Art Marketing Secrets

Featured Art: Mobile by Alexander Calder

Daniel — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:42:26 +0000

Alexander Calder’s amazing iconic works are displayed all over the world – from Australia to Venezuela to Sweden and beyond. This one from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis caught my attention. Although not one of his large-scale public works it is a wonder to me. The shapes and the nature of the curves speak to me of the golden mean and the wonderful symmetry normally seen only in nature.

Mobile - Alexander Calder circa 1948 iron, paint - Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

A little more about Calder from The Calder Foundation and Wikipedia. (Note: Wikipedia has a fabulous biography of Calder which I really recommend reading)

Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976), also known as Sandy Calder, was an American sculptor and artist born into a family of celebrated, though more classically trained artists. He is most famous for inventing the Mobile: by bending and twisting wire, he essentially “drew” three-dimensional figures in space, whose suspended, abstract elements move and balance in changing harmony. Calder also devoted himself to making outdoor sculpture on a grand scale from bolted sheet steel. Today, these large scale works grace public plazas in cities throughout the world.

The World’s Wealthy Artists Are Business People

Daniel — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:06:48 +0000

I have been thinking much lately on the topic of what it takes to be numbered in the ranks of wealthy artists. With that in mind, this morning I followed a tweet from Miranda Aschenbrenner over at Learn To Art to an interesting article over at ARTINFO titled, “The Worlds Wealthiest Artists?“.

As they say, “A mere handful of artists have made considerably amounts of money during their lifetimes. But those who have succeeded have done quite well indeed.”

The article goes on to chronicle the successes of art icons, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Brice Marden, Julian Schnabel, Anish Kapoor, and Jasper Johns – all very wealthy artists. I’m not sure if that is an actual ranking with Damien Hirst being the most successful and Jasper Johns the least – in any case, John’s sale of False Start for $80 million in 2006 is not too shabby!

My first thought was the article I wrote a few days ago about Picasso, “Pablo Picasso: 12 Interesting Facts“. One of those facts was that “No artist has ever been as famous in his own lifetime”. I wondered if that was actually still true or if some of the current crop of art superstars had overtaken Picasso’s fame. My guess is that Pablo still owns that one but it makes you think.

My second thought about this list was that I couldn’t see too many women in the line up – which I guess is a confirmation of that old adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”! It’s a shame – where are all the great female art moguls? Where are the women who rank in the wealthy artists?

My third thought: What does it really mean to be one of the world’s wealthiest artists anyway? It’s not necessarily suggesting that you create the greatest art. I personally really dislike a lot of Damien Hirst’s work. But then again, financial success is really important – anyone who thinks otherwise hasn’t experienced a lack of it. I think being a wealthy artist means simply that you get to have your cake and eat it too!

My last thought – and this is an important one – was that most of these guys are all superb business people. ARTINFO’s article describes Hirst as, “a consummate financier who runs nearly a dozen sundry businesses on the side” and mentions that Jeff Koons is “a former commodities trader on Wall Street who knows how to leverage his value”.

The article goes on to describe the business empire of Murakami: “Murakami.. went the way of Hirst and Koons when he established an art factory of his own, Hiropon, in 1996. Now called Kaikai Kiki Co. Ltd., with spaces in Tokyo and Long Island City, Queens, his company has more than 100 employees working on his paintings, sculptures, Louis Vuitton bags, inflatable balloons, videos, T-shirts, key chains, and plush toys.”

This fourth quality of being consummate business people is the big take away for me – and something I’ve been trying to hammer home in a number of recent articles on Art Marketing Secrets. The starving artist is a myth! It is entirely possible to be a great artist and a great business person and to enjoy success in both rooms – if you are willing to learn what it takes.

I’m not meaning to disparage the path of the artist who truly wishes to pursue his or her artistic dream without the thought of commercial success. Art can be so incredibly pure that it becomes a spiritual path of it’s own – and that is a beautiful thing.

