Graduation Card for Techies

Here is a sample from Leanin' Tree of my new graduation card.

My New Check Designs

Just received proofs today of my check designs today.  They are now live at CheckAdvantage.

Publish Your Own Children's "E-Book"

If you have designed a children's book and can't get the attention of a publisher, consider publishing it yourself and selling it in an eBookstore (Amazon, Apple iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, etc). 

If you want to see what an ebook looks like on an eReader, download some free children's books and see what others are doing. 

If you don't have a Kindle, all you need to do is download a free app so you can read them on almost any other device (tablets, cellphones, desktop computers). 

These are the top free children's books today on Amazon.  Since they are free, it is a good way to preview how other people have designed and published children's ebooks. To see a list of the top 100 free Children's books on Animals, make sure you look at the list on the RIGHT that says "Top 100 Free." Then download them.

Note: Free book listings change daily.  

 How to Download a free children's ebook:

1. Go to the page with free listings on the right side.. 

2. Click on a book you like, and then select where you want it to be delivered.  In this sample, I can choose where I want to read it (on a variety of multiple devices and on my computer).  In this example below, I'm selecting my Kindle.

4. If you don't have a kindle or any of these listing available, then download a free app to read on multiple devices.

Learn more about self publishing ebooks

1.check out this free guide:

2. Read article about Patti Gay publishing her first children's ebook:

Artist Publishes Children's book for E-Readers (Kindle and Nook)

Please Steal This Art #3

Instead of a "bad hair" day, have you ever have a "bad art" day? Here's a little inspiration when things feel frustrating.  Feel free to  print out, pass on, edit, or put on your website or blog.
: ) -Kate

Do Copyright Laws Help us or Hurt us?

Sometimes "copyright infringement" is a hot button topic with artists, but copyright law is changing fast in the digital age -- and not always for the artist's benefit.

If you try to access or share some media content, you can be charged with a criminal felony of violating a copyright.

I am particularly concerned about content that was initially funded by tax payers, but is now being restricted by private companies for a profit.  Aaron Swartz was someone who fought these kind of copyright laws, and it led to a tragic ending.

Today, if you download pictures of  Disney characters without permission, and then share it with your friends for fun, according to current copyright laws, you might face a felony, fines, and 35 years of prison.  One has to ask:  Who wrote these laws? And for whose benefit?  

It is highly unlikely they were written for independent artists and musicians.

Oddly enough, I have never heard of a case where the federal government stepped in to protect an artist when their work was stolen. These cases normally end up in civil court. No one usually goes to jail.

As artists, we need to examine both sides of copyright law and look deeper into these issues and investigate how these laws effect us, and our access to resources.  We may be worried about someone stealing our picture and reproducing it, but I'm equally worried about copyright laws being enforced in such an irrational way, that it shuts down an entire generation of creativity in a society. 

~

Have you filed your copyright?

Have you filed your copyrights for all the art you've created this year? For only $35 you can file your images digitally online at http://www.copyright.gov/eco/




Kate's tips:

• Have the Tutorial open on your screen while you go through the application process, otherwise it's easy to get sidetracked and go down the wrong road, especially when a lot of their examples are oriented towards musicians & video producers.

• There is a hour time limit for downloading, so it's best to have your art ready before you get on the site. Make copies of your art files, reduce their file sizes and put them all in one folder on the desktop. That way, they are ready to download and easy to find. I reduced each image down to 100-500K range.

Have any tips of your own? Leave them in the comments below or write to me directly and I'll add them on this post.

Before using the service, read

eCO Acceptable File Types,

eCO Tips,

eCO FAQs, or eCO Tutorial (PowerPoint) eCO Tutorial (PDF).

For recently added features, see eCO Updates

Articles on Copyrights

Fear of Getting Your Art Stolen? Look at the Numbers

How to Register You Copyrights Digitally

Artist Protects Copyright Through Twitter

The 10 Key Points That Must Be In Every Licensing Agreement

Protecting Your Designs with Watermark Tools

Photoshop Tip: How to create a customized signature brush

Protecting Your Art: Interview with Alyson B. Stanfield

How to protect your assets in a licensing agreement

Free Booklets from the Copyright Office

PDF Copyright BasicsPDF Registering a Copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office
PDF Make Sure Your Application Will Be Acceptable
PDF Cartoons and Comic Strips
PDF Have a Question About Copyright Registration?
PDF Make Sure Your Application Will Be Acceptable
PDF Publications on Copyright
PDF Copyright Notice

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Copyright Books for Artists

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The Copyright Zone: A Legal Guide For Photographers and Artists In The Digital Age If you license or publish images, this guide is as indispensable as your camera. It provides specific information on the legal rights of photographers, illustrators, artists, covering intellectual property, copyright, and business concerns in an easy-to-read, accessible manner. The Copyright Zone, Second Edition covers: what is and isn’t copyrightable, copyright registration, fair use, model releases, contracts and invoices, pricing and negotiation, and much more. 






