This post is by guest author, Ginnie Conaway.  This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. We've promoted this post to feature status because it provides great value to the FineArtViews community.  If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  This author's views are entirely her own and may not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.

Here I was happily painting, showing and selling my watercolor florals and pet portraits. I knew what I was doing and almost every painting I started turned out well.  I was comfortable in my watercolors, besides it had taken me years to arrive here. I'd started in oils, migrated into acrylics and then been challenged to try watercolors. It's an accepted fact among artists that watercolor is 'the most difficult medium', but I loved the luminosity, intensity and smooth blended colors I could create in my flower paintings. Once in a while, I'd be asked to teach a class, conduct a workshop or offer a demonstration of my techniques. Being a self-taught artist, I didn't feel qualified to teach, after all, I'd never taken art history or even basic drawing. I just picked up techniques and ideas as I went along.

Then, as often happens, my life took a major turn, and I found myself living in a different state, making a new start. When an unexpected teaching offer came along, I decided to go for it. I'd just come through a rough time and my self-confidence had improved. What did I have to lose? No one knew me, so there were no expectations to live up to. In preparing my teaching materials, one great benefit became immediately apparent. For the first time in my artistic life, I was forced to consider the thought process involved in creating a painting. Setting it all down in print clarified many of the steps I took intuitively and created an awareness of the processes that I'd lacked before. I found, much to my surprise, that I loved to teach, to share the knowledge I'd gained bit by bit with students young and old. I strive to give them a solid foundation upon which to start their artistic journey, not demand that they paint as I do. I want them to be able to explore and find their own style, but with a well grounded basic knowledge of color, composition, design, and painting techniques.

Many of my students return semester after semester and quite a few have developed into good friends. I don't kid myself that they stay in my classes strictly because of what I teach. Some attend because they find the structure of signing up for a class valuable. Being part of a class compels them to set aside the time to paint, and gives them the permission they need to 'indulge' themselves. Some enjoy the social aspect of being with a group of fellow artists. Thankfully the majority do want to learn a new medium, new techniques or new styles of painting.

One of the many benefits I've received from working with my core group of students for several years is that they demand new material, new lessons, and new challenges. They push me out of my comfort zone into painting new subjects in styles that differ from my norm. In order to challenge them to try something new, I have to become adept at the technique or medium in order to illustrate it to them. This stretches my boundaries and causes me to grow, perhaps much faster than I might on my own. 

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Editor's Note:  You can view Ginnie's original post here.

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This post is from our Informed Collector newsletter. If you would like to receive daily briefs about today's finest artists, visit InformedCollector.com for your free subscription.

  


Jim Gilmore
jimgilmoreart.com
Trappings of Texas Western Art Exhibit & Sale
Museum of the Big Bend
2/24/2012-2/25/2012

Warren Chang
warrenchang.com
Warren Chang and Karen Leoni Exhibition (Exhibition and book signing)
Monterey Arts Council Office and Gallery
2/24/2012-3/24/2012
Reception: 2/24/2012 4-7pm

Mark Yearwood
markyearwood.com
Mark Yearwood "Live Paint" (Artist painting session and reception)
Lovetts Gallery
2/25/2012
Reception: 2/25/2012 Sat. 10am - 5pm

Lindsey Bittner Graham
lindseybittnergraham.com
Waterhouse Gallery 8"x8" Show (Invitational show)
Waterhouse Gallery
2/25/2012
Reception: 2/25/2012

Kate Kiesler
katekieslerfineart.com
Art and Soul (Invitational)
CAC Gallery
2/26/2012
Reception: 2/26/2012 1-3 PM

Michael Budden
mikebudden.com
All About Light (Gallery 3 person show)
Hughes Gallery
2/27/2012-3/10/2012
Reception: 12-5 pm

David Cheifetz
davidcheifetz.com
Delicious (Work inspired by food and drink.)
STUDIO Gallery
2/29/2012-4/1/2012
Reception: 3/4/2012 2pm-6pm

Ursula O`Farrell
ursulafineart.com
EMOTION IN MOTION: New Paintings by Ursula O'Farrell (art exhibition)
Patricia Rovzar Gallery
3/1/2012-3/31/2012
Reception: 3/1/2012 6 to 8 pm

Larisa Aukon
aukonlarisa.com
Larisa Aukon Solo Show (Solo Show)
Paul Scott Gallery
3/1/2012-3/21/2012
Reception: 3/1/2012 7 PM - 9 PM

Mark Haworth
markhaworth.com
Texas Masters (Gallery Show)
Insight Gallery
3/2/2012-3/30/2012
Reception: 3/2/2012

Gladys Roldan-de-Moras
roldandemoras.com
2011 Texas Masters Invitational Show (Invitational Show)
InSight Gallery
3/2/2012-3/23/2012
Reception: 6-8PM

Ann Vaillencourt
annlvaillencourt.com
26th Annual Members Show (Connecticut Pastel Society)
Gallery 53
3/3/2012-3/24/2012
Reception: 3/3/2012 2-4PM

James Crandall
jamescrandall.fineartstudioonline.com
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (Invitational Group Show)
Elliott Fouts Gallery
3/3/2012-4/5/2012
Reception: 3/3/2012

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BoldBrush Contest: Monthly Online Painting Contest with over $6,000 in awards. 

Backstory: About Clint. Email Editor.  Submit a guest post.  Twitter. Republish. ]

This post is by guest author, Jacki Newell.  This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. We've promoted this post to feature status because it provides great value to the FineArtViews community.  If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  This author's views are entirely her own and may not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.

Here's the rest of the story of why last week was so great- the gallery that has my small downtown paintings sold 7 of them!!!! They hadn't even gotten them up on the wall and someone who had read in my January newsletter that I now have my work at Liz Daly Design Gallery came down to see them and bought 7 of them!  Wow! I got the phone call about the sale while I was at the hospital visiting my new grandson.

Right after I sent out the newsletter, I had been feeling sorry for myself and whining to my friend that I felt like I wasted a bunch of time putting it together, but was committed to doing one each month. When I found out that the reason this person had come to the gallery to see my work was because she had read about it in my newsletter, I realized that maybe that time I spent at the computer was time well spent!! I must say that Clint Watson, Leslie Saeta and Dreama were right about newsletters!!

Here are two that sold this week-

"Love that Dress"

12x12 oil

SOLD

"Main Street in December"

12x12 oil

SOLD

Thank you for viewing my blog. If you would like to sign up to receive my newsletter, click here. Your name will be in the monthly drawing for a free painting.

Jacki

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Editor's Note:  We're not normally "I told you so" type of people, but we told you so. :-)  We cannot stress enough the importance of sending a newsletter...it worked for Jacki and it can work for you, too.

Also, you can see Jacki's original post here.

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BoldBrush Contest: Monthly Online Painting Contest with over $6,000 in awards. 

Backstory: About Clint. Email Editor.  Submit a guest post.  Twitter. Republish. ]

This post is from our Informed Collector newsletter. If you would like to receive daily briefs about today's finest artists, visit InformedCollector.com for your free subscription.

Informed Collector Announces
January 2012 BoldBrush Contest Winners!  
 

TODAY:

Thursday, February 23, 2012

 
  

		Best of Show Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Breakfast Service by John Ball 12 x 16 Oil
		2nd Place Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Fallen Trees by Jesse Powell 12 x 10 Oil
		3rd Place Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Canyon Buttes by Rusty Jones 36 x - Oil
		Outstanding Watercolor Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff SIGN OF THE TIMES by Bill James 16 x 29 Watercolor
		Outstanding Watercolor Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff Hurrying Home by Dorothy Boyer 18 ins. x 15.5 ins. Watercolor
		Outstanding Acrylic Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff Puddles on Waymouth by Mike Barr 60cm x 60cm Acrylic
		Outstanding Acrylic Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff Koi Pond I by Pete Maupin 19 x 28.75 Acrylic
		Outstanding Pastel Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff Winter Day in Northeast Philadelphia by Bob Richey 8" x 8" Pastel
		Outstanding Pastel Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff New Orleans Blues Brothers by Daggi Wallace 24 x 24 Pastel
		Outstanding Abstract Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: FAV Staff "Exhileration" by Jeffrey Bisaillon 48" x 48" Acrylic
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Sky high 2 by Gary Kim 40" x 30" Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Catch and Release by Kathleen Dunphy 15 x 30 Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix After the Bath by Dan Beck 16 x 12 Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Ogden Peaks by Eric Zschiesche 12 inches x 24 inches Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Old Man In The Parade by Paul Cheng 12 x 9 Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Wassily Chair by linda nelson 36 x 36 Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: FASO Judge: Derek Penix Heritage Heart and Honor by Richard Alan Nichols 30 x 30 Oil
		Finalist Award Sponsor: Art Ready Frames Judge: Derek Penix Candy Vendor, Via Fillungo by James Crandall 24 x 36 Oil

  

To view more of our Favorites from this contest, visit the FAV 15% below:

Click here to see the FAV 15%

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Congratulations to all the Winners!

