The Importance of Having a Current Head Shot

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2013

This holiday weekend I put my husband to work taking new photos of me for self promotion, so much for his Labor Day! I have been asked to give a workshop with Art is You in Petaluma, CA next summer and they requested a current head shot in addition to my artist statement and bio last week. Let me preface all of these lovely Douglas Nelson Photography photos by telling you that I really do NOT like having my photo taken. It takes me a good 25 photos to loosen up and not look like I am in pain. Just sayin'. Thank goodness for digital photography.

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2009

The photo above was the first time we shot me in front of my art, a peacock on an easel in our living room. I put the hat on because I was having a bad hair day, and it turned out to be a very good look. My husband had a small window of time he could work on the photo and I took advantage of it, bad hair or not. I even forgot to put earrings in I was moving so fast!

I have taken my head shot in a number of different settings over the years but my favorite remains to be either outside with blurred greenery behind me or in front of my own artwork with blurred color fields behind me. The colors from my work really help to make for a beautiful back drop as well as say something about the vibrancy of my work. My husband has a lens with an extremely wide aperture that offers a very shallow depth of field, this is what blurs the background. The art is just back there for color, I don't want it to be in focus and competing with me and my sometimes painful expression! ouch 

Always Be Prepared - Like Any Good Girl Scout

In the last six months I've had to submit my headshot for an art exhibit I'm judging at the Art Gallery of Viera as well as for the Seminole County Employees Art Contest which I judged last month. I was very glad to be able to hit reply and attach my head shot within the same day of the request. People love dealing with someone who can get back to them with the materials they request in a timely manner. I would not have been able to be the featured columnist for the ARTzine if I did not have a head shot on hand the day the director contacted me. Be a good Girl Scout, be prepared at all times.

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2012

Original image and post processed image by Douglas Nelson

My column on mixed media, along with my headshot. Submitted within a week of being requested. You snooze you loose, I was prepared with my head shot on my computer. 

Last year when the Sedona Art Center was putting together their course catalogue, they asked me to write a sidebar column and submit a head shot. They had to have the files within the week to meet their publishing deadline. Lucky for me I had my photo on hand and ready to email to them, the writing was the easy part. If you were not married to a photographer who loves your cooking and appreciates you on oh so many levels..., you would be looking at a turnaround time of a week on your digital photo after the shots are taken and then up to another week for any post production effects that the photographer might use to enhance the image you chose. And who knows how long it might take for you to get on their schedule in the first place. You can see why this would not have worked when the director of the art center said to me "Can I have this from you by Friday?"

Is That Really You?

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2007

In this shot I look a lot younger (only slightly in pain) I could keep using it, but it would be kind of a cheat, don't you think?

I always have a current head shot on my computer in a high- and low-rez version for submission at a moment's notice. This is a good idea, and you should be proactive with your head shot rather than reactive, which means rushing to figure out how to have a head shot taken when you are asked to submit. Current to me means within the last six months. We have all been to art exhibits and seen artists bios on the wall and said "Wow, that photo looks at least ten years old!" I mean let's face it, you and I both looked a lot younger ten years ago, but that's no reason to hold on to that head shot and to keep using it.  This shot above was on marketing materials for the now defunct Katherine Butler Gallery in Sarasota, FL circa 2007.

Out With The Old, In With The New

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2013

This head shot was current up until a couple of months ago.

Why did I have to shoot this weekend rather than take my own advice? I changed my hair, drastically. As you can see from the above photo, I cut my hair off and went blonde. I could not really send this photo to the folks at Petaluma, so it was time to update my head shot, even though it has been less that six months.

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2013

Even this image is now outdated as I went even shorter with my hair, but I think I could still squeak by with it in a pinch. 

The above studio of me working is a nice one for editorial purposes. It shows my medium, and my studio space, it's colorful and fun and can be used for a variety of purposes. Again though, if your look has changed, your studio shot needs to change to, you have to be current at all times. 

