"The highest concept of truth, then, has a certain aesthetic about it in that it is
creative and constructive."
- L. Ron Hubbard
Message from the Director
It’s the beginning of a new year, so why not decide to make a fresh start and make this your best year ever with regards your artistic endeavors. No matter how talented, artists seldom make their living and receive fair exchange for their artistic works unless they have workable administrative and organizational tools to fall back on. Many do not treat their art as a business and fail as a result. Effective Management Association Artists USA is a group dedicated to helping artists flourish and prosper. It can help you to apply the Hubbard Management System to your artistic career, whether you are just beginning or have been working on it for many years. One can always improve. So become part of our movement. Read the successes below from our artist members and find out how much being a part of this team has benefited them.
– Leisa Collins
Featured Artist of the Month: Astrid Reeves
Astrid Reeves' vibrant interpretation of the world around is expressed in her bold paintings that capture the lively colors and swirling abstract forms of nature itself. She is very innovative and is constantly looking for new ways to apply paint to the canvas. She loves to make others happy with her artwork and thus help make the world a better place.
This month Astrid became a Model of Admin Know-How winner, a coveted WISE award for those members who have shown they are competently using Mr. Hubbard’s administration technology to grow their business.
Please tell us a little bit about your art business.
I'm a self-taught artist and paint in the abstract style which is called a contemporary artist. I did this by buying art books and taking classes, both in-person and online. Although I started painting in watercolor, I switched to acrylic. No matter which medium I painted in I was always intensely interested in color. I love the freedom of painting abstracts and can showcase my love for color the best this way. I decided to pursue art as a career about 5 years ago. I started slowly and didn't really have a cohesive plan in place, just an intense desire to be an artist and to survive doing an activity I loved. Each year I expanded my activities. The first year I started with painting and doing YouTube videos of my paintings. The next year I started doing live art shows and selling paintings directly to people at the art shows. Each year since I have increased the number of shows I am doing and therefore increased my income.
In general, how has the use of Mr. Hubbard's administrative technology impacted your business?
An art business isn't a separate way to do business where one creates and magically it all falls into place. The Hubbard Management System has shown me what needs to be in place to have an actual business. Gradually I was able to implement the different parts of the system, one by one, and then it all fell into place. Now I can guide my art in the right direction. The two activities paralleled the whole way: 1) learning to paint and becoming an artist, and 2) having an art business.
What piece of Mr. Hubbard's administrative wisdom have you found particularly helpful in making your business successful?
Keeping statistics has been most helpful. That's the real indicator of how I'm doing as a business owner. It also shows what I'm not doing. From the statistics I then apply conditions to correct the situation or to continue flourishing.
As a successful art business owner, is there one really valuable tip that you would like our readers to take away with them?
Yes, just keep working at it by doing all the steps of the Model of Admin Know-How. Bit by bit, it'll eventually all fall into place. Keep working at it, just keep going! Keep statistics and do your conditions. It's something a person can have control over. Once Hubbard Management has been stably implemented, expansion can happen from there.
You can find Astrid online at Astrid's Art Studio LLC, Facebook , Instagram and YouTube - @astridsartstudio35.
Artist Members in Action
Leisa Collins
Leisa Collins specializes in commissioned architectural art and she also likes capturing the magic of the various seasons in each portrait. She decided to offer homeowners the opportunity to have her create a series of paintings of their home, depicting it in all four seasons.
She says, “The beauty of house portraits across the four seasons can be truly captivating, as each season brings out different characteristics of the home and its magical surroundings, evoking a unique atmosphere. Additionally, painting a home in all seasons is the ultimate in bringing to mind all the happy family memories and activities which match the different times of the year. Some of my clients have given a seasonal painting to each one of their children.”
Here is one example of one of Leisa’s house portraits, in all four seasons.
If you would like to see other examples of homes in 4 seasons go Leisa’s blog.
Joel Morris
Joel Morris, a watercolor artist and EMA member in Clearwater, Florida, is enjoying greater visibility for his art as an exhibitor in local art shows. He was a contributor to the Pumpkins & Sweatshirts art show at the Oldsmar Public Library in November 2024 and is now in another exhibit titled Joy 2025 New Year's Art Exhibit. He is also scheduled to be a Featured Artist in the spring publication by Artsy Shark.
“I delight in creating my artwork but I especially enjoy having others get something from it as well. Art is a high form of communication and I’m happy to be participating in that,” Joel said.
Sketching and painting in such diverse areas as his long-time neighborhood in Pasadena, California, the Sierra Nevada mountains, upper Michigan, and now his surroundings in central Florida, his work encompasses urban life, unique buildings, everyday activities, as well as natural landscapes.
A paraplegic for nearly all his life, not only does Joel get great pleasure from his art, but he firmly believes he has turned using a wheelchair into an advantage. "Going slower helps me see the small details that others may miss - and that is what I love to showcase in my art," he says.
You can see more of Joel's work on his website at Joel's Sketchbook of Life, Facebook and Instagram.
Barbara Anne Dunn
Barbara's art and poetry celebrates the beauty of life and living, and remarks the vagaries of the human condition. Always she seeks to grace the world with her wish to make it a better place for all. Recently she has participated in the Rising from the Hurricanes Gallery, exhibiting her Chinese Brush Painting Colorado Iris. The iris symbolizes hope and future.
Barbara says, "My favorite art center, the Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, was devastated by the Hurricane Milton and Helene this past October. Since its doors have been shut, the walls were taken down to the studs, the mold and water-damage remediation was undertaken. Then, an idea was born! Rising from the Hurricanes.
"I was so glad to be able to participate and share in the happy camaraderie of artists once again gathered together, sharing their art and showing their support for the center and for each other. It is the province and magic of artist to take loss and destruction such as this and, with creativity and a message shared through aesthetics, once again bring beauty and hope and life. But my real joy was seeing so many people, artists and visitors alike, uplifted and revitalized through aesthetics."
You can see more of Barbara's work on her website, BarbaraAnneDunn.art and on Instagram.
Torsten Keller
Torsten Keller is an illustrator and graphic designer based in the great state of Florida. He is currently working on a series of photo illustrations that focus on an American theme: My American Heart. He is planning to work on some paintings and designed quotes for this project as well.
Torsten says, “These images celebrate the American Spirit and how grand this land and its people are.”
You can see more of Torsten's work on his website, TorstenKeller.com.
Poetry Corner
Find out more about Sharon Beth at:
Find out more about Laurie Noelle at:
On the Lighter Side
This cartoon was created by EMA Artists USA member, Steve Gill, who spent 40 years travelling to shows all over the United States, selling his humorous artwork and making people laugh. Steve is our resident Cartoonist for EMA Artists.
Interested in learning more about us or becoming a member?
Email us at: emaartistsusa@gmail.com
This month's quote from L. Ron Hubbard can be found on page 156 of the book Science of Survival
©2025 Effective Management Association Artists. All Rights Reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce a selection from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. HUBBARD is a trademark and is used pursuant to a license agreement. MODEL OF ADMIN KNOW-HOW and MAKH are trademarks owned by WISE International EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION is a registered trademark. IA# 012925EUS
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