I titled the painting Bojangles because the pants he is wearing jangled. I was having a wonderful, exciting time at a parade in St Thomas. The day was warm and sunny, the people in the street, happy, friendly and enjoying the celebration. I was enthralled.

"When a person starts to talk about their dreams, it's as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words." - John C. Maxwell

All artists have to talk about their work at some time or other. There are not many of us who think about what we want our art to say when we're working on it, but people still want to know and we need to know how to tell them. Unless you can talk clearly, fluently and coherently, you'll find it almost impossible to promote your own work.

The average person doesn't know very much about art or how it is made. Talking about the details of how you made your painting or sculpture would be easy, but it's boring to anyone but another artist. Instead, talk about the mood and emotion of the work, say things that everyone can understand.

Think of ways you can make another person feel the emotion of your work. Here are some I think are important:

1. Only get technical if you are asked. You don't have to confuse your buyer with art facts.
2. Think about yourself and your dreams? What were you feeling when you created the work? Is there anything you were exploring or hoping to learn about yourself, or about life?
3. Give the people who came to see your work a little background about yourself and why you create art, tell them where you get your ideas and how you are able to put those ideas in your work.
4. Explain the energy of your work to viewers, how it affected you and how it might affect them.
5. What you feel may be very personal to you, but be as honest and open as you can about what has inspired you. The character of your work is subjective, so talk about what was deep inside you and came out in your art.
6. Tell them what makes your art unique. Most people are captivated by a story, so tell the story behind what you have created. With a story, your art becomes more than a picture or sculpture it becomes something to be understood.
7. Try to involve your viewers by including them in your conversation. Your art isn't only about you, it's also about the persons who see your work.

When you are working at your art it will change, so take a close look at your artwork at least twice a year with the idea of revising what you usually say. People are more connected to art they can see and feel emotional about.

How would you describe your art?

Later, Judy

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You can view Judy's original post here.