Customized Images Beyond Your Head

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2012

Shot for Lake Mary Life magazine, showing what I do by surrounding me with my collage paper

Last summer I received a call from Lake Mary Life magazine and they editor said, "We'd love to do an article on you this month, do you have photos of yourself we can use for the layout?" This is more than a head shot, this is images that show what I do and can tell a story. Often times people ask for images of me working in my studio. If you can swing it, images of you working in your studio are great to have on hand as well. You might be able to get a photographer to come to you and shoot your head shot and studio shot in one day. 

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2013

This image was shot in the studio on a white back drop and effects were applied in Photoshop by Douglas Nelson specifically for a magazine article 

This June I traveled to Western Upstate NY to teach a class and compete in a triathlon, the local paper wrote an article about me and asked me to submit a photo they could use. I was going to send a head shot but my husband really wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to present them with a true true editorial photo. The Chronical Express ran the photo with their article and it really was great! Once you establish a relationship with a photographer, you should bounce ideas off them for future photos that might tell your story or explain what you do more than just a head shot.

Putting your Best Foot Forward

You'll notice that all of these images are three-quarter view, shot from the same side. I never take a photo head on, I always insist on using my good side. If you know there is an angle that is most flattering for you, don't be afraid to tell the photographer you are working with. Nobody knows you better than you, so speak up and ask the photographer to try getting on a ladder and shooting from above or shooting you from your good side, we all have our own quirks. When you are paying for the photo session and the images you want to be sure you come out with something you are happy and confident to submit to those requests for publishing.

©Douglas Nelson Photography 2013

The Price of Being Fashionable

When you think about cutting all your hair off you have to remember that you're going to need another new photo, this gets expensive. I liken it to getting a new prescription in your glasses an then having to change lenses in all the six pairs you bought just so you could be über fashionable. It gets expensive, über expensive... so make the most of your photo session and your photographer.

Typically head shots are vertical in nature, make sure to ask your photographer to shoot some horizontal images of you for your Facebook masthead. Social media is of the utmost importance to artists and anyone trying to market their product. You can use your head shot for Facebook, Google, Blogger, Twitter, etc. Don't forget to keep them current too, once you receive your new image, be sure to go in and update your online photo presence. The above photo was part of my head shot photo session and is now my current Facebook masthead image.

Thank You, Thank You!

Many thanks to Douglas Nelson Photography for his patience and ability to take photos of me at my beck and call. He's a saint to put up with my good side and edit out 400 photos with ouch! painful expressions. If you're looking for a good headshot, look him up in the Orlando, FL area. 

thank you for being a part of my 

Art Journey, 

Elizabeth

Neck and Nest

Neck and Nest 20x54 / ©St. Hilaire Nelson (click to enlarge)

This piece is the first of the Preparing for the Flood Series, a whimsical take on my Noah's Ark Series from a few years ago. Preparing for the Flood was inspired by the fish prints that I received from Chuck Seaman, and artist I met in Key West, FL two years ago. Chuck provided me with his cast-aways and experimental fish prints, the ones he cannot keep for perfect. 

Learn more about Chuck and his Gyotaku prints here

The Sketch on wood panel, in my studio (click to enlarge)

I start each collage with a sketch in pencil on my wood panel. 

I have been really enjoying the challenge of working oversized lately. For this series I will have to create all pretty large pieces because the fish prints are from ocean fish, and they are BIG. I do have another artist I work with who provides smaller, fresh water fish as well, but I'm out of stock. Do you hear that Raejean? :)

Sketch and gesso background effect (click to enlarge)

I prime my wood with a variety of acrylic gesso.

On this piece I primed with a combination of clear, white, and black gesso. in the background of the giraffe, I used multiple layers of white gesso to build up a texture than I then glazed over with multiple yellow and gold translucent paint layers. 

The completed underpainting (click to enlarge)

I under-paint with acrylic paints

I paint in an under-painting for my collage to be glued on top of, this painting serves as a road map for where I am going, what colors I am using, and what values give the illusion of volume in the piece. Here I have applied the Gyotaku prints along the bottom and have added effects with the paint to make them appear in the water rather than on top.

Detail of collage application on the nest (click to enlarge)

I collage on top with a variety of hand-painted papers.

I hand-paint all of my own collage papers, utilizing hand carved stamps, splattering, texture rubbing, dry brushing, layering, etc. The more layers of texture on the paper, the better. This part of the process is the most relaxing and therapeutic, I could paint papers all day long. 

