First of all, forgive me for multiple postings. I wanted to place it in a few areas so that all artists got to see this.  
 
In light of recent goings on here at GCU I've decided to sspend some of my time to do as GCU want us to and try to self promote and also promote other artists here. The best way I can think of so far is to blog my ar$e off!  
 
My plan is to showcase 1 or 2 artists a week (we'll just some how that amount pans out first)
 
Here's how you can help me and yourselves at the same time.
 
I have created a list of questions for artists to submit their answers to. You don't have to answer all questions, basically it is a guide. You can elaborate as much as you like. You can add questions if you like. (You might even think of some good ones that I didn't!  )
 
ALL ARTISTS BOMBARD ME WITH YOUR ANSWERS AND I WILL EVENTUALLY GET YOU ON MY BLOG!!!!  
 
The blog heading will be:
 
ARTIST SHOWCASE
Your time to shine!  
(Do you like it? Ha, hey, do ya?)    
 
 
 
Here is the list of questions:
 
1. What/who do you draw your inspiration from? Your most importand influence?
 
2. Who is you artistic hero?
 
3. How did you start as an artist?
 
4. Do you create each day or only when feeling inspired?
 
5. How do you feel when you are creating your artwork?
 
6. Where do you do your work?
 
7. Are you a career artist?
 
8. Please explain your art in your own words.
 
9. What technique/s do you use?
 
10. If any, what software do you use to aid in your artwork?
 
11. Have you taken any art classes? How did you learn to make your art?
 
12. Describe your style.
 
13. Does your art  have a deeper meaning?
 
14. Do you aspire to be like any other artist?
 
15. Where do you feel your art is going?
 
16. What is the place of you artwork in society?
 
17. Where can we find you artwork online or elsewhere? Where can I see more of your artwork?  (Here you can list all of your online stores and any galleries or bricks and mortar stores that display your work).
 
18. Tell us something about yourself non-art related.
 
19. When did you start and how long have you been doing this?
 
20. How has your artwork developed over the years?
 
21. What is your favorite piece of art you have created?
 
22. How does your art make you feel?
 
23. By what terms do you measure your success?
 
24. Does it matter to you if your artwork never makes you rich?
 
25. Who is your intended audience? (Do you make art for children, the ill, business, etc)
 
26. Do you have a niche? What is it?
 
27. Do you have any unique talents?
 
28. Can you rmember your first piece of artwork or your first sale?
 
29. Do you have your own blog, facebook page, etc.
 
30. Where can we reach you?
 
31. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?
 
*** You can provide links to any cards or artwork relating to these questions or for any other information you have provided. When you answer the question just put the link in brackets under your answer and I will add the image into the blog. If by chance the image you want to add is for a card that is not yet approved then just put a note in brackets saying you are waiting upon the approval. You can provide links to other sites as well as to your GCU store.
 
 
This part is for GCU powers that be:
 
Since we artists have taken an almight hit in our earnings percentage and that GCU want us to direct more traffic to the GCU site does that also mean that if we are providing extra traffic and therefore extra profits that we will recieve a percentage for the traffic that we generate to the site? Your IT depend would have access to analytics that show where this traffic is coming from. It would be only fair that if we are providing the traffic and thus profits that we should get a share of it also. so how about it? I'd be interested to hear GCU's thought on that!   Afterall, you do have a paid marketing dept./budget so why shouldn't we get paid for doing that work too?  
 
 
OK, back to regular programming!
 
Get going artists and send me your replies!  
 
Send you replies to cherylmhall@gmail.com and not through the GCU messages, I doubt all the text would fit.
 
Many thanks
 
Cheryl <<< trying my best.  
 

Thank you so very much Sherry and bless you for embracing what I am trying to do!  
 
I am working on overhauling my website atm and you are going to be the first artist up.  
 
I hope this works out for both you and I and other artists who contribute.  
 
Cheryl

Way to go, Cheryl! Great idea! I would think that if you pick up the card images through your "sell this card" link, that you should get referral money directly from the sales.  
 
A question for GCU - do the referral sales count toward our quarterly minimums?  I expect they do, since they all earnings are together in the report.  
 

Hi Cheryl - thank you for doing this - just leave out anything you want to!  
 
1. What/who do you draw your inspiration from? Your most importand influence? (I believe that ultimately all inspiration comes from within and I try to avoid outside influences.)
 
2. Who is you artistic hero? Too many to count but as far as cards are concerned, Quentin Blake and Jacky Fleming:  
 
http://www.shopperfrolics.net/contents/en-
 
uk/d294_Jacky_Fleming.html#.UdQYROypiCk
 
3. How did you start as an artist? Too long ago to remember!
 
4. Do you create each day or only when feeling inspired? Most days - my inspiration comes from actually doing it. You can wait forever to be inspired!
 
5. How do you feel when you are creating your artwork? Absorbed!
 
6. Where do you do your work? All over the place! I do most of my doodling while 'watching' TV but I also expand on that in the kitchen if I think of something I want to change. I also have a large room on my top floor that is a studio/office with easel etc and pc with photoshop.
 
7. Are you a career artist? Not sure what that means. I have only started selling my work since I reached retirement age but would have started sooner if I hadn't had health problems and a family to look after.
 
