Where Life Goes Better with Art and Auction..Join us May 7th

Usually when I say "auction," I'm talking about the accelerated marketing that's been so successful for TRAC Auctions. But this time is a little different. There's still a building involved (though it is not for sale). This time it is the paintings and sculpture and gorgeous ceramic art for sale. And just to keep it interesting …the #1 bar in America, recently chosen by "Esquire" magazine.

It began a few months ago when my friend and amazing artist, Tatiana, introduced me to Laura Siner and Leia McKenna who own and run The Art Resource, Inc. The Art Resource represents hundreds of artists including painters, printmakers, sculptors, weavers, mixed media, several lines of limited edition prints and reproductions…and Tatiana and her wonderful ceramic creations.

Their clients include architects, developers, interior designers, corporations, and private collectors. And people like me, who have art in need of a frame – like this painting by that talented Art of Marketing You master, Marti Garaughty –

When I visited the gallery and met Laura and Leia, we talked about Tatiana and how successful the auction of her historic church/home had been. That led to the idea of another auction, this time of Tatiana's ceramics and works of other artists at the Art Resource gallery. One thing led to another, as it often does, and the art auction became a gallery reception and book signing celebration.

When talk turned to refreshments, we went from wine and cheese in the gallery to The Brewer's Art and their great microbrewery and pub on the first floor.

Baltimore's Mount Vernon cultural district is home to world famous institutions like the Walters Art Museum and the Peabody Institute plus galleries and restaurants galore. First Thursdays (the first Thursday in the month) bring people to the area in the early evening hours for special events, leisurely strolls, and pub-crawling.

Please join us!

Thursday May 7,2009 4:00 to 8:00 Pm

The Art Resource

1106 N.Charles St. Ste.303

Baltimore,Md 21201

Art, Friendships, Blogging - These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

It has taken me two years to give my friend a gift, but finally Tatiana has joined Active Rain. And now our community has gained another talented artist. When you look at her work along with mARTi's, you'll see why I saw a connection between them and wanted this very talented and accomplished marketer to join.

A couple a years ago, I was drawn to mARTi's work, especially his violin. Besides being a talented ceramic artist, Tatiana is also a musician. She played the cello for many years and held chamber music concerts in her historic church/gallery/studio in Maryland. When she moved to New Mexico, she re-established her studio and has built her business with high-profile clients like Gump's. Isn't this one sexy website?

What I love best about this is the connections. They grow like a tapestry, weaving lines between people who might otherwise never have met. I found Marti Garaughty because he was on Active Rain, and immediately liked his work. A couple of years later when I was ready for a book cover, I knew he was the one to create an extraordinary image. Marti worked with me and my publisher, Peg Silloway, to make the book everything I wanted.

I met Tatiana through a friend in Baltimore who thought we would work well together, and thus began first a business relationship and then a personal friendship. We sold her church at auction but we've stayed close after her move to New Mexico. And then Eloise Gift's thread became part of our tapestry when she went into Tatiana's gallery and found a connection through Active Rain back to Baltimore.

Look at all this wonderful talent coming together in one virtual place. Connections like these are why being part of Active Rain is one of my favorite things!

The Washington Post and My Name in Print

What a wonderful day! We went to the diner with the pilots for breakfast - what we call "hanger flying" – you go somewhere and just talk about flying. Today's conversation started with, "Did you hear about the guy who had a stroke, yes while flying, lost his vision and still landed safely? (The story from England is here.)

Then went to visit some special friends, Marge and Henry; we stopped by with a cake to celebrate Marge's birthday.

Oh, yes, and then I ratified a contract and listed a new one that's up on ActiveRain with a lot of comments.

Driving home, I got that wonderful call: "You are featured in a story on the front page of the Washington Post!" Immediately I called my friend Peg who I know subscribes to the Post and she had it right in front of her – lead story in the Real Estate section of the Sunday paper. We got off the Beltway to find my own copy of the paper. Sure enough, the headline read: "How do you make an OPEN HOUSE stand out? Sometimes agents go to Extremes, but the Glitz doesn't always help." Not every place in Baltimore carries the Post, so we had to go to several places and bought a bunch of copies, then called Tatiana in New Mexico to share the news, since she's in the article, too.

It started a week or so ago, when I received a call from a Dan Rafter, a freelance writer for the Washington Post. He was interested in unusual open houses, and saw my post on the "Piggy TRAC Barbeque" That's right, Dan found me through Active Rain! When he called, I remembered the key things to know when speaking to a reporter: First, remember they are on a deadline and usually have an assignment. Second, find out what the article is going to be about and focus on that. I wanted to talk about Auctions or my book, but his assignment was open houses, so that's what we talked about. He wanted stories of unusual open houses like the "Piggy TRAC," and wanted to speak to the seller. I knew the barbecue open house seller wasn't available, so how about a champagne and popcorn open house? He liked the idea, and I knew Tatiana would be able to give him a good interview; she's a natural marketer.