Detail of collage application on the giraffe (click to enlarge)

A picture tells a thousand words, this detail (click to soon) is really what the collage is all about. The wide variety of colors, textures and patterns is due to my inventory of hand-painted papers. I love using handwriting in my work. 

Click here to learn more about writing me a letter to be used in my work!

See the Facebook album of all the in-progress photos here

thank you

for being a part of my 

Art Journey,

Elizabeth

Christmas in July!

Christmas Ornament Cards

The holidays are coming like a freight train, you officially have LESS thank six months to prepare.
Order your glossy A2 note cards with envelopes. Each set is boxed and contains 10 cards.

Get them while they are hot, I have limited quantities!

Flower Note Cards NEW!

My NEW note cards have arrived and they look GREAT! I could not be happier with the color and quality of the printing. These are glossy A2 note cards with envelopes. Each set contains two each of five images. Get them while they are hot, I have limited quantities!

Huxley, The Therapy Cat

The computer composite sketch that I worked from

My latest commissioned piece is very special. First off, because it's a secret Christmas gift, so if you know this person, sssshhhhh. And secondly, because it's just an amazing use of personal ephemera.

I met Nanette in my Atlanta collage workshop, where she attended the weekend class with her good friend Susan. Susan found me online and purchased an original by me as well as some prints. (Thank you, Susan) and she decided to meet me in Atlanta.

At the workshop, Susan and Nanette sat right up front, they were excellent students and really enjoyed their time together. On Sunday, Nanette asked me if she could commission me to collage a very special cat. Her son Zane had a Maine Coon cat that was very special to the family.

A "Maine Coon" what is that? Well I did a little digging and found out that they are the largest domestic cat (up to 30 lbs) and are quite interesting looking, with their pointed whispy ears and toes!

the original photo with background removed, he needed some fun color to make him more lighthearted

Nanette was super happy with the computer composite, so I moved forward in the process. The first step was to take all the personal ephemera she sent me (including original hospital bands for both her and baby), and to stain it with fluid acrylic paints. 

part sketch, part underpainting, on the easel

painting the personal papers Nanette sent from Zane's childhood

In my class, I talk about using the originals of things. The original birth certificate, the original hospital bracelet, the original pediatricians bill, the original report cards. This makes the finished collage extra special, and it gives you an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate these things every day as art, vs. once in a blue moon from that box under your bed. 

the completed underpainting, what I collage over the top of-- 20x30

I created a Facebook Album with all the images along the way of this piece for Nanette to view and to share with her friends and family. She was thrilled to be able to watch it come together. (You do not need a Facebook account to visit this album)

personal ephemera was included in both the background color fields and the body of the cat

paper whiskers, finishing touches

Now that the piece is finished (the finishing touches were adding the paper whiskers) Nanette says that she can't wait for Christmas to give this very special gift to her son. 

Thanks for supporting a working artist Nanette! Thanks for trusting me with your keepsakes. Thanks for meeting me in Atlanta and spending your weekend taking my class.

Finished, headed to varnish table, check back to Facebook for professional images of the finished piece

And thank YOU for being a part of my 

Art Journey

Elizabeth

The Permanent Art of Tattoo

Yours Truly and My Annie, London, UK, 1990

Annie and Yours Truly, 23 years later, Orlando, FL this week (that's one old hat!)

Personal Connections

If you have ever watched that show America's Worst Tattoos on TLC, you already know that if your ink is bad, tired, or if you find yourself with your X's name emblazoned on your chest, you can always get NEW ink to cover it up. And what's more fun than new ink?

I worked and lived in London for six months on a work permit in 1990. Upon arrival, all the students from BUNAC were looking for jobs and housing together. I had arrived from the great state of Massachusetts, and Annie had come from California. We got to know each other, ended up living together, and both secured jobs as chamber maids cleaning hotel rooms. Annie was supposed to live-in at her hotel, but the conditions were kind of cramped, so she stayed on my floor for months. We couldn't have been happier. 

