Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

Links You'll Like

Here are some links you can use to help you and your art career. Please share them with your friends.

Gawker Artists - You may have noticed the rotating images with the Gawker Artist logo on the left column of this blog. (Hit your refresh button to see more images.) Artists are invited to submit their work to Gawker Artist for consideration. There is no charge to the artists when their work is added to the roster. The art is displayed on blogs and Web sites at no charge either. If you decide to add one of the three sizes of displays, your blog or Website will be listed on the Gawker Artist site. It's generated good traffic to my blog. Liz Dimmit is the curator for the site. Her Gumshoe business provides cultural tourism to New York city visitors and is tailored to their specific interests. Sounds like a great way to see the city to me!

The-Artists.Org - Artists can list for free with a reciprocal link to their Web site, or make a one-time $65 donation to get a more robust listing. The site has a Google Page Ranking of 6, which is excellent and claims 7 million annual visitors. Worth checking out!

Marketfusions - A blog on thoughts on strategy, business, marketing, content & creativity. The link here is to a very good article on Personal Branding. The business side of art is all about personal branding. This post offers clear advice on how to get your arms around it and incorporate it into your career.

Passionate for Life - Are You Pursuing Happiness and Joy? I'm not personally involved with any coaches or mentors, but I've seen enough positive results from those who are to pass this along. The site features writers and life coaches who address the key elements of living life with passion - exploring the power of passion; how to discover one's passion; how to live a life of purpose and authenticity; the law of attraction; the art of living passionately; finding your dream career; re-inventing oneself and more.

Outdoor Art - Trends come and go. I think this one has a long life. Consumers are spending more time and more money to accommodate a lifestyle of living as much as possible outdoors. They want to decorate these spaces much like their indoor counterparts. If you or your publisher haven't considered adding weatherproof prints to your lineup, you are missing some sales opportunities. You can find lots of information by Googling "weatherproof art" and "outdoor art." (Did you know when you put a phrase in quotation marks in a search engine it will only search for that exact term?)

Final note - those of you who get Art Print Issues by email subscription or RSS syndication received a notice for Links for 2007-09-26 (Digg). It points to a blog post titled Ten Timeless Persuasion Writing Techniques; It's very good information, but I didn't intend to send it to my subscribers, especially one day after sending a new post. This happened automatically when I Dugg (voted) for this post on Digg. It's something I'm not thrilled about because I can't figure out why it happened and until I do, I'll do no more Digging of any articles despite how much I like them. I admire the blogger and am glad you have the information, but I'm confounded by the technology that does such things. Too much of a good thing, I suppose. And, yet another reason to put a post together on social bookmarking, social networking, etc. If we all only had the time to investigate and tame these beasts...

When you hear from me again, I will be back from ArtExpo Las Vegas where I have great hopes for a good show for all involved. You'll get my report on it and Decor Expo Atlanta soon!

Banksy Gives Prints Away and Fakes Still Get Sold on Ebay

The anonymous (well almost) British graffiti artist, Banksy, who has made a career of setting the art market on its ear hit the news again with this article in The Art Newspaper: Revealed: the eBay Banksy print fraud. The paper claims to have been tipped off by insiders into a scheme to sell fraudulent limited edition copies of Banksy's work on eBay using shills to up the bidding in the process. Read the story, these fakes were selling for thousands of dollars.

Spray Can Rodeo Girl - Banksy

This guy is fascinating. Callen Bair, who blogs about art for the Conde Nast publication Portfolio has written about him. Here's a quote from her initial Banksy post:

It seems ludicrous, then, that collectors are shelling out tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars for Banksy's works at auction, even if they are painted versions of his designs as opposed to prints. (Pie face done in oil on canvas got $379,446 at Sotheby's London in June.) Of course, Banksy agrees: After Sotheby's made a (relative) killing off seven Banksys it put in a February auction of contemporary art, the artist made a new work that shows an auctioneer directing a lively salesroom accompanied by the caption "I can't believe you morons actually buy this shit."

Artists for Art's Sake

Besides my regular Art Print Issues blog beat, I frequently contribute to the Absolute Arts blog. It features a rotating series of guest bloggers from around the globe. Many contributors are artists who provide a wonderful potpourri of perspective you won't find any place else. My most recent post is titled:

Artists for Art's Sake - They Work Hard to Earn Your Business and Respect - Please Give It to Them

It's an argument for supporting artists and explanation of some of the unique aspects of being an artist. All provided with the intent of raising awareness of the what it takes to be a successful with the hope it will encourage more who read it to be motivated to open their wallets as they do their hearts when they encounter art that speaks to them.

