Using Social Networking as Social Marketing

Social networks like My Space and Facebook have taken the online world by storm. The platforms are an easy, cost-effective way to reach a whole group of people and simply attach photos, videos or links.

But how do we use it for marketing our wares? By connecting with a circle of family, friends and colleagues for the long haul, on their terms, and sharing information and experiences together.

And what to say?

Before you draw, paint, sculpt, photograph or create otherwise – talk about your subject, how you came up with your idea, your angle, your direction, or your approach. Are you drawing first? Photographing first? Are you planning a location? What’s the appeal of the location? The light? The season? The openness? The crowdedness?

During your process – tell us about your progress, how the temperature, the dampness, the light, the medium, your mood, is affecting your piece. Is it turning out as planned? Or have there been surprises? Frustrations? Overcoming hurdles?
 
Afterwards – how has it turned out? How happy are you with the result? Are there more adjustments you could try? Do you have a place in mind for it? A certain patron you know would love it? A show you are preparing it for?

Have fun with it. Build your network of supportive allies online and have genuine two-way conversations with them by sharing photos and the stories behind the work.

Expand Your (Networking) Horizons

How do you get new people to see, enjoy, and buy your artwork?  Expand your horizons and network with new people to find people who love your art. 

Sure it’s great to hang out with your artist friends, but consider opening up to fresh opportunities. Here are a few suggestions to shake up the routine and get out of your comfort zone.

•    Go to places that foster your art. If you want to get into galleries, go to art openings, check out the galleries, find out where your art fits into the art world.

•    Talk about your art. Practice talking about your art by teaching your art to kids, or demonstrating your art to fellow artists in local arts councils, collectives or associations. These situations are low pressure and good practice for when you get the opportunity to talk to a curator or gallery director.

•    Use the six degrees of separation to your advantage. Chat about your art with everyone, your hairdresser, your mechanic, your dentist, and anyone who will listen. Make your intentions known with people you know and the people they know that might know someone who can connect you with a gallery, museum, interior designer or someone in the art business.

•    Have postcards or business cards with your artwork ready to hand out to people you meet. Physical pieces speak volumes and handing one over shows your level of professionalism and readiness.

•    Join groups that have nothing to do with art. Indulge in a little fun while you build your circle of acquaintances and colleagues. Join a cultural group, a non-profit volunteer group, an alumni group, or any group that supports your other interests or hobbies. Once you’re familiar with folks, don’t be shy about your art and your goals as an artist. 

Expanding your network and gaining new admirers doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact it can be really fun connecting with people who appreciate your art.

Gear Up for the Holidays

Retail is gearing up for the holidays, and so should you.  Now the stores are filled with candy and orange-colored decorations, but lurking in the wings is the green and red lights, sparkling tinsel and the obligatory fruitcake.  Radio, TV, and online advertising is cranking up, trying to get the nation up off the couch and into stores this fall.

Hey, if they can get us off the couch, maybe we can shake up a few art enthusiasts enough to buy some art during the holidays. Here are a few suggestions for promoting your art without even getting out of the house:

Join an online group — Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn  and POST YOUR WORK. Use these networks to increase the number of people looking at your art. Your long lost grammar school friends could be your next buyers.
Use social bookmarking to promote your art business e.g. del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Digg, and Reddit.
Write an Article — Increase exposure and establish yourself as an expert in your field by writing an article about your niche of art. There are a variety of e-zines available for submission, e.g. About.com, Wikihow.com, Howto.com. Also consider creating a “lens” on Squidoo. 
Ebay — it works for lots of artists and it’s worth testing your art on it too.
CraigsList  — a local classified listing that may be worth testing out with your art.  Beware of copyright infringers so be sure to watermark every image you post there.
Use print-on-demand sites like RedBubble, Zazzle, and Cafepress to promote your art via T-shirts, greeting cards and various sundry items.

These are just a few of the online opportunities available.  I’d love to hear what you’ve tried and what level success you’ve had with any online promotions. 

Next post: some promotional activities artists can do in person.

Have You Sent Your Thank You Cards Yet?

To those of you who sold artwork at this year’s open studios, congratulations! Not only did you sell your work, make some money, and create a little space in your studio, you’ve just started a new relationship. So nurture it like you would a new friendship. Reach out and contact them with a simple thank you note.

