Research shows that buyers like to know that what they purchase will be instantly recognizable. But which style to choose? Some artists find it much easier to show their different styles under different names. A separate brand. Just like the big companies. Each product has its own brand, logo, marketing and advertising.
As artists we all know that we need to develop a unique style. Something that makes your work stand out from all the competition out there. But what if you have an eclectic body of work?
Research shows that buyers like to know that what they purchase will be instantly recognizable. But which style to choose? Some artists find it much easier to show their different styles under different names. A separate brand. Just like the big companies. Each product has its own brand, logo, marketing and advertising. Since the first Nuit Blanche in Paris in 2002, the concept has spread to the four corners of the planet, winning over new cities every year. Toronto is no exception. From her inaugural event in 2006, it has grown and taken over the streets around the city, closing down sections of King Street and Bay Street, (among others) to allow viewers to engage and explore. I started my nights journey in the West end of Toronto at Gallery 1313. From there I walked to the Gladstone and was delighted with the sounds of the band Lemon Bucket Orkestra, They gave way to The Drake, the Twist Art Gallery, and No Show Gallery, where artist Mike Harris exhibited limited edition prints from his series based on The Lord of the Rings. Some displays called for active participation, asking people to paint or write, . . . to express, while others wanted you to buy. Most just wanted an audience. I finally got a street car that was calling my name, and it took me into the heart of the city. With a very slow journey down Queen Street to Bay I arrived at Nathan Philips Square to view 'Forever Bicycles', a three-story tall installation by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. It was well worth the journey, captivating the audience as they explored. From there my slow wanderings home offered many more delights, but I didn't even come close to seeing all of the art. Next year a plan and a map will have me starting with my first 'must see' and working my way back from there. Nuit blanche isn't just about the art it's also about the experience of being out on a warm October evening, surrounded by thousands who are there to enjoy the same things you are. From restaurants to balloon sellers, everyone got into the excitement, which seemed to build through the night. The streets were filled with people discussing what they saw, with a level of enthusiasm that is seldom expressed. This is my second Nuit blanche this year. In August, while in Charlottetown, Leona Arsenault and I explored that cities event with the same expectation of delight. Although a much smaller event, it generated that same enthusiasm and initiated discussions as we went from exhibit to exhibit. People stopping us as our journey progressed to tell us about a display they didn't want us to miss. Art does this to people, opening up dialogues without judgements, allowing people to express what is in their heart. If your city offers a similar event, then it's a not to be missed. Put on your best walking shoes, and get out there. First Published Apr 24, 2013 11:20 AM So you just purchased your first condo, a space that is just big enough to stay sane. Buying a piece of art for your condo can feel like a daunting task, and all of sudden you may become keenly aware of interior design, textiles, furniture and all the elements that enhance your living space. It can be an intimidating world. Here are some tips to help you navigate the art of buying art. 1) Pick art that you actually like! Sounds simple, but it is very important. Don't worry about trends, or what's in fashion, they fade. Go your own way when it comes to your art purchases. You want something that speaks to you. After all, you are the one who has to live with it. 2) Grace & Style Go with something that fits into your urban surrounding or theme of your decor and furniture. If your furniture says art deco, then you may want art deco paintings as well. But you can consider contrasts, such as traditional native or aboriginal art which is also highly designed and stylized. 3) Location, Location, Location Each room will call for a different feel and different style of art. For your bedroom you would want to select art that is more calming or “seductive”. Your living or dinning area is a great place to get wild and explore with stronger colour’s and themes. 4) Pick Art That Suits The Room Small spaces don't offer the same options as large spaces for moving furniture around to make the art work, so choosing can be a daunting task. You may want to consider several small works of art vs one large dominating piece. If you choose this route, try hanging the art in clusters, grouping the works of art and balancing them by the colors or weight. This can be as bold a statement as one large piece, and is more budget friendly, by adding art to your collection as you can afford it. 5) The Right Light Take measures to protect your art from too much direct sunlight as almost all art will fade if placed in this type of environment. Acrylic and oils seems to have passed the test of time, but with all others caution should be applied. 6) Death by Hanging There is nothing worse than a poorly hung piece of art. As simple as it may be there is a right way to hang art. The general rule of thumb is paintings should be hung so that the centre of the painting is at eye level. If two occupy the living space, one at 5' and one at 6'6" then try a compromise by meeting in the middle. 7) The Right “Frame” of Mind It isn’t essential to have a frame around your art. Giclee fine art prints on canvas finished with a simple black edge is all you need and will blend with most rooms. If you do select a frame, tie it in to the location where the artwork is to be hung, as well as in to the artwork itself. The frame should be a continuation of the picture rather than a contrast. 8) Colors When selecting a painting to match color, select one or two of the boldest colors in your room and look for art that has those colors in it. You’re not looking for an exact match here. Picking up one or two of the same colors will send a message that the painting belongs in this environment. When purchasing online, view the art on a couple of different monitors before you decide. 9) Show Off Your Art
