Cheryl Peddie

More Winter Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:58:00 +0000

'Coral Shoreline' - Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia - Oil on canvas - Sold

'Drifting' - Shuswap Lake, near Sorrento, BC - Oil on canvas - Sold

'Nestled In' - Shuswap Lake, BC - Oil on canvas - Sold

Just a few more paintings from my travels over the last few years. This year, I think I'll explore Alberta. I'm craving scenes with big skies, with heaps of clouds and the smell of sweet prairie grasses. Thanks for visiting!

New Fall Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:17:00 +0000

'Our World is Vast and Beautiful' - Oil - 9"x12" - $395

'The Sparkle on the Water' - Oil - 11"x14" - $455

'The Wind and Rock' - Oil - 8"x10" - $365

'Home at Last' - Oil - 9"x12" - $395

'Echinaceas Aflutter' - Oil - 9"x12" - $395

Please visit Galleria, in Calgary Alberta to purchase any of these original oil paintings from my new fall work. Galleria is located at 907 - 9th Avenue SE, Calgary Alberta. Tel: 403-270-3612.

2009 Foothills Artists' Society Art Show & Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Join artists, Cheryl Peddie, Lisa Thomson, Melanie Morstad and Karen Swearengen at our annual art show and sale! A beautiful selection of oils, acrylics, mixed media and watercolours will be available for sale.

Show Dates and Times:
Saturday, November 7th - 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Opening Night Wine & Cheese - Everyone Welcome!
Music by 'The Rhythm Methods'

Sunday November 8th - 11:00am - 3:00pm
Light Refreshements will be served

Location:
Elbow Park Residents' Association
800 - 34 Ave SW, Calgary Alberta

For more details please call 403-270-9755

For more details on each artist, please visit their websites:
Melanie Morstad - www.melaniemorstad.com
Lisa Thomson - www.lisathomson.com
Karen Swearengen - www.karenswearengen.ca
Cheryl Peddie - www.emergecreative.ca & www.pinkpaws.ca

City Palate – The Entertaining Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:09:00 +0000

City Palate is a beautifully designed magazine about Calgary's food scene. It is also a great 'read' and covers everything from the best kitchen gear, to culinary happenings around Calgary, and even secret supermarket finds. I was delighted to be asked to illustrate their Nov/Dec 'Entertaining' issue cover this year, and have been eagerly awaiting its release so I could share the final illustration with you. Thanks to everyone from City Palate for the great project! www.citypalate.ca

Late in the Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Late in the Summer - 9"x12" - Acrylic

I captured this pretty scene while my husband and I were driving up to Pigeon Lake in August. We have friends there, and always love to visit them at their cozy hideaway in the woods. Later in August, I felt very lucky to be one of Galleria's featured artists for 'Artwalk' this year. Galleria is the gallery that represents me and my work in Calgary, and I was thrilled to paint on-location for the occasion. 'Late in the Summer' was the painting I created that day. So, to me, this painting is filled with memories of summer days – days spent sharing time with new friends and old, with the late-summer sun shining it's golden sparkle everywhere I looked. Hope you enjoy it; thanks for looking.

~Cheryl
PS - I haven't put a price on this painting because I think it's already spoken for! If that changes, I'll be sure to update! I've got a few more paintings still drying in my studio - I'll be sure to post them as soon as they're ready. Thanks again!

New - Personalized, Hand-painted Picture Frames

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Above: Top – Pretty Paisley; Middle – Dots of Fun; Bottom – Cheery Jubilee

Our good friend, Myrna suggested this idea some time ago, and the first batch has just 'rolled' off my easel! I've begun a new line of hand-painted personalized picture frames for kids. The size and shape is cute as a button - 8" square with room for a 3-1/2" photo. They come with a pretty matching ribbon for hanging and a dowel insert for the back, if you'd prefer to display it table-top.