But – if like most artists you dream of commercial success (meaning being numbered among the wealthy artists), one thing is clear: You have to think like a business person and learn how to speak that language and make decisions in a way that a business does. Starving artists typically make very poor business decisions and that is why they are still starving – even though they would really prefer to be dining in a superb 3-star Michelin restaurant!

And for women? Well – just like in most things – you have to be even better. And I am cheering you on all the way!

Artist Websites: A Conversation With A Successful Artist

Daniel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:00:02 +0000

The Lincoln Gallery At The Smithsonian Museum

Just yesterday I had a call from a very successful and established professional artist – a man who has two studios in different parts of the country and exhibits in multiple galleries and prestige locations including the Smithsonian Museum. This artist embodies what most artists dream of when we think of becoming a successful professional artist.

The reason for the call? He was looking to extend his gallery representation and needed a website – because galleries were not wanting or willing to look at his package of slides. Websites are now ubiquitous in the art world – and if an artist this successful needs one – you need one!

One of the things I love about working with serious professionals is that they recognize that their most important time is that which they spend in the studio. While the artist in question above clearly earned a significant income from his art he also had a corresponding level of financial responsibilities – meaning that he didn’t have money lying on the floor just waiting to throw at a website.

But – he was not thinking of doing something on the cheap or trying to do it himself or have his daughter or neighbor or friend do it for him. Why? – two reasons:

He realized that any time he might spend designing or trying to design a website was time not spent in the studio – and that is where he delivers his greatest value. He understood the opportunity cost involved.
He understood that when a gallery or museum (that’s his sales model) looks at his website they will make a very fast go or no-go decision based on what they see and read – so it better look and sound impressive. He was therefore not willing to risk that by having an untrained person design his site.

Similarly, we just finished developing a website for a successful up and coming Southern California artist who also works primarily within the gallery system. He made a significant financial investment in his website because he realized that in terms of his career success his website was just as important as his house or car or studio. It really is that important.

Every artist knows or should know the importance of having a great website. An artist’s website is the foundation for all online and offline marketing activity, be it search engines, email, postcard mailouts, or personal networking.

But artists who are relatively new to online marketing (and even some pro’s) often focus on the wrong design features & marketing tools when they create a website, leading to poor results. Some typical problems include:

•   Poor presentation and showcasing
•   Confusing navigation
•   Ineffective marketing tools
•   Too much focus on website technology
•   The websites just don’t WOW visitors enough to take further action

What that means for the artist, is simple: Less visitors, fewer calls from arts professionals & potential customers, and an art career that isn’t growing as quickly as it should be.

Now, we would love to remedy that by designing and building artist websites for all artists – but many artists don’t have the budget for a professionally designed online presence, while many simply prefer to do it themselves anyway. We understand that marketing $$ can be a scarce resource and we also understand that regardless of what we think you might still want to build your own site anyway. So – we created a starter-guide to help you.

“How To Plan Your Artist Website To Get Attention & Sell Your Art” is a website planning guide to help you avoid the pitfalls and pain of a lack-luster artist website. Whether you plan to build your own site, use a template or portfolio system, or pay a designer, the guide will help you understand the important features and structure required for excellent online showcasing and marketing of your work. Just as important, it shows you what not to do.

It is NOT a programming, coding, or development guide – it focuses instead on all the important planning questions that you should tackle before even thinking about building a website – the questions that are often considered and realized after the fact when it’s too late.

Our guide was created primarily for artists new to online marketing and is based on our five-plus years of building premium artist websites – it answers the important questions that artists ask about websites and delivers the information needed to achieve great results.

So – if you happen to be in the early phase of a new artist website or if you’re planning a remake of your existing one, please check out The Guide! At $47 and with a bunch of really useful bonuses it could save you a bunch of headaches and possibly work some wonders for your art career. Learn More…

Regardless of how you build your artist website, how much you spend, or what technology choices you make please treat it with the importance and respect that it deserves. It is, after all, the foundation for all your art marketing!

Pablo Picasso: 12 Interesting Facts

Daniel — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:28:55 +0000

Pablo Picasso, "The First Communion" 1895

Born on October 25 1881 in Málaga Spain, Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, Pablo Picasso was without question one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. Together with Georges Braque, he also created Cubism. But what of the real person behind the man? Some interesting facts for you!

