Great start to May!

What an incredible week to start May! Windy Gallagher's gift shop inside the McKinney Convention and Visitors' Bureau had its soft opening with great success. Thank yous to everyone for all their hard work include Windy, of course, husband Scott, Leo and Miguel and the entire wonderful staff at the Bureau . Special thanks to my buddies at the Ebby Halliday office and my McKinney family ( you know who you are!) for coming down to say hello while I painted. I was delighted to see a big variety in all the items from T-shirts and tea towels to wine bags and mouse pads, note cards and much more is on the way. We celebrity sighted Ray Ricchi from the City Council, , the City attorney and many others who make the wheels turn in the right direction for our wonderful town. Look for Trixie, the stylin' Armadillo who will be "Steppin' Out on the Square soon!

Also prevmiered is a brand new watercolor of three important buildings with lots of history: the McKinney Performing Arts Center, The Cotton Mill and The Flour Mill. I titled it "McKinney's Triple Crown". Look for this image soon on items in the store. It will be available pre-matted and ready to frame.

If you haven't been inside the shop, this week is the perfect time to go as it is Tourism Week...it is NOT your ordinary gift shop and has some affordable , high quality items to promote McKinney.

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Why are collectors not choosing watercolors? Let's explore that and change some misconceptions

Starting in January with a visit to The Oklahoma City Cowboy Museum, I’ve been trying to add visits to see other artist’s work. Just this past week we stopped by Inspiration Gallery and other galleries in Fredericksburg, Texas. Both had no watercolors on display. I should say all 3 of these carried bronze and clay statues and 99% oils, all Western themed as well. I did chat with the knowledgeable staff and they assured me that watercolor is well liked….but doesn’t sell. They brought up the difficulty with glass covering the artwork which is actually no longer an issue. We now use acrylic or plastic glazing almost exclusively or protect our images with wax or a fixative. It is a dilemma for watercolorists despite some fabulous artwork coming from amazing artists even in my home state of Texas. Let’s talk this out and see if we can uncover some of this negativity. Size limitation: Large pieces are in demand Watercolor "paper" (actually cotton fiber) has been made for hundreds...

Merchandising Your Art

"Dairy Queen" If you have lived in Texas, you might love Blue Bell. Even our cows do. I hope you have considered merchandising your images. Not only is it fun to see products with your artwork on them but it is lucrative and makes a longer lasting impression of your intention and talent. It's a great gift from you, as well. Where can you get this work created? One artist website is Fine Art America. I let the people at Fine Art America print my images on notecards, prints of all sizes and on surfaces of all kinds. For example, tote bags are a popular item. Many folks aren't collectors of hanging art but they like color and uniqueness in other areas of their homes. Mugs are another popular item because they are practical and inexpensive as a gift. You can include beach towels, tapestries, masks and notebook covers and more. Pros: It doesn't cost much, (I set my own prices) and it is working behind the scenes making income for me. You can order personally from he...

I'm dreaming ...that we send our artwork as a gift to friends and family!

"I'm Dreaming..."is my choice for 2024 My inspiration was seeing some of our old family ornaments on my daughter's tree. I hope this makes you smile!That is my message. Enjoy the happiest of Holidays!! PS In case you run out of time, I merchandised this image on notecards, ornaments, tote bags and pillows ...all are available on Fine Art America: carolsue-witt.pixels.com

Carol Sue Witt

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