just adding some new work to my store this morning…
This was painted on Carolina’s outer banks, a beautiful morning scene with fresh breezes and clear air. Everyone was strolling by as I painted this piece and stopped to admire what I was doing, one of those perfect moments in time…. store.deborahchapin.com
I tried posting this via email apparently that doesn’t work mishmash.. pish-tosh oh well…. best laid plan of technology doesn’t always function…. at any rate, my new store is really perking along. This morning I was reading new log files and so as I am switching and adding new works for the spring I’m adding the little anecdotes to the mix…. I really think that makes the viewing more intriguing…. and along the way you have a history. At any rate here’s the link to the right page, I’m putting up a couple of other’s in what remains the of the morning.
Siberian Blue Saga, flower painting by Deborah Chapin
Saga of Siberian Blue, wall art, floral artwork canvas print, flower painting
I put together a short (silent film) Tour of the new store site…
Some of the Features to look for are:
Front Page slide show with direct link features,
below that the product slider on the front page which can take you directly to a product.
menus are just below the header
price filters
the way to add options to your cart
using the check the postage feature
share buttons…. etc
Let me know if you have any questions, hiccups etc….
I have finished the set up of my new Gallery Store, and put up several pieces and will continue to do so bit by bit. This week I added the most popular pieces on my old store, and a few new pieces, I will continue to add the links so you’ll need to keep checking to find all the new things going up. I’ll try to give heads up here. Take a look http://store.deborahchapin.com
Every year I do an assessment of how things are working, and the natives are restless. Seen marketing start to pick up and my website is done but I just have to simplify my life. When I started my first website in 1990 something, it was such a different ball game, no one in the arts was on the web, that would never fly and was such a lot of labor intensive dreck…. Well the pigs are flying now and everyone is online, it gets easier and easier and in fact most retailers in other areas of the market are doing 60% of their business online now vs their brick and mortar… so every year I decide on the time to buff things up. Last year I did a complete revamp from my old site, and this year I’m building a store onto my site, I’ve tried several services in the meantime and they’ve worked and I’ve learned a lot but I’m not quite satisfied with the end results and developing a new portfolio should coincide with a new presentation so …. Yesterday I moved to a new host and transferred my regular site and so I’m starting to build the store site now. If you experience lost links or bouncing email just tag a comment here and I’ll check it out, it is likely going to take a bit because everything always does… Thanks Debbie
“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow…if you haven’t noticed my blog is snowing… puts me in the seasonal cheery mood…. So well it has been awhile since I checked in, been working on so many projects looks like a whirl wind went through, but I am making progress, bought a Neat Desk to organize all that paper stuff that we still need especially when we don’t know what the tax situation will be… I love it (Neat Desk not taxes). Updated the software for the book portfolio I’m working on boy what a nightmare… I love what these programs can do but I really hate being a beta tester throughout my whole adult existence…. and then there are the passwords, and the nightmare of getting anyone (human) to work out a problem.. sigh, but that hurdle is just about resolved. Revamping my store, it needed repainting, probably done this week that will set up the 2013… which brings me to new year’s resolutions…There were a lot of hurdles in sales this year starting in reverse order, distractions like fiscal cliffs, elections, preparing for a hurricanes, 2 weeks without electricity from that freak storm (online business here) in the summer, and then there were Google’s Pelican, Penguin updates that pretty much bottomed out the marketplace for every small business known to man (or woman) for two months in March/April. Whew, still provided sanity returns to those on the hill this year we’ll be OK, didn’t meet my goals of 30% increase in sales but … I’m feeling it was quite an accomplishment just making it through 2012. It’s all relative, my mom feels it is quite an accomplishment just getting out of bed these days.
So… what to do over in 2013 for the resolutions…. there’s still time to round-up 2012 but I’m looking forward to positive things and less rancor and disharmony… A little more OMM. So a quiet snowy evening to start…. Enjoy the snow.
The season’s changing and day’s are getting shorter, my new project is getting started and just a few more pieces to the puzzle before I finally start to make a little progress. This will be my 4th major shift in career but I look at all the previous years as an apprenticeship for the last 20 maybe 25 years of painting to come. (Having an elderly parent I realize that probably when I hit 80 I’ll want to coast) I’d like to spend it looking at the coast somewhere, but … we’ll see.
Having also taken a break from my work during the recession (my recession) has made me very secure in my decision of what I wanted to do with the home stretch. 20 years can be a lifetime, lots can be accomplished but just hurtling ahead without a plan and direction is NOT the way to go. Stepping out of the fray for awhile makes you painfully aware of the folly of trying to win over cronies or fighting the good ole boys and what a ridiculous waste of time it all is. They may want to spend their time holding their little corner of the market but I think if all you are all about is keeping people out then there is something wrong with your head. Also in this day and age it isn’t as necessary. All you have to do is look across the room, see the elder you and say do I really want to spend my time battling old wars? the answer would be NO. There are many avenues to the public now that weren’t available even 10 years ago. All those who were will fade because ultimately it is the quality of work that matters. People aren’t so tied into what the establishment “says” is good or bad so…. it is just a matter of following your bliss as Joseph Campbell said in his ”The Hero’s Journey”, doing good work and letting people know it is out there.
So with that clear perspective and most of the re-calibration of my thinking done, work begins. I’m doing something very different, and following a new trail we’ll see where it leads.
One of the things that I’ve learned during 30 years + of work is that sometimes it is good to hit the pause button on life and assess the directions, clear out those things you don’t want to do anymore and work on just the essentials of what will get you to your goals. I’ve changed my life course 4 times maybe more but definitely 4 times. Since I am caring for an elderly parent it was a perfect time to really restructure and change directions. It is also a great time to finish all those repair and cleaning project which never get done while in the thick of painting project. So the economy is down and it isn’t what it used to be, so…. what’s next? plan and prepare and get ready because whatever it is you’ll want to be prepared.
Best Debbie
I’m just puttering away over here… I added a couple of new pieces to the giclee collection, see my Mud Pies This is a canvas print (giclee) from a plein air painting I did in Brittany France. Original is sold, if you would like to commission a beach piece of your own please see
Help me Create a Commission smaller works are available starting at 16×20
Mud Pies, 12×18 Canvas Print Made To Order http://store.deborahchapin.com
Mud Pies is on sale at http://store.deborahchapin.com
