Setting up a Table

 

My online store is now open for business!

I created a business plan years ago when I was taking my illustration business class at the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School in the Illustration MFA program. In it, I focused only on getting into the children’s picture book market. Jim Carson (1952 - 2014), the instructor for the illustration business class, told me not to put all of my eggs into one basket.

A few years ago, I was watching an interview with an Illustrator and Animator, Jake Parker, on a show called The New Creatives. In it he explained that he sees his career and supporting himself like a table. “you put legs under the table to hold it up. The more legs you have under that table, the more stable it is, and if something is swept out from under it, you’ve got all these other legs holding it up.”

I learned this the hard way when over 19 years ago I was laid off from my graphic design job, found another job, and then was laid off again within two months. I realize I need more legs to support my table. I have been relying mostly on my teaching, but I know from past experience that things can change in an instant and that one support can be gone. 

As part of this journey, I am creating more legs to better support my table. The first leg is my teaching. The second is my efforts to get into the picture book market. The third leg is selling my work online. I am also in the process of developing more legs.

You can see what work is available to purchase at my website 

https://www.barclay-studio.com/online-store 

and find other places to buy my work at this subpage 

https://www.barclay-studio.com/other-places-to-buy-my-work

If you see something of mine that you want that I currently do not offer or want to commission me to do any work, let me know. 

I will also be updating the store regularly so visit often!

#50 of 100 Elephants: The Blossoming Elephadill

Half way through the 100 Elephants. I was again struggling to figure out where to go. I had drawn the frogephant and while waiting for a movie to start, I came up with this idea.

I thought I should mention where I got this idea as well. This last summer I was searching different programs and came across a show called The New Creatives on BYU TV. I would highly recommend watching it.

The first feature was on Jake Parker, and Illustrator and Animator and the creator of Inktober. He had challenged himself to create 100 robots. I was impressed with the idea and the creative challenge that this presented. I incorporated it into my Visual Arts Seminar class and I challenged myself to do it as well.

I see creativity as a muscle that needs to be exercised on a regular basis in order for it to be strengthened. I was so impressed with what my students did.