When you walk into a gallery or museum, what do they all have in common? White walls and lots of light. If a wall is papered or painted in a bold color, it limits the choices for hanging art. Keeping your walls neutral allows you to explore color in your art. A bold wall color can also change how you see the art as shown by the swatches here. Believe it or not, the centre square is the same color. The true color can be viewed in the last swatch. 10) Cost Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If it fits, you like it, and it is appropriate then go for it. Giclee prints on canvas offer lots of affordable options for wall art, and it will look like you spent a fortune. 11) Break The Rules Making art is about breaking rules, so why shouldn't buying art be as well? If you find an art work that you really want, but it doesn't fit into any of the mentioned rules, then buy it anyway. You will find a place for it. Consider buying the art first, then get furniture to match the art. Fine Artists World Gallery offers affordable options for art buyers for small and large spaces. We want you to love art as much as we do, and we want you to love what you buy. So we are offering a 1 year return policy for all Fine Art Prints on Canvas. We call it our 365 Day Happiness Policy. No risks here. Buy art for your condo, and hang it up. If after one full year you still don't love it, then return it, no questions asked. We will find a good home for it. www.fineartistsworldgallery.com First Published Jun 4, 2013 10:42 AM A recent article published by the Associated Press about New York City artist Arne Svenson talks about a controversy the exhibition has stirred with the occupants of the building across the street. The photographic exhibition shows images taken from the artists second-floor apartment of some of the occupants. The residents of this glass-walled luxury building had no idea they were being photographed and they never consent to being the subjects for the works of art, feel a line has been crossed. The artist writes; "they are performing behind a transparent scrim on a stage of their own creation with the curtain raised high". The artist did not show the faces, so the subjects could be anyone. In one photo, a woman is on all fours, presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching beneath a table. And there is one of a man, in jeans and a T-shirt, lying on his side as he takes a nap. When you move into an all glass building, and don't close the window coverings, or even have them, what right to privacy do you have? If you believe no one will look in, think again. You have extended an invitation. We are now in a society of living in public, all your private thoughts and actions are out there for anyone to see, and engage with. There are cameras on every corner, in public and private buildings, subways and buses, and toll booths. Digital technology, social media, and world wide internet access controls our day to day activities. We are constantly being monitored, photographed and watched. If you want and expect privacy then close your drapes, throw away your cell phone, dump the internet, and move to an isolated location in the woods by yourself, and then only the wild animals can watch you. And what are they saying? Perhaps, "Dinner at the waters edge." First Published Apr 30, 2013 12:28 PM Arts collective Doodle Plate has set itself the admirable task of sharing experiences around food, stories and cultures. For its first project, it’s the food and culture of Mexico that’s under the microscope – through illustration exhibition Nixtamal. For Nixtamal three illustrators – Adam Bletchly and Livi Gosling from the UK and Oliver Flores from Mexico – focused specifically on the process of making tortillas. Nixtamal is an Aztec word which describes corn that has undergone a lime-treating process, crucial in the making of tortillas. All three illustrators were asked to develop creative responses to this process.Stephanie Odu, who curated the Nixtamal show, says, ‘Researching this process presented the opportunity for our illustrators to delve into another culture, or their own – with work produced by one Mexican illustrator and two British illustrators. ‘Their work, inspired by this process, provides an accessible learning process. And we aim to inform people’s experiences, and engage them with the traditions of other cultures.’ Nixtamal is at the Hundred Years Gallery, 13 Pearson Street, London E2, from 22-26 May. Original article can be found at http://www.designweek.co.uk/ First Published May 21, 2013 5:08 PM It was my sculpture professor who first told me about NASCAD while I was doing my undergraduate studies in a university in the United States. He asked why I didn't attend that school instead of the one I was at. I had to admit that I had never heard of it. He replied by telling me that this was the top art schools in North America, if not beyond. Over the years, I followed NSCAD University, and even visited on occasion, and it was not only keeping up its reputation, but expanding it. When it was my daughters turn to choose a school to study at I mentioned NASCAD and she too had never heard of it. I started to wonder if this was the best kept secret in the art world. Once she saw the information, she was sold and off to study she went. Over the weekend she graduated, making the deans list with a BFA with a major in Textiles, and a BA in Art History. I had an opportunity to visit the graduation exhibition and was really impressed with the quality of the work on display. These are our future teachers, artists, and thinkers. We are in good hands as our society moves forward. Over the past few months I've taken in several graduate shows from various schools, and until I visited the Sheridan College Illustration graduation exhibition and now the NASCAD University exhibition I was starting to wonder what the schools were up to. Cranking out graduates for the piece of paper, instead of the quality of work, the conceptual abilities, and critical thinking. Part of the function of universities is to teach students how to think, and how to expand on their thoughts, without which we would be doomed to a dreary existence that never evolves. After visiting NASCAD and speaking with the students and instructors I have faith in the future, and the evolution that is inevitable. I was blown away at the quality of work on display, and the outstanding supportive environment that exists at NSCAD. Above Art piece by Samantha Merritt. Artist: Audrey Turner A big shout out for the exceptional work all around by the students and professors, and a thank you. First Published Jun 12, 2013 1:54 PM When travelling I always take my sketchbook, graphite, watercolor and ink pencils and a stick of ink. They work best for travelling light. I also take a synthetic brush or two, the kind that has the water in the handle and a pen nib. I have never sketched well in crowds, so I look for places that are off the beaten path. One such sojourn led me to an old ruin on the waters edge. I'm not sure what it was when it was in its full glory but I like to think of it as an old monastery. The first sketches were rough, but helped me get a feel for the shapes and perspective. Then to color to draw out the textures. The interior was easy to see with the bright southern sun burning in from both ends, but lacked color. It wasn't until the suns light reflecting up from the waters below, that the colors sprang to life. The dull stone started bouncing and dancing with color. It only lasted a few minutes so I had to work quickly to capture the dazzling colors. I'm so glad I had my sketchbook with me while hiking around the waters edge. There are gifts everywhere, we just need to be open to them and be prepared to act. Oddly enough, when I took a photo, the colors didn't show up in the image. A misfire by the camera, or did I connect to something that was only in my minds eye? I'll let you be the judge. Technology has come a long way, and now we travel with a connectivity we take for granted. This can work to the advantage of an artist. Membership has it benefits with Fine Artists World Gallery. If you can take a good quality photo of your sketch or painting while travelling, you can send it directly to your folder to be added to your online gallery as soon as it's complete. Just think, you could be selling prints of your work as you go. You can write about it in your travel blog, send fans to your gallery and they can purchase a print of the work you created earlier in the day. You could also let me know if you would like to have a solo exhibition of the work you send this way. Mounting a show without ever needing to do any of the work your self. Travelling for an artist is an endless source of inspiration. The places we go and the people we meet all contribute to our creative development. We need to be in the location to soak up the culture and the color, to get a feel for the place. And now, like never before we can share it as it happens. This article was originally posted in April of 2012. I am posting it again here, because I feel the information could be helpful to artists, illustrators and buyers alike. How It Works I can’t count the number of times I get asked about my work, my process and my marketing. I’m hoping this post will answer a lot of your questions, or at least give you a little insight into the world of an artist, and how the image is conceptualized, developed and the evolution it goes through. This is about one such illustration, from start to finish, and the steps I went through from concept development through to approval and publication. Client: United Church Observer Magazine, Easter Edition, April 2012 Usage: Cover, interior full page, Web, and web archive Chelsea Jones of the United Church Observer Magazine sent me an email, asking if I would be interested in creating a cover illustration which would also be published in the interior, with the feature article, on their web site, and in the web archive. I consulted the most current copy of the Graphic Artist Guild Handbook for pricing and ethical guideline, and we settled on a price. The contract was prepared with information from the GAG Handbook and once signed I started to work on the ideas. This process is done with thumbnail drawings. Small simple sketches that help me work out the ideas and bring them into visual form. I Ask Questions Too One question I always ask new clients is how they found me. Was it from a recent promotion, referral, or one of my portfolio sites or . . ? This question is important because it will help track the marketing I’m doing, and determines if my limited funds are spent wisely. Her answer surprised me. “I just found you on-line and liked your work” For those who don’t know, that is so rare that it almost never happens. I imagine it was the meta tags that brought her to me. I guess it was worth the time it took to write a little something about each painting on my site. Directions Author Trisha Elliot, wrote an excellent article which talked about the cross caregivers bear for others. Chelsea and I discussed the story and there were a few points she wanted to make sure I took into consideration before starting. 