I Van Gogh...Do You? A "That's Me" Ambassadors View

 I wanted to take a moment and give you a little bit of information about what I have going on in 2013...If you are hooked up with my facebook Artist page you may have seen a few things on the new Van Gogh Brand campaign and my relationship with them as an Ambassador for them. Royal Talens is one of the oldest and respected Brands from Amsterdam in The Netherlands....They continue to be a leader in the Fine Arts Paint world. They are used all over the world and a "Go-To" brand for many top Artists! 

2013 is going to be a great year to be an Artist. Royal Talens|Van Gogh Brand Fine Art Paints and Materials is launching the "That's Me" Campaign. A campaign to Inspire folks to paint and create beauty through being themselves and taking some chances. I feel everyone in the world should create art! If you create art even for yourself you will find happiness in many other aspects of your life! You do not need to show anyone, you can keep it to yourself, a gift for your life. You never know though....You may someday want to show your paintings in a gallery or even selling/gifting some of your work to family and friends thus spreading the beauty of you....to others!!

I have been chosen to be one of the five talented artists from around the world to be Ambassadors for the campaign. I am humbled to be a part of this group of world class artists. It makes me smile and is a dream come true, as I have used Van Gogh Oils for the past 20+ years. I also use their other brand of oils Rembrandt on much of my work also....So I have been a Royal Talens customer forever....and now I work with them to spread my love of painting with the world.

I had kept this secret of being chosen as an Ambassador for many many months. it was so hard to contain my excitement. It finally came the time to start to release some of the info...(the launch of the campaign was set for 2013). So I thought I would share a bit of it with you today in this blog entry.....There is so many cool things going on I can only touch the bases in this quick post.....LOL

Well first of all I would love for you to take a look at the new Van Gogh Brand Website....Watch as the cover photo slideshow changes through all of the Ambassadors....You will see some of the greatest artists around....and me. Also click around and see what is going on....you will find some great info....Click on Inspiration and find out some info about the Ambassadors with some videos you should watch. In essence just have some fun and look around you never know what will Inspire you?
 (Here is the Link: Van Gogh Brand Website ) 

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A Quick Video moment with a Van Gogh Ambassador

Please take some time and watch me do some work and visit with you about painting beauty...

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Look for me in your Local Fine Art Supply Store

 The excitement of  2013 will also be the new Fine Art Paint sets that Van Gogh will be releasing to all retailers around the world....this is so exciting. I will be featured on a set that contains 6 large (200ml) tubes of Oil Paint and 2 painting knives. I created a painting for this (the painting in the video) and had some photo sessions so the fine folks at Van Gogh could put together this great colorful packaging...It makes me smile whenever I think about being a part of this!!!!! ....So look for it in a store near you!!! I would love for you to send me a photo of you holding it!!!!

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Here is the painting I created for the "That's Me Campaign"

"The Flow"

Oil on Canvas  -Palette Knife Impasto

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I just hope that through all this that I may be able to Inspire some folks to create! It is very exciting for everyone involved in the Campaign. I am planning on some visits to Amsterdam in The Netherlands to celebrate it all in 2013....I look forward to hanging out with the other Artists and folks at Royal Talens, and maybe do some painting while I am there?

I also want to take this time to give a huge virtual hug to all the folks at Royal Talens Van Gogh....You make me smile everyday with your products and your faith in me. You have made my dreams come true on many levels. I am honored by this!!! You all are Awesome!!!! Smiles, Peace and Love to You

I would Love to say thank you to YOU!!! The person reading this right now....You are the reason I do what I do........You Inspire me!!!!! I just hope that I can return the favor just a bit.....Thank you for your interest in my work....Lots more info to come....Stay Tuned....... I love you

Gallery Go..an Artists Review

I had to wake up early, very early. I had a feeling that this day was going to be a fun one. It was August 31st...near 100 degrees....and I had a 3 hour drive with a Jeep full of art to get to Aberdeen. We (meaning me and my girlfriend) took our little daughter out to my sisters home in Brandon SD (a suburb of the town I live in)...It was our first time being away from her. We set out on our adventure not knowing what we where getting ourselves into.....a familiar town but a new gallery!

A quick little background...the Aberdeen SD area is farm country, often thought as a town that really has little going on and maybe a bit boring and out of touch. It is far off the interstate highway system and is close to next to nothing. It is a state college town though, with a great art program (I actually had plans to go to college there but life made other choices for me). My family roots are buried deep in this area though with many members of my extended family still living in  the area. My heart has a place here! Yes, it can also be noted that this was where I born many moons ago.

Well, we made the drive and pulled up to the front of Gallery Go, Located in beautiful downtown Aberdeen. I commented on the great location and vibe of the whole scene, the stereotype of downtown Main Street USA. The other thing I noticed, and had heard wind of, was the fact that Gallery Go shared the large location with a Mattress Store...Yes you can buy a bed and some great original art all in one stop! I thought this was the coolest surreal combination ever!!! When we walked in...I smiled!..The walls of the gallery where filled with wonderful, beautiful original artworks...The place was huge...to the right 1/3rd of the place was 2 rows of mattresses and beds set up and the walls covered with kick ass paintings. Now when I say covered...I mean covered! This gallery has so much great art for sale by so many awesome talents that it made me honored to have a wall for me to put up my humble paintings....The folks there where so friendly right off the bat. Matt Schaefer (the curator and main man in charge of the art) met me at the door and proceeded to give us the tour of all the art and artists. I was told that the newspaper had given me a full front page story on their entertainment section....Wow! Aberdeen blew me away in the first 10 minutes of being in town....

