Well… here it is. The last blog post of the year. Well at least I am starting it before the year is over. I hope to get it posted before next year starts. If you are joining the blog for the first time this will be a good post to catch you up on everything that has happened this year. If you have been following the blog for a while then you will hear some new stuff seeing as how I haven’t posted in a few months now. Now… I am pleased to share with you
Daniel Borup’s Magnificent Year in Review Blog Post 2015!
Let me start by saying, this is the first post of this kind I have written seeing as how I only really started blogging at the beginning of this year. In fact getting this blog up and going was my new years resolution. I will talk more about that next week.
Although there is tons to write about this post is to give you a quick overview of the highlights of 2015, so hear it goes.
The year started off good with this sculpture of a lion I did…
Then I finished my Good Samaritan Sculpture. I entered it into the International LDS Art Competition and didn’t get in. That’s okay though because it has turned out to be one of my better selling sculptures. In fact you can purchase a casting of this sculpture here: http://www.danielborup.com/product/the-good-samaritan-2/
Then I did my second artist residency at the Idaho Art Lab. This was a fantastically productive and inspiring time. During that residency I sculpted this…
And This…
Which is a small maquette of this…
I cleaned and organized my studio
Man I wish is looked this clean now!
I also had a booth at the Jackson Hole Art Fair which was pretty sweet.
I won best of show at the Eastern Idaho State Fair
I sculpted a bust of John F. Shelley for the City of Shelley Idaho.
I sculpted some giant busts of Adam and Eve…
I made some sweet videos like this one:
You can see other videos right here: www.danielborup.com/videos/
Then to end the year off I had a solo exhibition open in the Carr Gallery in Idaho Falls. The show features 32 of my works and is still open until January 10th. So if you haven’t seen it yet please go. http://www.idahofallsarts.org/daniel-borup
Last but not least is my gift to you. I am holding a sculpture giveaway contest which is ending tomorrow. If you haven’t entered yet please do so now. It’s free to enter and you could start off your year winning a sculpture from me! Here is a link to the contest: http://www.danielborup.com/contest/
It has been a crazy amazing year. I just scratched the surface of all the great things that happened this year. I made tons of sculpture and worked to inspire lives. Thank you for being a part of it and I hope you will continue to be a part of my life next year. Stick around and I will do everything I can to inspire you with art in 2016, making it the best year ever!
Comments are welcome.
Busy here as an artist. Between trying to finish my Good Samaritan sculpture and entered into a contest, apply for some summer art festivals who’s deadlines are coming up really soon, getting ready for next weeks artist residency, holding a sculpture giveaway, all while working a full time job as an art teacher, I have had plenty to keep me busy.
Here is a picture of me with my brand new J-Mac clay I got from American Fine Arts Supplies. 150 pounds of clay for my artist residency. I gotta tell you AFA supplies has been so awesome to work with. When I told them what I was ordering the clay for, they decided to send the clay with a little surprise for everyone who visits me next week at the art lab. So if you live in Eastern Idaho here is what you do. You go to this link: www.afasupplies.com, look through all the awesome sculpting supplies they have, pick stuff out you wish you had, and then come visit me at the art lab to get your surprise. I will be at the art lab starting Saturday the 28th during the Big Art Expo and I will stay until Saturday March 7th. On that day I will be doing a public presentation on sculpting Facial Expression from 10:00-2:00.
Working as an Art teacher isn’t all work. I do get to do some awesome artwork while I teacher. Here is a kiln full of pottery I unloaded this week. Most of the work is my students work but the 2 bowls you see are mine. It’s always exciting to pop open that kiln lid and see what treasures 2000 degrees has turned you work into.
I was also in the news reciently in an article about the Idaho Art Labs Big Art Expo. Feel free to read that article HERE. This is a picture of me sculpting my good Samaritan Sculpture and was featured in the article.
Tomorrow is the deadline for the International LDS Art Competition. I will be entering this sculpture into the show. But first I need to finish making the mold and cast it in bonded sand. I will also be making this sculpture available to purchase on my website.
Here is a picture of my sculpture under the first layer of silicone. It is a very nervous process. no matter how many molds I make I am always afraid that for some reason it might not work.
Among all of this fun I have also been runing a sculpture giveaway. You have until Tuesday March 2nd to enter. If you haven’t entered already please do. You can enter at this link: http://woobox.com/huu97t
If you have already entered remember that you can share the contest and get 2 more entries every time a friend enters. To share simply go to the link above and use the share buttons at the bottom of the contest. You can share on facebook, Twitter, or email. Shares usually work a little better if you make sure to include a personal note with the link. If all you do is post the link people will look on past. But if you include a personal message like “Hey guess what? my favorite artist in the whole world is giving away one of his sculptures. You should enter” you will probably get a much better response.
