3.29.2011

Finally...something has happened, but it still feels like a whole lot of nothing

I was finally able to get my hands on a decent camera with which to photograph some of my undergrad work with as well as some drawings for some current projects (which are side quests second to my current project at Atlanta Printmaker's Studio due at the end of June).

Still no personal website but I got back onto Inkteraction which is like a facebook/online social network for printmakers and should be fairly useful to me provided I actually use it like I'm supposed to. The pictures are all uploaded there and can be viewed here.

In the mean time, I'll probably be much better about updating my tumblr which I will be using to advertise other artist's websites and other fun tidbits I find on the web so check that out because it's bound to be a lot more interesting than my ramblings here. My current project is to relay the websites of all the awesome printmakers I met at SGC 2011. It's always an incredible experience and opportunity and I always feel deeply ashamed by my own work ethic when I attend, which is always the best motivation when I return home. So now I'm trying to kick my own butt into high gear while also contemplating spending too much money (is it ever too much for art?) on a summer workshop at Frogman's Press. I've pretty much decided to go for it but haven't decided on a class yet, so we will see.

By the way, if you're interested in seeing all the awesome craziness that was SGC then you should check out Printeresting's coverage of it...they always do the best job.

Otherwise, I have a job which will only take away from time in the studio but allow me to purchase things like Frogman's and hefty amounts of copper, wood, and duramount.

3.04.2011

Current Project: Self Promotion and Social Networking Basics

Well, I started this blog...artist's blog...I've been trying to navigate the vast array of social networking tools available on the web with the help of my twin sister. I'm not good at this stuff; I am not a clever writer like her, I tend to ramble and type in run on sentences but we both agreed I should probably have a website and a blog and all that twitter/tumblr/facebook stuff to market my art, you know, in case I ever want to sell it.

So I've slowly been doing that. I have accounts for most of these things and I've been trying to figure out how to connect them all, preferably so I'll have to deal with them as little as possible independently (read: when I update one thing I want everything to get updated automatically). The easiest and most appealing to use is tumblr. But I guess I'll have to start coming up with things to write here.

Topics will vary: artists, my projects and work, art events I am going to/wish I was going to, other blogs, etc etc. I've got a nice little blog roll going already so thats good and I've got a long list of artists I want to look up and share the work of so that'll be easy too.

The main problem now is also my lack of photo taking equipment. A friend is lending me his super nice camera so I'll have a website with actual pictures soon and otherwise I'll be snapping photos with my craptastic digital camera.

The other main thing behind all these is the development of some sort of artistic persona. This was also something I brought up with my sister which is how she came up with the title of the blog. We figure, displaying and marketing myself as an artist should include how I present myself personally. I was talking to her about how artists used to be like celebrities...maybe they are and I'm just not in that circle (as it is I am technically and "emerging" artist which means I actually haven't gotten any important shows or anything). But I know/feel that certain aspects of my personality will have to be let go if I want to be successful, particularly my self-deprecation. I'm as much a product as my art is so this will definitely be interesting.

Zinka is just a name I've used for online accounts since middle school. Can't remember where I came up with it but I think it might be the remains of a favorite Anime character's name spelled backwards and altered to sound better. Go figure.

Yay for first post.