Opusframing.com | Opinion by Chris Tyrell

OPC Test

Aska - Opus Art Supplies — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 17:20:41 +0000

Seasoned plein air painters & novice artists who love the great outdoors. Groups of friends looking for a creative activity & families celebrating spring a painting picnic. You are all invited to the 8th annual Opus Outdoor Painting Challenge on Sunday, May 26, 2019!...Read more

Inspire & Renew with Experimentation

Opus Art Supplies — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 18:31:36 +0000

With the coming of the fresh new year, it's the perfect time to experiment and explore with new media, techniques, and subjects. Let's take a look at how you can freshen up your work! ...Read more

Four Mixed Media Artists' Thoughts on Experimentation

Planning Your Day: Tips and Tricks for Exploring Outdoors

Opus Art Supplies — Wed, 03 May 2017 19:22:42 +0000

Murray Phillips in the Opus Video,
A Conversation with My Canvas

You’ve put together the perfect painting kit or packed a pencil case with just the right materials – you’re ready to take your art outside! Not so fast. Taking a little time to set yourself up with some essentials can go a long way to a successful and fun day creating outdoors....Read more

The Ceremony of Parting

Peter - Opus Art Supplies — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 08:05:00 +0000

"And how do people perform that ceremony of parting, Jane?", Mr. Rochester asks Jayne in Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre. Saying a permanent goodbye, like other major life changes, is a dynamic renewal to some and anathema to others.

Creative people are good at adapting to change and optimists are good with transitions. So, as a creative optimist, I am embracing the change that this last column in the Opus Visual Arts Newsletter brings....Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger

Vancouver Artist's Copyright Stolen - Again

Opus Art Supplies — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 20:50:22 +0000

My friend Lilian Broca is an artist living here, where I do, in Vancouver. She is being horribly “ripped off” right now and you will be amazed at who is doing the stealing — a very high-end fashion house....Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger

New Year's Potpourri

Aska - Opus Art Supplies — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 08:00:00 +0000

NEW WIKIPEDIA TOOL
There’s an interesting new tool for artists on Wikipedia called DIY Budget Gallery. Select “Index” in the Navigation menu to get an overview of the site’s resources. This site has been developed in an American context but there is plenty of practical information that may be useful to anyone planning a visual art event. wiki.budgetgallery.org

CLIENTS FROM HELL
As a technical writer, this happened to me many times: An employer would welcome me, describe the challenge, contract me, and then walk me down the hall to meet “the people I’d be working with.” They would look stunned and then, after the boss left, the “people I’d be working with” would say, “What was he thinking? We’re not ready for you!”...Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger

Using Your Portrait Online

Aska - Opus Art Supplies — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 08:01:00 +0000

Has someone once approached you who knows you and is very happy to see you and you recognize their face but you can’t remember their name? Or have you been in a conversation wherein you want to reference someone but their name escapes although you can easily recall their face? This aspect of our behavior has some interesting business implications.

We humans are programmed to remember the human face more readily than symbols; this ability is embedded deeply in our DNA so it is not surprising to learn about the results of some marketing research conducted by Medallia, a media research firm....Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger

4 Reasons to Go to The Eastside Culture Crawl

Aska - Opus Art Supplies — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 16:36:51 +0000

The Crawl is coming, and there are so many reasons to go!

1. Support your fellow visual art creators. There are many ways to support The Crawl and its participating artists.
a. Go to buy your holiday presents. The Crawl is a primary source of career revenue for many creators. Plus, your attendance registers as a positive vote for self-directed marketing initiatives by artists.
b. Send an email about The Crawl to your friends who value hand-made originality. Nothing beats a testimonial by someone known as motivational advertising.
c. Take your friends. Getting a group together to go to The Crawl is a novel way to spend time with friends....Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger

Getting it Right; Getting Rights

Peter - Opus Art Supplies — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 17:36:38 +0000

Publicity 1

Recently, I was asked to consult with a local visual artist who presented similarly to many other artists with whom I consult: They feign an interest in improving their business practices but reject all advice. What this person really wanted from me was approval of his existing practices. His problem: he was not selling enough art even though he was getting a lot of publicity.

This young man enjoyed seeking and getting publicity and he was really good at it. But my sense was that he does not like selling. He wants gallery representation but does little to secure it. He is always seeking publicity believing it will lead to sales but when I spoke with him, he had no show or sale plans in place....Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger

Context

Peter - Opus Art Supplies — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 15:18:58 +0000

A long time ago, while I was working at a local theatre company, the artistic director told us he had finally cast a role that was difficult to fill. He had found a singer who was performing in a bar downtown, and that night I went to hear her sing. Seeing Sybil sing in that bar that night was heartbreaking.

Sybil is an extraordinarily gifted singer and that night I watched her without blinking. She was arrestingly charismatic and she had a rich, dramatic voice with an amazing range. I knew that with us, in our show, she was going to bring the house down every night for thousands of people who would be paying hefty admission prices, but that night no one was watching her and no one was listening. She was background music for people who wanted to drink, laugh, and socialize....Read more

Chris Tyrell Loranger