As many of you are aware, I have been doing ongoing research by interviewing gallery owners, collectors and artists about how they're dealing with the poor economy and trying new stuff in order to keep sales going. Some of the answers I'm getting are quite surprising.

 

Perhaps one of the most surprising is that collectors are telling me that they think it's perfectly fine for artists to lower their prices by 10% to 20% during an economic downturn. I asked these collectors if that made them angry because they paid more for the art in the past, and know what? I got an overwhelming response of " NO, I buy art because I love it, not as an investment, and if the price is lower for a time, it means that I can buy more of it." In fact, some went on to explain that their art budget is restricted right now, and that lower prices gives them incentive to buy before prices go back up again.

 

Well, what do ya know? I've heard for years that artists can't lower their prices, but now we have it from the horse's mouths. Collectors are looking for a deal. It's a FACT, that almost everyone who buys at galleries right now asks for a discount on the stated price. Gallerists are giving discounts in order to make the sale, and they split the discount with the artist, so both the gallery and artist take a hit.

 

Sales are beginning to pick up, but they probably won't reach the hot rate they were before 2008. Many collectors who have 2nd homes in resort areas are "underwater" on their mortgages, and they are not buying as much art as they were before the housing bubble burst. In fact, there was an art buying bubble along with the other "bubbles". They all burst, and collectors are still buying but they're very careful and picky. For the most part, they've given up on buying for investment purposes (except for those artists at the very top whose work is increasing in value right now)... we're talking over $100,000 per painting with years of value behind those prices.

 

So, what's an artist to do? Well, if you lower your prices by 10% during a severe downturn, don't feel ashamed. Even if that lowers your price by a few hundred dollars, it does seem to be an incentive for buying right now. Sure, those collectors are able to pay full price, but in this economy, they don't want to, and they've learned that they don't have to!

 

I've got examples of artists who have lowered their prices and sales began to pick up. It's far better to make a little less than to just have your work sit there. Another trend I see -- collectors are comparing quality for price. If they find a newbie artist who paints beautifully at half the price of another artist's work, guess who gets the sale?

 

Nothing in art sales are like they were pre-2009, the bubble for art buying actually burst in the summer of 2010. Many artists are getting second jobs at box stores; some are going back to school for a non-art degree. The fact remains that there are not enough folks collecting original art right now to sustain the number of professional artists. What this means is that artists who want to make a living will need to try new measures to get sales going again. They may need to participate in multiple streams of income, they may need to lower prices, or better yet, create a series of lower priced unframed works that they sell directly from their website.

 

Some will offer reproductions - especially those who cannot offer low priced originals. There does seem to be a viable market for unframed works under $500. If you're a prolific painter, you can make some decent income using this method, but still remember, if everyone starts doing this, you're still competing with a huge crowd.

 

Many artists will decide to give up on full time art and go back to illustration or other jobs. What that means for those who do hang in there - a larger collector to artist ratio. Those artists who have sold in galleries for years are having the most difficult times with sales. I've seen some at outdoor shows having their best year ever, but galleries are closing monthly - and those that are open are worried and trying their best to gain the attention of collectors.

 

The Internet has changed the way everything is bought and sold, and we're in the middle of a revolution. No one really knows how it will all turn out, but we artists who are adventure prone and not adverse to risk will pull through. Even some galleries that are trying some new ideas out are the ones who are selling. I've interviewed a couple of gallery owners who are outselling those who are just waiting for the tide to turn.

 

This year, I have a few speaking engagements where I'll share the results of my research. First is a seminar at Scottsdale Artist School: January 19 and 20th. Second is the SmARTist telesummit, where I will speak along with many other art marketing professionals, and third, I will speak at the OPA national Show in Evergreen Colorado - June 22nd.  In the meantime, I'll share what trends I see that are working through this blog. So stay tuned!

 

Please feel free to comment and ask questions on this blog. I'll answer when I get time!

Sincerely,

Lori

 

While preparing for Putney Week in Scottdale at Legacy Gallery and Scottsdale Artist School, I am sharing a few photos of our sessions.

Richard and Nancy do not teach us... we all just get together to paint and on "still life" days, we each bring our own setup. Dennis Sheehan, and/or Dick MacNeil usually bring those dreaded donuts.

Typical scene on still life painting day in Putney VT.

 

Many of us will cut a small piece of a donut instead of taking the whole thing... then we sneak back and get the other piece of the same donut later.

 

Nancy Guzik and Daniel Keys are setting up an evening where the public can watch us paint at Scottsdale Artist School - probably Weds, January 18th. This won't be a demo, per se, we'll just set up to paint like we do when we get together. Richard will not be attending, but Nancy will... and about 10 other Putney Painters.

After hours at the pub.

 

I'm int he pink.. with a visor on my head. Some of us have visors on to cut out the glare of the overhead lighting.

Everyone is working in oil except me. I'm the rogue watercolorist of Putney. ;-)

 

Watch for details and major articles in art magazines (December and January issues) The gallery opening reception is on Thursday evening, January 19th.

 

contact Scottsdale artist school for more info: http://scottsdaleartschool.org

 

Five years ago, I taught a weekend workshop in Putney VT on how to write articles for artist magazines. I had been writing for American Artist publications since '96, but didn't have time to write articles for my artist friends. So... I decided to teach them to fish rather than fish for them by sharing my experience so they could then write their own articles. It was well attended, and I was especially flattered that an art writer attended and said it was worth every penny. That was the icing on the cake for me, but the real joy came in that I made a difference in the lives of those who attended.