From 10 Fun Facts About Pablo Picasso

Picasso’s full name has 23 words. Picasso was baptized Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. He was named after various saints and relatives. The “Picasso” is actually from his mother, Maria Picasso y Lopez. His father is named Jose Ruiz Blasco.
When he was born, the midwife thought he was stillborn. Picasso had such a difficult birth and was such a weak baby that when he was born, the midwife thought that he was stillborn so she left him on a table to attend his mother. It was his uncle, a doctor named Don Salvador, that saved him: ‘Doctors at that time,’ he told Antonina Vallentin, ‘used to smoke big cigars, and my uncle was no exception. When he saw me lying there he blew smoke into my face. To this I immediately reacted with a grimace and a bellow of fury’”

From Picasso’s Life

Pablo had his first exhibit at age 13, when he showed his paintings in the back room of an umbrella store.
At 16, Picasso was sent to the Royal Academy of Madrid, where students drew from plaster casts and copied works of the old masters. Picasso’s father soon became angry with his son’s rebellious behavior, long hair, and strange clothes. He believed that Pablo was wasting his talent and scolded him: “why don’t you cut your hair and paint sensibly?” In 1900, Picasso left for Paris—then the center of the art world. He lived in a cold, rundown building painting constantly, sometimes surviving for days on only a piece of bread.

From Interesting Facts

While living in Paris (1900) Pablo had lots of financial problems and he burned many of his paintings to stay warm.

From Buzzle.com

While in Paris, Pablo Picasso had a propensity for entertaining and had among his friends people such as Andre Breton and Gertrude Stein.
Picasso also had an active love life and usually had several mistresses along with a wife or a primary partner.
His real work and career as a painter is said to have begun around 1894 with a painting called ‘The First Communion’ which showed his sister Lola, and the more famous painting by Pablo Picasso called ‘Portrait of Aunt Pepa’.

From ArtPromote

No artist has ever been as famous in his own lifetime
Picasso painted his own variations of other artists work
He had no appreciation for women artists.

From Brainy Quote

Quote: “Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth”

An interesting man behind the great artist. I always have had the feeling that I would not have especially liked him, but I do appreciate that he lived his life to the full measure – something rarely seen in any time.

Selling Art With Twitter: What Works For You?

Daniel — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:18:44 +0000

Watanabe Seitei, Birds on Branch, 1878

Its been 6 months now since we posted our article, “Selling Art With Twitter – Have You Sold Any?“, in which we asked the question:

Are artists genuinely selling art as a result of Twitter?

Back then in September 2009 we had a range of comments from artists – a few like Daniel Edlen who had actually sold art directly through twitter, some who had seen no success whatsoever, and the rest – the majority, including Moshe Mikanovsky and Jude Maceren – who had found it helpful as a means of getting the word out and building relationships that would hopefully results in sales.

Where are we now – 6 months later? For our part, we’ve been observing artists on Twitter to understand what works and what doesn’t. From what we can see the art marketing success stories seem to associated with artists and art lovers like our friends Tara Reed, Misty Wuori, and Alissa Fereday who engage in real direct personal connections with other artists and clients, focusing on quality and genuine joie de vivre.

What doesn’t appear to be working is building huge lists of followers and not putting any uniqueness and personal spirit into the connections. What good is it, after all, having 40,000 followers if none of them is listening or could care less what you have to say? Its like that great tag line for the original “Alien” movie:

In space, no one can hear you scream!

Sorry – couldn’t resist that! It’s the same as bloggers who just copy content and don’t put any of their own energy and enthusiasm into their work. Where does it lead – nowhere! A complete waste of time.

That’s what we’ve observed so far. How about you? We’d like to get some feedback from you about how social media in general and Twitter in particular is working for you in March 2010. A few questions:

Are you connecting with real art buyers either directly or indirectly through Twitter?
Have you sold any art either directly or as a result of connections through Twitter?
If you’ve sold art, what was the value?
Do you think it would be more or less valuable for you to have spent your time on other art marketing techniques like mailings, phone calls, search engine optimization, etc?
Generally – are you feeling more or less positive about Twitter as a marketing tool?

