Sketchbook Friday: Dreads and Muffin Fluffs

My friend Dorianne McCreary posts all kinds of great items that she makes and sells on etsy. On my way to work very briefly, I saw her profile picture (see below) and I have the image of dreads and muffin fluffs stuck in my head all shift long. When I got a chance to grab my sketchbook I tried to recall what I had seen. I was a little off, but pretty close. I liked the dreads and the flowers, which in my mind were more like decorative muffin fluffs. Either way, this sketchbook friday post is dedicated to Dorianne and her DoosOddistuffies store.

Each Friday at noon I scan in one new sketch or drawing from one of my many sketchbooks. Many times my sketches are ideas for larger projects that you might find on my fine art website William Hessian dot com, or as projects right here on my Bearded Bunny art blog. If you enjoy these sketches make sure to also see my Favorite 20 sketches from 2011 or go back and check out all of the sketchbook friday posts.

If you want to own some of my work, you can always find great deals on my artwork and stickers at my Etsy shop.  Do not forget to subscribe to my blog and never miss another post.

Star Wars Bunnies!

Happy Easter! 

All bearded bunnies are for sale on William Hessian's Etsy Shop

                                                                 Stormtrooper Bunny

Chewbacca Bunny

Darth Vader Bunny

Princess Leia Bunny

Lando Calrissian Bunny

Bob Dylan Bunny

Carrot Bunny Easter

Glitter Butterfly Bunny

Caveman Bunny

Special deal on these bunnies available right now: William Hessian's Etsy Shop

10 drawings o sketches o random art for 10 dollars

Moving Day Special



i am moving again
which means i need to move stacks and stacks of drawings/sketches that keep following me wherever I go

i need less things
and more money

i decided to list 10 drawings for 10 dollars on my etsy
this might be the best deal for my original art ever
act now before i run out of drawings

what you will be getting is a random assortment of original art which will vary from the last 5 years of my life. these will probably include drawings, sketches, paintings, sculptures and may include other various things.

support a self supporting artist and invest in original works that may be important later on in my career.

Three Sided Voulkos Vase

Whenever I have access to clay and a kiln I love to make things. Sometimes I will make non-functional things, sometimes I will make kitty banks, and I love making odd statues or figurines. When I was in college (2000-2004) I experimented with very thin slab build cups and vases, although it was always I side project. This year I had a few minutes to make a new vase, this time it comes after being influences by Peter Voulkos, the great ceramic artist. I saw two of his grand sculptures at the Walker Art Center, and his works were true abstract genius. They seemed to be paintings merged with three dimensional forms; I loved them.

Here's the actual 5 foot sculpture I feel in love with:



While I know I cannot replicate the genius that is Voulkos, I did try use a similar raw abstract approach to the design of my little vase. I can tell that I could love the process of creating abstract ceramic works, and have applied this approach to drawing as well. I did only create this one Voulkos study and the result is this blog. The actual vase is sold on my etsy shop like most of my little creations.

The pictures below show all three sides of the vase (each side is very different) and also the top opening, and in my hand. The hand photo is to help represent size, as the actual vase is about 6 inches tall. It has a sturdy bottom and stands very well, although cats will easily knock this down. It was build with thin slabs and fired, then glaze fired. The designs on the sides are lose and abstract.

Make sure to check out my other ceramic works

Purple Rock Guys

I just listed two purple rock figures for sale (purple one and purple two) on my etsy shop for only 5 dollars each. The handmade figures are glazed and then glued firmly to rocks. After a busy few months I am finally putting up my art for sale, trying to raise money for our move to Maine.

You will see lots of new artworks popping up on my etsy page, for very inexpensive prices. Many of my things sell the first few days I post them. A range of art will be showing up, from ceramics (like the purple rock guys) to drawings and paintings. The goal is to whittle down my stack of art and reduce the amount of things to move.

Gas mask and goblin: Linoleum prints

I have completed a series of linoleum prints. The gas mask series are part print, part original illustration or mono print. The block was split in half in order to do each side in a different color.

