The path of an artist has not always been an easy one for me and along the way l asked many people especially other artists for advice. However, l have learned a lot by trial and error and I wanted to share with you what l have learned so far and give you some of my best advice to help you become a successful artist, especially if you are just starting out. I have had some young aspiring artists ask me for advice so why not share it with all of you.
I usually save the best for last, but in this case l am going to start with the most important advice l can give you. Do not listen to people telling you how impractical your passions are, and don’t let anyone crush your dreams. You need to stay positive and you need to stay focused on your goals.
     If you love what you do then it should not be a competition, it is important to recognize that there is an abundance of talented people out there and why not be added to that same caliber of talent? Why compete with others? Everyone is different, so don’t be afraid to be yourself.
It’s important to be encouraging, artists need to inspire and be inspired. You need to network yourself with other creative people,  positive individuals who are of the same mind set. We should be helpful and aim to respond with motivating words.  
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Don’t give up, you have no idea how many times l would get caught up in everyday life and l would put my art aside. If you want to succeed you need to make your  creativity a priority, you can’t let your art suffer. Practice makes perfect, you need to continue developing your skills, and put all the countless hours you have already dedicated to good use. You must progress and move onward. You can’t put in all that time and let it go to waste. I believe that if you have the drive to succeed you will.

     I have met some really pretentious artists and all l can say is there’s a fine line to being proud of your artwork and recognizing that you are good and then being narcissistic or egotistical. No one likes a bragger so just keep that in mind.
    I am a genuine believer that you don’t have to go to school to be a great artist. You just need to learn the fundamentals and you need to keep learning and practicing, and l think it is important to experiment creatively with different mediums so that you are not fearful of trying new things. Keep flourishing your artistry and talent. It’s important to realize that you will never stop developing.

     I have often said that you can be an incredible artist but you need to be a good business person too. You need to learn networking and marketing. You can’t expect to sit behind your easel and let your artwork sell itself or get any exposure. Networking builds viable relationships and this delivers future results. You need to put yourself out there, not just your artwork, you as an artist need to be social.  Potential customers are likely to view and check out your artwork if they know who you are, it becomes a personal experience if your patrons know who you are as a person. Your current customers can also introduce you to other people who may like your work. Build relationships with suppliers, galleries, and organizations, they can potentially help you network with people that can become clients or help you develop skills. Join social media sites, this is an important one. Online shopping and social media sites are growing rapidly. You need to keep people in the loop with what you are doing or up too and social media is a compelling way to stay in touch with society. A website is a good way to sell your artwork and blogging will help your clients get to know you. It is even as important to network in person. Get out there and talk to people. Join or attend local events. You will benefit from getting to understand your community.  Have fun with it, and be personal and professional. Smiling leaves a lasting impression.                
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​ Don’t talk negatively about your art. There will always be self-doubt, but you need to believe in your abilities and what you are offering. How can others believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself? Use your art to express yourself and who you are. It’s important to stay true to yourself and so this ties into my next, but last piece of advice. Your art should not be free. “Your art will get lots of exposure, but l can’t pay for it” You need to value yourself. I have donated my artwork for some great causes, so let’s not get confused about what l am trying to express.  You can’t keep giving away your art and give into offensive offers. Put value on your art. This art business is a lot of work. Trust me l know, so don’t cheapen or devalue your work.
Have fun and do what you love and remember that you need to make yourself happy, be true to yourself and remember to work hard and never give up. Feel free to share some of your great tips and advice, l would love to hear from you.
Have a beautiful Day,

Alice Melo

Hello Friends,
 Are you looking for storage and organizing ideas for your paints?  You are in luck, because on my blog today, l am going to share with you different DIY ideas and economical ways that l use to keep my artist paints organized and uncluttered.
 
There are so many different brands of paints on the market, all in different shapes and sizes, and it can be a challenging task to keep paints organized.  Some require more room and unique storage ideas and as your passion for painting grows, so does your collection of brands. Painting for over twenty years and having the desire to try different paint brands, has left me with a vast variety of tubes, and bottles in all different shapes and sizes. After having a few disasters with my paints, solely because l was careless with them, I was determined to put a stop to my paint tube disaster. My professional paints are a hefty investment, so I started looking for ways to organize my inventory to help keep my paints grouped, knowing what colours needed to be replenished and the biggest advantage was spending less time finding the colours l wanted to use.

