Business

Important Website Considerations for Artists: Part 1 of 3

Brian Steck · Jul 2, 2012 · 2 Comments

There is no law that requires you to have a website, no one is forcing you to use a cell phone and no one mandates that you drive a car.
But each of these are tools and technologies that enhance the quality of life around us, to the point that some deem them necessities.
I’m here as a child of the digital age, and a full-time freelance web developer, presenting some ideas that, should you chose to accept them, may benefit your livelihood in this internet-crazed world we now live in.

Adapting to the digital world

“If I cover my eyes, maybe it’ll all go away!”
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as ignoring it. There are some of you that have been forced to use new technologies which would have been considered science-fiction a decade ago. Or maybe you remember the age when making a phone call meant speaking with an operator first. Either way, take a moment, a deep breath and pat yourself on the back — I mean, you’re reading a blog for goodness sakes! Way to go!
A few things to acknowledge:

It’s okay to not know – the key to the digital age is that you don’t need to know or remember anything. That’s what Google is for! If you have a question, it’s only a search away.
You don’t have to do it all – new and ever-changing technologies are just a fact of life. So don’t feel as if you need to sign up for every social network out there. Pick one and stick with it.
There are no “tricks” or shortcuts to success – when it comes down to it, your journey to success is still all about quality and trust. Providing consistent, exceptional value to the customer is what it’s all about. This is true whether you’re an oil painter, a supply store or a fortune 500 company.

The need for a website

“Com’n, you know you wanna. Everyone’s doing it!”
We’ve all heard it before: “you’ve gotta have a website”. It was the resounding cry of the dot-com boom that caused businesses and organizations, large and small, to rush out like lemmings off a cliff to stake their claim of the world wide web. Unfortunately, few stopped to ask “why?” Today, many folks are stuck with expensive, outdated and altogether abandoned websites — now scratching their heads and wondering “what did I need this website for, anyhow?”
Why do you need a website? Here’s why: People are no longer relying on yellow-pages and billboards to find the products they need. Instead, they turn to Google or Facebook. The “like” button or online product review has become the new “word of mouth”. So, when someone is looking for an “original oil painting near Denver”, for example, it becomes very important that you are online and easy to find when they begin that search.

Important Considerations – Part 1: Goals & Organization

“Tips for right-brain thinkers who prefer to leap, then look”
Steven Covey, in the book “7 Habits for Highly Effective People”, says “Begin with the end in mind.” This is my advice to you, as well. What are you trying to accomplish? We know that we are supposed to have a website, but we are often unclear as to “why”. Your website is your business card. It is the book cover that people judge you by. A website should reflect the personality, professionalism and quality of your product which, in your case, is your artwork.

Interesting Stats:

It’s been said that upon meeting someone you have seven seconds to make an impression. This is even more true online. In fact, some studies say it takes less than two tenths of a second for an online visitor to form an opinion of your brand. ¹
Needless to say, your website must present your business in the finest light possible.

So your first goal should be to make a good impression. Spend time thinking about the image you want to present of yourself?
Secondly, ask yourself this clarifying question: “What do I want people to leave with or accomplish while visiting?”
To help with the specifics of that last question, let me give some examples. Maybe your end-goal is that your visitor purchase something; so make sure that your products and prices are obvious, that you have a simple and functional shopping cart with current discounts and specials highlighted.
Would you like them to sign up for a newsletter? Then make that registration form the first thing they see and perhaps offer a free download or reward for signing up.
If your ideal is for visitors to spend time looking at your paintings and share them with others, then put your photo gallery on the front page with prominent “share” or “comment” buttons for each of them.
You see, it’s not difficult to create a game plan, but it begins with the end in mind. Your visitor is better-served because you provided them with obvious steps to accomplish. No one enjoys arriving at a website only to stare blankly at it wondering, “now what?”
The third goal that I see for any website is that it provides quality content. This content, or information, should take into account your intended audience. Some questions you should be asking while creating your website are:

Who are you trying to reach?
What is your target audience?
Are they of a particular age? If older, should font size be increased?
Will they be accessing your website on a desktop computer or from their mobile device?
What are they most likely looking for? What phrases will they be searching with?

These questions can help guide you in making decisions about layout, graphics, fonts, content and navigation.
Do your best to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think like the visitor.

“Important Website Considerations for Artists” is a three part series aimed to help artists make educated decisions around their web presence. Feel free to add questions and comments below and the author will do his best to point you in the right direction. If you’re in need of assistance with your website, feel free to visit Steck Insights Web Design.