But, you say, they only bought a small print! Hey, we’re all on a budget this year, but they enjoyed your art enough to take home a piece. The point is if you collected their addresses and emails in your guest book, you can send them a note to thank them and foster a relationship.

As a rule of thumb, it takes 7 times the effort to find a new customer as it does to sell again to an existing customer. Your guest list is a veritable seed packet of potential customers waiting to be cultivated. But most of all, don’t underestimate those new buyers. With the right TLC, they may grow to be your biggest collector.

What’s in the card? Keep it simple. The only elements needed are
• an image of your art and
• a personally handwritten note

Don’t worry that you don’t have some interesting new project, series, or exhibit to tell them about. Think long term and save that for your next email or card. For now, we can be thankful that we’ve got new beginnings with new art lovers.

Setting Your Sights on Next Goals

For many wine country artists, open studios have just ended, and a sense of relief is in the air. A lot of creative energy, hard work and resourcefulness went into pulling it together, but now it’s over. Artists sold their works, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. But generally, there’s a sense of satisfaction, exhaustion, and calm for artists in the valley.

So what’s next? Pack it up, kick your feet up, and wait for next year? No! It’s time to create your next set of goals. But where to start?

Step 1: Dream. Dream about why you create art and where you want to go with it. Some artists travel the world, paint in exotic places, teach at prestigious universities, or exhibit their works in museums.
Where do you want to go with your art? Don’t be afraid to dream big and think about stretching yourself.

Step 2: Set your short-term goals. This is not a self-actualization exercise or a dissertation, it’s a simple sentence that focuses on what you can realistically attain. Here are some possibilities:
• I want to sell $1,000 worth of my art in galleries or retail shops in the next ___ months.
• I want to create items with my art on them and sell 100 pieces at this year’s holiday show.
• I am going to create more traffic to my web site to generate 20% more sales than last year.
Whatever your goals are, be specific about quantity and timeframe. That way you’ll know when you’ve achieved them.

Step 3: Stay organized and focused on the goals. Write your goals out and keep them in a place where can see them. Remind yourself at least once a day where you’re headed, how far you’ve come, and what your next step is.

Lastly, surround yourself with people who support your goals. They’ll help keep you balanced, remind you of your passion, and assist you in achieving your dreams.

Open Studio Pricing, Negotiating, and Selling

Gearing up for your open studio? Have you considered your pricing and your discount policy? Here are some pointers to help you sell with confidence and enjoy the process of selling your artwork.

o Establish your retail price. Many art buyers are under the mistaken impression that getting art from the artist’s studio means getting a 50% discount. You have your overhead and marketing expenses just as a gallery does, and you are entitled to a profit margin as well, so keep the same retail price the same no matter where you sell your art.

o Be ready to negotiate if someone asks for a discount. Tongue-tied slip-ups that reveal an artist’s insecurities can be taken advantage of, so be ready to state your discount policy. If you don’t have one, create one beforehand. For example, “if you buy more than one piece, I’d be happy to give you a 10% discount on each piece.” Or, “since you bought that piece from me last year, I could extend a 10% discount on a piece this year.” Preparation helps you negotiate with confidence.

o Your lowest price limit should be based on what it costs you in materials and time, the market value based on your research on similar works, and your experience and exposure as an artist. That being said, in an economically challenging time, you may want more than ever before to sell your art and move it out of your studio. Set your prices according to your needs and move on. Don’t let it be an existential crisis; it’s just business, not a reflection of your self worth.

Prepare for negotiating and selling like a professional and you may actually enjoy the act of transferring ownership of your art to someone who likes it enough to pay for it.

Showcase Your Work with Professional Looking Email Newsletters

If you have the names of more than 20 guests, buyers or potential buyers, and you want your artwork to be highlighted in the email with descriptive text, you’re talking about sending an email newsletter.

Instead of sending an email from your personal account, e.g. yahoo, why not consider one of the business email providers such as Constant Contact or Vertical Response? (There are many other providers, just google “email newsletter.”)

Pros:
• Easy to Use Templates: All you do is add text and images.
• Professional Look: Your artwork is highlighted and you can describe the piece or your process. No more file attachments for your readers to download and open.
• Tracking: You can see who opened your email and who clicked through to your web site to see more.