Legal Guide for the Visual Artist This book provides legal guidance for any visual artist involved with creative work. Topics covered: developments in copyright, artists in artist-gallery relationships, First Amendment protections for graffiti art and the sale of art in public spaces, cases dealing with art and privacy, model contract for Web site design. The book also covers copyrights, moral rights, contracts, licensing, sales, special risks and protections for art and artists, book publishing, video and multimedia works, leases, taxation, estate planning, museums, collecting, grants, and how to find the best professional advisers and attorneys. In addition, the book teaches strategies for negotiation, gives information to help with further action, contains many sample legal forms and contracts, and shows how to locate artists' groups and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organizations. 

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Follow Me Through the Papergirl Art Show (1 minute)

Follow me through the Papergirl art show at the Incline Gallery in San Francisco (I'm in the green jacket with backpack).

This will give you a sense walking through three stories of art held up with clothespins on inclined walls amidst fans who like to ride bicycles (1 minute).

My Street Art on a Berkeley Utility Box

The City of Berkeley has decorated their utility boxes with art through a program called Street's Alive. The only requirement is the theme had to have something to do with "sustainability."Me and my friend Marie both were awarded grants to do this. (Yes, you've heard Marie before  when we painted fire hydrants). The only requirement is the theme had to have something to do with "sustainability."

 It goes to show you, if you just APPLY to art call-outs, you will get them!

Here are the results:

TITLE: Four Contemplations

~

This art is actually a thin film that was digitally generated from the art. It is then glued onto the box.  

It is easier to clean, the art is protected, and it can be regenerated in case of damage.

 

View of street, intersection of University Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Right across from Trader Joe's  (in the background)! 

ARTIST STATEMENT (We were asked to write one)

If we could see the end result of every small action we take everyday, our entire world would change. This is because our behavior would change. This is why I like to use words in my art: so that we can reflect on our actions, even if it is just for one second.
I put four contemplations in four directions on my box, to greet four types of people at a busy intersection:

• "Be Mindful" is for the pedestrian approaching the intersection, to remind them that even simple tasks are best done with great attention.
• "Be Courageous" is for cyclists and drivers waiting at the stop signal, who might be distracted by challenges they are facing.
• "Be a Steward of the Earth" is for the lingerer who might stop to look at the art, and wants to think more carefully about their actions and why they matter.
• "You Can Make a Difference" is for the pedestrian who just finished crossing the street, who now can leap forward with confidence.

(photos by Peter Mui)

How to Give Away Art to Random Strangers via Bicycle

Two friends and I are submitting our art to "PaperGirl" this year, a community project that distributes art by bicycle, freely and at random, to people in the streets of San Francisco.

Here is the art piece I'm submitting.  I'm making 25 copies and hand signing each one.

On November 2nd there is an art gallery show that will display one piece from each artist.

 (photo credit: http://hannahspeltbackwards.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/papergirl/)

Then on November 11th we will get on bicycles and hand out the art to strangers on the street.

(photo credit: http://papergirlns.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html)

 (Photo credit:http://papergirlcardiff.blogspot.com/2011/11/special-delivery-papergirl-returns-to.html)

Here is the bike route in San Francisco:

Want to join us? For more information see:

Papergirl San Francisco website: http://www.papergirl-sf.com/participate.html

My Painted Fire Hydrants -- Finished.

Here are the final results of my painting the street fire hydrants.  I learned a lot!  See the process in my last blog post.

 

This hydrant is next to an elementary school, 

and the kids would come and talk to me during their recess and tell me their pet stories.

 

This hydrant is next to a great Tapas bar called "Fonda."  

The bottom of the hydrant reads "Follow the road to Albany."

 

My bike helmet matches my hydrant!

 

This hydrant was the hardest because of all the layers of colors and shapes.  

Each color takes 24 hours to dry, so painting one color top of another took a lot of planning.

~

This is my favorite because I like to add humor and introspection into art and I also like words.

The flowers were painted using a kitchen sponge and handmade stencil.