 

Writing Is About The Reader, Not The Author

 

The main precept that I learned early on with writing -- It's Not About Me.  Good authors write with their listeners in mind, and while the process of writing always includes some of the author's experience, what emerges is a dance between the reader and writer. When the readers receive the text in such a way as to strike a cord, improve their lives, light up their brains, or call them to an action that will make a positive difference, that's when the true work has been done.

 

No more "living reactively"

 

In 2007, Clint Watson asked me if I could contribute regularly to his Fine Art Views' daily Newsletter. He spotted my blog and liked what I had to say. Since, several other authors have joined the cause, as well as, dozens of guest authors. I've written hundreds of blogs for FAVS, so many that I can't remember what I wrote 3 weeks ago, and in a couple of cases, I rewrote almost the idential content 2 or 3 weeks in what I thought was a new blog... it gets to the point where I don't know if I'm coming or going.

 

So, instead of feeling like I'm slowly going insane or senile, I've decided to slow my pace and remove some of the tasks on my over-loaded "plate". In fact, I've so many plates spinning that some have fallen off their poles and crashed. It's good that a couple of them fell off and I left them behind, but while I was running back and forth spinning ones "reactively" that should have been ignored, I let the important stuff - things that are important to me and ultimately will improve my "peeps" lives fall by the wayside.

 

Christine Kane calls this style of daily living... "living reactive", which means that instead of living our daily lives doing what matters most in a planned way, we spend our time answering everyone on the spot, running from task to task without working on life-changing work and ultimately accomplishing very little. The worst part is that we feel like we've put in a full day of work and accomplished none of our goals.

 

New Directions:

 

During the last few months, I've been working on changing the content of my workday in a big way. Last month, I decided to order Christine Kane's DVD and workbook kit (which is a recording of her seminar in 2010) in order to get myself on a viable track. You know.. there's something about spending a good chunk of money that makes one cut out the fat and get down to the meat of her daily schedule.

Investing in myself has made a huge and important difference in the way I go about my tasks every day, and it will eventually help me make a living at what I do - by focusing my more important tasks and stop putting out fires that aren't mine to begin with.

 

What's In It For You?

 

This will mean big changes for how and when I respond to you online. For the most part, I won't be available. In fact, I don't think any professional artist should be available for "whatever". It spells disaster for creating a body of work and making a living. Some of you may have noticed that I removed "contact the artist" from my websites menu. I hope you have not been offended because this step is preserving my sanity and will ultimately allow me to get out of the reactive mode and into the focused mode of working offline to develop high quality instructional materials and free tutorials for my email newsletter. In fact, I've been wanting to contribute to my email newsletter weekly for many months. I'm almost at 1000 subscribers - yet because writing instructional posts takes considerable time and research, I haven't written one since last spring.

 

If I get offline and work on projects that will make a quantitative difference for you in your art career and level of art education, a lot more people will be happier and better off than if I answer individual requests. My free information will be available on my blogs and email newsletter, but I can no longer coach for free... which leads me to my next point.

 

What's In It For Me?

 

By focusing on my big projects, my paintings, and my ebooks, I can make a living. I have to be honest here... I spent so much time online this year and giving away everything to everyone that asked that I barely made back my expenses. While it's nice to be popular, I intend to make a decent income in 2012. My ultimate goal is to support my husband, a software engineer, so he can retire early and become my business and operations manager. He's got enough of a left brain to handle the admin stuff while I deeply delve into what I do best - teach academic art concepts and paint a few masterpieces myself. I so look forward to this lifestyle, and it will never happen if I don't get off my butt and get some serious work done.

 

Quality All the Way:

 

My motto for the coming year is "Quality, not Quantity".  As I approach my daily tasks, I intend to re-organize the way my brain evaluates my work. The housework will have to fall by the wayside (it does anyway), but instead of spending too much time on social media while not getting to the housework, I'll be spending time in my studio and on my non-internet connected PC writing up awesome art lessons, ebooks and step by step demonstrations. I've spent more than 20 years learning from the best artists/mentors in the world, and it's time that I compile and use that knowledge for myself and to communicate what I've learned to others.

 

I won't be writing blogs every day, and perhaps not even every week. I'm getting off the social media treadmill. I'm sure I'll hear it calling to me like ice-cream in the freezer, but I will have to ignore these things so that I can get my important lifework done and out there. Recently, I posted an image of one of my paintings on Facebook, and I got wonderful responses and feedback. That's not to say that I want you to be watching for my posts on Facebook. That would certainly be hypocritical of me, but what this did -- it helped me to make a solid decision to spend more time painting (which I've had very little time to do). And although I will probably never be a full time painter because I am also a writer, I will photograph each painting step by step and record my process in order to repurpose it for educational material.

 

Please Learn From My Mistakes:

 

I'm sharing this with you so that if you experience some of the same things I do that you can learn from my mistakes. Please don't waste  your days away online. Make your time online count! Select a few of your favorite bloggers and arrange to get their blog in your email inbox so you can read it at the end of the day when your important work is done. It'll be waiting for you, I promise. You don't have to act like a watch-dog for 5 hours to catch the best that bloggers have to offer. That's the problem with social media streaming. It compels us to watch, and watch, and listen, and watch... until we feel like we're losing our minds. Worse yet, at least with me, I can't remember diddly of what I did read or watched by the end of day because I tried to take too much in.

