bike around the island. This spot is off a bridge on State Road at the bottom of a long hill on the way to the Aquinna/Gay Head light house. I'm a little disappoint as to how the water turned out, but trying to fix things made it worse. Hope you like it!
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