Having taken a break from my computer and email for three days, I just reread the post now to painfully find typos and grammar I thought were fixed. Unlike here, where I have an opportunity to edit, what gets sent to Absolute Arts is final. Crunching a column late on a deadline will sometimes cause havoc with the best copy. Fortunately, the intent remains obvious.

A Year of Blog Topics for Artists - No Reason to Hold Back Now

Having read Why Every Artist Needs a Blog on Art Print Issues, you are ready to take the plunge into the blogoshpere. But, you are concerned you won't know what to write. If you think people don't want to know what you had for lunch, you're correct and win a gold star. Here then are 52 suggested blog topics designed to get you through your first year without ever mentioning peanut butter and jelly. Several topics could easily be multi-part posts:

52 blog topics for artists - Courtesy of Art Print Issues

1. Why I support xyz charity
2. The most inspiring art teacher I have known
3. How I came to know being a professional artist was my career path
4. Why I love working with xyz medium
5. What you can learn from the traveling exhibit at the abc museum
6. Four galleries I would love to carry my work and why
7. Five contemporary artists whose works inspire and inform me
8. Clues to the subtle messages in my art
9. My color palette is (nature/technology/environment) driven and why
10. Ten things they don't teach you in art school
11. How being in the business of art affects my art
12. When I paint, I like to listen to Guns n' Roses/London Philharmonic/Enya/Toby Keith
13. How the other arts influence my work, e.g., how I attempt to interpret the fluidity of a ballerina in my brush stokes
14. Here are blogs by other artists whose work I like, or whose blogs I like
15. Art retreats; although you may not get rich and famous, you can still travel and stay at wonderful places. Here are my favorites or fantasies
16. How other jobs I've had have added perspective to my art
17. Spirituality is personal, but growth in it has made me a better artist
18. Nine things I want to paint before I stop
19. Why painting en plen air is exhilarating
20. Art by other artists I bought in unusual places
21. Visually inspiring day trips around where I live
22. Museums I've visited in other cities and around home
23. Art books on my bookshelf
24. If I could only recommend one book, art or otherwise, for someone, it would be...
25. How living the creative life has uplifted my spirits and made me a better person
26. Advice for young artists
27. Why I love my local galleries and/or the local art scene
28. How blogging has stretched me as an artist
29. You can find my art online at these sites, here's why I chose to use them
30. Art magazines I like to read
31. The greatest influence on my life was...
32. Why and how parents should encourage artistic development in their children
33. Some funny experiences either colleagues or I've had at art shows
34. I still can't believe people have asked me these things
35. The five best quotes on art I've ever read
36. How the courage and creativity of some disabled artists have inspired me
37. Here are blogs I enjoy that are not about art
38. Seven ways technology has changed how I make and sell art (Some examples are: Photoshop/digital camera/digital painting/digital printing/Painter/online art sites)
39. I'm grateful because this person came in my life, or because this happened to me
40. Eight reasons I get out of bed to paint everyday are (Suggestions: Let's be honest, I need the money. I'm OCD and can't help it. It's the best job a person could have. A day without painting is like a day without sunshine. I can't stand the thought of going back to the 7-11)
41. And you heard writer's block was difficult
42. How overcoming creative obstacles has made me a better artist
43. So I went to a tradeshow/convention/workshop and the best/funniest/saddest thing happened
44. It's really hard to part with my originals; here's why
45. Five reasons you will like the giclee prints I offer
46. Flowers in my garden make me smile and make me paint
47. If I wasn't an artist, I'd be a...
48. Why faces are so difficult to paint, and hands are tough too
49. The most inspiring movie I've ever seen is...
50. How the arts organizations in my area are helping children/charities/??
51. Why you should always use a docent when you go to a museum. Here are some special things I learned at...
52. How reading the Art Print Issues blog has made me smarter, better looking, more creative and much richer

Rarity - My clickback response on Painter's Keys

If you are an artist, writer, creative, dealer or collector, you would be well advised, if you already have not, to put in for your free subscription to Robert Genn's Twice-Weekly Letter. It's a component of his Painter's Keys Web site. Robert is a prolific professional artist and a sage commentator as you will quickly discover perusing his work and clickback archives on the site. Here's what he has to say about Painter's Keys:

I sincerely hope you get something out of it. By subscribing you have joined a world-wide community of creative people. We are mostly painters, but there are also a large number of sculptors, writers, photographers, and to a lesser degree collectors and art dealers and others who are just interested. Many subscribers are art students--often encouraged to subscribe by their instructors.