So I got all my work brought in, Matt Schaefer did a great job getting it hung up and I spent the next hour or so visiting and meeting a bunch of cool artists and folks that where getting the place ready for the opening. Food being prepared and set-up...Beer and wine chillin'....and smiles everywhere! like I said before "I knew it was going to be a great day!"

I was sharing the night with 2 other talented artists...Paul Thompson from the Twin Cities and Chad Smith from Sioux Falls SD....both had work that took the entire show to a new level. It was a scene of color and movement....an almost fantasy groove. I felt honored to be sharing the night with these guys.

The Work of Paul Thompson

 

The work of Chad Smith and a piece of mine

The reception started early, it was set to start at 6pm but the place was a buzz with patrons hours before and did not let up until they closed the doors at 8pm...A real great crowd was there the whole night. Lots of folks from young to old, hip to refined. Some local musicians played great music and the food was amazing! Wine was flowing to the delight of everyone....and again the music was awesome. Acoustic guitars, keyboards and great voices. It was truly a night of talent and Love!! I love to look around at a reception and see lots of smiles and folks visiting, laughing and talking about art. This filled the bill! I kept thinking Wow this town has it going on!! A packed gallery, music and smiles!! 

I have to say that for any artist what really makes the difference when working with galleries is the folks who run it...Matt Schaefer is one of the best. I have been to many reception and some are very stuffy and not so much fun....that was by far not the case here at Gallery Go. I also have to mention that within a few days of the show...Matt had sold one of my pieces, "Peace in Blue" was now in the hands of its new owner...thanks to Matt. He continues to move lots of pieces from many artists in the past couple weeks...he is on a selling frenzy!!!

I was real blown away by the gallery and its patrons. With the help of folks like Matt and many other cool folks I met, Aberdeen could be the art Hot Spot in this area.....Us folks in Sioux falls should take a lesson in what is going on up there. I thought it was good here in Sioux Falls (and it is actually pretty great here) but we need some Matt Schaefers down here!!! What is comes down too...is the people. Since Aberdeen is a smaller city (population like 24000) and it is in the middle of nowhere....Folks actually love to have events to go to....and they do!

All in All...Gallery Go was awesome...awesome everything! I cant wait to go back at the end of this month to pick up my work and attend  the reception for some other artists that night!! Going to be a great time....Peace and Love to you and thanks for reading this quick story

Want to see my Work with your own Eyes?

  If you find yourself in Eastern South Dakota, USA this summer there are a few chances to see some of my work on exhibit with your own eyes. Though the summer is half way over, there is still a lot of summer groove to capture through my work. Bugs thrive in the summer and they are going to be buzzing around at a few great shows and galleries. So make a day trip or plan a vacation around seeing some of the great art here in South Dakota......If you are lucky enough to make it to the receptions of these shows it would make me happy to meet you and hand out a few free hugs and smiles....

Here is a quick list of the shows that will be showing pieces from "My Bug Collection" and pieces from my "Abstracts Series" .

Brookings Arts Council 36th Annual Fine Arts Open

Brookings Arts Council
August 1st - 24th
Reception August 24th
Brookings, SD

Will be showing: "I am Just a House Fly" and "I am Just a Grasshopper"

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Lance Jeschke and Chad Smith at Gallery Go 

Aug. 31st - Sept. 28th

Reception on Aug. 31st

126 S. Main St. Aberdeen, South Dakota

I will be showing works from "My Bug Collection" and my "Abstract Series"

"I am Just a House Fly"

"I am Just a Grasshopper"

"Wasp, the Yellow Jacket"

"The Monarch Queen"

Abstracts that will be shown are still not set yet but will include: "Germ #1" "Peace in Blue" and maybe a few surprises and\or unpublished works. You will have to make it to the show to see.....

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Washington Pavilion First Juried Art Exhibition

 Sept. 14th - Dec. 2nd 2012 

Reception on Sept. 15th

Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

My piece called "The Monarch Princess" was selected and will be in exhibit at this great show.

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Piper Fine Art Gallery

 You can always view some of my pieces at Piper Fine Art Gallery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Right now there are 4 pieces at Piper Fine Art for your viewing pleasure and purchase Click Here to see what is Hanging out

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These are some great chances to see my work and the work of other world class artists from South Dakota. If you would like any further info on these shows or any of my work please do not hesitate to drop me a message....I would love to hear about your adventures in art and any reaction to the shows I am involved with. There will be many more...including Artists Against Hunger 7 in December. Peace and love to you all

Hope to see your smiling face at one of my shows!!!

I Need Your help....Custom Jeschke color?

Jeschke Orange Cream

(color in full strength and 50% tint)

I have a huge favor to ask....but first a little background. I am not the type of artist that gets involved in the online contests that pushes you to ask all your fans and friends for votes. I see it it my news feed all the time and I do think it is cool to some extent. There are a lot of cool companies and art groups that put together contests for many reasons. I dont like to use my fan base for a means to win a contest. I am more interested in spreading color and love through my paintings. I feel the reason they "like" my page is because they want to be a part of it or "in the Know" of what I have going on with my work. Some folks may even just like me as a person and could care less about the art (my personal profile is boring so many of my friends just keep up with me through my artist page hehehe). I guess what I am saying is I do not like to get spammed with stuff and I am sure my fans do not either? But from time to time a contest may come along that peaks my interest.....like the new Royal Talens Rembrandt contest...called Create Your own Color 

The fine folks at Rembrandt have created a contest that artists from all walks of life can submit a small proposal of a custom color to be produced for a limited time with your name on it (hence the Jeschke Orange Cream) They will sell a limited number of tubes. I would guess that they are going to make a batch of it...put it in the custom tubes with your name on it and get it out to the world in a very limited fashion. There are what they call 3 color rounds with votes being taken in every round....The top 3 vote winners will then be put in front of a panel of experts...they then pick which one will get produced. There are 3 rounds with a total of 3 winners through out the contest. I want to be one of those!! hehehehe That is where I need your help.....