To view the winning paintings on the contest website (including the ability to zoom in on each winning painting), click the following link:
http://faso.com/boldbrush/winners/73

Remember, the BoldBrush Painting Competition happens every month!

Fongwei Liu is the judge for the February competition. 

Enter your masterpiece now!

Click Here to Enter the February Contest!

Sincerely,
Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic

 

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BoldBrush Contest: Monthly Online Painting Contest with over $6,000 in awards. 

Backstory: About Clint. Email Editor.  Submit a guest post.  Twitter. Republish. ]

This article is by Brian Sherwin, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Conservative Punk, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Vandalog, COMPANY and Art Fag City. If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  Disclaimer: This author's views are entirely his/her own and may not reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.

It has come to my attention that some artists are annoyed by Pinterest regarding copyright. Point blank -- some artists view the ease of sharing -- 'pinning' -- images of art on Pinterest without permission from the copyright owner as a threat to all artists. This concern adds to a recent burst of online criticism over how Pinterest handles content and copyright in general -- so much so that Pinterest recently defended itself, via company blog post, against accusations that the site is dependent on the exploitation of copyrighted material. Pinterest also recently updated a page about Copyright. That said, I have a feeling that this debate over Pinterest and copyright is not going away anytime soon -- and a lot of that has to do with how the Pinterest terms of service (TOS) agreement is currently written.

On the company blog post Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann states, "We work hard to follow the DMCA [Digital Millennium Copyright Act] procedure for acting quickly when we receive notices of claimed copyright infringement. We have a form for reporting claims of copyright violations on our site here. Every pin has a flag to make reporting easier. We also know that copyright is a complicated and nuanced issue and we have knowledgeable people who are providing lots of guidance.". Unfortunately, what Silbermann says does not mesh well with what is stated on the Pinterest terms of service (TOS) page -- which has not been updated since March of 2011 at the time of this writing.

The TOS agreement on Pinterest -- under Ownership -- states that, "Site, Application, Services and Site Content are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of the United States and foreign countries." This wording is confusing because it implies that Pinterest -- or more specifically, Cold Brew Labs, Inc, holds copyright / trademark to anything 'pinned' on Pinterest. After all, the terms also state that, ""Site Content" means Member Content and Pinterest Content." Point blank -- Pinterest assumes that you own copyright to whatever you 'pin' (which is laughable considering how the site is being used by 'Pinners') -- and from the wording in current Terms it appears they expect you to hand that ownership over by giving them strict rights. In other words, Pinterest can use your content (which is likely not technically your content to begin with IF you are 'Pinning' copyrighted materials from sources other than your own) for profit if they chose to do so.

For whatever reason Pinterest -- at least based on the Pinterest TOS agreement --has not made it clear that copyright owners of images 'pinned' retain ownership of their respected work. That is misleading because a copyright owner may not know that his or her content has been 'pinned' by someone else -- and Pinterest assumes that the Pinner has copyright. Instead the terms state, "Except as expressly provided in these Terms, Cold Brew Labs and its licensors exclusively own all right, title and interest in and to the Site, Application, Services and Site Content, including all associated intellectual property rights." In fact, Pinterest seems more concerned about people exploiting the website -- and their overall content -- than with the exploitation of copyrighted material in general. True, the terms do offer warnings about -- and resolutions for -- copyright disputes... but there is a lot of conflicting information as well. Hopefully that confusion will be dealt with in another Terms update at some point.

The Pinterest terms of service agreement does make it clear that Pinners should hold copyright to whatever they choose to pin, stating, "You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services." However, I would suggest that Pinterest is fully aware that the majority of 'pinned' content is not owned by site users. It does not take long to realize that just by observing the main page of the website.

The Pinterest agreement terms go on to state, "Accordingly, you represent and warrant that: (i) you either are the sole and exclusive owner of all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services or you have all rights, licenses, consents and releases that are necessary to grant to Cold Brew Labs the rights in such Member Content, as contemplated under these Terms." -- which is their way of assuming that Pinners do in fact have the right... and thus they, Pinterest / Cold Brew Labs, have the right to use said content in anyway they choose. Note: That wording alone could become a legal mess if at some point Pinterest explores Print on Demand services OR starts to market prints (and other merchandise for that matter) involving Member Content solely for company profit -- which could technically happen based on how the TOS agreement is written at this time.

To be fair -- Pinterest's TOS agreement has a lot of info that is standard on most websites in general. Some of the wording is needed for websites of this nature to function -- and to avoid unnecessary lawsuits. For example, websites like Pinterest do need to have the right to use member content strictly for non-profit site promotional reasons -- or else they could be sued by any member who decides to terminate his or her account IF the content he or she uploaded remains on the website in some form. It is the way it is because individuals have attempted lawsuits against website owners in the past over these reasons.

TOS agreements can be tricky. Website owners generally want to protect themselves while protecting others. That goes 10 fold when artists are involved -- because artists are more apt to be upset about TOS wording compared to your average site user. I can recall similar issues spurred by deviantART's TOS agreement years ago -- and Myartspace (now defunct) had to make a few changes as well to appease artists. That said, Pinterest could do a better job of acknowledging copyright ownership in general -- and perhaps state that Member Content will only be used for non-profit site promotion.

Pinterest has offered what they view as a solution for the wider problem of alleged copyright infringement on the site. Ben Silverman -- co-founder of Pinterest-- recently stated, "We understand and respect that sometimes site owners do not want any of their material pinned. For these folks, we provide a snippet of code that can be added to any website." -- pointing to a recently released code that, in a sense, allows website owners to 'block' Pinterest users from 'pinning' things from their website. The only problem with this feature is that many feel that it should not be the responsibility of website owners to include Pinterest code on their website in order to 'protect' their pages from Pinterest users -- and thus, Pinterest overall. In fact, some have went as far as to describe this code as "intrusive".

Another interesting side of this is the fact that Pinterest has not officially -- as far as I know -- said anything about the concept of 'fair use' in regard to the site and Member Content. If the site truly expects website owners to safeguard their content by utilizing the offered code one would think that they would draw upon the concept of 'fair use' as a defense for user generated content on the site in general. After all, if a legal issue did arise from this... any legal team worth their weight in cash would 'attack' the idea that website owners should be expected to protect their content from another website -- especially when said website acknowledges the problem by offering what they view as a solution to avoid infringement. In a sense, Pinterest is saying 'we know that copyright infringement is a massive problem on our service -- so much so that we have created a way for you to block our site users -- but it is YOUR problem if you don't use our code'.

I honestly feel that Pinterest has good intentions -- I'd suggest that they just need time to get things right Terms-wise. That said, I do agree that they should probably re-think their terms of service approach in regard to copyright -- and perhaps implement some of the site-side tactics used by Youtube and deviantART to protect copyright owners. Not to mention that website owners -- including artists -- would probably not be so upset about being 'Pinned' if it were not for the fact that the terms on Pinterest technically state ownership of Member Content. Point blank -- the current Terms could easily become legally muddy depending on how Pinterest uses said content. For example, IF Pinterest offered a Print on Demand service involving Member Content images -- all Hell would break loose among copyright supporters. Trust me. Thus, they should declare that Member Content will only be used for non-profit site promotion -- that alone would be a step in the right direction.

With the above in mind, Pinterest is in a unique situation -- a rock and hard place, really -- compared to websites like Facebook and YouTube. I say that because Pinterest, as a service, clearly relies on copyright material -- whereas Facebook and YouTube involves a lot of content that is purely user-driven. For example, if you removed all of the potentially infringing content off of YouTube you would still be left with millions of member created videos and corporate sponsored videos. The same goes for Facebook -- if you removed all of the images, for example, you would still be left with billions upon billions of text-based wall posts. In a sense, Facebook and YouTube does not have to rely on potentially infringing material in order to function as a website and service -- they would still have 'meat on the bone' if all of the questionable content vanished tomorrow. Pinterest can try to claim the same -- but just a few glances of the site says otherwise.