Lastly, I just want to say thank you for your support. I have been getting so many comments and messages lately. I really do appreciate it. I will be actively posting updates of my progress all next week during my artist residency. I hope you will follow along and comment on my posts. I will probably also be asking for help naming sculpture and doing other things of that sort.
The big exciting thing this week is that I began another Sculpture Giveaway. This is my third sculpture giveaway and I thought I should take some time to clear things up. There are two questions on everyone’s mind when I run one of these contests. Well maybe more, but two major questions are:
1)Why are you giving your sculpture away?
2)I want it! How can I get it?
Today I would like to answer these questions and give a few other insights along the way.
Why are you giving your sculpture away?
Well… there are lots of reasons. One of them is because I want to spread my artwork as far as I can. I am a believer that my artwork is only finished once it finds an owner who can appropriate it. I understand that my work does not fit everyone price point. Not everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a bronze. Or even $500 on a bonded sand piece. I have many fans that would like to buy my artwork but just can’t afford it right now. This gives those fans a chance to own some of my artwork. Not only that but it makes me feel good knowing that my artwork is going to a good home! The two people who have won my sculptures so far have been very appreciative.
“Sure Daniel… that all sounds good an noble but why are you really giving your sculptures away? What’s in it for you” Okay, you got me. there are some benefits for me other then the good feelings I get doing it. When I give away a sculpture I gain many new fans. New fans means new buyers. This is a great way for me to be noticed and have my work shared around the internet. Many of you reading this blog might have found out about me through one of my sculpture giveaways. This is a way to advertize myself and my artwork. My hope is that my fans gained from my contests will someday become collectors of my work.
I want it! How can I get it!
This question comes in many different forms and is motivated by many different things. Some people want to know how they can increase their chance of winning while others want me to just pick them because we are “buddies” (I actually just had someone ask me this today.) If you are wanting to increase your chance of winning I can give you some suggestions. First you need to enter. You can do that by clicking HERE. The contest is set up in such a way to encourage sharing. You get one entry when you fill out the entry form but you get two entries every time a friend enters from your share link. Both of the previous winners were people who had shared the contest and received multiple entries. Yes there still is a chance you could be picked with just one entry but it is not as likely.
The best way to share is to use the share buttons on the page just after you enter the contest. The buttons are green and can be found at the bottom of the page. You can share this contest as much as you like. You could share it on your wall every day. This would not only help you have a higher chance of winning but it will also inform your friends about a cool contest, and it will help me out at the same time.
If you are wanting me to pick you over everyone else simply because you think I should, I can’t help you. See, not only does the app that I use to run the contest pick the winner at random for me. I wouldn’t do it even if I could. That would defeat the whole concept of the contest and would make it unfair for everyone involved. I want you and the rest of my fans to trust me.
So there you go! That is why I do it and how you can get it. One more question you might be wondering.
If you can afford to give away your sculptures for free why do you sell them for so much more?
Great question! The answer is simple. The sculptures I give away are not the same quality as the work I sell. The work I sell is made of high quality bronze (which is a very costly and labor intensive process) or Bonded Sand. Both are durable and high quality materials. The sculptures I giveaway are made of plaster. Plaster is great for reproducing work and is an inexpensive material, but it is not as strong and durable as the materials I sell my other work for. Some people would have me sell them plaster casts of all of my work. Something you need to understand is that although plaster less expensive it is still just as labor intensive for me. When I give away a sculpture I am working for free. I don’t regularly make plaster casts because I have a reputation to keep. When people talk about me I want them to say “He’s that artist that makes those amazing bronze figure sculptures” not, “He’s the one who makes those cheap plaster figure sculptures.”
So What?
So is it working? Are you enjoying the sculpture giveaways? I love to do them but it only works if people share and hopefully purchase. The fact of the matter is I can’t make a living giving away my artwork no matter how much I would like to. If you haven’t already, I invite you to consider starting an art collection of your own. And of course I invite you to include my work in that collection. You can see my sculptures available to purchase HERE.
By becoming one of my collectors you can help ensure that I continue to do my sculpture giveaways.
Remember! Subscribers to my email list get 25% off their first purchase from my site. You can sign up for my email list HERE.
I also offer payment plans for those of you interested. Just ask.
Very shortly I plan on offering many new relief sculptures for sale in bonded sand. Stay tuned.
Tell me what you think.
Have you entered the contest yet? Have you shared it? Do you have any suggestions to make the contest better?