I have been a faithful Royal Talens user for my whole painting career. I Love the Rembrandt and Van Gogh line of oils. They are my "go to" paints...I love them so much that I must make orders for them through companies like Blick...cause they do not carry them in the local art stores. It would be a dream for me to have one color named after me, even for a limited run!!! The other prize in the contest is that they will send me 9 tubes of my namesake color.....

The rules of the contest state that if chosen I must send them samples of my color...easy beans!! I have mixed and used that color often...and since this whole thing is really about color...I will explain to you what the story behind it is.....I was thinking Orange Cream....Like a Orange Sherbert or a great orange Cream frozen treat...an Orange pastel color that is still bright but smooth..... This color would be a great base for some flesh tint or a fade sunset.  The photo is not as good as the color in front of my eyes on the canvas but I am sure you get the idea!! I mixed this color using Rembrandt Titanium White (PW6/PW4) and worked in the Rembrandt Cadmium Orange (PO20/PY36) I then added a few touches of a Lemon Yellow (PY3) to get a bit of brightness into the mix. (the tint fade in photo was done using Titanium White). Oranges can be tricky...Cadmium Orange can be to harsh sometimes..Thus in the mix I add the Lemon Yellow to soften and add some light and brightness to it....When tinted down with white Jeschke Orange Cream turns into a wonderful cotton candy color....lots of life to it.

How can you help? please click on this Create your own color ot go to Rembrandts facebook page and look in their tabs for the Create your own color tab. Then scroll down till you see my entry...and hit the vote button...now there is going to be a popup that asks you for approval and such...don't fret...this is just for reasons to prevent voting fraud that has happened with other Royal Talens voting contests...You may have to scroll down a bit and even look through the pages to find me..(the contest system is kinda clunky and not the best system?) but they said that it ran well in tests? Who knows? but it is what it is and I can live with that heheheh......You do not need to fill out anything but may have to "like" the Rembrandt page...which is a good thing anyway!!! If you go through all of this for me....It would really make me smile!!!! and help a small dream come true to me on a personal level.....I know it is a lot to ask of you!!

Please also join the contest if you have some ideas....If it will not work out for me at least I would love to have one of my friends have the chance.....I just want to have my chance at this....(if you do please at least hit a vote for me heheheheheh) Get involved..Have fun....Share this blog post!!! It is all about spreading color and Love!!! and the folks at Rembrandt are great at that!!! 

If by some luck or chance I would win....I would have a few extra tubes of the custom color (and I am sure would probably purchase a bunch?).... and in the spirit of spreading color....I would give some away to my fans and friends....so even if you do not vote...leave a comment and who knows you may get some Jeschke Orange Cream......( I would do a drawing or best comment type of thing) In essence I would Love to have some of my fans using my color!!!!

Thank you for taking some time to read this.....and whether you vote or not just know that without all of you none of my dreams would have come true....You fans are more important to me than my name on a tube of paint....You make me smile everyday just by showing an interest in my humble work....I dont ask much but when I do it is real important to me......Thanks again........It is a long shot but at least I have a shot?

Peace and Love to you my friends.....

Your Page Sucks...

Not Your content.....but the format you built it on.....


Maybe I felt like stirring up the pot a bit, or just getting some things off of my chest that have risen in the past few months? I guess I better watch out for the social media Gestapo after voicing my personal opinion? They can be relentless!

Facebook has ruined a good thing!.....I will reflect on an old piece of advice "Do not fix it if it is not broke!" Yes I am talking about how facebook pages (and even the personal profiles) really suck now. I am an artist and I have spent a lot of time networking and showing the world my work through the magic of facebook. It used to be fun and a great way to interact with other artists and fan of art. I have even written blog posts on how to improve your facebook pages experience. I still spend time on facebook and will continue too. It is a part of my work flow to catch up and post thing that people have chosen to see. I have made some great friends from all around the planet and it is a good format for sharing what is going on in my art world. I made the page to share Color and Love.....

My main bone of contention is the outright censorship of things I post. I am not talking about things like anti-government, nudity, or race posts (which I can understand on some level aside from the freedom of speech stuff...but we are on their servers and interface). I am talking about a photo of a painting of a huge house fly, a colorful abstract. or just me telling my fans what I am working on. It is now the job of facebook engineers to decide who gets to see it. They get their math wizards and code engineers to make the decision for you!  When you have hit the "like" button on a page you are asking to see content from that page in your news feed, Right? not in their eyes! They only let you see what they figure you want to see! Who are they to make this decision for me. When I " like" a page I want to see all the content they post. I can make my own decision on if I will look at it, react to it or comment on it. The funny thing about it is that they even tell you how many people see your posts and the percentage. The did this to encourage you to spent $5 or $10 to reach your whole fan base (who has chosen to see it anyway.) Has it had the opposite effect?

