Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

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This blog is published on the TypePad platform. When I first ordered it in 2005, it was the best choice for me. WordPress had not evolved to what it is today, and neither had my tech skills.

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Visual Artist’s Challenge: Should I Work with Galleries, Go Direct to Collectors or Both?

 In the art business, if you hang out online with your kind or tribe as Seth Godin calls them, it does not take long to find lots of interesting folks whose work you admire. Such is the case with fine artist and prolific blogger Lori McNee and me.

Through mutual requests, we decided instead of guest blogging for each other that it would be a fun experiment to collaborate conversation style keeping to a single art marketing topic. It was an easy choice to first tackle whether visual artists should work on getting into galleries, seek to build their own direct-to-collector distribution, or do both.

Barney:  Although it arguably is contradictory, I am in the “do both” camp. While I believe artists will enjoy many benefits by working with galleries, working exclusively makes artists too reliant on things out of their control. In year’s past, there were no options and the gallery system was stronger.

I do not advocate abandoning art galleries. However, in today's art market, well established art galleries can get blindly buzz sawed by circumstances beyond their control and wreak havoc to the detriment of its artists in the process. And, now visual artists have tools to sell direct as never before. In their own interest, I believe they should pursue them alongside galleries.  As entrepreneurs, artists must tend their art careers and art businesses. That means being aware of changes and making the most of them for their own sake.

Lori:  This is one of the most heated topics being debated by artists right now. In fact, this very subject has been the focus of conversation during the past two weekends on my visits and paint-outs with some very influential professional artists. This is what I learned:
•    Surprisingly, some nationally recognized artists have begun to abandon the gallery route in favor of studio shows, self promoted exhibitions and direct marketing sales.
•    The majority of artists, including myself, believe in a healthy combination of gallery representation and self promotional sales.
•    The minority believe in relying on galleries for their sole promotion and sales.

Here is the synopsis: Direct marketing is the trend for 2010-2011. Gone are the days when galleries could hang art and easily sell it off the walls.  In light of the challenging economic times, the art market has suffered and galleries have been struggling. Most prospective collectors do not have the disposable income they once enjoyed. Now when a buyer does decide to invest their hard earned money in art, the collector wants a personal connection or better understanding of the artist. Galleries and artists can now tap into the ‘direct marketing’ approach with the use of Social Media, blogs, websites, YouTube as well as artists’ receptions, arts/crafts fairs, etc. This new form of direct marketing is the wave of the future.

Barney:  Today, society’s quick acceptance of change affects every business large and small. For example, could Google have imagined a closed social network platform launched to find the best looking freshmen on campus would evolve into the most serious threat it has known?

Facebook, other social media and ecommerce have changed consumer habits affecting the business model of brick & mortar galleries. Another factor is the Darwinian effects caused by the collapsing housing market that pummeled all businesses providing anything for homes, including art galleries.  

Changing times require artists learn to be self-reliant. Fortunately with the available tools, this is the best time ever for visual artists to control their destiny and to sell direct. That said, I believe galleries serve an important role, are here to stay and should be treated with respect.  

There is a term called coopetition where companies compete on some fronts and cooperate on others. I believe this is the future for artists and galleries. On one side galleries need to recognize and accept artists will compete with them without accepting suicidal head on direct sales battles. On the other, artists have to bring more to the table than art that sells, i.e., a personal brand, a loyal following, a killer mailing list, media contacts and so forth. Creative concerned coopetition should be the key to growth and survival for artists and galleries.

Lori:  I really like the idea of coopetition.  Some galleries might be hesitant to warm up to this mutually beneficial new idea.  Therefore, artists need to be proactive in building trust with their galleries through open communication.  I see this as the natural evolution of the artist/gallery relationship.

Barney: Despite that we both agree a combination of working with galleries and direct sales is the best. I believe we also agree there is no perfect answer. Artists can still be very successful being exclusively with galleries only program, or vice-versa handling all sales direct to collectors. Obviously, social media can play a huge part in marketing an art career no matter what path an artist chooses to follow.  

Stay tuned. This conversation will get into social media and art marketing in our next installment, to be announced.

You can find the second installment, Visual Artist’s Challenge II – Balancing Self Promotion & Gallery Representation, on Lori's Fine Art Tips blog.

