Winter Arrives

As Autumn changed to winter I was in the basement of a school building standing behind a small table trying to sell my snowman artwork at a last minute Holiday Market. It was my last ditch attempt to make some sales before Christmas.

The basement was lit by florescent lights and the walls were yellow. Outside it was an uncharacteristically warm day for the first day of winter, the sun was out and in some places the temperature rose to nearly 7o degrees.

I only had one sale on the first day of winter, an old friend dropped by to say hello and wanted to pick up a gift for a party she was attending the next day. I gave her a two dollar discount and the sale didn't even cover the cost of renting the space for my table.

It was a terrible year for sales of my snowmen. I did three different Holiday Market shows on seven different days from late November until December 21st and didn't even come close to covering my expenses. Admittedly,  people aren't sending as many Christmas cards these days so the low sales of my cards isn't too surprising. And perhaps the positive sales I experienced in 2012 weren't reason enough to justify the higher prices I initially was charging, about halfway through my season I lowered all my prices.

This year I introduced a new product, three dimensional wooden snowmen paintings to hang on the wall.

Irving - acrylic on wood - 2013

My initial price for these was $40 which I thought was justified because of the amount of work that was involved in creating each piece. I sold only one at that price. Where I reasoned that it was a one of a kind piece of decorative art that would last for years I guess most shoppers see $40 as too much to spend on one decoration.

I'm not sure how I'll continue in 2014, as no sales were happening either online at my Etsy store or at the Holiday Markets I was attending, I looked in to the idea of selling my snowmen on the street in New York City, it's something I have to seriously consider if I want to go forward.

People seem to like my work, if I had a dollar for every time someone looked at the snowmen and said, "It's so cute." I would have nothing to complain about.

There were several bright spots this season, a commission for a small snowman painting coming in through my Etsy shop and a mention by the fellow who runs The Little Drummer Boy Challenge over on Facebook.

little drummer boy challenge day 25 almost home

So, winter is newly arrived and there's several months of cold weather and snow and opportunities for snowmen ahead, let's see what we can build.

24 days until Christmas

Waiting for melt

Down by the skating pond.

Ivan

In the wind

 Cubby

Watercolor - 2013

Commission

5" x 7" - watercolor - 2013

This is a commission for someone in Alabama, it's going in a little girls room.

Henry

Henry - 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 1 1/2" - acrylic on wood - 2013

This is Henry, he's one of the newest snowmen I've made. I'll be selling Henry and a whole bunch of his friends at my Etsy shop SnowmenandSanta and at several Holiday Craft Markets this season.

Here's the process I go through to create one of these snowmen.

First, I draw several snowmen on a piece of luan wood.

Next, I cut out the snowmen with a scroll saw.

Then the luan is lightly sanded and painted with gesso.

I then have to redraw some of the details that have been covered by the gesso.

The snowman is then painted.

Once the snowman is complete I cut a piece of wood for the background, then it's sanded and gessoed.

I paint the sky and snowdrift and when that's dry I add the falling snow.

Once everything is painted it has to be assembled; I add a sawtooth hanger then glue a wooden spacer to the front of the piece. When the glue is slightly set I also add a coarse-thread screw to permanently affix the spacer to the background. 

Later I glue the snowman to the spacer and the piece is nearly complete. 

The last bit of business is choosing a name for the snowman and signing my name to the back of the piece.

Keeping Busy

3" x 3" - oil paint on canvas - 2013

Stockpiling Snowmen

Two Trees - watercolor - 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" - 2013

Taking a second look at this piece and the simplicity of the image I achieved,

I have to think it's the best painting I've ever done.

5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

watercolor - 2013

Some experimentation going on with this group. I particularly like the horizontal format and the subtle atmospheric look I managed to get on the second one.

Starting on Monday November 25th and for the next three following Mondays, I'll be selling Snowmen at the Holiday Market in downtown Jersey City.

Historic Downtown Holiday Market

An evening visitor

4 1/4" x 5 1/2" - watercolor - 2013

Snowflakes - yesterday morning

Looking North

Enjoying the weather

4 1/4" x 5 1/2" watercolor - 2013

Yesterday morning on the walk to work from the train station, I experienced some of the first flakes of the season.

& Santa

4 1/2" x 5 1/4" watercolor - 2013

I found this sepia toned watercolor paper in my drawer and thought I might put it to some use. I forget what I originally intended to do with it but I like the way it makes Santa look.

A winter visitor brightens the fading light.

Like the lamplight, this little fellow adds a bit of cheer to the deepening gloom.

This fellow welcomes the first flakes of a new snow.

Snow fell in my hometown of Cleveland yesterday, yeah, it's that time of year once again. 

Here's a whole new batch of images from the blank greeting cards that are for sale over in my Etsy shop. Snowmen and Santa

4 1/4" x 5 1/2" - watercolor - 2013

Autumn

Yesterday afternoon Summer faded into Autumn and winter and snowman season got a little bit closer.

Encounter with a snowman

Pencil and Pitt Artist's Pen in a Moleskine sketchbook - 2012

A different type of snowman.

It's still snowing

Watercolor on paper - 2013

Done as a cover image for the Snowman and Santa facebook page.