As you scroll down, you will see the many different methods for each different print. No two are the same. I will be putting these prints up for sale on my etsy shop.







This final print is a series run of 6 prints on black construction paper. Just a basic single linoleum image of a yellow goblin.

Ultimate Warrior 4 (art for sale)

This is one drawing from my Ultimate Warrior Collection currently on sale at my etsy shop. You can also ifnd my miniature artwork and bearded bunnies on sale there as well. Each sale comes with stickers and other artwork bonuses.

Check out the full ultimate warrior collection, as they will be listed for sale periodically over the next few months.

Buy handmade gifts

I first ran across art fire on advertising tabs on this very blog. I decided to check it out and found that art fire is another art focused ebay. The really impressive thing about art fire is free listings. Now, I have sold a number of works on ebay, and many things on etsy. I was eager to put my bearded bunnies up for sale on art fire and sell there as well. While I have not made any sales their yet, although I do not advertise for it very well, I do enjoy their interface and with their current advertising efforts I could see art fire taking off.

If you are looking to shop for one of a kind originals, you should browse handmade gifts at art fire. As the site grows and more and more artists get involved the place evolves. I watched Etsy grow from a smaller auction site to be a very large creative place for artists to sell their work. Art Fire seems to be following the formula and creating a new place for artists to sell work, and now for free.

One other really cool thing, is that every person that join, Art Fire in partnership with Trees for the Future will plant one tree. Even if you do not want to buy or sell anything, join the site and make an account, and you will be helping to plant a tree and hopefully eventually save the world.

10 websites all Minnesota Artists should be using

Starting with the most important, I am going to list the most important websites all Minnesotan artists should be on (this is also applicable for ALL artists, just ignore #1, #3 and #4). The list is important for both new and old artists. Start at the top and go down the list, each one will help you as an artist in the internet age.

1. Mnartists
Every artist from grade school to retired hobbyist should have an account on Mnartists. The website is full of great information on art shows, galleries, grants, articles and much more. You can browse thousands of great local artists, and see what is going on in galleries around you. The forum is one of the best places to talk to other artists and get really great feedback. The other great thing is that anyone who sees your art, meets you or hears about you can visit the website and search your name. If you are signed up they can see your work, and contact you. My mnartist page continues to bring people to my website, and helps many artists I meet at art fairs, and festivals find me if they cant find my business card. If you are going to do anything on this list, sign up for mnartists, and create a good profile (it will take a while, but it is worth it!)

2. Myspace
If you have your own personal website, then myspace can simply be a portal to lead people to your own website. If you dont have a personal website, sign up for myspace, its free and its almost as good as having your own website. I have 2000 friends on my william the canvas killer account and nearly all of them are artists. It's a great place to network and meet other artists from the Twin Cities or around the world. I post all of my art on myspace, and within a few hours can get dozens of people to see my art and give me feedback.

3. Minnesota Arts Board
If you want news and info about grants and scholarships you need to get involved with the Minneapolis Arts Board. You can bookmark it, or read through are start marking up your calender for deadlines and meeting times. If you plan to be a serious artist, start working on your grant writing and proposals. Every great artist I know claims you have to be turned down 20 times before you will get a grant, so start early, and apply often. You will get better each time. I've been turned down 12 so far, so I'm getting closer.

4. Springboard for the Arts
If you are looking for assistance in any way, springboard for the arts (who have a great new website) are there to help. I personally a few of the workers, and have had a great response from them whenever I have had questions or needed advice. I search their site for jobs, grants and also added my artwork to their site. They host business skills for artists classes, and other great tools for artists.

5. Etsy
The artist's Ebay, is Etsy. It is by far the best place to sell artwork online. It costs 20 cents per item listed, and it goes up in your custom shop. I have sold 33 items so far from my shop, and have been very impressed with the site.