Cons:
• Learning Curve: You will have to spend some time and effort getting to know the online software, setting up your template, and working with your text and images.
• Fees: Each provider varies, but fees start around $15 per month, and increase depending on the number of your subscribers and frequency of email blasts.
• Templates are not Custom: Templates have design limitations.

Need Help? How to balance all the email addresses, writing the email, taking photos, prepping your photos for email, attaching files and sending the email while you are finishing your artwork, framing, and hanging for public exhibition? Contact Wine Country Art Marketing – we can help!

Stay tuned for more info on email lists, tips on photo uploading, and more.

Born to Drive image provided by Nicolas Cann.

How to Use Email to Market your Artwork

Now that you’ve collected some names and emails from visitors to your exhibits, you want to start a dialog with them. Engage them in a conversation about your art, invite them to see your work at exhibits, and entice them to buy.

Step 1: Send a thank you note. Thank them for stopping by your studio, or your exhibit and signing your guest book. Refresh their memory about your work with a short description and include at least one photo of your artwork.

Step 2: Send an update on your works in progress. When you come up with a new idea or are working on a new creation, be sure to let your fans know. Take photos and write a few words about what you’re working on, what inspired your new direction, or maybe what the challenges were in producing this new piece.

Step 3: Send regular email updates, but have some news to share. Examples of news are shows and exhibits, new directions in your work, new collaborations and new alliances. Share your excitement and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the support you’ll get for your work.

For Open Studio Artists:
Now is the time to contact last year’s guests about stopping by your studio this year. For help with sending your email this month, contact Wine Country Art Marketing.

Stay tuned for more info on professional looking email newsletters.

2009 Open Studios Reception & Exhibition

On one of the hottest nights of the year, Napa Valley Open Studios opened with a preview exhibition and spectacular reception at Mumm’s Napa in Rutherford, CA. Although temps were hovering in the mid-90s even after sunset, artists and art enthusiasts mingled with the fabulous new creations by this year’s open studio artists.

The exhibit at Mumm’s is an incredible opportunity to preview the new creations of Napa Valley artists before the actual open studios. This year’s show is first-rate with so many talented painters, metal and stone sculptors, mosaicists, photographers, ceramists, printmakers, fiber artists, jewelry makers, glass artists and other fine craftspeople, each of whom can be reviewed at www.nvopenstudios.com.

Personal highlights were first-timers and new directions including Terry Courtney’s custom cowboy boots, Sarah Brown’s slightly sunken ceramic teapot, Shellene Hanan’s blue Tzfat doorway, and David Reichel’s new perspective on the female figure.

The exhibition runs through September 10. For more info visit www.nvopenstudios.com/reception/

Matched only by Mother Nature’s spectacular sunset, the reception and exhibition struck the perfect balance of sizzling temps, stunning art and cool sips of Mumm’s sparkling wine under the misters of the big oak tree. Bravo!

Creating Your Contact List

Here's an easy way to gather names for future marketing efforts. You can do this at any exhibit, including the Napa Valley Open Studios which is coming up September 19, 20, 26 & 27.

o Your exhibit guestbook is a potential gold mine. Be ready this year with a centrally located, easy-to-write-in guest book that has enough room to collect this essential info: email address, first name and zip code. That’s all you’ll need to get your email marketing program started this fall.

o Remember, a lot of art sales are not made on first contact, but if you develop a relationship with your visitors, you increase your chances of making a sale in the future. So if they do more than just stride in, browse, and glide out, start the relationship with a chat about your work.

o Man (or woman) your guestbook. Don’t just set it by the door and forget about it. Ask visitors, or have a friend, spouse, or trusted assistant ask them to leave their info in the book if they want to receive updates and exhibit info via email. This way you are getting their permission to send them emails about your artwork & exhibits. In technical lingo, this is called an “opt-in” list. Your visitors have opted to give you their info so you can send them emails.

o They came to your studio for a reason. They like art, they picked your studio by the photo in the catalog or online, you’re a short distance from their home, whatever the reason, they picked you. They showed an interest in your work so reward them by keeping them in the loop about your upcoming shows and the progress on pieces you’re creating. Art lovers enjoy seeing work in progress, so use this to create a buzz about your latest pieces.

o Stay tuned for more on what to say, and how and when to say it.

Introducing Wine Country Art Marketing

Wine Country Art is now Wine Country Art Marketing. Instead of trying to round up all of the art happenings in Napa & Sonoma counties, and highlighting the artists and their shows, I’m going to start talking about what I know best: marketing.

