P.T. Artist Sandra Stowell

Maneki-Neko

I made this concrete Maneki-Neko (mostly) in my first art class/workshop in many years, a few years after moving to Port Townsend in 1998. I think the finish painting happened at home after the class.The photo was taken in the back yard of my first home in Port Townsend, but that is a neighbor’s house in the background.

I was inspired by a Seattle Art Museum exhibit poster showing a lovely old Maneki-Neko statue. I am less fond of the ubiquitous commercially made figurines that most of us associate with the term. My Maneki-Neko has aged gracefully, and sits near my studio.

The maneki-neko (Japanese: literally ‘beckoning cat’) is a common Japanese figurine, usually made of ceramic in modern times, which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning. The maneki-neko is sometimes also called the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat, or fortune cat in English.

Well this is an interesting article at Gaping Void. Blogs are about words, not images per this theory.

What happened to a picture is worth a thousand words? Darn!

Yes, I do think art sales success is by personal connections, either with the artist or with a trusted art enthusiast (who then generally has the connection with the artist). A really successful art gallery provides the bridge to the artist and the buyer. Art customers usually do want more than just the picture.

So if the premise is sales, most artist’s blogs fail. And if the premise to reach an audience, ditto. No one blog will be found on the internet without some fortuitous notice or concerted marketing effort, no matter how amusing. And if a blog is abandoned quickly, that is probably a sign of failure.

On the other hand, there is my blog. My blog is personal, a diary and a record for myself, but not a private one. It is shared with friends, or anyone who chooses to peruse it. It provides me with a visual history that I love having!

My first site was hacked after about six months, and I lost it all. I felt bereft. Although I probably have all the images I posted there on my computer (and backed up), I did not have the comments or the sequence. I like having that. So I started over, and make backups now. So not a failure, I think 🙂