Handmade Business November 2019

WHY YOUR PRODUCTS ARE WORTH SO MUCH MORE

PAYING HOMAGE TO THE NUMBER

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WEBINAR

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Episode 2: The Three Essential P’s Product, Pricing, & Promotion Episode 3: Important First Steps Episode 4: Trade Show Strategies

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Diane Sulg is Executive Director of CRAFT and founder & co-chair of American Craft Week (ACW). She is a handmade advocate that provides valuable information in her one-day seminars titled “All About Wholesale” at wholesale shows throughout the United States. Diane is the former owner of Maddi’s Gallery in Charlotte and Huntersville, NC. She can be reached at dianesulg@gmail.com

2 Handmade Business November 2019 Register today at• www.handmade-business.com/webinars

November 2019

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VOL. 45 NO. 523

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Features 6

Paying Homage to the Number 10 The winners of American Craft Week’s 10th anniversary celebration contest are announced

By Diane Sulg

14 What’s in a Logo?

Tips to creating the perfect logo

By Laura Fitch 23 The Digital Buzz on Logo Creation

By Melissa Jones 34

To Copyright or Trademark: That is the question Get the best protection for your logo

By Daniel Grant

On the Cover: Handmade mugs created by Maggie Jones for ACW.

Columns

28 Just Ask Competing with Bargain Prices 30 Hands on Photography How to Click the Perfect Pic of Your 2D Art 38 HeARTbeat

Departments 4 Editor’s Letter

26 Industry News 39 Advertiser Index

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The mission of HANDMADE BUSINESS is to inform, instruct, and inspire both the beginning and the established professional craftsperson and crafts retailer by providing them with: n how-to articles on all facets of handmade business management and related topics n relevant industry news, as well as information on current issues and trends n a forum for exchanging ideas and concerns n encouragement and recognition.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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“Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work” — Horace

ard work is pivotal in the handmade world. Nothing makes a handmade artisan work harder than show season. Though summer show season is drawing to an end, and for some their booths are getting packed up until January, remember that hard work doesn’t end when the various show seasons do. In between show seasons is the time to start filling orders and focusing on your handmade business. As the saying goes, there is no rest for the — handmade artisan. There certainly was no rest for the makers featured in this issue.

In this issue of Handmade Business, you will find the winner, two runners up, and 12 other hardworking makers of note who participated in American Craft Week’s 10th Anniversary competition. The theme was Paying Homage to the Number 10 (page 6). These established and hard-working handmade artisans put their best hands forward and produced some amazing pieces to honor American Craft Week (ACW). I would like to take a moment to congratulate ACW on their milestone 10th anniversary. This year artists were tasked with creating pieces that embodied the number 10 in some way. These out-of-the-box thinkers created some of the most unique pieces that represent ten. The take-away from this competition was that it’s OK to step out of your comfort zone and explore. It’s vital to continuously work at your craft and experiment with new things. The world is ever changing and to be a successful handmade business you must change with it.

The main focus of this issue is the importance and development of a logo. You will find on page 14 “What’s in a Logo?” This article is the how-to of logo creation. It features a breakdown of what you need to think about when creating a logo. This would also be helpful for artisans choosing to rebrand or create a new logo. I even took the time to walk through the process of creating a logo as I decided to make one myself using one of the many online resources at our disposal. You will also find an article on choosing to either copyright or trademark your logo.

“To Copyright or to Trademark: That is the question” (page 34) gives great advice on what each does and the protection it can offer your logo. The article is complete with resources on where to go to obtain a copyright or trademark. There are also examples from famous artisans and what they chose to protect their name and business. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste. Protect your logo.

Another shining example of hard work and perseverance comes from muralist Rosalia TorresWeiner, who is featured in this month’s HeARTbeat. Torres-Weiner has murals spread all over Charlotte, North Carolina. Painting a mural takes planning, dedication, vision, and of course, hard work! No one brightens the city streets as well as Torres-Weiner with her colorful murals.

She is another great example of evolving her craft. Though she has pieces hanging in galleries, Torres-Weiner challenged herself to make her art more accessible to others by choosing to paint commissioned murals all over the city and in private homes.

Hard work pays off! Keep working at your craft and on the business side of things and you are sure to be as successful as the hard-working featured artists in this issue.

Have courage, create and learn!

Vol. 45

No. 523 521

Diana Jones President/Publisher, ext. 151 dianaj@jpmediallc.com Melissa Jones Editor, ext. 112 melissaj@jpmediallc.com Justin Van Slooten Advertising Manager, ext. 113 justinv@jpmediallc.com Jill Maggio Advertising Manager, ext. 115 jillm@jpmediallc.com Bill Kuffel Graphic Designer Rocky Landsverk Editorial Director Circulation 800-777-7098 customercare@jonespublishing.com

Senior Columnists: Donald Clark Stephanie Finnegan Daniel Grant Steve Meltzer

Handmade Business

P.O. Box 5000 Iola, WI 54945 Phone: (800) 331-0038 (800) 777-7098 Fax: (715) 445-4053 www.handmade-business.com www.facebook.com/ handmadebusinessmag www.twitter.com/handmadebizmag Copyright 2019

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Melissa Jones Editor n Handmade Business (HB) (ISSN0160-7650) is published monthly by JP Media LLC, N7528 Aanstad Road, P.O. Box 5000, Iola, WI 54945-5000, (800) 777-7098. Periodicals postage paid at Iola, WI 54945, and additional offices. Subscription $19.95 per year. Add $23 per year in U.S. funds for postage to Canada/Mexico; $33 for overseas. Single copy price $6.95 each. n POSTMASTER: Change of address notices are to be sent to P.O. Box 8551, Big Sandy, TX 75755-9766. Change of address allow eight weeks, include old as well as new address. Publications Agreement No. 40049720. Publisher assumes no responsibility for claims made in advertisements. Manuscript submissions are welcome but HB assumes no responsibility for loss or damage thereto. Material accepted for publication is subject to such revision to meet the requirements of this publication and become the property of HB. The information presented to HB is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility as to accuracy, originality or completeness. n The magazine is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitute for appropriate training by qualified sources. HB and JP Media LLC cannot and will not assume responsibility for any actions arising from any information published in HB magazine. © 2019, JP Media LLC, All Rights Reserved

4 Handmade Business • November 2019

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Photo courtesy of La Quinta Arts Festival Photo courtesy of Lakeshore Art Festival

Photo courtesy of Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival

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Paying Homage to the Number The winners of American Craft Week’s 10th anniversary celebration contest are announced

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By Diane Sulg

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n celebration of its tenth anniversary, American Craft Week’s 2019 artist contest was “Paying Homage to the Number Ten.” Artists were challenged to create a piece of craft that in some way embodied the number ten. The craft could be in any medium and the “ten” could be subtle, serious, humorous, or outrageous.

The ACW jury evaluated the entries for: • Excellence of design and production in the piece, • Quality of the photographs submitted, • Artist explanation of how the number was incorporated into the piece, • Degree to which the number 10 influenced the piece.

The Grand Prize winner receives a cash prize of $500 and a complimentary year on the wholesale website, IndieMe. In evaluating the entries, the jury decided to award two Runner-up Awards of $100 each to two artists whose work impressed the committee not only for excellence, but also their spirit in observing the Tenth Anniversary of American Craft Week.

All the winning artists will have their work on the 2019 ACW Showcase website, www.acwshowcase.com.

This contest was produced by American Craft Week and sponsored by IndieMe and Handmade Business.

Without further ado, Handmade Business is pleased to announce the winners of “Paying Homage to the Number Ten” in this issue.

6 Handmade Business • November 2019

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Charlotte Behrens.

Charlotte Behrens Charlotte Arvelle Glass

Mount Carroll, Illinois facebook.com/CharlotteArvelleGlass Medium: Kiln Fired Glass Charlotte Arvelle Behrens is an independent studio glass artist who works full-time in her northwest Illinois studio/gallery. With over 30 years of glass experience, she creates kiln fired glass art. All of her works are handcrafted originals and are noted for their quality of material, color, and composition. Her award-winning work has been shown throughout the United States at art shows and galleries. They can also be found in private collections worldwide. Corporate collections include Alcoa Aluminum, Amoco Oil, and Sunbeam Electric. In 2013, Behrens’ work,

Above: A closeup of the rasp, ball peen hammer, and beater showing how the number 10 was incorporated into the piece.

Above: Behrens’ submission showcases 10 “Crafting Under a Star-Studded Sky.”

Five on Fire, was selected to be used as American Craft Week’s Fifth Anniversary logo. In 2013 and 2014, she was announced as a Niche Award Finalist for her snowflakes. Twice she has been asked to create a Christmas ornament for the White House’s Blue Room Christmas Tree. She has also crafted two fundraising awards for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital’s events.

For her ACW piece, “Crafting Under a Star-Studded Sky”, Behrens envisioned tools used by artists of the many craft disciplines.

She selected 10 tools. From left to right: rasp, ball peen hammer, tapestry beater, paint brush, potter’s wheel in the center, gouge, glass cutter, mallet, potter’s rib and an awl. Hidden in the tools are various symbols of ten. Ten ribs on the rasp. A Roman numeral X on the ball peen hammer. Ten teeth on the beater with a 10 on the handle. Finally, all these tools are set under a star-studded sky with 10 dichroic stars.

Behrens writes, “when I work, I envision myself under the guidance of those masters of my craft who have gone before me and who watch over me like stars twinkling in the sky.” And she adds “I also see the paint brush lit up as a birthday candle in celebration of the first decade of American Craft Week.”

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RUNNER-UP

Ed Byers & Holden McCurry Byers McCurry Studio

Asheville, North Carolina byersmccurrystudio.com instagram.com/byersmccurrystudio Medium: Clay Ed Byers and Holden McCurry began working as a ceramic studio team in 2003. Both are graduates of Auburn University and have completed post-graduate studies in ceramics at Penland School of Craft and The Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts in North Carolina as well as fine art painting at the Encaustic Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Byers and McCurry use a collaborative process for each piece of art that enables a continuing creative exploration.