 

I will follow 5 people online, their blogs and information. If I try to do more than that, I'll go crazy, and you will lose out on my best work. These five people are those I actually work with - they give me the type of life-changing content that makes a difference for me in the way I approach my tasks, artwork, and life in general. I can't be everybody's fan or friend. I must select who communicates best for my life and work. It sounds a bit selfish, but don't we all know that in the end, quality trumps quantity in practically every facet of our lives?

 

So now you're saying... what if I decide that you, @Loriwords, are not my ideal person to follow? That's perfectly fine with me. Please don't follow me out of guilt, or even empty loyalty. Follow me because you get something valuable from me. If the number of my followers drops - even drastically, but is made up of artists who absorb and use the content I put out there, than that's all I could ever ask for.  My future is not about quantity but quality.

 

Thanks for your time. If you got to the end of this and got something from it to apply to your life, then I've done my job.

Sincerely,

Loriwords

PS I didn't spend a great deal of time proof-reading this - it's better to get it out there and get on with my day then spend the next hour making sure there are no typos. Please forgive me for that.

 

 

Yesterday, I was chatting with artist friend. She had a still life of veggies and gourds set up on a chair - and she was painting from life. Her style is contemporary, bright colors - great design! She lamented that she'd like to study with artists who could teach her to paint classically - like Zorn or Sargent.

 

I immediately shot out a comment (perhaps too emphatically) ... Why in the world would you want to paint like thousands of other living painters? You've developed a unique and pleasing style, and while it's not like Sargent or classical - there is a growing audience for more contemporary styles of work. Why not stay with what you're already doing? If you're enjoying your own way of painting, stay with it - develop a body of work, and then market it.

 

She thanked me, and I hope I wasn't too strong. But sometimes I have to wonder why any artists who has found their own niche would want to paint like someone else? In today's marketing economy, it's niche marketing that is making good sales. Collectors are tired of "the same 'ol thing". They want something that is well done, unique and identifiable to that one artist.

 

I'm not one to say one style of art is any better than another. There are plenty of folks out there who have developed their individual tastes - and many of them are wanting less traditional works because it doesn't fit in with the newer modern decor. Each generation seems to reject the decorating style of their parents - they want something new and different, something that defines their own generation, and right now, that style is sleek, European, and for the most part has no Victorian or Old World elements. I'm seeing tastes for art run in the same direction - unframed, wide-canvas with bright color and bold painting.

 

On the other hand, I'm NOT saying that there isn't still a market for traditional work. I prefer to paint in a traditional manner - so I need to find collectors who appreciate that style. In this new world of marketing to individuals without agents, people are developing individual tastes and collections, and that goes for music, art, food etc. It's no longer a mass-marketing world.

 

Let me end with this... be yourself! Do not be led to clone another painter just because that person has collectors, or because your mentor thinks he is the only one who does "real" artwork. Remember, there are all kinds of collectors - and there are all kinds of art. If we all painted exactly the same way, how boring the world of art would be?

 

Do yourself a favor: find out who you are and what your artistic inclination is - no matter what style that may be. Seek out a teacher who can help you develop your unique artwork - by learning principles, not copying the teacher's style. Artists make art - and art is as individual as your signature.

 

Sincerely,

@loriwords

 Be proactive in your career. Make every effort to engage your audience - those who collect and love your work. The days are gone where artists sit back and let the gallery do all the work... at least for most of us.

 

As I keep in touch with artist friends, many who have been working with galleries, I hear that their sales have fallen flat - beginning in 2010. It's amazing that some who have made 6 figures for over a decade (after the galleries took their commission) have seen their incomes fall below $30K... some even below that!

 

In order to keep up with paying the bills, they resort to teaching - some taught anyway, but they start signing up to run more workshops, and for some this has helped a great deal - especially if the students buy their demonstrations or unframed paintings. However, there is a limit to how many times a student will take a workshop from one artist (unless they sort of worship that artist and have ample funds), and so the workshops run their gamut and the number of attendees slows down to an eventual trickle after a few years.

 

It's becoming clear that unless something changes dramatically in the world of galleries, that only a handful of them will remain open. Along with the housing boom, we had an art buying boom - which allowed many more artists to make a great living, build elaborate studios, and keep their gallery doors' open. What happened? First, the housing market collapsed, then the stock market collapsed, and collectors stopped buying new art. Many collectors decided to cash in on previous purchases by placing their collections in galleries for resale. This worked well if you owned work by a well-known deceased artist, or if the artist (still living) has only a few new works per year at higher prices - In fact, works valued at over $100K are still selling very well.

 

As far as I can tell, the galleries are currently putting their effort into selling the work that's easiest to sell for the highest prices. They've got to do this if they want to continue to thrive. So what happens to the artists who are not in that top famous, high priced-group? They fall off the radar, the gallery does not hang their work, promote their work through ads or even update their page on the gallery website. In many cases, the work is stored in a closet and forgotten by the gallery staff and collectors.