The Art of Survival in the Survival of Art

Bill Farnsworth · Jun 25, 2012 · 2 Comments

Since the Great Recession hit, most artists have been impacted. Collectors cut back on luxury items and art is at the top of the list. Workshop enrollment is down as well, and if you teach a lot of workshops that can be a big impact. Some artists have taken on part-time teaching as a steady gig. Doing a couple of day’s part time teaching is fine, but if you go full time it may really impact your studio time.
As an illustrator for many years I learned very fast how to hustle if I was going to pay my bills. Self-promotion was a constant thing even with an agent. Making new contacts in the Illustration world was a constant thing. Tailoring my art to the Illustration market was not much different than the fine art field. However, the fine art has allowed me to paint what moves me and still be able to sell. The last two years I have transitioned into all gallery work, which means every painting I produce is spec. So now I am trying to use what I’ve learned in the commercial world, into the fine art world. Not all of it overlaps but the business practice does.
I try to do all E-mail correspondence, phone calls, and all other loose ends before 10am and then I will have an open block of time in the studio where I can think about the painting process and not a little thing in the back of my mind. If I want to contact a gallery by phone I will have to do it after 11am, if an email won’t work. At night I might go back into the studio to touch up a little, but mostly I plan for the coming months. Keeping steady workshops planned is difficult, but you can spread them out over the year. Teaching is great way to verbalize your approach and can be a great learning experience for you as well as the student. If the area you are in during the workshop has some great scenery, take advantage and paint it or photograph it on your free time.
I keep a studio calendar list of all my upcoming workshops, shows and paint outs so I don’t lose track of opportunities. Knowing when an important show is coming up will give you more time to set aside your “show pieces”. It’s always a tough thing to do a good painting that will sell and set it aside for the shows. Choosing my own painting for a show is sometimes hard for me, so I might post it on Face Book or have some artist friends over to get a reaction that will help me in judging the right painting for an upcoming exhibition.
Recently, I have been rethinking my framing and expanding my choices. I have about four frames that I use all the time and they look great on almost everything, but sometimes having a half dozen other choices might be the difference for a Collector riding the fence. I learned early in my career that a bad frame can kill a good painting. Let’s face it; it’s the package for your product. I was in a show at The National Arts Club years ago, and that year Everett Raymond Kinstler won best in show for a stunning painting and an equally beautiful frame. When the show came down and I picked up my art, one of the curators of the show told me my painting was very well done, but the frame made it look amateurish. He was right. Looking around at the other paintings with beautiful wide gallery frames made an impact on me.
As an artist, I am not the best business person, but have learned a lot over the years in order to survive in an extremely up and down market. Some of my artist friends have taught me a great deal about good business and I have been able to use some their advice. When you sell a painting at a gallery make sure you can follow up with another piece to replace the sold painting. If there is a blank space on the wall, it will get filled with another artist’s work.
The last element in our survival in Art is the psychological aspect. Artists, I think tend to be a little insecure because of the volatile nature of the business. If we don’t sell a painting in a month we second guess the subject matter we paint and everything else. Having the right frame of mind is essential in creating our best art and succeeding. The illustration field taught me to have a thick skin because one day maybe a diamond and the next a rock. An artist’s ego can be a dangerous thing. Win an award, be happy for a couple of days, and then put your ribbon away. Living in a good environment surrounded by loving family and friends , will always be a solid foundation during the bumpy ride in Art.

Is There Anything Oil Painters Can Learn From Apple?

Craig Shillam · Jun 18, 2012 · 1 Comment

"The Birds And The Bees" by Craig Shillam

Is there anything oil painters can learn from a big fortune 500 company like the Apple Corporation? Everybody knows that Apple supplies the world with millions of high quality and much sought after tech gadgets. Oil painters in most cases create individual, one of a kind works that we hope someone would love as much as they love their iphone. Is there any possible way oil painters could learn a thing or two from a tech giant? Could there be anything that Apple does in their business attitudes and practices that oil painters might benefit from ? It wouldn’t hurt to look, would it?

Can Oil Painters Learn from Apple?