 

My instructions from the city is that I should not paint the caps (green ones)
 because the colors are a code that tells the fire department
how many gallons of water is in each type of hydrant. 

--

Free on Friday: Amazon Book on Cover Design

Readers:
I am offering my new 65-page ebook for free on Amazon called "How to Design an Ebook cover: For a Non-Designer." This will be available on Friday only.

How To Download:  On Friday, September 7th, click on the link. The purchase price in the Amazon store will be "free".

(I also welcome any free feedback, opinions, and brutal honesty for improvements!)

 

You can read this on a Kindle, Android, Blackberry, Mac, Ipad, Iphone and a computer by using the following apps:

Free Book Today on the "Sharing Economy"

I just finished writing a book on Peer-to-Peer Sharing, a directory of new ways people use the mobile web to connect to each other in order to exchanges goods and services.

This ebook is available today for free at http://goo.gl/p9pci on Amazon. It can be read on multiple mobile devices and your computer.

For artists, some of these groups are quite relevant like Skillshare.com (for teaching art classes) and Kickstarter (for acquiring funds for art projects) I have collected over 100 unusual organizations I find personally interesting that are involved in this new emerging economy.


Book Description:
Peer-to-Peer sharing is happening all around us. By using the social web and mobile apps we can meet up with like-minded people all over the country to borrow items, save money, make money, or help out an organization. We can swap clothes, find a taxi mate, rent out parking space, or lead our own specialized tour that goes off the beaten path.

This guide is a list of peer-to-peer networks that:

-Exchange goods or services.
-Is conducted through a website or mobile app.
-Allows the recipient to save money, giver to make money from underutilized goods.
-In some cases items are free and can be borrowed.
-These groups encourage less consumption and waste, and have a positive impact on the environment.

~

Bay Area Licensing Artists Now Have a Website!

Over the years the Bay Area Licensing Artists group has been a source of inspiration and motivation for me. We share art and celebrate our accomplishments! Here are a few snapshots one of our events. check out our new website.

Howard Mackey, watercolor artist chats with guest Ni

Patti Gay just got her samples of a new product she created called Amanda and Max

Dianne Woods (host of meetings, also photographer and licenses animal images) and Nan Smith (fabric designer and also does canvas art and cards)

Ginger McCleskey and Kate Harper (me).

Ginger was one of my first sales reps who I credit much of my success to. She taught me a lot about the card business.

~

Artists Leaving Pinterest: Copyright Infringement and Unathorized Print Reproductions

*UPDATE to this article. Pinterest is changing some of their terms.



Some artists are becoming more concerned about copyright issues and legal liability when posting and sharing images on the Pinterest social networking website, particularly because of Pinterests vague legal agreement that says they have rights to reproduce any images you post.

According to Dave Copland on ReadWriteWeb, any user who submits content to Pinterest, gives the worldwide, royalty-free, transferable license to use, copy and distribute their content. And the user agreement indemnifies them against any copyright claims. Pinterest also reserves the right to sell content submitted by users.

This is something to be aware of, since Pinterest drives more traffic than Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined. It recently hit 10 million unique monthly views faster than any standalone site in U.S. history. (see http://tinyurl.com/82qo2y3)

To learn more about how artists feel about this issue, check out the conversation currently going on in a Linkedin Group The Art of Licensing with several viewpoints and article references. Here are just a few:


Is Pinterest a Haven for Copyright Violations?http://greekgeek.hubpages.com/hub/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations

Why I Tearfully Deleted my Pinterest Inspiration Boards
http://ddkportraits.com/2012/02/why-i-tearfully-deleted-my-pinterest-inspiration-boards/#comment-143

Pinterest - three reasons for not using it

http://artists-bill-of-rights.org/news/campaign-news/pinterest-%11-our-view-of-this-project/

Artists upset with Pinterest over Copyright Issues

http://faso.com/fineartviews/40558/artists-upset-with-pinterest-over-copyright-issues-and-alleged-copyright-infringement

4 Things Pinterest isn't Saying
http://tinyurl.com/7nx3lgs

Pinterest's Predicament: Legal Issues Prevent Social Media Maturity
http://kbhilferlaw.com/pinterests-predicament-legal-issues-prevent-social-media-maturity/http://kbhilferlaw.com/pinterests-predicament-legal-issues-prevent-social-media-maturity/

A Lawyer Who Is Also A Photographer Just Deleted All Her Pinterest Boards Out Of Fear
http://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-copyright-issues-lawyer-2012-2#ixzz1oAviIcfD

