April 2023, Newsletter

Click on the images for a larger view

This watercolor is a 15"x22" demonstration painting from my workshop last month in Grifton, NC.


Print on Demand

What a great option for those that want an affordable way to purchase art. I have always stated that there are essentially two kinds of people that buy art. Those who only buy original pieces because they are art collectors or want to invest in works of art and those who are looking for artwork to decorate their home or business. The art collectors are willing to spend the extra money to have an original piece that will hopefully go up in value and they take pride in their collection. Diane and I are art collectors and we love scouring art galleries when we travel looking for new pieces to add to our collection. Occasionally we purchase a piece of art that really looks out of place in our home but we both fell in love with the the piece. So we find a way to fit it into our collection and our decor; we are like most art collectors in that respect. We also take pride in supporting other artists. On the other hand, the buyers who are looking to match their decor are hoping to find attractive works of art that will enhance their home or business. They typically are looking for certain colors, sizes, subjects, etc. but do not want to spend as much as they would buying an original piece. As professional artists, it's important that we always remember that there are two distinct markets in art. This is not to suggest that the collectors are not also decorators because most of them are. They just have different wants and desires.

Years ago, to cater to the decorator market, an artist would have to pay a tremendous amount of upfront money to have lithographs produced of their paintings. They were color reproductions that had to be purchased in bulk amounts such as 500 or 1,000 images or more. The more you purchased the better the price per lithograph. To recoup your money it was necessary to sell in large quantities, usually to frame shops at a wholesale price. The frame shop would make a profit on the sale of the print and the customer would usually choose to have framed as well. So they were more than happy to purchase them from the artist because they were essentially guaranteed two sales. To recoup my upfront costs I would spend huge amounts of time visiting frame shops all across North Carolina selling my wholesale prints. In fact, I probably spent about ten times more time on the road selling my lithographs than I was spending in my studio working on paintings. At some point, if you were very aggressive in your marketing and a little lucky, you would break even and may even make a little profit. It was a self defeating proposition but that's what a lot of us did back then.

Eventually the lithographs were no longer desirable and the market dried up because there was a new kid on the block named Giclee. A Giclee is a high end reproduction on high end paper. They were printed as needed so most artist's would only produce what they knew they could quickly sell or when they had already received an order. It was essentially the beginning of the print on demand industry. The problem with the Giclee prints was that they were very expensive to produce. In order to make a profit it was necessary to up the price considerably making them unattractive to those were merely looking for a piece of art to match their room or office. Like many of my peers, I jumped on the band wagon and spent a lot of money on a high end Giclee printer and all of the expensive accessories. Now I needed to sell a lot of my Giclees just to recoup my upfront costs. I had thousands of dollars invested in the printer and the expensive inks and until I could sell enough to break even, the thought of making a profit was non-existent. I eventually got out of the Giclee business because now there is a much easier and cost effective way to cater to the decorator market. They are called "Print on Demand" companies that produce beautiful reproductions at an affordable price. This is a win/win for both, the artist and the customer. The artist does not have any upfront costs and the customer is afforded a reasonable price for a nice quality and decorative reproduction.

For the last several years my website has been produced through a company named Fine Art Studio Online ( FASO). It's a website design company that offers great products and support for artists. I am a firm believer that anyone that wants to sell their art needs a website devoted specifically to exposing their art to the world. FASO is a great company to work with and they have recently began a Print on Demand service in addition to their other services. We sell a lot of original paintings through our website that, until recently, generally catered to the art collector. Our original paintings are sold unframed and shipped in a heavy duty mailing tube for protection. It's a great system that has been very successful. Now, however, I am able to offer many of my paintings as open edition prints without having to pour tons of money into upfront costs like I did with my lithographs and Giclees. The customer can order directly from my website and decide what size print they want and what type of paper or canvas they like. They can also choose to have the piece framed and matted at the same time when they order. The prints are produced on Premium Archival Matte Photo paper or canvas and the product is shipped directly from the printer to buyers address. This is a wonderful service to offer those who are either looking for a decorative piece of art or are on a limited budget but would still enjoy owning a piece of art by a specific artist.