How Lucky Do You Feel? - Global Climate Change Options

Today is Blog Action Day. Along with 7,000 other bloggers, I have agreed to blog about Global Climate Change, the topic overwhelmingly chosen by participants. While I am inclined to believe it is more likely to be happening than not, I know some very smart people who believe it is a trumped up hoax. 

Like many Americans, if not most, you will find me concerned and in the middle on this and most thorny topics. In the case of global climate change, I am certain taking no action is wrong. I can't find fault with improving gas mileage, saving the rain forest, finding clean alternative fuels, being less wasteful and caring about our planet.

We cannot afford to hope to be lucky with the outcome of global climate change

The thing is with climate change, we do not know the outcome. We are part of an experiment right now, in the test tube, if you will. I don’t like that situation and bet you don’t either. If you have seen the direst predictions, then you know the situation could turn bleak quickly. Those who oppose the notion either don't believe the current climate change is not happening, or that current changes are a normal part of global function. Many of them think we are on a course of destruction by trying to save ourselves from something that will never happen.

Regardless of where you stand, for, against, or uncertain, this video will help you gain perspectice on what the real options are for the argument either way. I found it eye opening and thank Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads, for exposing it to me along with many other great ideas.

Getting solar power ramped up to the right proportions would be a game changer

Energy consumption is a topic where all nearly agree we are too oil dependent and need to do something. Developing massive solar power energy would improve global climate change and benefit humankind now and for future generations.

Last week, I saw a tweet from Kathy Heasley, a powerhouse brand marketer with Heasley & Partners. The tweet led to The Information is Beautiful site and this article titled,Surface Area Required To Solar Power The World. It is a great example of the power of thinking large to solve big problems. If we could get our leaders to start backing ideas like this instead of the more trivial and parochial ones that hold their attention, we would all be better served by them.

Last Summer Repost - 52 Blog Topics for Artists - Get Started Now!

For the final summer repost, here is an oldie, but goodie, that stands the test of time. If you are ever at a wonder as to what to write about in your next blog post, the following repost will be helpful:

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

Perhaps you have read Why Every Artist Needs a Blog on Art Print Issues, and you are now 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

Perhaps you have read Why Every Artist Needs a Blog on Art Print Issues, and you are now 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

Art in the Digital World - 3rd Anniversary for Art Print Issues

Faithful readers of words that tumble out my head into this blog post know I'm favored to author the occasional guest blog post for Absolute Arts, which is one of the leading and most comprehensive sites covering the fine art scene. It's impressive Google Page Rank of 7 attests to its popularity and traffic. (For those of you interested in Page Rank and who don't want to hurt their non-math non-tech brain trying to follow the logic on the link above, you can just read this paragraph from the Smashing Magazine article about it:

Each Page Rank level is progressively harder to reach.“PageRank is logarithmic in its calculation. In the same way that the earthquake Richter scale is exponential in calculation, so too is the mathematics behind Google PageRank. It takes one step to move from a PR0 to a PR1, it takes a few more steps to PR3, it takes even more steps to PR4, and many more steps again to PR5, and so one.” [Google Page Rank FAQ]

Art in the Digital World - It's Bigger Than You Think

Should you rather read a ramble with an interesting take on how the digital world intersects in the art world, reading my Absolute Arts blog post is here for your pleasure: Art in the Digital World. It is ambitious in trying to cover lots of ground while connecting more than a few bits and bytes along the way.

Happy Birthday Art Print Issues - Three Years Old and Picking Up Speed

Finally, this blog celebrates three years of posts in this format this month. The first back in February 23, 2006 started a string nearly 200 more since. If you count the articles in the blog's digital newsletter format begun in mid-2005, the list is closer to 250 posts.

Blog Post Triage Keeps the Patient (Post Prospects) Alive

I have never been at a point where I wondered what to write about next. For every post that was planned, there were probably two closer to being extemporaneous wanderings and musings on whatever was firing on my synapses at the time.

My regret is not having the time to get all the thoughts, ideas and suggestions that pop into my head and which I think merit pursuing into the blog. It's like blog post triage much of the time. But, in this case the patient always lives at least enough to be resuscitated at a later date. My trusty other brain helps me keep track of loose thoughts and blog topic prospects.

