New space, and a new papercut!

Just got back from Haymarket in Boston with bags full of fruits and veggies. Got four quarts of strawberries, four pears, two pounds of cherries, two ponds of roma tomatoes, a pint of blueberries, and eight kiwi...all for $11. I freaking love Boston!

Anyway, I'm just posting now that we are completely unpacked and back to work. Below is my new work space. I just hung up a ton of art and pretty much filled the book cases so it looks a bit busier now, but I now have an entire 12x12 room for my papercutting!




I've been doing between 5-10 custom papercuts every week since May so that's the biggest reason I haven't been posting much lately. It's definitely been my busy time of year with anniversary present requests rolling in. I haven't had much time to do more my-style pieces, however I did get a spare half-day yesterday to finish the piece below that I've been working on for about a month. It's of the Second-Empire building that housed Boston's City Hall from 1869-1965. Below are images of the city hall, the papercut, and just some shots to show scale and that it truly is cut from paper:) I haven't mounted the piece on its white background. Right now it's on a green cutting board and still has the support pieces I cut into the design to keep it's shape while I'm mounting. I cut them off when it's done.

That's all for now...

Some good news

Okay, haven't posted in a very long time, and I'm tired of the depressing post sitting pretty at the top of the blog, so here's some good stuff.

First, the custom papercuts for anniversaries has completely taken off! I'm shipping 3-4 a day and it's fun but challenging to keep up.

In other news, we are moving back to Boston, right next to Jen's work, and I'll get an entire 12x12 room to use for my business, complete with views of Boston's skyline.

I'll be doing an outdoor show in Maine this August, which is the same place I did my very first show, this time, things will be much better though! I'm finding I'm a bit late for many of the show deadlines, and I only seem to hear about shows when they're being advertised a few days before the main event!

Okay, enough for now, I actually have to get back to work as I need to get a piece that's going to over to the UK finished before the post office closes!

Some bad news...

So Jen and I went to Maine for Easter with my family. While there, we decided to drive up the road to the Old Crow Gallery where I am having my solo show in June. When we got there, we found the gallery empty and a For Rent sign in the window.

Big time bummer...

I was quite panicked, actually, because I had thousands of dollars worth of art currently at the gallery and I had no idea where any of the piece were.

I eventually got in touch with the gallery owners, whom I love to death, and they explained how it happened. Long story short, the owners of the building were unreasonable and they had to leave shop in an extremely short amount of time and didn't have a chance to call all the artists to get their work.

So, as of right now, there will be no solo show:( Perhaps if the owners get the gallery and frame shop back up and running, I may be able to show later in the year, but for now it's all off. My pieces are going to be moved to several businesses that appreciate art and may help get my name out and possibly sell the piece off the wall.

I'm pretty bummed. I've been planning this for seven months now and had all the pieces ready to go. I've actually avoided applying to shows and galleries in June so it didn't conflict with the show. I'm also worried because most galleries are booked for the year (or more) so I may have to wait over a year for another opportunity to show my work.

Le Sigh.

Regardless, I'm now looking for shows and events locally to get the word out about my papercuts in town. We just decided to not move out of town, and found a beautiful tiny house to rent with a great finished shed (more of a separate building/room with windows and heat and everything) that will become my studio.

Not all bad news, but still pretty bummed about the show.

Oh, I'm on twitter now too. Terrifying, but maybe it will drum up some support or sales?

So...

What do you think of the new look?

Feel free to leave comments below!

Introducing: Make

Make

16x28 mounted to 20x30
Single Sheet of Black Paper

Inspired by my previous work, I, I have continued experimenting with texture and scale with this papercutting of my left hand. I was sitting at my desk working on some custom pieces when I noticed my hands were extremely dry. When I looked at them up close, the sun was coming in through the window behind me at the perfect angle. I could see all the wrinkles and grooves in my palm and I wondered if I could capture it with a papercut. This is the result of a very long design process. I really fought for this one! I'm very happy with the outcome and I really love the bold graphic in-your-face quality, but it also has a tranquil side...somehow. Hope you like!

Available on Etsy

Boys and Girls Club continued

So earlier, I mentioned that I had worked with the amazing kids at the Boys and Girls Club in South Portland, ME. I just found out that several of the papercuts were chosen to go up for auction! The pieces are being sold to raise money for the Club. This is a major fund raiser and I'm really hoping they make tons of money. The kids did such a great job!

You can see the pieces here, and even purchase them!

