Art Coaching With Rena

Are you ready to take your art to the next level? Would you like to kick fear and perfectionism to the curb when it comes to creativity? Are you curious about the many ways to sell your art, or make more money from your art, if you’re already selling?

Well, I’ve got GREAT news: I’m rolling out a brand-new flexible private coaching offer!

Art is a visual medium, so it makes sense to be able to show you what I’m seeing in your work as it moves from your first stroke or line to completion. And, art takes time, so it makes sense for us to be able to communicate frequently or it will slow down your progress if you have to wait until the next scheduled interaction. Also, you have a life outside of art that sometimes involves a change of plans, so it makes sense that coaching should work with your busy life.

Check, check, and…check! 

My art coaching is designed for maximum flexibility so you get what you need, whenever you need it. 

The first thing that happens is I’ll send you a link to a form where you can share a little bit about yourself, where you’re at in your art journey, and where you want to go.

You’ll also get a link to my online calendar where you can choose a time that works for you to hop on a Zoom meeting with me so we can get to know each other more and you can show me some of your work.

After that, how often we communicate is up to you. 

I’ll set up a private Facebook group that’s only for you and me. That’s where you’ll post photos of your projects and I’ll post video responses with recommendations or questions for you to respond to. This will create a permanent archive of all of our exhanges that you can re-watch and refer back to whenever you need. It also documents your progress over time so you can see your improvement unfolding. How exciting!

I also give you my private Voxer info so you can ask me quick questions any time Monday through Friday and I’ll get back to you quickly. Usually within a few hours, but sometimes within minutes. (Just don’t go crazy messaging me at midnight and expect an instant replay.)

Of course, you can send me emails whenever that’s more convenient for you.

If you’re someone who needs regular accountability, you can use a Google form I set up for that purpose, and you’re free to use any or all of the other methods, as well.

And I’ll definitely be popping in to check on you randomly from time to time. 😉

I have a VAST array of art knowledge and experience in terms of materials, methods, genres, mindset, monetization, and more. Accordingly, what I coach you on depends on what you want and need most at the time. If you’d like to set up a plan to develop a particular skill, explore new media, build a body of work, or start an art business, we can certainly do that.

Here’s a few of the many things we can work on together:

• Finding or developing your signature style
• Kickstarting your creativity when you’ve lost your mojo
• How to find fresh inspiration
• Developing a regular art practice
• Studio setup and optimization 
• Exploring materials, tools, and equipment
• Exploring genres, styles, and art movements
• Incorporating new elements into your art
• Exploring different levels of realism and abstraction
• Discovering which approach to figurative art or portraiture works best for you
• Sharpening your skills all the way up to photorealism, if that’s your goal
• Getting past fear of the blank canvas or surface
• Getting past fear of ruining artwork that’s gone well up to that point
• How to know when your artwork is done
• Getting past fear of finishing your artwork
• Getting past fear of showing your artwork
• How to stop comparing yourself to other artists
• Dealing with imposter syndrome
• How to start selling your work or increasing sales volume
• Pricing and how to make more money from every sale
• How to start accepting commissions for your artwork
• How to start teaching classes and/or recording video lessons
• How to talk and write about your artwork to increase perceived value
• How to name your artwork to increase saleability
• Options for making reproductions your artwork
• Amazing (and posh!) products to put your images on
• Deciding on the right sales channels for your art
• Creating a website and social media presence
• …and so much more!

I’ve worked with artists of all ages, skill levels, genres, and 2-D media. I understand the frustration of not knowing how to get started, or seeing what’s wrong with a piece so you can fix it. I know what it’s like to get so mad or frustrated with your work that you cry. (Confession: This still happens to me sometimes.) Over the years, I’ve worked with all different types of personalities and along the way I’ve discovered that people who work best with me are:

• Open-minded and love to learn
• Willing to be vulnerable and take risks
• Don’t want to be told “everything is perfect” when it’s not
• Willing to be honest about their needs, fears, and concerns
• Sincere about wanting to grow and stretch as artists and human beings
• Willing to practice and put in hard work to develop new skills
• Optimistic and brave enough to not give up when the going gets tough

Deciding to work with a coach is a big step for any artist. It involves finding someone with the knowledge, experience, personality, and values you resonate with, and someone you can trust. If our values don’t mesh, our coaching relationship won’t work, and I won’t be able to provide you what you need. So you’ll know who I am as a person and coach, here are my top values:

• Individuality. I honor people as the unique human beings and artists they are. I want you to become more of who you are, not a copy of me. It would be a disservice to accept you as a client if your goal is simply to make your art look more like mine. It’s one thing to be inspired and influenced by artists we admire, and even practice their methods and styles to bring some of it into our own work. However, I’m not interested in coaching someone to be an imitator. Likewise, I’m not interested in changing myself to better suit a client. I’m fun, funny, casual, easygoing, and earthy. I’m willing to get down, dirty, and “alligator wrestle” with you when you’re up against your fears and resistance. But if you’re looking for a coach with a set “playbook” who is highly structured, methodical, formal and/or “proper,” I’m not your gal. 

• Freedom. Freedom means different things to different people. To me, it looks like passion, authenticity, and a deep sense of fulfillment. It means enjoying and expressing the things you find meaningful. It’s the willingness to be open and vulnerable because you have faith that everything will be okay in the end. It also means being independent and self-reliant, which is my ultimate goal for you as an artist. We might work together for a few months or a few years, but at some point, I expect you to spread your wings and fly free because you’ve taken everything I can give you and you’re ready to move on.

• Wisdom. To me, wisdom is more than just knowledge. It’s a commitment to gentle, steady progress as we learn new skills and develop deep understanding of ourselves and our work. It requires awareness, reflection, and giving ourselves lots of grace. None of this has to be “heavy,” although it can be messy at times! With wisdom, we not only accomplish our goals and manifest our dreams, but also transform into our best selves.

• Goodness. I cherish all of the things that make life lovely: Kindness, courtesy, consideration, appreciation, graciousness, pleasantness, smoothness, ease, warmth, humor, optimism, generosity, happiness, and joy. Of course, I understand that life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes shit happens and it’s downright depressing. But as long as you’re someone who can embrace the saying “This, too, shall pass,” we’ll get along just fine. However, if you’re a pessimist at heart and/or committed to suffering and drama, you and I will drive each other crazy in the way that oil and water just don’t mix.

I’m a 20+ year professional artist who has trained with some of the finest, most respected, award-winning artists on earth. As I mentioned earlier, I have a vast array of art knowledge and experience in terms of materials, methods, genres, mindset, monetization, and more. My own body of work is largely realistic portrait commissions (people, animals, wildlife), but I also create botanical art, abstracted landscapes, occasional murals, and decorative wall art that’s just plain FUN. So, you can use me as a coach to support you in any or all of these areas. What it looks like is this:

• An initial 90-minute intake meeting on Zoom to get to know each other, see some of your art, and set your starting goals
• Unlimited Voxer support to ask me quick questions Monday through Friday
• Video support with screenshare recordings where I show you what you’re not seeing and provide recommendations on how to fix problems and/or options for your next step(s)
• Exclusive private Facebook group for just the two of us that serves as a permanent archive of all our recordings that you can refer back to at any time, and also to document your progress
• Written support and editing for any writing you need to do about your art, such as artwork descriptions, bio for your website and socials, marketing materials, contest entries, gallery inquiries, etc.
• Weekly optional check-in forms for accountability and tracking your progress

If you know we’re a good fit based on what I’ve shared, jump on in! Pop your info into the form and choose monthly payments for 3 months, or pay for 3 months in advance and save $150. I’m so excited to start working with you! Let’s do this.