I'm humbled and honored to have each and every one of you who take your time to read my words. And, I'm eager to keep cranking them out for your edification, entertainment and help in improving your art careers. It's not unlike painting. The more you do, the better you get at it and the more you want to do it. And should others take a fancy to the output, then all the better. 

Rich Resource for Blogging Tips and Blog Content

Occasionally, one encounters a person whose energy and vision cause you to stand back in awe and wonder. A reaction like this often comes upon the realization of how much good one turned on person can do, and how humbling it feels to know the work at which you marvel was crammed into an already busy productive life.

One such person is Lorelle VanFossen. She ranks with Katherine Tyrrell (Making a Mark blogger and creator of 66, and counting, Squidoo lenses) as one whose imprint from leading an interesting and prolific life is impressively evident all over the Internet.

Lorelle is a tireless blogging pioneer,author, professional nature photographer and lecturer. The subject of this post today comes courtesy of one of her many blogs: Lorelle on WordPress. Here is just part of her bio from her blog:

Who is Lorelle?

There are many sides to Lorelle VanFossen. One is a public speaker, instructor, writer, and consultant on web writing, web design, and blogging, especially working with WordPress. Another is as a transient traveling the world as part of the duo team of VanFossen productions,professional nature photographers and writers presenting workshops and programs on travel, writing, and nature photography.

Called a blog evangelist, on Lorelle on WordPress she writes about everything WordPress and blogging,covering more than you may want to know about how all this blogging business works.Taking Your Camera on the Road is dedicated to providing educational and experiential information on travel, nature photography, travel photography, and life on the road.

Lorelle is also the author of the popular Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging, a book covering the basic to intermediate tips you need to know before and during your blogging experience, the first book of its kind. She shares her many years of online journaling, web writing and publishing, and blogging experiences as one of the first website owners and publishers on the web.

Her post, Blogging Tips - Hundreds of Resources for Finding Content for Your Blog is the point of this post today. This list, compiled two years ago and still relevant, is a perfect example of Lorelle's incredible output. I cannot imagine anyone who blogs to not find this massive helpful list of links useful and inspirational. Check it out; I'm sure you will agree.

Creatively Borrowing Eclectic Link Karma #1

With apologies and admiration, I creatively borrow the Link Karma concept popularized by uber blogger, Brian Clark. He publishes the widely read and wildly popular Copy Blogger blog. If you haven't yet availed yourself of his offerings, here is a perfect example of why you should: Ernest Hemingway's Top 5 Tips for Writing Well.

Please enjoy the following eclectic list of links presented to inspire, inform and entertain you:

♦ Heifer International - Ending Hunger, Caring for the Earth: Ten Things You Can Do Today to End World Hunger

♦ With his Art Business Thoughts blog, Myron Arndt continues to provide invaluable insights from a successful art publisher's unique perspective. Here is one of his latest posts: Reproduction Glut and On-Demand.

♦ There once was a fellow from Sarasota
A retired art rep who always made quota
Now he produces podcasts
Full of wit and wisdom so fast
So his eager students miss not one iota -- for my friend, Dick Harrison, who shares his invaluable experiences and limericks (I trust he won't find the above too lame.) through his Sales Tips for Artists blog and podcasts. His latest missive is: Skills that Will Help You Sell Yourself and Your Art

♦ Clint Watson's Fine Art Views blog is one of the best online resources for visual artists. This recent post clearly shows why: Life and Art, Recursively

♦ The inimitable Art Biz Coach, Alyson Stanfield, who adds so much to the community of visual artists, generously provides a FREE 9-week program for setting up an Art Marketing Salon in your area. It's a terrific concept and a thorough program. Go ahead, get involved and make difference in your community.

♦ Art.com offers this fun program to bring out the inner artist in anyone. Careful, it can be addicting. Is there something you can do to create an interactive experience for your site visitors?

♦ Last, but far from least, The Positivity Blog, which I heartily recommend regular reading, provides: Mark Twain's Top 9 Tips for Living a Kick-Ass Life

Enjoy!

It's Not the Economy Stupid

The title of this post is a paraphrase of the mantra from Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. Then it was, "It's the Economy Stupid." The harsh point was used to focus his campaign on the single most important topic that helped get him elected.

