Great News!

Great News!

SamDoum Art is expanding it's horizons and is now offering art prints and originals on Etsy.com! We plan to open up several other webstores on Etsy.com in the future, but the first store "Afroportraits" has already been launched, and already has three art prints uploaded to it!

We plan to not just offer prints on Afroportraits, but we also plan to offer originals as well.

So, yes, only three prints, at this time, have been uploaded to our Afroportraits store. I've just made the new banner for our Afroportraits store in Photoshop and you can take a look at it here (below):

What do you think? Pretty cool, huh? It didn't take that long to make the banner, but I think that I'm satisfied enough with it to keep it for the Afroportraits store. I could change my mind though . . .

The reason why I haven't uploaded anymore than three pieces of at work to our Afroprints store is because I've been busy with my three girls, but my three little ones will be starting school soon, and they will be attending school for half of the day, so that should free up some time to work on more of my artistic projects.

What will I do with all of my free time while the girls are in school?! I'm so excited!

1. I plan to start working out. We have a treadmill in the basement and I have yet to use it (on a regular basis, that is).

2. I plan to work on some of my writing projects, including "Dear Children" which is a book that I've been writing for my three little ones since I was eight weeks pregnant with Miriam and Faith. So far, I think that I've written over 300 pages to them since then. This book, that I am writing them, is not to be published. It's just a book only meant for an audience of three. When it's finished, that is--when the last of my three turns eighteen, I will take it to a printer and have it printed and made to look like a real book. I think it would be an awesome gift to give then when they turn 18. But shhhhh, they don't know about it yet! :)
 
3. I plan to work on more art projects. The area that we live in, here in Pittsford, has a lot of beautiful homes in it's neighborhood, and I think that I could possibly get some commissions to draw some of our neighbors homes for them, if they are interested. I've already drawn one home in our neighborhood. I plan to send the home owners, of the home that I have drawn, a postcard with the painting of their home on the front, and my contact info on the back, should they wish to purchase the painting. I will give them first claim to purchase before anyone else, should they decide to purchase it.

So . . . that's what I plan to do in my free time while the girls are in school . .  . Along with picking up the house, doing laundry, folding clothes, cleaning dishes, cleaning the girls room . . .  the list goes on . . . a mother's work is never done! (Laughs)! But thank God I have a very good husband who helps out with all of the chores! I'm extremely blessed !

As mentioned above, we will be opening up more stores on Etsy.com soon. These will include a  "Landscape" painting store, a "Still Life" painting store, and a "Home Portrait" painting store, among several others.

 Well, that's all for now BlogSpot friends, talk to you soon and enjoy!
-SamDoum

Just to Stress it a Little Further . . .

Just to Stress it a Little Further . . .


Stressing it a 'lil further . . . Soooo . . . What was that third piece of artwork, that I discussed in the  last blog entry, that I recently created in my studio?

Preparing for the Summer as Well as Next Year

Preparing for the Summer as Well as Next Year

Thursday my two girls (twins) graduated from Pre-K. I'm so proud of them! They will be attending big girl school and entering kindergarten in September.

Their younger sister will also be attending school in the Fall.

Where have I been?

 Where have I been?

Wow! It's been nearly six months since I've last written on this blog!

Don't worry. I've been fine. Nothing too major has happened to me. I've just been taking some time off to rest, relax, and to enjoy my blessings. I've had some really tough years with my illness, schizophrenia, and although I have many blessings around me, I had rarely gotten the chance to enjoy them because of having been so tormented and tortured by voices. There were many an occasion as to where I was forced to listen to the voices, not being able to turn them off, like a radio or a television, blasting in my ears. I have no control over the volume, or the "on" and "off" button. As a result I have had many a sleepless night in the past few years, but things are finally looking up for me and my family!

I still continue to hear the voices everyday, but lately there have been more good days than bad days. So that's a plus.

What's Stopping Me?

What's Stopping Me?

Yep, it has been more than ten years since I’ve painted. But why?

Well, after I left RISD (Rhode Island School of Design, my first college) in the spring of 2000, I applied to RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) in the Fall of 2001 and was accepted. (For those of you who do not know I left RISD on account of my first paranoid schizophrenic episode).

Umm . . . Maybe 8"x8" Instead

Umm . . . Maybe 8"x8" Instead

Just bought 5 canvases in order to get started with my 60 paintings in 60 days for $60.00 project. But I won't be doing 6"x6", as recently discussed in my last blog post. Instead, I will be doing 8"x8". I decided to go with 8"x8" because the 6" x 6" canvases just seemed so dinky and so small. And they were cute, but I think that my collectors, those who purchase my art work, would much rather prefer an 8"x8" original than a 6"x6" one. In my opinion, it just makes for better a better painting.

60 paintings in 60 days? . . . Maybe . . . Guess We'll See.

60 paintings in 60 days? . . . Maybe . . . Guess We'll See. 

I read a really great article the other day in which an artist dedicated 100 days to do 100 6”x6” paintings (that is, one painting each day) which sold for $100.00 each. It was a really cool article and I felt so inspired. I would really love doing something like that—but a ‘lil different–something like 60 6”x6” inch paintings in 60 days for $60.00

But I am the proud mother of three beautiful little girls and unfortunately quiet time—free and uninterrupted—is hard to come by.

Now , the girls go to bed sometime around 8:00 p.m. every night. So, I suppose that I could put them to bed then and quickly rush to start painting every night. I tend to go to bed around 12:00 a.m., so that would give me exactly four hours to complete each painting.

Just one quick note tonight . . .

Just one quick note tonight . . .

