Golllllllllll!!!!!!!

May 152012
 

So before you all think I’ve lost my mind, let me briefly explain the the title of this here post.

If you have ever watched a soccer match on Spanish television, you’ll now that the television announcer loves to make a resounding shout whenever a player scores a goal. It’s distinctive, stays with you, and even if you don’t speak Spanish you’ll know what it means when the announcer calls out in one drawn out shout: “Golllllllllllll!”

Goal, baby.

And that’s exactly what I’m shouting these days. As of last week, in only eight days, we raised $1500! I was confident that we’d get there but never expected that we do it so quickly! What’s even more exciting is that the momentum keeps going and we are continuing to surpass our goal. As of this email, the Visions of New York Fundraising Campaign has now raised $1630 with 18 days left to go! We can still make the show even bigger and better, so if you have not already contributed, you can still do so by moseying over here.

 

In the meantime, I have been very busy putting together my packages to mail out to all of you generous contributors. All the print cutting and packaging stuffing over this weekend had me feeling like Santa Claus in May, but I mailed out the first wave of gifts this week with the rest on their way. Even though the tote bag and the postcard perks have already sold out, there are still more opportunities to contribute and no amount is too small.

Once again, thank you for all of your support, positive comments and good energy. They help me burn that midnight oil!

Until next time,

Jaimee

 

Visions of New York Fundraising Campaign–http://indiegogo.com/jtodd.

Fundraising Update

May 072012
 

Well, as you can imagine, this past week has been very eventful and has been keeping me busy in the best of ways. My fundraiser kicked off last week and it has been a fun, exciting experience. Within the first week, I’ve already raised $1,085, sold out my all of my $50 perks and we still have two and a half weeks to go!

Putting together a fundraiser is a lot of work but definitely a labor of love. Prior to the official fundraiser kick-off, I was feverishly working on putting together my promotional video. Didn’t get much sleep that week but it was well worth it because the response has been very enthusiastic and I’m so pleased the video came out the way I envisioned it. I wanted to tell a story about my relationship wtih the city, kind of like reconnecting with a lost love.

What’s also been especially fantastic about this experience is just the amount of support I received. People have really stepped up to contribute, all of them eager to see my work in person but also to see me pursue my dream. Their generosity has moved to tears at times because in many cases, people that I barely knew or only met once (or in the case of a generous contributor who gave $55 all the way from the UK) were quick to help. One of my spin instructors contributed money right on the spot after spin class.  I could not have imagined that I would raise this much money in this short amount of time. At this rate, I should be able to meet my goal and hopefully beyond! The largest support has also come from fellow artists who are looking to do the same thing and feel inspired by my campaign.

Throughout last week, I created visual updates to keep people in the loop about how far we’ve come. It’s been a lot of fun making them!

thank you train

 

  

There’s a lot more work to be done, but this labor of love has certainly lit a fire under me. Please stay tuned for more updates and if you’d like to contribute, please visit my campaign page!

Visions of New York: Fundraising Campaign

May 012012
 

First and foremost, I’m beyond giddy and excited to be able to tell you that I will be doing my first solo photography show this July 28, 2012 at the Brooklyn Artists Gym! For those of you who known how badly I have wanted to do this, you can understand how much this means to me. Not only will I be sharing my photography with the public, but I will be doing it in my favorite place in the whole world: New York City.

Ever since I was a little girl, I was captivated by New York life and dreamed of making a life here as an artist. While my art career has taken an unconventional path, I found my way to the city that I love and have been documenting my experience through photography ever since. Visions of New York is my way of sharing that experience and since pictures speak a thousand words, why don’t you check out my promotional video on YouTube and let the images do the talking!

 

Fundraising Campaign:

Because this is a self-produced event, I am raising money to help with the costs via my online campaign on Indiegogo. My goal is to raise $1500 by June 1.

Here is how your contributions will help:

  • Pay the remaining deposit for gallery space at the lovely Brooklyn Artists Gym.
  • Developing and printing high quality giclee prints for display and sale.
  • Matting and framing for large scale prints.
  • High quality paper and ink for postcard prints that I will be making and cutting myself
  • Event marketing and promotion
  • Postcards, event business cards, promotional items (fun stuff like tote bags, buttons)
  • Promotional ads in local papers
  • Display signs
  • Media kits and personalized invitations
  • Refreshments (because what’s an art show without good wine and food?)

Perks

And to show my appreciation for your support, I’ll be offering perks for contributions. Some of these include:

  • A very honorable mention on my campaign site as a backer and a special place in my heart.
  • Hand-signed postcard prints sets of my vibrant Subway Stories miniseries.
  • The very cool very eco-friendly tote-bag featuring  the “Who is Jaimee Todd?” logo.
  • A mini photo-album/scrapbook featuring images of the actual show that you helped support.
  • Knowing that you helped make a lifelong dream come true!