1. The illustration should not be ‘literal’ but instead be conceptual. 2. The crosses should not be dominate, but a subtle reference. 3. It should not in any way relate to dementia since this is the focus of the March issue. That was pretty much it, the rest was up to me. Down To Work When I read the draft, two things stood out. First; that the majority of the caregivers are women. Second; they are usually middle aged or a little older, those who have already spent a good deal of their life giving care to their families. I started thinking about other kinds of care that sometimes leads to a lifetime commitment on the part of the care giver. This lead me to the idea that the person who is dependent on care is often “the elephant in the room” so to speak. A very awkward concept to develop. I looked at child care, autism and the juggling act that care givers often perform. All of these were good ideas, but really wasn’t sure if I was going down the right road. The ‘not being literal’ thing was really taking me down a bumpy road, and it was the weekend, so I couldn’t call for any input. I decided to make thumbnails of these ideas and see if I could get a read on what the editorial team had in mind. Back To The Drawing Board I set to work with my sketch book and developed 4 sketches. They were all rejected, “It’s not what we are looking for”. Hmm, . . . now what? Back to the drawing board. It took me a little time to realize they actually did want something more literal, so I came up with a couple more sketches and sent them to Chelsea. The response was “this is exactly what we are looking for” and I was given the green light to go ahead, with notes from the designer/art director, Ross Woolford. He also sent the sketch placed in position with the Masthead of the magazine so I could see what he could see. I finally hit the nail on the head with this drawing Understanding The Client Getting a read on a new client is often very difficult. I don’t have a religious background, so it took me a bit to understand when she said that she didn’t want it to be literal, what she really meant was, we don’t want a historical painting of Jesus with the cross. When I got that, I knew which direction I wanted to go. Where Ideas Grow Where did I get the idea? Once I realized that the initial request for conceptual wasn’t really what they wanted, I quickly developed this one. I sat down with my Mac Book Pro and started searching for articles and images on people who carry the cross. I was amazed at how many people do this around the world. I had no idea. From that, it developed into something I felt was a good direction, and one that they might want to take. Some of the notes they sent me when they gave me the “go ahead” were a bit of a challenge, and I needed to take some license in order to make it work. I developed a drawing, also called a linear, which just means it has much more detail in comparison to the thumbnail. Because the directions I received were so tight, I really didn’t have much option on how to produce the piece. But instead of proceeding right into painting, I sent the linear for approval. They rejected it, and wanted to return to the original idea. They also removed one of the biggest restrictions they had placed on me and wanted to focus on the burden of the cross. The second and final linear was approved and now I could start the painting process. Planting The Seed The development part of the process is the most work. An illustrator has to be a mind reader of sorts, figuring out what they want, even though they really don’t know what they want. The artist must also be original, creative and be able to connect with the audience while staying true to style and brand. So you see, they didn’t call me up and say could you do a picture of a woman carrying a cross. You can see now, that’s not how illustration works. They give me a seed and I plant and water it. Earlier in our discussions they had asked that I use a similar background to a previous painting I had done called Daydream. I agreed and created a background that mirrored the previous painting, even using an almost identical colour pallet. The strongest colour has a bit more of a greenish hue, and the light creamy colour is actually a percentage of the inverted colour tone of the blue. Finishing Up The final step was adding my black layer, which for the most part is done with a custom designed brush I made to simulate a technique I used when I created my illustrations in a traditional manner. I really enjoyed working on this project. It was a challenge, but gave me an opportunity to explore and learn about something I may never have otherwise looked at, as well as an opportunity to give my small voice to those caregivers who selflessly carry-on each day. [Interior 2 page spread of Illustration with text of story] The text on either side of the same image that appeared on the cover You can purchase a print on canvas (minus the text) here exclusively on Fine Artists World Gallery |
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