Collaborative sculptures are made using clay slabs, extrusions, coils and pinched forms often combined with mixed media materials. Texture is applied to clay surfaces with found objects such as driftwood, rocks and handmade ceramic stamps. Drawn and painted surfaces incorporate terra sigillata, layered underglazes, slips, oxides and sgraffito. Both Byers and McCurry are exhibiting members of the American Craft Council and the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

For this competition, they created a new body of work in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of American Craft Week and made 10 “Houses of Light”. The 10 “Houses of Light” are made with earthenware clay and finished with layered underglazes and oxides.

A small LED light is included with each house sculpture and each can stand or hang on the wall.

Above: The 10 “Houses of Light” created by Ed Byers and Holden McCurry.

In submitting their new work, Byers and McCurry said, “our colorful ceramic houses represent the ‘light’ that American Craft Week has shared in promoting fine craft for the last 10 years. Happy birthday American Craft Week from Byers McCurry Studio!!”

RUNNER-UP Carole Kitchel Bellew

Piermont, New Hampshire ckbsculptor.com Medium: Stoneware Throughout her life Carole Kitchel Bellew has come to realize she is happiest when she is creating. As a very tactile person she prefers to work in three dimensions because the feel of her creation accounts for a lot of the pleasure. She began her creative life as a metal smith in the 70s, then moved on to discover stone carving in the 90s which she still continues to do. Recently she began focusing on clay. She sees a definite challenge to consider the limitations and practicalities of a functional piece rather than just letting her inner creative voice sing. She is discovering that being an artist as well as a functional potter is possible, because she realizes her joy is in the creation whatever the end result.

For the ACW contest she says, “Ten is ten, I took it literally and created a 10.” The glaze she chose for the two stoneware vases reflects the solidarity and strength gained in ten years

8 Handmade Business • November 2019

Above and right: Bellew’s number 10 vase submission for ACW.

and it also encompasses change and growth.

In the second photo Bellew says, “I tried to capture the joy of the anniversary, since 10 years is a real cause for celebration, so I accented my piece with floral fireworks!”

OTHER ARTISTS OF NOTE Lori Theriault Crazy Green Studios

Crazy Green Studios Asheville, North Carolina facebook.com/CrazyGreenStudios Medium: Ceramics Lori Theriault makes pots for home and professional kitchens, and it was her own love of cooking that helped her make an immediate connection at her first pottery class, and she hasn’t looked back since! Her work is inspired by the creative collaborations she has with her clients, and her belief that homemade tastes better on handmade. Her work is notable for its individual, handmade design.

Theriault creates a popular line of “XO” mugs and cups, and she had just begun development on a new approach to some cups when the ACW contest was announced. Her new line, based on ‘tic-tac-toe’ features an “X” on one side, and “O” on the other. She says, “ it gave me a whimsical way to celebrate

Above: Lori Theriault with a platter that she created.

Left: Lori Theriault’s “Tower of Ten X Cups” submission.

‘American Craft Week X’ with this ‘Tower of Ten X Cups,’ celebrating the great accomplishments of American Craft Week and my own ability to make a living, give work to others, and collaborate with incredible clients in the field of handmade ceramics.”

Maggie Jones Turtle Island Pottery

Black Mountain, South Carolina turtleislandpottery.com Medium: Ceramic Maggie Jones of Turtle Island Pottery has been making handmade ceramic sculpture and pottery in the mountains of North Carolina since 1984. For the American Craft Week contest, Jones submitted a pair of fun handmade mugs. The pair literally has “handles” with 10 digits, and 10 fingers.

Also, they are made by her hands with 10 digits, in other words, 10 fingers!

Above: Maggie Jones’ mugs with “handles” created for ACW. Right: Maggie Jones hard at work.

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Tim Axtman Tim Axtman Pottery

Sioux Falls, South Dakota facebook.com/Tim-Axtman-Pottery-160831903983015/ Medium: Clay Tim Axtman received his BA in Fine Arts from the University of North Dakota. His work is displayed in several galleries throughout the Midwest and

he participates in numerous juried shows. He has the ability to work in many art disciplines, including both watercolor and oil painting, pencil drawings, etching, pottery, hand-lettering/painting, furniture design and furniture construction. Professionally, he has worked more than forty years as a sign designer for an electric sign company. His contest entry depicts birch trees around one of the ten-thousand lakes of Minnesota. The white scarred bark adds dramatic contrast against the colorful backdrop of Northern Minnesota forests.

Left: Tim Axtman

Below: Tim Axtman’s depiction of birch trees around one of the ten-thousand lakes of Minnesota.

Chris Armstrong Whippoorwool

Nashville, Tennessee whippoorwool@instagram.com Medium: Fiber Chris Armstrong learned to needle felt in 2004 at his daughter’s Waldorf School. Everyone enjoyed what he made and said he had “the knack.” After making felted items for a few months, Armstrong set it aside for 10 years. Then five years ago, he took it up again with dedication. Since then, he has acquired an enthusiastic group of fans and collectors who make his infrequent craft fairs rewarding and enjoyable. Everyone smiles when they see what he’s made, and that is his joy!

Armstrong’s entry into the contest is “Sleeping Bunnies.” They are felted wool with floral wire armature.

He tells us that these rabbit parents have 10 little ones. It is quite a task to get 10 little

10 Handmade Business • November 2019

Above: Chris Armstrong.

Left: “Sleeping Bunnies” featuring 10 little bunnies in bed.

ones to bed, or to do anything, for that matter. Their look of pure love and tenderness is tempered with a touch of terror and exhaustion as they watch their loved one’s sleep. Except for the one on the end. She is the one who waits for her parents to leave and turn out the lights so that whispered fun can begin. There is always one!

Danielle Gerber DMG Designs

Portland, Maine DMG-Designs.com facebook.com/DMGDesignsMaine Instagram.com/dmgdesignsmaine Medium: Metal

Above: Danielle Gerber.

Danielle Gerber named her fabricated sterling silver “Scale Veil” and it is intended for a wedding ceremony. The headpiece has 10 scales which move independently but never leave each other’s side, like the lovers they adorn.

Her inspiration for this piece came from the endangered animal, the pangolin. She was inspired by their plight and beauty to craft this piece and bring awareness to her community. This species is the world’s only scaly mammal. They curl into a ball to use their scales as protection.

Above: The front of “Scale Veil” featuring ten scales.

Left: The backside of “Scale Veil” where the scales get flipped after years of commitment.

“The ‘Scale Veil’ is representative of protecting oneself from the outer world. There are 10 scales on the veil for the decades of commitment a couple is embarking on together. Every scale represents a year, gradually getting larger to show growth of their bond. During the ceremony the veil is flipped to the back of the head, a metaphor for letting your partner into your protected world and removing any barriers between you,” Danielle explains.

Gerald Tobola Copper Shade Tree

Round Top, Texas Coppershadetree.com facebook.com/Copper-Shade-Tree_210351642331529 instagram.com/coppershadetree Medium: Handcrafted Copper Art Gerald Tobola is a self-taught artist. In 2003 he left the corporate world and transitioned from hobbyist to full time artisan. He works exclusively in copper. Tobola’s first work was one of necessity as he explains, “I had a mesquite lamp that needed a shade, and in my mind had to be copper.” Tobola found he was drawn to copper – a material that is malleable and forgiving but its surface unpredictable, each piece reacting to its environment and developing its own unique patina. His works have progressed from simple lamp shades to reliefs and 3-dimensional objects to include ornaments, luminaries and outdoor art. Tobola feels his work is just beginning to evolve, an evolution enhanced by the collaborative efforts of the artists of Craftsman Redefined.

About his contest entry, Tobola wrote “As I contemplated the theme, I couldn’t help but think of the changes that we have seen over the past ten years in the craft world.”

Tobola’s work is inspired by nature, foliage and season changes.

In creating the artwork for this great occasion, he crafted another

Above: Gerald Tobola’s submission for ACW with a little surprise.

Left: Gerald Tobola.

of his signature pieces, “Forest Floor” and incorporated fall ginkgo leaves to create a contrast. He crafted each leaf separately from copper then used acids to oxidize the copper, as well as, other finishes to achieve desired colors. There are a few other copper surprises throughout the piece.

His piece is summed up by this statement: This is “10” years of watching the seasons of fine craft change for the love of American Craft.

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Pat Rollie

Tullahoma, Tennessee patrollie.com Medium: Paper Collage Pat Rollie expresses her creativity in several media. Her most noted work is art quilting. She looks for subject matter that creates an opportunity to use thread and quilting designs to create texture, depth and contour. Rollie is a noted watercolor artist as well.

Rollie’s love of color and her curious nature has led her to explore additional crafts in the past few years. She is always looking for the opportunity to be creative, recently turning her attention to the use of recycled material. Rollie was her town’s creative director for a public sculpture using only recycled materials provided by the community.

Rollie completed the Fine Art and Surface/Textile Design Certificate programs at Otis School of Art & Design in Los Angeles. She received her first national recognition from McCall’s Magazine Quilting competition in 1990 and has continued to be recognized throughout the country for her work.

For her entry into the 2019 ACW contest, Rollie made a collage card.

A fellow artist approaching his 90th birthday passed along to Rollie his collection of stamps hoping she would find a creative use for them. Most of the stamps come from the letters he sent home during his early days in the service when he was stationed overseas in Korea. Rollie created a greeting card using only those with postage of 10 cents. The stamps are a colorful collection of our history to be celebrated.

Left: Greeting card created with 10 cent postage stamps in honor of ACW. Right: Pat Rollie

Troy Odom Old Time Print Shop

Mountain View, Arizona etsy.com/oldtimeprintshop facebook.com/oldtimeprintshop instagram.com/oldtimeprintshop Medium: Letterpress Print Troy Odom’s art of relief printing was sparked over 40 years ago with a high school print class.

He said “the smell of the ink” gets you hooked.

There was an old letterpress in the classroom and upon seeing it he was truly inspired and knew then what he wanted to do with his life. After retiring from a career as a graphic design instructor, Odom was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of a working printing museum in Arkansas. He is doing what he loves, practicing and honing the craft of relief printing and sharing it and its rich history with our visitors. He says, “now, after a full career in the printing field, I can slow down and appreciate letterpress printing as an art form.”