It's Not the Economy Today Stupid

With the deteriorating housing market, rising cost of gas and food and other economic woes it would seem easy to say, (with apologies to Yogi Berra) we are having deja vu all over again. However, in my humble opinion, the economy is not the real problem for visual artists, authors or musicians. Not to discount the effects these things and a lingering war effort have on the situation. They admittedly are profound.

Changing Consumer Habits Are the Real Threat

The real threat is how the creative product of artists is being consumed and viewed. Print-on-demand, the Internet and other technologies are evolving at an incredible pace. All kinds of industries are reeling from dramatic changes in consumer habits. CDs for musicians are ancient history and the level of unpaid copied and downloaded product continues to rise despite efforts to abate them. Newspapers are suffering serious drops in readership. Their cash cow classified sections are being decimated by www.craigslist.org. Small retailers are plowed under by the voracious Wal-Mart juggernaut. Thinking about all this is enough to make a person throw up their hands and cry or maybe just throw up. But the former is not a solution and the latter is just messy.

Creating Self-determined and Managed Distribution Channels is Imperative

I have frequently commented artists need to find or create new alternative ways to get their product to market. Some will come from new products, or by utilizing existing technologies to create 2-D art or digital art to engage consumers in novel ways. As changes unfurl, challenges arise and some offer opportunity. It doesn't have to be high tech, it could be a new twist on old-fashioned high touch. My previous post here, Wired Art Marketing Idea, showed how Wired magazine and Xerox partnered to use technology to offer users a fun interactive way to personalize its iconic cover to anyone with a computer. It was a fun, effective bit of viral marketing for both companies (It worked well enough for you to read about it here a year later.) The post was an effort to say, "Think about doing things differently, much differently."

Christine Kane Is an Inspiring Real Deal

Christine Kane, is one artist who has embraced change and profited professionally and personally from it. I have, along with thousands of others, grown to greatly admire her on many levels. She is an accomplished successful recording and touring singer-songwriter. Long ago, she took control of her destiny. Through hard work and talent, she grew a profitable career as musician. She is also a successful blogger. Out of her blogging, she has grown a retreat workshop business. The success she is enjoying from her workshops is causing her to rethink her recording career and musical career.

Now, having her stop writing songs and recording would be a shame for her thousands of fans, but if it is where she wants to go or is driven to go, then more power to her for having the guts and ability to make such a monumental change. If you read her thoughts on her Web site or blog, it's easy to pick up how evolving market conditions out of control of musicians like her is forcing change. It is unwanted, as is most change, but is nevertheless inevitable. She has the courage, wisdom and wherewithal to envision it, do something about it and use it to enlighten and encourage others to make their own changes.

Her recent blog posts, Bake Sales or Blogging: What’s your Paradigm? and Creating vs. Getting are must reads. Give them some thought as they are certain to challenge some of your own thinking about your career, where it is headed and if you are on the right track. Will Rogers once remarked, "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you don't keep moving." Christine Kane is an artist and business person on the move. Find whatever works from her model to employ in your own career and keep on moving yourself.

Drawing the Line on Reproductions

Technology for better and worse...sometimes a little of both

For as long as the ability to reproduce art has been available, there have been those who have sought to use it for legitimate purposes, and unfortunately also for ill-gotten gain. There were numerous reports last month about a ring of crooks busted for selling $7 million in fake Picasso, Miro, Dali and Chagall prints, including a post here. These details come nearly on the one-year anniversary of the announcement of the conviction of Kristine Eubanks and her husband, Gerald Sullivan. That pair had been charged with selling $20 million in bogus art prints, many of which were made in their own professional giclée printmaker studio.

(This content is republished from the April 3, 2008 Absolute Arts blog where I am a guest blogger and where you will find an interesting running commentary on it.)

Personally, I quite enjoy that visual artists can reproduce their work and thus create a secondary cash flow from it. It gives them another price point and allows them to introduce their work to many more collectors as well. Seeing cases of fraud, as mentioned above, concerns me visual artists creating legitimate reproductions can sometimes find themselves under unwanted unnecessary scrutiny. As if making a go of it for most artists was not already difficult enough.

What Is Art?

Part of the romantic allure of the art business – yes folks, it is a business – is it is kind of Wild West when it comes to what one wants to do and what one wants to call it. By golly, the debate over “What is art?” rages on and has never really been satisfied. Surely, the folks at the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) can attest from regularly coming under siege for funding controversial works can tell you there is a wide range of sentiment regarding the question of “What is art?”