In large part, the designs I've chosen are inspired by pretty patterns, textiles and designs that catch my eye while I'm out and about 'in the world' – a pretty dress in a store window; fresh berries in the grocery store, or even the sparkle of lemonade at the neighbor's kids' lemonade stand. I aim to create a rhythmic, free-spirited feel with each piece, that will hopefully highlight the personality of the little people that will grace each one.

They'll be available on my website, www.pinkpaws.ca just as soon as I can book some time with my web guru. In the meantime, if you'd like to order one please just pop me an email – let me know which one you'd like, and the name of the child you'd like added and I'll get my paintbrushes out. Price: 24.95/each. Discounts with purchase of birth print. Thanks for looking and come back soon!

~Cheryl

New Art at Galleria

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:19:00 +0000

"Down in the Valley" – Acrylic, 9"x12" SOLD

We've had such a wet spring and early summer this year. Although this doesn't make sun-worshippers very happy, it makes beautiful scenes like this one plentiful. The prairie grasses are so lush and green, that even the gentlest touch of light makes them shimmer and glow. I captured this scene looking east towards the valley near the Leighton Centre; just south of Highway 22X.

"Peaceful Days Ahead" – Acrylic, 9"x12" SOLD

One of the challenges I enjoy the most, is finding what colours I can see within whites. This is a scene I came across while traveling home to Saskatchewan at Christmas time. The drive is a long one, and we're often still on the road as the sun is beginning to set. The fabulous colours and glowing light is such a treat to see after a long day on the highway.

Sweeet...

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:53:00 +0000

I'm, well let's just say it... tickled pink that my new line of artwork is featured on SweetMama.ca. Thanks very much to everyone there, (especially Shan Roth, word-crafter extraordinaire)!

New on PinkPaws... Decorated Initials! Sized at 5.5" x 5.5" (perfect for the 'Ribba' frame available at Ikea), they're perfect for grouping.

Shown here: 'Daisy Daisy'. Watch for more coming soon, in this line of decorated initials.

All available to order online (safe and easy through PayPal) at
www.pinkpaws.ca.

Mother's Day Tribute to Moms Everywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:44:00 +0000

For 15 years, I've designed all sorts of interesting projects for both companies and individuals. However, it's been through my work designing and illustrating books, that I've gotten to know my clients the best. Writing and creating a book is a huge, heartfelt project for most folks. In helping them bring their vision to life, I learn more about their dreams, lives, and families, than with many other projects I've worked on. Dr. Melanie Beingessner (aka 'Dr. Melanie Bee') and her work has been no exception. Her dedication to her work and family, combined with her seemingly never-ending energy and positive outlook on life, makes Dr. Beingessner a unique professional. She able to problem-solve and create workable solutions for her clients, but she is also able to connect with and care for them in a way that only personal understanding and experience can provide.

In addition to being a mom to three great kids and a chiropractor, Dr. Beingessner specializes in working with pregnant and new mothers. Not only is she a Breastfeeding Counsellor and Certified Infant Massage Instructor, she is also is Co-founder of the 'Becoming Parents' Prenatal Program. You can learn more about her background and work at www.drmelaniebee.org.

I've had the priviledge of designing and illustrating two books for Dr. Beingessner now. Her newest book, Getting Ready for Baby is geared at helping pregnant moms, and moms-to-be. It is a 5-step guide to helping moms prepare for labour, birth and life as a family. This guide starts off helping the mom-to-be create a birth plan and select a health care team to support her choices for pregnancy, labour and birth. Then, a user-friendly planner section helps her track her body's changes, plus prepare for appointments with caregivers and support professionals. Finally, the last three steps help her organize, prepare – emotionally, physically and spiritually – and plan ahead to make life easier during those energy-charged first weeks after baby is born.

The Calm Baby Cookbook, Dr. Beingessner's first book, identifies that a baby who fusses, cries or displays other colicky symptoms is most likely reacting quite negatively to something that his or her mother is eating. If a breastfeeding mother can eliminate certain foods on a short-term basis, her baby will become calmer and more relaxed. In it, Dr. Beingessner outlines the foods that commonly causes breastfeeding babies discomfort, and provides 85 great tasting recipes to get new moms started.