12 Handmade Business • November 2019

Above: Folded note card Odom submitted for ACW. Left: Troy Odom

For his ACW contest entry Odom’s first thought was to utilize some antique wood type to produce the “10” image. He selected a folded note card for the piece and chose a royal blue card stock on which to print the image. He selected gold embossing to contrast with the blue. The Roman numeral X was printed overlapping in both portrait and landscape so a note can be written with the card orientated in either direction. The dark blue paper color requires the note be written using a silver or gold Sharpie marker, either of which would contrast wonderfully with the royal blue card.

Luke Iannuzzi Luke Iannuzzi Pottery

Warrren, Vermont lukeiannuzzipottery.com facebook.com/lukeiannuzzipottery instagram.com/lukepottery Medium: Clay Luke Iannuzzi is a classic self-taught artist living in beautiful Warren, Vermont where his studio and gallery are located as well. As his ACW contest entry, Iannuzzi created a wheel thrown stoneware 14" lower lip platter. He added the graphic roman numeral 10 (X) produced in a gestural style.

Above: Luke Iannuzzi.

Left: Wheel thrown stoneware platter with a gestural style roman numeral 10.

Jo Ann Graham JAGcollections

Beaufort, South Carolina jagcollections.com Medium: Fine Silver Metal Jo Ann Graham is a retired dance educator who says she “now choreographs in sterling silver.” Her techniques include casting, forging, and fabricating sterling silver and gold on steel.

For her ACW contest entry, Graham used the process of chasing and repousse to put 10 ginkgo leaves on a beautiful fine silver cuff.

Above: Cuff created by Jo Ann Graham with 10 ginkgo leaves.

Left: Jo Ann Graham.

Peter Kramer

Amissville, Virginia peter-kramer.com Medium: Carved and Painted Pine Peter Kramer is a self-trained artisan who began woodworking at four years of age and formally started his business at age thirty, more than 51 years ago. Over that period, he has trained more than a hundred fellow woodworkers. His designs cover a wide range of styles and aesthetics. Kramer works chiefly in Native American hard and soft woods and utilizes a lot of custom-made hardware.

For his ACW contest entry, Kramer submitted a wonderful carved and painted piece of furniture.

He said that “10 became the magic number for a marriage of properly sized drawers to fit alongside of a small, one-door, armoire.” HB

Above: Woodworker Peter Kramer.

Left: Peter Kramer’s cabinet featuring 10 drawers.

www.handmade-business.com

13

a n i s ’ t Wha Tips to creating the perfect logo

By Laura Fitch (StickerYou)

Y

ou’ve put in the painstaking time to develop your skills. You’ve wowed your friends and family with your talent. And you’ve finally built up the courage to take the plunge and turn your craft from a hobby into a money-maker. Congrats. You’ve done the hardest part. Now, before you get your creations out into the world, there’s one thing you’ll want to get right: your logo.

Your logo is the first impression many people will have of your business. When done right, it instantly transmits a message in line with your product and values. When done wrong, it’s the only thing people will pay attention to – meaning customers may never even give your carefully-crafted product a chance.

If you have the funds, hiring a professional is a great choice. But if, like many small business owners, you don’t have that kind of cash right now, don’t worry.

Here are some principles to keep in mind that will help you design your own logo like a pro.

best to leave a really complicated design to professionals.

If you’re DIYing it, you’ll want to keep it clean, simple and focused. There are a lot of templates online that can help guide you through this process and give you a grasp of the basic design concepts that will help your logo pop.

Know what’s out there

A great color scheme is crucial to the look of a logo but eyeballing the combinations that really work is one of the toughest parts of graphic design. Luckily, the internet has a ton of easy tools to help you out here, and some companies offer graphic design services with branding product purchases such as stickers or labels. Your best bet is to zero in on one color that really captures the spirit of your brand, and then use an online color palette generator to discover other colors that will complement that anchor color. Using one of these tools is actually a really fun way to develop the color scheme that will define your logo – and it may give you ideas for other parts of your brand’s identity, from labels to T-shirts and merch.

Getting your logo right can take time, but if you keep these principles in mind, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you design your logo well, it could be the factor that takes your business to the next level.

Go online and look at the design of every handmade business you admire – and even some you don’t. Take notes. What you do you like? What don’t you like? How big is the text? What color palettes are they using? What’s the feel of each? This is a chance to get inspired. The more you jot down, the more you’ll get a feel for the visuals that you want to represent your own brand.

This will also give you a feel for what has already been done – and what hasn’t. That will help you define your niche and make a logo that you know will stand out from the pack.

Keep it simple

It’s tempting to get really intricate here but avoid that urge. If a design is too complex, the visuals can become overwhelming, which can be a turn-off to potential customers. Unless you have a background in graphics, it’s

14 Handmade Business • November 2019

Don’t overdo it on the fonts

Many handmade business owners make this basic error when creating their own logos: they mix too many fonts together in an attempt to add interest to their design. Instead, the fonts clash with each other, and distract potential customers’ eyes from where you want them: on your carefully crafted handmade goods.

Again, simplicity is key here. Choose one font family that will define your brand, and play with the size, color and weight of the text. This will allow you to create interest and variety while still maintaining cohesion in the design.

Define your color palette

TELL US THE TALE OF YOUR LOGO Handmade Business asked our readers to tell us the story of their logo and give us some information about creating it. Their responses will help you when designing the perfect logo.

Dawn Lombard

Jahna Kahrhoff

How did you create your business logo?

It was professionally done by a fellow glass artist turned graphic designer who offered her services to me (so she could build her portfolio) and the rest was magic.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

When I was at a show early in my artist career, a woman came into my booth and asked me if I had any chartreuse jewelry? I didn’t even know what color that was, so I said no. After she left, I Googled chartreuse and fell in love with the color.

How did you create your business logo?

It was professionally created by Elena from Dzains Logos (dzains.com).

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I had an idea of what I wanted – something that represented sewing, but with a little bit of a retro edge. I also wanted the logo to be fairly simple and one single color. The designer I worked with was really able to capture the “vibe” I had in mind.

Dawn Lombard- Glass & Metal Milford, Pennsylvania

Urban Sewing Webster Groves, Missouri

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Have a story to tell when talking about your logo – it will have more meaning and people will remember you more.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Make sure it really represents “you” – that you love it, and that it’s versatile, that it can be used in multiple places and formats.

Mary Beth Nardy

Jill MacKay

How did you create your business logo?

I designed it myself

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

My logo is my signature. I wanted to convey that each piece I make is a part of who I am. Each purchase is a contract with the client for a quality item. I want the client to enjoy their experience with MB Jewelry Designs and develop a long-term relationship.

How did you create your business logo?

I designed it myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

My logo contains a spiral which reflects my interest and inspiration I gain from the reoccurring patterns in nature. These patterns can be seen throughout my jewelry designs. The edges have a semirough branch like texture which connects the two initials.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Your logo speaks to who you are and what your products stand for. I would suggest making a list of those things to take to your designer. Make sure that your logo speaks to you of what your business truly is.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Don’t just do something quick, make sure you really love it as you will be living with it a long time. Then seeing your logo on thousands of products in chain stores and online will be a joy.

MB Jewelry Designs Aston, Pennsylvania

Jill MacKay Enterprises, LLC Bellvue, Colorado

www.handmade-business.com

15

Char Sharkey

Charla Van Vlack

How did you create your business logo?

My son designed it.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

Back in 2003, we purchased a small farm in central New York.

Started raising fiber animals and selling yarns, fleece, etc. It started out as Caravan Fiber Farm. I’ve always loved the gypsy caravan, so my son drew a caravan surrounded by angora rabbits, sheep, and alpacas – the animals on my farm. Gradually my focus changed, and I became involved in the mohair cord used to create horse cinches and other tack. The name evolved to Caravan Fiber Studio. I photoshopped the animals out of the logo. That’s where it stands today. The color is kept to a minimum because I have over 160 colors I dye by hand. Turquoise is my signature color – so the “doorway to CFS” is turquoise. The little magenta stove pipe cap is another little shot of color to balance the picture. I don’t think I’ll be making any changes at this point.

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I wanted something that was uniquely mine. Not connected with my father’s or husband’s name just mine. I chose a selfportrait, it seemed like the perfect fit for what I wanted. My husband liked it and my daughter helped with the computer mechanics to make it work.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Tie it to your name in some way. Keep the logo organic so it can evolve over time – you’ll really want it to and this way you continue with the same basic recognizable design. Your business may morph in time to something diverse from where you start – decide if your logo can travel with you. Even if you use the design with different coloration it’s still recognizable. Are you willing to pay the price for colorizing an off-line ad? If it’s in black and white, would it still be “you.”

Blue Gecko Southwest El Paso, Texas

Caravan Fiber Studio, LLC Trumansburg, New York

Nancy Marland Wolinski Nancy Marland Jewelry Swampscott, Massachusetts

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

The roots of my work are inspired by water, so the waves and the color of the logo reflect that. I also wanted to add something personal to the logo and used my initials “N” and “M” for Nancy Marland.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Start with a single, simple idea that reflects something about you – about personality or inspiration. Add something unique that slightly kicks it into something different, color or typography, but keep it simple. Less is more.

16 Handmade Business • November 2019

CharlaRae Tucson, Arizona

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

It must be unique and represent something important to you.

It should make you feel good when you see it.

Donna Schwendinger

How did you create your business logo?

My logo was professionally designed by Amy Ritchie of Amy Lee Photography (amyleephotography2018.pixieset.com).

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

My design was a collaboration between myself and a designer.

I knew that I wanted the colors of desert sand, sagebrush green, turquoise, and the purple of the night sky. She put my business on my card! Now the name Blue Gecko Southwest is well known around New Mexico and also other places when we lived in a 5th wheel and traveled.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Keep at it – nothing is perfect the first time. What are your favorite colors? Do you have a favorite character or name that catches your imagination? Look at other names and logos – is it catchy? Do you remember it? Do you like their colors? Keep trying!