We welcome your comments, thoughts, and experience on this topic!

The Accessible Artist Sells More Art!

Daniel — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:21:39 +0000

Back in the early part of this century (so long ago!) I spent a lot of time visiting major art fairs all over the United States. Some were major recognized art events like the Sausalito Art Festival and King’s Mountain Art Fair in California, while others were more modest events with a focus on local artists and craftspeople.

One thing which was always interesting to me was to see how visitors to these fairs were often drawn to the booths of a few specific artists. Sometimes it was because they were well-known local or national identities, and other times it was because the art was really great. But often the booths containing some of the very best art (IMHO) were quiet and without traffic. Why was that?

Another data point was that the busiest booths at the shows were often those of photographers and jewelers. The popularity of jewelry was obvious – while it may be art, it’s also associated with how we look and feel – and that gets to one of the “big 3″ buying motivations – in this case, relationships. But why photography?

Over time I developed a theory that photography is popular with most people because it is more accessible than other art forms. Meaning what? Meaning that a normal person without an elaborate art education feels comfortable relating to photography without having to be told why it’s “important” or a great work of art. There is something about the fact that we have all used a camera and that the images look mostly real (even if incredibly artistic) that allows us to relate to photography in a natural and un-stressed way.

On the other hand, I often noticed situations where visitors to a booth containing some really excellent oil paintings or pastels were obviously less comfortable knowing how to respond to the work. Their gut feeling may have been that they loved or hated it, but in many cases this true response was buried beneath a hesitation of whether they should like it – as if an art expert was needed to interpret for them. This created more of a distance in how they responded to the art.

In the years since then, I’ve noticed similar behavior at many at events from small open studios to high-brow art events. Without question, making your work accessible to the hearts and minds of your visitors will help you sell your art. But how do you do that? How do you do that if your work is different or unusual? Of course their will always be a few people who really “get” your work from the beginning, but there may not be enough of them to sell your art to and build a prosperous commercial career on.

There are many answers to this question, but one which is most important in my mind is simply – communication. You have to find ways to bridge to a wider audience and help them understand you and your art. That can be very simple and here are just a few examples:

At an open studio or show, be sure to make time to engage with each visitor and listen to them. Ask them how they feel about a particular piece and give them some details about the technique you used or your motivation when you created the artwork or ….. This make you much more accessible.
On your artist website be sure to have a bio and artist statement that people can relate to. You want them to feel that you are real, and you also want to “bring visitors in to your inner circle” where they will feel comfortable enough to get really excited about you and your art.
Go way way beyond the concept that “my art speaks for itself”. It will to a few people for sure – but this is an age where few people trust their hearts and minds to make a purchase without some collateral support. So, be very 21st century in all your marketing plans and materials.
Create some champions! In an ideal world, the best sales and marketing person for your art is you the artist. But you can also get some great results by enlisting existing collectors and friends who love your work and can speak about it and explain it to other potential buyers. Sometimes you’ll find an existing patron whose greatest passion is to help you get more of your work into the world. Recognize and engage these wonderful people to help to build relationships and sell!

Good sales in any field mostly come down to a mix of excellent product and great relationships. To sell your art you need to follow that same formula. You have a wonderful product (your art!) so make it accessible by connecting with your audience and explaining why it (and you!) are important and wonderful!

12 Tips To Create An Artist Website: Part 2

Daniel — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:33:25 +0000

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon - Pablo Picasso (1907)

It seems like forever since we published the first part of this 12-Tips article! We’ve been in technology-land moving all our sites (including AMS) over to a great new webhost who will be helping us manage some of our traffic spikes. Its such a relief to be back to the business we love – art marketing!

Here then is part 2 of our famous 12-tips article. Just to recap, in part 1 we covered:

1. Decide if you need an artist website

2. Know who are you trying to impress

3. Your website must fit with your overall art marketing strategy

4. Know that there IS a real market for art on the internet

5. Have your own website AND use online-portfolio services

6. Know what collectors and art professionals look for in an artist website

Now for part 2….

