Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Feb15 ArtBusiness
Feb15 ArtBusiness
Feb15 ArtBusiness
ART
BUSINESS
SAVVY
How to Get Your Art
in a Gallery
ART
BUSINESS
Set Up a Website
That Works for You
This content has been abridged from an original article written by John A. Parks. © F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this premium to be copied for personal use.
2 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Personal websites have become an indispensible tool for artists; in fact, it’s now a little. I told myself that I would only
almost impossible to build a reputation and a career without one. But the task of offer sites I would want myself, at a
setting up a website can be challenging and daunting. In addition to choosing price I could afford, and to not too many
from a range of options, there are a plethora of decisions to make about how to people. It’s been a nice way to exercise
organize the site, whether to incorporate e-commerce features, how to coordinate my left brain and to meet interesting
it with social-networking sites, and many more. I recently spoke with Clint Watson people.
and Andy Webster, professional designers who specialize in artists’ websites, and
got several useful tips. What are the basic
considerations for an artist
How did you start creating who wants to set up a website?
ANDY WEBSTER: I’m an artist myself,
websites for artists? What and when I was looking for a website
is the nature of the service for my own work I found that the CW: At FASO, we always say, “Sharing
you supply to artists as cheaper options were always wrong for art enriches life.” For every hour spent
a professional website what I wanted. I also wasn’t convinced on his or her website, that’s an hour
designer? that hiring a designer would be a much less in the studio. I would recommend
better prospect because I needed to working with someone who can create
easily update it myself. So I made a site a professional-looking art website that
CLINT WATSON: Many years ago, I that took all the best parts from the is easy for you to use, easy to update,
was in the gallery business. I also had leading artists’ websites and also devel- and that allows you, the artist, to get
a background in computer program- oped a way to edit my site quickly from everything done in one place.
ming, so I was able to create a nice any internet café if I were traveling, There are a few materials that an artist
database-driven site for the gallery. One which was a necessity for me. will need to prepare before starting a
of the artists I worked with at the time, It made sense to offer versions of website, such as high-quality digital im-
Kevin Macpherson, asked me to create these sites to artists who interested ages of artwork. I can’t stress the words
a website for him. I initially said no me and augment my painting income “high quality” enough. Spend some time
because I didn’t have the extra time
in my schedule to manage someone
else’s site. What I created instead was
a system that enabled him to build his
own website by simply typing informa-
tion into his web browser and upload-
ing images from his own computer.
That system grew into Fine Art Studio
Online (FASO), a turnkey artist-website
builder and online art-marketing
system. Our templates include a blog,
email newsletter, and a domain name.
We also offer toll-free support and all
kinds of art-marketing resources. I’m
really not a web designer, per se; I’m
a software developer and build out all
the complex back-end stuff. We do,
however, work with some great web
designers who can add custom designs
onto our system for artists who really
want that.
3 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
1 8
updating costs, not just the initial ones.
What other artists’ Will it be easy to
Ideally, you should be able to upload an
websites have you change the design of
image yourself in just about any size
and from any computer, and it should
created? What do those the entire site if I want to?
artists have to say about
9
generate thumbnails, larger details,
your layout—the works. working with you? Will I be able to reach
you easily by phone if I
2
Changing your résumé should also
be as easy as editing an email draft. What technology do need assistance?
Anything more expensive or compli- you plan to use to build
cated will mean it isn’t updated often
enough (or you’re spending too much
time at the computer).
the site? (Html and javascript
are good, flash is bad.) 10 Where will the site
be hosted and how
is it set up to ensure that it
5
they are getting harder and harder to do How will I be able to
13
yourself if you’re not a developer. I would, easily update the site How do you plan
however, say that there are exceptions,
when you’re not available? to structure the
such as an artist who either happens to
URLs and navigation to
6
be a web developer (or whose spouse is
What system will you ensure that the site has
one), or an artist who really understands
and enjoys web development. When I
use to allow people to good SEO (search engine
see an artist spending a lot of their time
join an email newsletter list optimization)?
on “web stuff,” I worry that their art is directly from my site?