Lori Meehan

Carrie Story

How did you create your business logo?

I wanted to be part of the creative process of my logo, but I didn’t have a graphic design background. I found logogenie. net and it allowed me to be in control of the design while having assistance of pre-built tools.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design etc.?

I wanted my new logo to be a better representation of the jewelry that I design and make. My first logo had been professionally designed years earlier and it just wasn’t me anymore. Now my logo looks like one of me most popular GEOMetry Collection necklaces during its design process. I love how it turned out and that I can say I designed it.

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo with help.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Be patient with yourself, do your homework and ask yourself what best represents your work, your brand, and YOU! Your work is a reflection of you.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Before anything, make sure you know what you want the public to feel about your company. Then choose an image that conveys that feeling.

LMM Design Brookfield, Connecticut

Christopher Gage

Healing Phoenix Lapidary Bowmansville, Pennsylvania How did you create your business logo?

My wife designed it from my specific specifications.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

The Healing Phoenix Lapidary logo is full of healing elements through process and the stones themselves.

It is well-known that stones and minerals have healing properties of health and well-being as well as beauty. As a recent burn survivor, lapidary was my own self-proclaimed art therapy. The logo contains a Rising Phoenix. The rising of the phoenix symbolizes a person who has gone through difficult times and has survived. It means that he has risen from flames beating life challenges and hard times. The phoenix is a symbol of rebirth from the ashes and represents the victory of life over death, and for me the use of positivity through the process.

You’ll also notice a Benben stone being dropped into water. In the mythology of ancient Egypt, there are several accounts of the creation of the world. In the beginning, there was nothing but dark-

Clay Revolution Sandy Ridge, North Carolina

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

Clay Revolution started as a frustrated artist endeavor to find simple, easy-to-use, effective, and inexpensive products. I was tired of the same old products, the same old techniques and thinking inside the box. I wanted something revolutionary in our field. When considering the look and feel of our public presence, I thought it was important to convey power, independence and a little rebellion. The marches, the protests and the sense of community that the raised fist portrays all fit perfectly with our brand. The pin buttons worn by the masses worked beautifully with the design.

ness and chaos. It was out of the dark waters that the primordial hill, known as the Benben stone, arose from the primeval waters, it has been suggested that this word is associated with the verb “weben,” which is the Egyptian hieroglyph for “to rise.”

Water is represented in the myth, but it is also a significant part of the process of cutting stones, as it washes over the cutting wheels to keep the stone cool and lubricated during the polishing process.

The reds, yellows and oranges are typical of a phoenix.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Your logo color and image should be selected carefully as they represent your branding. These images and colors should be cohesive with your website, other online presence, and exhibit booth should you do a show. The image should be clean and reproducible on business cards, banners, etc.

www.handmade-business.com

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Kathleen Lepak

Michelle M Barber

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

How did you create your business logo?

I created it online by myself.

Kathleen Lepak Design, Calligraphy Coventry, Connecticut

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

As I am a calligrapher, graphic designer and illustrator, I chose a swan as my main design element for my logo. For centuries, the primary feathers from large birds, such as goose, swan and turkey, have been used in the making of quills for lettering. When I first began my business, it was called River Road Graphics. We live on North River Road, thus the swan on the waves from the river. I have since changed the name to Kathleen Lepak, with a subtitle being “Calligraphy, Illustration, Graphic Design,” to incorporate my other offerings. The teals, blues and greens are indicative of the colors of the water, and the quills on the bottom represent my calligraphic lettering, which make up the greatest portion of my business.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Choose elements that are easily recognized as representative of your business. If you are an artisan who works in wood, use images of wood grains and tools of that trade. A printer might use an image of a press or metal type. If you are using an abstract image, don’t rely on the supposition that potential clients are going to recognize the intention of your offerings. It is better to make clear by visual elements what your business is about. If you are using an abstract background, make certain that your text makes clear what your business is. Also recognize that it takes many subsequent views of your logo before someone recognizes and remembers that it is associated with you and your business. A well thought out logo that is colorful, representative and memorable will be very beneficial to your business.

Deneece Lacy

Isis Designed Richfield, Minnesota How did you create your business logo?

I designed it myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I chose Isis because she is the Goddess I serve, and she has guided me in this journey from concept to present. My logo is a professionally done photo of my statue of Isis kneeling with her wings spread. The photo was taken in a very wooded park area.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Really think about what your business represents, because it says a lot about you.

18 Handmade Business • November 2019

Lasting Impressions AZ Hauchuca City, Arizona

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I have a half sun as a logo. I am a desert girl and have always enjoyed the sun. I wanted a logo that would represent my business. My business is laser engraving. What’s the largest laser out there? The SUN! This logo was originally a clip art that I used to engrave on my grandmother’s memorial plaque. The plaque was a gift for my mom. When looking for a logo for my business it hit me to use the same sun as I used for my grandmother. Funny thing is my dad help me build my house/shop. The upright supports on my porch are suns. They were made about three years before I picked the sun on my logo. So, the sun represents a laser and my life. My business is my life.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

To find a logo that represents the business. But mostly something that is simple, easily duplicated, large or same. Think of famous logos like McDonald’s arches. H&R Block – the simple little green block. Something that looks good in color and black and white. Think of something that when customers see the logo, they know it’s yours.

Tonya Hall

The Spicy Purrito Schenectady, New York How did you create your business logo?

I had my logo professionally designed by Amy’s Logos.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I decided on a pun for my business name, and I wanted my logo to reflect the literal meaning. I went with red (my favorite color) and green on a clean white background to give it some Mexican flair!

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Get it professionally made! And make it stand out! I can’t tell you the number of compliments I get on my logo at every event I do! It always sparks a fun conversation!

Tal Avitzur

Brandy Boyd

How did you create your business logo?

I had my logo professionally created by Robbie Lee (www. robbielee-illustrator. com).

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I create assemblage sculptures from found objects – spaceships, fantasy cars, creatures, and robots. When I showed my work, people asked for T-shirts, so I needed a logo. I enlisted the help of Robbie Lee, a graphic artist whose work I admire. He took features from different robots that I built and put them together to form the Talbotics logo. I think he did a great job.

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my first logo myself.

Talbotics Santa Barbara, California

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Take your time. Make it simple and memorable. Use a custom font. Think about how you will use it: on the web, printed on cards, shirts, hats, etc. Most importantly, hire an experienced professional.

Kate Mac

i Crown You Southampton, New York How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

BMB Designs Bartlett, Tennessee

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I am very inspired by the art nouveau idea that things can be beautiful and useful. I love typography and see it as its own type of art as well. So, when I renamed my business to be a broader umbrella and to have my name/initials in the name, I wanted to find a way to have my logo immediately reflect my business name. My logo is a modified art nouveau style script that is my initials BMB, utilizing their symmetry to create something attractive as well as conveying my name.

I drew it out by hand, then scanned it into Photoshop to clean it up and ensure the symmetry was perfect. this means it’s completely my work – I didn’t take an existing font and modify it, although that is ok – just be sure it’s freeware, or that you pay for it if it’s one that requires payment for commercial use. Those artists deserve to be paid for their work too!

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Sketch, sketch, and sketch some more. Narrow down to two or three and then draw 40 variants of each idea. Keep a sketchbook or pad by the bed. Pay attention to what you doodle when you’re daydreaming and make sure the logo is meaningful to you, to your business, and to what you want your customers to know about you.

Brian Murphy

Murphy’s Fine Woodworking Escondido, California How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

My children and I call him Chester.

When they were quite young (three boys), our night-time ritual was making up bedtime stories. I would begin by drawing out a character – Chester – and start telling a story about their adventures. They would each add a version to it. By the end, the story was full of fun, adventure and excitement. The best stories ever told! This is how Chester became my logo for my birthday crown business.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

This logo is part of a special brand that we install on each piece of furniture that we make. It is used on our web site and all printed products. It has been our image for almost 25 years. We selected the color to match some of the woods that we use.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Find something that has meaning and incorporate it into your logo. An image or design that evokes a sense of nostalgia is a good place to start. Don’t give up. Keep working on it until you love it!

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Look for an image that represents what you do. Keep it simple and use it all the time. All printed material should have it and your web page also. It is who you are as an artist/crafts person.

www.handmade-business.com

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Andrea Stevens

Tori Bailey

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

How did you create your business logo?

Our logo was professionally created by Faith Merryman at Sigmadog Graphics (www.sigmadog.com).

Andrea’s Got Stuff 4 U! Phoenix, Arizona

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I knew I wanted the initials of my business name, but I switched between a variety of fonts. Personally, I lean towards western styles and while I make some western/cowboy-type decor, I felt the western font did not capture the variety of my work.

So, I settled on a more playful, yet not theme or genre specific font.

I feel it looks good in several different color schemes. It is playful in the sense that it has a few curly q’s but the lines are not so swirly that they distract or make it hard to read. And the font is not so swirly that it doesn’t appear unprofessional which helps promote the more elegant items I make. I also lean towards patriotic colors, red, white and blue which is good year-round here in the U.S., and it supports the fact my items are “made in America”.

Because I went with the initials, it is easy to change the colors to promote the seasons/holidays. I wanted it to tell people what I had, but I didn’t want to make it too busy, so I decided to use it in its basic form and to add details and information to things like signage and the thank you’s and the care instruction tags I give with each item.

And to help me keep it simple, I designed a secondary logo that emphasizes that my items are handmade.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Be patient. Be flexible. Try multiple designs. Ask others’ opinions and listen to them, don’t take offense if they don’t love it. Keep it simple with clean lines – don’t include too much info, keep the details for signage and things like thank you notes or ads. Use colors that are bright and that will catch the eye of customers or use a design that you can easily adapt to the different seasons/holidays.

If you make one certain type of item, use a font and design that reflects that – i.e. if you make cowboy home décor items, use a western style font, and maybe even a photo of your best piece.

Bungalow Craftworks Spokane, Washington

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

We live in an arts and crafts bungalow. We used the colors and fonts and design elements that go along with the Arts and Crafts architecture theme. Our logo won a silver prize in our local Addy awards.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

First it needs to be memorable. It needs to be easily readable.