In closing, do you have an opinion about these issues? Should copyright law be followed so solidly that it prevents people from introducing others to the artists they admire online? Should Pinterest modify site terms with artists and other copyright owners in mind? Is it wrong for Pinterest to expect website owners to include code that prevents 'Pinning'? Has Pinterest 'over-stepped' current law by claiming so much control -- as in rights to content -- over Member Content in general? Should they declare that Member Content will only be used for non-profit site promotion? Share your thoughts.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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This post is by Jack White, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews.  Jack has enjoyed a forty-one year career as a successful fulltime artist and author. He has written for Professional Artist Magazine for 14 years and has six art marketing books published. In 1976 Jack was named the Official Artist of Texas. He has mentored hundreds of artists around the world.  Jack authored six Art Marketing books. The first, “Mystery of Making It”, describes how he taught Mikki to paint and has sold over six million dollars worth of her art. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. 

General Douglas McArthur is credited with saying, “There is a fog in war when so many things are going on at one time you don’t know what to place your focus on.”

As most of you know, I don’t write to generate conflict. As a young man I thrived on battle but as I grew older, skirmishes have become less and less appealing. If you want articles you can go into a fury over I’m clearly not for you. I like to find ways to raise hope and leave the reader with positive thoughts on ways to improve their careers. In my historical novels however; I flourish on conflict because those books are written as page turners. But in art, I can’t write about clashes and be of any constructive help. My goal is to instigate you to dream about improvement. I’m an encourager, not a combatant. I want all of you to succeed.

My friend and great writer, Stephen Pressfield, wrote a small book titled The War of Art. If you have not read his book get a copy. Stephen is best known for his books that were made into movies, The Legend of Bagger Vance and Gates of Fire, but he clearly understands our struggles in making and selling art. He understands the fog of war that keeps us from reaching our goals.

The movie Field of Dreams perpetrates the myth “if we make it, collectors will come”. It’s not enough just to have a nice website; we have to tell collectors where to buy our work. If you can’t get in galleries or do tent shows, then put on a home/studio event. Reach out or otherwise your will work remain anonymous. Get a friend or collector to do an art event for you.

Myth number two: "I need an art agent". The truth is no agent worth their salt will take on an unknown, undiscovered artist toiling in seclusion. The top art agents split the fees like this: 50 percent goes to the gallery, 25 percent for them and the final 25 percent is for you. You do the work, plus pay for the materials out of your part of the gross sale. Any art rep charging less than 25 percent is a waste of time. Like eating pie, the best way is with your own fork. No one is going to market your work unless you are really well known. Grab hold of that truth and don’t let your mind be fogged with myths.

A few have asked why I include short stories in all of my articles. Short stories are my gambit to help you to remember key points. If I can tell a worthy story, you just might remember the tale and then be able to nail my points to your mind. No matter how wise the advice, if the reader doesn’t remember, it’s useless. I’ve used quicksand, Josh Bell and pigeons, not to tell you their history but hoping the stories might help you remember the points being made.

In my historical novel, Ten Years in Texas, I tell the story of Dillard Cooper, an eighteen year old young man who came to the area in 1836 to fight for Texas Independence. Dillard was among the 400 men captured by General Santa Anna’s top officer in Goliad. Under foolish leadership, the Texans allowed themselves to be trapped in an open field by a much superior Mexican Army led by General Jose Urrea. The general positioned his powerful army on a hill above the Texans stymied below in the valley. To continue to fight would have resulted in being blasted into tiny pieces, so Colonel James Fannin raised the white flag asking for a truce. In the surrender, Fannin was promised his men would be allowed to return to their home states if they agreed not to continue to make war against Mexico.

After the Texans had been locked in the Goliad Chapel at the fort for several days, a Mexican officer came to Colonel Fannin, telling him to get his men ready to march. They were being taken to Port Lavaca on the Gulf of Mexico to catch ships to their home states.

About a mile from the Fort, everyone was ordered to kneel down next to a long picket fence. Dillard felt something was wrong. He had noticed how heavily armed the Mexican soldiers were and that they were accompanied by a troop of deadly mounted lancers. These lancers were the most feared men on the battlefield because of their excellent horsemanship and long poles called lances that had razor sharp points on the end.

When the first shots were fired, Dillard threw his body forward, his face buried in the ground as if he had been shot. Black smoke and the acrid smell of blood filled the air as if one large explosion has just taken place. Visibility went to zero almost instantly as the soldiers continued to kill. When the shooting stopped over 380 Texans lay dead, stacked in a long line of cadavers.

Dillard, young and athletic, jumped to his feet and dashed through the cover of thick smoke into an opening. Looking up, he saw trees just two hundred yards away. Then two lancers spotted him. Rather than run, Dillard began walking toward the lancer nearest to the trees. The lancers relaxed, waiting for the young man to get close enough so they could kill him with little effort. Just as he got even with the lancer, Dillard tossed his jacket into the horse’s face and broke into a full dash for the trees. The second lancer, seeing what happened, gave chase. When the lancer got close Dillard reversed his path and zigzagged into the tree line. He hid in the brush and leaves for thirteen days. The young man existed on bark and twigs before he reached Texana. He only traveled at night because during the day soldiers were in the woods looking for him and five other escapees.

I tell this story because if Dillard Cooper hadn’t ran fast, and thought even quicker, I’d not be here today. He used the fog of battle to save his life and later become my great grandfather seven generations ago. I’m here today because of a rawboned lad’s will to live, determination to survive and the ability to focus in the fog of battle.

Pebble Beach, Unframed ~ Jack White

The invention of the Internet and the cell phone has spread a heavy fog over the art industry like nothing in the past. So much valuable inventive time is spent online or chatting, including tweets, texts, Skypes and whatever is the latest online gimmick. Carolyn has done some excellent articles on the subject. Brian wrote of the demise of MySpace, which no doubt was a fog for many artists. I hear stories of people spending hours playing games online. I have a group of retired folks that flood my inbox with tests and games. I freely use the delete button.

Artists are challenged to find time to make and market art. In the past 100 years, the availability of art supplies has vastly increased the number of those who call themselves artists. Keith began an ongoing banter of stretch or not to stretch. I voted for purchasing ready-made canvases to save time. In art, time is money. Time is something we all have the same amount of but never enough to do all we want. If I can save an hour and apply that to making art, I’m ahead of the clock. If I can save 30 percent by buying a quantity of quality stretched canvas, I’d be foolish not to.

When I began in art over four decades ago, very few artists earned their living making art. Most were selling litho-prints and teaching. One artist I knew, Charles Beckendorf, made detailed pen and ink drawings, printed them on heavy watercolor stock and hand painted the prints. Charles did editions of 100 and seemed to sell all he could produce. Dalhart Windburg was selling 12”x16” un-numbered litho-prints and teaching. Most fulltime artists also taught classes to make ends meet. There were few women even attempting to earn their living in art. Almost none dared to sign a feminine name on their work if they were looking for gallery representation. One famous western artist signed her work B. R. Garvin. Betty Ruth didn’t dare let folks know she was an attractive, lady painting powerful western art. I remember there was a woman doing marvelous large bluebonnet paintings who signed them as a man. The gallery owner let me know her name in hushed tones, promising to take the life of one of my children if I told his secret. My lips are still closed.

Things have dramatically changed. We did a two day Art Seminar in Santa Fe last summer. There were thirty in attendance with only six men. From the responses I see on FASO, it appears the readership is tilted heavily toward women. Yet when looking for galleries to represent their work, it’s still much easier for a man to get space than a woman. It is indeed wonderful to see so many women coming into the world of art, a venue that has been closed to them for generations. Camille Caudell dressed as a man and went at night to dig clay in order to sculpt in France in 1880. Women were forbidden to dig the clay.

Less than 2 percent of art in the museums in the United States is done by women. That’s why we decided to brand my mate under the male sounding name Senkarik. Many first time buyers are shocked to learn her first name is Mikki.

With more competition and less galleries, open artists are being forced to seek new ways of marketing their work. We have the most complicated battle fog I’ve ever witnessed in the art world. I realize the news is saying the recession is over, but someone forgot to tell those who buy art! This is the slowest I’ve ever seen the art market.

A wise general finds a high place to watch the battlefield. He has to see through the fog of battle to find the weakest point where he can make a successful attack. For each of you, there is a weak spot in the market for you to penetrate. If we are not careful, we will get in the muddle of the everyday grind and fail to see opportunities. For each of us there is a path, it’s up to us to uncover the way.

If you are bogged down by the complexity of getting everything done, figuratively find a tall hill to view the battle from. Then, look through the fog and focus on what’s really important. We can’t do everything, but we can do anything we place our focus on. Ladies, time has never been better for you to soar to the top. There is no glass ceiling in art for women these days other than those that are self-imposed. The playing field may not be totally level, but it’s pretty darn close. It’s level enough for any of you reading this to excel and grow into the giant you hope to be. Ladies, today greatness is yours for the taking. Take advantage of what has been denied women in the arts for generations. Blow aside the fog of battle; spur your mount to the front of the line.