7
negatively affected.
Will I be able to send
AW: I did it myself—and it took three email newsletters to
years, and I somehow ended up with a my subscribers in a proper
web-design business. A well-designed spam-compliant manner?
and automatic solution didn’t ex-
ist when I started, but I would have
jumped at exchanging the price of a
painting for all that extra time in the
studio. If you decide to design your
own site, you will need to solve thou-
sands of tiny problems. Consider, too,
that it will likely still be a manual effort
to change an image or text.
4 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
5 www.artistdaily.com
+
ART
BUSINESS
6 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Collector and
Collected
by John A. Parks
Self-Portrait
as Father
by Ian Ingram, 2008,
charcoal, pastel,
and watercolor,
54 x 39. Courtesy
Barry Friedman
Gallery, New York,
New York.
7 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
8 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
9 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
ing mirrors of different strengths,” says with these collectors.” Ingram is also
the artist. “But I will use any tool that represented by Barry Friedman, a repu-
helps me see more accurately—photos, table dealer in New York, who keeps
tinted lights to remove the confusion of collectors and admirers up to date on
full spectrum light, various measuring his latest artworks. Such representation
devices—anything goes.” also reassures the collector and spawns
For Ingram, collectors are a vital part another interesting relationship, that
of his creative process. “The relation- between collector and dealer.
ships I have with my collectors mean Looking at the collector-artist
the world to me,” he says. “I spend relationship is worthwhile considering
years working alone in a dark room and what fuels it. Stone is interested in
have a few pieces to show for it when work that focuses on a particular kind
I’m done. They then have a brief cel- of subject matter, and Ingram has been
ebratory song and dance at an opening steadfast in exploring this subject. The
and then start their own lives. Very few artist’s work has changed somewhat
people spend more than two minutes over the years that Stone has
looking at a drawing, so it is a very rare been collecting, primarily
bird indeed that is willing or compelled in moving from small- to For the artist, a collector
to look and then decide to live with one
of my drawings. I find that we may be
large-scale pieces. Stone has
collected examples on both
is not only a committed fan
very different types of people but that scales. It seems that if an but also a necessary figure
there is some exalted passion that I
share with my collectors. This common
artist remains committed to
work of a certain kind, then
if the enterprise is to work
ground is the experience of art that he or she will continue to as a business.
resides just out of reach of our limited enjoy the support of collec-
vocabulary. I make art to try to put a tors who share that interest;
finger on this elusive experience, and changing one’s style or subject matter
when someone decides to buy a piece risks alienating fans and collectors
a circuit is completed. Someone ‘gets alike.
it,’ and that is deeply gratifying. Aside As an artist’s career advances, collec-
from this somewhat spiritual connec- tors can take pride in being able to lend
tion, collectors are also the lifeblood of work to exhibitions and enjoying brag-
my daily survival. They put their money ging rights at being an early supporter.
where their heart is. A ‘good’ collector Many are as ambitious for the works to
then gives the piece a full life after it achieve recognition as the artists who
leaves the exhibit. I have been lucky to made them. If an artist can keep this
have a number of great collectors who sense of excitement present for the col-
sing the praises of my work without lector by keeping him or her informed
abandon and I don’t think many people and interested in both the work and the
would have seen my work without progress of his career, then the relation-
their efforts. I find it incredibly easy ship will continue to blossom—with a
and gratifying to sustain relationships good outcome for all. ■
10 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
All the hard work and unique vision that we pour into our painting and
drawing can result in artwork that we are proud of. The next step is to
make an accurate photographic record of our art to share with friends,
collectors, galleries and perhaps to enter into juried exhibitions.
The essential component to that sharing process these days is the
making of a professional-quality digital recording of our art. We have
two choices—pay a hefty fee to have a pro shoot our work, or invest a
This content has been abridged from an original article written by John Hulsey. © Hulsey Trusty Designs, L.L.C., All rights reserved.
Used with permission by F+W Media, Inc. Permission is granted for any or all pages to be copied for personal use.