Facebook is now a publicly traded company, they play by new rules now. It is the job of the executives to generate profit for the share holders. Plain and simple! "They give you the golden goose for free but make you pay to see it." The rise of facebook is a great story...American brilliance at its best....nerd steals an idea...turns it into the greatest new thing....everyone flocks to it like sheep....nerd becomes filthy rich....puts it on the NYSE...nerd now controls one of the most important ways of communication....nerd learns that censorship can be profitable for him and his share holders....and starts to change the product that made him rich....Is the next step nerd looses everything and goes the way of Tom Anderson from Myspace? It could happen....Myspace was huge! But do you even have a Myspace now? If you do when was the last time you looked at it? 

Timeline, Pay to post and facebook metrics all epic fails from the point of view of most who use this free service. Yes it is free and I cant complain to much about the cost but when you start changing things without even letting folks know, that is a bit creepy and underhanded even for a free site. They made everyone and pages go to this Timleline interface....gave you a great place to put a huge photo and then gave you rules on what you could actually put in that space. They also took it upon themselves to make it difficult to see what others have posted on the page (which made it suck for pages that promote artists work, and please share your artwork here sites) You also do not get your news feed in order it was posted....now it is up to those engineers to let you know what is important to you. Sounds like some governments from the past or future (hehehehe ever see 1984 or V for Vendetta) Just the other day they went and changed all of your email addresses to one they have control of. (Yeah go check you email address on your profile). What is next? I know a lot of folks who use it on their smart phones...they link the number etc etc....how long will it be before they have some control of that too? They even ask you for that info when you sign in and make it seem as if you do not have your phone linked up to them something may happen or you may not be able to recover a password etc. etc. etc. Remember folks this is how it all starts....

I have seen a rapid decline in the amount of "likes" per week and interaction from others who have "liked" my page. I know some of this is caused by rapid movement of the news feed (especially if you have a lot of active friends and such) I also know that some folks are only on facebook a few times a week, thus they would not see all the content anyway....but I notice a huge difference! I also check those "insights" from time to time and have noticed a huge difference from the ones I printed a few months ago....and I had way less "likes" back then. Change is hard.....and after things get to a feeling of normal and we are used to the way it is now this may be all mute? and We do not have a choice anyway....if we want to use facebook and interact with everyone we have built up, we must play by their rules....or wait for the next big social website....which will happen at some point. Google tried, Twitter is confusing and Myspace is the way of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker (gone but not forgotten, at least the lessons are not forgotten). I am sure there is some way to make a statement to facebook...they opened up the door by becoming a publicly traded company and must play by the rules of a corporation and regulators.

I am by no means an expert on this stuff....only wanted to get some stuff out of my head! I may be totally wrong and will take the guff if I am. I just think they ruined a good thing....for them and for us! We spend way more time on that interface when we get content we asked for in the first place. When I get a lot of interaction with folks I spend way more time on facebook....when the interaction has been low (lately) I find myself just checking on it a few times a day.  As an artist, I run a small business, I want folks that chose to see my content to see it. I want to spread Color and Love to even more folks. I am a mellow, laid back dude that loves art....very easy to please....I do not ruffle to many feathers unless thing just do not seem fair and right. I just wanted to get this off my chest and get back to spreading Color to my friends and fans!!! I wrote this to give you something to ponder.....and maybe look at how your facebook life has changed. Do we all need to say goodbye to it and build up our Google+ sites? Do we just deal with it with a smile or a frown? Do we do something about it? Do we ignore and just let things be? or should we all just spend less time at the computer and more time creating and living life in the real world?....Who knows?....it is all up to you to decide...I am just bitching!!!!!!!

Peace and Love to YOU!!!! (that is if you even see this?.....watch out for the facebook police!!.....It will be interesting to see what my facebook metrics look like on this one!!!!)

Please Please share this post!!!!!!!!!! I really want to hear from you also....I want you to post some comments.....(you do not have to sign up or anything).....I just want to hear some of your stories and thoughts......Please Share!!! I would love to hear from many folks!!!! again Peace and love to you and thank you for taking the time to read my Rant!!!

My Artist Bio (How I hate to write these things?)

As an artist do you get shivers down your back when you are asked to write a new bio? They are one of the most difficult tasks ever! I try and express myself through my painting (and a blog post here and there hahaha) but to sit down and try and explain a few things about me in a few paragraphs is tough....I am much more complex than that (hahahahaha at least my ego would like to think so?). Well after sitting in front of my computer for about 5 hours total (I took a lot of "this sucks and sounds stupid" breaks and re-works) I finally came up with something I can live with.....

I walked into Piper Fine Art Gallery the other day to drop off "The Monarch Queen" and pick up "Sioux Mustangs at Play". I wanted to get some of my latest work on display and keep it fresh. My dear friend and curator Sarah Zobrist was excited to see "The Monarch Queen" being brought in to the gallery so they can show it. We exchanged pleasantries and then she smiled and said.....If you could please get me a Bio...I am re-doing the website and we need to make you bio cards to display in the gallery. I knew this was coming!! hehehehe I had been putting it off for a while......but when you put important stuff off....it ends up biting you in the butt cause then you have to get on your horse and run in that pony express. So I put some time away this week to get it done.....(It is my job as an artist....just not the most fun!!) Well this is what I can up with...So far?.....I hope it is good?....I hope it tells a quick story?......I hope next time someone else writes it? (like a pro writer.....hehehehe)

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Lance Jeschke

"Color, Imagination and Life

an Artists Journey to Express them All"

I was born in Aberdeen SD, but grew up in Mitchell SD. I spent most of my adult life in Sioux Falls SD, where I reside today. I love living in South Dakota USA, the land of my mothers heritage, the Sisseton–Wahpeton Oyate\ Sioux, and the place my father's German\Russian family decided to settle. The heritage and beauty of South Dakota inspire me everyday.