I have been preaching for years the importance of allowing ourselves to evolve in our artistic venture but those of us that are professional artists also need to evolve from time to time with our marketing processes. Marketing is one area that many artists do not spend enough time doing. I often discuss marketing your art in my workshops and just the word "Marketing" often makes people cringe. It's an important part of being a professional artist because without it, you won't be in business very long. Like you, I'd rather spend my time painting but there are always bills to pay. Faso's new print on demand service has been incremental in increasing our sales and allows me to spend more time in my studio where I belong.

If you do not have an artists website and would like to have one go to;
www.FASO.com
They have several very affordable plans to choose from where you can build your own custom website. They also have GREAT tech support.
If you are concerned that you may not have the technical skills to build a website; have one of your children or grandchildren help you. I'll bet they know how to do it.
***PLEASE NOTE***
If you live in the U.S and would like to order from our website store, the quoted price of the item will now include the shipping costs rather than the shipping costs being added separately.

We regret that because of exceptionally high shipping fees we will only ship to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. If you live in Canada or Mexico and would like to place an order, please email sterling@sterlingedwards.com
and we will get back to you with shipping, pricing, and payment instructions.

Here's what I've been up to lately

March was a busy month for us. I taught a four-day watercolor workshop in Grifton, NC and did a one hour presentation for Artefacto on art marketing and troubleshooting. I also taught a four-hour Live Zoom Class on painting Stylized Sailboats.

I am honored to announce that I was a featured artist in the March issue of
The Art of Watercolour Magazine that is published in the UK and distributed worldwide. The magazine featured an interview about my transition from realism to abstraction. The article exhibited several of my abstracted and stylized watercolor paintings.

I have been working on a collection of new Whiskey Paintings which I hope to have posted on my website in the next week or so.

New Print Service

We are pleased to announce that we now have a new print on demand service thru FASO and are offering prints of some of my favorite paintings. Go to our website; www.sterlingedwards.com and click on

The images are printed on Premium Archival Matte Photo paper or canvas and come in a variety of sizes and prices. You can also choose to have the print custom framed and shipped directly to you.

Newsletter Archive

If you would like to see some of our past newsletters click on "Newsletter Archive" in the top tool bar of my website; www.sterlingedwards.com.


Gift Certificates

We have received several request for Gift Certificates recently so Diane and I have decided to offer Gift Certificates for $75.00 or $100.00 that can be redeemed for Videos, Live Classes, Art Supplies, and Paintings. The Gift Certificates can be purchased on our website; www.sterlingedwards.com under Art Supplies.

(Not redeemable for live, on location workshops)
Upcoming Live Zoom Classes hosted from our studio


All my Live Zoom Classes and Workshops are designed to illustrate and explain a multitude of creative techniques. There will be plenty of painting time for each participant. I am available throughout the entire class to offer suggestions and/or critiques as you work on your paintings. As an added bonus, you will receive an unedited video of each class for future study.


"Acrylic Abstracts on Paper"

April 3, 5, 6, 2023


Space is limited
This is a three-day watercolor LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP that will cover various ways to paint Acrylic Abstracts on paper or canvas.

Day One: Abstract Expressionism
Day Two: A Stylized Abstraction of trees with lots of negative painting.
Day Three: An Abstracted Landscape with expressive brushwork.

There will be a lot of creative acrylic painting techniques explained and demonstrated in the workshop. Participants will receive a downloadable or streaming video of each day's class.

This workshop is for ALL SKILL LEVELS.
"Watercolor Abstractions"
May 22, 24, 26, 2023


Space is limited

If you've ever wanted to paint watercolor abstracts then this is the workshop that you won't want to miss. This will be a three-day watercolor workshop that will cover three different ways to approach abstract painting. There will be a multitude of creative techniques and discussions on finding abstract ideas and building a strong composition.

Day One: Abstract Expressionism

Day Two: Abstracting Structures

Day Three: A Picasso Style Abstract Still Life

The dates are May 22, 24, 26, 2023

From Noon til 4:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time.

This workshop is suitable for ALL SKILL LEVELS.

$300
"Learning Negative Painting"
June 1, 2023


Space is limited

This is a four-hour LIVE ZOOM CLASS on learning to use negative painting skills with watercolor. In this very informative class, Sterling Edwards will show you and explain an exercise that takes the mystery out of negative painting. He'll also paint a piece similar to this painting that really illustrates the added value negative painting skills can add to your paintings.

This class is intended for the intermediate to advanced watercolor artist.