6. Craigslist
When I have enough time, I check craigslist everyday. If I need a part-time art job, this is the first place I come. I have found a number of small jobs, art commissions, and new fans on the artists section. I also post all of my art show opening here, and announce when I am selling new art on-line. I know for a fact, 4-5 people have become collectors of mine from craigslist alone. If you do not already use craigslist, simply go there and start looking around. It is a great tool for free materials in the "free" section, or for finding cheap paint that people do not want, or finding other artist to collaborate with. Almost anything you can think of, you can do on craigslist.

7. PayPal
Many people are nervous about getting involved with online money services, since they are rumored to be unsafe. I use paypal from the library, coffee shops and local computers and it has never been a problem for me. All artists, that want to make a good home for themselves online should be using Paypal, because its the best way to accept credit cards, and instant money from art collectors all around the world. The other great thing about paypal, is you can easily set up 'donation' forms, so people can donate money to you. Paypal does take a small percentage of your earnings, but it is still a good option if you want to sell artwork online, advertise online, or buy materials online. Like when I buy all my art materials from Blick Art Materials, my favorite art supplies store.

8. Flickr
This is one of the best free photo sharing websites on the internet. Flickr can be another great portal to get people to see your art and lead them to your mnartist, etsy shop or personal website. You may even find people who want to buy your work just from seeing it on your flickr account. Flickr makes it easy to upload many photos at once, and then allows you to post them all over the internet.

9. Blogger
You do not need to write to be a great blogger. Many artists sign up with Blogger to get a blog to simply post their art. This blog you are reading right now is my own artist blog, and I make a few dollars selling advertising space on the side. If you are an artist who signs up for a blogger account, add me to your friends and we can trade links. You can decide how much time you want to dedicate to a blog, but its very easy to simply sign up and upload your art whenever you have time.

10. www.you.com
Create your own website! I did this a long time ago, so I may not know the easiest way to design and create your own website, but having a blog, myspace and mnartist account will get you started; converting your content to your own website is a great next step. You can see my personal artist website and get an idea of what you might want. I buy my website space from bluehost for about 50 dollars a year, and really enjoy it. Cheaper hosts are available if you search around.

Five new bearded bunnies

A new batch of 5 bearded bunnies have been added to the bearded bunny collection. All five are available right now on my etsy shop. I am also offering a special holiday two for one sale, if you want to order some new bunnies for your collection or as a gift.

Act fast, there are already 22 bunnies that have been retired since the Bearded Bunny Ball collection has begun. Check out the five brand new bunnies below:

Steel

Pig

Tentacles

Fly

Bubble

There are dozens more bunnies to see on previous blog posts, or by browsing my shop. Make sure to subscribe to my blog by simply putting your email address in the top right corner and clicking "subscribe".

Robot Vs Beast

mankind is dead. human beings have been ripped into two factions, those that have passed their knowledge to robots and those that have turned against intelligence and became primortal beasts. the two directions we are now faced with:

robot vs beast
a series of illustrations by me (william hessian)

I plan to create a number of pieces illustrating this theme. I also created a drawing featuring zombies and robots along the same lines: Zombie Vs Robots. Which is unfinished but plugging along.

Hope you enjoy.

The frame is some old thing I found at a garage sale. Quite a quirky little thing. Fits the piece.



The frame is some old thing I found at a garage sale. Quite a quirky little thing. Fits the piece.



You can also buy this drawing, it someone has not already on my etsy shop. If you check back to my blog often you will be seeing a lot more brand new artwork dealing with this theme. Meanwhile, I will be back to work on my Minneapolis Art Hunt.

Horrible Banner Vs Good Banner

horrible banner:


good banner:


Have you ever simply created something really really horrible? I just did. I was trying to make a cool banner for my Etsy shop. I was trying to combine multiple images together in order to show off a number of different drawings and projects I have completed and the dreaded result was the top banner.

I shook my head in shame, and went for the second (must easier) option and made a banner out of my bearded bunnies. The result, in my opinion, is far more appealing. The nice thing about creating such an ungly image, is that is it fun to blog about. This is a perfect oppertunity to make fun of me for creating such an eye stabbing image. Art mistakes sometimes are fun to see, especially when they are really bad. Bad images are even more potent when juxtaposed with a good one, thus the concept of this post.

