Studio news update

Art portfolio- my work

Dear friends,

I am happy to announce that I will be sending out a link to view my very first studio-digital-exhibition in my next once-a-month-newsletter!

What newsletter you may ask?

Well for a while now I have been using an engine called ‘mailchimp’ to send out news from my studio to a collector’s list that I have build up over the years, thanks to emails I received enquiring about my work via this and other platforms. I try and send only one newsletter – usually from the last week or the first week of a month.  That same newsletter might end up published here as well, but usually a week or so after the original goes out, and sometimes edited.

That gives my trusty collectors the latest news first 😉

You might also notice that sometimes the content/photos published here are the same as on Instagram or Twitter too…but hey, different strokes for different folks…..

I’m learning as I go…which reminds me that I have to learn how to create a ‘landing page’ for my newsletters.  Just a way of trying to keep it simple when balancing studio with professional and personal life. Thanks for your patience.

What I enjoy about the mailchimp newsletters is that since it’s private I often get a response directly from you! and it was in during an email conversation after one newsletter that my collector planted the seed for my very own ‘studio-digital-exhibtion’. – Which I will tell you more about it in the next few weeks

What I like about using this blog is that it serves as an extension of my ‘headquaters.’ Sometimes it is playful, sometimes it is serious or sometimes even short and to the point.  It is a trusted, easy to manage website. From this point I send out my posts to Twitter and Linkedin.

What I like about Instagram is that it host some amazing communities of artists, artlovers, embroiderers, and friends.  It is quick, easy to access while on the go. It is global. Its like a mini website for me.

I do not make use of Facebook.

For now this is how I manage my online prescence until the ‘artworld figures out how to present itself like the VR experiences on Playstation  etc. for example Fortnite 😉 Wouldn’t that be fun??!

so my dear friends, if you’d like to receive my ‘once-a-month-studio-newsletter’, please pop me an email, alternatively I will see you here x

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social, to be or not to be…

press, Studio news/blog

This month marks my 1 year absence from Facebook.

Jeez, it sounds like those Alcoholics Anonymous confessions, but hang on… I’m not going to bore you with the details about the pro’s and con’s, all the reasons, doubts and fears from deciding on which social media platforms to use or not to use etc.

I have family members and friends that still enjoy using fb, and sometimes they send me images, or reminders that things are happening regardless of one is on it or not.

My brother send me this image he saw on fb:

Jip…my sculptures are hanging out with the Queen of Rock in South Africa, and believe that they are having a ball of a time.

If only sculptures could talk 😉

P.S think it is quite appropriate that the title of the sculpture featured is:

Exit to Exist

P.P.S…..I freakin’ love this song ….for all apparent reasons 😉

 

to website or not to website

Art portfolio- my work

Happy New Year everybody! and thank you for visiting my blog from time to time….

IMG_20151205_211742

Initially I started out this blog because I wanted to “present” my work and connect with a wider audience.  I wanted to get it out there on the world wide web, but didn’t know how. Around 2011/2012 someone told me about this (wordpress) platform – and so I thought it might be easier and more fun than to maintain a website….which it is.

At some stage I realised that it’s not so user friendly to some who wanted to see my portfolio or to view images of my work as a whole- so after a while I started a Facebook page…but  found myself posting and sharing all kinds of stuff, then I started to use Instagram as a substitute for a website, ah but I took and shared all kind of photos…I also tried my hand at a Wix website, but it wasn’t so user friendly (I have to figure out how to delete it)- and now finally I made a WordPress one! :

www.htaute.wordpress.com

I started the above mentioned site from the year 2014: the year of my first solo where I used rubber as a medium. Wondering if I should include images of my work from the 10 years prior to 2013/4?

How do I want to present my work? and what makes a good website? Less is more?

I also wonder if a website is really necessary?  and if so why?

Should I rather save and approach a ‘professional’ website designer to design one for me?

This month I will think about the above questions and also ponder on how I will use my time – because sometimes its hard to juggle all the social media platforms (or to use it wisely)…but surely it is most important to be productive in the studio!

You are welcome to share your thoughts on websites.

and I wish you all a creative, playful and prosperous 2016!