What a couple of weeks...

Well...the drawing dogs in the back of a van as it drives across half the country was an ill-fated idea. Much too bumpy :)

The trip was good, and the subsequent week in the woods at summer camp was nothing short of transformative, if that's a word. Walking up and down hills all week went from "this is killing me" to "my body is starting to crave this".

Back now, in the studio, filling orders. My wife and I have opened another Etsy store, this time to meet the rising demand for the ring blanks that I use in my resin tutorial. We will also be offering the pendant plates I use as well. So many folks were having trouble finding the rings, and now they can get them using Paypal.

The new store is called Golden Supply Co.

More on my week in the woods later...

19 hours each way...

End of this week, I will embark on a long and arduous journey. My son and I, and my sister, my uncle and my folks are all piling into a vehicle and drving halfway across the country to our annual family reunion. Sure...flying would be faster, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my son (in addition to the full week we are going to be spending at Scout Summer Camp later this month) before he goes off to become a middle-schooler. And I am looking forward to the time with my extended family.

It has become harder and harder to find large blocks of time to work on creating new art, and the list of requested breeds for my dog series has gotten long. So, I'm thinking as I cruise through North Carolina, Tennessee, and parts beyond, that I could get a little art done. and maybe shoot a few photos on the way. And maybe eat an indigenous sandwich or two. I have this dream to one day rent an RV and travel the country eating the sandwiches that originated in the various parts of the country. I have a feeling that this will be a $5 footlong version of that dream, at various Subways along the way.

If I can get Wi-fi access, I'll post each day's progress.

For now though, I've got a lot of prints to get out before I leave. Got new rings and pendants underway, working on glass pendants, and thanks to Spoonflower (some fellow North Carolinians, I might add), I'm getting closer to seeing my robots in a form you can pick up and hold. I wanted to create something using my Quelstar Tin Toys series, in keeping with the era that inspired that artwork. So, introducing the Fabribot, a retro-styled stuffed fabric robot in 6 or 7 models. These will probably be sold with a small print of the box art for that robot design.

These are hand-sewn by me, using fabric that Spoonflower has printed for me. Yes, I sew. It was a requirement that I be able to sew and do my own laundry before being allowed to leave home for college.

It will probably be a few weeks before I can get these in the shop, due to my upcoming road trip and a week at summer camp shortly thereafter, but maybe I can get a few in there late next week.

So slow to post...and to grow

I've had plenty of little tidbits going on that I might have blogged about, but I have been I have sort of been keeping my head down and working. I finally got caught up on leaving feedback (some went as far back as December), and may have finally, after almost 2 years on Etsy, perfected a system for making sure that every buyer gets a personal estimate of ship date and a personal notification of shipment. I have had to rely on the e-mails that are automatically generated since things got brisk on Etsy about a year and a half ago.

I have been thinking lately that I am standing on the brink of more growth both personally and professionally. Two people gave me Eckhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth" for my birthday back in May. One gave me the printed book and the other the book on CD. I read the book whenever I could get a moment, and listened to the CDs driving to and from work. The reason these folks gave me the book was because they saw me in its pages. And I did too. It has helped me a lot to get to work on changing a lot of conditioned behaviors that I exhibit and that I think waste a lot of my energy and keep me from being focused on the task at hand.

It did help me figure what I think my purpose here is, just in time to have a chance to serve my purpose pop up (see prior post). But still there is a lot of growth to come there.

Father's Day was great! Got lots of cool t-shirts from Etsy sellers and Mario Kart for the Wii. I'm looking for Wii friends to race, so you can comment here if you wanna join in. Just put your Wii number (comments won't be visible, unless I approve and post them, which I won't do for Wii numbers).

I got to thinking about how much our perspective of our progress can affect our actual progress. I think my life as a working artist is bursting to grow more and needs to grow more and is going to grow more, but I am nervous about being able to handle more business than I already have. I think I need another set of hands to handle a lot of the managerial aspects of the business. As it is now, I do everything related to my Etsy store, with the exception of my wife listing for me when I am trying to get packages out.

So then I started thinking that maybe it's me thinking that I can't handle any more growth that's kept growth steady but slow. Never more than I could handle. I do believe we get what we ask for, and by fearing more success, I may be asking not to be given more than I think I can handle. So I have stopped thinking that. For the most part.

So, then, some major things happened business-wise this week. And those things have great potential to lead to great growth. Of course, we will all have to wait and see.

