Marine Life and Bird Art

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/exploreTheAquarium/webcam-ocean-voyager.aspx

2010-01-27T04:21:00.000-08:00

The Georgia Aquarium looks like an excellent place for marine lovers to go hang out. Not only do I love painting fish but I dive and enjoy excursions to aquariums. Watched a special on the SCI Channel about this one. Very Cool!!!!

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/exploreTheAquarium/webcam-ocean-voyager.aspx

Miller Modern Art "Art for Charity" 2009

2009-10-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

“Art for Charity 4th Quarter – A Benefit for the Foundation for BCPL"

Already thinking about holiday shopping? A beautiful piece of artwork makes for not only a wonderful gift, but its purchase can also benefit a great cause – the Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library! Local artist Pamela Miller has very generously selected the Foundation for BCPL as her designated charity for the entire 4th Quarter of 2009. For the months of October, November, and December, 30% of all sales** made on www.pmillerabstractart.com (and at the artist's discretion, her other discount outlets) will go to the Foundation for BCPL.

After a successful career in technology, Pamela Miller became a full-time artist in 2006, and launched “Art for Charity” this year. The Foundation for BCPL is very grateful to be among the first beneficiaries of this fantastic initiative. Please consider patronizing this talented artist by visiting her website – www.pmillerabstractart.com.

For more information, please contact BCPL's Julie Dreisch at (410) 887-3282 or Miller Modern Art's Pam Miller (410)581-2658.

Art Show Booth for Miller Modern Art

2009-10-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my new booth. I didnt get the chance to finish painting the crown molding and since this show was non juried, I have a bunch of clearance items as well as the high end art but I really love the new booth. My dad designed it for me:)

Food, Music, and Fun for All! MD Art Festival

2009-08-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce that we will be doing the Stonefence Gardens Arts and Crafts Festival and hope that if you are looking for a fun way to spend a weekend, you'll join us and stop by the Miller Modern Art Booth to say hello.

The show is outdoors in a beautifully wooded area; the whole place has a Native American feel to it. There's a gift shop located on the property with a great deal of handmade goods- Stone Fence is known for their handmade crafts, specifically chainsaw carvings done by John.

Each year, they set up an outdoor grill with food (the best hamburgers around- my husband swears by this), pony rides for the kids, and music in addition to the show. This year the artists will be showing a variety of fine arts and crafts including jewelry, paintings, fine art prints, carvings, handmade woven baskets, hand-stretched Native American drums, sculpture artists, a blacksmith and art demonstrations.

Stonefence Gardens Arts and Crafts Festival
September 19th and 20th 10am to 5pm
6610 mountaindale rd.
Thurmont md 21788

Off of Route 15

See you there!

…

Loki the Parrot SALE Original Eclectus by PMILLER

2009-08-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

This one is my first feature because a friend was thinking of purchasing him for her daughters birthday. This little miniature painting is of Loki the Parrot (my birdie boy:). It comes in the cutest little white frame, so its ready to hang.

Loki the Parrot

Art for Charity-Tips for Artists

2009-08-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Contribute Your Talents to a Good Cause
Art has found its way into the Tour de France. Depending on your definition of art, it may have always been there (Fans' costumes! Crop sculptures! Handmade signs and banners!). But now Lance Armstrong, in his first Tour in four years, has teamed up with Nike to enlist the talents of 30 of the world's foremost contemporary artists for an exhibit entitled STAGES, which opened in Paris last week. Details are sketchy, but as far as I can tell, the exhibit consists of a few Trek bikes that were decorated by the artists. (Yes, this recalls visions of Cow Parade and its infinite clones--artists working with the surface of an existing form.) Other works were created specifically for the show.

After its Paris debut, STAGES travels to New York, Los Angeles, and Portland. The artists' works will be sold with proceeds benefiting Armstrong's foundation to fight cancer. You can't argue that the artists are making a contribution.

I've written a lot previously about donating art to charity events--cautioning you against donating too much or feeling obligated. But there comes a time when your passion for a cause is so deep that you would regret not using your talents to help out. Rather than wait for the requests to come to you, organize your own charity event by teaming up with a nonprofit organization and at least one celebrity. Lance Armstrong might be out of reach, but there are probably celebrities in your town that would be willing to lend their name to a good cause.

You could donate work that you already have available, but you'll get more publicity if it's work created around a theme. I hate to say that because I'm not crazy about themed art, but I know what gets picked up in the mainstream media. If publicity is a goal (and it should be if you're trying to raise money!), a theme might be the way to go.

Let's look at some of the local celebrities and nonprofit organizations you could team up with.

Celebrity Chefs + Food Bank + Artists
Purchase plain aprons for artists to decorate and then sell or auction the aprons at an event that features the chefs' creations while raising funds for the local food bank.

Newscasters + Literacy Program + Artists
Ask artists to create artists' books. Exhibit the books at local libraries and galleries before holding a sale and having a party at a bookstore with proceeds going toward a literacy program. Bringing in the bookstore (a retail space with its own following) is a bonus to the partnership.

Sports Stars + Inner-City Sports for Kids + Artists
Ask artists, or pair up artists and sports stars into teams, to decorate baseball caps, footballs, jerseys, or anything else associated with your celebrity's sport. Ask a sportscaster to be the MC at the party and sale. You're likely to get TV coverage on the sportscaster's station.

One final note of interest: Lance Armstrong is said to be riding a few of the artist-decorated bikes in the Tour de France, including the bike by Damien Hirst to the finish line in Paris.
Know This . . .
Making a contribution to a cause that's important to you is extremely gratifying.
Think About This . . .
The more people you include in your event, the more publicity you will receive and the more money you will raise for a worthy cause.
Do This . . .
Contribute your talents to a good cause. Bring in a local celebrity (or celebrities) to help attract attention. Be diligent in your research to ensure your nonprofit is in good standing and well thought of in the community. There are many charity watchdog organizations out there. Try http://charitynavigator.org as a starting point.

Also, understand that--at least for now--when you donate your art, you (the artist) are able to deduct only the cost of your materials for U.S. tax purposes. See more about working with a nonprofit and donating art in my book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio!, pages 219-222. http://artbizcoach.com/irbits
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You are welcome to use this article on your website, blog, or in your newsletter as long as you include this complete credit line: © 2009 Alyson B. Stanfield. Alyson takes the mystery out of marketing your art and making more money as an artist. Visit http://www.ArtBizCoach.com to get articles just like this one delivered to your inbox.

New Posts Coming Soon

2009-08-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Check back in with us later for posts on marine art, bird and bug paintings. We'll be featuring the creations of Pamela E Miller and Friends. News about the artists that post. General news on bugs, birds and marine life. Links to look at other related things. And a whole lot more. Thanks for stopping in. Be sure to follow us for the latest posts. We can also be found on twitter PMiller Creative