One thing Annie and I realized early-on, was that despite her being born and raised in CA and me from MA, her father was originally from Boston. Not just any part of Boston, but from the very same neighborhood where my father grew up. Annie's Dad graduated high school with my Uncle Jim, the same high school my father attended. AND Annie's grandparents had a small market "Papplardo's Market" where my Nana used to send my Dad for break and milk. No kidding. This ink was Kismet!

Art Nouveau peafowl image 

To Get Inked or Not to Get Inked

By the time I met Annie, I already had my first tattoo, it was a peacock on my right shoulder. A lot of thought process and consideration went into my first ink. My favorite period of Art History is Art Nouveau, I love all the organic lines, swirling woman's hair, and curled tail feathers of exotic birds. The peacock was a recurring theme in the Art Nouveau style. My first tattoo was very special to me, I designed it and I was proud of it. 

At some point Annie, my roommate Dave, and I decided to commemorate our time in London, our friendship, and our experience living and working in a foreign land, by getting tattooed together. All three of us would get the same artwork, in the same place. That was the plan.

By the time the three of us made it to Marc Saint's Tattoo Studio on Portobello Road in London, Big Dave had chickened out––all 6-foot Ohio State rugby player of him! Annie and I were on our own in making this permanent artwork not only part of our bodies, but our hearts and souls.

Annie and the Man who chickened out

Marc Saints Tattoo Studio, with a name like Saint, how could we go wrong?

The art we decided to have permanently inked on us was drawn by Yours Truly. It was simple black line art (we were, after all, broke), a graphic dove outline with a peace sign in the middle. We were listening to a lot of The The's 1989 album "Mind Bomb" in our little flat those days, and I have to say that I think the back cover art kind of influenced our creativity. 

The back cover art from The The's "Mind Bomb" 

To Cover up or Embellish?

Annie and I had first played with the idea of adding to our tattoo when I went to visit her in CA this April. We loved that fact that 23-years later, we still had the story of that tattoo, to bring back so many wonderful memories of our time together. Any time in my life when someone asked me about that dove tattoo, I got to relive some pretty great stories. 

one of my initial sketches for adding to the existing art

After some discussion, Annie and I decided that the dove had lived a long 23-years and had probably run its course. We thought we'd cover it up with something more delicate and beautiful, all the while knowing that it would always be underneath. We were going to add to the art and the Story of Us. She would be in Florida in the months to come on business.

The Art of Tattoo Cover Up

I had to have my original peacock art covered up. That original ink from my senior year in college had faded and blurred and really was hard to discern. As much as I wanted to be a purist and keep it, I knew that I could not continue to answer the question "what is it?"

My sister, ever honest, pointed this out to me: "If anyone does the math on how OLD you have to be to get tattooed in the first place, and how LONG it takes for ink to get really worn down, is really going to get the idea how OLD you (we? she has inked art too) really are!" You need to get that re-done. 

And there it was.

I found an artist who was known for his cover up work here in Orlando, I interviewed him, I made an appointment, and I had him cover up my very first tattoo with new peacock art.

Rick Johnson of Orlando Brothers Tattoo is an artist, not only does he sketch out ideas for you by hand, but he's a great draftsman and very talented with the needle. Rick told me that he could always draw, he had that talent since he was young. It was his brother who first started tattooing in Daytona Beach, FL and taught him how to translate his artwork from paper to skin with the gun. 

"In those days I was a roofer, in Florida. That was a nasty job, hot, dirty and lots of hours." he said, "When my brother showed me how much better I could do in Daytona at bike week in his shop, I was hooked."

what is it? 

The master of cover up at work

um yeah, it hurts. 

Last Summer

Last Summer I got inked with my Dad, He wanted to honor his parents and he wanted to do it with me. He came to visit from MA and we went to see Rick. My Dad's birthday was what we were celebrating, so I decided to have tattoo art on my right ankle in honor of someone very special to me too. 

Dad and I had a great time that afternoon, laughing and talking about his old Navy tattoo and my peacock cover-up artwork from the summer before. I bought my Dad's ink for him, I told him it was my birthday gift to him. I gave Al a gift he will have forever, not only the tattoo, but the experience. He will always be able to tell the story of how the art honors his parents, how his daughter bought if for his birthday, and how we both got tattoos together that day. That's sentimental.