$100.00
Painting a Stylized Floral with Watercolors"

June 22, 2023


In this four-hour LIVE ZOOM CLASS Sterling Edwards will explain and demonstrate his techniques and process for painting a loose and stylized watercolor floral similar to this painting. You will see tons of creative watercolor techniques and a discussion on creating a strong composition.

This class is intended for the intermediate to advanced watercolor artist.

$100.00

ARTIST WORKSHOPS

2023 Workshops


  • April 17-21, 2023 Santa Fe, New Mexico. Creative and Expressive Designs with watercolors.
This is a five-day watercolor workshop that will focus on expressive and creative designs with watercolors. ALL SKILL LEVELS.
Contact; https://madelineartschool.com/workshops
Spaces are still available

  • May 9-12, 2023 Lowell, Michigan...Watercolor from A to Z. All SKILL LEVELS
This workshop will focus on painting a wide variety of subjects with watercolor. You'll see landscapes, floral, stylized, and abstract. There will be techniques galore in this four-day class.
Contact; Kathy Bechtel, kbechtel@lifeprocesscenter.org

  • June 12, 14, 16, 2023 Big Brush and Bold Color Watercolors LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP hosted by Cheap Joe's.
This Live Zoom Workshop will focus on using big brushes to paint the majority of your painting and on creating different and exciting colors that make your work unique. A lot of creative techniques will be covered in the workshop.
Contact Edwina May, edwina@cheapjoes.com 1-800-227-2788
Now taking reservations

  • August 21-24, 2023 Colonial Beach, Virginia, Creative and Expressive Watercolors.
There will be a lot of creative ideas and techniques in the exciting workshop. All designed to make your work stand out and command attention. ALL SKILL LEVELS
Contact Janice Jones, theartscenterofmontross@gmail.com

  • September 13-16, 2023 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Watercolors from A to Z.
This watercolor workshop will cover a wide variety of subjects and a multitude of create watercolor techniques. Contact; Louise Hall
louise.hall@shaw.ca www.greatartworkshop.com ALL SKILL LEVELS

  • October 4-6, 2023 Reno, Nevada...Stylized Interpretations with Watercolors.
This creative workshop will show you how to push design and color to create a unique and thought provoking visual statement. You'll learn a multitude of watercolor techniques and design principles.
Contact; Anita Watson, tarnished@sbcglobal.net ALL SKILL LEVELS


  • Oct. 30, Nov 1&3, 2023...Big Brush Watercolor Landscapes, LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP, hosted by Cheap Joe's
In this workshop you will see how to paint a watercolor landscape using mostly large brushes while keeping unnecessary details to a minimum. There will be a lot of creative techniques and subjects in this workshop.
Contact; Edwina May, edwina@cheapjoes.com, 1-800-227-2788


"That Time of Year"

30" x 22" Watercolor

This was a demonstration painting at my recent workshop in Grifton, NC.


"A Spring Beauty"

4" x 5" Whiskey Painting

This tiny little thing is a Whiskey Painting that was painted with Sterling Vodka that is imported from Great Britain.

If you are not familiar with the Whiskey Painters of America, go to my website www.sterlingedwards.com
and click on "Artwork" at the top. Then scroll all the way down and you'll see the history of the
Whiskey Painters of America.




Untitled

22" x 15" Watercolor

This is another demonstration painting from my recent workshop in Grifton, NC.

This is a photo of Diane and me taken at one of the many North Carolina vineyards that we explore when we have the time.

Sometimes we just have to get back to nature and rough it a little.







A special thank you to Diane for all that you do to manage our business and keep things running smoothly. It's a full-time job and your attention to detail and professionalism is appreciated by all. I couldn't do this without you.

Spread the word
Please tell your art loving friends about our website and newsletter; word of mouth referrals are by far the best advertising. They can sign-up for the newsletter on our website; www.sterlingedwards.com . Thank you.

As always, we appreciate your support.

Art; it chooses us

Ponder this:

"Life beats us down and crushes the soul and art reminds us that we have one." Stella Adler

(Scroll to the very bottom for one more painting)


"Grandfathered In"

22" x 30" Watercolor

As someone that really loves the southwest, I have always been fascinated with the ancient trees that grow in the deserts. Some of them are well over a thousand years old. This tree was growing on the rim of Canyonlands in Utah. The natural movement of the tree suggested that I should paint it in a very stylized manner.




Sterling Edwards / Artist, LLC
230 Sunny Acres Drive
Lewisville, NC 27023
USA


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