Debra Gabel, author of Quilt Blocks Across America, started quilting as a teenager. When she had a family of her own, she started designing patterns for stockings, then baby quilts. But it wasn’t until 2003 that she seriously thought of making a career of it. . . read more
Last April I found myself creatively stuck, so I booked a weekend trip to Chicago in hopes it would jump-start my imagination. After buying my ticket, I discovered that I would be there for the Creative Chicago Expo, which is a bunch of free marketing workshops for artists. I was thr. . . read more
Laura Zarrin has been a professional artist and illustrator for nearly 22 years. While raising her children, she put her commercial projects on hiatus, but of course she never stopped drawing or creating. . . read more
Congratulations are in order for a fellow blogger today. . . Chris Guillebeau’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, has been published! You may remember Chris from his Unconventional Guide to Art & Money . . . read more
David Weiss created his first piece of art at the age of three, when he drew Tippy the Turtle from an art school’s newspaper advertisement. But despite that early inclination, it wasn’t until 1986 that he became a professional artist. . . read more
Vicki O’Dell has been featured on various television shows, including DIY, HGTV, and PBS. She considers herself “an experimenter, an explorer, and a mad scientist of creativity." And her art is pretty unique, too!. . . read more
Every so often (a few times a year, perhaps) someone will write me a nasty email accusing me of being a greedy money-grubber because of who I allow - or who I don't allow - to advertise on EmptyEasel. . . read more
I had driven past Normal, Illinois many times before. Hell, half the country has—it’s at the crossroads of I-55 and I-74. I had only seen the town from the interstate until my first show there almost 10 years ago.
My first 12 hours or so in Normal were worrisome. Crumbling streets,. . . read more
Matt LeBlanc is an abstract artist on a mission. When his art began to sell, he decided to take a stand against cancer and founded the Matt LeBlanc Art For Life Campaign. Today we've caught up with Matt to discuss the ins and out of marketing one's art and reaching success.. . . read more
All over the world wide web there are conventional and unconventional sites that are worth exploring. When I’m not creating art, I focus on marketing and yearn for information that will help me progress into the next level of my career.. . . read more
My work is a sort of post-Cubist variation with a twist and a triple lindy—if you feel you really have to put it in a neat box and tie a tidy bow around it with a cute label. And because of the Cubist element in my work, I often hear things like this at the art fairs as well as in the. . . read more
Patrick Gracewood has been creating art professionally for thirty years. As a sculptor, he is influence by the ancient worlds of Egypt, Assyria, China, and Japan. Today we’re fortunate enough to learn Patrick’s secrets for taking on commissions.. . . read more
I hardly ever look at my work honestly like a buyer. After all, the buyer doesn’t know the amount work I put into it and, when I’m face to face with a potential buyer, I don’t explain all the troubles and tribulations I had just getting my idea on the canvas.. . . read more
Once upon a time I loved to travel. This was before gasoline prices soared, Americans became unpopular in far too many places, and flying lost much of its appeal. My journeys were sparked by a desire to photograph unfamiliar places with the wonder that comes from experiencing cultures for the. . . read more