It needs to be current, not dated. It needs to look professional, even if you designed it yourself. Not junky and kitchy with too many fonts. Think of your clientele and what their aesthetic is.

Ed Blackford

Star Watch Studio Christiansburg, Virginia How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

Several things going on inside the logo – first is the view. Our business, Star Watch Studio, is situated at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is the view at nighttime, with the mountains in the foreground and stars above – including Polaris due North. The Dreamcatcher design reflects my heritage – Shoshone Indian – with three feathers representing my kids (all artists in their own right).

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I feel like my script described the essence of my art. Clean, creative and singular.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Find your voice and use it to develop your brand.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

It took five drafts before we were satisfied with the final design. Think about your business and what it represents to you, then jot down ideas that reflect those ideals. If you’re outsourcing your design, this is an excellent starting point to keep your contractor on-point.

Al Heilman

Al Heilman Art Wilis, Texas

20 Handmade Business • November 2019

Sally & Herbert

Celia Dionne

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

With my new logo, both symbols used are part of my jewelry designs.

Through a collaboration with a family member who is a graphic designer we took individual jewelry pieces and scanned these. We then took the resulting images and converted these to vector images. After playing with the images we settled on two and came up with the idea of them sitting alongside each other as the main logo – this represents a ring with the flower or jewel sitting on the top. But most importantly each element of the logo can then be used individually as well as being shown diagonally which still conveys a strong link to my work and to the primary image.

The image can be left in black and white or is shown in silver on black to represent the metal much of my work is made from.

How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

HerbertandWilks Jewelry Auckland

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Don’t be afraid to adapt and develop your logo as your business and work develops. This also means it does not need to be perfect straight from the start, as who you are today will not be who you are in a month or a year or two years down the track.

From my experience I would recommend working with a designer. They can quickly interpret your ideas and come up with multiple concepts allowing you to see options.

Penny Burke

Pottery by Penny Prosperity, South Carolina How did you create your business logo?

I designed my logo myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I once purchased a mug that I absolutely loved. I tried to read the signature/logo on the bottom but could not, I never found the artist. This moment had a huge impact on my own logo. I then decided to create a logo that was simple and if googled I could be easily found.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Making a logo too vague, illegible or too complicated could create difficulties for customers when they try to find you later.

It is just that simple, keep it simple.

Clara’s Loom Foley, Alabama

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design etc.?

At the time I began my business my family lived in the country and we had sheep on our farm because my children wanted to be in 4H. In the fiber field there have always been sheep logos so I knew I needed to be unique in some way so I used a fingerprint sheep designed by a child I knew. Originally it was black on white. Now I prefer black on cream but print situations vary so I go with the flow. Color is not a driving requirement for my logo.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Research similar logos. There are a lot of similarities even when we think we have created something unique. Don’t have color limitations. Be sure it will work if sized up or down. You can’t know the future print requirements. Be sure you can add or delete info if there is a name change. I needed to add Coastal Textile Center when I opened an addition to my business. My original logo is still recognized since the 80s and I have moved my business from one state to another.

Mary Duggan

ContraryMary Designs Wakefield, United Kingdom How did you create your business logo?

I designed it myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

The name of my business, ContraryMary, comes from a nursery rhyme, “Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.” My logo is a cockle shell. I did the initial sketch on the back of a brown paper bag – it was my turn to man the craft cooperative shop I belonged to. I found a clear photo of a cockle shell, traced over it and simplified it in Photoshop – and voila!

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Keep it simple and easily recognizable. Play with how it will look at different sizes – how big or small will it go and stay recognizable?

Think about how it reflects your brand personality. Have fun.

www.handmade-business.com

21

Christine Guanipa

Lindsay E. Frost

How did you create your business logo?

My husband designed my logo.

How did you create your business logo?

My logo was professionally created by Dave Davis of Panorama Creative Group (panoramacg.com).

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I am a wood artist who creates vessels using only wood from trees that have already fallen. I have a very deep reverence for trees and the spirits that live within them.

Trees are older than man. They have been worshipped and adored. Without the trees, there would be no life as we know it. Wood has an inner spirit, an energy that is waiting to be released. That is what I try to do, to release that inner spirit so the tree can again please man.

Each of my vessels tells a tale of the struggles in growth, success in reaching the sun, and its imperfections. This is what make each individual vessel unique and unusual.

Dave Davis of Panorama Creative Group listened to me express my feelings about trees. When he presented the logo to me, I was ecstatic. It shows the entire tree, roots and all – which I use. It is simple, yet complete. I feel the logo says it all.

Little Man Whitinsville, Massachusetts

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

The logo for our family run business Little Man is near and dear to us. My husband and I met in the printmaking room of Massachusetts College of Art. Besides making woodcuts my husband was always drawing this cartoon for me which I fondly began to refer to as the Little Man. When I transitioned from printmaking to handbag design, I knew I wanted to incorporate the Little Man in a meaningful way. So, he became our logo to grace every product we create. Today, 33 years of marriage and three daughters later, Little Man products can be found in over 100 select shops throughout the U.S., including the White House, and remains to be our only male offspring.

Unique & Unusual Woodcarving Louisville, Kentucky

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

We often find that staying simple and true to yourself works best. Sometimes too many resources, good ideas, and advice can cloud your story. After your research and design take time to sit with your ideas, often the cream will rise to the top and you’ll find what you were looking for.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Keep it simple and it will stand out.

Deb Karash

How did you create your business logo?

I had my logo professionally designed.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I wanted something that looked hand stamped, vintage and welcomed customers. I even have my vision statement included – “Where creativity feels like home”. It’s important for my customers to feel welcome, relaxed and like family. My long-term vision is to actually have a cottage where my customers come, but for now I am concentrating on that “cottage” feeling with my logo. I also like the fact that I can use the small icon of the cottage as part of social media tagging, etc.

Little Black Block Asheville, North Carolina How did you create your business logo?

I designed it myself.

Why did you choose the emblem, color, design, etc.?

I wanted a logo that represented my product and would also look just as great on labels as it might on a T-shirt.

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Know what you want it to do, keep it simple, and hire a professional to clean it up if that’s not your best skill.

22 Handmade Business • November 2019

Annette Crawford AJ’s Craft Cottage Aliso Viejo, California

What advice do you have for artisans designing their logo?

Take some significant time to think about your logo. You will be living with it for a long time and you will build your brand around it. It will help to talk to professionals as you narrow down your ideas.

The Digital Buzz on Logo Creation

By Melissa Jones

A

fter reading “What’s in a Logo” and the responses that I received from other handmade artisan’s (see page 14), I decided to embark on a logo creation journey of my own.

I performed a thorough internet search on logo creation software, clicked on the top result, and endeavored to create my logo using Adobe Illustrator. Unfortunately, it prompted me to start up my free, seven-day trial that reverts to $20.99 a month for individuals and $33.99 a month if you are a business. Two downsides: the program must be downloaded to your computer and it’s expensive.

Although Adobe Illustrator offers an extensive program that includes tutorials to help you get started, it isn’t a good

Above and left: Two examples of logos created using Canva.

fit with my skill set just starting out. It seems better suited for someone with graphic design experience.

The next option is Canva, which doesn’t get downloaded to your computer. You can save multiple designs, but the options are borderline overwhelming. When you click on “create a design” it asks you what you want to create. The possibilities range from a poster, business card, logo, options for every social media post you can imagine, and even Google+. Canva offers templates, photos, elements, text, background, and an option for uploading. I even searched the templates for “artist logo” and got a lot of hits.

www.handmade-business.com

23

Right: The online logo creator Canva.

Taking Fitch’s advice, I looked up logos from other art studios.

They ranged from uptight and elitist, to colorful and childish. I wanted my logo to fit somewhere in between. I decided to go for professional, inviting, with a hint of color. I want everyone to feel like they could own my work. I noticed that most of the other artist logos had pencils, sketches, easels, paintbrushes and other tools from their craft. Almost all of the logos I looked at could easily be changed to black and white, meaning it can be put on almost any colored background.

Most of the templates on Canva are simple, neither extravagant nor complex, and would be easy and cost effective to recreate. I loved this! Fitch tells us to “Keep it simple.” The only problem was that I couldn’t keep my design focused because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I noticed in most of the reader responses they had a story, something that prompted their design.

After not painting for a period of 10 years, my first painting attempt was an anatomical heart in honor of my nephew who had passed away while waiting for his second heart transplant. My story was born, “not only do I put all my heart into each painting, but he is the reason I picked up a brush after so many years.” Now I had a story for my logo, and it was time to create.

Under the elements tab on Canva, I searched for “anatomical heart sketch.” This was the ticket. It seemed that all the images that came up required payment as part of the Canva Pro program which was only $9.99 a month after a free 30-day trial. They still allow you to create and see the logo, but if you were to use it on anything they insert watermarks that are annoying. The addition of the pencil was to give the illusion of the heart being sketched. I chose to put the business name as Rouge underneath the heart image in red. Simple, easy to reproduce and understandable. I love the French culture and the anatomical heart painting I did involved 10 hours of shading with different reds – rouge is red in French. I chose the font “OVER THE RAINBOW” and the colors black and red. It will look great with different colored backgrounds and I can always easily change the colors. A simple save and I was done.

24 Handmade Business • November 2019

It took less than 30-minutes to complete my logo and that includes research time. There is a download option which is fast and easy, so you don’t have to keep revisiting canva.com to get your logo. However, a word of caution if you used an image that wasn’t free, they will make you pay to download the image without a watermark. My image only cost a dollar.

Another viable option is using Sticker You. For $50 an hour you can hire them to help you create the perfect logo.

If you plan on using your logo for many different things or need help creating banners and images for posts, I really recommend downloading Canva Pro and paying the $9.99/ month. With Canva Pro you get a multitude of tools to help you with everything and you also won’t have to pay for the images. HB

5 Questions to Ask Before You Rebrand

If you are just getting started creating a new logo for your business, run with it and have fun. But, if you already have a brand that people know, ask yourself these questions before you change anything.  PURPOSE: If I already have a logo, why am I rebranding?  MARKETING: How am I going to let my

customers know that I’ve rebranded?