Feel free to visit my Etsy shop and see my good banner in place. I have been meaning to create this thing for months now, and finally found a few minutes to actually do it. If you also have an etsy page, feel free to leave a comment and post it. I'd be glad to check it out, we can even compare banners if you are up for it.

Bunnies on Dharma Designs

My bearded bunnies were featured on the Dharma Designs blog, with a small interview with myself. I have managed to sell a few bunnies during my art tour and have also been awarding the bunnies as prizes to winners of the hunts.

Dharma Designs is a neat little blog, where a lot of attention is focused on unique etsy artists. I was happy to been featured since this summer is my most art filled summer in my life. I do recommend checking out the other featured artists as well, and browsing around the blog a bit. The thing I like about Dharma Designs as opposed to the many other Etsy feature blogs is that it includes a well written paragraph long article, or interview section. The interview with me was really well written from the content I gave her.

So check out Dharma Designs, and if you are an artist who is trying to sell work get on Etsy and start selling your work, my Bearded Bunny shop is featuring bearded bunnies, creatures, and other original drawings and my girlfriend Kelsey has just started one featuring her home-made jewely.

If you do join, add me as a friend.

Meanwhile, we take off for Salt Lake city tonight, to create our 6th art hunt of the summer. Desert Tortoises! I can not wait!

Want a Chubby Creature?

Hand drawn originals of my little chubby creatures are being sold at my etsy shop. only 5 dollars each. plus, these little fellows were created live at a public park during my art as treasure art tour. Which means these little guys were born on the road.

The reason for putting up all of the art created during my art tour is an attempt to afford gas prices as we perform our 6 art hunts across the country. Buying one creature helps me out just a little bit. I am also asking for donation to my art tour though paypal and snail mail forms, you can find more information at my website.

Make sure to browse around on my etsy page (which is basically an all art ebay) and see some of my other products. I sell my bearded bunny prints for only 5 dollars each, and they are very popular.

Get your bearded bunny balls!

My 50 small bearded bunnies have been spreading across the nation. I have been selling them in old transformed cigarette vending machine through Art O Mat®, I have been selling them online at Etsy, and then of course in local photography shops and galleries like the amazing Argente Photography, one of my favorite galleries in Minneapolis Altered Esthetics and my own gallery/shop called Billy and the Old Man Design.

The sales of my bearded bunnies goes directly into my Art as Treasure fund, which funds my projects of hiding miniature artworks in public parks as free art hunts for members of the city to take part in. See the many previous posts about my art hunts and how to get involved, especially if you live in Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Utah or California since that is where all of my hunts will take place this summer.

Support a self representing artist like myself, help make art treasure and bring arts to the parks for those willing to look for it, not just those able to pay for it. Buy a Bearded Bunny today!

My Etsy Shop!

George McKim- etsy featured daily

http://georgemckim.blogspot.com/




George McKim

A fellow artist blogger. We both sell work on etsy.com, I sell bearded bunnies and he sells paintings collages and prints(as seen in the example above). His work is extremely bright, expressive and colorful. The playfulness in his work reminds me of Joan Miro, although his colors are more of a Van Gogh pallette. His prints are also especially technically impressive. As a printmaker myself, I can really recommend checking out the details in his work.

His Blog

George McKim also runs an art blog. This art blog is currently doing daily post featuring someone's artwork on etsy.com. This is a neat way to see some of the very impressive artists featured on the underrated website etsy.com.

If you are not aware of etsy, it is basically ebay geared towards arts and crafts. The site is a lot more affordable and market specific. If interested you should see the comparison of the two auction sites at ebay vs etsy.

Make sure to check out Georges' blog and leave him some comments on the fine work he is featuring.

If you enjoyed this blog also see blogs about other great artists like Matt Semke, M.Heisler's SLOBOTS, and trees that draw