So, if we can’t decide on what is art, is there any chance we can decide on what is a print? The short and correct answer is no. The mixed use of terms in the business creates confusion that leads to anxiety and distrust.

What Is Investment Art? Can Giclées Be Considered Investment Art?

For many, buying art is more intriguing because one can also hope it may appreciate in time. Ask any of those folks taking part in the $200 million dollar class action suit against the Park West Galleries for its cruise ship art auction tactics. You can bet all bought with the idea of getting a great deal. Unfortunately for them it was only after being shorn did they realize they overpaid for art. It is the same mentality and likely the same herd, only on terra firma, that were taken in by the aforementioned couple of Eubanks and Sullivan who foisted their fraudulent works on their “Fine Art Treasures” cable TV show. In fairness, savvy buyers through the centuries have capitalized on buying undervalued art...and still do today. Tennis great, John McEnroe, says he's made more money in the art market than on the court.

We Should Rethink Limiting Digital Prints

I have for years championed the idea of abandoning limited editions for giclées. In fact, I blogged nearly three years ago on Absolute Arts with a post titled “Limiting Success” about it as well as on my own Art Print Issues blog. It just doesn't’t make sense to me for a variety of reasons; including it begs the question of why limit that which can endlessly be reproduced perfectly or as improvements come along all the better.

Limited editions also nicely lend themselves to some of the schemes mentioned here. I contend if the art is good enough, people will pay a fair price for it knowing it is in unlimited supply, which might help thwart some phony print schemes. Do I care if a recording artist sells millions of copies? Why should I care how many a visual artist will sell? If I want truly intrinsic value from a limited supply, I will pony up for an original, which is why many galleries have left the print/giclée market. They are tired of romancing the artist to a prospective collector only to lose the sale via the Internet when the buyer shops it. Selling originals avoids this problem, but it puts a kink in an artist's ability to leverage his or her work in the print market, which creates just another problem.

Regardless of what I have had to say, the fine art digital reproduction limited edition business remains strong, if not as vibrant as in its glory days. But then, you can say that about all kinds of businesses these days struggling to figure out how to survive in challenging changing times. Today, you can find many artists raking in big bucks selling limited editions in all manner of limited edition configurations. And, their galleries and they are not about to abandon a successful situation. Who can blame them? I merely argue they are leaving money on the table in the long haul by limiting editions.

How much did Greenwich Workshop & Bev Doolittle leave on the table?

Bev Doolittle's first giclées sold out nearly 4,000 pieces in a short time. Could she have sold more and still be selling them if they were merely numbered, but not limited? I contend yes. The early low numbers would ultimately have collectible value if the art is truly appreciable and not being Ponzied up by a limited edition marketing scheme. In Doolittle's case, I think the art would stand up to being open and sell well for years making he and her publisher more money with more happy collectors in the program as well.

A great image might sell well for years just as the back catalog of recording artists do. These steady streams of income could make a striking financial difference for popular artists and their families. Some, like the gifted watercolor artist, Steve Hanks, have retired huge editions on paper and are now releasing the images on canvas. I think Hanks would have never had to quit selling his work if the editions were they open and sequentially numbered because the work is enormously popular, timeless, compelling, representational and surreal at once. Instead, he’s had to resort to putting his watercolor work on canvas, which hardly reproduces as faithfully as his editions on paper.

Someone commented on my blog recently that giclées cannot be considered limited editions unless they are all produced at one time. The contention is they are a limited series instead. Once again, an interesting arguable take that further muddies the waters and heightens the desire for a ruling body to take hold.

Dead Artist's Estates Are Still Cranking Out Editions - So Are the Crooks - Who is Gary Arseneau?

To further stir the pot, there are many dead artists whose estates continue to print reproductions of their work. This, of course has been going on for years with the big names like Dali, Picasso, Miro and Chagall. While long gone, these artists remain in the news for the sale of both legitimate and fake reproductions of their work. Now along comes Gary Arseneau, he is a self-styled independent scholar, an artist, printmaker of original lithographs and a blogger. He is also the self-published author of books such as The Monument to the Victor Hugo Deception.