Dr. Beingessner continues to help moms and their spouses stay happy and healthy, as they create a new life as a family. She is currently co-writing a book about the 'Becoming Parents' Prenatal Program. She can be contacted by telephone at (403) 273-5653, or via email at melanie@drmelaniebee.org. Visit her blog at www.melaniebee.com.

Thanks for reading. You can read more about me and my design work at emergecreative.ca. To see my line of art for kids, please visit PinkPaws.ca. All the best, Cheryl Peddie.

On the Right Side

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:10:00 +0000

I'm always surprised by the number of folks who tell me that they couldn't possibly learn to draw because they 'can't draw a straight line'. The idea that creativity and the ability to draw is an innate talent is quite a misperception. Drawing, painting, or any other form of artistic creativity is actually a learned skill. There's an excellent book that has been a favourite of mine for years, that speaks directly to that fact. The book is called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", by Betty Edwards. In it, the author takes her students – most of whom have no artistic background at all – through a variety of artistic excercises. There are many 'before and after' pictures documenting their exciting progress, which shows how 'learned' the whole process really is.

So fear not. There are lots of great spots in Calgary to take an art class. I always recommend Swinton's, because that's where I take classes; but there's lots of other great places. Most art supply stores either have in-house instruction, or can refer you to a great teacher. Have fun!

PinkPaws Artwork is finally here

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:21:00 +0000

The last time I updated my blog, the trees I could see through my office window were frost-covered, and snow was scouring my windowpane. This morning, the trees are bathed in the misty green of new leaf buds, and I can hear robins twittering to the morning. What a difference a couple of months make.

The reason for my absense as of late, is that my new website and line of artwork for kids (and kids-at-heart) is finally 'live'. You can have a look at PinkPaws.ca. A few years ago, I began creating these little watercolors, full of happy people walking fuzzy dogs, big pink hippos, and skunk-moms bathing their skunk-babies in clawfoot tubs. They weren't high-minded, intricate artistic extravaganzas; just fun little picture-stories I'd doodle when my brain needed some relieve from work, housecleaning and responsibility.

Well, you know what happened? Folks loved them. The first time I showed them at my painting group's yearly show, they were a hit. I sold a bunch, which was a great surprise, but what really caught my attention was seeing how people would react to them. Some laughed right out loud. Others would smile and get a far-off look in their eyes, like they were remembering a happy time. And the kids – the kids loved them. I think our youngest art-buyer was all of 6 (she negotiated a loan for the purchase at an excellent rate from her mother).

It felt great to see everyone's free-spirited delight with the work. So I kept painting, and my customers kept buying. Finally, creating PinkPaws.ca seemed like a great way to offer my work to even more folks. You'll find a great selection of prints there – birth announcements, signs for the kid's bedroom doors, and art that's just-for-fun. Because they're prints, they're at a family-friendly price (great for gifting). And they're sized perfectly for scrapbooking, or easy off-the-shelf framing.

Many thanks go out to my web programmer/designer/guru, Michael Fleming. If you'd like to check out his expertise, visit him at www.ehmjay.com. You'll be glad you did. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my blatant self-promotion. I really appreciate your time.

~ Cheryl

"Princess Allie" Birth Print

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Welcome the new little princess with a 'Princess Allie' birth record keepsake. From an original watercolor by Cheryl Peddie, this 8" x 10" print is hand personalized with baby's name, birth date, weight and length. Sized perfectly for framing or scrapbooking. $29.99. To order, call Cheryl Peddie at 403-270-9755. VISA accepted. Name art and door signs also available.

PinkPaws Personalized Art by Cheryl Peddie

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:17:00 +0000

New! "It's a Hippo-Happy Life" Birth Print
8" x 10" professional quality digital print suitable for framing and scrapbooking. This little hippo is hand personalized with baby's name, date, birth weight, in a selection of font styles. $29.99. Please call Cheryl for more details or to order. 403-270-9755. (VISA accepted) Coming Soon – Fairies and Celestial themes!

