The #1 mindset (mental block) that keeps artists starving is their inability to understand that their "art" is a product that gets traded for money. Art school students are told not to "sell out" and are never, ever taught how to make money as an artist when they leave school. This idea of art for art's sake is art school BS!

What will you do in this New Year?

• Will you finally decide to leave that job you hate at the cube farm and strike out on your own, opting for freedom and independence over limitation and dependence?
• Will you decide to find and live out your purpose in life?
• Will you learn something new?
• Will you take that trip you have always wanted to take?
• Will you learn to paint?
• Will you decide to make a difference in your life and the lives of others?
• Will you decide for the first time to just be YOU?

For about the last 15 years I have been making custom note cards to send as thank you notes to those who purchase my paintings. I buy standard white note cards that measure 5-1/2"x4-1/4" with matching envelopes at a big box art supply store. The custom part is cutting up old paintings into abstract compositions and adding that original art to the cover of each card. I also hand write a thank you note inside the card and hand address it on the outside. Each collector then receives a completely personalized, one of a kind card. And here is how you can do the same.

I received a question recently from a young artist trying to get her work out into the world, "How do I begin to sell my art?" This is a question I receive very often in workshops and one that we address when it arises. Let me try to steer you in the right direction when you are just beginning to get your work out into the world.

One of the most common questions I receive from artists interested in selling their work for the first time is, "How do I price my art?" This is a great question and one that usually elicits confusion from artists beginning their journey.

Dear Friends,
We all need assistance from time to time no matter what field of work (or play) that we pursue (I know I needs lots of help!). So I turn to folks that are experts in their fields to help with art, marketing, business and sales. Without these resources I would not have been this successful as an artist or a businessman.

This is a question I receive as much as any other question. I do NOT varnish my paintings. When I first began painting acrylic abstracts on canvas I did varnish all of the paintings because that is what I heard you should do. I experimented with all of the various finishes and was not happy with any of them. For me they make the surface of my paintings too homogeneous.

We spend so much time thinking about what to place on the front surface of our paper or canvas, we forget about the back. So what should go on the back of your paintings?

I believe in using the largest palette possible for arranging and mixing your colors. I have a large glass palette in my studio, but I am sometimes too lazy (or busy) to clean it. What I like to use instead is wax paper. Yes, you heard me correctly, wax paper. It is inexpensive, light to carry when traveling and you can roll out as many pieces as you need to make a large palette area.

f you want built-in color harmony in your paintings, use a color wheel to select your color combinations. Someone centuries ago developed the color wheel and now we can reap the benefits - all we have to do is use it.The color combinations on the wheel, if used, will provide color harmony that many artist's work lacks.