 I always knew that I wanted to be an artist. Throughout my days I have always had a deep need to create. I have used many of my journeys to fill that need. My dream as a child was to be an art teacher, to always be in the creative. I was inspired and encouraged to create by my mother (who is an artist), my great grandfather Peter Yback (a brilliant artist) and my high school art teacher Don Durfee, along with a host of other life visions of beauty I had collected in my mind's eye. 

Most of my life I also had another passion, Music. I had spent the last 20+ years feeding the call of music, playing in many bands and eventually opened a recording studio. As a musician and a record producer I did find some comfort in being creative but it never really fulfilled the full truth I was searching for. I always found my way back to the canvas. During this time, my paintings were for me and were rarely shared with anyone outside my circle of friends. I wanted to change that! I left the music business to share visions of  life through the eye of color and movement. 

Nature inspires most of my work. The subjects, color and life move me to create my view of their beauty. My painting style is very versatile and ever-changing, ranging from realism to abstract and everything in between. My proud Sioux\Dakota heritage also influences a great deal of my work and living in the "Sioux Empire" it is easy to feel that everyday. I love vivid, bright, flowing Color and it shows in my work, even in my more realistic paintings I tend to exaggerate the hue to create candy for the eyes.

I am honored to have paintings sold and collected throughout the world. I have work in the "Sammlung MORI" collection in Vienna, Austria and a collection in Melbourne, Australia.  I am also a featured artist in the "Kunst trifft Wien\ Art meets Vienna" artist movement.   

As a visual artist I am living in a golden era with the advent of social media and being able to share my visions with fine folks all over this beautiful planet. My international and local fan base continue to grow everyday, which gives me the platform to spread Color, Imagination and Life to the world.

I would love to hear from you...You can find me on Facebook or my Blog

www.facebook.com/LanceJeschketheArtist

lancejeschketheartist.blogspot.com/

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An Artists View of Social Networking and Spreading Your Color to the World

 I will make every effort to spread my world of color to you....

    To be a Visual Artist in in our modern technological era has given us a bounty of opportunity to spread our talents and art to the far reaches of the planet. Never before has an artist had such a platform to get ones work seen. In days past, One had to get published in a periodical, book or poster to get your art to the masses. If you where lucky enough to get in a gallery, you where still confined to the folks who attend. Artist had to work hard, very hard to get noticed. This is still true today, you must work very hard to get noticed but we have great new tools at our disposal so we can spend more time creating and less time marketing our work. All Hail the dawn of Social Networking!......What can we do to get the most out of these wonderful tools?

I am by far no expert on this subject, there are a million blog posts about this very subject. I learned a few tricks, I have done a few experiments. I went from 0 "likes" (When I started my artist page on Oct. 2011) to 600 "likes" and about 600 "other page likes" (other artists pages that are not in the usual "like" count) from all around the world. I am more popular, as an artist, in places like Australia or  Europe than even in my home city. I have sold paintings to these far off lands and they continue to be my biggest supporters. This was achieved by a lot of work with social networking. I will share a few tips with you (Some are pretty much common knowledge but you may not have looked at it in this way).......

-Spread your page by enjoying others: Like anything else it is who you know more than what you know....Go seek out and "like" as many other artist pages as possible and interact with them as much as possible (with your artist page not your personal profile). Not just the type of art you enjoy but all artists. Spend time each day looking at your news feed and commenting and "liking" the things you enjoy. Get involved. Every time you do it posts that hyperlink to your page, thus increasing your visibility. I don't know how may fans I have made by commenting on a post and one of their fans seeing it and checking out my page. Remember this is community building....

-Put Some Time into It: Try and dedicate time each and every day to "working" your page. Do not make this the same time every day. We are on a global platform and time zones make a huge difference. When I put up a post at 5:30pm it is like 10:30 in the morning the next day in Australia. Learn to vary your when you post, cause it makes all the difference. Learn to know when to post let say a photo of a new work to get the maximum exposure. Remember there are powerful algorithms at work that can be your friend or your enemy. Learn and research these to put them to work for you. It takes some time and a clear understanding of the "insights" that are provided on your facebook page to get a hold on this. This is your work you are trying to share with the world so the more time you work it the better chance you have of growing your fan base...as they say It is all up to you....work smarter, not harder!

-Do not Over-Post or Under-Post: They amount of posts you do in each day will make a world of difference. To many post and people become complacent and may tend to overlook it and thus not interact with it. To little posts and folks will also not react, cause they may forget about why they liked you in the first place. In order to be seen you must find the fine line...This also plays a very large role in how facebook will put ones posts in order on fans timeline. The most relevant posts, to that fan, get posted higher on their news feed. If you overdo or under-do this will effect where facebook puts your posts. This takes some time to learn but can make the world of difference.

-Make your Interactions\Posts Work for You: When someone takes the time to comment on your posts or a share make sure that you interact with them. A quick thank you or conversation goes a long way. People are inherently predisposed to acknowledgement and will gravitate to places that fill this need. They more they feel like you are a friend, the more they will interact. (Remember every time they interact with you it is published in their timeline...increasing your visibility...if their friends see cool interaction they become curious and may become your next fan?).