New Art Prints!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Whimsical, cheerful art prints for your nursery and children's rooms. Welcome the new baby with a beautiful personalized birth record keepsake, suitable for framing and scrapbooking. Name art, door signs and more! Now taking orders - please call Cheryl at 403-270-9755.

The Everyday Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:20:00 +0000

Most of the folks that know my work, know that my subject matter is usually pretty humble pickings. I like to paint everyday trinkets I find in my house, simple flowers, and lots of fruit and vegetables. They make great models – they never fidget or need bathroom breaks. This piece is entitled, 'It's Keen Bein' Green', and today, it's got me thinking. I'm an everyday gal. My day-job pays the bills – I work as a graphic designer for a great magazine called Calgary's Child. But I love to paint. As luck would have it, my natural painting style is 'alla prima' – fancy talk for 'all at once'. Rather than creating layers upon layers like many other artists do, I start and finish a painting in one or two sittings. So that got me thinking too.

Why doesn't this everyday gal paint her everday subjects – well, every day. Usually, I wait and wait until I can finally eek out a half-day in my week, then I scurry to my easel. Believe me, those free half-days are few and far between. And I get sad sometimes because of it. But what if I turn it around? Instead, what if I take an hour. Just an hour, and see what I can create in that amount of time. The pieces will be small for sure. But again, as luck would have it, my 'signature' work is small. Seems like a good fit, so let's try it out.

For the next month, I'll be at my easel everyday. Just 60 minutes. Let's keep in touch and I'll show you what I create.

Sincerely, Cheryl Peddie
The Everyday Artist

Clean Eating Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:43:00 +0000

It was a quiet week, as my husband was at the farm, helping with harvest. Usually on weeks like this, my face would be at the bottom of a Doritos bag, wolfing down anything and everything I could get my taste buds on. It just gets so quiet when he's not around. This week was a little different though.

On Wednesday, I began changing the way I usually eat – 'clean eating' is the buzz phrase I guess. I've even set the alarm on my watch so I don't forget to eat at each of the golden 3-hour marks. So far it hasn't been so bad. What has really surprised me when I look back at the week, is how little I've eaten each day – without feeling hungry. Don't know if it has made a difference to my waistline yet, but time will tell.

As far as the effect on my creativity and energy, I had an incredibly productive Wed, Thurs and Friday. I'm currently designing and illustrating a new pregnancy planner by Dr. Melanie Beingessner – check her wonderful website out at www.drmelaniebee.org. I've done a large number of wonderful 'doodly' illustrations for it, so it's been great fun to work on. We are all excited to see the final result once the printers work their magic on it.

Will touch base with you early next week and let you know if I've landed in an Oreo bag or not. Wish me luck.

Stay healthy, everyone.

On Turning 40.

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Turning 40 does weird things to a person. 'This was the year', I thought. Time for great things to happen for me. And I promptly steered my life into the 'fast lane'. I adopted a puppy, moved to a new house, thought I'd gotten a spot in a gallery (that was unceremoniously later revoked), begun guitar lessons again, and three days a week, began waking up before the birds (5am, thank you very much) to work out at a bootcamp in our new neighborhood. Even started to run again, and made plans for a couple 10-K's next year. Sounds and looks impressive, when I see it all in a big list like that.

But then all of the sudden... Crash. The end of August arrived and I was drop-dead-pooped. Gained back all the weight I lost in the first month of bootcamp. Didn't want to work, didn't want to exercise, didn't want to do.. well.. anything at all. And had artist-block – bad. I wanted to paint. But just couldn't get myself 'there'. Any free time I had, I just wanted to lay, sloth-like in front of the tube.

I'd figured I'd been just fooling myself. 'Your 40's are the new 30's' – my a**. Who am I, trying to keep up this charade? Really, wasn't I just a dreamer, deep down after all? And a lazy one at that – all talk and no action. But Why?? I've got a good career, university educated, no kids to tire me out, and I'm in pretty good health. So I should have lots of drive, lots of motivation, right? I didn't get it.

Until yesterday. Yesterday, Belinda Morrison, the trainer who owns Be More Fitness (the afore-mentioned bootcamp I've been attending) tested my body fat percentage. Bleh. But she'd warned us. Yes, exercise is a 'must'. But you can't get away with it alone and expect to have the energy that only good nutrition combined with exercise, can provide. I thought I'd been good, really. We don't keep a lot of junk food in our house. Well, yes, there was the peanut butter Chipits. Who can live without those, I ask you?? But I digress. The result of my body fat test was so bad I promptly went to Safeway, loaded up on greens, went home and threw away half the food in our pantry. Then last night, I attended her nutrition seminar at our community centre. After that, I went into my pantry and threw out the other half. Goodbye Chipits.

When I look at what I was trying to do it's surprising I lasted until 40 before I crashed. But who knew? I could still fit into my size 10 Levi's. To look at me, most wouldn't think I really had a health problem. Even I really didn't think I looked all that bad. But I was wrong. And I'm going to do something about it before it gets worse. With the help the 'clean eating' philosophy Belinda introduced me to, I'm going to kick the fanny of my140lbs and 30% bodyfat. Wish me luck; I'll keep you posted.

Take care of yourself, people.

I'm Just a Child at Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:06:00 +0000

I think life is at its best when it is light-hearted and simple; complete with ice cream trucks in the summer, fuzzy pets and afternoon naps. That's what my art is about. And I'm thrilled that my watercolours are now available at Child at Heart Children's Store in Britannia Plaza.

Child at Heart in Britannia is located at 817A 49 Ave SW, Calgary Alberta. You can reach Sandra and her team at 243-3070.

'Bathtime' - 6-1/2" x 5-1/4" Watercolour

The How, Where and Way of Your Promotional Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Originally printed in Calgary's Child Magazine, May/June 2008
You'll find even more tips and tricks to help you grow a successful business in the Workplace section of Calgary's Child Magazine.

By Cheryl Peddie

Remember that old saying – 90 per cent of what you say to another person is actually non-verbal? The ‘how’, ‘where’ and ‘way’ a person says something, is as important – sometimes more important – than what is actually being conveyed. The same rule-of-thumb holds true for your promotional materials as well. Now obviously, your printed promotions don’t have the capacity to actually speak. Their ‘language’ still comes from a variety of sources – each of which needs to be crafted with careful attention.

Many factors contribute to the ultimate message your audience receives from your promotions. The actual choice of promotion and its format, the text, or 'copy' within the piece, the visuals and layout, even how and when it's distributed can affect whether or not it turns a member of your target market into your next big client, or turns them off so badly, they end up a loyal customer of your competition!

Consider this – a few months back, I needed to send flowers to a family member in another city. I got online, and found the two florists that had websites in that town. One was beautiful – easy to read, with clear, bright photographs of all the bouquets I could choose from. The ‘look’ of the site made me feel that the product would likely be as ‘put- together’ as the site was. Now like many others, even when I’m not being a careful shopper, I still like to feel like I’m one! So, I opted to check out the competitor’s site to make sure I wouldn’t be missing out on something better. The other site was awful – a poor layout, combined with awkward navigation and low quality images – it didn’t take me more than a minute to discount them as a poor choice. I could only conclude that I would be as disappointed with their product as I was with their website.

What are the two most important factors to that story? There are two – the first is that the company I didn’t choose didn’t just miss out on one sale. They’ll miss out on all future sales to me and likely others that had the same experience with their site, too. Second, like most of us, I have a long memory when it comes to poor service. (Even though I didn’t interact with a person, my interaction with their website still counts as ‘service’.) And people talk. Do you think if anyone asks me about my experience I won’t say something? Of course not! I’ll tell anyone who asks which florist I do and do not recommend in that area.

So how can you keep your promotional materials and other communications from working against you? Here are a couple of tips:
1) The most important hurdle I see businesses struggle with in their communications is their focus. In other words – keep it simple. It’s particularly hard for entrepreneurs. Most have so much of their lives and hearts invested in their product/service, that it’s hard to pick just a couple of things to say! They know their service so well, and know so much about it; that it’s hard for them to not want to include everything. It often takes an objective outsider to sort through all the data and choose just those couple crucial ‘competitive differences’ to work from in their promotions. This is the most difficult step, but also the most important. Like in my example above, many purchasers sort through their options within minutes. That’s not a long stretch of time to absorb your message. So if the reason your offering is the best one is not clear and to the point, you’re sunk.

2) Understand the differences amongst ‘features’, ‘advantages’ and ‘benefits’, but ‘sell’ the benefits. A ‘feature’ is a specific attribute about your product. An ‘advantage’, is why the feature works better, fits better, does a better job than a similar feature of your competitor’s offering. But here’s the key – the benefit is always expressed in terms of how that advantage affects your customer’s life. If you can let people know how they’ll be more attractive and happier, or with easier, more productive lives etc., because of using your product, you can consider it sold.

3) Whatever you choose to do; do it well. There are so many types of promotional materials to choose from, it’s easy to think you have to do it all right now. Yes, it’s important to create variety in your promo mix. However, I’ve seen many cases where a business owner has underestimated the amount of time it takes to create and maintain their promotionals. Brochures, newsletters, and postcard campaigns all take time and money to create and distribute effectively. If you’re short on either one – and who isn’t – it’s usually best to make a longer term plan to determine how and when each piece will be developed, and how they’ll all work together. But then do one thing at a time – don’t rush through it. Hurrying through something this important usually only ends up in a disjointed, ineffective campaign. If you take your time, you’ll have a promotional package that you can be proud of, yet is still cohesive and effective. Plus, you won’t break your bank account.

Now that you’ve considered what you need your promotional materials to say (and to not say), let’s get to work saying it! In my next article, I’ll be discussing fun and strategic ways to put your copy and visuals together within your promotions.

Cheryl is a graphic designer and artist, and has a degree in Marketing. Her artwork can be found at Avenida Gallery (Summer 2008), Child at Heart Children's Store, Galleria (now in Inglewood), at various local shows and on her website at emergecreative.ca. She can be also reached at 270-9755.

Tuckered Out

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:25:00 +0000

Introducing the newest member of the Peddie Family: Tucker the Shih Tzu. Born: January 26, 2008. Weight/Size: Really tiny. Colors: White, Black, Copper. Tucker's favourite things-to-do seem to be plowing through snowdrifts, having his head and ears scratched, chewing his stuffed toys, pestering his sister, Emma, and digging up his mom's garden.

Special thanks to Jan Tucker, and her team at Pic-a-Pet for all their work rescuing love-starved wee creatures, and helping them find homes where they will grow and be cherished.

We love you Tucker.

Know Yourself or Know Your Client – Which Comes First?

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Smart Marketing and the Savvy Entrepreneur
by Cheryl Peddie
Originally Published in Calgary's Child Magazine, Mar/Apr 2008

I’ve been a graphic designer for years. I love helping small and large companies create promotions, logos, books, magazines – any visual representation of what their companies are, and will be. It can be frustrating – the tear-your-hair-out-at-one-in-the-morning-when-that-idea-JUST-WON’T-COME kind of frustrating. But when the idea does come, it’s golden.

The smaller companies I work with can have the most unique needs. Their owners usually deal with small budgets and even smaller amounts of time to work in their business, let alone on it. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve bought those perforated business card templates from Staples too.

So, the time-money continuum makes the decision to engage in some marketing, a precarious one. Do you invest the time and do it yourself? Or do you spend the money, and pay for someone else to do it? And what on earth do you need? What do you want? Be sure not to confuse the two. Sure, I’d like to have a 40 page glossy portfolio, to attract some well-heeled contracts too. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to make one, because I don’t really need it. So why spend the money?

But then where do you start? Everyone thinks that you start by understanding what you sell and who you are. And that’s important, I agree. We’ll certainly get to that. But I suggest that a better place to start is with your clients. And with the clients you want but don’t have yet. They will show you the way, every time. It’s not fancy or mysterious, and it works. Here are the questions to ask yourself. Get a pen – this is so important that just thinking about it won’t do.

1) Who are my clients? Who are the people that I’d like for clients? How old are they? Where do they shop? Where do they live? How and where do they use the products/services I sell? Short of following them around (and risking getting slapped with a stalking charge); learn everything and anything you can about the people that will use your product.
Enlist some help – recruit some unbiased friends, or put together a group of the type of folks you’d like as clients. Ask them their opinions. Let them try your product. But the most important thing is to listen to them. Again, your client is king. I’m sure you’ll hear lots of compliments, but let them criticize, comment or address concerns too. Don’t take anything personally, because you can use the negative feedback to make your offering better.
Asking these questions will help you understand the best way to reach your market, and when and where they’ll be most receptive to hearing your message. It will help you learn what kind of message i.e. – a brochure, or newsletter, etc. they’ll be most receptive to.

2) Who are my competitors? How do they reach their clients? Do they advertise? Do they market directly to their target with printed materials? Do they have a website? And the most important question – what do they offer that you don’t?
These kinds of questions will help you gauge the environment you’ll be competing in. This can also give you good ideas about how to make your offering better than ‘the other guys’. You might learn about a client need that is being filled inadequately – or one that isn’t being filled at all.
You might also learn from their mistakes – what have they done that didn’t work?

3) Now – finally – you can think about yourself! Be honest, and make a good, solid list of the strengths and weaknesses of both your product/service and your company. Go back to the information you generated when analyzing your clients and target market.
What kind of information is it? If it’s very technical and needs explanation, perhaps a newsletter or promotional booklet would help you sell your service the best. Is it visual and graphically interesting? Then a brochure might be the best choice.

Your next step? Now that you know what materials you need, think about what you need them to say. That’s half the battle. In my next article, I’ll explore this issue, along with ideas about making that message look its best.

Cheryl is a graphic designer and artist, and has a degree in Marketing. Her artwork can be found at Galleria (now in Inglewood), at various local shows throughout Calgary, and on her website at emergecreative.ca. She can be also reached at 270-9755.

New Artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:53:00 +0000

When I began painting in 1995, I never expected that one of my strongest subject matter would be flowers. I figured I'd be doing vast prairie landscapes, or some gigantic street scenes, teeming with people and activity. But much to my surprise, the subject matter chose me. It wasn't the other way around.

There were two things that I came to love about painting – the brilliant color, and the ability to paint from life.
Painting flowers allows me the opportunity to take advantage of both. When I paint flowers from life, I can use all my senses when creating the artwork. I can smell the fragrance, and feel the buttery-soft petals. All this helps me convey a feeling within the piece.

In 'Raspberries and Sunshine', I was striving to create a sense of bountifulness within a small bouquet. I wanted to show how pretty and full the little things in life can be. I was rewarded for my efforts by Sharper Cards, which has chosen this piece to reproduce as a greeting card. It will be available later this spring.

Butterflies, Lasagna, and Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:10:00 +0000

Some things turn better than we could have hoped for. And some things don't - until your sisters come to the rescue.

I recently went back home to help my sisters, Shawna and Tanice, prepare a party for my Mom's birthday. (Again, I'm not saying how old she turned, so don't ask.) The party was a hit. Dad gave Mom a beautiful 'butterfly' brooch, with birthstones for each of us, set into its sparkling gold antennae. Mom was thrilled. Dad cried. It was the day we hoped it would be.

Right up to the party, we cooked so much, we could barely put it all in the fridge. There was chicken casserole, roast, a cheese and broccoli bake, potatoes and fresh salad . . . and then there was my lasagna.