We ought to be asking, “Who is Gary Arseneau?” Is he a gadfly, or a crusader tilting in the wind trying to stem the tide of fake reproductions? You can only decide by spending time on his blog where he outlines in great detail his argument that the works of Rodin, Degas, Matisse, Duchamp and even Dr. Seuss that are being reproduced by their estates and heirs are fakes. He makes a heck of an interesting argument. Certainly, if you care about reproductions, buy them, produce or market them, you owe it to yourself to study his findings, read his arguments and come up with your own conclusions.

Is Having a Set of Enforcable Understandable Standards Too Much to Hope For?

Regardless of your personal opinion, the can of worms opened by Mr. Arseneau hastens the idea that establishing and enforcing true standards in the art world would be helpful. It is a crazy notion, I agree, but until a line is drawn on reproductions, the visual arts community will carry the burden of proving itself beyond reproach each time art of any value goes to market.

Artists Who Establish Authenticity and Transparency in Their Business Practices Will Win

As the world shrinks due to instant information and communication, being authentic and transparent becomes imperative. For those artists who find a way to embrace authenticity and transparency in how they create multiples or reproductions of their popular work and manage and market their business, there is ample reward awaiting them and their rightful heirs.

Shift Happens - Slideshare is Way Cool, Use It Freely!

Recently, I republished a post from the fertile mind of futurist Watts Wacker wrting in his monthly newsletter, First Matter. In his Keep Your Eyes Open I'm Convinced It's About to Happen article, W2, as he playfully signs his emails, explains the enormous impact Peter Max had on the art market in the 20th Century, and how The Beatles played a part in it too.

Watts postulates THE NEXT BIG THING in the art market will come from China. Agreeing with him, I added a comment on his Web site. It notes how things are vastly different from 40 years ago when The Beatles and Peter Max changed the world. I suggest some musical muse might come from the Caribbean or Africa in a collaboration with a Chinese artist that could shake things up in ways we haven't seen since the 60s. It often seems to me the more unlikely a thing one can imagine today makes it more likely to occur. The slideshow below, courtesy of Slideshare, sheds light on Watt's basis for his prediction.

Futurism is not based on crystal ball gazing, but rather distills the future from what is obvious. You just need to know where to look and how to interpret your results. This, being more difficult than it sounds, is why W2 gets the big bucks. The above Shifthappens slideshow illustrates how in the new millennium we are on the precipice of a historic shift where by sheer numbers in our now close knit digital global age, China and India are poised to dominate the way Western Europe and the U.S. respectively did in the early and second half of the 20th Century.

I can't portend exactly what such a monumental shift will mean to your career as a visual artist. But, I can tell you changes you cannot foresee will impact it as the Shifthappens presentation implies. You can judge by your own experiences that technology has changed and shaped how you inform yourself, create, reproduce, market and sell your art today. I encourage you to be open to change, to embrace it, to productively use it however you can.

In 2005, how many thought artists would use blogging for significant learning and marketing experiences? I opened an account with my blogging software, Typepad, in 2005, but didn't quit my PDF style newsletter until a year ago, making me in some ways a poster child for the poignant Kelly Ruger quote below.

A way cool Web 2.0 program you can employ now is SlideShare. Both presentations embedded in this post are from its Web site. SlideShare is the world's largest community for sharing presentations & slideshows. You can upload your PowerPoint, OpenOffice, Keynote or PDF files, tag them, embed them into your blog or website, browse others' presentations, and comment on individual slides. What's more, the transcripts of your presentation will be indexed by Internet search engines and show up in search results. It's a great way to share your ideas with others, or to learn from other people. And it's completely free and you choose whether to make your presentations public or private.

To further stimulate your creativity, review the terrific presentation below, which is also found on Slideshare: Visual and Creative Thinking: What We Learned from Peter Pan and Willie Wonka. Here is just one quote from the presentation which I hope will encourage you to review it:

Sometimes an idea loses its meaning over time, but isn't abandoned because of the investment in the past. These ideals are often so immune to criticism that those who challenge them are ignored or marginalized.- Kelly Ruger

View the Visual and Creative Thinking Slideshare presentation

I've suggested here a couple of time to use The Personal Brain, which is a wonderful mind mapping brainstorming tool. If you are beginning to see a pattern here of encouraging creative thinking and tools, you'd be right. Enjoy!