I am writing this blog to warn all newer artists about scam attempts that I have received. I have had this website up and running now for a couple of years.  This website has been linked to other online art venues, such as BrushSpace, Etsy, and Art Show, etc. I have taken the time to count how times I have received a contact from an interested "buyer." So far, it is 8 times. I am listing them here in case you have received an email or a "Contact the Artist" from a similar "buyer." Pay attention to misspellings and poor usage of grammar.

The 1st time was from a man called Sean Jerry. This came directly to my website. Here is his email:

I have just seen your advertisement for artwork  in the ad site artshow.com,so i read your advertisment with some intersest. I should be greatful if you would send me further information about it any other similar model you have in stock.

In particular , i would like to know it final price and wheather any special terms or bid & auction are available in purchasing some  and my method of payment is via check as you dont have to worry yourself about the frame work.If so i will appreciate such information.

You can send me more pics and I look forward to recieving your reply at your ealiest convinience.

The 2nd time was from a woman from the Philipines by the name of Mrs. Aveline Regato. This came directly to my website. Here is her email:

Nice to meet you, how is everything, hope all is well with you. My name is Madam Avelin Regato, I found your contact after seeing your profile I picked interest to contact you. I've something very important which I would love to share with you privately, therefore, would love you to kindly write me back on:( avregato@live.fr) so that I'll give you details. Waiting anxiously for your mail,  

The 3rd time was from a vanity gallery called Montserrat Art Gallery. This came directly to my website. They wanted $1200 up front. Here is their email:

We invite you to consider an exhibition at Montserrat Contemporary Art by offering you the possibility of being in a show in our gallery to be held on March 10 – March 28, 2009 or June 2 – June 20, 2009.  
 
Montserrat Contemporary Art is a well established active gallery promoting artists since 1989.  The gallery offers an excellent opportunity for both critical and  commercial exposure of your art.  
 
Surrounded by galleries, and in a friendly and professional atmosphere,  our gallery providews an excellent location to exhibit art in the trendy Chelsea art district.  
 
Enclosed please find showcase policy terms and conditions.

The 4th attempt was from Naheed Waheed.  This came directly to my website. Here is his email:

How are you and i have been visiting so many site before i came accross you ads in artshow .com ,which i read that you are one of the greatest ,i found your artworks so creative and they are artworks that are very skilfull.i like mailing heroes of art like you.  And i also read that your artwork is exhibited through out USA,moreso i also see couple of the sculpture work that you creat and they are solovely and adept.  Art is a work which everybody like and that make a change in this our world today and you happen to be one of those succesfull people that i have just see who did art  
for future concern.  
 
My name is waheed najeem,i am 19 years old,i am talleted and i need someone who can help me in making my artwork to be well known ,but the most important thing is to show how much people will spell and taste artwork as a high game in the world because i ,love art so much.  I paint on canvas and on board also and my artwork is on african art design and i do portrait also.  
 
So i wish you can advice me more about how i can go forward on this stuff,maybe if you can allow me send some to you to view.I think if you see some,as a professional you can screen them and observe maybe they are artwork people will like over there.  
 
I am not asking for money,but seeking for surviver.It is good to try and fail; than to fail to try.,We can still know better,we can work together.  
Thanks and god bless you

The 5th attempt was on my Etsy online shop. It is from a user by the name of nimotaknny2. Here is his/her email:

I am interested in the immediate purchase of your item and will be make payment via cashier check/money order, my private shipping company will handle the shipping, but before payment will be made i need to be sure of who i am dealing with if you are going to be honest and sincere throughout the transaction. A certified cashiers check is cash-able the same day,there is going to be an excess fund on the check ,the excess fund is meant for the private shipping company who will come to your place for pick up of the item, so shipping is not a problem,will you be able to transfer the excess fund to the shipping company the same day you receive the check?. check would be sent to you so when you get payment you can easily cash it at any cashing point near you or deposit in your bank. You'll be sending excess fund to my shipper , which would be meant for shipping arrangement.if you agree, signify your interest by forwarding to me your Final Asking Price, Full Name & Contact Address  and Tel # also i will want you to email to my husband  private email address white_carl33@rocketmail.com  make sure you reply back to my husband email,So plz kindly email me to my email address I await your response soonest.
Best and kind regards,

The 6th attempt was also from my Etsy online shop. It is from a user by the name of nimota15. Here is his/her email:

I am interested in the immediate purchase of your item and will be make payment via cashier check/money order, my private shipping company will handle the shipping, but before payment will be made i need to be sure of who i am dealing with if you are going to be honest and sincere throughout the transaction. A certified cashiers check is cash-able the same day,there is going to be an excess fund on the check ,the excess fund is meant for the private shipping company who will come to your place for pick up of the item, so shipping is not a problem,will you be able to transfer the excess fund to the shipping company the same day you receive the check?. check would be sent to you so when you get payment you can easily cash it at any cashing point near you or deposit in your bank. You'll be sending excess fund to my shipper , which would be meant for shipping arrangement.if you agree, signify your interest by forwarding to me your Final Asking Price, Full Name & Contact Address and Tel # also i will want you to email to my husband private email address nimotakenny@ymail.com make sure you reply back to my husband email,So plz kindly email me to my email address I await your response soonest.
Best and kind regards,
 

The 7th attempt was from Mrs. Aveline Regato from the Philipines. (Apparently, she really likes my art!). This is from BrushSpace. Here is this email:

Greetings Dear ,

I find it very necessary to disclose this important information to you and to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you after very serious contemplation.

My name is Avelin Regato. A complete citizen of the Philippines , widow to the late Mr Desmond Regato who died of ulcer and he has been buried.
 
I inherited some money from my late husband, this money which is concealed in a metallic trunk box is deposited with a security and finance company in Cote D'Ivoire Due to the instruction he laid down before he deposited the box, that he needed maximum security/safety of my consignment and no body nor government organization can trace where about of the box until were ready and prepare to claim it.
 
This deposit was coded under a secret arrangement as a family treasure. This means that the security company does not know the content of this trunk box.
 
My main purpose of sending you this mail is because of the way I found you and perhaps trustworthy to give you this priority of shipping the box of money to any address that you think are very secure and save in your country with your percentage of which we shall chat on soon.
 
In fact, since the death of my husband, his brothers has been seriously chasing me around with constant treats, trying to suppress me so that they might have the documents of his landed properties and confiscate them. They have successfully collected all his properties, yet they never stopped there, they told me to surrender all bank account of my late husband, which I did, but I never disclose to them this deposit with the security company in Abidjan-Cote D'Ivoire , because this is where my future and destiny lies upon.
 
The family of my late husband never aware of the secret existence of this deposit which my late husband made with the security company and they can never be aware of it.
 
Out of fear of my late husband痴 family, and when the situation becomes uncontrollable because of pressure on me from the family, I decide to look for a trustworthy person who could assist me retrieve this box of money from the security company for onward lodgement into his account for the purpose of future investment. Consider my situation as a widow and come to my rescue.
 
There is need for urgent action because I'm paying $50 dollars per day as a demurrage to the security company for safe keeping this consignment.
 
I give thanks immensely for your co-operation as I look forward to hear from you soon.

All the best,

Mrs Avelin Regato

The 8th attempt is from Irene Hale. This is from Art Show:

Good day to you out there.
 
I am so excited that I came across of your work on internet search,I am interested in purchasing these creative artworks from you.....................

Let me know their various prices.and how much discounts are you going to give?I will be happy to have these selected artworks hanged in our new home in South Africa. As well, I want you to take out the shipping cost.I have been in touch with a shipping firm that will be shipping other house decoratives.

We are traveling from our Dallas home to our new apartment as soon as possible.On Paying for the artworks,I will be glad to pay you with a Money Order or Cashier`s check in US funds that can be easily cashed at your local bank,please let me know on how to proceed for the payment of the creative artworks.

I will await your advise on how to proceed.Have a wonderful day.
 
Take care,
Irene Hale

I have come to appreciate the attention that my art receives. My daughter works for the FBI and she informed me that they have an  Internet Crime Complaint Center. You may fill out the information regarding an attempted scam on their website: http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

I hope this blogs helps out all newer artists. Please do not fall prey to these scammers. And NEVER pay any money up front for anything. It is not worth it.

Good Luck and Happy Creation!

I work as a subcontractor with the Dept. of Defense in Seaside, California (also known as DoD West). The Social Committee holds a craft fair for its employees and their families twice a year and this time I decided to sign up. It was today, right in time for Mother's Day. The other craft fair is right before Christmas.

As most artists, I am reserved and somewhat shy so I find craft fairs, art shows, and art receptions difficult as I have to step out of my skin and actually TALK to someone.

This craft fair was good practice for me. I was strongly encouraged to sign up and now I'm glad I did. I crafted hand made notecards of California wildflowers. These were from paintings I had done years ago. I cut them in 3" squares and pasted them on notecards. I sold them for $2.50 ea. I sold several. I also brought several older paintings that I no longer display on my web site and sold those for $10.00 ea. I sold a few of those. And lastly, I brought my Orchid Collection. These had already been matted since they were on display at a coffee shop last year. But they did not sell at all which was fine with me as I didn't want to part with them for only $25.00 ea.

I was asked to bring a donation. So I brought the Chilean Bellflower (pictured) and received rave reviews. This will be raffled off later in the day.

The craft fair only lasted a couple of hours. It gave me an idea of what people want (mainly note cards) and I got an opportunity to meet some new faces and gain some new customers.