And there was the article including a mention of Active Rain! Turns out I didn't need to run around and buy copies of the Post; the article is all there online.

San Francisco, Here She Comes!

My friend and client, Tatiana, has created quite a stir in the City by the Bay. Traveling from her home in New Mexico to downtown San Francisco, she recently introduced herself and her artwork at Gumps. If you've ever been to this fabulous store – or seen their online presence – you know that having an opportunity to present to this home of fine jewelry and furnishings is quite a coup.

Not only did she make a presentation, but the entire staff of Gumps came in to the store early just to meet and hear from her, and see her art. The icing on this elegant cake? Gumps bought 31 of her pieces. That's about the equivalent of selling a multi-million dollar home to a high-profile celebrity!

Success stories are always fun, but when you know the person and know how much they put into their work, it's even better. I love that she's getting this recognition and success!

A Perfect Day for Accelerated Marketing

The day dawned cool and bright – perfect for the accelerated marketing event (some know it as an auction) of an historic church property belonging to the gifted artist and my friend, Tatiana. As the temperature slowly climbed and the sun shone through the tall trees surrounding the buildings, people gathered for the 11:00 a.m. event. The auctioneers from Auction Brokers set up a tent and had music playing while people wandered the grounds and explored the church building, modern addition, and kiln building.

Then it was time to start. People stood around, some in the sun, some in the shade under the apple and pear trees along the driveway. After making the official announcement about the terms of the sale, Paul had me say a few words to the crowd. Really. A few words – he told me to keep it brief. And when I did, he made some crack about never having heard me say so little before. The nerve!

Then the auction started in earnest. Paul has a wonderful voice, and his classic auctioneer song rang over the speaker system as his assistants kept in close touch with the group of serious bidders. When it appeared the bidding was just about over, he called a brief recess so we could phone Tatiana in New Mexico for approval of the price. Then one more short bidding opportunity, and it was done. Sold!

No, I won't tell you what it sold for yet – settlement is October 20. But I can tell you that Tatiana was satisfied with the price, the new owner knows the neighborhood and has a sense of the history that goes along with his purchase, and I felt the auction was a success.

Not Just Another Open House

The evening was a hot one, even for early September in Baltimore. The open house was to start at 6:30, and by 6:00 there was already a crowd gathering outside, fanning themselves, trying to catch the little bit of warm breeze that stirred the trees. To be fair to the owners, we wouldn't open until the official start time. After all, it's not easy getting 6,000 sq.ft. in open house condition, working full time, having a life, and sharing the space with a couple of beautiful greyhounds. The question was – should we turn on the air conditioning, or open all the French doors and let the breezes in? We did both.

Before the opening I had time to talk with the crowd of more than 30 prospective buyers and share all the wonderful stuff I know about this historic building and my dear friend, the artist Tatiana. I showed them the cornerstone that reads 1889, and we had time to walk the property and see the freestanding building that housed Tatiana's kiln. What treasures of ceramic art came from that smoke-stained building! The building would make a great workshop, classroom, or storage space.

The adjacent cemetery brings different reactions from people. The cemetery was begun when the building was used as a church, and was sold many years ago to the former congregation who still care for it. Some people, often the creative, artists, writers, etc., find the space very calming and peaceful. The extensive decking around the building provides the perfect place to sit and contemplate.

There were plenty of questions and it was great to watch the anticipation build as the time grew close to go inside. Not everything about the building is clear from the outside, and the green house windows drew plenty of speculation. Designed by Tatiana's late husband, William Potts who was an architect and used it as his studio, this part of the addition has its own private front entrance as well as a "secret" curved stairway from the inside.

When the doors opened at 6:30 it was fun to watch the expressions of young and old take in the huge space with the original ceilings, floors, and windows. And then to see how Tatiana, who lived here for more than 30 years, made use of the gourmet kitchen and the huge sunroom. Asked about access, I showed one very nice lady with a cane the ramp in the rear. (She of course reassured me that she did need it!)

I asked the children if they would like to live here, and was answered with such excitement..."Yeah, this would be cool!" So I of course suggested they all go pick out their rooms and then report back to me. One wanted the studio apartment, one wanted the cool room upstairs with the round stained window, one wanted Tatiana's bedroom and was fascinated by her Japanese RED soaking tub. Remember, I was using my former Pediatric RN training - get the kids involved.

I pointed out the possibility of using the huge library as a master bedroom since it has a full bath attached. The glaze room area with its small office and bath would be an ideal place for a laundry. And that still leaves four bedrooms plus two more baths and a full laundry upstairs.

During all this Paul Sobwick, our good-looking auctioneer from Auction Brokers, was listening and talking and making everyone comfortable, answering questions about the auction and how it works.

We stayed until almost 9:00 pm, sitting outside and talking about how successful the open house was and what good energy we all felt. We are all very excited about the upcoming auction in just two weeks on September 20.

This was definitely not just another open house!