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 Focal Point: Robert Lemler
Visit Robert Lemler's Canvoo Focal Point on the web

Lemler's sense of color and intriguing compositions express the beauty of the moment whether he is painting the figure, a still life or a landscape.

- Informed Collector

Artworks by Robert Lemler:


See More Artworks >>

Other Web Pages with info about Robert Lemler

Robert Lemler's Main Artist Website

Biography

For Robert Lemler of Phoenix Arizona, nothing takes the place of painting life as it unfolds around him. Robert swiftly reproduces the emotion and beauty of a moment with his direct, naturalistic approach. The intense interplay of light, form, and color give his paintings a unique luminosity and richness. Whether he is painting from the model, the landscape, or in the studio, Robert's distinctive style touches each subject. Robert believes that in painting, like poetry, real beauty lies in simplicity; stripping a statement down to its simplest form to make the most impact. Robert looks to masters of the past, as well as his contemporaries for inspiration, and from early on has been driven by the quality and craftsmanship of their works. Robert's paintings are exhibited in finer galleries throughout the United States, and for over a decade has taught drawing and painting in the classical tradition at the Scottsdale Artists' School. For more information on Robert, visit www.robertlemler.com.

Workshops:

 "light and the figurative subject"
Ah Haa School for the Arts
3/8/2012-3/11/2012

"painting the figurative subject"
Fredricksburg Art School
4/19/2012-4/23/2012

"figure painting simplified"
Ah Haa School for the Arts
8/8/2012-8/11/2012

click here for more info

Other Web Pages Robert Lemler Recommends
(These pages are not necessarily about Robert Lemler)

Lyme Art Association

Scottsdale Artists' School

Tucson Art Academy

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This article is by Brian Sherwin, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Conservative Punk, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Vandalog, COMPANY and Art Fag City. If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  Disclaimer: This author's views are entirely his/her own and may not reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.

As mentioned in the first article of this artist resume advice series -- your artist resume will be 'broken down' by several headings that help to categorize your information. In the first post I tackled the 'Name' header. I will continue to offer advice about specific headings based on my own experience -- as well as the experience of art dealers I've spoken with over the years. The topic for today is -- Contact Information... which, in my opinion, is another deceptively simple aspect of writing an artist resume in general.

As implied above, the Contact Information heading on your artist resume is deceptively straight-forward. I suggest that because there is more involved with the contact information you provide on your artist resume than just the 'face value' of said information on paper (Yes -- I said 'paper'. Most of the art dealers I've spoken with want a physical copy of your artist resume (if requested) -- not a digital copy). Point blank -- you really need to think about how you present this information to art dealers. The 'off the paper' factors of the information you provide can send the wrong message.

I will describe some of the common Contact Information categories that you may consider providing on your artist resume before I delve into this any further. As mentioned, the Contact Information heading can involve several sub-categories -- such as Preferred Mailing Address, Phone Number(s) (with sub-categories for Work, Studio, Home, Fax and so on), Email and Personal Website. Needless to say, there is a lot of info to choose from -- assuming the art dealer has not offered a specific guideline as to what he or she is expecting. Again, these artist resume categories can be deceptively straight forward.

You need to think outside of the box when deciding on what information to provide on your artist resume. Furthermore, you need to think about the implications of that information beyond the paper. Some of you may be thinking, "Implications? What is he talking about?" -- allow me to respond to that by detailing the concerns I have for each category.

Preferred Mailing Address: This category within Contact Information appears simple enough. After all, the art dealer will want to know how to send you information by 'snail mail' if he or she offers you an exhibit OR decides to represent you. Keep in mind that trouble can arise from this category if you happen to be an artist who moves frequently. Thus, I would advise that artists obtain a post-office box -- and to use that info in the Contact Information section.

I must stress this -- you want an address that is static if, for example, you are an artist who frequently moves from one rental apartment to the next. In that scenario a post-office box is a good solution. Trust me on this -- you don't want a stranger to end up with information your art dealer has sent to you (the person living at your old address may choose to throw it aside). Furthermore, a post-office box might be a good choice for artists who have had a long-term residence simply because it will cut back on delivery mistakes in general (you don't want to find out a month from now that your neighbor, Little Old Lady McGrady, has had some of your mail -- including an important letter from your art dealer).

Phone Number(s) -- with sub-categories for Work, Studio, Home, Fax and so on: This is a group that you may want to simplify. You don't have to follow it strictly just because the information is standard on resumes in general. For example, most of the art dealers I've known don't care to know your work phone number. In fact, most desire just one number to go by -- preferably your cell phone number. If by chance you are one of those old-school individuals who have avoided having a cell phone -- you might want to consider obtaining one for situations like this.

For this section you should strive to list a phone number that only you have access to. One art dealer told me that she was a tad concerned about professionalism after calling the Studio number provided by an artist. When she called the Studio: number a young child answered -- apparently several minutes passed before the artist was on the line. The art dealer was horrified that the artist allowed his young boy to "roam unsupervised in his studio". It left a bad impression.

True, you could say that this specific art dealer is not very 'kid friendly'. That said, it only takes a few minutes for a child to alter a dozen paintings.-- I base that on how quickly my daughter was able to alter the walls in her bedroom. Point blank -- I understand why the art dealer was concerned from a professional standpoint. What if his child 'destroyed' a series of paintings that were destined to be exhibited at her gallery? The artist could have avoided establishing that concern simply by listing his cell phone number (and keeping his cell phone away from his young boy).

Another art dealer told me about how he called the land-line number listed after Home: on an artist resume only to end up speaking with an angry spouse. Apparently the artist and her husband had been having some relationship issues. Long story short -- the husband accused the art dealer of trying to "steal" his wife away from him (I feel sorry for any pizza delivery guy that knocks on their door). Again, that situation could have been avoided had the artist simply listed her cell phone number.

I've also been told amusing stories involving fax numbers listed on artists resumes. I won't go into details with this lewd bunch -- I'll just say this... if you are going to list a fax number DON'T list a shared work fax number. It can potentially be an extremely embarrassing situation. Point blank -- your co-workers may not take your art career as seriously as you do... and may be more than willing to send something back that offends the art dealer on the other end. Fair warning.

Email: This one appears simple enough -- just list your email address on your artist resume. HOWEVER -- do take some caution in deciding which email address you choose to offer. Be as professional as possible with this choice. Point blank -- IscoreWITHchicks@whateveremailservice.com is probably not the best choice. Offensive email addresses might be 'cute' in some scenarios -- but they are definitely not 'cute' in this scenario. Remember that you are interacting with a professional -- so be professional.

Personal Website: You may have to go with your gut on this one if the art dealer does not specifically request this information. I've known just as many art dealers who desire said information as I have art dealers who don't care. It is almost 50/50 based on the art dealers I've asked over the years. If you choose to list Personal Website in your artist resume make sure that the site you list is truly personal. In other words, this is not the place to list your Facebook profile address or your WordPress blog -- you will want to list your artist website... hopefully one with a unique domain name.

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "How will an art dealer use the Contact Information that I've provided on my artist resume?" -- good question. The art dealer will use the information to contact you -- BUT he or she may also use it in promotional material (and will likely get your 'OK' depending on how it is used) for exhibits involving you and the art gallery if you're chosen to be represented by the gallery.

In addition to the above, the art dealer may use some of the Contact Information on your artist resume when presenting you to a client. If the art dealer shares this information with a client he or she will most likely remove direct contact information. In other words, in most cases the art gallery will not offer your phone numbers or email address to a client -- after all, the art dealer wants the potential buyer to contact the gallery directly. Oddly enough, he or she may point to your artist website if the client is interested in learning more about you on his or her own time.

Next on the artist resume chopping-block... my suggestions for Short Biography.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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This article is by Carolyn Henderson, the managing half of Steve Henderson Fine Art. She is a Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews and her  freelance writing appears in regional newspapers, online magazines, and her humor blog, Middle-Aged Plague.

While when it comes to family members, I’ve been pushing buttons for years, it’s only recently that I’ve become comfortable with pushing literal buttons – you know, on the computer, when you’re trying out different stuff you don’t know much about, like software.

Years ago, pushing the wrong series of buttons was brutal and unforgiving; accidentally resting your elbow on an unfortunate array of keys could result in losing everything you were working on, instantly and irretrievably. So it’s understandable that people, um, of a certain generation are reluctant to act like teenagers and indiscriminately push, prod, poke, jab, and stab, usually with eyes not open, and having no idea of what they’ll find when they open them again.

But a part of me has never stopped being 16, and when my Computerista sister-in-law told me, “Go ahead, it’s not like it used to be. If you accidentally hit a ‘delete’ command, you’ll generally get a second chance to confirm or back out,” that was all I needed to hear.