 

There are galleries who are and supporting their artists, and hanging/promoting their work on a regular basis; if you're working with one of these galleries, you're Golden! Be thankful, because these galleries do not take on new artists very often. One of the reasons why they are able to promote their artists so well is because they limit the number they represent so that the artwork actually hangs on the wall. Any gallery can post artwork on their website, (without hanging it on their walls) but collectors are far too busy to check every page of a gallery website that carries over 100 artists.

 

OK, so you get the big picture now. But the good news is that the situation isn't this bleak for every artist - there are many who are not only surviving the downturn -- some are thriving by taking on responsibility for their sales. The way I see it - if an artist does not know how to actively partner with their gallery, or have the tools, time and know-how to promote their work, they are at a great disadvantage.

 

For example, I recently explained to one of my artist clients (whom I mentor one-on-one) that while she is making huge strides by winning awards, getting magazine articles, and showing in top galleries, her lack of frequent contact and updates to her collecting audience is loosing her potential sales. Her galleries are not actively promoting this artist's work in any way, so in order to keep past and potential new clients interested, she needs to establish an ongoing relationship - which is best done through her email newsletter and website.

 

The fact remains that artists who are working hard with their own promotional efforts - whether they work with galleries or not, are continuing to make sales. Others who are sitting back and waiting for their gallery sales to magically pick up, are in most cases, going to suffer financially. So.. what can an artist do to attract new and existing collectors?

 

#1 build their email newsletter list and be sure and write about new events, shows, awards, and post new work.

 

It's a fact that most everyone who has ever purchased your art will try to find your website -- wanting to see what's new. They want to know if you're continuing to grow. They enjoy hearing about your news, and viewing your latest work.  It's in an artist's best interest to work hard at getting those who already love your work to sign up for your email newsletter. The artist I was advising - has had many of her collectors voluntarily subscribed to her email newsletter, but she rarely sends any out because she lacks writing skills. If she were to update her "peeps" (another word for collectors or clients or fans) on her latest work with links to where they might buy it, she would sell a lot more of it.

 

It's important to remember that with so much social media noise surrounding our days that even our most avid collectors forget about our work until we remind them with news and images. How can anyone expect to sell a work of art unless it gets directly in front of the eyes that are most likely to want to own it? Times have changed, and we artists are the ones who need to make sure that happens!

 

What if, like my client, you don't have great writing skills? Or you continually put off updating your collectors in order to "just paint"? Then hire someone who has those skills - pay them by the hour or project - to write your newsletter.  After all, with all that you are spending on high quality supplies, a website, and shipping framing etc... believe me when I say that a few extra bucks spent on getting your images and news out there in your peeps' inbox (on a regular basis) will make a huge difference in your sales!

 

If you're working with galleries, make sure your collecting audience sees your latest works, and show them where they can buy it? Link your newsletter or blog to the exact page on the gallery's website where they can see only your work. Don't just send them to the gallery's main page where they'll get tied up in seeing everyone else's stuff. Your job is to get them interested in buying your work. If they've purchased from you in the past, they're more than 50% more likely to want to own an additional work by you. If you don't help that to happen, no one else will.

 

A friend of mine was recently working with a group of folks on a business trip that didn't include fine art. He had organized the event - which ended in Sante Fe, where he shows in a well-known gallery. So, at the end of the event, he invited members of the group to the gallery to show them his work, and they bought several paintings. This gallery had not sold much for him before this time... I'm thinkin' who should get the sales commission on this one?

 

Well... if we have to work so hard to get our collectors to buy our work from at the gallery, that opens up a whole can of worms, doesn't it? Artists are keeping their work in well-known galleries so it looks good on their bio - when in fact, the gallery is doing nothing to promote or sell the work. If the artist then takes up the slack on promotion and ends up leading buyers to that gallery and the work then sells, I have to wonder why the artist is keeping work there in the first place.

 

I'm not anti gallery! I want to see galleries survive, but I also want to see them partner and do their share of promoting their artists - not just keeping the work in a closet and posting it on their website. That's not enough in my estimation to warrant staying there. After all, it's a relationship with a gallery as a partner in sales. If they are not upholding their half of the relationship, do they really deserve the 50% commission if we bring them a buyer?

 

Let me end with: Be proactive in your career. Make every effort to engage your audience - those who collect and love your work. The days are gone where artists sit back and let the gallery do all the work... at least for most of us.

I'm in the throes of an identity crisis. This experience is nothing new for me.

 

Little Long Pond, Acadia (9x12) oil

 

I've been reading, "We're all Weird" by Seth Godin. Essentially the book is about how societies around the world are buying "things and stuff" that develop their individual weird taste - and explains why the old ways of mass marketing are completely non-relevant for sales in practically any and every arena. What does this mean for me? The first thing that comes to mind is that my individual (weird) gifts are not those of a full time, passionate artist. I might as well face the truth of the matter. I'm first and foremost- a communicator.

 

I communicate in a variety of ways, blogs and articles, ebooks, pictures, and in person. I have a passion to help artists succeed - well some artists. I don't like working with egotists who are trollish - but then I don't have time to help everyone anyway.

 

The good news is that with the Internet, and new ways of "getting the word out", none of us needs to follow the crowd to make a living.  In fact, the more unique we are, the easier it will be to build a sufficient following. As artists, we are not factories, and our work will not appeal to the masses. All I need to remember is to be myself, discover and nourish my unique gifts, and go from there.

