After participating in my first two juried art festivals of summer 2021, it feels very appropriate and timely that we are discussing what to expect when you show your work at an art festival and the things to do afterward. This is part three of my series about juried art festivals - if you missed part one (applying) or part two (preparing), be sure to check those out too! Let's dive in! LOAD IN: each festival will have specific instructions for how and when to arrive to their

Business As An Artist "Why don't you just sell online?" "Are you selling your work on social media?" "...but they're having an online event, that's a good alternative, right?" Yes, but also a big NO. Art festivals are my chosen business model for a few very important reasons and while I do sell online through my Scratchboard Shop, promote and sell on social media, offer reproductions and small original work, host seasonal sales, and participate in and host virtual events, non

One of the questions that I get all the time from family, friends, and clients, is ‘what do you DO all day’? Most people have no idea what it looks like to be a full-time professional artist (I didn’t when I decided to be one either), so today I thought I’d give you a glimpse into my creative small business…it won’t look like anyone else’s but it will give you a pretty good idea of what it takes to run a business as an artist. My day-to-day looks very different depending on t

There are many questions I get regularly about my work as a professional scratchboard artist, including what the heck scratchboard is, how long it takes to complete a piece, where I show my work, and how commissioning a custom pet portrait works. One part of my business that people don’t typically ask questions about until I bring it up is art festivals and how they work. Once I start explaining it, the questions and the surprised looks come rushing out, so I thought I would

Hey there everyone! I took a little bit of a hiatus from blogging recently and am ready to get back to it, offering great new content about scratchboard artwork and processes, behind the scenes of my business and scratchboard techniques, pet portrait projects, wildlife and wild place features, new installments of my Endangered Species Series (ESS), and personal posts about adventure, travel, backpacking and hiking. I’m really excited to share my journey as we all navigate a

Recently, we've been having issues with the wi-fi in my house...I was working on a scratchboard commission though, so it wasn't a big deal really. I had the reference photo saved on my flash drive, so I didn't need the internet to be productive - it was a quiet work time, however, because I couldn't get a connection for my Pandora station (minor disappointment)! After a few hours, though, I thought 'ok, that's enough" and went to reset the router in time to get my afternoon

Hey there! This quote speaks to me in big ways!! As an avid hiker, someone who yearns for the solace of nature, a wildlife artist, sustainability junkie, supporter of renewable energies, and animal lover, it is important to me that I respect the natural order of Earth and try to limit the impact of my human footprint. Something so important in my personal life has, naturally, spilled over into my business life. So the reason we're here today - the third pillar of Melissa H