The “generally” part was a bit disconcerting, but oh well, eyes closed . . .

So, this year, in place of a massive spring cleaning of our house (which we’ve never done, come to think of it), the Norwegian Artist and I embarked upon a massive spring cleaning of the website, and it fell to me to create new categories and pages for the prints, gifts, and artist resources we were adding to our line. This involved working with “tables,” which, when I wander into the dining room, don’t seem that intimidating, but the way that the technical support people breathed the word (there was a barely noticeable hesitancy, then a lowering of the voice as they murmured, “tables”), I gathered that the process was complicated.

Well, life’s complicated, and it just meant pressing a bunch of buttons and figuring out how the programmer’s brain worked (is that you, Clint?), so I just jumped in with a practice page and hit this and tried that, pressed the update button and saw what changed and what didn’t, and wound up creating something that sort of looked like what I wanted, and sort of didn’t.

So I pressed more buttons, added some colors and numbers in boxes that looked like they asked for it, and generally created a sloppy, messy concoction of some data in the right place and some wildly awry, at which point I called technical support and asked, “Can we talk about this tables thing?”

What great people.

While I’m sure that they wanted to scream, “Stop, Woman – Stop!” they generously and good naturedly walked me through my questions and issues, not once resorting to their Patient Voices, and we (well, they) erased this number here and adjusted that number there, cleaned up my mess, and explained to me what this meant and what that meant, and why I probably wanted to leave that particular icon alone, and gave me the information I needed to keep on with my project which was no longer so much in the realm of “spring cleaning” as it was in “remodeling.”

“Hmm,” one of them murmured. Long silence. Tapping of keys. “You’ve done some interesting things here, but no permanent damage. And I like what you created.”

So do I, and I like that, because of the combination of my fumbling experimentation with the guiding expertise of technical support, I am less intimidated by (some of) the inner workings of my website. By experimenting with customization options, we created something that is uniquely ours, showcasing the specific products and services we offer, and enabling us to better market them.

Go ahead. Play with your website. If you are a Fine Art Studio Online subscriber, you have access to the same control panel and technical support that I did, and if you are a subscriber to another service, there should be something equivalent. If your geeky brother-in-law built the site for you, then bake him some brownies and sit down for an afternoon and see what he thinks you can do, but if you see changes that you want to make, find out if there’s a way that you can make them.

The caveat: practice self restraint. Start small, simple, and limited; create practice experiments that won’t mess up your public profile; ask question, and listen to the answers.

(If you want to see what’s been taking me so long, check out the Original Paintings; Prints and Gifts; and Illustration pages on the Steve Henderson Fine Art website  – aren’t the colors cool?)

Next week: how to experiment and make changes without necessitating Tylenol or Excedrin for you, or the people helping you.

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Focal Point: Don Biehn
Visit Don Biehn's Canvoo Focal Point on the web




Wintertime elegantly displayed with a subtle color palette, perfect light and special times of the season. Superb feeling of depth and expanse.

- Informed Collector

Artworks by Don Biehn:


See More Artworks >>

Other Web Pages with info about Don Biehn

Don Biehn's Main Web Presence

 

Biography

Don trained in design, illustration and fine art at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida.

During his career in commercial art, Don worked as an independent illustrator/designer in Milwaukee and San Francisco. He moved back to the Midwest and Saint Paul in the mid 1970's where he opened a graphic art studio which eventually grew to a staff of eighteen. Don Biehn Studio received multiple national and local awards from the graphics community for design, layout and illustration.

Through the years, Don used fine art as a release from the busy world of advertising art. Now, painting fulltime, Don's primary medium is oil, he also works in watercolor. He has studied in the plein air school, and is now devoted to painting outside in the sub zero weather as well as the mosquito laden humidity of July.

He is the recipient of these national awards in painting, Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America.

In 2011, Don's work was named "best-of-the-best in impressionism" with the President's Choice Award – one of only 6 primary awards in a juried exhibition of 200 paintings – from the American Impressionist Society. The artist is a signature member of the Society, and has earned the distinction of signing his work with the "AIS" initials.


source: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?action=info&rid=22793

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This article is by Keith Bond, Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews.  You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.

Have you ever felt in a rut with your art?  Maybe you feel that there is a certain “sameness” to all your work.  It may be the same subject over and over.  Maybe it’s the same time of day, or the same compositional ideas or the same color palette.  But you are known for this style or subject and have sold well.   

Maybe you aren’t in a rut.  Maybe you still find enjoyment with your subject, but you want to continue to explore and try new things to keep your creativity fresh and alive.

While there are several ways to address both of these scenarios, may I suggest a simple routine that works for me.  Regardless of whether I feel in a rut or simply want to explore, the routine is the same. 

Paint 1/3 “safe” paintings, paint 1/3 “new”, paint 1/3 “risky”.  This works for any medium, not just painting.

(I have done this for years.  Although I admit that I don’t keep the ratios to exactly 1/3 each.  I also never really gave these categories names until recently.  I am borrowing the names of these categories from a friend who got them from his mentor.)

Safe  

You feel fairly confident that these will succeed and that they will be accepted by your collectors.  You are comfortable with the subject, composition, vantage point, color scheme, technique, etc.  These works are in line with what you are known for.  While it is true that there is no guarantee that any work of art will succeed, these are the ones that you have a pretty good track record with.

New

This category includes ideas that you have wanted to do for a while, but haven’t gotten around to doing yet.  Maybe out of fear, maybe because you think you are too busy to experiment.  These may include new subjects or new lighting situations (which result in a new color scheme).  Perhaps it is a new approach or new vantage point.  Whatever the newness, it’s a step or two removed from what you currently do.  If you do a few of these, they will soon easily fit into your repertoire.  As a result, your “safe” pool will have grown.

Risky

These works are 5 or 6 steps away (or more) from what you are currently doing.  Maybe they are much more complex compositions of your current subject matter.  Maybe it’s a new subject or different color palette.  You might want to try different techniques or size/scale.  Perhaps you want to try something in a completely different direction.

There is no guarantee that these will work.  Likely they will fail.  With these you really feel outside of your comfort zone.  But these make great exercises.  They free you up to explore and experiment.  You push yourself in ways that you otherwise never could.  You may never show these to anyone.  You may never include them into your repertoire.  But you just might. 

Either way, much of what you learn will directly influence your approach to your “safe” works.  You will have broadened your view of the world, your view of art, and your abilities.

In closing, as I look back at my career, specific paintings stand out in both the “new” and the “risky” categories.  Those paintings were milestones.  They opened up new doors (both interior and exterior).  I can also identify many that failed.  But that is okay, too.  There were many that I considered “safe” that also failed.  But all of them added to my knowledge pool.  And my safe pool is much, much larger today than it was years ago.

Mix things up, create new and risky work.  But don’t neglect the safe work, too.  Safe works help boost your confidence with consistent successes.

Best Wishes,

Keith Bond

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Focal Point: Saim Caglayan
Visit Saim Caglayan's Canvoo Focal Point on the web



Capturing the mysteries of water, it's fluid form and reflective surfaces, is a trademark of the serene and peaceful paintings by Saim Caglayan.

- Informed Collector

Artworks by Saim Caglayan:


See More Artworks >>

Other Web Pages with info about Saim Caglayan

Saim Caglayan's Main Artist Website

 

Biography

Saim Caglayan was born in Istanbul, Turkey and came to the United States in 1968 to study Architecture. After three years his interest changed and he went on to complete his BA degree in Sculpture from California State University, Long Beach. He then took further graduate courses in art from California State University, Fullerton and the Art Institute of Southern California. For over twenty years he taught sculpture for Crafton Hills College and Golden West College and recently plein air painting at Irvine Valley College, and private painting classes in California and Kaua'i.

Saim has been plein air painting the landscapes of the California desert, coastline and Islands of Hawaii for many years now.

His goal as a painter is to capture the ever-transient light and its colors within a composition of balance and harmony.

In 1996 he founded LPAPA, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. His goal was to revive the tradition of the early California painters who had lived and painted in Laguna Beach. Today LPAPA has become a vibrant force in the art community of California with an impressive membership from Hawaii to Florida.

Saim, in 2003 with Pierre Bouret started KOPA, Kauai Outdoor Painters Association, in 2005 with Ronaldo Macedo ISLANDERS, a group of painters representing the Hawaiian Islands and in 2007 with Katalina Prince BSPAI, Borrego Springs Plein Air Invitational. All these organizations and events promote plein air painting and benefit not for profit organizations in their respected communities.?



source: http://www.saimcaglayan.com/saim_biography.html

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FineArtViews: Straight talk about art marketing, inspiration - daily to your inbox.