 

This morning, as I wrote in my journal, I purposely filtered out the imagined "other" voices/opinions that tend to crowd my mind and thinking. I narrowed down my unique gifts to just 3 things I'm absolutely sure I possess. Even more than "possess", these are things I have a passion for and enjoy, and guess what? A full time artist did not make the list - it didn't even come close!

 

I feel a lot of outside pressure to be that full time artist. After all, it's been said that if I want to help others market their work and teach them art principles, I ought to, at the very least be a successful full time artist myself. But I had a strange dream last night - it was one of the "waitressing nightmares" that I often have when I'm feeling overwhelmed.  I worked as a waitress for 3 years during college, and although I got pretty good at it, I was never great at it because waiting tables requires that I juggle a bunch of details in my head - in essence, multi-processing. My brain has never done this well. The nightmares have changed themes over the years. Interestingly, in the last 10 years, I sometimes decide to quit on the spot and walk out when I realize that the job is not a good fit.

 

Last night's dream was different than the others. I hadn't started working at the restaurant yet. I needed to make money, so waitressing seemed like a good way to get some extra $$.  I met with a group of wait people and the manager the day before my first shift. A few of the faces in my dream were artists whom I know in real life.  Then I met with the restaurant "doctor" ahead of time to get some counseling. By talking to her, I realized that I was about to embark on a job that did not fit my best abilities, and I was taking it on for all the wrong reasons. I was doing it because I thought I should, and just for the income. I was not going to be great at it, nor was I going to enjoy it.

 

I asked the counselor to talk to the manager and ask if she might have a "paperwork" job, so I could work behind the scenes, away from the bustle and confusion of the restaurant, where I might be able to focus on one thing at a time. The counselor advised that I speak directly to the manager, so I expressed this sentiment to the manager, and she looked at me like she thought I was crazy.

 

However, I had already committed to working at the restaurant and needed to prepare myself emotionally and physically for my first shift the next morning. I felt trapped, feeling like I had made the wrong choice. Refusing to show up would be irresponsible.

 

I don't recall many of my dreams, but this one stayed with me long enough this morning to write it down. Then I began pondering how the dream relates to my current priorities and obligations. To make a long story - shorter than it could be - I once again came to the realization that my niche does not lie with painting full time. I do enjoy painting, but I enjoy writing, communicating, instructing through images and words, and helping others more than I ever enjoyed "just painting".

 

These thoughts are not new, but I forget them when I am influenced by other artists and outside pressure to conform. I'm, by nature, a non-conformist.  My husband and I had Chinese take-out last night. I don't take my fortune cookie messages as prophesy, but that little piece of paper said something that stuck with me (and probably led to last night's dream). It said, "Be unconventional, even Visionary". I showed it to my husband, and he replied, "That's already you".

 

I've never followed the crowd or liked to be told by others what to do. I'm a believer in seeking good advice, but while doing what makes the most sense for me. I don't like standard, one size fits all, recipes for success. They often don't work and leave artists feeling hopeless. We all must find our own niche, and build our own following - whether we hire agents to help us or do it entirely on our own.

 

Who Am I... Really?

 

I am and have always been a teacher. As soon as I learned to ride a bike, I was helping my non-riding friends learn. I helped them out by describing how it feels, yet not pushing my expectations on them. We all have enough daily pressure to impress, succeed and compete in this world - no one needs a teacher whose ego must be satisfied by the successes of their students. I believe that people are primarily responsible for their own choices, work and achievements... no one else can claim they "made" the artist successful. Sure, we can all help, but only the artist can make or break a career in the end. No gallery, teacher, advisor, or parent is completely the source of an individual's success. 

 

I am a writer... more often than a painter. I know artists who must paint every day. That's never been the case with me. My morning thoughts are written down daily and have been so for 20 years. I have stacks of journals and notes from books I've read and workshops I've taken.

 

I love to research and learn about a variety of things: Art Marketing, painting, academic art concepts, and trending topics. When I was younger, I'd spend entire days at the library reading about the history of my town, how to prepare a house for sale... you name it. I could never get enough information about the world around me.  Today, reading ebooks, online articles and feeding my brain with useful information is pure joy.. It's another part of who I am. Currently, I'm researching, What collectors' want by gathering stats from collectors at various levels.

 

Lastly, I enjoy drawing and painting. I always have - AND I like detail... I don't want to use a big brush. That doesn't mean I admire work only similar to my own. There are abstract works that have just as much merit as my old-fashioned paintings. I must be who I am, both as a communicator and an artist. Others need to understand who they are , where their artwork fits in, and not be pushed into a style or technique that is not pure joy for them. We're all different. If all artists painted the same way, how boring the world would be.

 

Conclusions:

 

My plate is full right now with a variety of projects. If I am to devote my time to one or two, I must leave a lot of stuff on the back burner. Things that I could probably do well, but alas do not have the time to fully explore. Furthermore, I must listen to my own heart and longings - and ignore the agenda that other, well meaning, friends-artists-mentors have for me. It's going to take guts to give up a few things I'm pretty darned good at. However, if I don't focus on what's important, natural and most fun for me, I won't get much accomplished - probably ever. Worse, I'll not be happy.

 

It's OK to be different. I don't need to read everyone else's stuff, nor do I need to sound, teach, or paint like they do. God has made me an individual, like no other being and has an agenda for me to contribute. The Bible states that if we're all "eyes", then what good does that do for the rest of the body?

