Blog

Greetings,

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

 

I am still thinking about newsletters, of the studio sort.  I just published and sent my latest this week.  Did you get your copy?  (If not I plan to add a link over there at the left menu, under the "link to recent audio newsletter, plus others" heading, but you need to be patient)  Oh wait, we could do it like this as well:  click on the colored link.

 

That, however, is not the subject du jour.  Rather we are talking  "Newsletters.  Avoiding the premature click-off".   Wh-aaaaat, you say?  Oh come on, surely, you've done it yourself.  Found someone's email newsletter in your inbox.  Opened it.  Started reading.  Yawned.  Clicked off.  PREMATURELY.  Not even reading the whole thing.  It was too dry.  Too dull.  Too boring.  Take your pick, you just couldn't bring yourself to finish it.  Now should enter the thought in you head, oh horrors, what if people do that to my newsletter?  What if they click-off prematurely on MY newsletter?  Aaach!  All that time and effort wasted, not to mention the insult, eh?

 

But wait a minute, revisit that last sentence:  "all that time and effort".  How much is your all?  DO you invest time and effort into your newsletter?  Aren't we supposed to be creatives, and if so, shouldn't our newsletters reflect that?

 

I remember reading in the book "Conversations In Paint" a suggestion by the author, for artists still trying to find/know/understand their personal painting style.  The author suggested the artists look at multitudes of varieties of paintings by other artists.  Keep track of what attracted them.  Search deeper into those specific attractions, because in those specifics would probably be the roots of the painting style the artist would find as a fit.  Seems pretty logical, doesn't it?

 

I decided the same tactic could apply to newsletters.  Visit artists websites.  Sign up for their newsletters.  Keep a list.    Which ones do you give the premature click-off?  Which ones do you read clear through?  Better yet, which ones do you look forward to with anticipation?  What attracts you and makes you want to read more?  What makes you yawn and go away?  These should be road signs for your own newsletter!

 

What do I expect from an artist's newsletter? 

 

1.  It's from an artist, therefore it should be creative.  "I have this painting at this show this month.  You should go see it"....does not work for me.

2.  It should have beautiful art, presented in an appealing way.  You should sign up for Diane Leonard's newsletter, what a perfect example.   (click on the colored "example")

3.  It should be fun, something that makes you wish it didn't have to end.  Go look at Karin Jurick's music videos,  15,062 viewers can't be wrong.  This is fun.  (click on the colored "this")

4.  I think a newsletter should have "all that time and effort" involved, or at least the appearance of.  (our personal technical abilities probably factor in here!)  If you slap something out, just to say you sent your newsletter, then what is it really worth?  And what does it say to your friends and collectors? 

 

As artists, we get lots of advice about how important it is to send out newsletters, to stay in touch with the people who appreciate our paintings.  I would encourage you to remember that it's a study in futility if what you send is a yawn-er, if you are giving your readers the nudge toward that premature click-off.  Food for thought, eh? 

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Later, Cooper

 

 

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.  I am so pleased to announce the completed publishing of my studio newsletter.  And it's one of those crazycool audio kind.  It's all about bicycles, from the Cooper point of view.  And so the title is, of course:

  Pedal:  The Cooper Studio Autumn Audio Newsletter       (click on the red text to watch)

Have fun with that!  And thank you so much for stopping by!             

Later, Karen  

   

And of course, even the cover letter needs a little color.  The painting:  Healthy Alternative, on an wonderful 30 x 30 inch canvas, and available in my portfolio.

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa, on a fine February Friday.

The title of the post is "Am I The Last One To Figure This Out?"  And that's the question of the day as well, quite possibly the century.

As some of you have discovered, I recently published my first ever audio newsletter.  I am still amazed at my over whelming (albeit self determined assessment) learning growth curve.  And then I learned a little more.  sheesh.  Will it ever stop?

So, this is what I learned, and if I truely am the last one to figure this out, please spare me.  Sometimes it's just more comfortable to live in oblivion.  The newsletter was published at youtube.com.  Even sparing paragraph #3 above, there was one little thing that annoyed me:  the small format of the images.  BUT!  Down at the bottom right of the video player screen is a "box" with four arrows.  Click on that, yeah, you should try it.  Instant full screen images.  Amazing how a person can go from not knowing how to find the power button on a computer in 2003, to instant full screen image gratification in 2010!  Isn't it a blooming wonderful world?! 

Ok.  So I really need to go find a paint brush now.  But before I go, here's that link again, so you, yes, even you,can have full screen images  :)

(click on the red letters) Cooper Studio Audio Newsletter

Later, Cooper

  Hey, every good post needs that essential color element.  This one is called Iowa City Hat, an acrylic painting on a perfect little 12 x 12 inch canvas.  And of course, it's available in my portfolio.