 MONEY: How much will it cost me to mar-

ket my new look the right way?

 BUDGET: What can I actually afford to

spend on marketing costs?  CONCLUSION: After answering these four questions, is it still worth it to rebrand?

SMA RT RETA ILER www.sma rt-ret

JANUARY 2019 • $6.9 5

Farmhouse Décor HELPING YOU R GIF

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ailer.com

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Smart Retailer magazine’s one and only goal is to help your gift business succeed.

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FREE? www.smart-retailer.com 855-367-4819

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25

INDUSTRY NEWS American Craft Council

West Coast Craft

merican Craft Council’s (ACC) Baltimore Wholesale show returns to two days next year. After this February’s single wholesale day at its Baltimore show, the ACC will return to two days next February 19-20, 2020.

Andrea Satter was announced as the new Director of Development. Satter has a plethora of experience in fundraising, relationship management, sales, and recruiting. Most recently she occupied the role of Development Officer for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. “Throughout my career, I have put my time and talent toward organizations that increase diversity and advance opportunity for individuals to thrive in positive, supportive, and creative environments,” Satter says. “I am honored to join the talented team at the American Craft Council to build a better world for makers – those who experience their craft, and those who make the work possible.”

est Coast fine crafts retail shows blossom as wholesale shows have contracted. This June, Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle, Washington added a retail show in Tacoma, Washington and a Summer Wholesale Show in Seattle to its established annual Seattle retail shows. Portland, Oregon’s Crafty Wonderland show has become an annual holiday tradition. West Coast Craft conducts biannual shows at Fort Mason in San Francisco, shows in Los Angeles at Skylight ROW DTLA and is considering an expansion to the east coast. The Contemporary Crafts Market hosts biannual high-quality shows at the Pasadena Convention Center in southern California. Finally, Renegade Craft Fairs have become regular features in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. With the notable exception of The Las Vegas Market, wholesale craft trade shows have pretty much disappeared from the West Coast (e.g., ACC Wholesale in San Francisco, The San Francisco International Gift Show, ACRE Las Vegas, etc.).

A

Whereoware Expands

R

andi Mohr was named Vice President, Customer Success and Marketing, at Whereoware, Chantilly, Virginia. After over 15 years at GLM/Emerald Expositions’ New York International Gift Fair/NY NOW, most recently as Vice President, Sales and Marketing/Group Show Director, Mohr has joined Whereoware, the full-service digital design, development and marketing agency based in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Whereoware is a digital agency specializing in email marketing, website design and development, mobile app design and development, and SEO + PPC. They have been in business for 19 years with 93 talented employees.

Prop 65

C

alifornia’s Prop 65, which took effect on August 30, 2018 presages stricter labeling laws for the sale of retail jewelry.

Other states will follow California’s lead in strictly regulating the use of lead or other potentially hazardous substances, regardless of how those products are classified for use in jewelry.

Thus, for example, Swarovski crystals and other leaded-glass parts require a Prop 65 “lead warning” label even though they are Class 1 suitable materials under California’s “lead in jewelry” law.

Internet-Based Marketing

H

orizontal integration continues among internet-based marketing and service companies. Square recently added web site builder Weebly to its portfolio of businesses.

Shopify acquired B2B e-Commerce portal Handshake to add to its existing, dominant web site business. Finally, Adobe added Magento which services larger businesses at the top end of the market. This trend will continue as companies seek to provide integrated, one-stop shopping to their established, and growing, customer bases.

26 Handmade Business • November 2019

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Las Vegas Market Best Booth Award

L

as Vegas Market kicked off their Summer Market by announcing the 11 winners of the Best Booth Award. The booths were judged by Jeremy Bauer and Jason Clifton (owners of Bauer/Clifton Interiors and Frenchie’s Floral Studio), Kate Lester (owner of Kate Lester Interiors and Kate Lester HOME), Mikel Welch (interior designer on TLC Network’s Trading Spaces), and Sam Ujvary (managing editor of Museums & More Magazine, Gift Shop Pets Magazine, and Party & Halloween Retailer).

Each booth was judged on the following criteria: section/category representation, indication how well the booth represents and embodies its market destination; overall visual design of the booth; creative merchandising; brand messaging; and the personality and attitude of the booth and sales staff.

Winners Home furnishing temporary booths • Shiv Shakti Exports • Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Casual temporary booths • Lenasi • Pottery Paradise Temporary gift and home décor lines showing in the Pavilions • All Across Africa (HANDMADE) • Broke Jewels/Moss Industry (DISCOVERIES: The Antique Vintage Marketplace) • Daylight Dreams Edition (DESIGN HOME) • Miss Rose Sister Violet (Cash and Carry) • Muzen (DESIGN LIFESTYLES) • Personal Space MB (HOME) • Poo-Pourri (GIFT)

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Packaging happiness GIFT, GOURMET & RETAIL PACKAGING

©2019

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800-547-9727 | NASHVILLEWRAPS.COM/HDM 2019024-HDM-Nashville-Wraps.indd 1

www.handmade-business.com 7/16/19 3:33 27 PM

JUST ASK

By Donald Clark justask@handmade-business.com

COMPETING WITH BARGAIN

PRICES S WHY YOUR PRODUCTS ARE WORTH SO MUCH MORE

Q

I am constantly seeing and hearing ads that emphasize low prices. It seems the consumer is constantly encouraged to make buying decisions that are driven by bargain prices. What am I to do, how can I compete with that?

A

(Donald Clark) You can’t and shouldn’t even try. Now we have that out of the way let’s dive into a discussion of the “what am I to do now” part of your question. We all know we’re making things people don’t need and if they do as you suggest they can find less expensive versions to purchase. For instance, a consumer can purchase a well-made and perfectly serviceable mug for as little as three dollars at any number of big box stores. Why should they pay thirty dollars or more for one that’s handmade? Because we’re going to tell them to. And here’s how.

Our first task is to set our brand apart from the mass market. A part of this process will be explaining what we do and why. That will vary depending on our motivation, the materials we use, and the objects we make. The resulting objects however will have much in common that can be used to educate and sell the consumer. Our products have value beyond their ability to fulfill their function.

Our products are handmade by a skilled craftsperson, typically as one-of-a kinds or certainly in limited numbers, a feature the mass market can’t touch. This

28 Handmade Business • November 2019

uniqueness is increasingly important to a segment of consumers who are seeking unusual objects for their use or as gifts. I often use this quote, that appeared in The New York Times on December 19, 2017. Mark Zeff, a lifestyle brand developer and co-founder of BLACKBARN, says, “immersive shopping like this is the future of brick-and-mortar retail, … because people are sick of walking down the street and seeing these homogeneous big brands, one next to the other.” Zeff wasn’t talking about us, but his statement supports the quest for the unique products and experiences we offer. The crafts consumer often makes their purchase directly from the maker, the consumer loves this personal interaction; or from a small shop often from the owner who probably knows the maker, another positive feature. Zeff uses the term immersive, we often hear the term “experiential” used to describe the maker/consumer interaction.

Whatever the label, it’s exactly what we have to offer; certainly, a feature a big box store can’t provide. Pamela Danziger, another researcher who follows consumer trends has written about the quest for experiential shopping numerous times.

Those of us working in the handmade field need to come to terms with the idea that we are producing luxury products. The price we charge for our products has to include the investment of time and money that goes into making our products. Since they are handmade

more time goes into each piece and since we use quality materials these factors determine the price. Need I say more? We are producing for the luxury market, remember the $3 verses $30 mug? I don’t see this as a problem unless we make it into one.

The studio craftsperson has limited production capacity; this in turn means we need fewer buyers. To attract the right customers, we need to emphasize the uniqueness and added value of the handmade and use that to educate the consumer and build our brand. Acknowledging that the things we make are expensive allows us to build that into our brand and sets our work apart from the products in the big box stores. Of course, we don’t lead with price conversations, but we need to always be mindful of and lead with conversations about the unique features and benefits of the objects we make. HB Donald Clark is the author of Making a Living in Crafts and was a partner in Ferrin Gallery for 25 years. In addition to writing, he is currently a consultant to artists, a personal property appraiser, and a collection manager. He also continues to create constructions that have been shown extensively and collected internationally.

Filing taxes is a time consuming and boring task we all must address. Planning ahead, getting organized, and keeping records will make the task go more smoothly. I’m not an accountant. The tips I offer here have worked for me over my career.

I always turn the information I have saved to an accountant who prepares my taxes.

1. I begin preparing for the following year as soon as I file my forms for the current year by setting up all the programs and files. I’ll need to track all income and expenses.

2. I help myself and my accountant by keeping careful records 3. My income sources and expenses come from limited sources. Surely a working craftsperson will have more and would choose an accounting program to track the income data they’d need. If you’re using QuickBooks or Quicken for instance, you should be able to track expenses with the same program.

4. I track all my expenditures on paper clipping receipts to sheets labeled for each category I track. A bigger business might create a spread sheet to track expenditures in all categories.

This could be one form to track all expenses or one for each category. Look at the lists of expenses I suggest you track in my book Making a Living in Crafts. (See page 176, Marketing Costs Inventory and page 177, Overhead Costs Inventory). Be sure you’re tracking all the expenses you’re entitled to deduct.

5. Even though you use an accounting program I’d suggest you create a paper folder for each expense you’re tracking, save all receipts there. Should you encounter an audit the IRS may ask for these as back up support for your claims.

6. I use the information from tax preparation to plan my budget for the next year. Data on all my expenses and income are all together then.

These tips may not all work for you, hopefully they’ll be a guide. It’s important that we each take control of all parts of our businesses. That said, any concerns you have are best addressed by an accountant or someone in the tax preparation business. I found my accountant by asking friends for the names of the accountants they used and if they were pleased with their work.

www.handmade-business.com

29

HANDS-ON PHOTOGRAPHY Photos and Text by Steve Meltzer

Left: Image taken when the smartphone and camera weren’t parallel. Note the trapizoid shape.