If you're just starting out and you want some easy and quick exposure, I recommend a local craft fair. The people are very supportive of your work. Or as one co-worker put it (who bought a painting) " I'd  rather support the artists than the cupcake lady."

I am happy to announce that I have added a new collection to this site. It is called Beach Umbrellas.

Last summer, when I was at a state beach in Santa Cruz county, I was drawn to the colorful umbrellas that dotted the beach. Each umbrella was unique in its color scheme, size, and placement. These umbrellas added so much color to the beach that it seemed to light up with different colors, designs, and shapes. Some of the umbrellas had colorful chairs, plastic pails and spoons, and coolers that added to the the array.

The umbrella shown here is the first of a collection of five. It is titled "Swirled Colors." I am especially happy with it and love the way the edges of the umbrella are blowing in the breeze. I have received many compliments on it already and may have some interested buyers.

It was framed recently and will be on display soon. If you are interested in learning about the upcoming watercolor show, please visit the "Events."

I am currently working on "Polka-Dotted Colors." It is a picture of two very large polka-dotted umbrellas. The umbrellas are a yellowish green and the polka-dots are gold, blue, and magenta. The polka dots have turned out to be challenging to paint. Who knew?

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I am enjoying painting it. These paintings are making me want to curl up under an umbrellas with a good book and relax. I hope you come away with that same feeling.

Enjoy!

Recently, I was diagnosed with a rare hand disorder called Dupuytren's Contracture. This disorder affects only 3 % of the population. It is common in people of Northern European decent (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc.). It usually affects men, people who drink and smoke too much, and those over 40.  I am over 40 and none of the rest. It also tends to be genetic although no one else in my family has it.

Dupuytren's Contracture is a fibrous tissue that grows in your palms and spreads outward to your fingers. If untreated, it pulls your fingers inward. You cannot straighten your fingers. There is no pain. It usually affects the little and ring fingers. I was diagnosed with it in my little, ring, middle fingers and my thumb. I had to have surgery or I would lose the use of my hand altogether.

About 2 months ago, I had surgery on my right hand. I was in a cast for 10 days then I needed hand therapy for 6 weeks. I had to file for short-term disability as I couldn't work. Because the surgery was on my right hand (my dominant hand), I had to use my left hand for every day activities, writing, and painting (for a while).

My hand was swollen and the scar was nasty. I was afraid I would never be able to paint again.  Never mind anything else! So, once my stitches came out, I gave painting a shot.

Since I paint watercolors, I have always torn the watercolor paper for smaller sheets. I have never painted a full sheet. I could no longer tear the paper, tape off the borders, or trace images onto the paper. I had to freehand it. I had to go loose.

So I decided I would paint large florals. I used full sheets, hand-drew the images (I used a grid), and used large brushes. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. So far, I have painted Blue Hydrangeas and Orange Nasturtiums. I intend to paint a collection of 5.

Surgery isn't the only option for this disorder. You can also get a needle treatment. But I found out that it wasn't covered by my insurance and my hand doctor doesn't do it. It's risky as it does not remove the tissue and it can grow back. I also found out that I needed another surgical procedure while I was under that the needle treatment woudn't have fixed. Later this year, the FDA ia supposed to approve a collagen treatment that is to be far less invasive.

For more information on Dupuytren's Contracture, please visit this web site. It is the most informative.

http://www.dupuytren-online.info/forum.html

Well, here we are only 2 days before Christmas and already there is a second attempt at to scam me in less than one month. My new buddy, Waheed, is asking me to support him through art school. He is, after all, "talleted." I have begun a series of African Sunrises and Sunsets and, as a result, have gotten quite a bit of buzz from scammers. I am enclosing Waheed's request (he contacted me through FASO's contact tab since I was forced to disable the email link) in its entirety complete with all of the misspellings.

"Hello How are you and i have been visiting so many site before i came accross you ads in artshow .com ,which i read that you are one of the greatest ,i found your artworks so creative and they are artworks that are very skilfull.i like mailing heroes of art like you. And i also read that your artwork is exhibited through out USA,moreso i also see couple of the sculpture work that you creat and they are solovely and adept. Art is a work which everybody like and that make a change in this our world today and you happen to be one of those succesfull people that i have just see who did art for future concern. My name is waheed najeem,i am 19 years old,i am talleted and i need someone who can help me in making my artwork to be well known ,but the most important thing is to show how much people will spell and taste artwork as a high game in the world because i ,love art so much. I paint on canvas and on board also and my artwork is on african art design and i do portrait also. So i wish you can advice me more about how i can go forward on this stuff,maybe if you can allow me send some to you to view.I think if you see some,as a professional you can screen them and observe maybe they are artwork people will like over there. I am not asking for money,but seeking for surviver.It is good to try and fail; than to fail to try.,We can still know better,we can work together. Thanks and god bless you Waheed Najeem +2348053535733"

Please be aware of any attempted scams. Look for horrible usage of English, grammtical errors, and bad spelling. I'm told scammers are especially busy this time of year.