 

In order for me to be really useful, I will  concentrate on my natural abilities and personality traits, and ignore the rest. I can assure you, that you will not see me as a full time artist. If I choose that path, I will not have time to do the things that really matter to me: Writing, teaching, helping.

 

Sincerely,

@loriwords

 

This blog was orginally posted in Fine Art Views' Newsletter back in 2009 at the following URL http://faso.com/fineartviews/8179/getting-your-artwork-published  I'm beginning to repost older blogs on my site - especially those that I think are worth repeating: So here goes!

Back in 1995, I was invited to a watercolor workshop with Sondra Freckelton. I had heard that the editor in chief of American Artist Magazine often spent a day at Freckelton's reviewing artists' work for inclusion in Watercolor Magazine. At that time, my work was in no way up to par for a magazine article, but I had a few friends whose work was spectacular, yet they had no presence on a national level, so I asked them each to give me a portfolio of their finest work - on the chance that I might show it to the editor.

I did get that chance, and the editor was indeed impressed. He then revealed to me that he had difficulty keeping up with all the articles he had to write for the magazine. I replied that I had received some awards in high school for my writing and offered to give writing a try. I added that he could take or leave the results – thereby giving him a way out if he should want to find one. Incidentally, I didn't hear back for months, and then he contacted me in early December asking if I could have the article ready in 2 weeks. I got straight to work.

The big plus for me was that the project manager for Watercolor tutored me for the length of the project, and that's how I learned to write art related articles. Shortly after that I submitted a proposal to write a series of articles (on other artists); my career as a writer began. Mind you, I did not showcase my own work until 3 years after that time... because I just wasn't yet a great watercolorist, but I am now and have my own instructional column inWatercolor. It took me 6 years to get to the professional level of painting, but I hung in there, and my efforts finally paid off.


It's a Catch 22

Getting your work featured in magazines - either the instructional kind like American Artist, or the collector's type as in Southwest Art is often of a catch 22 situation. Essentially, you need to have proven your work through sales before you are likely to get your work published in magazines and your name in the limelight. I  realize that the last statement is disappointing, so let me add that it is certainly possible. If I could do it, you can too. Take into account that my artwork was not worthy of publication for a long while. All artists were beginners at one time. I've heard it said, "Life is Short, Art is Long".


Is Your Work Worthy of Publication?

How do you know if your work is good enough for publication? Well here are some credentials that are normally in place for those artists who are featured. I'm sure there are exceptions, but the basic rule is that you need to have a bevy of collectors before your work gets featured. That's why I say it's a catch 22 situation.

Ask yourself the following questions. The more you are able to say YES, the better your standing with publishers will be.

1. Are you currently selling lots of your work on your own or through galleries? 

2. Has your work been accepted into national juried competitions. If you've received an award, that's even better, but just getting acceptance is a great credential.

3. Do you have a consistent, recognizable style. In other words, all your art looks as though it was created by the same artist. If your work is "all over the place", it will be hard to write an article about it. Sure it takes a few years to develop a style - a thread of similarity throughout your body of work. No one said this was going to be easy. You've heard it said before - it takes time and hard work.

If you take an honest review of  your work and can answer yes to the three questions above, then you may be ready to submit an article to a magazine publisher. Just a side note: While I have written for magazines such as: American Artist, Workshop, Watercolor, and International Artist, I have no experience writing for art collector magazines such as Southwest Art and their competitors. Art collector magazines are more difficult to get your work published in - You see, those publications are interested in selling advertisements. For those magazines, it's helpful if you're represented by a number of galleries; the editors will likely contact your galleries and ask that they buy ad space. If one of your galleries decides to pay for a cover ad, you can be relatively sure you'll get a feature article.

I cannot recommend artists to magazine editors, so please don't send me email or ask how I can get you a space. Remember, I wrote about other artists for years before I was allowed to feature my own work. I'd quickly become a nuisance with editors if I were to start sending them recommendations. You'll need to follow the same protocol that every other artist does. I believe that if you visit the prospective magazine's web sites, there will be a section on submitting articles.

On the other hand, here is what I recommend at my art marketing workshops. If you're a decent writer and have answered yes to the questions stated above, go ahead and begin writing articles. If you approach a magazine with a well written, finished article that has outstanding images and a step by step demonstration, your chances of getting published goes way up. I say "chances" because acceptance is at the discresion of the editor.

For my next blog: I'll make suggestions on how to begin writing an an article for publication. Until then, keep making your best art. And, by the way, it usually takes me a solid week - about 50 hours to photograph images and write a polished draft. Please wait for next blog before you start writing...I happen to know what irritates editors, and I wouldn't want you to waste time writing content that is going to hurt your chances. I'll leave you with one final fact: you'll need to be an agreeable and fun person to work with. Even if your work is outstanding, if your have an air of arrogance, you'll likely get turned down for publication.

Sincerely,
Lori

 

It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that's definitely true when it comes to fine artwork. It's interesting to note that my friend and mentor, Richard Schmid has no artist's statement. I'm not sure he ever saw the need to create one.

 

In my experience, writing an artist statement is a waste of my time. If my paintings make a wordless impact, then I don't need to really "talk it up". All the words in the world will not enhance an artwork that doesn't emotionally affect viewers. I'm not sure where and when artists statements came into being, but I'm willing to bet it was to substantiate abstract artwork in the early part of the 20th century. Words were needed to help collectors understand what the work was about. Representational works need no explanation - they either resonate with the viewer's life experience, or they don't.