11 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
12 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
RAW exposures for archiving. We have been using the G-11 (10
megapixel) for a couple of years and the results have been out-
standing.
You can really see the difference that polarizing made in
these two images of my oil painting, Another Night. On the
left, no polarizing, and a useless image. On the right you can
see how the spectral highlights (hot spots) vanished, leaving
well-balanced, rich tones without the heavy influence of the red-
yellow tungsten light spectrum.
All that was needed was to crop the image and tweak it a
little here and there in Photoshop. We hope it’s clear from this
demo that a small investment in the proper filters and lights
pays big dividends in the results. With most juried shows rely-
ing on the quality of our photographs to decide who will make
the first cut, it is imperative that artists get professional with
their photography. Without top-notch high-fidelity images to
show, there is no way to get a fair assessment of our work. And Note the Tiffen linear polarizing filter on the lens. When the filter is rotated
that is entry-fee money down the drain. So learn all about tak- to 90-degrees from the orientation of the films in front of the lights (cross-
polarization), the hot-spots and glare on your art will magically disappear,
ing professional-quality photos of your art. It is easy and fun, and the colors will increase in saturation, depth, and fidelity. The linear
and all the info is at The Artist’s Road. n filter works better with this system than a circular filter does.
13 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Authenticating
and Archiving
Your Artwork
by
Peter Ouyang
ABOVE
These prelimary sketches and
accompanying journal entries
of finished work done by
Massachusetts artist Susan Pecora
show the process some artists use
to document their artwork from
conception to final creation.
BOTTOM
Senlis Cathedral,
Midnight
by Susan Pecora,
1996, watercolor,
22 x 30. Collection
the artist.
This content has been abridged from an original article written by Peter Ouyang. © F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this premium to be copied for personal use.
14 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
15 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
16 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
If an artwork is unsigned or if the The documents reviewed during to the actual time period when the art-
authenticity is in question, extensive the signature-verification process can work was created.
research will be conducted to deter- include business transactions—such Scientific examinations of the mate-
mine the creator of the work. Although as checks, wills, or contracts—and rials used to create the artwork help
appraisers can point out inconsistencies personal correspondence, including determine the time period in which a
in an art piece, they are generally not letters, journals, or notes. Ten to 15 painting was created, whether it is real
considered authorities in determining signatures are the minimum require- or a reproduction, and if it can be con-
the authenticity of a work. In fact, no ment for comparison, and these usual- nected to the artist. “Identification of the
single authority can be used to decide a ly fall within two years of the creation paints, based on the crystalline proper-
painting’s creator, but it is rather a col- of the artwork. The attributes of the ties of the color samples, reveals the
laboration among many researchers and signatures are compared within the pigments used to create the work and
experts in the field. This group effort can time period, the medium, and other when the piece could first have been
involve the expertise and research of art signatures in the artist’s business and created,” states Joseph Barabe, the
scholars, scientists, and signature ana- personal life. An artist’s signature senior research microscopist and direc-
lysts, among others. confirms the originality and can point tor of scientific imaging at McCrone
During the verification process, an Associates and the leader of scientists
art scholar will first visually inspect a who analyzed the ink on the Gospel of
painting to establish the artistic style Dejeuner (Breakfast) Judas codex. “If we find that the mate-
by Louis Ritman, ca. 1914, oil, 361⁄2 x 361⁄4.
and method used, determining when Private collection.
rials were not available at the time the
the piece was likely created and whether This painting was never signed by the artist and is artist painted, then the authenticity is
the signature reflects the same time one of many that Peter M. Fairbanks, the president questioned. Material science can only
and co-owner of Montgomery Gallery, in San
period. “Historical elements of the piece Francisco, researched to determine the origin point to authenticity; historical style and
corroborate the time period,” explains and author. provenance are also essential compo-
Fairbanks. “I look at the clothing fash-
ion, furniture design, the landscapes,
and building architecture, all of which
can indicate time periods and geograph-
ic locations of where the painting took
place.” If an art piece is not signed or
the signature is in question, a handwrit-
ing analyst will research signatures from
various time periods of the artist’s life.
Initially, the handwriting analyst
scrutinizes the placement and fluency
of the signature, as well as the congruity
of the handwriting within the paint-
ing itself. This visual check includes
looking for dates that may be recorded
or handwriting that is integrated into
the art. “I look at signatures within the
context of the artist’s style,” remarks
Heidi Harralson, the certified document
examiner for Spectrum Consultants.
“An artist’s signature can be as expres-
sive and stylized as their artwork—if
their artwork is detailed, their signature
may have a lot of detail as well.” In an
examination of Frida Kahlo’s works,
Harralson researched and compared
journal entries, personal letters, and
phrases found in paintings, as well as
writing on ceramics.
17 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
SUITABLE
ARCHIVAL
PROCEDURES
“Although the Smithsonian’s Archives
of American Art does not take an official
position or have any guidelines on the
types of information artists might gather
about themselves and their work,” states
Richard Manoogian, the chief of refer-
TOP
ence services for the company, “we Provenance handwritten by the artist This pigment is manganese blue, seen at
certainly encourage them to preserve confirming the details of an art piece is 1,000X magnification. Manganese blue
is very easy for researchers to identify
careful, complete documentation of one of the most valuable sources of docu- because of its unique anomalous rust-brown
their work and career so they may be of mentation in the authentication process. color when magnified.
benefit to scholars.” An artist’s records validate that his or ABOVE
The authentication process can take a her artwork is genuine and reinforce the This elemental profile of cadmium-yellow
pigment found in a watercolor by Degas is an
long time, and it can take just as long to connection of artist to audience, which example of the kind of analysis researchers
reach an agreement among art scholars in turn helps patrons feel the artwork conduct to determine if the pigment is
characteristic of the artist in question.
regarding the results of the research, value is equitable. Journal memories and
all of which is conducted well after the insights can be shared with generations
lifetime of the artist. Planning for and to come, and archival-quality ink pens
keeping archival records can avoid this and stationery allow the artist to provide
process, solidify an artist’s reputation, permanent documentation. By initiat-
and maintain the genuine connection ing suitable archival procedures in the
to artwork that was created to last for present, an artist creates assets for future
generations. “Artists aren’t librarians or artwork transactions, and long-lasting
accountants; they may not pay attention family heirlooms. n
to tracking details, and it could be dif-
ficult to get them into the habit of record Peter Ouyang is the vice president of
marketing and product development at
keeping,” says Fairbanks. “For this
Sakura of America, a manufacturer of
reason, artists should select a tracking writing instruments and artistic media, in
method that is as simple as possible.” Hayward, California.
18 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Twilight Marsh
by J. C. Airoldi.
We surveyed dozens of professional artists and asked what advice they would give
someone looking to build and maintain an art career, and their responses constitute a
trove of hard-earned wisdom.
As you would expect, many artists had differing or even contradictory views. It goes to
show that there are many ways to succeed. Ultimately you must discover for yourself which
of the many paths to an artistic career is right for you. So peruse these recommendations,
find the ideas that strike a chord, and then give it your all.
On some points, though, artists are almost unanimous in their opinions. You’ll find a few
thoughts echoed over and over in these pages, and these are of paramount importance.
Be yourself. Put your art first. And don’t give up.
This content has been abridged from an original article. © F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved. F+W Media grants permission for any
or all pages in this premium to be copied for personal use.
19 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
• Paint, paint, paint. There are no “Photograph all of your work, carry “If you are drawn to one style and
shortcuts. Paint as many hours in as it in your iPhone or a small portfolio, one type of subject matter, go for it.
many days as you can, but don’t forget and show it daringly to everyone you Stick with it, and you’ll become known
to live your life, as that is what feeds meet. You never know who is hanging for it and increase your success while
your artistic soul. around.” –stephen bennett doing something you really enjoy.”