An homage to Tord Boontje

I had a wonderful person ask me to make them a paper chandelier through Etsy a few weeks ago. After playing around with designs and construction ideas, I came up with a two-layered paper lamp.

I used paper, since the lamp will be lighted with CFL bulbs exclusively. I have had it on for several hours and the bulb is still cool enough to hold your finger directly on it, and the paper is barely warm.

What do you guys think? Sorry for the terrible photography. I just snapped a few photos to get the point accross. If I continue to make these (hopefully) I will definitely spend a bit more effort on the staging!

Anyway, there are obvious similarities to Tord Boontje's incredible lamps. Didn't want it to look that similar, but I definitely used my own technique and trademark branches design. Not too many ways to make a paper lamp without doing some sort of conical shape. Hope he won't mind. I've been a HUGE fan of his work for many many years.

What do you guys think?

Not So Fast...

So after much reflection about my previous post, I realized one major issue: Is my custom page actually ready for an increase in interest? Will more people actually request a piece I don't have a well developed site that actually presents my pieces well?

The answer is no, I don't. Or atleast didn't. I hope I do now!

I spent pretty much the entire weekend reading about marketing, and all of today redesigning my custom anniversary paper art page: papercutsbyjoe.com/custom

There's a lot more words on the page, which I realize is a bit of a minus, but it lays out everything I have to say on one page and doesn't require anyone to travel through three pages before the actually know what I'm selling. I'm surprised they actually did before!

I added an About the Artist page, a fun jpg of where my pieces have found a home, completely re-did the Gallery page, and added a FAQ section.

I really want to get across the fact that I personally work with everyone, and that the piece I create for them is both worth what they are paying for, and will last generations. I hope that got across, please let me know if it didn't!

There has been a steady increase in hits from my google Adwords advertising. Hopefully things will start to pick up. Not expecting miracles, just something. Anything!

I'm sure I've got some major tweaking to do with the wording, but overall, I think I'll try this on for size for a bit. What do you all think of it?

Going for it

Friend-of-the-Blog ArtSnark, whose work I greatly admire, suggested in one of my recent posts to seek out publicity at various magazines and media outlets.

This has worked out well for me in the past, and I feel stupid for not doing it again sooner, but I definitely will! This past fall I wrote the editor of the local newspaper, and within two hours I had an interview. Within a week I was on the cover of the newspaper and had an online video interview and feature! Good fun!

So, because I am COMPLETELY incapable of holding back on anything, I'm really going for it this time. I have three major components to my "business": Fine art, Local Art, and Custom Anniversary Art. Therefore, I will be customizing several digital and printed press releases and harassing (politely) editors until I get some attention. All tastefully, respectively, and humbly done of course.

Here's the lineup, feel free to suggest others if you know of any:

Fine Art:
Crafts Arts International
Art in America
The Artist Magazine
Cloth, Paper, Scissors
Paper Crafts
Elle Decor
ART News
Paper Creations
World of Interiors

Local:
Down East
Portland
Boston
Maine Home Design
Port City Life

Custom Anniversary Art:
Rachael Ray
O
InStyle
Readers Digest
Better Homes + Gardens
Real Simple
The Nest
Lucky
Martha Stewart Living

(took FOREVER to get all those links!)

Frankly, if I get even one of these to so much as mention me in a footnote, I'll consider it successful. I have to believe that my work is the best thing ever or nobody else will think so. I've definitely learned that if you wait for things to come to you, often they never do and you have to sometimes show people what you are worth in order to get any attention. It's pretty much the only way I've gotten jobs, interviews, offers, gallery shows, displays, apartments, internships, articles...

I'm going to look into papercutting classes at Michaels too. I've got the Boys and Girls club workshop as experience and that was SO much fun.

One question for all of you to help out with: Should I send an 8x10 "custom" anniversary papercut to all the major magazines as a good visual (O, Instyle, Rachael ray, etc)? Lots of work, but might be worth it? I figure the more fine-art oriented publications can work with just images since that's really what they do anyway.

I'll share the stuff I'll be sending with the package with all of you when I make them (soon)

Thanks again ArtSnark!!!!

Introducing: Jen

Jen 2009
20x20 inches

Black Paper on Illustration Board

I was staring at a profile silhouette I cut of my wife, Jen, when I had the idea of combining the very traditional profile with my new branch pieces. This is the result: One of my most detailed pieces yet. By far one of the most difficult pieces I have ever cut. DELICATE! but still bold and very graphic.

available on etsy.com