7. Showcase your work beautifully
You need to have visual design skills to create a beautiful artist website. Here are some points to get you started:

Most Important: Use high-quality, professionally-photographed images. Excellence in, excellence out! (trust us – you don’t want the opposite)
Keep the website simple and elegant with the focus on the art.
Create multiple galleries to compliment the work – just as a good physical gallery would do.
Choose colors that compliment (not overpower) the work. Think of the colors you would use in a physical gallery to showcase your work – neutral colors like crème, white, gray, and good safe choices.
Think “minimalist” not “busy” for the layout.
Keep your copy (text) brief. Let the art speak for itself! The exception is on the bio page where you want to lavish a little text-attention on a great story

8. Bring collectors and galleries to your website
Its no use having that stunning website sitting in hyperspace. Make it work for you! Here are some ways to bring quality visitors:

Search Engines: If your website has been well optimized for search engines, a search on your name or your style of art should bring up your website in the first few pages of results.
Letters of Introduction: A letter of introduction sent to a gallery or dealer is a very effective way to bring a qualified visitor to your website. Better still is to include a brochure or postcard of your work with the letter.
Advertising online or in magazines: For example, if your art is minimalist and modern in style, a banner add on an interior design website focused on the same minimalist ethic could draw a lot of traffic to your site.

For a really comprehensive list of ideas check out our, 18 Tips To Bring Visitors To Your Artist Website article.

9. You need to be able to sell your work on the internet.
But there are many ways to do it! More important than anything is that you have clear and up-to-date contact information on your website. If a buyer likes your work enough to bring out their checkbook, they will normally be happy to call you to close the sale.

It’s also handy to be able to sell directly from your website, especially if you sell lower-cost reproductions. There are simple and cost-effective ways to do this.

10. Think again before designing your own website.
Have you really added up the total cost? Here are some questions to consider before you start designing:

Do you have visual design skills/training?
Can you wait several months for the site to be ready?
Can you afford to give up a month or more of your valuable artist time?
Do you have all the software and equipment needed to build a high-quality website?
Are you fully trained in your design software?

Can you answer “Yes” to all of the above? If so, you might think about doing it yourself. Otherwise, think seriously about hiring a professional designer. Artists love to do everything themselves, but you have to be careful of becoming a “jack of all trades, master of none” – seriously.

11. Choose your website-designer thoughtfully.
The most important thing here is to remember what you are trying to create – a beautiful online gallery space to elegantly show your beautiful work – this is very different from building a high-volume website selling printer ink cartridges and paper rolls!

Look for the ability to design a space to present your work. One way to do this is to find artist websites that you like and then contact the artist to get the name of their designer.

12. Know what you should pay.
Artist’s website development prices range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. Typically, bigger design firms have larger overheads and will be significantly more expensive. On the other hand, Joe down the street can probably build you a website for $200 – but you probably don’t want that website!

At the end of the day, most professional artists will find a great website solution in the $800 – $5,000 range. Follow the steps we’ve outlined above and you’ll have a much better chance of ending the process with a smile on your face!

Featured Artist: Myra Rodriguez

Daniel — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:55:34 +0000

Self Portrait - Myra Rodriguez

In my small universe, being an artist is, first and foremost, a way of seeing life. The results can be expressed in diverse ways – while some artists paint, sculpt, or photograph, others share their artistry through teaching, business, or physical movement. In my experience, there are many people with technical mastery of a craft, but relatively few who have this “way of seeing the world”.

This weeks featured artist, Myra Rodriguez, is a photographer. But aside from her technical skill in working with a camera, she has the gift of artistic vision. I was first captivated by an image she posted on our Facebook page which depicted two chairs in a back yard in Texas (Snowy Lubbock). I instantly saw a whole world – a story – and was fascinated to find out more.

