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My Publications

My particular articles, books, blogs, and tutorials are available on KD Did It. Each has been written in response to what happens in my life. I obsess about lists, research, and wanting to be prepared. That or have quick access to information! Don't expect long-winded, verbose manuals full of theory. If I'm using a help manual, I want to find the information fast so I can get on with what I really need to accomplish. Reading a 700-page tome with tons of theory is not gonna make me happy...

Your Portfolio & You: Marketing for artists series

Your Portfolio & You: Marketing for artists is a marketing, business, and organizational tool focused on artists and with useful information for anyone interested in starting up a small business. There are five articles available as a free download and further articles and books are available for a fee.

The Your Portfolio & You collection began with my trying to figure out how to create an artist's résumé when my career encompassed the creation of art. There was plenty of information on standard résumés but nothing of what an artist's résumé consisted. Then there were the requests for a biography, artist statements, etc. and it seemed only natural to write my findings up and share them. A sharing that evolved into a monthly column for an artists' group to which I belonged on issues relevant to artists. Those columns became the articles below which I am currently consolidating and compiling into an even more complete book on each general topic.

Portfolio Basics - Free Articles

In putting an arts portfolio together, some of the things asked for include a résumé, an artist's and an artwork statement, a biography and, of course, the photographs.

The following articles are freely available for you to view:

A résumé lists what you've been doing in the quilt and/or art world.

An artist's statement tells anyone who reads it how you feel about your body of work, what your philosophy is, and what drives you to create.

An art story explains why you made this individual artwork.

A biography is your autobiography, a story of your life, and what got you started with art and/or art quilts.

(Art Images has been updated and superseded with Dealing with Photographs, Slides, Digital Images although you are still welcome to download a free copy of this older article)

Books from the Your Portfolio & You Series

I chose to convert the various columns on accounting first—the most mysterious topic for most artists. That was followed by copyright—a subject near and dear to every artist's heart—that of protecting their work. Then I began pulling together information on image-editing software during which I distracted myself with the travails of outdoor arts festivals. I am currently working on a basic how-to of using HTML and CSS code with the necessary SEO to create a website.

Each of the book links above leads you to a preview of each publication—a complete table of contents for each, the number of pages, the price for each article/publication, and a summary or sampling of some of the chapters in that publication.

Your Portfolio & You Articles for a Fee

Setting Up Your Studio

Exercises & Ergonomics - preventing and easing the physical issues involved in creating art.

Hiring for Your Studio - defines the differences between the types of people you may hire; the legal concerns about interviewing (and firing) someone; and, legal withholding implications.

Lighting, Walls, Tables, Storage

Office Supplies - what's necessary and what's not; considerations for letterheads, business cards, and logos; explaining a tagline; and, what is needed to order marketing postcards.

If I Die: Being prepared for incapacity or death

If I Die... is designed to prepare you or your family for you or someone you love being incapacitated or dying. There are six free forms available to help.

The If I Die... collection evolved when a friend got sick and there were so many actions that needed to be taken. So much information I needed from my friend and it just wasn't easily available with my friend stuck in the nursing home recovering from illness. I needed passwords, logins, account numbers, addresses, contact lists...it was unending. Then it got worse when my friend died. I had no idea if he was signed up as a donor or the type of funeral preferred. Memberships in organizations both offline and online which charged monthly subscription fees. Bank accounts, brokerage accounts, savings, insurances. I kept notes as I worked through everything and If I Die... is the result. I must confess I've found it very useful for living as well...

Website - Creating Your Own

Thinking About a Website - registering a domain name, what to look for in a web designer, HTML, and an analysis of web design programs.

Getting Started and Designing the Website have turned into a how-to manual, Building Your Own Website, and should be published by December 2011. Its focus is on providing you with the basics to create your own website using HTML and CSS with basic SEO guidelines built into the design process. Basic sample sheets are included for both CSS and HTML along with explanations of the purpose of each line.

Web Legalities: Designing, Publishing, & Your Protection - protecting yourself and your family from the legal liabilities of having your own website.

Online Tutorials

These tutorials are free sets of online guides in using or creating having evolved from my use of the software or a communal need. Some of the articles and mini-tutorials are available on my blog and encompass creating DMG packages for Macintosh programs, customizing Mail email templates, php-like menus for iWeb, etc. along with my ever-increasing store of book reviews.

Consider them miniature software manuals providing a set of step-by-step instructions on using the particular software.

Adobe Contribute - a content management (CMS) software program which enables non-technical users to add to and edit web pages.

Create DMG Packages is a way of making it easier for your client to install any software application, customized email template, or any other project which requires installation into your client's Macintosh. A simple drag-and-drop on your part, attach it to an email, and it's another easy drag-and-drop for your client.

Design a customized email template (Macs only!) to complement your client's website and then use the DMG tutorial above to deliver it.

Customize iWeb Sites an introductory tutorial to using Apple's iWeb aimed at people interested in creating a WYSIWIG website. Take iWeb's templates and soar beyond.

As I learn new cool software tricks, I post it to my blog.

None of the online tutorials are available for mobile browsers due to screen size restrictions

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Kathy Davie is an artist, educator, and author of the arts marketing series, Your Portfolio & You, aimed at helping artists survive (and thrive) at the business of being an artist.

As a self-taught artist, Kathy was frustrated by the lack of information on taking her career to a more professional level while meeting legal guidelines and learning about legal hiccups. Her drive for information fueled her to interview numerous professionals and compiled the information into a monthly news column. She now leads workshops and is converting the news columns into this continuing series of how-to books.

Kathy has a BS in Technical Writing & Editing with minors in Digital Media and History from Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO and is the author of Accounting for the SMALL Businessperson, How Copyright Applies to the Artist, the Buyer, the Employer/e, the Sold Artwork, Dealing with Photographs, Slides, Digital Images, and Surviving the Outdoor Arts Festival.

Visit her writing or arts websites or reach her by email.