How to Click the Perfect Pic of Your 2D Art

P

A step-by-step guide to help you take a great pic of 2D art

eople are surprised when I tell them that photographing 2-dimensional artwork is often more difficult than photographing 3-dimensional crafts. Truth is I was surprised too when I first began to shoot 2D art and found that it was a struggle to get consistently good images. “Shouldn’t it be simple?” I thought. “You just point the camera or the phone in the general direction of the art and snap away.” Except it rarely is that easy and because now more and more readers are using their phones for all their photography, I decided that it was time to provide a step-by-step guide for photographing 2D art.

There are three main challenges to photographing 2D art. First is squaring up the art so it doesn’t look like it has been sat on. The second is dealing with the lighting and the third is color accuracy.

30 Handmade Business • November 2019

Squaring up

Flat art is generally square or rectangular with right angle corners. It is the common characteristic that most 2D art like paintings, tapestry and patch work quilts share. The trick to photographing 2D art is learning how to keep right angles “right” with your phone (or camera). The first step to squaring up is to arrange your phone and artwork so that they are parallel to each other (see diagram on page 31). If they are not parallel – even by the slightest amount – the art will have a trapezoid shape and look not quite right. (see the photo of a boat above). And photographing with a phone held in your hands can be a truly Herculean feat – especially when getting the phone to be perfectly parallel to the art to take a photo.

Above: An example of how pincushion distortioin affects an image.

With this in mind, here is a step by step guide to photographing 2D art and getting it squared up.

• Hang the artwork on a large blank white (or light colored) wall.

• To make the photography work as comfortable as possible hang the art so that the center of the work is at or near your normal standing straight up eyelevel. For most people this is about 60-72 inches from the floor.

• Next, to get the phone parallel to the art hold it so its center is at the same height as the center of the art. With both sensor and art at the same height keeping them parallel is easier As always, a tripod makes this easier.

Below: The result of a properly squared up 2D piece of art and a smartphone.

• Phones have a tool that can help when shooting art. It is the gridline display screen. You can find the screen by going into your phone’s “Settings.” Then tapping the icon for “Display” and then tapping on “Gridline screen” or “Grid” or whatever it is called. This puts a grid of two parallel horizontal and two parallel vertical lines on the monitor screen on top of the images. (see bottom image on Page 32) Note that these lines do not appear in the photos.

• With the gridline display, watch the monitor screen and move the phone bit by bit lining up the sides of the art with the grid lines until they are parallel to them. That’s what I did with the second photo of the boat. Using the grid lines as a guide hand holding the phone, I got a much better squared up image. (see photo below).

Avoiding pincushion-ing

Smartphones lenses are basically wideangle lenses and generally exhibit some amount of “pincushion” distortion near their sides (see diagram above). This is a distortion to avoid.

• One way is to not fill the frame with the art. If necessary, move away from the art so that the edges of the art are not near the frame edges.

• Another way to avoid pincushion distortion is to reduce the angle of view of the lens. Usually you can do this by “pinching” or swiping the screen. The image on the screen will appear to grow larger as you move towards a less wide-angle view.

• On my phone I also have the option of going into the phone settings and making the lens function as a moderate telephoto or as it is called on my phone “Portrait” mode. This is actually a digital crop of the center of the normal wide-angle image, but it helps to reduce the distortion.

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31

HANDS-ON PHOTOGRAPHY Photos and Text by Steve Meltzer

To flash or not to flash

Photographing artwork framed under glass you should not use the phone’s flash. The glass will reflect the flash and it will appear as a big washed out hot spot on the glass. If the art is not under glass, then you can try shooting with the flash since there should not be a hot spot reflection of the flash. Note in lower light situations when the flash isn’t used the phone might opt to use a slower shutter speed making sharp photos on a hand-held harder to do; this is where a tripod comes in handy.

The built-in flash goes to a default setting when you turn on the phone and it will fire automatically when the ambient light is low. To control when the flash fires go back to “Camera settings” look for a “lightning bolt” icon that is the flash control. When you tap here you will get a menu page with several icons. One should be a lightning bolt in a circle with a crossbar indicating the flash will not flash at all. This is what you use in lower light with art under glass.

Of course, for the best images you need total control of the lighting and the sketch at the right shows the basic studio setup for shooting art. The two light sources should be to either side of the phone and at a slightly higher position than the center of the art and the phone. The lights should be identical and preferable daylight “balanced”. Both are pointed at the art background so that they cover the entire art piece.

Color accuracy

This is the biggest bugaboo when it comes to photographing 2D art. When we take pictures with a camera or a phone generally, we don’t pay much attention to the image color.

Blue sky can be any variation of a dozen shades of blue and we

Above: The gridlines that appear when the “Grid” or “Grid line screen” option is active on a smartphone.

32 Handmade Business • November 2019

accept them all. But with artwork – paintings, watercolors, and pastels – color is what they are all about and color accuracy is critical.

Most phones have some sort of photo editing software or an app for this. These are generally sufficient for touching up color. It is a two-step process. First, open the photo you want to adjust. Then by either tapping on the image or going to a menu page find the adjustments for lighting and color.

Phones and cameras usually underexpose a photo when there is a large white area in the scene. So, start by using the lighting adjustment to get the lighting exposure correct. Once the Above: Example of lighting and color adjustment sliders on a smartphone. photo editor is open use the slider to make the image lighter or darker. The goal is to make the white wall “white” rather than mushy gray.

Once that is done go into the color editing for the next step. Most of us have pretty poor color memories and trying to adjust color on a tiny screen can be very hard. What I do is I enlarge a section of the picture of the art so that an important area of color in the work fills the screen. Then I walk over to the art and holding the phone next to the art, I use the color sliders. Slowly moving them, I try to see how close I can get the colors in the image to match the colors in the original.

These two steps should get your image colors close to the original colors in the art.

It’s easy to get colors wrong as you try to adjust them. So, when you are color editing first thing to do is to save your original image files and after color adjustment save the files under a different name. While it will take time to learn to shoot 2D art properly doing all this work will make a big difference in your images. HB

What can we

display for

you today?

cleardisplays.com Visit us at NYNOW and Las Vegas Market!

Steve Meltzer is a writer and photographer currently roughing it in the south of France. His photographic journey began 35 years ago when he had the good fortune to attend workshops with photographers such as Cornell Capa, Duane Michals, and Oliver Gagliani.

Meltzer has written for publications as diverse as The Seattle Times, Popular Photography, New Awakenings of Lagos, Nigeria. Business clients have included Helly Hansen sportswear, Starbucks, and Boeing. He can be reached at stevefotos@cs.com.

www.handmade-business.com

33

HANDMADE LAW

By Daniel Grant

TO COPYRIGHT OR TRADEMARK THAT IS THE QUESTION Get the best protection for your logo

Y

ou may see Bob Timberlake, the 82 year-old artist in Lexington, North Carolina, only as a painter of mostly rural imagery (house in the woods, wicker chair in front of hydrangeas, house surrounded by a snowy field, picked strawberries in a basket, house on an island), but he also is a brand.

His name is trademarked, as is his signature and an image of a quill, to identify a variety of products that he has designed or with which he is associated. There is bedroom furniture, living room furniture, dining room furniture, kitchen furniture, picture frames; wall decor items; namely, signs, and plaques; mirrors and pillows, colognes and perfumes, dinnerware, decorative pottery, stoneware, and enamelware, namely plates, cups, bowls, platters, teapots, pitchers, ceiling fans, electric lighting fixtures, fabric for upholstery, curtains, and clothing, house paints and wood stains. “There are close to a dozen trademarks,” said his son, Dan Timberlake, a lawyer and advisor to his father.

What is a trademark?

Perhaps, we need to step back a moment to define the term. Trademarks are words, logos or images (for instance, Jolly Green Giant, Aunt Jemima, Betty Crocker or Mickey Mouse) that specifically symbolize, or refer, to a company’s products and services. They always are used in a commercial context, although some artists have incorporated their designs into usable items, such as Keith Haring’s radioactive babies on t-shirts, magnets, stationery and baseball caps (pop-shop. com) or Donald Judd’s home furnishings (juddfoundation.org/artist/furniture/). Other artists, including Banksy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dale Chihuly, Norman Rockwell, and Andy Warhol, also are represented by merchandise that is protected by trademarks.

34 Handmade Business • November 2019

THE DEFINITIONS OF TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT (definitions provided from dictionary.com)

The difference between copyright and trademark

Both copyright and trademark help protect artists from others who may attempt to pass off their work as that of the artists. The trademark blocks the other party from passing off counterfeit objects as those of the artist, while copyright protects the artist from the redistribution of the counterfeit items themselves. According to Tristan C. Robinson, a lawyer in Woodlands, Texas, either or both forms of intellectual property protection “can ensure that the public trust is maintained and that the product is from the artist we want it to be. To wit, I’m much more likely to buy someone’s artwork if I have a deep respect for the artist and I know I won’t be getting anything bogus or counterfeit.”

Certain marks can be both copyrighted and trademarked where there is a distinct design element. A thumbnail self-portrait of Andy Warhol along with his signature (blog.warholfoundation.org/) both have been copyrighted and trademarked, but certain written terms – Warhol Factory and Silver Factory, for instance – only have been trademarked.

Using trademarked media

We usually do not think about artists having non-art items to sell or having a trademark to protect. More often, a commercial enterprise, such as Walt Disney or Lego, bringing lawsuits against artists who use their trademarked (and copyrighted) images and other marks in their fine artwork. Sometimes, these companies win and other times they do not. Artists using Lego building blocks Mattel Barbies often have won, as has Tom Forsythe, a photog-

• Trademark: Any name, symbol, figure, letter, word or mark adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant in order to designate specific goods and to distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. o A trademark blocks the other party from passing off counterfeit objects as those of the artist • Copyright: The exclusive right to make copies, license and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc. o A copyright protects the artist from the redistribution of the counterfeit items themselves rapher in Utah who, in 1997, began to create a series of 78 images called “Food Chain Barbie” in which undressed Barbie dolls were depicted in a wide range of surreal – in a blender (“Malted Barbie”), in a fondue pot (“Fondue a la Barbie”) or wrapped in a tortilla with salsa on top (“Barbie Enchiladas”) – and sometimes sexualized, positions.

