SALEM ARTIST LAUNCHES CROWD-SOURCED PROJECT

SALEM, OR – Salem artist Rachael Rossman likes to keep busy. A wife, mom of two and a marketing professional with a full-time gig, Rossman spends her free time on her second career – painting portraits. This week, Rossman launched a new project via Kickstarter, a website that helps creatives fund their projects directly from patrons.
Last year, Rossman painted over 250 commissioned portraits. Her unique, contemporary watercolor style, her lively social medial presence and witty blog left her clients asking for even more. “People started asking if I’d consider making a calendar and I thought, why not?”
Her 2012 Portraits of Man and Beast Calendar project was launched February 19 via Kickstarter. The Calendar Project is a unique opportunity for clients – past, present and future – to influence the outcome of an art project. Backers can pledge at different levels which range from one dollar to the premium spot – an original portrait and its placement on the cover of the calendar. Clients who’ve commissioned pieces in the past can also request that an image of their painting appear on a day of the year in the calendar’s layout.
The word about Rossman’s project is spreading quickly by Twitter, Facebook and word-of-mouth, with inquiries pouring in and already two backers in the first few hours.
Rossman is no stranger to the phenomenon she calls Twitter Power. Her social media connections have landed her work on marthastewart.com as well as popular blogs like The Pioneer Woman and dooce.com. A random Twitter interaction with author Neil Gaiman resulted in two paintings of his white shepherds – and multiple tweets from the author to his 1.5 million followers.
“The internet has been very good to me,” says Rossman. “It’s even taken me to Hollywood.” GBK Productions in Los Angeles contacted Rossman last spring and invited her to participate in the celebrity gift lounge for the MTV Movie Awards.
“When you’re a one-woman business, you have to be creative on how you get the word out,” says Rossman. “I don’t have a marketing budget, but I do have a knack for social media. It helps.”
Per Kickstarter policy, Rossman’s project must be fully funded in 45 days in order to proceed. “I’m really anxious to see how it all turns out,” says Rossman, who encourages backers to not only contribute, but to help get the word out.
“My mantra is Tweet. Share. Repeat.”
You can view Rachael Rossman’s portfolio and blog (and links to the Kickstarter site) at rachaelrossman.com.
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