Break at South Point Scotty's Lake of the Woods
Acrylic - 30 x 34 Inches

The September 7 article was titled, Rarity. Here are the opening paragraphs, go to the site to read the full post:

Learning from Disaster: Post Fire Lessons

Sometimes the most valuable lessons you learn happen when you are seeking to learn something else. For instance, most who visit and read this blog do so to discover new information about the art print market. Today's lesson won't help your art career, but it might save your life and help you recover from disaster.

I was jolted to read this thread on Wet Canvas: Learning from Disaster: Post Fire Lessons. Perhaps it's because I was a professional firefighter in a career so long ago it seems like someone else's life. Perhaps because I sold advertising for insurance magazines right alongside the art & picture framing magazine, DECOR, for nearly two decades. Whatever, the reason I'm compelled to share this story of how an artist and his wife barely escaped a spectacular tragic fire.

In the thread, he tells how they managed to get their cats and themselves out of their apartment moments before it erupted into an inferno that destroyed or damaged everything they own. His advice on what to do and what's important and how quick you need to act in the event of a fire, and what to do to guard your possessions afterwards is truly priceless.

Share this post with your friends and family, it might save their lives.

Take heed to understand the hard earned lessons offered in the linked thread. They are no-nonsense and if what you learn helps you stay focused on what's important it can save your loved one's lives and your own, and much grief afterwards. Don't risk losing everything by skimping on renters insurance. It is inexpensive, especially for what it pays in a total loss. Most renters have no idea they own tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff. Don't believe me? Take an honest inventory of your closet. For most people, that relatively tiny space contains items with a total worth in the thousands, not to mention your tech gear, art gear, art, furniture and more. It adds up fast. Make sure your policy has a full replacement cost feature. It costs a little more, but as the thread points out, it makes all the difference when you need it most.

Which Colors Are In Your Palette? Bet on blue, not brown

Have you ever wondered how the color palettes of so many varied companies seem to follow suit? For instance in the past year, if you browsed a Crate & Barrel or Horchow or Macy's Home catalog you'd find natural blues and shades of chocolate brown making a strong influence on home design. Is is possible that Cadillac and Lexus could choose eerily similar shades of luscious metallic raspberry red in the same model year? Given seasonal color palettes are chosen one to three years in advance, such trends do not happen by coincidence. Most color designers who work for large companies that need to forecast color direction to market their products subscribe to either the Color Marketing Group or The Color Association. These organizations help them decide on colors from Kleenex boxes to Cadillacs.

An Associated Press story picked up on MSNBC: Social trends color shade-forecasting business - Next year's Beijing Olympics could spark a trend in reds and yellows explains how the 1,100 member Color Marketing Group works to identify coming trends in color for Consumer/Residential and Contract/Commercial products that include: Action/Recreation, Consumer Goods, Technology, Home, Visual Communications, Transportation, Juvenile Products, Fashion, and environments for Office, Health Care, Retail, Hospitality/Entertainment and Institutional/Public Spaces.

If you are painting with the notion your art and legacy are museum bound, this information may not be of interest to you. If, however, you are painting to create art that will be bought to complement other decor in homes and offices, then paying attention to color trends is valuable. Ask any exhibitor working an art tradeshow what is the first question they get from buyers. I guarantee it is, "What's new?" As with themes and subject matter, questions of palette choices are always brought into the conversation. To let your color choices be informed by trends you catch early can make a difference in if and how quickly otherwise well executed art gets sold.

Prosperity or Posterity in the Art World: Can Artists Have Both? Find Out on Empty Easel

From the first time I landed on Dan's Empty Easel Web site, I was an immediate fan of the varied, valuable and interesting information he freely provides his readers. He writes a blog every Monday through Friday, which I can attest from averaging a couple posts a week for Art Print Issues, is a daunting task. Here is Dan's published plan for Empty Easel:

From the very start I wanted Empty Easel to be a free online art resource for all art lovers and artists. My goal was to write realistic art advice for both new artists and professional artists, without any vague or confusing artspeak.

Dan succeeds at his plan by publishing a no-nonsense mix of useful, practical information on these varied topics: Art & Painting Tips; Art Articles; Reviews of Artists' Work; and Selling Art Online. His recent overhaul of the site included inviting his readers to contribute articles for publication on the site. I jumped on the chance because I want to support his efforts and for the added motivation of Dan reciprocating with two links back the author's site. The linking back is his way of putting into practice some of the sound advice he's lately been giving on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

You will discover the answer to, Prosperity and Posterity in the Art World: Can Artists Have Both? on Empty Easel. Spend some time there to explore all the site offers and you will know why it should be a must on your regular reading list.