Penciling things in…

December 3, 2015 by
alphabet pencils

Alphabet Pencils –  I guess I will always be fascinated by the very idea of this!

It’s been a few months since I’ve posted anything and now I feel obliged to get back into it. I think I still have one subscriber (Hi Carol) and  I see that people still occasionally Google  – How to Draw a Snail and Madrone Tree/Marin County. That’s about it. It’s more “hits” than my other attempted site – Cyber Pencil.

Somehow I have to keep telling myself I am making some kind of Cyber Sense or Success or Progress. I have clearly walked away for the idea of working with SquareSpace and that clarity feels good. I haven’t given up on WordPress but am now curious about Adobe Muse. It’s new to me and I have developed an unexpected attraction to it. I’m told it is the replacement for Dreamweaver and they offer a free trial which I think I will go for. I’m now predicting that 2016 will be a Website/Blog year for me and I sure hope I am more comfortable with it if that’s the case. I’m getting a little tired of Starting Over but I do realize I don’t seem to be able to walk away from it.

I’ve set up a new Drawing practice plan that’s a;long the order of what I did with hammers a year ago. The subject kept me focused and this time it’s Apples for my Focal Point. I’m calling it the 21 Day Apple Challenge and am now on Day 11. So far they are all pencil drawings but the main thing is I have not skipped a day.

Filed Under: Blog, Lingering Logs, Pencils, Snail Mail, Squarespace, WordPress

How to draw a snail – picks up pace

October 6, 2015 by

Snail Mail draws search engine ranking — my experiment is working. If only at a snails pace. How to draw a snail for snail mail is now getting one hit per day. I’m still testing the waters of How to draw with coffee but there’s not much action yet.  Now I’m asking myself more questions. Am I just fooling around with search engines or do I really want to go deeper into website design?
Maybe I don’t want to paint anymore. Why do I always feel a need to verify my creativity with a painting?  If I can’t paint am I still an Artist? Did all of this “need” start in my childhood? I remember the intensity when my father was clarifying a hot point and would say “Do you understand or do you want me to paint a picture?” — I would silence my screaming answer — “Yes, please paint me a picture” – and obey his request without a word.  Did this trigger my first spark of wanting to paint? Maybe I need another creative focal point. Coffee? Website Design? Blogging for Art?Collage/Installation? Writing?

 

Filed Under: coffee painting, Lingering Logs, Snail Mail, Websites for Artists, WordPress

How to draw a snail for Snail Mail – revisited

September 28, 2015 by
Snail Mail - Save the Snail

Snail Mail – Save the Snail – March 2012

Ok, this could be very boring or at least a very unexpected topic for my blog post. I pressure myself to explain even though I know, for a fact, that only an average of 2 or 3 people ever read this blog in the course of any day. I guess I feel an obligation to address these followers because they click-on-me. I know these minimal figures are correct because all visits are charted and I can easily see how many have come to my blog. I can also see what page was visited. What did they Google to find my site? After over two years people are still interested in How to Draw a Snail or how to Save Snail Mail. I still care about the topic but it was never intended to be the focal point of my blogging.

As I jump back into my daytime job of website/blog design for artists I am trying to put more effort into How to get blog followers.  Isn’t that what the main point of websites and blogs is suppose to be?  Next step –  I need to offer something that will  make them want come back again, and again. Ideally to sign up for my email subscription.

Now, this is all connected to How to draw a snail for Snail Mail. I posted this information on March 29, 2012 and several times per month I see people continue to link to my page for information on how to draw a snail – even if it’s not for snail mail. Check it out!

How to Draw a snail for Snail Mail

Now I realize I should include the instruction sheet.

Ok, now to my point. I’m using this post as a test to see if the title and key words will bring even more unknown visitors to the blog. Not just my two friends that have already signed up.
Another marketing technique  I have come across in my recent research is the popularity of How to information to be found on the Internet. Lots of interest in How to books, Tutorials and instructional videos. Now I also realize these Snail related  posts have survived in the Google searches for so long because they have “How to” in the title.

Hopefully this will encourage me to put together a How to Paint with Coffee tutorial.  You can paint with coffee.

 

Filed Under: Blog, coffee painting, coffee painting workshop, Lingering Logs, Snail Mail, Websites for Artists

Thank a Mailman Day – Snail Mail Celebration

February 4, 2013 by

This is a perfect day for me to get back into my obsession with Snail Mail. I will buy some stamps today.

Always February 4th – Honoring Snail Mail  –  Thank a Mailman Day is your chance to say thanks to the guy, or gal, who delivers your mail. After all, they are there six days a week. The reliable postal worker is always there doing their job, regardless of the weather.Pony Express riders were the most famous early American “mailmen”. Their motto was ” Neither rain, nor snow, nor death of the night, can keep us from our duty”. This motto is believed to be taken in part from a motto dating back to ancient times. Among the most popular variation is “Through rain or snow, or sleet or hail, we’ll carry the mail. We will not fail”.

Follow the Snail Mail Links:

Here are some ideas on how to show your Mail Carrier you appreciate their service

The mailman; a much underappreciated person

http://www.squidoo.com/thank-a-mailman-day

Thank a Mailman Day

FaceBook Event Page

Filed Under: Snail Mail

How to Draw a Snail for Snail Mail

March 29, 2012 by

It’s easy to quickly draw a snail on the address side of every letter you mail. This snail image will make your mailman happy. I like to add the phrase “Save Snail Mail” along with the line drawing of the snail. Just enlarge the image on this post and follow the steps to draw a perfect snail every time.

How to Draw a snail for Snail Mail

If you need more help with this please email me for more detailed  instructions for drawing a Snail Mail Snail.
nancy94960@gmail.com

Filed Under: Snail Mail Tagged With: , , , ,

Snail Mail & the Demise of our Corner Mailboxes

September 1, 2011 by

The days of corner mailboxes are vanishing fast as the USPS has removed most of them.

The article on the front page of sfgate.com is about how the traditional mail boxes are on their way out. It was of no surprise to me that so many of the comments were about how very sad that is. Please read this article and then start drawing snails on all of your Snail Mail.
www.sfgate.com
If you don’t think you can draw a snail believe me – You can. Just follow the steps in my How to Draw a Snail post.

The U.S. Postal Service must make massive changes if it is going to survive.
Deliverance
By Annie Lowrey Posted Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 It is hard to think of a better deal than mailing a letter. In exchange for nothing more than a first-class stamp, the U.S. Postal Service will come to your house, pick up your envelope, and deliver it anywhere in the country. If you got the address wrong, it will bring the letter back. The cost? A mere 44 cents. But, please read the linked post for the disappointing details for the future.

This is Great
Snail Mail My Email is a month-long worldwide collaborative art project that ran from July 15 – August 15, 2011. The project allowed people to email a letter, which was then handwritten by volunteers — follow the link to read about the entire project.

Filed Under: Snail Mail Tagged With: ,