-Post Relevant and Interesting Material: This is a pretty wide subject....Make a big deal out of your posting of a new work...I will write a blog about it first, debuting the painting there first....posting the link a few times on facebook...letting the folks know.....then a few days later, after I have seen the drop in views on my blog, I will post the painting to my facebook. It has worked well. I also make an photo album of certain paintings that I will post pictures of my work in progress....after each painting session I take a photo of my progress and post it to this album. It acts as a sort of a "Serial" like in the days when an author would publish only one chapter of a larger work, each week in a periodical....the cliffhanger....How is going to turn out?....it gets them involved in the finish. Spread it out over a few days or weeks (depending on the type of work). It also opens the door for interactions with other artists about technique and workflow....... I do this with some of my work, just enough to keep it interesting. It is also a big rush for your fans when you post something new without any previous viewing. The goal is to spread your Love of  form, color, value and movement to as many people as possible....make it fun for them!

-Have Fun!!!!!: One of the small reasons we become artists is to enjoy life and have fun with the beauty of the world. We express this love through creation of visual candy for others eyes. We can create emotion and wonder with basic materials. We can light up a room with color. We can get images from our minds eye to a medium that others can enjoy and hopefully relate to on some level.....Do not take yourself to serious if you do it will show.....Kid around with your page....have fun in meeting new people and learn about what they are all about. It will help you grow as an artist....

Thank You for taking some time today to read a few of my thoughts and things I have learned. If I can say one thing that will change your page into a "hit" .......The more you interact with the world the more folks will interact with your page! Be smart and make lots of mistakes.....We learn by doing!!!! If you have any other questions or thoughts on the subject or any subject..... please do not hesitate to come over to my page and drop me a line....I would love to hear from you.....We can all help each-other....this is not a contest but a team sport to spread Color and love to everyone......Peace and Love to you all

https://www.facebook.com/LanceJeschketheArtist =If you have not yet....Please "like" my page hehehehe

I would Love to hear your thoughts on this subject.....Please share some of your ideas and tricks! 

*Note* I am a visual artist....not so much a writer....I try?....So ignore any grammatical errors, run on sentences or paragraph construction errors.......I write like I talk....fast and crazy LOL.....again Peace and love to you.

"The Monarch Princess" A Painting created with Love

THE MONARCH PRINCESS

24in x 48in (60cm x 122cm)

Oil on Canvas

Metamorphosis is one of natures wonders. The metamorphosis of insects has always triggered wonder into my thoughts. The morph of the Butterfly (and Moths) is amazing no matter how you look at it. Egg to Larvae, which grows into Caterpillar for about 2 weeks, then creates a chrysalis.....to emerge a beautiful, beautiful Butterfly. The wonders of nature....

So as many of you know I have been in the process of creating  large paintings of insects. I am working real hard to create an entire show with my minds eye view of some of the earths most beautiful creatures. I call this series "My Bug Collection" As a child, as with almost everyone, I was so interested with the creatures that lived in my backyard. I would collect, observe and yes, dissect a few. I love bugs, even the ones that are a pain in the butt ("I am Just a House Fly"). They all have so much beauty even if the are like mean, mini Jet Fighters ("Wasp the YellowJacket). My thought was to create very large detailed paintings of these cool creatures. Show some but not all detail, try and make a "feel" more than a picture. I do not want any real background stated in the piece. I did not want them to be anywhere but in a space. Just them....as I see them. They are my focal point throughout my series. Subtle colors grace and envelope the image. They are alone to be just what they are. 

My Bug Collection is far from complete. To date I have 3 completed. A House Fly, Wasp, and now the Monarch Caterpillar. I am in process with 2 others as we speak....A Monarch Butterfly (to compliment this piece ("The Monarch")) and a Grasshopper ("The Grasshopper"). I have a few other bugs in the pipeline to get created soon. 

You can see the step by step photo album of "The Monarch Princess" and all the painting in the series at my facebook artist page Click here to see the view... 

The Creation....and the Love that went into this Piece

Life is beautiful.....

   This year will be one I will never forget. Not only have I worked real hard and completed some of my best work to date it also brings my greatest creation ever.....My Masterpiece!!! I will be soon blessed with my first child. (July 30th is the due date) We know she is a girl and her name shall be Sparrow.............

   When we had confirmation that everything was 100% on the cool with the pregnancy I set out to display my emotions through the one way I know how, start a painting! I wanted to capture a few of my thoughts with my oil paints. This painting is the result of my feelings so far....

    I could not get her out of my mind......I would imagine millions of things as I was putting brush to canvas, what she will look like, her smile, her inner energy, her first boyfriend etc. etc, etc. It was the feeling of pure joy coupled by stints of pure worry. Every brush stroke I took the thought of her seeing this painting with her own eyes someday would bring tears to my eyes. The thought of, in the years ahead she will be sitting watching me paint and me watching her. Yes, many episodes of watery eyes as I painted thinking of my Sparrow....

   When I paint, it is the time of my day that I truly can step into another world. I equate it to meditation or yoga or the artistic. This is the time I Dream!........Now the process has changed much like the Caterpillar will...... I have changed...and will change even more...I have a new role as a Dad.....and this painting is my first step into learning that role, at least on an artistic level. My paintings will change....I now know that Sparrow will have all of my work that I keep as an Artist Collection. If I should leave this earth, she will have a very large part of my being that lives in my paintings. She can always visit me by just taking a look. Yes that will change how you work as an artist......

   As you can probably figure....This painting will not be up for sale...Actually It no longer belongs to me! I created it with her in my thoughts....... and it now belongs to Sparrow. It shall be hers forever......The painting Daddy created when he found out he was going have a Princess of his own....My first gift of Love to my little Sparrow....