• Find artists of the past and pres- –george rothery
ent you admire, and devour everything “Find a master or school where you
you can about their work and their can train and develop your skill. Skill “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes—
methods. Then, step away, veer off, and never goes out of style. Being competi- they’re opportunities to learn what’s not
listen intently to your own voice. tive doesn’t hurt either. Do everything working. Be humble, and know there is
• Paint what you love, and then you can to become a master of your always more you can improve—no one
knock on doors until you find the mar- craft. You will have time to develop the is ever perfect. Be persistent and work
ket. Don’t paint for the market, paint business side of things later.” –kerry hard. Don’t compete with other artists,
for you. –j. c. airoldi dunn compete with yourself. Most important-
20 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
21 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
who you admire. Ask if he or she will ists, landscape painters, muralists, and “Don’t fear failure, meet it head on.
be a mentor to you. In return, you can designers, all in one. The modern gal- Persevere! I hung all of my rejection
work in their studio as an apprentice, lery artist is really an anomaly in the notices around my easel. It forced me
clean their studio, wash their brushes, history of art, and it can force a rather to look at my work with a more con-
and ask for time to just sit and watch narrow, artificial, market-driven model structive and critical eye. Those rejec-
them paint. This is the way most of the on the creative process. Explore, aspire, tions were steadily replaced with accep-
Old Masters learned their trade. If you take risks, and make connections with tance notices and awards.” –mikel
do not know who the best artists are, other creative people outside the “fine wintermantel
do some serious sleuthing. Check out art” world. You’ll be in the company of
the best galleries, ask other artists, and Raphael, Titian, and Michelangelo.” “Learn to be ruthlessly self-critical
never quit searching for the best that –david mayernik of your own work on a formal level.
is available to you.” –urania christy Always be honest, and control your
tarbet ego.” –jimmy wright
“The best piece of advice I was ever “Forty years ago I received advice
given was ‘be visible.’ Have your work from Ramon Kelly that I still share with
shown in as many venues as possible.” my students. He said to be patient with
–lorenzo chavez yourself—it takes about 1,000 paint-
ings to get good at this. What I wish he
“Be professional when it comes to had said was that it takes less time to
doing business— courteous, organized, do 1,000 small paintings than 1,000
punctual, and accommodating. Try to large ones. To speed up your learn-
make it a good experience for the peo- ing curve, do lots of little paintings.”
ple with whom you are working.” –doug dawson
–michael mcnamara
Pastoral—Set Painting for • Nurture relationships with people
La Descente d’Orphée Aux
“Diversify. Look at the careers of Enfers, Haymarket Opera and develop a contact list. Use the list
the Old Masters—many were portrait- Company by David Mayernik. regularly to share new work and infor-
22 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
mation about upcoming exhibits and unsuccessful and spend their days doing als and your vision.” –david graeme
your career. Continue to build rela- work they don’t believe in and know is baker
tionships and add to the list. not good. And, unlike the struggling art-
• Pay attention to your best work, ist who loves his work, they are left with “Only a very small percentage of
and ask yourself how it came about. a pile of paintings that they are embar- artists will be able to make a living as
• Take extra time in image selec- rassed by.” –brad marshall a full-time artist and maintain a pure
tion and image development. This aesthetic—what they think good art
is the only way to ensure that each “I came to painting later in my life, is. Prepare yourself early for this with
painting is your best. which has given me both some dis- a second career that makes money.
• Don’t give up. Hang on to the advantages and advantages. The big I’ve done it by being a self-employed
things that inspire you, and paint, advantage I have is stick-with-it-ness. art teacher, teaching locally, and then
paint, paint. –laura lewis I know that all circumstances—bad traveling and teaching workshops. This
and good paintings, criticism, failures, keeps artists from painting only what
“Paint what you like, and don’t just and successes—add to my becoming a they know will sell.” –alex powers
pursue what you think will be market- better painter. Every experience has its
able. Commercial success is a consid- merit.” –joan becker “Paint every day, and always raise
eration, but when it is the sole pursuit, the bar.” –lisbeth firmin
the results are usually a disappointment. “Value your time, and take your art
For every Keith Haring or Mark Kostabi, seriously. Put as much of yourself into • The learning process is continu-
there are thousands of imitators who are it as you can. Get to know your materi- ous, and each painting is a new learn-
23 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Pink Lady
by Alex Powers.