We here at SamDoumArt.com have been trying really hard in order to promote our FREE monthly emailed newsletter. That's why for one hour and one hour only (in between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. (today), we will be offering a free 8"x10" print to any and everyone who signs up for our FREE monthly emailed newsletter. So quick, hurry, sign up, and don't forget to tell a friend! You may sign up at this link below:

 http://samdoumart.com/email-newsletter

Thank You for your Feedback. Please Keep the Comments Coming!

Thank You for your Feedback. Please Keep the Comments Coming!

I've been getting a lot of feedback from family and friends on my site SamDoumArt.com and my blog The Blog of SamDoum Art by SamDoum, and I must say, I've taken note of all of your suggestions.

Two people have commented on my branching outside of my usual norm (the women and children theme) and suggested that some of my work include men as well. Other suggestion were that I include portraits of people from all races. I've taken note of these suggestions and will be happy to expand outside my norm.

Thanks Everyone! :

Thanks Everyone! :

A huge thank you to all of those of you who came out last night for the unveiling of “Beauty in the Midst of Voices: part I.” And a gigantic thank you to my father: He bought three pieces! Thank you so much for your support. Aside from selling a few of my originals opening night, I was also able to sell a few prints, so things went pretty well!

We will be doing it all over again in February, as there will be a separate opening night then, one in which will be advertised in a better manner than this one, since there was no ad that went out in the paper for this one. Moreover, during the one in February , I hope to include some additional drawings.

All set and ready to go! Please join me at my art show!

All set and ready to go! Please join me at my art show!

Well, looks like things are all set for my art show at the Mental Health Association (MHA) entitled “Beauty in the Midst of Voices.” I stopped by earlier at the MHA in order to see how the set up was going and looks like we are all set. So excited! I hope that you all can join me for opening night this evening @ 6:00 p.m. The opening will last until 8:00 p.m. and aside from the originals, I will also be selling prints of my art work for only $10.00 each! Quite a bargain!

In attendance  will be my three little ones whom I’ve used as models for the majority of the pieces which will be featured during the exhibition “Beauty in the Midst of Voices.” My husband will be joining us as well.

So, I hope to see you all there!

“Til later BlogSpot friends!

A Simple Surprise:

A Simple Surprise:

Bought a simple surprise for the girls this afternoon: Three dry-erase writing tablets with matching markers from Family Dollar. And the girls love them! We like to use these boards to practice their spelling and writing. We had been using only one to teach the girls but since Family Dollar had them for so cheap ($2.99 a board), I decided that each should have their own, and they were a great hit tonight during our activity time, as the girls enjoyed writing out their names on them and practiced their reading skills, reviewing all the three letter words in the” –at”, “-et”, and “–it” families. We haven’t worked on their reading skills in a ‘lil while, but I was so impressed by their memories, Faith really remembered her words in the “-at,” “-et,” and “-it,” families. I’m so very proud of her. So very proud of all of them, actually!

A 'Lil Worried But the Show Must Go On ! ! !

A 'Lil Worried  But the Show Must Go On ! ! !

I just found out today that a great part of the the staff over at the Mental Health Association has left, and along with them went the woman who was in charge of my exhibition there. As a result of the diminishing staff, when the newsletter went of for the Mental Health Aassociation, my Artist Bio did not get sent out along with it. Usually as well, the Mental Health Association would place an ad in the paper, as well, in order to advertise for the featured artist of the month, but that has not happened as of yet in my case because of the recent staff change. On my part I've already begun to send out some invitations but I don't think that the Mental Health Association will get the type of crowd this month that they are usually accustomed to as with their other artists, which is simply unfair to me. But luckily I am also the featured artist for the month of February 2012 so, hopefully, advertisement will go out for that month.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Decisions, decisions, decisions! I don’t know what I will do! I have written a book by the name of Bible Tales and I have also written another book, my memoir (I know I’m only thirty-one right?), which I am just putting the finishing touches on. My memoir is called “If We Could Tape Record Our Thoughts” and talks very heavily about my mental illness, schizophrenia, as well as my spirituality over the years and how my mental health has affected my spirituality, and vice versa. But I do not know which one I should publish first, and the question  remains: “Should I self- publish or seek a traditional publisher to do the publishing?”

I believe in my work and I know that I am a great writer but I do not have what is known in the publishing arena, as a platform. I do not have enough credentials. Bible Tales is a well written book, very cleverly written, the first five books of the Bible written in Rhythm and Rhyme—in short POETRY! But I have never published any articles in the genre of the subject to build a platform for myself to pave the way for Bible Tales and one (A pubishing company, an editor, or an agent, perhaps) might ask themselves: who is Samara Doumnande and who is she to write a book about the Bible? She is no rabbi, no priest, no imam, and definitely not a monk! And Ms. Samara A. Doumnande, or Ms. SamDoum, as you like to call yourself, just where are your credentials? What have you written before? Or better put, what have you ever written that’s ever been published? Nothing you say? Well, just how in the world do you think that you are going to be able to sell any books for us? Sorry, you’re just not what we are looking for. We want someone who is more established. You’re no T.D. Jakes, no Joel Olsteen— you simply just don’t have a fan base. How exactly do you expect to sell a book on spirituality or the Bible for that matter with out one? You simply need a fan base!

Happy New Years!

Happy New Years!

Happy New Years to all of the reader’s of The Blog of SamDoum Art by SamDoum! I haven’t posted to my blog in what seems like a short while. I’ve instead been taking some time out to enjoy family and friends, and to prepare for my exhibition at the Mental Health Association of Rochester, New York. But I wanted to take this time out to say thank you to all of my reader’s and I just wanted to wish you all a very, very, very happy New Year. May the Lord bless you all with everything your heart desires this 2012! I will be posting more in upcoming days, so keep reading and enjoy!

Until then, please enjoy some of my writing and art!

 

(You can purchase a print of "Momma's Help" Here )