8. Please explain your art in your own words. I believe art should speak for itself.
 
9. What technique/s do you use? watercolours, oil pastels, soft pastels, handpainted paper collage, inks, screenprints, computer. . .
 
10. If any, what software do you use to aid in your artwork?  
 
Paint.net, Corel Draw and Photoshop.
 
11. Have you taken any art classes? How did you learn to make your art? I've taken screenprinting courses, life-drawing classes, art and design classes, professional interior design course, most recently, online Art and Business of Surface  
 
Pattern Design course
 
12. Describe your style. I have at least ten different styles of greeting cards. But for the surface pattern course, I narrowed it down to 'Country and Eastern' and because that name was already taken by one of my favourite shops, I'm using 'Posh and Painterly' for my portfolio website as that does seem to define my style.
 
13. Does your art  have a deeper meaning? Probably - but I have no idea what that would be!
 
14. Do you aspire to be like any other artist? No
 
15. Where do you feel your art is going? The exciting thing about art is that I never know where it is leading but I've found that I'm completely addicted to making patterns and I get really grumpy if I don't have time to do any for a few days!
 
16. What is the place of you artwork in society? My aim is for  
 
my art and design to brighten ordinary people's lives.  
 
17. Where can we find you artwork online or elsewhere? Where can I see more of your artwork?  (Here you can list all of your online stores and any galleries or bricks and mortar stores that display your work).  
 
http://www.poshandpainterly.co.uk/
 
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/judyscardstore
 
http://www.zazzle.com/helikettle
 
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/judy-adamson.html
 
 
18. Tell us something about yourself non-art related. I have a degree in German, mostly mediaeval - really useful!!! More relevantly, I have 7 grandsons and 1 granddaughter, who apparently aspires to being 'a great artist' like her grandmother LOL! Can't think how I forgot to mention my other passion - teaching literacy the only way that really works, ie Synthetic Phonics!
 
19. When did you start and how long have you been doing this? Can't remember.
 
20. How has your artwork developed over the years? I think it has become a lot bolder.
 
21. (I somehow managed to delete the question in Notepad and couldn't get it back). My favourite piece is generally the last one I created  
  
22. How does your art make you feel? Grateful to be able to lose myself in creating something that others may like.
 
23. By what terms do you measure your success? Interesting question and one I've been pondering recently. My aim is to use whatever talents I may have to make a contribution to the world, while receiving appropriate remuneration for the work it entails. I measure my success by the degree to which I achieve that.
 
24. Does it matter to you if your artwork never makes you rich?  
No - but having said that, being properly paid for one's work can be a kind of affirmation of its worth.  
 
25. Who is your intended audience? (Do you make art for children, the ill, business, etc) I have never made art for a specific audience but it seems as if mine appeals to older people, although I also sell a lot of cards for children, probably because of my experience of teaching youngsters.
 
26. Do you have a niche? What is it? I seem to make a lot of greeting cards for men.
 
27. Do you have any unique talents? Not that I know of.
 
28. Can you remember your first piece of artwork or your first sale? My first sale was probably in a solo exhibition of my soft pastel paintings about ten years ago.
 
29. Do you have your own blog, facebook page, etc. Yes, two blogs at the moment, planning two more, also a personal and a business facebook page, same for Google +
 
http://judyadamsonartanddesign.blogspot.co.uk/
 
http://mugsmousepadsandmore.blogspot.co.uk/
 
https://twitter.com/JudyAdamson I retweet a lot!
 
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMAdamson
 
https://plus.google.com/b/107669586270947462656/107669586270947462656/posts (sorry about the long link - I haven't had time to shorten it yet!)
 
30. Where can we reach you? At my laptop most of the day  
 
(judy.adamson@dsl.pipex.com)
 
31. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about? I think I've probably pontificated quite enough!!!

Quote from cheryl_133782 on Jul 2^nd, 2013, 9:26pm:

 
Fabulous idea Cheryl!  Everyone who participates, remember to promote that you were selected on her blog!  Share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc...
 
Cheryl, I'm not the powers that be, but we do get a part of that new traffic in that when you use your referral code to any cards of artists and links to their stores, you will get a nice chunk on any sale made by a NEW CUSTOMER.  So GCU is already giving you a nice piece of referral pie.
 
Sandra, yes from my experience, the referral monies I earn each quarter are folded right into my earnings and therefore most certainly would count towards the thresholds.  
 
 
 

Sherry, I've been working more on my plog post from yesterday that you were in to include more images of your cards for sale.
 
http://goldenjackal.weebly.com/3/post/2013/07/artist-showcase.html
 
Cheryl
 
PS For everyone else, this will be the basic format I'll be using when adding you to my blog posts. So have a looksie and check it out and give some love and click, click, click and past the link along and add it to you own blogs, websites, f/b, twitter etc.  
 
 
 
 
Quote from Sherry_205423 on Jul 2^nd, 2013, 10:18pm:

I'm kinda testing the water with this Judy but yes it may end up being once a week. Will see how it pans out.  
 
Cheryl
 
Quote from Judy_139270 on Jul 4^th, 2013, 1:02am:

Great idea!  I'll definitely be taking part and sending you my answers to your questionnaire via email as soon as I get a chance!