So...what's my point? My point is don't hold yourself up with doubt. If the potential for growth comes, don't worry if you are ready for it. It wouldn't be there if you weren't. Oh, and give "A New Earth" a chance. It has been life changing for me.

Here's to being overwhelmed.

New Critters...

From the moment I created my very first critter in my Woodland Critter series, I have wanted to create other groups under the Critter umbrella. So, finally I have begun the Aquatic Critters. Right now, that consists of the Colossal Whale, the Nimble Octopus, The Playful Porpoise and the Patient Seahorse.

More subsets, sub-series, etc. to come.

These are available in my Etsy shop.

Opportunities to do what it feels like you were meant to do...

So I write a good bit about about some of the more mental and spiritual aspects of trying to follow a dream, for lack of a better term. It's now been more than a year since I realized that being a working artist is what I am "doing" with my life.

So far, so good. No one at the Golden house is going hungry. But it still feels like there is a long way to go before being what I wished for will make a comfortable lifestyle for us. Of course, being a working artist has removed a lot of the stress and turmoil that is built into being a freelance graphic designer, so, in a huge way, we are already living a more comfortable life. A shift in attitude from "There is always something else I need to be doing for work" to "This is exactly what I am supposed to be doing right now" has resulted, and all kinds of opportunities present themselves.

The most fulfilling of those has been the opportunity to give a piece of my art work to someone for whom I truly feel it was made (plus the opportunity to have my almost six-year old daughter at my elbow as I type this, telling me the words I am typing, "You writed (sic) 'good' in your sentence didn't you?").

About 2 years ago, I created "A Good Robot Would Do Wonders for Your Soul", as a companion piece to my "Rayguns Don't Kill People". At the time, I chose text that I thought was a play on the idea that a traditionally "soul-less" oject, a robot, could be good for your soul. These little text snippets that I use pop into my head, and I know that somewhere, out there, that the art and the text will click with someone and have some meaning to them.

If you go deeper, I would say that robots and depicting them has been very good for my soul, as I now am able to finally be a working artist, and that drawing a few robots has allowed me to draw many other things for which I have affection. But I don't believe that to be the true meaning anymore.

Many folks have connected with "A Good Robot...", and I think we all have different reasons for connecting with the piece. Once again though, a stranger reached out and delivered a message. The message in this case was the answer to the question: What am I here to do?

My thanks go out to Bryn for helping to get "A Good Robot..." into to the hands of the two people that I feel somehow it was made for.

I will warn you, this link takes you to a blog that will break your heart. But it will also inspire you, and may remind you that your own troubles are small. I am linking you to the entry from 11 weeks ago. I recommend you read the entries in order.

Matt, Liz and Madeline

International shipping is back!

After much research into the myriad of affordable options for shipping internationally...well, okay...it's not a myriad exactly, I am pleased to announce that I have reinstated international shipping in my Etsy shop!

Now everyone can get their mitts on some John W. Golden art :).

What's better for aches and pains than camping?

I took 7 kids camping this weekend, just so I could sleep on the ground and add a whole new set of aches and pains to my repertoire. We went on a 5-mile hike, but I don't feel any worse for the wear from that. Except for the sunburn. Had some of the best spaghetti, and some of the best scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage ever cooked by a bunch of 11-year olds.

On the art front, I continue to work on my list of dogs and cats, critters, etc. and I am gearing up for another round of rings and pendants. I hope to add another resin pendant design – a stainless steel tab with rounded corners and no sides. I'll shoot a sequel to my resin tutorial that covers that process.

I mentioned before that my resin how-to has been entered in the Spread the Craft contest over on Mindbites.com. The overall winner will be picked by judges, but there is also a People's Choice winner, determined by voting. You have to register to vote and rate (and it will be a few more weeks before voting begins), but I do appreciate any votes and ratings that you throw my way.

Aches and Pains...A sign of summer

Too much yard work this weekend :) I'm used to sitting in a chair all day. Got some shipping to catch up on this morning due to the long weekend.

So...I have had so many folks that want to know where I get my ring shanks and pewter pendant trays that I am considering becoming a retailer. I have to be careful what I add to my work flow, because it is really set up for just shipping art. I would almost have to sell the rings as supplies from johnwgolden.etsy.com, just so I could keep orders in the same pipeline so to speak. I don't know how folks that have orders coming from lots of different sources keep up with it all.

Saw my first firefly of the season about a week ago. Gonna consider switching to a summer schedule that allows taking the kids to the beach a few times a week. We finally realized last year that we live right next door to something that a lot of folks wait all year and pay a lot of money to visit, and that we were wasting that benefit.