 I can’t take credit for all my organizing efforts, as my hubby is skilled in building what l dream up, l am so lucky and grateful for his support. He has for sure helped me build a lot of my projects, so finding extra help can come in handy with some of your DIY projects.  I have tried to keep my ideas simple and economical. I tend to be a frugal shopper but l also try to use or buy materials that are sturdy and will last, so keep that in mind when you are finding other ideas to organize. Sometimes it is worth paying a bit more to get durability and longevity. For some, portability is important and l kept this in mind when l was organizing my art studio. If l had to move, most of my systematic ideas could move with me.

1.  DIY Binder Clip Paint Tube Organizer
Let me show you one of my favourite DIY storage ideas in my studio. Professional artist paints in general can run you a crazy amount of money, especially oil paints. I wanted a way to store them, not only for easy accessibility but also to prevent tube leakage. I first saw this idea on Pinterest, and totally fell in love with it. I was determined to build one that would match my studio. The first step is to measure your wall space and establish how big you can make one. The size of your paint tubes will be the determining factor in choosing the spacing on your board. My wall allowed a board that would hold 84, 37 ml tubes. You can hang 150 ml tubes, only you have to space them out according to the size of your board.
For this project l used a large piece of MDF, binder clips, screws, paint, measuring tape, nails, wood glue, thin trim board, and of course an amazing hubby who constructed it  for me.  The most time consuming part to this project was measuring out the distance for your tubes, and screwing in all your binding clips. Once hung on the wall, you can organize your tubes of paint to your desire.

2.   Stack-able  Storage Makeup Organizers
 Using storage stack-able makeup organizers are a perfect idea and size for storing smaller paint tubes. Not only are they economical as l paid a $1.25 each at the Dollar Tree, but they are stack-able and they look visually pleasing on a shelf.  I use them to store my 5 and 7.5 ml watercolours, but l would think you could fit a bigger sized tube if needed. Being that they are clear, I organize my paints by colours, making it a breeze to find the ones l need quickly. This is a simple storage idea that is easy to rearrange and add more containers too, as your collection expands.

3. Door Hanging Organizer
I found a door-hanging organizer four years ago, made by “Artist Loft” useful for storing larger sized 118 ml tubes. You could also use an over the door shoe organizer, but try and find one that is made of durable material, (these are also great for storing spray paint cans), or it won’t sustain the weight. The one l used had 84 slots. l have since, removed this organizer, but it was an economical and easy idea l used for a few years, so l thought l would include it in this blog.

4. Trolley Cart

My most often used acrylics are stored in rolling trolleys. They are movable and l can store a lot of paint in them. I like that they are made of metal, so you can hang other useful magnet organizers and hooks on them. I personally love this option because they are super durable and portable. I keep mine near my easel for easy access when l am painting. I found perfect sized baskets, at my local Dollar Tree, to keep the colours organized by brands and sizes.

5.  Rotating Paint Racks

This storage suggestion is ideal for 2oz. /59 ml bottles. I have used these rotating paint racks for years, but they are superb for finding colours quickly and are overall durable. The only con is they take up a lot of space. The ones l use hold 160 bottles but l have seen online smaller racks that hold 112 bottles.  They are super heavy when stocked, so you need to make sure it sits on something sturdy.

6. Hanging Clamps with S Hangers
This organizing idea is super easy, economical and ideal to hang your paint tubes neatly. I found these hangers on Amazon, 50 for $13.99. They clip to the bottom of your paint tube, and because they have an S hook you can hang them from a rod or anything that you desire. I found hanging them from the edges of my trolley worked well.  I absolutely love this idea, because looking for the colours l need is effortless. Visually it looks neat and tidy and it is an extremely affordable idea.

I would love to hear some of your organizing ideas, so please feel free to comment and share them with me. Mastering the mess helps me feel comfortable in my haven and l hope that l have inspired you in some way to do the same.
 Wishing you all a beautiful day,

Alice