Jessi Koch: Portrait Artist & Illustrator
Donation protected
Hello there, Jessi Koch here. I
hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying life, where ever you may be. I'm
humbly and a bit shamefully seeking your financial help on this website.
If you don't already know me, I'm a gal who loves to make art. I've drawn since I was old enough to hold a pencil, and have been making it my business to continue drawing and learning new techniques in other mediums. My first paying art job was for a classmate's family album. I did six drawings for $10 apiece. That's big money in seventh grade! In addition, I've painted sets for high school plays (pro bono ha ha), created family crests, and rendered several charcoal portraits. In my youth, I went to state schools for graphic design, but that just wasn't for me. I wanted to draw, not create layouts for newspapers! In the fall of 2008, I went back to school for illustration as an online student at San Francisco's Academy of Art University. Originally, I wanted to get an Illustration BFA, but art school is not cheap and I have had to downsize my plans. It is long overdue, but now I'm nearly done with an Associate's degree in illustration!
While I am close the end of my classes, I've been simultaneously transitioning into my portrait art profession in order to save time:let's face it; I'm not getting any younger! This money will help me finish my degree, buy some glass for my frames (and maybe get better, more professional frames altogether), make quality prints of some of my work to sell at Yankton's 2013 River Boat Days festival, and enter some portrait competitions. I have already joined the Portrait Society of America to "get my name out there", but it costs extra to have your work critiqued by the pros and attend the annual conference in Atlanta, GA. The conference would not only be a great opportunity to learn new ways of creating portraits, but it would also be a good place to network. I already set up my first website on www.wordpress.com, and just need the time to finish working on my official site at www.jessikoch.com.
I have looked at the numbers, and I'll need about $8590.00 to get all of this done. The plan is to hold off on any big advertising until I finish my AA degree, and just rely on "word-of-mouth" right now.
In attending a small business seminar (called SCORE) in Sioux Falls, SD, I learned that "word-of-mouth" is the best advertising. In light of this, I try to be courteous to my customers and keep them informed every step of the way. People seem to appreciate it when I let them in on how my whole art process works. I could really use some financial help from people to become the next great master portrait artist! Any little bit would help. I don't want to take out a traditional bank loan yet because I'm already up to my eyeballs in student loan debt. I've filled out several scholarship applications to finish my schooling, but those aren't guaranteed. Again, every little bit helps me accomplish what I've always dreamed.
Thank you for your time!
Love and Happiness,
Jessi Koch http://upallnightbrand.wordpress.com
If you don't already know me, I'm a gal who loves to make art. I've drawn since I was old enough to hold a pencil, and have been making it my business to continue drawing and learning new techniques in other mediums. My first paying art job was for a classmate's family album. I did six drawings for $10 apiece. That's big money in seventh grade! In addition, I've painted sets for high school plays (pro bono ha ha), created family crests, and rendered several charcoal portraits. In my youth, I went to state schools for graphic design, but that just wasn't for me. I wanted to draw, not create layouts for newspapers! In the fall of 2008, I went back to school for illustration as an online student at San Francisco's Academy of Art University. Originally, I wanted to get an Illustration BFA, but art school is not cheap and I have had to downsize my plans. It is long overdue, but now I'm nearly done with an Associate's degree in illustration!
While I am close the end of my classes, I've been simultaneously transitioning into my portrait art profession in order to save time:let's face it; I'm not getting any younger! This money will help me finish my degree, buy some glass for my frames (and maybe get better, more professional frames altogether), make quality prints of some of my work to sell at Yankton's 2013 River Boat Days festival, and enter some portrait competitions. I have already joined the Portrait Society of America to "get my name out there", but it costs extra to have your work critiqued by the pros and attend the annual conference in Atlanta, GA. The conference would not only be a great opportunity to learn new ways of creating portraits, but it would also be a good place to network. I already set up my first website on www.wordpress.com, and just need the time to finish working on my official site at www.jessikoch.com.
I have looked at the numbers, and I'll need about $8590.00 to get all of this done. The plan is to hold off on any big advertising until I finish my AA degree, and just rely on "word-of-mouth" right now.
In attending a small business seminar (called SCORE) in Sioux Falls, SD, I learned that "word-of-mouth" is the best advertising. In light of this, I try to be courteous to my customers and keep them informed every step of the way. People seem to appreciate it when I let them in on how my whole art process works. I could really use some financial help from people to become the next great master portrait artist! Any little bit would help. I don't want to take out a traditional bank loan yet because I'm already up to my eyeballs in student loan debt. I've filled out several scholarship applications to finish my schooling, but those aren't guaranteed. Again, every little bit helps me accomplish what I've always dreamed.
Thank you for your time!
Love and Happiness,
Jessi Koch http://upallnightbrand.wordpress.com
Organizer
Jessi Koch
Organizer
Mission Hill, SD