It's always really calm in the morning, but not so warm. Great time for taking a kayak out in the surf though, which I vow to do more regularly this summer as well.

The Aftermath of Sharing...

The response to my resin jewelry tutorial has been overwhelmingly positive. One kind viewer tipped me off to a site called MindBites, which is running a contest called Spread the Craft. The video can be viewed as one 23-minute opus there.

The idea behind making such an in-depth video that shares every bit of my resin/jewelry making process is too see what it's like to directly spark creativity in other people. I have made contact with lots of friendly, creative folks and certainly caught the sharing bug.

I am currently in the voice-over stage of a new video called Pixels to Perches – The Digital Fish Art of John W. Golden. It's not so much a tutorial, but a demonstration/documentary video about how I make some of my digital art. The process is a bit too lengthy and complex to be parsed in to a how to, but I hope it will give a little insight into how I create my art.

I want to encourage everyone out there to "spread the craft", so to speak. I realize that we all have techniques that we have learned over years of hard work, and techniques that we have developed on our own that we might be reluctant to just give away. And that is understandable to feel that way. I have techniques that I may never share because I feel they are an integral part of what makes my art my art. But I think it is important to consider while we work our way to success that being successful is much more rewarding when you can encourage success in others.

Resin Jewelry Tutorial Part 1, Rings are Up

At long last, the resin jewelry tutorial that I promised is completed parts 1 and 2 are up. Part 3 is on the way. Also got most of the rings up last night. Pendants should go up for sale today.

Finally done!

I've got bunches of new rings and pendants going up on the Etsy shop tonight! Some of these are already gone, so they are not all available.

Here's a glimpse of some of the new jewelry I have coming out featuring my artwork and designs. This is part of an in depth tutorial that is in development.

Lots more Jewelry...

Worked on more pendants and rings this afternoon after I got the day's orders out. I am videotaping this go-round, so that folks can see how the things are made. Should have about 11 round rings, 12 Square Rings, 17 square pendants and 14 round pendants.

Here's a tiny taste of the round pendants...

Working on a snippet of the video for another post later.

Modofly is live!

It's been in the works for a while, and I am really excited to be able to add my voice to the chorus that today is screaming, "MODOFLY IS LIVE!".

Now, you are probably asking yourself, "What the heck is a Modofly?" Good question. Well...on one level, Modofly is the brainchild of Jordan Pollard and Kevin Scott. These two took an idea of an artists' collaborative and turned it into, of all things, and artists' collaborative. And on that level, Modofly is a group of 25+ artists whose work is currently gracing the covers of the most flippin' sweet Moleskine® sketchbooks I have ever seen. Kevin and Jordan do the heavy lifting of getting the artwork on the Moleskines, and offer them for sale on Modofly.net (the part that is now live), and on the Modofly Etsy store. The other member artists, besides creating the artwork, do their part to spread the Modofly word by acting as a street team of sorts. Blogging, sending press releases, approaching local retailers, all the things that can contribute to the success of the collaborative.

I am really excited to be a part of this wonderful group of artists, who have proven that they are as exceptional as people as they are as artists. It is a globe-spanning group that is combining their individual levels of success to create a greater level of success for all. And I really feel that their hard work is about to pay off. So check them out today!

Another year older, another year wiser?

Well, another birthday has come and gone, and now that I am a year past the new 30, I have learned the secrets to life and the universe.

Not really of course, but it seems that I have become aware of possibly more in this past year of life than in all the years before it.

I received some wonderful gifts, and can't wait to see what becomes of them in the coming year.

On the art front, I've got 24 more rings on the way, as well as pendants. I have been working extra hard to try to create a few extra days this week where I will be able to get through special requests from the Etsy shop. Thanks to all who are being so patient. Also got a May newsletter to get out.

Ring-a-ding!

Among the 50 blue-million other things I have going right now, I managed to get the rings and pendants done. Everything came out much better than I could have hoped, this being my first attempt at pouring resin. The rings look awesome, so they are going up on Etsy.

The first round of pendants, I think, will go to more happy homes if folks can actually see and handle them. I am very happy with how they look to the naked eye, but when they are magnified (as happens in the product photography), I am less happy with that. So the pendants won't be available on Etsy until the next round. I will have some group photos of the pendants here though.

See the rings I have listed here. More to come.

Wakka Wakka Wakka...