 

The internet has become a noisy and crowded place lately. Like any new "toy" it takes over and becomes a fad - with time, when the hype settles, only quality will remain. No normal-minded human being can take in the amount of information that's online and retain it all. For the most part, links to blogs and photos become meaningless because there is too much of it to digest. Social media has developed into a continuously streaming infomercial, and while many of us have become addicted to the social aspect of it, trying to read everything is unproductive. I don't remember even a quarter of what I read or see during the course of a morning.

 

At first, I thought I was getting senile, but it has become apparent that I'm overloaded with images and text. My ADD mind is confused, becomes distraught and even afraid that I'll miss something. It's akin to the guy with the TV remote - trying to watch 2 or 4 programs at once. However, TV has gotten to the point of not supplying viewers with enough great contact to think one will miss anything. Reality shows keep you hooked because they imply that if you look at anything else you'll miss something.

 

Back to the Internet and Social Media... as I prepare to lead a seminar on art marketing at Scottsdale Artist School, I'm researching the current ways artists are selling work and collectors are buying it. I'm finding that no selling trend is lasting very long, and collectors are slowing down acquiring work and making more careful decisions. Some artists who were selling well on Ebay for a time - had sales drop off dramatically in recent weeks... no one knows why.

 

I can't find anyone out there who is asking collectors what they want, where they want to buy and why they have moved on from any particular artist. There are analysts for every field of marketing, but no one seems to want to research collecting patterns for fine art. Is it because artists and dealers are afraid that their livelihoods are in deep trouble? It could be that there is a potential new collector base just waiting to be engaged and enchanted. Every downturn creates new businesses - out of the ashes, the Phoenix arises.

 

Where was I? Social Media... I'm beginning to think that Social Media marketing for any product is not the magic answer. It is just another tool. When all the hype and noise calm down, only quality will get noticed. People making money off of social media instructional materials might need to find another job. When everyone jumps on the same bandwagon, the music stops - leaving only noise and chaos. I don't know about you, but social media is wearing me out and leaves me depressed.

 

I'm looking forward to experimenting with Google +... not because I need another social network ,but because it appears as though I can easily control the content that reaches my ears and eyes on a daily basis. My "friends" become circles and I don't have to see a constant stream of new input as I do on Facebook and Twitter. I can list only a few blogs that I feel I must read - on my Google reader, and all of this is accessed from one page: my calendar, gmail, and reader. I have the ability to cut out the noise.

 

The question that remains: If people no longer read a stream of incoming information all day, what becomes of social media marketing? Answer: it becomes more difficult to reach a lot of people with your message. The good part is that once you do reach someone with your awesome artwork or writing, you have the chance of keeping their undivided attention over a period of time.

 

Quality and scarcity create value. The only way to make a lasting impression is to create artwork that leaves people speechless (in a good way) and writing content that is so memorable, they'll want to print a hard copy of it. Using social media has become a battle for attention in a crowded infinite space. Not one I'm willing to spend most of my time on. Everything I believed about the internet 2 years ago doesn't seem so true now. When the frenzy dies down, only the best will survive.

 

When I was a kid (a long time ago), there were very few movies, and each that my family watched was indelibly etched in my memory. Now, my hubby and I rent numerous videos - so many in fact, that I can't remember the plot lines of the one I watched last week. Sometimes we mistakenly rent videos we think we've never seen - and about a quarter of the way through, we realize we've already watched that movie. Is it senility? No, it's too much information.

 

On the other hand, there are those movies that make such an impact that I think about the plot for days after watching them. They are few and far between. These are those that we end up buying and adding to our collection. Watching them 20 times - and know what? They get better with every viewing because they're complex and well executed.

 

That's how I want my art to impact viewers. If I crank out hundreds of works a year, how will anyone remember just one of them? If they are all the same visual story, how does that engage? Sure, my style needs to be recognizable - I have developed a couple of genres, but since I know that scarcity and quality have lasting power, I'll strive for these things.

 

In a world where quantity has become the norm, I expect that quality will win out over time.

 

If you read this far, thanks...

Sincerely,

Lori

I posted this yesterday on my email newsletter. Just a short "diddy" on how adding lighter values to my skies changed the look of my paintings for the better.

 

Yesterday, I was organizing images of photo references and paintings on my computer. When I looked at a page of thumbnails on my computer screen, I noticed a visual difference between my photographs and the paintings I'd pulled off the net by other aritsts. This was most apparent when viewing photographs beside paintings done by long deceased artists.

 What was the differnce?

Landscape with luminous sky by William Trost Richards

 

The Light in the old master paintings was riveting, while my photographs displayed the entire scene with equal light. Even though there was direction of light, there was no place in the photos where part of the scene "glowed". Hmmm.... I wondered if my paintings might have the same problem - lack of luminosity in the sky and sky reflection in the water. The answer - YES - my skies were too dark and dull, making the values in the layers of the landscape close (little contrast).

 

 We artists never really stop learning - our nature is to keenly observe life around us, color, shadow and "the way things look". Just when it seems I know it all, I make another discovery.  Discoveries are useful, but they also make me feel inept. Well, I probably wasn't going to suddenly paint a masterpiece, but I decided to risk ruining a couple of existing paintings by making some changes to their skies.

