It has been a long time

The husband (henceforth to be known as He Who Created The Website) has pointed out what a slacker I have been of late. Three months (Well two and a bit really) and not a word written. I have little to say in my defence except for painting a bedroom, starting a new job, and a suspicion that no-one reads this anyway!

The blog may have been quiet but the painting has been full on. Following my success as getting a single painting into a gallery I decided to do a little more to build my profile. I tried a number of things on twitter: blogs, connecting to fellow artists, linking to this site but really there are two really successful ways to get responses;

1) When I post a picture I tag the Bristol Folkhouse. They are grateful for the publicity and usually retweet me so I get some good connections from people who also appreciate the folk house.

2) I found a photo that I liked and asked the photographer if he minded me painting it. Permission was given and I painted it very quickly. I posted the picture and tagged him not realising he was a key part of an action group. Within hours I had another 30 followers all because he put up the original picture along side my painted version.

Of course, twitter and facebook followers aren’t everything but we have to be realistic about the age we live in. Most people want that quick, instant interaction, hit the like button and you are done approach, and not the send message and someone may reply if they notice you left it.

I’m still not trying to sell my paintings but I still want the reaction to my pictures. It is the only way I have to really understand what things work and which things don’t. Twitter and facebook have the advantage of giving me that from strangers rather than the lovely friends and family who want to protect my feelings.