Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Art in action. Shop indie. Help USPS. Send an art gift. UPDATED

Buy greeting cards from indie artists! Help the USPS by buying stamps and sending mail. 

When you send a card from an indie artist, you are sharing an art gift with your friends/loved ones. 

And attn indie artists -- now is the perfect time to add blank greeting cards to your online store sites. Be sure to put your full name and store/contact info on the back of the card. Yes, small art prints are nice, but cards can also be framed and the lower price point can open new markets. Your cards that get sent mean sales, plus whoever gets the card also gets introduced to your art and online store.

Fans who purchase art card gifts support indie artists and help fight isolation during Covid. Who doesn't love getting a fun card in the mail???

Here are links for some of my favorites indie artist cards. 

SUSAN LEE,  "Embrace the Chaos" art life road trip
One indie artist, Susan Lee, is on a road trip now and documenting it with social media posts, and original watercolor postcards available to purchase and help support her project...

http://www.embracethechaostour.com/
http://www.embracethechaostour.com/blog-feed/
https://ko-fi.com/EmbraceTheChaos?fbclid=



unique, original watercolor postcards document Susan's indie art life road trip adventure. (contact her about availability for the original cards)
http://www.embracethechaostour.com/support-the-chaos/?fbclid=



This 9.14.20 article in the Washington Post shares some of the benefits of sending cards..."Who needs another Zoom call? Why sending letters might help your loved ones.If you don’t know where to start, we have some tips to make it easier." By Jamie Friedlander
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/letters-pandemic-depression-anxiety-help/2020/09/14/47b3bb3a-f3b1-11ea-b796-2dd09962649c_story.html

Excerpt: “[Letters] help provide social support, even if you can’t be there with your friend or family member, holding their hand and being by their side,” says Spray, who is also the director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Center at NYU Langone Health.

Research indicates that such support can have a significant impact on recipients’ mental health. One study, conducted at Stanford University in the early 1970s, followed more than 800 people after they had been discharged from the hospital for depression or suicidal tendencies. 


One group of patients received handwritten letters from a health-care provider they knew in the five years following discharge, while the other group received no letters. Patients in the letter-receiving group had lower rates of suicide over the five-year period."

BILL ROBINSON "Flimflammery" -- pick three of his card designs for this great deal! 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/flimflammery?section_id=10526038



JILLIAN ALTMEYER "Squidbrains" --
 her sticker designs add whimsy to cards. She also sells small prints.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Squidbrains



JENNA PUENTE "Paperwilderness" -- 
animal designs with snappy sayings. buy 4 cards get 1 free!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperWildernessShop?ref=




AIMEE HAN  "Hivefive Studios" -- 
punny enamel pins and cards on beautiful card stock
https://hivefivestudios.com/collections/greeting-cards?fbclid=



Artist Aimee does an outstanding job presenting memorable images of her work -- at her exhibit space, online store, and platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. She also adds a branding moment to the back of each card. If you want to grow an engaged fan base, share what makes your brand special. A loyal fan base will seek out artists (and buy from them) when the work represents values and qualities they share. 

See examples of Aimee's exhibit table set up in this post from August 2019

CATHY ZHANG "Easy Sunday Club"
-- 

watercolor images, and a "Buy 5 cards" special
https://www.easysundayclub.com/collections/cards



LILI CHIN  "Doggie Drawings" -- 
https://www.doggiedrawings.net/
cards, calendars, prints, and custom pet portraits that she can put on cards! Plus this fantastic "Animals of the USA" postcard of all the state and territory animals for the US.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/845410001/animals-of-the-usa-postcards-5?ref=

Lili also has these new postcards





and a book coming out soon! You can read more and pre-order the book here:


STEPH LABERIS Character Design and Illustration
https://stephlaberis.squarespace.com/shop




This is just one of the adorable prints on her site.

Steph is also a children's book illustrator and the official artist of the Little Golden Book "Grumpy Cat" series! (signed copies often available via Stuart Ng Books)
https://stuartngbooks.com/the-little-grumpy-cat-that-wouldnt-little-golden-book.html

Sarah Hunt "Marty Mouse House"
Photographer Sarah Hunt has a huge online following (76,000+) thanks to her amazing photos. Her photos of pets and urban wildlife are packed with personality. You can also find her on Instagram @martymousehouse and @mybackyardbandits.

She has an online stores (on BigCartel and on Threadless) where you can purchase her photos on merch like calendars


Greeting cards -- full selection here:

"You Hab Been Healed" card



"Marty on the Brooklyn Bridge" card


and now Masks!!! 
see the huge selection of images here:

Squirrel portrait mask



ALEJANDRO MOGOLLO 
Based in Spain, this artist has an international following thanks to his stunning images of cinema icons. His online store offers his art on a vast array of merchandise.
Mugs
Cards
and Masks

Sending an art gift can help fight social isolation.
Cards are easy to start with. 
Think outside your own circle of friends and family too...
Many retirement homes welcome "pen pals" to send cards to residents.

And don't forget to have fun picking out stamps -- you can mail order all the current stamps via the USPS website https://store.usps.com/store/results/stamps/_/N-9y93lv?Nrpp=48.

Here are some fun past and present ones...

USPS 1984 America dog stamps campaign
the 1984 America Dog Stamps, art by Roy Anderson
 USPS 1991 horse stamps, art by Michael Dudash
 USPS 2019 "Military Working Dogs" stamps, art by Greg Breeding
 USPS 2014 "Batman Forever" stamps

No comments: