BVAA Free Ebooks for Members

One benefit you receive from your BVAA membership is free access to 15 different books! They will help you with a variety of aspects of your artistic life.

The following ebooks are available for FREE for all active BVAA members. Just let Lisa Shea know if you prefer EPUB (Apple), MOBI (Kindle), or PDF (generic) format and she’ll send you a copy! The links from each cover image are to Amazon so you can learn more about them but she’ll send you the actual book itself for free.


Art Shows -How to Find, Enter, and Win an Art Show!

110 pages.

Are you enjoying photography with your new iPhone or smartphone? Have you been exploring the world of watercolors, acrylics, or oil paintings? Maybe you’re drawn to the more obscure areas of cyanotypes or monoprints? Whatever it is you enjoy, it’s time to consider the next level – entering your works in art shows!

This book takes you step by step through how art shows work. How do you find art shows to enter? What is the process like? What are all the strange terms you’ll hear about? What do they mean? How are these shows judged – and how do you give yourself a better chance of winning?

Take that first step – and expand your horizons!

 

 


Making Merchandise from Art
101 pages

Our modern world makes it incredibly inexpensive and easy for you to put your photographs, drawings, oil paintings, watercolors, and other artwork onto just about any product you can imagine. Mugs. Calendars. Tote bags. Notecards. T-shirts. You can not only buy these items for your own use, but you can create online marketplaces to sell your items to the world.

And it’s all free to set up.

I take you through everything step by step. How to get a clean, color-correct image of your physical artwork. How to edit the file so that the image portrays properly on your items. How to use Fine Art America and CafePress to then create free storefronts to offer those items to the masses.

There are over 300 different items you can create for free by doing this. Journals. Necklaces. Water bottles. It’s pretty astounding. And there’s no “set up fee” at all. You create all your stores online for free. You set the markup per item. Let’s say a t-shirt’s base price set by CafePress is $18 and you set a markup of $4. The buyer will pay $22 to CafePress. CafePress then sends you a check for your $4 share. So it’s a stream of free money for you for no work at all, once you set up that shop. You never have to pay anything in to get this started.

I also talk about how to make your own notecards, as those are a quite popular item at craft fairs and festivals. You can do those in a variety of ways.

 

 

Plastic Camera Basics

100 pages

In our modern age of cell phones and selfies there’s just something wonderful about holding an actual film camera and immersing yourself in the moment. Each press of the shutter matters. Each moment is permanently, indelibly captured on film. Using a film camera creates a connection with a history of photography which is hard to replicate in digital form. It opens up your mind to inspiration, creativity, and mindfulness.

For newcomers to this fascinating world – welcome! I’m your tour guide to a fun, uniquely unusual way to take photographs. This book offers step by step instructions on how to choose your Holga, how to set it up for use, what all the cryptic controls mean, and how to have a blast with this new toy camera of yours.

Holgas may be made mostly of plastic, but they’re sturdy, reliable, and can outlast many other cameras through years of dropping, travel, hiking, biking, and plain old enjoying the moment. They can shoot both 120 and 35mm film – and they can create those oh-so-wonderful “over the sprocket” images.

 

Making Cyanotypes Step by Step

Cyanotypes are amazingly fun works of art which can be made by pretty much any age group. Whether you’re six or one-hundred-and-six, there’a cyanotype style for you! It can be incredibly simple, for beginners, or beautifully complex, as you develop skills.

This book takes you step by step through the cyanotype process. It explains how to use the simple pre-made “sun print” papers

you can buy on Amazon and many other stores. It talks you through making your own cyanotype paper. It explains the techniques for working with fabric. It provides tips and techniques for expanding your cyanotype techniques. There’s also information provided on how cyanotypes came into being. Did you know how cyanotypes are related to architectural blueprints?

Add in a wealth of images, to guide you along your way, and a new, beautiful art form is at your fingertips!

 

 

Gelatin Monotype Print Making For Beginners

64 Pages

Monotypes are stunningly beautiful, amazingly fun, mindfully relaxing, and suitable to old and young, beginner and expert. A monotype is a unique printing expression made from a flat surface. You can make monotypes from a home-made gelatin round or from any plexiglass or glass sheets you have lying around the house. If you wish, you can buy pre-made monoprinting surfaces from Gelli Arts, Gel Press, Speedball, and other vendors. Really, you can use just about any paint-resistant flat surface for monoprinting which can easily be cleaned afterwards.

On that chosen surface you paint, swirl, fingerpaint, stamp, design, and play with the colors. When your design is complete, you then lay a piece of paper onto the paint in order to capture its essence. And then you begin again. Each new expression brings fresh life to your creativity.

Monotypes are a wonderful way to reduce stress, to brainstorm, to explore your creativity, and to simply breathe in the beauty of every passing moment. It is a pure exercise in mindfulness.

This book has everything you need to get you on the road to making beautiful items for family, friends, and for sale. It is intended for raw beginners who need to learn the terminology and basic techniques involved. It provides supply lists, glossaries, and more.

I’d love to hear feedback on the book!

All proceeds from sales of this book support kids-in-arts programs.

 

 

Collaborative Art Galleries

77 pages.

Selling artwork in person can be a monumental challenge. On one hand you have the rent, utilities, marketing, and other expenses involved in maintaining an art gallery. On the other hand, there’s only one of you to do all the work. To write the advertising copy. To sit in the gallery to handle sales. To manage social media. If only there were more of you.

That’s where a collaborative art gallery comes in.

By creating a gallery with a group of artists, you can share your talents. You can divide up the tasks. One person who’s really good with social networking can take on that aspect. Another person who adores running workshops can draw in visitors with their events.

On the other hand, a collaborative art gallery can quickly crash and burn if it is not set up properly due to personality conflicts, scheduling problems, and a wealth of other issues.

This book steps you through what to keep in mind when setting up, running, and marketing a collaborative art gallery. Whether this is a pop-up community art show or a long term project with like-minded artists, this book has the tips to help you succeed.

Feel free to ask me any questions you have.

I’d love to hear feedback on the book!

All proceeds from sales of this book support kids-in-arts programs.

 

 

Cabochon Tray Jewelry Making
Now 73 pages!

Glass cabochon jewelry is beautiful to wear and easy to make. You can create pendants, key rings, earrings, rings, and much more. It’s simple enough that children can do it with minor supervision, while adults can explore a wide range of creative projects. The raw materials only cost about $1 per finished item.

These step by step instructions guide you through the process. What is Diamond glaze, and why is it so important? What are some critical tips to keep in mind as you select your cabochons and trays? How do you keep your one-of-a-kind artwork from being ruined during the assembly process?

The book contains a variety of photos to help you visualize exactly what you need to do.

This book has everything you need to get you on the road to making beautiful items for family, friends, and for sale.

 

 

Facebook for Authors Artists and Entrepreneurs

Updated for 2017 / Now 202 Pages!

How do you draw in a loyal group of followers who enjoy your posts? What’s the key to sending your post viral? Just what is Facebook all about, anyway?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on Facebook. They want to spread the word about their latest fantasy novel release. They need to find buyers for their surrealistic painting. Maybe they’re a country band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

I run and support multiple Facebook pages for authors, bands, artists, and other creative projects. I know the challenges of getting your book discovered in a world where thousands of new authors release books every month. I know how hard it is for a band to break through out of the sea of wanna-bes. I’ve honed the techniques and gotten the sales.

This book starts from the beginning. It takes you step by step through creating your first account. It talks you through the different types of pages and groups and how to use each to your best advantage. From contests to trends, there’s always an angle to help your project out. You just have to know what to do and then do it.

How do you manage multiple pages? What words draw people in to commenting and liking? The book guides you through all the jargon and makes things easy.

Plus, if you’re stuck, I’m just a click away and am happy to lend a hand!

Get started today – a massive world of potential fans awaits!

 

 

Twitter for Authors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

182 pages

How do you get 1,000 targeted Twitter followers in three days? Why is a pinned post so important for selling books? What’s the key to triggering retweets of your latest photograph?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on Twitter. They want to spread the word about their latest novel release. They need to find buyers for their watercolor painting. Maybe they’re a band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

 

 

 

Instagram for Authors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

126 pages

How do you draw in a loyal group of followers who enjoy your posts? What’s the key to properly using hashtags? Just what is Instagram all about, anyway?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on Instagram. They want to spread the word about their latest novel release. They need to find buyers for their watercolor painting. Maybe they’re a band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

 

 

LinkedIn for Authors Artists and Entrepreneurs
144 pages

How do you draw in a loyal group of followers who enjoy your posts? What’s the difference between articles and status updates? Just what is LinkedIn all about, anyway?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on LinkedIn. They want to spread the word about their latest SciFi novel release. They need to find buyers for their abstract painting. Maybe they’re a heavy metal band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

I run and support multiple LinkedIn accounts for authors, bands, artists, and other creative projects. I know the challenges of getting your book discovered in a world where thousands of new authors release books every month. I know how hard it is for a band to break through out of the sea of wanna-bes. I’ve honed the techniques and gotten the sales.