Myra’s gift, in my mind, is this ability to capture a story in each image – as if each was embedded with gigabytes of information just waiting to be told. She is a very interesting person who, while not embracing traditional religion herself, shows us a uniquely spiritual outlook on life through her work. “My art”, she told me, “is like a religion to me”.

For all of these inspiring reasons we chose Myra Rodriguez as this weeks featured artist. Please enjoy her work and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Featured Work

Note: Use the slide-show controls to pause or go to a specific image. Mouse over the images to see details about the artwork.

Bio

Professional Photographer, Myra Rodriguez, has been shooting professionally for more than 15 years. Starting very young,Â Myra’s Images have been seen at Texas Tech University, both the Fine Arts, and the South West Collection, The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Buddy Holly Center, Toronado Gallery, and the Garden and Arts Fine ArtsÂ Center.Â MyraÂ hasÂ also won numerous scholastic awards and magazine covers plus several T-Shirt designs. Myra attended the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography class of ‘05. Myra has since dedicated her life to imagery, generously filling albums with love and passion.

The Art Marketing Secrets Signature 6 Questions

BUFU - The very first image 14-year old Myra processed, developed and presented to her father 18 years ago

1. What led you to become an artist?

My father is terminally ill and picked up photography as a way to deal with it.Â He went from being a roughneck in the oilfields to becoming a fine artist. I witnessed aÂ pendingÂ death and a sudden rebirth at the same time.Â I was only ten years old. Death has become a mainstay in my life.Â I neither fear it nor run from it, I only accept it and understand it is as basic as it is certain.Â However, the life that presented itself was completely new and exciting.Â I watched my father begin demonstratingÂ photographyÂ to my brother, and was told that it was for boys only, all the chemicals were really dangerous and stinky.Â I never stopped watching and eventually did it all by myself. Reading and hiding out in corners paid off because at 14, I processed my own filmÂ &Â developed my own images. And when I presented them to my dad,Â he said, “I’ve been teaching the wrong kid.” That was 18 years ago.Â I was able to shoot, and present myself as a professional photographer, while other girls were having quinceneras, I was shooting them.Â Art saved my Dad’sÂ life,Â even though he will still die, he started a whole new afterlife for me.Â Along with the comingÂ of a mourned life,Â I have a great life, thanks to my fathers disguised blessing. Becoming an artist was the fun part,Â I shunned religion, excelled in academics, and wasÂ highly encouraged inÂ Art. When I say shunned, I mean it in the nicest way possible. I just simply couldn’t accept blind faith, when death was anything but blind.Â Death and religion are opposites in my opinion.Â As I stated before, Death is absolute, although inanimate, it will present itself in front of you at some point or another. I highly revere religion, and its romantic notion of the afterlife.Â IÂ incorporate that longing in my work.Â It’s pretty heavy Jesus & Family, it’s a beautiful way to believe and live, but when the dust settles, it is still unlikely.Â Not wrong, just not my answer.

2. What happens for you and what do you feel when you are in the creative process?

I find the light, judge the light, then manipulate it for my vision. I can shoot anywhere and turn it into a dream-scape or nightmare. I don’t do it on purpose, maybe subconscious, but I try to evoke emotion. Sadness, anger, humiliation, humor, happiness, confusion, anything.Â I do so because that’s what people remember, its what I remember.Â Like a memory you can’t shake.Â Or a past life that was only a few years ago.Â I overcompensate when I create and Love, my two constants in life. I put a lot of pressure, like my life depends on it.Â I love to see an image that hurts to look at it.Â Underlying symbolism, religious icons, children, windows, doors, light or lack thereof, an empty chair, or a triggered pain. Things that hurt, even when we don’t really know why it hurts so much. Everyone always remembers what hurts them.Â All packaged in a beautiful image.

