Let's get this party started!
The, at long last, publishing of my website. Welcome to Gay Jegers Art. A place for my art to be viewed and purchased online., sign up for me emails and contact me, too. And to really kick it off I add this, my first ever blog post. This is the telling of the what and how I got all this done at last.
Last autumn I realized my art work was stacking up and gathering dust. I have been painting about seven years. After a spring time class in 2021 I knew I wanted to share my work with others through shows, fairs, social media and exhibits. And then, of course, if someone liked my work well enough perhaps the would even buy it!
One evening, visiting the studio of my friend and former instructor, Linda Green of Sacramento, California, invited me to show my work at her business. She and her husband own Jimmy's Barber Garage in Midtown Sacramento. Besides giving great barber and salon services they showcase and rotate local artist's work in the shop. And oh, did that get me going. You can bet I agreed!
Thus began my mission to establish my art business. There was so much to do! I needed the government satisfied that I would sell my work legally and pay my taxes. That meant I needed a California Sellers license, a city license to operate a business from my home, and an IRS employer number. You have to pay your taxes, of course!
I then started creating my back office administration. I needed a bookkeeping and record keeping system; a system to record and track my works pricing, sales, (if!), state sales tax liability, inventory and purchase receipts, and a company bank account. And last but not least I would need a website.
The government and back office were the easy part. Creating a website to show and sell my art online was a tough one! I read it's best to create your website yourself. If the showing and selling goes well the site will need to regularly updated. It is so much easier to update if you have built it yourself so build it, I did. By far, this was the biggest and hardest task for me.
I love well designed and efficient software but, oh, do I hate the learning curve.
There was way more than one day that I felt like this collage that I created after a very trying day on learning this software.
The last week before publication I spent hours on the website host's chat line over an issue that turned out to be a non-issue after all. The assistant I was chatting with "discovered" a problem with my design. Turns out she was mistaken and I didn't need to take any of the actions she suggested. Oh well, live and learn. It's all part of the software experience.
Websites for commerce need pages of privacy information, terms and conditions for the use of the website, and the explanation of shipping and returns that are to be handled by me. I researched, I wrote and then, I read that there are regulations governing said policies and procedures. Can you guess what I did ? Did you guess I hired a lawyer? If you did, gold star for you!
That is exactly what I did. Some hours and some dollars later those were ready and added to my website.
The biggest problem for me and what I procrastinated over time and time again was the photographing of my work. I am not a photographer yet, but I will be! The photos need to be of the highest quality for reproducing on the website, social media, and my portfolio. It's said the newer model iPhone 12 Pro Max will do quite well and that is what I own and am using currently. The camera needs to be perfectly focused and still, and often it is held at an angle because of the shadows the light source can create. It is suggested the only the work itself and framed, the frame should be included in the photograph.
I have taken hundreds of photos of my paintings, viewing each to find the best. I did this after I made the work for this show. In the future, the photos will be sharper, clearer and truer, but I am happy enough with my results for this launch. I tell myself I will always photograph my work as I go from now on, not when a whole body of work needs to be presented. Fingers crossed that is just what I will do.
The last bits to accomplish before my first show were writing this inaugural blog post, adding the hanging hardware, create the labels, and installation.
Ta Dah! My first show, my website and my own domain https://www.gayjegersart.com.
I am excited, I am nervous and I am ready. Let's get this party started!
Now showing through July 2022 at:
Jimmy's Barber Garage
1017 24th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