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BoldBrush Contest: Monthly Online Painting Contest with over $6,000 in awards. 

Backstory: About Clint. Email Editor.  Submit a guest post.  Twitter. Republish. ]

This article is by Brian Sherwin, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Conservative Punk, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Vandalog, COMPANY and Art Fag City. If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  Disclaimer: This author's views are entirely his/her own and may not reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.

I was recently asked about what an artist should include if an art dealer requests an artist resume. Having interviewed a number of art dealers over the years (Kirsten Anderson, Sara Nightingale, Jan Wentrup, Camilo Alvarez, Martita Slewe, Caryn Coleman, Fraser Kee Scott and Edward Winkleman -- just to name a few) I do have some thoughts on the subject. However, I want to stress that my suggestions are not the 'end all, be all' of writing an artist resume. That said, I do hope my suggestions will help you out during the writing process.

Keep in mind that I'm offering these artist resume suggestions with commercial art galleries as the focus. In other words, the following suggestions may not apply to other forms of artist documentation -- such as writing your curriculum vitae for use in academic situations. Point blank -- your artist resume will be 'short and sweet' (less complicated from a technical standpoint) compared to other forms of artist documentation.

Your artist resume will be 'broken down' into standard resume headings -- unless the art dealer requests a different approach. Some art dealers will offer printable copies of the artist resume format they expect. If the art dealer offers an example OR details a specific format -- follow it. (Warning: I know some art dealers who confuse the artist resume with artist bios. In other words, they may ask for an artist resume and provide a format -- but they are actually asking for an artist bio. This is not the time to correct someone on the difference between the two -- unless you want to take a high-risk chance of offending the art dealer... which is NOT a good start. Point blank -- just smile and give the art dealer what he or she desires.)

As mentioned above, your artist resume will include several headers -- Name, Education, Solo Exhibitions... etc. -- that help to categorize information about you. Your artist resume headings should be underlined, bulleted or bolded in order to stand out from the rest of the text. (Note: the majority of the art dealers I've spoken with about artist resumes prefer bold). Some of these resume headings can be deceptively simple -- which is why I'm presenting them one at a time in this series. (Note: my artist resume suggestions may help you with deciding on what basic information to provide on your artist website).

The topic for today is... Name:

Providing your name on your artist resume is deceptively straight-forward. I describe it that way because some artists make the mistake of using aliases. You DON'T want to use an alias when submitting this information. In other words, if your name happens to be John Smith -- but you go by Raul Smith for whatever reason... well, you might really want to think about using your legal name.

Your artist resume should be as professional as possible -- that involves being upfront about who you are. Thus, you should present yourself in a professional manner -- not in a way that may be interpreted as deceptive by the art dealer if he or she discovers that you are not who you say you are. (Note: In some situations an alias might be expected -- think street artists. However, even in those situations -- at least those I'm aware of -- the art dealer will want to know who is who).

The other common problem with Name on an artist resume is that some artists will include nicknames. For example, if your name is John Smith DON'T use John 'The Bomb' Smith on your artist resume. I don't care how you got the nickname, who pinned you with it OR how cool you think you are for using it... art dealers won't either. Trust me on this.

The use of a nickname on an artist resume can have negative consequences. For example, you don't want to spur the art dealer into imagining why you have a specific nickname. (Note: I know an art dealer who tossed an artist resume aside because she had concerns that the artist might be a liability based on his nickname). Point blank -- your nickname is a needless distraction in this situation. Keep it professional... use your legal first and last name.

Keep in mind that -- with few exceptions -- the name you provide on your artist resume is the name that you will use -- or should be using -- within the 'gallery world' from that point on (especially if selected for representation/exhibition). That is why it is important to get it right from the get-go. You can't go wrong with your legal name. In other words, even if the art dealer is OK with John 'The Bomb' Smith... our friend John may not want to be known as 'The Bomb' forever (it is not very appealing after 30. Really). Point blank -- brand / market a name that you can live with throughout your art career... and use that name every time an art dealer requests an artist resume from you.

I want to be clear on this -- using your legal first and last name on your artist resume is the most professional option compared to using an alias or 'throwing in' a nickname. That said, in some situations you may also want to use your middle initial. For example, if you are aware of another artist who shares your name you may want to provide your middle initial in order to cutback on art marketing / art branding confusion.

In other words, if John Smith's middle name is Alibaster... he may want to list himself as 'John A. Smith' on his artist resume -- and anything else his name is attached to. That way his artwork will (hopefully) not be confused with all of the other John Smith's in the art world. (Note: I'll give you a 'real world' example -- I know of two artists who 'share' 'Damien Hirst' as a legal first and last name. One is famous -- the other is not. When the lesser-known Damien Hirst submits his artist resume it could easily be interpreted as a prank IF he fails to include his middle initial).

Another exception to the rule -- for the artists who happen to be female... you may want to use your maiden name for the Name heading on your artist resume. I don't want to sound like a downer... but we all know that the divorce rate is high these days. In addition to that, women today are more apt to remarry if their husband dies. Thus, it might be better to use your maiden name from the get-go (that goes for your artist resume and other forms of art-related documentation) in order to avoid confusion later if you experience a change in relationship status. It is desirable for your 'artist name' to be consistent throughout your career. Fair warning.

Next on the artist resume chopping-block... my suggestions for additional Contact Info.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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John Berry
moosejawstudio.com
Sears Dixie Invitational
Eccles Fine Art Center
2/17/2012-3/25/2012
Reception: 2/17/2012 6-9 p.m.

Laura Robb
laurarobb.com
Three Graces: Jane Dedecker, Nancy Switzer and Laura Robb
Claggett Rey Galleries
2/18/2012

Jim Gilmore
jimgilmoreart.com
Trappings of Texas Western Art Exhibit & Sale
Museum of the Big Bend
2/24/2012-2/25/2012

Warren Chang
warrenchang.com
Warren Chang and Karen Leoni Exhibition (Exhibition and book signing)
Monterey Arts Council Office and Gallery
2/24/2012-3/24/2012
Reception: 2/24/2012 4-7pm

Mark Yearwood
markyearwood.com
Mark Yearwood "Live Paint" (Artist painting session and reception)
Lovetts Gallery
2/25/2012
Reception: 2/25/2012 Sat. 10am - 5pm

Lindsey Bittner Graham
lindseybittnergraham.com
Waterhouse Gallery 8"x8" Show (Invitational show)
Waterhouse Gallery
2/25/2012
Reception: 2/25/2012

Kate Kiesler
katekieslerfineart.com
Art and Soul (Invitational)
CAC Gallery
2/26/2012
Reception: 2/26/2012 1-3 PM

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This post is by guest author, Terry L. Zarate.  This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. We've promoted this post to feature status because it provides great value to the FineArtViews community.  If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  This author's views are entirely her own and may not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.

Over the years, I have tried so many different schedules to help me to paint more often. Finding time that is designated for "painting only" is almost impossible. Everyone and everything demands my time. There are children and a husband to consider, as well as paying bills, cleaning the house, doing errands and everything else in between. I must have tried every type of system to help me organize my time better. It all works for awhile, but the minute something unexpected comes into the mix, my wonderful system goes out the window and I have a difficult time getting back to it.

Finally, I have come up with a plan that actually works - for me, anyway. Perhaps it will work for other artists. Here goes. When I first get up in the morning I jump right into paperwork. I get my coffee and stagger to my desk. I have difficulty in waking up and this helps me get out of my dreams and into the "real" world. I know that some people say to go into the studio right away, but I am a woman. I cannot have a clear mind until I have taken care of business. When I enter the studio, I don't want to have anything on my mind except my artwork. That is a must. Women feel responsible for everything and everyone in the world and these obligations must be taken care of before we can create.

I work on personal business and emails first. Then, I tackle paperwork and computer stuff regarding entering competitions, sending discs with artwork to galleries, keeping books, etc. It does feel good and gives me a sense of control to get some of the business related to my art done each day.

I then get the house in order - straighten, clean, laundry, errands, cooking, etc. Depending on the day, I can get into the studio by between noon and 2 each day.

When I enter the studio, I have a clear mind knowing that I have taken care of business - even artwork business. I can approach my paintings with nothing nagging at me. I can work until 6PM when my husband expects me to join him and our cats in our family room for the evening. I take with me a sachel filled with a drawing pad, a writing pad, papers I have printed from the computer to read, as well as books I don't have a chance to read during the day. I have so many art books I have purchased over the years and never have had a chance to read. So, as we watch television and talk, I can catch up on reading and work on designs for new paintings. It is the best system I have ever had.