Neon Mary - Myra Rodriguez

3. What is your favorite piece of your own art and why?

Hands down, “Neon Mary”.Â It isÂ La Virgen DeÂ Guadalupe, lit with red Christmas lights.Â Unable to see the face or body she is a silhouette of her body seen through her “Jesus” rays.Â A building in shadow is the background in front of a painfully blue sky.Â The only colors seen are blue, red and black. The fact that her face is hidden in plain sight is so frightening and calming at the same time.Â The black building is a buffer between the bright blue sky.Â The one piece of symbolism that I find humorous is the Antenna on the building.Â It symbolizes to me what antennas are supposed to do, put things in focus.Â But we cant see her face!!!Â Yet she’s there, and is quite powerful.Â Also the color red, usually held forÂ less than stellar,Â in religious terms, so it is a farce to see her draped in red.Â Only symbolically.Â Otherwise, it makes no difference.Â Also its not photo-shopped – hardly anything I do is. I have my moments, but mainly all in camera.

4. What would your perfect artist-life look like?

My husband is a muralist, painter,Â & full timeÂ tattoo artist.Â He makes good, stable money, even in economic woes, people still need their ink. I am lucky enough to not have to clock in and get to stay and raise the boy.Â I do however, run my own business.Â Myra’s Images is a complete and total dedication in my life.Â Along with my husbands business, we are self-sustainable.Â I love my job, I love the people I photograph, and I love the new people I meet. The only thing I would change as of yet, is the ability to gain trust to break the mold that is “studio” photography.Â EvenÂ ”on Location” shoots are starting to lookÂ like the others. I offer Fine Art, and would love to change what you expect out of a portrait session.Â Lets look at your child in a different light, ha, every pun intended.Â Because, after all, the light is going to change the mood, therefore creating a portrait with Fine Art credibility. I am an artist first and a commercial photographer second. You get the two for one special every time.

5. How are you marketing your art?

Marketing Fine Art is harder because people assume it is too expensive.Â So I began marketing my prices instead. While I believe that the Fine Art portion of the deal is priceless, I will not charge high prices.Â A lot of my photographer friends believe that I am just giving it away, and I kinda am, but I am lucky and feel that the least I can to is offer affordable images. In a town where studio sessions are cheap, and higher,Â more expensive photographers are well, high and expensive, there needs to be a happy medium whereÂ ”excellence meets affordable”. Not everything amazing in life needs to be expensive.Â I am self taught with a later educationÂ at Brooks Institute of Photography. I know expensive, but where I come from, and I am extremely proud of my little barrio.Â Fine Art should be available to the masses – not toÂ only those who canÂ afford it.Â Word of mouth,Â is helpful, soÂ is volunteering. Not normal charity work, but your own thing.Â For example,Â every year I shootÂ HubCity Tattoo & BikeFest for free,Â only if they wantÂ aÂ CD I chargeÂ for theÂ CD only, like wholesale, not art prices.Â AfterÂ four years of doing that, I am their go-to photographer and graphic artist.Â My name is plastered on posters andÂ T-shirts, all because I wanted to shoot for free.Â I also do my own photo shoots andÂ production is crazy – models, lights, the works, so now when part of the crew wants photos of their family theyÂ knowÂ where to go.

6. What else are you busting to tell the world?

Support your local artists!Â I believe creative genius is going to save our economy.Â Think outside that studio box and trust me when I say this is going to be amazing.Â Let me find the light, no flash needed, maybe just a reflector or two.Â TRUST ME.

Contact Myra

Website: www.myrasimages.webs.com

We invite you to share your thoughts on Myra and her work in the comments below.

12 Tips To Create An Artist Website: Part 1

Daniel — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:29:54 +0000

Still Life With Drapery - Paul Cezanne

Here’s the scoop on what you need to know when designing a website to showcase your art, impress galleries, and win over collectors. Learn how to avoid the mistakes most emerging artists make when creating their online portfolio.

1. Decide if you need an artist website

Any artist who is wanting to expand their market and sales will definitely benefit from having their own website to promote their work. It is important to be able to have a place where anyone in the world can easily access and view your work.

2. Know who are you trying to impress

Are you trying to engage a Soho gallery to sell your $20,000 paintings or sell $5 prints to children? That Soho gallery might not be impressed when they see your online-store selling prints and art cards â€“ but on the other hand, you could make a very handsome living if you really knew how to market those art cards.