1. Everything starts with a great product. Take the ipod for example. I think it’s a great product. A great product has the power to make a name, or a brand. Once you build the brand, it is easier to present your new products. It doesn’t happen overnight, in fact it may take years. Could we change out the word “product” for painting here? The oil painters you and I admire most didn’t paint their best stuff while they were still wet behind the ears. They put in the time right? They painted quality paintings over a period of time and built up their skills and their name/brand. An oil painters name can be compared to a brand. Your name, or your brand, is a precious asset, be sure and treasure it just as a fortune 500 company would.
2. Turn something ordinary into something beautiful. A cell phone, a music player and a tablet are usually not something that comes to mind when we think of beautiful. Neither is an old, aging building, a fence, rocks, or plenty of other things. But in the hands of a person with vision, or an exceptional painter, or both, common everyday items can become so much more than ordinary. They can be made to be extraordinary.
3. Ignore the Critics. Apple has been criticized plenty of times, as most large corporation have. Most people don’t realize that the ipod was a flop for about the first three years. But they continued with their vision to build the products they wanted to build the way they want to build them. Most oil painters face criticism at one point or another. In fact if you haven’t, you probably need to try harder. But how oil painters respond to the criticism is what matters. If you want to paint juggling elephants en plein air, do it! Who is anyone to say otherwise? Realism, impressionism, cubism, criticism. Learn from criticism, don’t bow down to it. What if Apple had given up on the ipod?
4.Communicate in the language of your audience. Apple doesn’t go out of their way to tell us about all the tech specs in their gadgets. They tell us about the clarity of the screen, the speed, the design, what this great product will do for us. They tell us about the benefits. I am of the opinion that oil painters should do that as well. Tell your collectors or gallery reps about the benefits of your work. Stories, awards, travels, what makes the piece special, and so on. Build it up a little bit. Help them relate more to you and your work. What you tell people about your work is what they will tell others, so give them plenty of benefits instead the technical or instead of nothing at all. I don’t know about you, but I have found that no matter how unimpressed I am with my own work, someone else finds it fascinating.
5. Justify the Price. Apple products are not cheap, and they seldom if ever go on sale. Yet, millions of people including my wife have just got to have an iphone. How do they do that? First of all they build products that their audience loves passionately. The use of premium materials, the design, the quality of the experience and the immense personal value that people feel while using those products. Benefits. Their products also come with extras, and they don’t provide a low-end option. Can we as oil painters figure out a way to incorporate some of this attitude into our work?
6. Extend the Experience. Call it a presentation, an unveiling, a reveal, unboxing, whatever you want. But hundreds of people have even filmed themselves opening their new Apple gadget box and thrown it up on YouTube. The opening of the box is that big of a deal. An experienced framer told me several times how he would sometimes “present” art to the client. He would wrap it in paper, then take his time and unwrap it in front of the buyer, talk about the art, and build up the whole thing to make the art and person feel special, with great results. He didn’t do this all the time, but he did work me a couple of times, and it was the anticipation and the expectation that I felt that makes me remember the experience fondly.
7. Build your Tribe/Find your people. Apple has their very large and engaged tribe and it continues to grow. Oil Painters can have a tribe too. Your tribe are those people who accept you for who you are and want the best for you. They support you and encourage you to pursue your dreams. Your tribe can be friends, family, artists, collectors and whoever else might drive you to make full use of your talents and abilities. Listen to your inner voice and trust your instincts, and find your people. Oil Painters of America might be one place to start…
8. Become the Name. Most people don’t ask for an Apple for their birthday. They ask for an ipod, ipad, or an iphone. But when you say those names, everyone knows who makes them. Maybe if we keep painting and build our tribe, one day someone will want more than a painting, they will want a you hanging in their collection.I don’t necessarily want a painting of Italy hanging in my living room, iwant a Hulings.

Thank You Oil Painters

Thank you oil painters for inspiring me and teaching me through your work and your words. It is my honor to have this post on OPA. This was not meant to be an advertisement for Apple, they don’t need any help from me. In fact, my phone is a droid. But if there is even one thing to learn from the attitudes and ideas of a company that has had such an impact on our world, why not?

Staying Organized As An Artist

Ms. B.R. Gates · Apr 16, 2012 · 6 Comments

Artists have individual ways of keeping records. My way might be of interest to other artists. This is my 70th year as a practicing artist. The first twenty years as a commercial artist began in 1944 in the Frankhoma Glass Factory in my home town. I worked as an apprentice to John Frank, the owner, making the designs for glass milk bottles. I also worked for a while designing wallpaper and even designing tomb stones in double line for sandblasting at “Rock of Ages Monuments”. While I was designing the tombstones, my father-in-law bought me a small set of oils and thus began my lifelong passion.
My first gallery affiliation was in Taos, New Mexico in 1957 and as I began adding galleries I started an inventory list and began numbering my paintings. I just hit number one thousand. I also keep separate lists for the water color, pen & ink etc… My inventory goes across the page from left to right with if the painting was sold or a gift, the number, name of painting, and finally any information about the subject matter. I also kept my slides in a book, organized by the number of the painting, until digital prints took over. I also put a photograph of the painting on a 5 x 7 index card with the painting information on the back. Those are kept in plastic index card boxes. When a painting goes out to a gallery, is entered in a competition, accepted in a competition, is sold or is taken out of inventory for any reason, I write what is happening with it on the back of the card and it is placed in the appropriate box.
I have also organized my photographs by subject matter, so I don’t waste a lot of time hunting for a photo. It also helps me narrow down the subjects I really love, because I don’t have enough time left, at 85, to paint all of the exciting subjects I have photographed. Staying organized is usually difficult for artists as most of us are right brained, so I keep my price list, inventory, client list, Gallery list, current prospectus for shows, consignment sheets, etc.., in a leather bound notebook with handles, similar to brief case. It takes a while to set all of this up, but it does save time when you are not spending hours looking for something and have more time to paint.