Visions of New York is also an important project because it will demonstrate that artists can have a successful art career without gallery representation or formal training. My hope is that this project will encourage other artists to produce their own art events.

Spread the Word

Even if you are unable to contribute, this campaign’s success relies on getting the word out, so please share with your friends, family members, co-workers and colleagues. Just think, if 100 people contribute as little as $15.00 each, we can make this happen! Help my vision become a reality by donating to my Visions of New York Campaign!

Gratitude

Last but definitely not least (I know, this is one of my longer newsletters), I want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me in my artistic pursuits. Your encouragement and positivity have helped make this journey a wonderful adventure. I’m looking forward to to traveling this road with you in the many days ahead.  This show is just the beginning.

Until next time,

Jaimee

Fan Photos-More New York City Love

Apr 192012
 

One of my biggest collectors, Frank, has no problem telling me that he’s not a huge fan of New York City. Being that he’s not a city person, he tends to avoid places like Gotham as much as can. In spite of his aversion, Frank loves my street photography because he told me that it makes New York feel like an altogether different place, a place that he wants to know. I take that as a big compliment! Here are three of the latest prints that he bought.

(From left to right) Riding the El, Astoria Bridge, Brooklyn

 

Thanks for sharing your NY Love, Frank and I’m digging the frames!

These three pieces will also be one of the many photographs available for display and sale at my upcoming show July 28th! In the meantime, if you can’t make to NYC for the show, you can always order customizable prints by emailing me at jaimee@jaimeetodd.com.

And Now It’s Official

Apr 152012
 

So as of Friday the 13th (my lucky day), I am officially having my first solo show July 28th at the Brooklyn Artists Gym! The gallery director was really pleased and impressed with my photography portfolio and was eager to help me bring my vision to reality. Having secured the space has put such a sense of peace over me even though I know have a ton of work ahead of me. Maybe it’s because I feel like the hardest part is done and now I can just work on putting on a good show.  Maybe it’s also because when someone asks me if I have an upcoming show, I can say, “Yes, this coming July!”

I don’t want to really reveal too much about the theme just yet but I will tell you that this will be a self-produced show and I will be working with a local charity, as I love doing art for a cause. But  most of all, I’m so excited…hence my thumbs-up-I’m-so-geeked-grin that you see here:

 

Cheesin'!

There will be exciting news to come and probably more images of me cheesing, fussing but most of all, enjoying the process and the journey.

 

 

 

 

 

The Low-Down Artist Commission

Apr 052012
 

I recently started my newest photography project for one of my biggest patrons, Elle. I really enjoy taking on her projects because it allows me to explore new creatives avenues via my photography style. Sometimes, however, taking on commissions can be a bit harrowing. A lot of my fellow artist friends usually balk at taking them on and after talking to them and drawing from my own experiences, a few ideas as to why this happens come to mind:

The Burger King Approach:

Remember those Burger King commercials from back in the day where they had that famous slogan “Your way, right away?” Great motto to have in mind when ordering that whopper but it really doesn’t apply when commissioning an artist. Some patrons treat art commissions like they’re hamburger orders. They dictate every nuance of the work so much so that want it no longer feels like artist has the creative freedom that is necessary to work. A fellow photographer friend of mine told me that he hated taking on photography commissions because his patrons frequently constrained the creative freedom that he needs to do his work. I think that unless you’ve both agreed that it’s going to be a creative collaboration, you have to stand back and let the artist work. Having faith in an artist’s abilities can really pay off, which leads me to my next point….

Not Respecting an Artist’s Style

When I tell people that I’m an artist and they seem interested in my work, I immediately hand over my business card to give them an idea of the kind of work I do.  Sometimes this doesn’t work because people’s ears seem to kind of glaze over when they hear “artist” and they expect you to create what they want in a style totally unlike your own. For example, someone who visited my site came up to me the following day complaining that he didn’t really like my abstract paintings and that he was more into landscapes and paintings of French countrysides. Rather than respecting the fact that we had different tastes, he went on to insist that I should paint him a French countryside, “Monet-style”. Changing my style just to make him happy with be inauthentic; I don’t do inauthentic and neither should any artist.

Not Really Having a Clue as To What You Want:

I really hate this one. I do. These are for people who want to brag to their friends that they’re commissioning an artist to do a painting for them or something without really knowing what they want. It just sounds cool. It’s also highly annoying because, aside from being the complete opposite of the Burger King Approach, it is also likely to backfire on you and the commissioner when the end product doesn’t meet their standards. I had someone beg me to paint something for them after they glanced at some of my works. I asked her what she wanted and her response was, “Oh, I don’t know, it could be anything. I know I’ll just LOVE whatever it is you’ll do.” Being a clueless 18-year-old, I went ahead to do a watercolor painting that was not at all what this person wanted. How do I know? Because when she saw the piece, she twisted up her face and said something about how she was expecting me to do something else.  When I went over her house a month or so later, I saw the painting shoved in the corner on the floor, tucked away behind some stacks of clothes. What she really wanted was a print of another piece that I had done. It would’ve been better if she had told me that from the get-go before I put in the effort of creating the other piece.

