My New Check Designs

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

Where to submit your greeting card designs.

I have just updated my list of greeting card companies who seek out submissions from artists and writers.

These listings include companies that have guidelines on their website and I have provided a link to that page.

Check it out at http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/10-card-publishers-artist-and-writer.html

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How to Send Large Files Digitally

Here's an important article by Joan Beiriger on sending large art files:

Art Licensing: How to Transfer Multiple & Large Hi-Res Files

[article excerpt] "...If three or more images are requested, they usually cannot be sent in one e-mail because it will most likely be rejected by the e-mail carrier. And, if a large Hi-Res layered Adobe Photoshop image needs to be sent it may be at least 250MB in size that is impossible to transfer via e-mail... " continue reading.

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Taking Pride in Our Work: Policeman and Artists

Boston honors a fallen policeman this week, and I am reminded of my own encounters with policemen.  I've found they have a unique skill where they are able to transform discipline, authority and responsibility, into spontaneity and humor when the situation requires it.  Perhaps this is because they must be open to everything, all the time.

On my first trip to New York City, my girlfriend and I saw a policeman in the middle of Broadway directing traffic.  I had this sudden urge to meet him, so I ran through the traffic, weaving in and out of taxis, which appeared to cause him alarm.

But I couldn't let this moment escape me. I thought it might be the only time in my life I would ever meet a New York City cop, who I considered one of the toughest guys in the country.  Little did I know, four years after the photo was taken, this would be proven on September 11, 2001.

While I pleaded my case in the middle of Broadway, requesting a photo, his scowling brow transformed into a gravelly laugh. And while honking cars zoomed by, he opened is gun-ready posture, gave me a bear hug and said "HEY, why NOT! It's PUUblic RElations!"( in his New York accent of course).

Once again, I witnessed that transformation taking place... from responsibility to spontaneity.  As an artist I hope to develop these same qualties in my own job.  I think they are the two elements that make our work the most complete.

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)

Adobe Suite Alternatives

Here's a great article on how to get low cost alternatives to Adobe Software for artists on a budget by Geoffrey Goetz
http://gigaom.com/2013/04/06/how-to-build-your-own-adobe-creative-suite-with-cheaper-mac-app-alternatives/#_=_

Here's an excerpt:


Through apps mostly available via the Mac App Store, you can decide which components of the software set matter most to you and build up your own custom suite over time to meet your creative needs.  Here are the best alternatives I’ve found that offer similar functionality to what is available in each of Adobe’s products.

Photoshop to Pixelmator ($14.99, Mac) By now it’s no secret that Pixelmator is one of the favorite apps on OS X for many. When you think of Photoshop, you think more than just applying filters to your images; you want to edit them. With its multilayered support, you can easily touch up and enhance your images with Pixelmator.  Many of the same tools that Photoshop users have become accustomed too are here too, like the smudge, sponge and brush tools.  Pixelmator also comes with some basic vector tools that may be all that you need from a full-featured vector editing tool like Illustrator.  For most of your day-to-day image editing needs, and at the current low price point of $15, it is hard to beat Pixelmator.

article continued...

More Street Art

Here's another piece of street art near my house...or perhaps it is mini library? I'm not quite sure.
This is a perfect way of how an artist can make people smile when they walk by on the street.

Do you have any of your own art on the street?