An Idea Comes to Fruition
I have been envisioning this show since last year. Taking workshops from Alyson B. Stanfield made me realize I needed to start focusing on showing my work. So, I had an idea last year to combine wine with art. Since I love both, it seemed like a perfect match.
I pitched my idea to the food and beverage manager at CordeValle. She was working on bringing high quality wine tasting to the club. It was a perfect time to introduce my idea. The idea evolved and soon she gave me a few wineries to choose from. I chose Buoncristiani .
It was a beautiful day and day turned into night. Decorated with wonderful lights and a spectacular backdrop of Lion’s Gate Valley, the show was off to a great start. Nate Buoncristiani, was a lovely man and we worked so well together, he pouring beautiful wine and my art encircling the Oak Terrace, caught the attention of the private members of CordeValle. It turned out to be a sensational event. The stars were out, the air was warm, the people stayed and enjoyed the moment.
I have to say that it was a wonderful idea that came to fruition. It turned out to be their best wine tasting event ever, lasting well through the night. It was a success for CordeValle and also for me; nothing like a win-win situation.
*Painting above "View From Il Vignio"-30" x 40" Acrylic and oil on canvas, $3000 SOLD
2K14 CURRENT FOOTAGE 8980 SQ. INCHES
*ALL ART FROM JANET VANDERHOOF’S FINE ART GALLERY, MAYBE SEEN IN JANET’S STUDIO AT MORGAN HILL, CA. YOU MAY PURCHASE THROUGH CONTACTING MY EMAIL JVANDER51@MSN.COM OR PHONE (408) 460-7237. THANK YOU!
When Is The Most Creative Time Of The Day?
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?“ – Henry David Thoreau
When is the best time of the day to create? I guess the answer is anytime as long as you create.
Each morning I have a plan to get as much done as possible. I do believe my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but I also believe that my schedule is lopsided and out of balance. There are certain things I must do daily and have committed to doing no matter what. I recently added meditation to my list and have been meditating for close to a month. Meditation has made me more focused and also more productive. But it has also made me realize that I am not using my day effectively, especially to create.
So the question when is the best time to create? Everyone probably has a time of the day they feel most productive. I am a morning person so A.M is the most productive time of the day for me. I have heard of people waking up at 3:00 in the morning being inspired regularly to create, so I don’t think there is a hard-set time for creativity and there is an argument that you can’t wait to be inspired before you create you just need to be present and get to work.
In the A.M. I have the most energy and I am the clearest. I usually use this energy to do things that don’t take much thinking; they are habit, exercising, cleaning, chores etc. Then why am I wasting this precious energy that would be most effectively used otherwise especially to create? I do have an answer for that, but that may be another post. I do believe it is “guilt”.
So as of today my schedule is going to change, and that includes creating first thing in the morning. I will try this for 7 days and let you know how my experiment goes.
Would you like to join me? Or is there a schedule that you would like to share that helps you create at your full potential?
*Cypress at Pebble Beach, 36" x 48" oil and acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $4320
2k14 current footage 7,780 sq. inches
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
What I Know About Selling Art
Service, Service, Service
You can’t scrimp on quality.
Presentation is important.
Let your customers tell you what they want and listen.
The best ones do go first, you better be willing to let them go.
The more you sell the more you sell, sales feed upon each other.
Customers want to purchase from successful artists, so let them know you are successful.
Keep in contact with your customers.
Make your customers your friends.
Your customers have something in common with you; you both love your art.
Don’t be afraid to let your customers know what you are doing, your goals and objectives.
Customers love to know the story behind the painting. They also love to know the process.
If you are excited about your work, they will sense it.
Your art needs to be seen, the more often it is seen the more chances to sell your art.
You must be approachable.
Make it easy for your customer to purchase from you, have a variety of ways they can pay for your work.
Respect your customer’s time.
Honor your word and guarantee your work.
What tips do you have about selling art? Please share!
2k14 current footage 6052 sq. inches
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Living On A Prayer
"The outer limit of your potential is determined solely by your own beliefs and your own confidence in what you think is possible." -– Brian Tracy
We’ve all had setbacks. I have had some major ones in my life that started at a young age, especially my father dying when I was 9 years old. My mother sold our home took us out of school and moved to France. I could understand her reasoning’s, since she felt alone and needed to be with her family, but for me that was a lot to absorb. We returned to the United States six months later, due to lack of schools provided in France.
My mother worked full-time, I became a latchkey kid. I was pretty much alone and on my own.
I was brought up to survive.
I had lost my self-esteem and confidence.
We may not realize it, but what we say to others may not seem of any significance, but it may change another person’s life and I thank God for those experiences. My first experience of this was on my graduation day from high school. A simple note from my future brother-in-law saying, “Don’t stop here, the next best 4 years are ahead” had influenced me to go to college. I never believed I could or would go to college. “Wow, someone had faith in me.” It pushed me just enough to complete a two year college and then transfer to San Jose State University, where I majored in Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Believing I was a B or C student and just average, I pretty much went through the motions. I do give myself credit for getting this far, but I needed to push further.
A dramatic change occurred overnight as a result of a question from my Anatomy & Physiology teacher. He asked the class, “What do you believe about yourself that may be preventing you from succeeding?” I knew I had to be honest. I knew I had to dig deep.
I raised my hand shaking and almost in tears. “I’m a B and C student, Dr. Smith”. This was a very competitive department. I think he was so surprised that I was so honest. He told me he was going to change that belief right away. Our talk was unusual. He worked with brain-damaged patients and had first hand knowledge on what belief could do to you; the belief you had of yourself and the belief that others had for you. He reminded me that this was just a false belief and it wasn’t true. After meeting with him a few times he broke this pattern of belief. Astoundingly, from then on I got straight A’s.
Although it was fantastic to raise my grade point average, the real lesson was to question my beliefs. Are my beliefs serving me? I have realized the real strength comes from within despite what has happened in my life. I am what I believe.
Does your beliefs serve you or limit you? Is your perception of your life not true? Is your belief system working for you or against you? Do you have a self-defeating belief system?
Painting above: "Pedicab Pier 24", 36" x 36", oil on museum wrapped canvas Price $3240
2k14 current footage 5152sq. inches
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Imperfection and Beauty
“There is a kind of beauty in imperfection”-Conrad Hall
Who are we to define what beauty or perfection is?
I have wondered why artists find “beauty” in the not so beautiful.
I first realized this phenomenon in my figure drawing class. I was attracted to the models of full figure, faces of character and gnarled hands. I was attracted to the philosophical beauty. The slim, perfect beauty that is revered in our society was found boring to me in the art world.
Could perfection erase a story to be told or erase one that was once there?
Does imperfection connect us to our humanity, the realization that we are all connected?
Beauty can come with age as in an object worn from time. Beauty can be found in the humble, the modest and the mundane.
Without imperfection there cannot be perfection. One cannot exist without the other.
Finding the sublime in the not so beautiful, transfers us inward, touches our soul, through truth, honesty and depth.
Tell me your experience of finding perfection in imperfection, where imperfection becomes beauty.
2k14 current footage 3856 sq. inches
*Paintings above~SOLD
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!