When, in 1999, toy company Mattel brought a lawsuit, charging copyright and trademark infringement, against the artist, Forsythe claimed in court papers that his work represented a critique of “the conventional beauty myth and the societal acceptance of women as objects because this is what Barbie embodies.” It took two courts and four years, but Forsythe was found to have produced parody (“However one may feel about his message – whether he is wrong or right, whether his methods are powerful or banal – his photographs parody Barbie and everything Mattel’s

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35

HANDMADE LAW doll has come to signify,” the Appeals Court ruled in 2003), which is a protected “fair use” under the U.S. Copyright Law, and did not diminish the value of the Barbie doll for consumers. Additionally, Mattel’s demands and lawsuits were found by the appellate court to be “groundless and unreasonable,” obligating the company to pay the defendant’s legal fees and court costs.

Get the best protection for your logo

Bob Timberlake’s trademarks have been the subject of lawsuits, not so much in stopping others from infringing on his marks but when other manufacturers have sought to stop him from trademarking a name that is close to theirs. Timberlake Cabinetry, a division of American Woodmark Corporation, sought to prevent Bob Timberlake from registering his name in similar products that might compete in the market, and Timberland, a manufacturer of outdoor clothes, shoes and accessories, also tried to block the artist from registering his name even though the two companies did not compete. “They both lost,” Dan Timberlake said, adding that the two lawsuits cost the artist between $250,000 and $300,000.

At times, different companies may hold almost identical logos, such as the red star logo of Converse tennis shoes, Heineken beer, and Texaco gasoline, but still are permitted to register their logos since the businesses are not competing. On the other hand, “familiar symbols and designs,” such as a smiley face or image of George Washington, “cannot be registered either at the copyright or trademark offices,” said New York City lawyer Robert W. Clarides. “Those applications would be bounced.”

How to register

One registers a copyright application with the U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov/registration/), a process that takes a period of months and costs between $35 and $55, depending upon if the image being registered has one author, if the author is also the owner and if one is registering a single work or a collection. In order to receive a copyright, “the first threshold for an artist to overcome is to show the logo contains copyrightable artwork,” such as a distinctive image, said Washington, D.C. Lawyer Joshua Kaufman. Michel Basquiat included a crown image atop his signature on many of his artworks, which also reappears on his merchandise. Trademarks, on the other hand, are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov) and the cost of filing is $225. Kaufman noted that “most artists may or may not realize it but their signature or their name is probably a trademark when they put it on their artwork and put their artwork into commerce.”

The process of trademark registration also takes months, as the trademark examiner (a lawyer assigned to look at the proposed logo or mark) will determine if there are any

36 Handmade Business • November 2019

issues with the proposed mark, such as it is not distinct enough or is too close to another trademark. If there are any concerns, an “office action” is issued, requiring the applicant to respond to each of the issues that are raised. If there are no issues, or if the applicant responds to the issues to the examiner’s satisfaction, then the mark becomes “Published for Opposition,” which is simply a period of time in which anyone who feels the applicant’s proposed mark may violate his or her rights can file an opposition to your mark’s registration. Assuming all goes well throughout this roughly six-eight months on average period, the trademark becomes registered.

Legal protection for your logo

Both the copyright and trademark of a logo can be protected through the legal system, although the process and outcomes are somewhat different. One needs to register a copyright in advance of filing a lawsuit and, for greater dollar penalties, in advance of an infringement itself, while a trademark infringement lawsuit may be filed without registering the mark. A proven case of copyright infringement also comes with monetary damages mandated under the federal statute, while the normal outcome of a trademark infringement action is a court-ordered injunction to stop further infringement. Robinson noted that “although monetary awards are rare, they have been found to be appropriate in cases where the owner of the Mark can show that the infringer unjustly enriched themselves or that the owner suffered actual economic losses.” Artists whose images and trademarks both have been infringed may file lawsuits under both copyright and trademark law.

TO SEE TRADEMARKS FROM POPULAR ARTIST’S CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW • Banksy trademarks.justia.com/851/98/ banksy-85198175.html

• Jean-Michel Basquiat trademarks.justia.com/769/78/jeanmichel-76978977.html • Dale Chihuly trademarks.justia.com/852/77/ chihuly-85277584.html • Norman Rockwell trademarks.justia.com/852/33/ norman-85233672.html • Andy Warhol trademarks.justia.com/786/28/andy78628056.html

RESOURCES FOR OBTAINING LOGO PROTECTION Trademark: www.uspto.gov Copyright: www.copyright.gov/registration/

Some artists have placed identifying logos on their works, such as the letters A over D inside a circle on the engravings of Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer or the similar combination of the letters H, T and L within a circle in the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec on his lithographs, and Jean-Michel Basquiat had included an image of a crown above his signature. In general, however, most artists seek to be associated in the public’s mind through their style and imagery rather than with a logo.

“A trademark creates the presumption that you have a brand, that the government believes your work is distinctive enough to merit a trademark,” said Christine Rafin, an intellectual property lawyer in New York City. However, she noted that the use of a trademark, largely for licensing, is appropriate primarily “for artists when they have become successful.”

Use of logos by artists in their work

Corporate logos and other marks regularly appear in the work of many artists.

An artist sets up an easel at Times Square in New York City and paints a picture.

That image is likely to contain billboard advertising, automobile logos and any number of products. And, more in the category of Tom Forsythe, some artists use trademarks, such as those of Starbucks, Exxon or Walmart, for instance, in order to critique corporations and consumer culture. Artists may well ask, am I exercising my right to free expression or getting a free ride from some trademark holder’s logo and reputation?

The legal test for trademark infringement is what the “ordinary person” is likely to believe, and there is no rule of thumb concerning how much of the image may be taken up by the trademark before an artist is apt to lose an infringement lawsuit. “Is the trademark an incidental use as part of the scenery or so prominent that someone might think the trademark owner had something to do with the picture?” said William M. Borshard, a New York City trademark lawyer.

“The principles of these laws are clear and easy to state, but the application of those principles to fact is not at all so clear.”

Borshard added that difficulty in knowing in advance what may be deemed trademark infringement is compounded by the fact that judges generally have different beliefs as to how much protection a trademark deserves. “On one side, there is the view that trademarks help consumers distinguish between products, which is helpful in our free enterprise economy,” he said. “The other view is that trademarks are anti-competitive, in that they cause consumers to behave irrationally, selecting one product over another when both are identical. Judges take one side or another on the issue of trademark. The ‘ordinary person’ turns out to be the judge, and you don’t know what kind of judge you’ll get on any given day.” HB

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37

HEARTBEAT

By Diane Sulg

When Walls Talk I

f you travel even a tiny amount, undoubtedly you have recognized the latest rage in public art – murals! In cities across the country, hand-painted walls pay tribute to everything from local history and heroes, to signature crops and pop icons. With bright colors and larger-than-life images, they answer every visitor’s search for the “Instagram-able” photo.

My community is no exception. Basically, a banking and business center, Charlotte is a fast-growing Southern city. On a recent Saturday I headed out to see if the mural craze had arrived here, and I was literally shocked. In just a few hours, I photographed over fifty painted walls! And along the way, I was lucky enough to meet one of the city’s most prolific and much-loved muralists.

Rosalia Torres-Weiner was born in Mexico and has lived in Charlotte for twenty-five years. Her studio, Red Calaca, is in her home, in her oversized hand-painted truck, and of course, on the outdoor walls of any building in town. Although her bright, colorful work hangs in notable and pricey galleries, Torres-Weiner loves the challenge of painting large spaces. Her mural work actually began on the walls inside some of area’s most exclusive homes. And while she enjoyed that work, she also sought a way for her work to be truly accessible.

The answer came in outdoor walls and Torres-Weiner now has an astonishing array of murals spread throughout the city. The day I met her, she and her crew were finishing work on a very long retaining wall, a project commissioned by a shopping center. Another recent mural is on a new co-working building, where the employees joined her in a brainstorming session to plan themes, colors and images.

Torres-Weiner’s latest mural is in uptown Charlotte on the side of the Discovery Center, the family science museum. Huge and bright, “The Mother of Invention” is filled with themes from the actual museum and its exhibitions. Before preparing her vision, Torres-Weiner brainstormed with six of the women leaders at the center, developed the mural on her iPad, and then brought it back for staff approval.

Naturally, mural work involves tons of planning and preparation.

Torres-Weiner consults with her favorite paint expert, “Frank at Eastway Paint,” who advises her on the best paint for every surface, whether brick, concrete or siding. Working off a large scissor lift, Torres-Weiner and her assistant apply layers of paint until the wall is finished and telling its story.

When asked why she loves painting murals, Torres-Weiner’s answer is quick, “because everyone sees and enjoys my work!” She is happy to represent the large Latino community in Charlotte, saying they identify with the bright colors and it makes them feel at home.

It also beautifies sometimes scraggly parts of the city, a place once seen as a bit scary, now feels safe and lovely. Art can do that!

38 Handmade Business • November 2019

Above: Mother of Invention mural on the side of the Discovery Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Left: A picture of Rosalia Torres-Weiner, with Diane Sulg, by one of her many murals.

While she has done pro bono work, most of her murals are commissions, and she enjoys the fact that her expenses are covered, including the many gallons of paints and giant lifts, and both she and her assistant are paid promptly, unlike having work waiting to be sold at a gallery. If you are interested in learning the art of mural painting, TorresWeiner suggests you volunteer as an intern and observe the entire process. She often has students who are happy to learn for lunch and gas money!

In the opinion of many, murals are quickly becoming a city’s outdoor museum. Go see a few and hear their story – these walls can say a lot about a place and the people who live there. HB Diane Sulg is Executive Director of CRAFT and founder & co-chair of American Craft Week (ACW). She is a handmade advocate that provides valuable information in her one-day seminars titled “All About Wholesale” at wholesale shows throughout the United States. Diane is the former owner of Maddi’s Gallery in Charlotte and Huntersville, NC. She can be reached at dianesulg@gmail.com

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