This book starts from the beginning. It takes you step by step through creating your first account. It talks you through the different types of hashtags and how to use each to your best advantage. From contests to trends, there’s always an angle to help your project out. You just have to know what to do and then do it.

How do you manage multiple accounts? What words draw people in to commenting and liking? The book guides you through all the jargon and makes things easy.

Plus, if you’re stuck, I’m just a click away and am happy to lend a hand!

Get started today – a massive world of potential fans awaits!

 

 

Google Plus for Authors Artists and Entrepreneurs
142 Pages

How do you draw in a loyal group of followers who enjoy your posts? How do you influence the ranking of your webpage in Google search results? Just what is Google Plus all about, anyway?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on Instagram. They want to spread the word about their latest dystopian novel release. They need to find buyers for their animal portrait painting. Maybe they’re an indie band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

I run and support multiple Google Plus accounts for authors, bands, artists, and other creative projects. I know the challenges of getting your book discovered in a world where thousands of new authors release books every month. I know how hard it is for a band to break through out of the sea of wanna-bes. I’ve honed the techniques and gotten the sales.

This book starts from the beginning. It takes you step by step through creating your first account. It talks you through the different types of hashtags and how to use each to your best advantage. From contests to trends, there’s always an angle to help your project out. You just have to know what to do and then do it.

How do you manage multiple accounts? What words draw people in to commenting and liking? The book guides you through all the jargon and makes things easy.

Plus, if you’re stuck, I’m just a click away and am happy to lend a hand!

Get started today – a massive world of potential fans awaits!

 

 

Pinterest for Authors Artists and Entrepreneurs

116 pages

How do you draw in a loyal group of followers who enjoy your posts? What’s the key to getting yourself pinned all over the world? Just what is Pinterest all about, anyway?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on Pinterest. They want to spread the word about their latest romance novel release. They need to find buyers for their acrylic landscape painting. Maybe they’re a rock band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

I run and support multiple Pinterest accounts for authors, bands, artists, and other creative projects. I know the challenges of getting your book discovered in a world where thousands of new authors release books every month. I know how hard it is for a band to break through out of the sea of wanna-bes. I’ve honed the techniques and gotten the sales.

This book starts from the beginning. It takes you step by step through creating your first account. It talks you through the different types of images and how to use each to your best advantage. From contests to trends, there’s always an angle to help your project out. You just have to know what to do and then do it.

How do you manage multiple accounts? What words draw people in to repinning a post? The book guides you through all the jargon and makes things easy.

Plus, if you’re stuck, I’m just a click away and am happy to lend a hand!

Get started today – a massive world of potential fans awaits!

 

 

Flickr for Authors Artists and Entrepreneurs
132 pages

How do you draw in a loyal group of followers who enjoy your images? What’s the key to properly using categories and groups? Just what is Instagram all about, anyway?

Authors, artists, and entrepreneurs have a fairly unique set of needs on Instagram. They want to spread the word about their latest mystery novel release. They need to find buyers for their oil painting. Maybe they’re a folk band drumming up interest in a new song.

This book gets you on your way.

I run and support multiple Instagram accounts for authors, bands, artists, and other creative projects. I know the challenges of getting your book discovered in a world where thousands of new authors release books every month. I know how hard it is for a band to break through out of the sea of wanna-bes. I’ve honed the techniques and gotten the sales.

This book starts from the beginning. It takes you step by step through creating your first account. It talks you through the different types of groups out there and how to use each to your best advantage. From contests to trends, there’s always an angle to help your project out. You just have to know what to do and then do it.

How do you manage multiple accounts? What words draw people in to commenting and liking? The book guides you through all the jargon and makes things easy.

Plus, if you’re stuck, I’m just a click away and am happy to lend a hand!

Get started today – a massive world of potential fans awaits!

 

 

Anna Atkins – Biography and Photographs of British Algae

Anna Atkins is hailed by many as the first woman photographer, primarily due to her work with cyanotypes and photograms. She forged a path in both scientific and artistic fields in a time when most women couldn’t vote or go to college.

This book contains information on Anna Atkins and details on how cyanotypes are made. Then it provides full-sized images for the twelve-part amazing booklet series on Photographs of British Algae.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of algae in particular – what is impressive is the amazing detail and range of shapes she captures in cyanotype. It’s meditative to scroll slowly through the images, absorbing the diversity that this world around us holds.