Specifically, I’ll be writing about basic marketing principles and how artists can use them to promote themselves, their art, and their careers. This isn’t to say that there will be no mention of specific artists and their work, or galleries and events. I’ll be incorporating as much of this as possible, keeping abreast of current art happenings. It just won’t be the primary focus of this blog.

My background is in corporate retail marketing and I’ve learned that many of the same strategies and tactics apply to the art world. I’m confident that some of the tips and techniques I pass along will not only be interesting, but can be easily applied to effectively promote artists and their work.

I look forward to your comments.

Jocelyn Audette at Folio

Jocelyn Audette's landscapes thoroughly explore the natural beauty of the Napa and Sonoma areas. The artist interprets the scene using a variety of media including oil paintings, encaustics and watercolors. Her bold, yet delicate encaustics capture each subject and captivate the viewer while her watercolors are easy on the eyes, using a bright pallete to express the many seasons in the Napa vineyards.

The exhibit at Folio runs thru June 30.
Receptions are 5 to 7 p.m. on the first Fridays May 1 and June 5.

For more on Jocelyn's work visit www.jocelynaudette.com.
For more info about Folio and their First Friday's at the Folio visit www.foliowine.com/pages/winemakers_studio.html.
For more on art marketing visit winecountryart.net.

Calistoga Art Walk - Sue Reed

The third venue for the Art Walk is the Calistoga Roastery, 1426 Lincoln Avenue where the incomparable Sue Reed has a sampling of her paintings and jewelry.

Whether divined or channeled, her metaphysical designs soothe you and draw you closer. Even the bright yellow walls of the coffeehouse are no match for her paintings. And yes, she's got a harmonious line of fashion jewelry with pricing that's easy on the wallet.

Find out more by visiting http://www.sueannreed.com/

Calistoga Art Walk - Philip Parker

Here is another one of the art shows that are part of the Calistoga Art Walk.

Philip Parker is showing his paintings at Bank of America, 1429 Lincoln Avenue. A prolific painter with a collection spanning 25 years, Parker stays close to home with landscapes painted the open air in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. No vineyard oils here though, with moody skies and muted tones, Parker brings his own perspective to each scene with almost abstract vagueness. A distinguished collection definitely worth checking out.

For more info about the Thursday Art Walk visit http://calistogaartcenter.org/firstthursdayartwalk.html.

Calistoga Art Walk - Rebecca Dant

Calistoga's got a slammin' First Thursday Art Walk and the artists this month are stellar. They set the bar high so I'm making a point to trek up to 'stoga every month from now on.

Over at WestAmerica Bank, 1110 Washington Street, Rebecca Dant is exhibiting her latest pieces. She's taken a whole new approach this year in producing brilliant, uplifting, larger-than-life images of flowers from her garden and vegetabls and fruit from the Farmer's Market. She's confessed that the works are scanned images, but the simplicity of the concept does not detract from the beauty of the result. Indeed they are captivating.

To view the Calistoga Art visit any of the venues during regular business hours. For more info on the First Thursday visit http://calistogaartcenter.org/firstthursdayartwalk.html.

To see more of Rebecca's work, go to http://www.nvopenstudios.com/index.php?cmd=showartist&id=89.

(un)Natural at the di Rosa Preserve

The di Rosa Preserve is just a few miles west of downtown Napa, but feels like a world apart.

The current exhibit at the Gatehouse features works by artists responding to nature in natural and unnatural ways. Some of the 7 artists have their senses of humor firmly intact as they created detailed paper towel art, silver toy-sized art of mis-matched animal body parts, and entire dioramas showing our bountiful earth replete with re-used tennis balls.

Image shown is artwork by Lucrecia Troncoso.

I especially liked Jessica Cadkin's flock of birds and Tara Tucker's intricate pencil drawings, but that's just me. There's something in the Gatehouse for everyone, so take a break Wednesday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and check it out. The (un)Natural exhibit closes June 13.

For photos taken by another blogger visit: http://www.artbusiness.com/1open/022109.html

For more info on this exhibit visit: http://www.dirosapreserve.org/exhibitions.html

Sign of the Times

The deep recession, with its lost jobs and falling home values nationwide, poses another kind of threat: to the art galleries. The tide of big spenders that decorated their homes with vineyard and wine art from their trip to the wine country is receding, leaving some communities high and dry. Yountville lost one gallery last year and Images Fine Art South on Washington is closing April 30.