Now, I won't pretend that it is perfect. Nothing is perfect, as I am often told. There are times that I have houseguests or doctor appointments or a friend or relative who needs me. Also, sometimes, I have a social engagement that I wish to attend. But, the second I can - I go back to this system. The vast majority of the time I can follow this schedule and it gives me great peace to know that I am keeping up with my art business as well as finding time to paint almost every day.

I just am not happy when I am not painting.

Simple as that.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Note:  You can view Terry's original post here.

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Focal Point: Jerry Markham
Visit Jerry Markham's Canvoo Focal Point on the web

Energetic brushwork and lush paint texture uniquely form the patterns that become the reality of an engaging character study. Landscapes are expertly handled in the same engaging manner.

- Informed Collector

Artworks by Jerry Markham:


See More Artworks >>

Biography

Jerry Markham was born in Alberta, Canada in November 1978.

He attended art school for a short time and disappointed with the school's abstract-oriented program, he left to follow his desire to learn representational painting by studying master painters and learning from established artists such as Doug Swinton, Jean Geddes and William Reese.

Jerry's interests, experiences and travels play a significant role in the subjects he chooses to paint. His typical process includes doing drawings and small studies of his subject from life, then completes a larger painting in the studio. His medium of choice is oil.

Jerry is currently a member of the Oil Painters of America and Federation of Canadian Artists. His work has been in Southwest Art, American Art Collector, International Artist, The Artist's Magazine, and the Canadian Brushstroke Magazine.

Paintings, galleries, and information about plein air workshops can be found on his website at www.jerrymarkham.com.

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This post is by Luann Udell, regular contributing author for FineArtViews.  Luann also writes a column ("Craft Matters") for The Crafts Report magazine (a monthly business resource for the crafts professional) where she explores the funnier side of her life in craft.  She's a double-juried member of the prestigious League of New Hampshire Craftsmen (fiber & art jewelry).  Her work has appeared in books, magazines and newspapers across the country and she is a published writer.  She's blogged since 2002 about the business side--and the spiritual inside--of art.  She says, "I share my experiences so you won't have to make ALL the same mistakes I did...."You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.

Remember - All the questions we're talking about are just opportunities to showcase your strengths.

No matter how successful we are, no matter how famous we get, at some point someone is going to compare you to someone even more famous.  (Because there’s always someone more famous than you!)

It could simply be the other artist in your town, your community, your state, your region who has a bigger following than you.  Maybe they’ve been around longer, maybe they command bigger prices, maybe they really are just that good.  Maybe, like me, you’ve got one of the biggest names in the world right at the same show with you!

The question will take many forms.  A customer in your booth will say, “Oh, you do polymer.  Do you know so-and-so?  Their work is just fabulous!”  Or, “I went to a show by (another artist in your medium), his work is just spectacular!”  Sometimes a customer even suggests I get in touch with said famous artist, because “they could help you market your work.”  Sometimes they just say it:  “So, you do x media, too.  Are you as good as so-and-so (insert famous artist name here)?”

Mostly, people tend to think in terms of hierarchies and rankings.  So much of our culture is about being Number One, the gold medal (who remembers who won the bronze medal??), the Super Bowl champion.  Even the art world falls prey to this:  Best in Show, People’s Choice, blue ribbons galore.  So some customers naturally want to know where you stand on the ladder.

Part of this comes from people thinking all artists know all the other artists around, just like we assume all movie stars know all the other movie stars.  (They don’t.)  We don’t.  Sometimes it’s because we just don’t move in the same circles or do the same shows.  Sometimes it’s because we (or they) are less social (or more social) than they are (or we are.)  I know that’s a confusing sentence, but you get my drift.  Sometimes it’s even because (gasp!) we do know them, but we don’t like them very much.

Whatever the reason, there’s the question.  There are many ways to respond. 

You can jump in and rave, too.  “Oh, I know, she’s so wonderful, I wish I could paint/sculpt/sew/design like her!”  It’s a sweet thing to do, but I always feel like a cheerleader (and not even cheering for my own team—me!)  And it always results in a long conversation about another artist.  In my booth.  The one I paid $1,400 for.  To show my work….

Or you can make it clear you have things you could say, but won’t.  “Ye-e-ess, he’s, uh, very well known for that style...” trailing off slightly to imply that maybe he’s well-known for it, but not actually very good.  A non-committal “mmmmmmmm” says the same thing.

Maybe you go into a rant about how unfair it is that Mr. Famous Artist gets all the glory, and your work is just as good, if not better.  Or you can start sharing snide little insults and cutting remarks, like maybe that artist isn’t even doing all his own work anymore, or he’s taking other shortcuts with his technique, compromising the quality of his work.  Or any number of other ways to undermine your ‘opponent’ and make you look good by comparison. 

There’s just one problem with these approaches:  That’s your lizard brain talkin’.  It’s the fear that so-and-so is better than us, that there’s nothing we can do about it, and if he gets a big piece of the pie, then there won’t be any for you. 

And when we let our lizard brain take over, people can tell.  They feel uncomfortable.  It feels good to vent, but you’ll come off looking pretty immature.  And it probably won’t close a sale for you, especially if your potential customer likes that particular artist.

Here’s something else to try:

Know your competition’s strengths.  And know yours even better.

It’s an approach that smacks of generosity and depth of character.  And by making the other artist shine, you shine even more brightly. 

So what might this look like?  I’m going to use an imaginary small landscape company as an example. 

A customer meets you at a trade show and is interested in your work.  But they ask if you’re as good as a well-known, big name fancy-pants company that’s bigger than yours, been around longer, and has well-heeled clients.

How could you respond?

"Oh, I’m delighted you’re comparing us to them!  (**Puts you in the same league as them—yay!**)  Yes, Big Green Tree Company is very well-known.  They do excellent work, they’ve gotten lots of magazine coverage, and they’ve won all kinds of awards.  They’re a bigger company, of course--they have more personnel, and they usually specialize in very large projects.  They’ve really raised the bar for our industry, and we’re lucky to have them in this area!

Our company, Little Pear Tree, is definitely smaller.  We’re a family-owned business, and between the four of us, us we have over 80 years’ cumulative experience in the field.  We specialize in using native species and plant varieties that have been especially developed for our rugged regional climate.  In fact, we partner with our state university’s horticulture department in developing and field-testing hardy yet attractive cultivars.  There’s actually a viburnum shrub named for my dad! (**Of course, don’t say this unless it’s true!**) 

We tend to focus on smaller, more intimate projects, which gives us a lot of flexibility and creativity to come up with a personalized plan.  And we work long-term with you, so your landscape can continue to grow and evolve over the years.  In fact, we call it ‘legacy designing” because we like to think we’re helping our clients create living legacies for their homes and businesses.  Would you like to schedule some time to talk with us about your project?”

Not a whiff of snide.  Not a shred of rancor.  Just an honest acknowledgment of what makes Company X great—and what makes your company even more desirable.

I have first-hand experience with the “as good as so-and-so” issue.  There’s  a ‘big name’ in my medium in my region.  And many people bring up the name when they first realize my work uses polymer. 

And when they do, I’m ready. 

I know the Big Name is extremely talented, one of the top five artists working in the medium internationally.  (Their prices reflect that, too!) 

I may never achieve that kind of recognition or respect.  But I don’t care.  My mission for my art is not about achieving fame.  (Of course, I’m hoping fame could be a nice side-effect!)

When people mention the Big Name, I say the work is exquisite, perfectly executed and beautiful.  Then comes the unsaid “but”…. 

“My work is very different.  My work has a powerful narrative, a story that comes from my heart.  My story looks back to prehistory, then looks ahead and wonders what my own legacy will be. 

My work is not about the medium.  The polymer is simply the best material to tell my story.  And when you touch my work (I put a piece in their hand) I want you to believe, just for a moment, that you’re really holding something ancient, something someone made thousands of years ago.  I want you to feel that connection to what has gone before.  And I want to encourage you to tell your own story, and sense your own place in the greater scheme of things.   Because we all have a place in this world, and we all have a story to tell.”

No one ever mentions the Big Name again.

Still not convinced? Here’s one last reason not to give in to the lizard brain:

Whatever you say about another artist to ‘cut them down to size’ will eventually get back to them.  Worse, it will be misquoted, or taken out of context, or magnified in malice. And they will never forget. 

Our art world is too small for that kind of bad energy.  And life is too short.

Lead with your big, loving, highly creative heart.  Be gracious about who you’re being compared to.

Then give yourself the highest accolades of all.  Tell the powerful truth about your own beautiful work.  Forge the connection, then take it to the next step, on your terms.

You’ll come out smelling like the proverbial fragrant-yet-hardy-shrub-rose!

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This article is by Brian Sherwin, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Conservative Punk, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Vandalog, COMPANY and Art Fag City. If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  Disclaimer: This author's views are entirely his/her own and may not reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.