Want more information about staying organized? Read Kurt Anderson’s article on “Practical Accounting and Administration for Artists”

When the Money Doesn’t Follow

M Kathryn Massey OPA · Mar 26, 2012 · 11 Comments

Back in the 90’s there was a popular idea, “do what you love – the money will follow.” That seemed plausible, and for many of us in the world of art, this has become a reality. Many painters are sitting on lucrative art careers either through well placed portrait commissions, print reproductions or popular workshops with an accredited institution. However, in the world of Occupy Art, 1% vs. 99%, I, like many of you, fall into the latter: the 99%.
As my brief bio states, I began to paint at age 41 with no prior instruction or education in painting. I knew I wanted to paint, and around my 41st birthday, I began. The rest as they say, is (almost) history.
Most of us were not full time students when we began our careers. Nor were we married to, or partnered with an established painter whose career was already doing well, and in turn, might ‘introduce’ us to the best galleries, invitational shows and teaching institutions, thereby eliminating much of what the majority of painters go through early in their careers. Many of us didn’t come with a Trust nor were we independently wealthy. In other words, we created the space we needed to paint because it wasn’t put before us. We found ways to work at learning to paint with unique and different challenges. None of these ways should ever be discounted or diminished.
My own instruction consisted of a 5-day workshop about once per year, and in the remaining 51 weeks, I painted when and where I could around a marriage and children ages 3 and 5. I also worked out of the home part time to help sustain our family. In 1999, I began to paint full time and saw great progress in my work.
This is probably how most of the women in the OPA memberships worked at their art career and certainly, some men. Many men who have taken my workshops did so upon retirement because they now had the energy and time to paint. It takes courage and tenacity to do so.
In 2006, my family broke apart as I divorced my husband. I could have remained married to a man who was leading a life outside our relationship, but I didn’t close my eyes to that fact to be safe and insulated. My career had to be put on hold to stabilize my sons and my own sense of well-being.
Starbucks?!
I was determined to keep painting, but lost my health insurance in the divorce. I learned if I worked 20 hours per week at Starbucks, I could provide full health benefits for my sons and myself. I was the oldest person working there for some time. I was 53 when I began. In total, I worked there, part time for over 4 years.
While my work during 2006-2010 wasn’t my best, I kept painting and learning to paint. I began to work on a book that is now ready for print; I continually developed my workshops, and was affirmed I am a good teacher; I practiced painting as much as I could within the parameters of my new family situation. I was completely on my own, but it didn’t stop me.
At the end of 2008, the financial world collapsed. All of us have been impacted by this fact. Like you, my sales have fallen off. Traditional art galleries 30+ years in the business are at an all time low in sales and clients. Some galleries closed their doors from the strain. More web based galleries and art exhibitions are popping up.
In addition, many painters who would normally travel to a workshop and spend money on tuition, lodging, food, and transportation are just not as eager now, or able to do so. Many on-line workshops are available to purchase so painters can stay home and hang on to the money they legitimately need in these tough times. I don’t hold this against them. We all need to adjust.
What now?
This article is to generate ideas and input for all of us. I already mentioned one way I found health insurance. Here’s how I’m paying for my tax prep this year.
I have artwork in a posh Victorian inn in northern California. I gave the owner a painting that I created with her signature logo wine showcased in a still life arrangement. She loved the painting, I gave it to her, and in return, she gave me two nights free to stay at said posh inn worth the value of the painting.
Bartering. It’s an old concept and has its place. The logo wine painting is and was the most appealing of all my paintings to the owner. She didn’t have money to pay for the picture outright, but she did have something else: gift certificates for any room in her upscale inn. I parlayed that into a trade for my tax prep. I gave one of the two certificates to the CPA preparing my taxes.
I have other examples that are seeing me through this crunch time. Part-time work, volunteer work, etc. Both have me in the community and being with people. These create opportunities, or, that’s how I choose to see them.
I know there are other creative ways you have put in place to work through this difficult economy. Please, let’s hear what you are doing that might help our OPA members transition through these lean times to keep painting.

Business

Adapting to the digital world

The need for a website

Important Considerations – Part 1: Goals & Organization

Interesting Stats:

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