My Oh My big changes happening at CafePress

On Earth Day CafePress sent an email out to shopkeepers explaining drastic changes to their business model. They didn't call it that, but that's what it is. I won't go into all the details but the nut of it is this, they will be dictating prices as of June 1. All products sold through their Marketplace will net the creators 10% of the retail price. Up to now they've always allowed creators to set the markup, set their own price. Many creators have built successful businesses making a decent profit from every sale, inspiring them to grow and promote their own ecommerce "shop" and brand. Generally by default all products created are for sale in their Marketplace. CP says their new pricing won't affect products in shopkeepers "shops" only in the CP Marketplace. Well, when same product selling in the CP Marketplace for sells for $12.99 and the designer has it in their shop for $18.99, who will make the sale? The creator makes $1.30 vs $6, My spouse calls it the "WallMartization of CafePress".

CP is abandoning their model of empowering creators to build their own brand and control their content to one where they control the market. They say it's to improve the customer experience.

Most of my sales come through the Marketplace, so I will be affected. CP is mostly a fun sideline for me, but this action by CP sours my enthusiasm. I really feel for those with highly successful shops, like one of my favorites "Obey the Purebreed". Maybe CP will be cutting side deals for select creators to stay, who really knows. If not many will be cutting out the Marketplace entirely and/or moving to the big competitor Zazzle.

It's a cold, cruel world. CP has made a pure business decision to change their fundamental model. They may regret it.

Zazzle here we come. Now if only I had snagged "matissimo" as my user name way back in 2004 when I first signed up. Someone else has it, but they've posted no products. Zazzle "matissimo" who are you?

P.S. CP also announced it changed the Marketplace search platform to bring the best designs to the front and reduce redundant designs. I welcome this change because in the past you had to wade through a lot of junk to find quality. Just too bad this change comes along with the price fixing. Maybe CP will back track.

This lucky illustrator creates HP “Work In 3G” campaign images

Last summer I was fortunate to have the opportunity to create some fun and unique illustrations for the current HP “Work In 3G” campaign. I collaborated with the talented creatives at McCann San Francisco, art director David Swope and art producer Evelyn Chan. They produced great Flash animation of the key illustration, a pop-up style world of transportation. The big thrill came when one of the ads appeared in the end of the year Time and Newsweek magazines. Imagine my work in the Time magazine person of the year issue with Shepard Fairey’s graphic illustration of Barack Obama on the cover, very cool!

Here’s the set of four ads, these appeared in commuter train cars. Click to see it larger.

Give Bees a Chance design featured on CP Ungiftables

CafePress has a cool Flash site called the Ungiftables. It's a fun way to browse for gifts for the ungiftable characters in your life. I was happy to learn they chose my Give Bees a Chance t-shirt as a potential gift for the "nosy neighbor". They also have products for "conspiracy uncle" "emo nephew" and "vege-liberal activist". Very clever, certainly there's something for everyone at cafepress. Visit my shop, Matissimo Online Boutique, it's a fun sideline for me.

Change has come to America

Oh happy day! Elation, relief and most important HOPE. History was made and I'm so proud of America today. 'nuff said by me. Love and Peace.

Same big driftwood at La Push on the Washington Coast

I stood before this huge driftwood log two years ago, it hasn't budged. The wild north Washington coast is the land of big driftwood beaches. We've gone out here every February for about 4 years, and somehow we luck out with the weather. Sure it's cold, but clear and sunny? That's not normal, it's a treat. The afternoon we arrived I asked the woman manning the front desk of the Ocean Park Resort if she had seen any sunshine that day. She laughed like I was a crazy person. But sure enough the sun came out for our visit. We visited the beach at Oil City (not really a city at all, but reportedly the beach with the most driftwood in the world.) It's a ten mile drive from the highway, then a 1 mile walk to the beach, which is at the mouth of the Hoh river. Part of Olympic National Park, Oil City is a starting point for hiking the Olympic Coast up to Third Beach which is near La Push. That would be a rugged challenge, bring your tide chart for sure. Instead of roughing it with a backpack, we stayed comfortably in deluxe cabins and drove south to Ruby Beach, pictured below, to enjoy the sunshine and search for the perfectly shaped rock.

Keep on keeping on... life drawing

I'm so lucky. A group of drawing buddies get together to do some figure drawing. We share the model fee, our fearless leader books all the best models. How great is it that they are willing to bare all for artists practicing their craft/art or whatever you want to call it? Practice is the best word for me, I don't have many expectations. It's the experience of looking and putting marks on paper. Stop thinking about keyboard shortcuts and undos and start making my own hand create a mark that is unique and expresses the live form that is before me. Feel the gesture, follow the contour, see the shadow shapes, angles and relationships of shape to shape. Line, wash, smears, scrubs, thick, thin, heavy, light, fast, slow... OMG so many possibilities, don't think too much just practice and try something different on the next one. It is exhilarating. Stack the papers up, don't judge too carefully, just remember the experience. Definitely show up in two weeks to do it again. Keep it up, fill the recycle barrel over and over.

In March our fearless leader will be holding a workshop "Mixed Media Figure Drawing" here in Seattle, I can't wait.

Drawing at the zoo

Tuesday I completed a six session class, "Drawing outside the studio" taught by Barbara Fugate. The focus was expanding our mark making vocabulary, making marks that move, touch and feel. What an inspiring way to spend Tuesday afternoons, it was a treat to get away from the computer and get my hands dirty with conte crayon filling up a 9 x 12 sketchbook.

We drew at three locations, the Conservatory at Volunteer Park, the Seattle Asian Art Museum and my favorite, the Woodland Park Zoo. It's been years since I visited the zoo, the diversity of the animals at Woodland Park is amazing. Emus, ocelots and elephants, oh my! Above is a barred owl, who slowly moved his head around checking out the other raptors and people watching him.