My Dad down from MA, Rick Johnson, Yours Truly

My Dad got art and ink in memory of his parents. My Grandpa was French Canadian and my Nana was Irish.

I got a pink rose, the flower that was planted in Lockerbie in memory of my friend Suzanne 25-years ago when she died in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. A little Art Nouveau flare in my design.

This Week

Annie and I made our way to Rick's new space on Lee Road in Orlando. On the way there, we still had not worked out a good sketch. We had faith in each other and in Rick that we would come up with an idea. Since I had suggested and drawn the Dove art back in 1990, I was really glad when Annie came up with the idea of cherry blossoms as our art. "Think about it" she said, "they are short lived, beautiful blooms. For the Japanese the represent the frailty and fragility of life. World War II pilots had them painted on their planes."  And there it was. 

Rick quickly sketched out this cherry blossom shape to not only with perfect petals to envelope the Dove, but also to represent. He listened closely to our story, and he took it all into account before he went to sketch. 

"Two blooms, for two friends, " he said "and one blossom to represent new life, future experiences together." It was perfect. 

Rick Johnson's sketch for our cover-up work

Annie and Yours Truly have added a chapter to the Story of Us

From the Heart

Tattoos are artwork that you can take with you everywhere you go. When someone asks you about your ink, you can smile and remember a story, a loved one, an experience. This artwork is always with you, it's a part of you. Whether you get tattooed with your friend from college for the first time ever, with someone you met in a far away land who became one of the best friends you've ever had, your beloved father, or even your fun loving sister (yeah, she's coming next month! but she's going to Rick with my moral support only). It's art that evokes memories.

Annie put it really well that afternoon at Orlando Brothers Tattoo. She said, "For me it's about the experience and the underlying meaning of the image we choose. I am not an artist, so I cannot make a drawing, or art direct the design, I put that in the capable hands of the tattoo artist. I'll always have a very special place in my heart for the connections we have to each other, to the Peace Dove and to the idea that you have to cherish every moment you have in life, because the bloom of the Cherry Blossom is short." 

And we looked at the flowers and agreed, "it's so pretty!"

Thank you for being a part of my Art Journey,

Elizabeth

Unplugged and Engaged

My first shot, I asked him if I could take his pic and he smiled and said "sure." Then I was inspired

Today I ran 9 miles of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. When I am running, biking, or swimming, my mind wanders creatively and often times artistic ideas come to me. This morning, about five miles in, I had an idea. 

What would it be like to take a series of portraits of these interesting people I was passing by on the boardwalk? Not just snapping them from a distance, or when they were not looking, but engaging them, talking to them, asking them to pose for a portrait and look into the lens of a stranger on the boardwalk.

Setting up tables for the day, She was more than happy to pose

Sure, you can shoot a person from across the street with a big lens, but this is up close and personal. This morning I was shooting with an iPhone from three feet away, engaging strangers in conversation. Maybe I'll paint them, maybe I'll just keep them and enjoy them as photos. Whatever I end up doing with them, it was a great social experiment to see what folks would say when you ran up to them and asked them out of the blue to say cheese!

So often we are "plugged in" and don't notice the amazing and individual people around us. We used to be more engaged, chatting with folks in line at the post office, commenting on a hairstyle we liked on the check-out girl, waving to our neighbors in traffic. These days, everyone has their headphones in, their blue-tooth on, and their smart phone out. I wondered if it would startle people to have someone come up and talk to them instead of bump into them while text-walking. The responses I got made my morning, even the people who so graciously declined my request. 

Interacting with people on a personal level, running with the sun on my shoulders and a smile on my face, what a great way to start the day.

Some folks were more confident in with a partner, these guys were great

Most folks said yes. Some folks look bewildered, said nothing, but looked into the lens. Some folks said no, mostly women who I assumed felt that they did not look good enough to pose for a photo at 8 am. Thank you to everyone who said yes and spent a minute or more of their time talking to me this morning. 

"Why?" he asked. "Because you look pretty cool." I replied

To see the entire group of Boardwalk Portraits, please visit my Facebook Page Album.

Thanks for being a part of my art journey, 

Elizabeth