Now, I'm allright in the kitchen. But when I cook for a crowd, I get nervous. The lasagna turned into 'Meat, Spinach, Cottage Cheese and Noodle Soup'. I was mortified. This wasn't what I had planned! My sisters, those dear gals, tried to console me. But I would have none of it. I could barely eat my supper. I was positive that our guests must be whispering 'It's a good thing she earns a decent living . . .' to one another, as they strategically hid the mess under their lettuce.

And then a wonderful thing happened. People came back for seconds - even for the lowly Lasagna. Tanice poked me in the ribs, to make sure I saw. And Shawna whispered in my ear that the people who love you see not only the best in you, but the best in what you do as well. And then, my Lasagna Soup didn't look so bad after all.

All I had to do, was look at my Lasagna, (and myself) through the eyes of the people who love me most. And it was a lovely view. Thanks girls.
Cheryl

Creativity is at the Bottom of Your Flour Canister

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:50:00 +0000

My mom's birthday is next week. Now, I'm not saying how old she'll be, but it's going to be a good one - she'll get lots of presents. But what to give her - that's the question. Her and dad are finally downsizing to a cute-as-a-button bungalow. So, they've just sorted through 35 years of possessions; this goes to charity; that must be tossed. So not only must be something meaningful and personal, it must be something useable or compact.

To me, 'personal' and 'meaningful' are synonymous with something creative - that's just who I am. My first instinct was to paint a new canvas for them. But it just wouldn't work. Mom and dad were some of my most avid art collectors. They certainly didn't need another one of my paintings.

But then I remembered. I'm always telling folks who admire my paintings and muse out loud how much they wish they were creative - that there's heaps of ways to be creative, without touching a paint brush. It was time to put my money where my mouth is.

So, I started cooking. For the last week, every night, I've baked cookies, assembled casseroles, roasted chickens, and made a mighty mess of our kitchen. And I'll keep going until I have to hit the highway. Either that or until I can't get the door closed on my freezer anymore.

Yes there were messes. The burnt stuff got chucked. But on each successful recipe, I wrote a little note about who gave it to me, why I decided to include it, and just about how I was feeling that night - little notes that might help connect me to my much-loved mom who lives hundreds of miles away. And to make it pretty, I'll buy a cute little notebook to put all the notes and recipes in.

I think it will be a success. It's personal, it's creative, and although not terribly compact, it will be well received for many months to come. When the prairie blizzards are howling, and the thermometer is dipping down towards fourty below, I know Mom might open up one of their homemade suppers (that she'll hopefully share with Dad!) think of me, and feel a little warmer.

Can't get more personal than that. I'll let you know how she likes it when I return.
All my best,
Cheryl

Note - Now, some may ask - aren't I afraid my secret will be blown by announcing it to the world, here on the web?! The world's information super-highway? Nope! Their computer's safely packed away in some box somewhere . . . hope they don't turn it on until I get there!

Upcoming Art shows

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl Peddie) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:30:00 +0000

A Unique Spot for an Art Show
I'm proud to announce that my artwork will be on display at InStyle Hair Co., starting September 7th. A selection of my watercolours will be available for viewing and purchase, including 'It's a Hippo's Life', that was recently published on the cover of Creatures All Magazine. Many thanks to Shelley and all the team at InStyle for this fun opportunity to show my work. InStyle Hair Co. is located at 618, 12100 Lake Fraser Dr. SE, Calgary. Tel: 225-0228.

Foothills Artists' Annual Show & Sale
Coming up: Our Foothills Artists' Society annual fall show at the Elbow Park Community Centre. This year's show will be held on Saturday, Oct 27 from 5:00 - 9:30; and on Sunday, Oct 28 from 11:00 - 4:00. Be sure to get there early to ensure your favourite piece goes home with you!

CreativeSource.ca
My art is now available at creativesource.ca. Check it out to see a variety of my new watercolours, also available as stock art! It's an excellent resource of Canadian creative talent, and I'm pleased to be part of it.

Thanks for stopping by; be sure to check out my website at emergecreative.ca when you have a moment to sit down with a cup of tea. Just a sneak peak at some of the art that will be on display at my fall shows. All the best,

Cheryl