   Don't worry.....I will show it in the coming years. Place it in shows, let it hang in a few Galleries....get it out there so folks can see it for sure....it is so beautiful that I want to share it with the world. Matter of fact the painting will debut publicly for the upcoming Artist Against Hunger  Show. I will be showing..along with 80 of the regions best and talented artists to raise some cash for Feeding America...to feed the Hungry here in South Dakota USA on June 1st and 2nd....There is also some other Gallery shows that are in her near future (more info on that in due time)....In essence, It is special and will become more special....the more people that see it the more Love that enters it......and now it is hers!!

A Raw photo of her outside...

Follow the Step by Step photo journal of how I created this painting

Step by Step of "The Monarch Princess"

Thank you for taking the time to check this quick blog post out....Please Please feel free to leave some comments....I would love to hear your thoughts...here or on any of my social media stuff (you can find all those links in my side bar --->

Peace and Love to you on this....and everyday!!

My Home Land South Dakota...a quick tour

 

A Beautiful South Dakota scene...A proud Bison on the rolling prairie.

The place you choose to call your home is a direct reflection on who you are as an artist. The view of your world around you and the beauty to be found is inspiration at its most pure state. I have been asked many times, from friends and fans all around the world to show what inspires some of my work. I thought I would take some time and show you some of the highlights of  the beauty of the place I live and the inspiration question can be answered....First of all, Where is South Dakota you ask?

South Dakota is located on the Great Plains of the United States.

"The Sioux Empire"

Once it was the land of the Oyate\Sioux Indians One of the greatest 

American Indian Civilizations to ever be.

....I live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota USA, The largest city in South Dakota  (metro population of 250,000). It is a beautiful city with the Sioux Falls as its namesake landmark and tourist attraction.  It is located on the far east side of the state a few miles from the border with Minnesota. The Black hills, Badlands and other wonders are located on the far west side of the state. (about a 5 hour drive from me)

 The Skyline of Sioux Falls SD, Downtown Area 

with a view of the Big Sioux River flowing through on its way to the Falls.

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The Falls of the Big Sioux River

located a stones throw from downtown Sioux Falls SD

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The Heritage of the Area

This was once the proud, bountiful land of the Oyate\Sioux Indians. The land was stolen by the US Government in the 1800's to fulfill the greed and Manifest Destiny of the United States, Thus resulting in the Great Indian wars of that time. Gold found in the Black Hills (a sacred and spiritual place) sealed the fate of the Sioux and many other tribes. You may have seen many movies and pictures based on these times...It is a hard thing for me to speak on because of my heritage. My family, on my mothers side is Sisseton Wapeton Oyate Dakota Sioux. My Great Grandparents and Mother lived on a reservation on the Missouri River known as Crow Creek and Standing Rock (North Dakota). They where controlled by the government and had hard times within that control. This all is a very Sad chapter in American History. Here are a few images I found to show a quick view of some of these beautiful people and their way of life during the time of the takeover from the US.

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Some Images of South Dakota's Beauty

The landscape of South Dakota is awe inspiring....Lots of beautiful visions of wide open plains, the Black Hills and the Badlands are treasures to anyone who sees them. A land of wildlife and history. 

Black Hills at Custer State park

Black Hills

The Black Hills where named for the view you get from 

afar....they are covered with the "Black Hills Spruce Trees" 

and appear Black from a distance.

The Badlands in Western South Dakota

A drive into Beauty....Badlands

Views of beauty in South Dakota

The South Dakota Prairie

A typical plains view....I can see this within a 15 minute drive

There are millions of beautiful images of South Dakota I could show you. I just wanted to give you a quick overview of the land that is around me. The Black Hills and Badlands are on the other side of the state but I frequent that area very often...it is like a part of me....Please take some time to Google some other photos of this wonderful place on earth....I will now post a few pics of some of the famous sculptures in my state....The best one, In my opinion, is the yet unfinished CRAZY HORSE Monument. It is an image of one of the greatest Sioux Chiefs, a warrior and a proud Sioux. He was part of the group that kicked Custer's Ass at the battle of Little Big Horn. This sculpture once completed with be the largest sculpture on earth. Mt Rushmore could fit into the head of Crazy Horse. this thing is huge and beautiful....It is taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza....I don't know if I will live to see it complete?

Crazy Horse Monument and model of what it will look like finished

To give a little size perspective..... Crazy Horse

Mt. Rushmore....the shrine of Democracy 

and reminder that the US government has all the power to steal 

or do what they want...This is on sacred Indian land! Read your history books

on what this sculpture really means!!!

Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum a racist man with strong ties to the Ku Klux Klan!

Shamless!

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I hope this gives you a perspective on the land in which I choose to call home. There is a lot of history and beauty to be found right in my own back yard. Living here, I sometimes forget how wonderful it is to be living in this part of the world.  If you are planning a vacation this year or next, take a look at coming to South Dakota. If you get to Sioux Falls let me know we can have lunch and I can show you some wonderful gems. You can also get a chance to see some of my work in person. There is so much to see, I have not even broken the surface of beauty here.....Look up some of the things I have mentioned...also search for Deadwood, Custer State Park, Missouri River or just South Dakota in general......It is a great place to live with a strong artistic history....Search Harvey Dunn, Oscar Howe, Terry Redlin or many other world famous artists. I hope you enjoyed your quick tour of my homeland.....Peace and love to you

Please leave your thoughts and comments....I would love to hear from you

INSPIRATION a few thoughts on the subject

 I can find inspiration to paint a whole painting by just seeing this...