24 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
edges, values, composition, and color put. Keep re-evaluating your work and
harmony, and just be yourself, wheth- yourself. Keep experimenting, pushing
er that is traditional or abstract.” toward new ideas, and challenging your
–patti andré technical abilities. If you stop growing,
your work becomes stagnant.”
“Van Gogh supposedly said that –mark haworth
an artist is always seeking without
Autumn Eventide by Mark Messersmith. absolutely finding. That’s beautifully • Be as original as you can. I’d rather
25 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
sell shoes than create derivative works producing much, so stop texting the
in someone else’s style. Doing that may moment you enter your studio, and put
make you a few bucks but will never the phone on hold, if you can.
make you truly successful. • If you enter the gallery system,
• Paint what you know and what you do your homework before putting your
love. You can be a master of all images work into someone’s hands. Contact
(portraits, landscapes, cars, interiors), artists that the gallery represents and
but that makes you invisible in your ask if the gallery takes good care of
career. Try and narrow it down to what the consignment art and pays on time.
you love most and do best. See if you can get opinions from local
• Maintain a website and perhaps a curators, other gallery owners, or any of
blog. Keep the graphics simple—I hate their suppliers.
seeing fine artworks overpowered by • Art is a hard career to pursue,
graphic overkill. And you can spend so but the rewards are outstanding. –steve
much time on the net that you aren’t frenkel n Mercury–GCT by Michiyo Fukushima.
26 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Part One
Get Some Gallery Love
by Jennifer King
When Tina Tammaro
brings a new painting
like “Geraniums” (oil, 9
x 12 in.) to one of her
galleries, she always
comes prepared to
update her inventory list
as well.
27 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
28 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
29 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
Part Two
How to Get Your Art
in a Gallery by Jennifer King
30 www.artistdaily.com
ART
BUSINESS
When I suggested a
showing of 10 landscape
artists, including me,
my gallery reps jumped
on the idea. The show
was called Romantic
Landscapes.
make one for them. In a slim binder artists make is putting cheap, tacky, their bets by investing in those artists
in a sober color, fill plastic sleeves with or inappropriate frames on their work. that are most likely to produce a good
copies of your bio, resume, a dozen Believe me, I get how expensive fram- return on that investment. But why
printed, color-corrected examples of ing is. But if there’s any way you can not suggest a group show, perhaps
commissions and other sold paintings, afford better frames, that investment on a theme that relates to work from
and other related literature, such as will come back to you in the form of a number of different artists already
postcard invites from previous shows increased sales at higher prices. If you represented by the gallery, including
or press clippings about you. The next absolutely can’t afford quality frames, you? The worst that can happen is that
time a client shows interest in your talk to your gallery reps. If they really your gallery rep will say no... but she
work, your rep can show her the book-- believe in the sales potential of your just might say yes.
very impressive! work, they may be willing to foot the This may sound like a lot of work,
Provide quality jpegs. Virtually every cost of good frames, which will simply but you’d be making all the same
gallery has a website. Make it easy for be deducted from the sale price of your moves if you were selling direct to the
your reps to use this tool to sell your paintings before determining the split. public. And who knows? With enough
work by automatically sending them Suggest a show. It’s only natural to effort, you just may work yourself up
top-quality jpegs of every new piece you dream of having a solo show in your to the top of the heap. I have one more
deliver. If you don’t have the equip- gallery, but until you’re a top earner post to go on this topic, but until then
ment or skills to create them, hire a that opportunity is probably a long way let me know if you have great ideas of
professional. off. Shows are extremely expensive your own to add.
Present your work like a pro. One of to put on (really! a couple thousand
the worst and most common mistakes easily!), and galleries need to hedge
31 www.artistdaily.com
Top
p Resources for Artists
2011 ANNUAL CD
CDs
Live! from YOUR
ONLINE ART COURSES
WITH JOHANNES VLOOTHUIS
FAVORITE ART
MAGAZINES!
ES!
IMPROVE YOUR PAINTING SKILLS !