3 Ways Pinterest Can Damage Your Small Business
http://bit.ly/xz9PgC
Hey Photographers - Pinterest in not for you!
http://bit.ly/Ai4vtX
Is the Pinterest Problem Really a Problem?
http://bit.ly/wS4CFb

--

Art Licensing Interviews

Check out these interviews about Art Licensing:

When Religious Faith Meets Licensing

Surfboard Artist Talks about Art Licensing

Interview with Licensing Artist Patti Gay

Great Images from Italian Publisher & Artist

Interview with Licensing Artist Sara Henry

Artist BJ Lantz Talks About Licensing

Interview with Card Artist Valéry Goulet

Sean Kane: Fun Designs from Bikes to Teapots

File copyrights in 15 mintues!

I filed copyrights for 108 greeting card designs in about 15 minutes while watching the Super Bowl. I'm so glad the copyright office accepts digital images online! Normally this would have been an all day event. Here's how to do it: http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/copyright-filing-time.html

The Art of Photography in Licensing

Here's a nice interview with Dianne Woods, licensing artist (who also creates some adorable imagery with animals). Here's an excerpt...read entire article here

© Dianne Woods

In your view, what's a key/most important quality to develop as a licensing artist in order to succeed in this design field? Have the emotional wherewithal to hear requests for changes to your art and the technical skill to execute them promptly. If your art is rejected, and it will be, don't take it personally. Rejection is not necessarily a statement about the quality of your work – it's more likely a statement about market trends. Art licensing is a business. Be persistent.

What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field? A topic frequently explored on artist and licensing blogs is the tendency for artists to become isolated. While solitude can be a great contributor to the creative process, it can also make you a little loopy.

My solution has been to join a group here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We meet once a month to discuss the industry, review portfolios, give and listen to feedback, get inspired, vent frustrations, hear guest speakers, swap technical tips, and just generally be connected and enjoy each other's company. ...read entire article here

How to Use Social Media in Art Licensing

Here is a must-read article by Lance Klass.  Here's an excerpt...

I've discovered that each of these five components – main art portfolio site, art business blog, Facebook business page, Twitter, and LinkedIn – tends to support my overall effort to promote the works of my artists and thereby bring in new licenses for their art. One of my approaches to using social media for free publicity is to debut a new art collection on my art portfolio site, put an image or two from that collection with a promotional description on Facebook, send out tweets about the new collection to my followers on Twitter and occasionally I'll even discuss it on my blog or put a notice about it on LinkedIn as well.  I do love free publicity. article continued...

2 New Art Licensing Tips

1. The Moon from My Attic is a relatively new art licensing blog that has an interview with Carol Van Zandt today, who has some good tips on licensing.

2. Joan Beiriger also has an article worth checking out on How to make an artist-oriented business plan.

LINKS

The Mood from My Attic http://creativeconceptsdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/01/surface-and-textile-design-in-licensing.html

Joan Beiriger's Art Licensing Blog http://joanbeiriger.blogspot.com/2012/01/art-licensing-importance-in-having.html

Art Licensing Seminar Jan 28

I just got this info about a licensing seminar. It looks exciting! For more info see: http://www.karenembry.com/The-New-Dynamics-of-Art-Licensing.html

DYNAMICS OF ART LICENSING
Presented by Karen Embry, Phyllis Dobbs and Brenda Pinnick

Karen, Phyllis and Brenda are presenting an art licensing business seminar designed to deliver honest, first- hand knowledge, tips, advice and insight. In this seminar they will share with you how the playing field has drastically changed over the last several years, what you need to do to succeed and the challenges you need to understand before investing your time, energy and money.

As an optional add-on, they are also offering a private, one on one consultation for portfolio viewing. You will get to peek inside their own portfolio "books" to see what their clients see and which art got them the deals! They will look at your art, discuss what categories it might fit and give you honest advice about color, styling, themes, etc. This is a one-time only opportunity at the low, low price they are offering.

The seminar will take place on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, then 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm for private consults. (this is after CHA meet and greet so there is no overlap or conflicts) Where – The Annabella Hotel, Azalea Room, Anaheim, CA It runs concurrent to the CHA Show dates and in close proximity to the convention, but does not conflict with any CHA events. This is an excellent opportunity for those attending CHA to have the option to attend the seminar since they would already be at the convention, but wouldn't have to incur any additional travel expenses. There is also an early bird discount for those that purchase their NEW Dynamics of Art Licensing seminar ticket by January 14, 2012. Portfolio consultation & art review times are scheduled according to the date of ticket purchase.