Citing exorbitant rent increases and the slow economy, they are closing their Yountville location and selling everything in stock at deep discounts. Granted, they still have a St. Helena location, Art on Main, but losing another gallery in Yountville is worth mourning. It appears that visitors are looking for a beautiful place to stay that has great food and wine, but many of their wallets are empty when it comes to shopping for pricey souvenirs.

Tough economic times have come before and boom markets inevitably follow. The ebb and flow of tourists and art patrons cycles through the wine country with each passing season. But our artists are steadily creating magnificent pieces, transforming color and line into beauty, and lifting us out of the flotsam of discouraging news. When the market is right, our artists will be selling pieces again and the wounds incurred in the current recession will be healed.

Mustard Fields in Napa Valley

A little bit of rain and lots of warm sunshine is all it takes to get the mustard seed to sprout. Now that we've had a couple of mild rain storms and a couple of weeks of 60 degree weather, streaks of yellow flowers have popped up between the rows of vines.
While the vines lie dormant, and most of Napa Valley snoozes quietly, these blossoms are cheerily greeting highway travelers. In fact, there were several cars pulled over where I snapped this photo, all of us taking in the brightness, the joyfulness, and snapping a memory frame. For later when the rain returns, we'll want to remember how beautiful this February moment was.

Maceo Montoya Mural at Ceja's Lounge

For a trek down history lane, check out the Montoya mural at the Ceja tasting room on 1st St in downtown Napa. Rich in detail and vibrant colors, the work traces the line from ancient winemaking to the present with depictions of Baccus, Egyptian winemakers, Father Junipero Serra, Spanish conquistador Cortez, a present-day farm worker and of course, the recognizable face of Cezar Chavez. The painting depicts the struggles balanced with the joys of the winemakers. Full of strong images of the vineyard workers, the artist honors the Mexican-American contribution to the winemaking process. The Ceja family background as immigrants and vineyard workers has influenced the artwork and it stands as a proud homage to the workers that went before.

Check it out for yourself at 1248 First St in downtown Napa, open daily 12 to 6, Saturday 12 to 10, closed Wednesday. Check out the Ceja Vineyards online at www.cejavineyards.com

Meat and Potato at the Nest

Is there meat culture? Absolutely. I witnessed it first-hand at the Nest gallery in Napa last Saturday. Over the next few weeks, "Meat and Potato" curated by Ashley Teplin and Ann Trinca explores how we interact with meat and how it sparks our creativity.

Eyes and stomachs were both open on Saturday evening, as opening night attendees feasted on lamb lettuce wraps, freshly deep-fried potatoes, charcuterie, and local wines. The multi-sensory conflagration of food, beverages, and multi-media meat and potato art had the crowd fired up.

The exhibit features paintings and photographs by Ashley Teplin and Tom Patton (see above), video by John Porter McMeans featuring the Potato Song, a fascinating collection of objects from Heritage Culinary Artifacts, and stuffed plush toys shaped like steaks, chops and hams.

"People are seeking a closer relationship with what we eat, where it originates, and how it is processed," according to Sasha Wizansky, editor of the meat culture magazine, Meatpaper. As a meat eater, I love slicing into a juicy medium-rare rib-eye steak. I've seen and smelled the stockyards off I-5 so I know where the meat is coming from and I'm not thrilled about it, but what's a suburban dweller to do? Raise my own backyard steer and butcher it myself, wrapping it into little packages for the freezer? Sounds like a monstrous and impractical undertaking for a good steak. Instead, I buy it at the grocery store and I'm comfortable with that. Some of us give thanks to the beast and all those who brought it to our table, others go above and beyond by creating beautiful and quirky art objects as a result. The exhibit at the Nest is one setting where we can examine our relationship with meat, it's beauty or grotesqueness, it's complex politics and economics, and come to terms with it's artful aspects. 

"Meat and Potato"exhibit is at Napa Nest gallery through March 15. Hours are 10 to 6 Thursday to Saturday. The Nest is located at 1019 Atlas peak Rd. behind Jessel Gallery in Napa. For more info visit www.napanest.com or call 707-255-7484.