 

Here's the before and afters:

    

The first image shows a cloudy sky. Yes, it's a bit cropped, but I did that on the computer. In the second image, I repainted the clouds thickly and with a bristle hog brush using soft white acrylic (this painting is acrylic on 300lb watercolor paper). Soft white is on the warm side (has a yellowish tint). Then I painted in blue sky around the cloud in order to create some diagonals lines at the edges of the cloud.  When composing a landscape, diagonals add distance and space, while horizontal stripes (like on a flag) make a landscape seem flat.

 

I used a cerulean blue (a greener blue) and white for the sky piece on the right because it is closer to the horizon, and ultramarine blue and white on the left sky area. Then I added a bit of white along the distant water/shore and a stroke of thicker soft white on the sail. Even though I didn't change the painting or value of the mountains or foreground, these areas look darker. Value is relative, and so when one area is lightened, all the areas next to the lighter part automatically appear darker. Sometimes the easiest way to darken something is to lighten the thing next to it.

 

    

 

You'll have to give me some slack here because this painting was photographed a long time ago, and then again today after I made changes to the sky an distant mountain. The "changed" painting (2nd) is much closer to the original color.  Anyway... I lightened the sky in the same fashion as the previous example and then brought a watery wash of soft white down over the most distant part of the far mountain in order to push it back in space. This painting is also acrylic on paper. An easy way to put atmospheric perspective into a landscape is to add a watered down glaze of white (usually soft white) on the parts you want to push back - away from the viewer. 

 

With watermedia, this white glaze looks quite opaque when first applied, but becomes more transparent when dry. The same technique can be achieved with oil paint using white and glazing medium.

 

Here's one more example - yes, I risked ruining three whole paintings today! But I'm glad I took the plunge.

  

 

This is a small acrylic painting of Bass Harbor Marsh. The first image is the "before". As I said, I took a risk by making changes, but I need to feel comfortable with the fact that not every experiment will be successful. So what? I'm still learning, and that's more important than staying stagnant in my development. After lightening the sky, I darkened the mountain with a vivid blue. Sometimes, changes work to my advantage, and sometimes they don't.  I do prefer the foreground in the first rendition. 

 

This is probably a good topic for another newsletter, but let me briefly touch upon what could be improved with the composition above - It's simply this: Everything is leaning and sloping towards the left. The composition would feel more balanced if I were to make one of those trees on the right, a "rebellious" tree - having it lean in the opposite direction than the group. Because this is opaque watermedia, I can slightly sand down the surface of that area and re-paint it any way I wish, but probably not today...

 

Finally, just to make my paintings look sort of Okay... I'll include a couple of masterpieces by William Trost Richards below. He was one of the luminist painters of the Hudson River School movement. It was while I was studying his paintings, when I realized that mine could use brighter skies. 

 

Feast your eyes on these Masterpieces:

  

 

 

This is part two on using straight lines to block in subjects in the drawing stage of a painting.

 

What advantages does using straight lines afford the artist?

 

One, designating shapes in straight, angled lines shows us the character of the object. Two - we are less inclined to repeat similar shapesand sizes in hilltops, tree limbs, and rocks. Repetitive shapes with similar sizes are boring, and although in nature, each tree, rock and mountain crag has its own personality, for some reason, we humans have a hard time seeing and drawing the variety that is there.

 

Perhaps it's because nature is "just one little bit" this side of chaos... Humans build homes with straight walls - up and down, no diagonals - so that the house stands straight without leaning, so if we're not careful while drawing, we'll make all our trees perfectly vertical. In reality, trees lean this way and that, and all their limbs have different sizes and point in a variety of directions. Even in a stand of trees, each one has it's own color and character.

 

Here, I'll show a number of images - some are photos which I've taken, some are my sketches and others are by master artists of the past.

 

Below - a Sketch By Edgar Payne

 

 

 

Edgar Payne spent his evenings testing visual ideas using simples sketches. Notice here how he squares off the tree foliage rather than making the clusters of leaves ball-shaped. When using straight, angled lines such as these above, it's easier to give each tree individual character, making each different from the next.

 

Below: A photo of an inlet at Eagle Lake, and my sketch of this mountain and tree line. Instead of attempting to draw rounded lines for the mountain, I broke up each part of its perimeter with straight angled lines. It's actually easier to draw with straight lines than with curved ones. Our ability to judge accuracy of the shape and size is greatly diminished when we draw circular shapes.

 

 

   

 

Below:In my watercolor study, I further broke up the stand of trees on the right into 2 parts

 

 

Detail: Study of Eagle Lake - watercolor on paper.

 

Below are two photos of The Beehive at Sand Beach. The second image illustrates how I would use straight angled lines to draw the mountain and divide the tree lines. I need to avoid breaking up the trees into equal sized segments. Again, we have the tendency to make sizes and shapes repetitive and equal. Taking time to make sure that doesn't happen during the design phase produces interesting and varied pattens.

 

 

  

 

Below: another example. Notice how dividing up the trees on the left gives them individual character while avoiding repetitive dagger like shapes.

 

  

 

Below: Finally... I'll leave you with this beautiful watercolor by William Trost Richards, one of my favorite painters of the 19th century.

 

 

Notice how you can see individual trees on the left and angular lines that designate the shape of the mountain tops. This mountain was probably a bit more rounded than it appears in the painting - being that it is an eastern U.S mountain.