The last blog I wrote regarding scammers, I received several very helpful and sincere comments, which I really appreciated. Thank you to those who commented.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a safe and scam-less new year.

I am starting a new tradition this year. I am going to make my own Christmas cards and send them out to family, friends, art buyers, and contacts. This year, I am sending them out to around 350. I feel that it is a very subtle marketing idea without being overly pushy.

Each year, I will paint a new holiday scene and take it to the nearby printer. I ordered 500 of this year's Christmas Angel and it cost me less than if I had purchased 500 retail cards. So, it's quite a savings. On the back of the card, I have included a little history of the Christmas Angel, my copyright, and my web site. On the front page of my web site, I am encouraging people to send me their name and address if they would like to receive a card in the future.

I think it will become a fun tradition and I recommend it to any artist who wants to build up their clientele. Whether it will bring me more business has yet to be seen.

Another fun idea for an up and coming artist to try out!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

I am writing this blog today to warn all artists to stay away from any any potenital art "buyers" from South Africa. I received an email last week from a man by the name of Sean Jerry who was in South Africa and wanted to buy one of my works of art. He said the he was traveling to the "U.K." and wanted to settle the transcaction quickly. He wanted to send me a check and asked for my address which I gave him. He also wanted my phone number, but I did not give that to him. At first, he said he wanted the piece framed, so I gave him the quote for both the artwork, the frame, and the shipping charges. This totaled nearly $800. I am asking $500 for the painting ("Sunset at Kruger Park" in my African Sunset/Sunrise collection).

Sean decided he would frame the piece himself and he told me he would need the dimensions of the artwork so that his "framer" could make the frame. He requested that I send an email to his "framer" and copy him with the dimensions. After I did that, I got an email from Sean stating that he was going to send me a cashier's check for $2000. I was to take the $500 for the painting and send the remainder to the "framer." I then received an email from the "framer" who told me to deduct the $500 from the check and send him the remaining $1500. He also told me to hang onto the painting as his workshop was full of shards and they might damage the painting.

I felt like an idiot after I realized that I was being scammed. I had remembered a blog about art scammers and finally found the one that Clint Watson wrote. What Clint described was exactly what was happening to me. I have not returned any emails .

After discussing this situation with my family during the Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to report what I could to the FBI. The FBI has a cyber crime link on their web site where you can file a complaint online.

Thanks to Clint for the newsletter article. I am afraid what might have happened if I hadn't remembered that. Evidently, the cashier's check is bogus and somehow you're out both your money and your artwork.

 I have not received the bogus check yet and don't know if I will, but I have since heard that South Africa is teeming with scammers.

The only positive spin I can put on this is that the scammer thought my work was worth $2000!

Artists, be warned!!

I  entered a juried show and found out recently that my piece "Cypress and Sunrise" has been selected. I am very pleased with this work and I think it will show well. This scene is an actual sunrise that I caught one morning on my way in to work. It was absolutely spectacular!

I am very excited about this show and hope that it is the first of many. This is a dream that I've had for many years.

The gallery is called "Coastal Arts League Museum and Gallery and is located is a quaint town south of San Francisco, California called Half Moon Bay. More information about this gallery is on my Events page.

If by chance you are near Half Moon Bay, or are visiting, please stop by the Coastal Arts League Museum and Gallery to view "Cypress and Sunrise."

I am happy to announce that I have created a new collection of paintings called "African Sunrises and Sunsets."  These paintings measure 15 1/2" x 22." They are commonly called "half-sheets."  I am finding that these larger sheets are allowing me quite a bit of freedom in my painting.

I only have two uploaded now. They are completed and ready to go. I plan to have a collection of 10 and will upload each painting as I finish it.

Please look for another collection soon on lighthouses.

I was fortunate enough to have my son and his wife take their honeymoon to Africa last year. As a result, they came back with some beautiful pictures. This picture, Tents at Sunrise in Namibia, was a photo that his wife took early one morning before everyone woke up. The result was spectacular and I asked to permission to paint it. They were pleased and I ended up giving it to them as a gift.

That inspired me to start a new collection. I completed two African sunset paintings and will be posting the new collection soon. The paintings are on "half-sheets," or measurements of  15" x 22." All are different sunrises or sunsets around Africa, but mostly Namibia where my son and his wife spent the most time.

I have found that half-sheets allow me the freedom to use large bold brush strokes and I'm enjoying painting this collection.

I would love to receive comments on this painting, Tents at Sunrise in Namibia.