Not Wanting to Pay The Artist What They’re Worth:

I know times are tight and you are not trying to mortgage your house to have a nice piece of art but creating art is work, whether it’s a painting or a photography commission. Artists have to account for cost of materials, time, equipment and plain labor. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of haggling, but trying to stiff or short-change an artist is not cool. I try to be very upfront with my commission prices and I usually find it  pretty helpful to give a flat price when it comes to paintings and hourly rates for photographers. It does get hairy, though when people start nagging me about how many hours it will take and saying over and over that they don’t want to pay too much or get gouged. Ouch! It’s okay to state that you’re on a budget but walking into an agreement with that kind of presumption that the artist is out to gouge you can set a negative tone for the commission. This is when having a written agreement comes in really handy because both parties are mutually protected. Add to that, I’d also suggest that artists ask for a deposit before starting the work. This has worked very well for me and it  lets the patron know that you mean business. It will also increase the likelihood that you won’t have as much trouble collecting final payment when the work is completed.

Being commissioned to create a piece can be a flattering and exciting experience when there’s mutual respect between the artist and the patron but it can be a real drag when there isn’t. These are just my thoughts about the difficulties with taking on commissions. What are your thoughts?

Artist Misery

Apr 022012
 

I went to a great artist networking event over the weekend and during the presentation, the speaker showed us this funny slide that has been making the rounds on the internet. Do any of these apply to you?

 

 

Red Planet

Mar 292012
 

©Jaimee Todd

 

Oh, how I love my abstractions! It’s always wondrously amazing and fun how a shot taken with a camera can produce an effect that mimics an abstract painting or phenomena from outer space. In this case, this close-up of the bottom of a cooking pan under the right light looks like an angry red planet. I did a little toying around with some of Stevie’s photo-editing programs and enhanced the second image so it looks even more stellar.I was pretty happy with the dramatic effect.

©Jaimee Todd

Artists and The Business of Doing Art

Mar 222012
 

Last night I went to a talk hosted by WNYC’s Leonard Lopate at the Greene Space that was a discussion about what it’s like to be an artist in New York City. I had been pretty excited to go to the event all week and apparently I wasn’t alone; the event completely sold out.

The vast majority of the audience members were fellow artists who seemed eager to unearth some insight about what it takes to be successful in the Art Capitol of the World. All of the panelists were well known artists that include the likes of Fred Wilson and Jean Shin as well as  curator Sean Kelly from the Whitney Museum of Art. Many of the comments were interesting, some amusing, but a lot of what was said didn’t seem new to me.

My biggest issue with the event was that it was told from a perspective from people who had “made it” in art world; i.e. they had gone to art school and had gone on to have their works featured in major museums, art galleries and were selling or being commissioned by people with deep pockets. What about people like me, who didn’t go to art school and have decided not to wait for validation for galleries and are making fostering their own art career, grass roots style?

Aside from this qualm, I did appreciate a few points that were made about some artist realities. Peter Campus, one of the featured artists observed that the artist world has become too “artist-oriented” in that students feel like they should become stars and making art becomes less important. His point goes back to a fundamental ideal about artists; that they create because they feel they have to, not because it will make them famous but because it’s about self-expression. Nowadays, everyone is caught up in being on the front page of every magazine or being the toast of the town. His point reminds me of an idea I was getting that in a prior post.

Another good point that artist Joan Snyder made was that the astronomical cost of living in New York City made it impossible for artists to devote a significant time to their creations because they were too busy trying to make a living. She argued that artists need that solitary, uninterrupted time to create. While that’s true, I still don’t believe that it diminishes you as an artist. What makes you an artist is not the fact that you do it as a 9-5, it’s the fact that you’re doing it, period. Making a living from your art is a luxury that many of us can’t afford, no matter where we live.

The overall panel was informative but what I really took away with from it was that you don’t need a bunch of curators, collectors and other artists to determine whether or not you’re an artist. You don’t need a gallery show to validate your abilities (and here’s a little tidbit of information that I learned last night: collectors and gallerists usually rely on other collectors and fellow artists recommendations to “discover” potential artists for their shows). You have to make your career and your passion what you want it to be, even if it means hosting your own shows and creating your own opportunities.

So with that said, take my observations with a grain of salt and go create and share!

It was a Dark and Foggy Night

Mar 222012
 

Shadows & Fog, ©Jaimee Todd

 

Last night’s air was thick with fog. The heavy moisture hung in the air like a thick curtain, plunging the City into a shadowy, mysterious world. For me, it was a photographer’s paradise. As I crossed the street in my neighborhood, I couldn’t resist capturing the soft glow of the street lights that blanketed the fog-drenched images of people darting across the street.

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