3. Your website must fit with your overall art marketing strategy

A website is most effective when it is part of a larger overall marketing strategy for your art. This includes mailings, lots of in-person gallery visits and presentations, regular (physical) showings of your work, and developing relationships with the art world. An effectively planned website can greatly compliment and simplify your other marketing efforts.

4. Know that there IS a real market for art on the internet

The internet is quickly becoming an accepted place to showcase your art to collectors and arts professionals. They might still want to see your work in person before they buy, but the fact remains: they saw it first on your website! Having an online art presence is very important at this time.

5. Have your own website AND use online-portfolio services

A website portfolio service (e.g. www.absolutearts.com or www.art-exchange.com is like an online slide registry. For a fee you can upload images of your work together with bios, artist statements, resumes, etc. They have many visitors and are a convenient way to make your work accessible to potential clients. The down side is that they generally donâ€™t display your work very well, and there is little flexibility in how the art is showcased.

Your own website, on the other hand will require more work to promote, but youâ€™ll be able to present the work in the most beautiful way. Remember the times youâ€™ve been taken into the dimmer room in a commercial gallery? How that art which looked fairly good on the main gallery wall suddenly became something you had to take home? Thatâ€™s how a good artistâ€™s website should showcase your work.

We recommend both options â€“ they are a perfect compliment.

6. Know what collectors and art professionals look for in an artist website

Here are some common elements which most dealers and galleries would agree on for your website design:

Keep the site simple and elegant with the focus on the art itself and donâ€™t overpower the art with a site that looks too busy
Avoid advertising such as banner adds or sidebar adds. If you must have them, put them in a separate â€œresourceâ€ section
Avoid complex effects like flash movies. In the time it takes to play your exotic entry page, your visitor may have moved on.
Include your bio, artist statement, resume, contact information, gallery(s) of your work, contact information, and a pricelist.

Check back soon for Part 2!

A Little Art Email Etiquette S’il Vous Plait!

Daniel — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:59:58 +0000

Vincent Van Gogh - Self Portrait, 1886

Sometimes, when I read some of the emails we receive, I wonder if I am from a different century. That would be a century where people introduced themselves before speaking, asking questions, or demanding information. A century where people don’t barge into your manor-house without an invitation!

Now – in fairness, I have to say that most emails I receive are polite and generally well written. Artists on the whole have a good sense of community and most also have a good grasp of language and communication.

That said, there are an alarming few emails which really surprise me and leave me wondering what the sender was thinking. The greatest volume of these are one-liners from people I have never met. A few examples:

Need prices.

Send information.

Need Information about artist websites.

How to order a website?

Where is my article?

I saw your add. Link doesn’t work.

A little rule of thumb: One liners without a “Dear yyy” or “Hi yyy” and a simple introduction are fine and dandy once you have established a relationship with the person you are emailing to. But NEVER send a one-line email as an introduction! Don’t do it with galleries, buyers, customers, or even people or businesses you buy from.

Now – I know that when some artists send us first-time emails at Beautiful Artist Websites, they are thinking of us as a vendor of services -Â a business they might eventually pay money to. Because of that they think it’s OK to not bother with the regular formalities.

That’s a big mistake because as a good business we also choose who we do business with – we want good long-term relationships and we don’t work with people simply because they wave money in our face. More and more modern businesses are similarly values-based because it’s more enjoyable and more profitable.

My other major problem with some of the emails we receive is the number of artists who place us on their email lists without asking permission. It’s a basic and well understood rule of email marketing that you must get permission to do this. Honestly – we LOVE to be included on artists email lists – we want to know about your upcoming shows and exhibitions – but you need to be polite and ask first.

Personally, I could probably live with this, but what concerns me is that artists who add us to their email lists without permission are probably also adding galleries, collectors, decorators, and other artists without their permission. That won’t help you do build relationships because it isn’t polite. It’s also a violation of SPAM regulations.

This is such a simple and obvious topic that this post shouldn’t really be necessary. Avoiding one-liner introductory emails and asking permission before adding someone to your list are simple formalities which will help you build better relationships and better sales.