Other-Worldly Pictures from Chris Purdy

Do you ever feel like a trip to a gallery or museum is like a day trip out of town?  Some art can just transport us to another place, mentally and spiritually. Photographer Chris Purdy has a knack for capturing and printing images that can take you to those places.  Purdy has photo journalized natural imagery and local residents of many exotic countries, but with a unique perspective that brings out the mystical and transcendent quality of the scene.  

Purdy also pushes the production boundaries with a printing technique he has developed that oversaturates the colors to give the print a peculiar depth and dreamlike quality.  The image above, "Prickly Pear Blossom," is an example of this method.  The bold red color draws you in as it melts into the thorny cactus.  Is it a painting? Or a photograph?  The effect created gives one pause, and for a moment, we are transported. 

You can view Chris Purdy's work at Folio in downtown Napa through February or online at www.purdypictures.com. 

Silence in January - Patrick O'Rourke

Patrick O'Rourke's "Winter Oak" piece above perfectly captures the January scene in Napa with the lone oak standing guard over the leafless vines. This moment, when days are short, tourist traffic wanes, and locals take back their turf, is when the statuesque beauty of the oaks steps forward from the background and shares the spotlight.  The vineyards, of course, are the big attraction and the main agribusiness of the area, but the oaks were here long before, and still reign as the most stately of trees. 

O'Rourke has studied the flora of Northern California and produces some of the best-selling landscapes of the region, but this scene rings especially true in winter. 

In his bio, Patrick O'Rourke says he has a lifelong passion for the sweeping vineyards and oak studded hillside of the wine country. Take a look at his collection, and you can see how accurately he draws the distinct colors of the land, from season to season, portraying the land and the vines we're all surrounded by. 

You can view his entire collection at Gallery 1870 in Yountiville. 

http://www.gallery1870.com/artist_patrick_orourke_artwork_landscapes.html

Sue Reed - Mysterious Nature

Many of us are moved by the beauty of nature and Sue Reed has a bold and unique take on the colors and patterns found there. Abstract and magical, she creates powerful and provocative images such as "Shape Shifters" above. 

At first glance, it is simply light playing on the water ripples of a creek, but a longer look reveals the hint of someone or something lurking within. Many of her "figurative abstractions" have ghostly and angelic women draped in floral essences and surrounded by kaleidoscopic colors and patterns. Boldly representing an inner self or higher consciousness, the technique draws one in, and touches a poetic place in our hearts. 

You can see more of Sue Reed's work at her open studio this weekend or online at: www.sueannreed.com 

William Wheeler and California Poppies

Bright colors and light subject matter, poppies are enough to cheer anyone up.  William Wheeler has both working for him in his series, on the Life of a California Poppy.  Not sure it's really a California variety he's painting.  I'm a Southern California native and have seen my share of the bright orange beauties covering hillsides and lining freeways, but if Wheeler sees them as little white gems, who am I to argue?  They are alluring just the same and he paints not only their abstract essence, but the playful notion of it's passage through time. 

Wheeler has his first solo exhibit in four years which includes recent oil paintings, drawings, lithographs, and monotypes.  Check it out at the Palette Art Cafe, 235 Healdsburg Ave in Headsburg, 707-433-2798 or www.palette-art.com. Showing through January 29, Tues - Sun 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Free. 

Post-Holiday Cool-Down - Wendy Goldberg

We've had our fill of shopping and gift-giving, eating and drinking, traveling to relatives homes or hosting guests.  The hectic days of December have given way to the sigh of relief and relaxation.  As we put away the decorations and put the tree out on the curb, we turn our attention to the balance of winter ahead.  Do we find sanctuary in the quiet, cool days?  A time to return to our pace, our art, and our self-generated joy? 

The days are getting longer, we keep reminding ourselves.  There's art being created in studios, garages and basements. And art showing in galleries, and cafes, and even banks that will brighten the dull grey days. 

The beautiful work above is "Night at the Mill: Housatonic" by Wendy Goldberg.  The mood she captures here is perfectly January, and the shadowy theme for her show is a perfect match for this wintery day.  Browsing her pastel drawing and painting collection is like taking a refreshing day trip to the coast.  

Check out her show Drawing Out the Shadows in Forestville through January 18 at the Quicksilver Mine Gallery (6671 Front St, 707-887-0799). 

For show info: www.quicksilvermineco.com

For Wendy Goldberg info: www.wendygoldbergart.com