Friday was a big and busy day! After an early start to get some packages together, I was interviewed for a project that the UNC-W Randall Library is doing on the history of local art. As part of the project, the University is purchasing a collection of art, with a piece or two from each of the artists interviewed. So...my big orange Robot Worker Pfk-1 (around 3'x4') has a new home now on the university library walls. And a 12" x 12" "Dry Dock" from my Rovinato Series went with it as well.

The interview was fun, sort of my first interview of the sort, and covers my development as an artist from the beginning up to current day, in about an hour. It was videotaped, and I will post it once I get a copy. All you ever wanted to know.

My pewter pendant trays and Silver-plated rings came last night, so I am looking forward to getting started on those really soon. They will be available on Etsy as soon as I can get the hang of pouring resin. May have gone a bit large with some of my choices, so I am gonna order some smaller pendants shortly.

I came into possession of an early '80s Pac Man Cocktail Arcade Machine this weekend. That's the table version. It does not work, but it turns out you can get just about any part you need online. So that's gonna be a project later on. Or maybe it's just gonna be a table.

I'm being followed by a beach ball...

So the other day, I was driving home from the studio down a street that I take everyday. It cuts through a part of town that has seen better days. It's a 23-block drive. You have to be really careful, because there are lots of residents, young and old, at play, on street corners, etc.

So..., at about 10th street, I noticed ahead of me that two cars were stopped in the road, and I can see some kids off to the left, in a yard. Then I saw why the cars had stopped.

There was a beach ball bouncing across the street. Not your average beach ball. This one is transparent with deep, jewel-tone colors. Not like any one I have seen before.

One of the kids walks out, gets the ball, and we all go on our merry way.

So the next morning, I'm on my way in to the studio. My route to the studio is on a different street, about 2 blocks over from the street I take to go home. At the time of the morning I head in, that part of the surrounding neighborhood is empty.

As I crossed 15th street, off to the left, I saw something bouncing slowly toward me. I slowed down and watched as the jewel-toned transparent beachball rolled/bounced up 15th street, in front of me, and off to my right to disappear in to the woods.

It was like the shopping bag scene in American Beauty. The ball had drifted up 5 blocks and over 2, in a period of 16 hours to cross in front of me at the exact moment that I was doing the same thing, though in the opposite direction, that I had been doing when I first saw it.

Just weird.

Thank you Parents Magazine!

Parents Magazine gave me a double shot of love recently. First, they featured the By Order of the Management series on their Goody Blog (goodyblog.com), and then they did a feature in the magazine on a nursery that happened to have some of my Lunastrella Series on its wall. Big thanks to Elizabeth and Peter for buying the prints and making them part of their gorgeous nursery. And big thanks as well to Jennifer, an Etsian found me on Etsy and let me know that the prints were in the April 2008 Issue. Featured prints were the Lunastrella Robot, Saucer and Space Station.

Scooterrific!

There just aren't enough opportunities in life to add "-errific" or "-iffic" to the ends of words. :)

I love old Vespas, so it is a subject I return to from time to time. This one is available on Etsy.

Something for Spring...

I have been working on some new critters for a while now, and finally was able to get one finshed. I've got several flitter critters underway, but the Bustling Honeybees won out for first release.

This is available over on Etsy.

In the works...Pendants

Here are some test mock-ups I have done recently as I await the arrival of findings and such so that I can begin creating new ways that folks can own my artwork.

Several types of pendants as well as rings are in the works. Jewelry is a crowded category on Etsy for sure, but I also think there are lots of folks that tend to stick to browsing one category on Etsy, so some cross-pollination may help me reach more people.

Not all of these will make it past the test stage. Not like I need more to do on a daily basis, so these will probably be produced once a month, if necessary.

Monikers!

Hello all, I have been super busy with creating some new work. Inspiration comes from the strangest places, and though I have heard the nickname "Sin City" probably a thousand times, hearing it last week sparked something.

Since I was already in sign mode from creating series 4 of the By Order of the Management Series, I figured I should strike while the iron was hot. There are 13 signs, with many more at various stages of completion. There is also a little subset in which I plan to create signs based on the 5 boroughs of NYC, and maybe even some interesting neighborhoods.

These are available on Etsy.

New Work! More Signs!

Just in time for Mother's Day! Series 4 of the By Order of the Management Series is complete. Now the entire series is 32 signs covering all kinds of parental mandates.

As seen on Etsy.

New Work! Girls Vs. Boys!

I thought to myself, "Why should grown-ups get to make all the rules?" These 2 signs should say "By Order of the Junior Management."

Available on Etsy.