Inspiration....We all know the feeling in many aspects of our lives. In many ways it is what drives us to do the things we do. Whether it be for our family, faith, personal satisfaction or our creative side it is a very powerful feeling. Something deep inside our minds throws a switch and we are compelled to act in one way or another.....the proper definition can be found in many dictionaries but they all lack the "Pizazz" of what the word means.   

 in·spi·ra·tion

n.

1.

a. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.

b. The condition of being so stimulated.

2. An agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention.

3. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea, that is inspired.

4. The quality of inspiring or exalting: a painting full of inspiration.

5. Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.

6. The act of drawing in, especially the inhalation of air into the lungs.

Today in this little blog post I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on the subject with you. As an artist, this word comes up in my everyday life very very often (along with the verb..inspire). I don't know how many times I get asked "What is your inspiration for your work?" or "What artists inspire you?" and lately "What ever inspired you to paint a huge House Fly?"...the list can go on and on. The version of the word that means the most to me, the one I strive for is the "Seeing your work inspires me to paint" or "I used to paint but gave it up but after seeing your work I am inspired to get some supplies and start again."..... That to me is the ultimate compliment. When one can move someone enough to even get them to think about being creative is the best currency life has to offer. 

Last Thursday I had my first art show, a small affair, but a grand one also! As I was hanging out visiting with patrons of the show, I noticed someone walk in the door that I had not seen for over 20 years. I smiled. and walked over with open arms to embrace a friend of mine I had known since 6th grade. We where part of the art nerds throughout our schooling. You know, the kids who practically lived in the art room. We had lost touch since our graduation in 1989 and in the past year or so found each other on the facebook machine. He had been following my artist page, but never really commented or "like buttoned" anything. All of a sudden he is standing in front of me at my show after making the 1 hour drive. We caught up a bit, and he said to me "I had to come see your work with my own eyes, since seeing your art on facebook it has inspired me to start painting again." "So I went out and bought some materials and am in the process of re-discovering something that used to be so important to me...Thank you Lance!" Needless to say I about cried!.....That to me is why I do what I do!!! In that same show...an hour or so later another childhood\family friend walked through the door. One, who I just lately,  have had the chance to spend a little time with. He was never an artist but has thoughts and ideas that he wants to learn to paint....He has stated to me many times that seeing my work and knowing me has inspired him to learn a whole new hobby. I told both of them that my studio and talent is available for them at anytime. I will teach, mentor or do whatever it takes to help out someone who wants to create! It humbles me to do something that inspires other to release their creative side. It brings a joyful tear to my eyes to know that what I do can move people! it is the best feeling in the world. 

I find my inspiration by accident most of the time. A Wasp buzzing around my back door and me thinking. "What a beautiful creature, I want to capture that in oils." or something as simple as me walking into my studio and looking at my paint collection and seeing the color on a tube of paint. Looking at other artists work online will provoke my mind to go paint in a very strong way and it is like a drug! The voice inside my head trying to feed its addiction to creating something with simple tools. If I catch the scent of linseed oil, my mind hits overdrive. I can be at an art store next to the oils and if I smell linseed oil floating through the air....I have to go home and paint! I will sit some nights and page through my big BLICK catalog, staring at each companies paint swatches and it drives me....I can plan whole paintings by just seeing one color. 

Inspiration feeds inspiration...that is one lesson that I have learned. The more I give in to it the more it feeds me. If I dwell on it for a while, ponder it with out taking action right away, it grows! It will only subside when I start to create the piece that feed from that particular inspiration. So I have layers and layers of inspired visions in my mind and can only move on with them as I finish each painting.  It is like a huge pile on bookwork sitting on you desk at work that you know you need to do but can only do so much at a time. You have your boss (inspiration in this case) screaming at you to get it all done. The pile never is never ending. Once you get one done 3 more folders get thrown on your desk. It can be maddening. It can drive you crazy! As an artist though, You never want that pile to go away. You want fresh work to do forever! I get frustrated sometimes cause I have so many ideas and plans that I feel I dont have the time to complete them all. They are all screaming at me to become reality. They haunt me in my sleep and most of my waking hours. I am fine with that for sure! It is a small price to pay for sharing color and life with others.

On the topic of inspiration and who inspired and inspires me to this day I would like to mention some of the folks who have had a huge impact on my artistic life. It would not be complete with out mentioning my Mother who is an artist and has pushed me every day of my life to create. My Great Grandfather Peter Yback who guides my hand from the spirit world and was the first to really show me how wonderful creation of art can be. Two teachers from my youth...Cal Schultz, my Jr. High art teacher and Don Durfee, my High School art teacher. They gave me the chance to express myself and helped guide me and many others to find a love for art and the creation of art. Good teachers can change you in ways that will last a lifetime. Mr. Durfee (or Durf as everyone calls him) taught me the skills and the early training to be able to do what I do today. He inspired so many folks to be whatever they wanted in life through his teaching style and cool attitude and personality. He always made this nerdy, skinny kid feel special and I will never forget that! Thanks Durf!!!! 

Thanks for reading my thoughts today....I could go on forever about inspiration and such. I just wanted to get some things out of my mind to make room for more painting ideas....hehehehe Please take some time and leave me some comments about inspiration and what may inspire you.....I really want to know!!!!

Peace and Love to you all........not get off your computer and go paint!!!