The artists I've known over the years tend to share a desire -- they want to have a solid local or regional presence. In other words, they want to be recognized for their art within their community or surrounding community. In addition to that, they often desire to be a 'known name' within their local art community -- even if their art community is spread out between several towns/cities (which may very well be the case for an artist living in a small city or rural town). Establishing local / regional recognition can be an uphill battle no matter where you live. That said, many artists appear to forget that their art blog can help in the 'climb' -- even if it amounts to just one little step (connection) at a time.

Before I delve into this further I want to offer some clarification. This Art Blogging 101 article was written with small city / rural artists in mind -- and how they can benefit from local online searches for specific art-related venues/events in their area. Artists living in larger cities may be able to benefit from this strategy as well -- though it will be more difficult to achieve. Especially if the 'big city' in question happens to have a very active art community -- and thus a steady flow of online content about art news in general. Point blank -- the 'numbers' can work against 'big city' artists... you'll understand if you read further.

I'll make this short and bitter sweet -- many artists fail to take advantage of their art blog when seeking local / regional recognition for their art. They want to establish themselves within their local / regional community -- but fail to take advantage of one of the most powerful tools at their fingertips... that being, the power of the Internet. They fail to benefit from online searches made by local / regional art lovers. They forget that online documentation of their local / regional art experiences can be just as important -- for establishing 'real world' presence AND connections -- as receiving local press in traditional print.

I'll offer a fictional example: Jane the Artist has a steady track record of being involved in local /regional art exhibits, art fairs and other art-related events -- but if you visit Jane's art blog you will not find any blog posts about those events and experiences. Jane has failed to establish an online connection between her local / regional 'offline' art marketing efforts and those specific art venues. Thus, her artist website will likely not show up in search results when people from her surrounding community submit online searches for those specific local art galleries, art fairs and other art events.

Why does this matter? Simple. Jane could have easily taken advantage of those online searches depending on the art venue and how much coverage it has had online (again, I'm writing this with small city / rural artists in mind -- specifically those who live in areas where art coverage is minimal... which means page results for those searches are untapped, if you will). Unfortunately, Jane failed to offer art blog posts about her local / regional art involvement. If she had -- Amy the Art Collector may have 'discovered' her when searching for information about those specific local / regional venues. (Obviously the chance of Amy the Art Collector finding Jane the Artist's post about a specific local art gallery, for example, will also depend on how well Jane distributed her blog content. Hint: when you make an art blog post -- be sure to distribute a link to it via social networking or other online means. Don't wait for people to discover your art blog content -- get it 'out there').

There is no reason Jane the Artist should not strive to benefit online from the time she spends attending -- or exhibiting at -- local / regional art exhibits, art fairs and other local / regional art events. If she had dedicated a few art blog posts to those experiences -- and distributed links to said content on Facebook, Twitter and other websites (in order to attract blog readers... and therefore helping to rank her art blog posts on search engines) -- she may have been 'discovered' by Amy the Art Collector. Point blank -- Jane the Artist missed out on the potential of being recognized by a local art collector because she failed to write about her local / regional art experiences. If she had been 'discovered' online by Amy the Art Collector... said discovery may have increased her local / regional recognition for being an artist (Amy may have informed other local art collectors about Jane).

This is what I want to stress -- art blogging that focuses on local / regional art exhibits (and other art-related events from your surrounding area) may help you to establish connections with local / regional art admirers who are searching for information about those specific art venues and events online. Thus, blogging about your local / regional art experiences can be a strategic addition to your overall art marketing efforts. Point blank -- a simple art blog post may trigger 'real world' interactions that you would not have established otherwise.

This is what I want you to do... think of local / regional focused art blog posts as 'seeds'. With each published art blog post you are 'planting' local / regional potential. It does not take much time to do -- and can potentially help to 'cultivate' local / regional opportunities. You want to 'reap' from those local online art-related searches. The online potential is there -- you may end up receiving another art admirer, establishing a connection with a fellow local artist or making a few local art sales from this strategy. If nothing 'grows' from it -- well, you at least have more art blog posts under your belt... which is always a plus for your artist website IF that is where your art blog is located.

In closing, have you made the same mistake as our fictional friend -- Jane the Artist? Have you failed to tap into local-focused online searches of art-related venues that you have been involved with -- or even just those you have attended as a viewer? Perhaps you have found success with this strategy? Feel free to comment with suggestions that you would like to add to this art blog strategy -- and by all means, share your local art blogging experiences so that we can all learn from them.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

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This post is by guest author, Karen Cooper.  This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. We've promoted this post to feature status because it provides great value to the FineArtViews community.  If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  This author's views are entirely her own and may not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. Let's talk about the calendar today.

After all, timing is everything. Don't you just hate that phrase? Timing is everything. Most people say it to you with sympathy on their faces, because you've made a timing erred mistake. Or when an opportunity is lost because the perfect time has already slipped by. There are those people who make it their living to forecast the perfect time to get something done. Sigh--even they are not 100% perfect.

A little while ago there was an article in the FineArtViews newsletter about Ebay. Be it noted here I am not an Ebay fan, but allow that for some people, it works. That's not the point however, rather the comment included in the letter:

"When the art goes off is extremely important. You don’t want the auction to end Christmas Day or on any other big holidays. Use your brain."

Did not that author just say, "timing is everything"? I was reminded of this paragraph when I opened the stats page of my website today. All of you who have FASO artist websites know that little bar graph that pops up there, right? It shows how many people have visited your website today, or yesterday, or whenever.

Aaaach! Flat lined! My personal bar graph is apparently glued to the bottom. What does that tell us? NO BODY and NO ONE (except for me) is sitting in front of their computer on a holiday weekend. Okay, actually, there were a whopping seven there yesterday, and eight today, but trust me when I tell you that doesn't give your bar graph any perceptible motion.

Now then, what's the lesson to take away and retain? That brilliantly written blog post article, or that beautifully crafted newsletter? DON'T send them at holiday time. There's no accounting for all of your reader's travel plans and vacation times, but by looking at the calendar and using your brain, it's pretty simple to forecast that your bar graph will be flat lined for a day or two. In essence, your very important information will fall on deaf ears. Unopened ears, errr, emails, I mean. And those same people probably won't have time for you the first day back from holiday either. Really, everyone is playing catch up and it's way too easy to file things away for reading later. A later that often never happens.

So if you are one of those crazy seven or eight, sitting in front of the machine, designing that newsletter, when everyone else is out on holiday, look at your calendar. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Schedule that article/newsletter to go when there's actually someone there to receive it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper

------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Note:  You can view Karen's original post here.

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This post is from our Informed Collector newsletter. If you would like to receive daily briefs about today's finest artists, visit InformedCollector.com for your free subscription.

Focal Point: Bryan Mark Taylor
Visit Bryan Mark Taylor's Canvoo Focal Point on the web

Expertly handled intricate detail and subject matter. The outcomes are graceful, harmonious paintings.

- Informed Collector

Artworks by Bryan Mark Taylor:


See More Artworks >>

Other Web Pages with info about Bryan Mark Taylor

Bryan Mark Taylor's Main Artist Website

 

Biography

Bryan is currently working out of his Bay Area studio and teaching in the Graduate School at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. His work continues to evolve as a combination of traditional techniques and personal innovation. Time spent outdoors observing and pondering nature has become an essential part of his creative process.

Bryan won "Best of Show" at the 2009 Laguna Plein Air Invitational and "Collectors Choice" at the 2010 Laguna Plein Air Invitational. Additionally, Bryan won "Best of Show" at the 2009 Los Gatos Plein Air Festival, and "First Place" in the "Quick Draw" competition at the 2010 Telluride Plein Air Festival. His work was chosen for the 2010 International Salon in San Antonio Texas where he won "Honorable Mention" and "Jury Top Fifty" awards. He won "Honorable Mention" at the 2010 Carmel Plein Air Festival and also won "Second Place", "Emerging Artist", and "Honorable Mention" at the 2009 Carmel show. Bryan's life and works were featured in the September 2010 issue of Southwest Art Magazine and in the 2009 Fall issue of American Artist Workshop Magazine. He was also featured as one of "Today's Masters" in the March/April 2009 issue of the Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine. Although still early in his career, Bryan has six successful one man shows and has participated in numerous group shows. He is a member of Oil Painters of America and has participated in the 2007-2010 National Juried Exhibitions. Bryan is represented by galleries in California, Texas and Utah and his work is found in private, corporate and museum collections around the country.

Bryan was born in Portland, Oregon. He received his BA from Brigham Young University in 2001 and his MFA from the Academy of Art University in 2005.

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