Money

It’s Just Paint and Canvas

Rick Delanty · Jan 14, 2013 · 4 Comments

"Perihelion" by Rick Delanty, 24x24 — “Perihelion” by Rick Delanty, 24×24

What is the true “market value” of a painting? How does a potential collector know that a fair price is being offered? After all, the price can be negotiated… It’s not like a car, a stereo system, or a suit jacket that contains technical components and can be shopped between stores. It’s only paint and canvas, right?
Lines, colors, shapes, usually on a flat rectangular surface: that’s how we most often define “a painting.” As an objet d’art it has perceived value, both inside and out of the marketplace. Often paintings contain little or no moving parts. Precious metals may be employed, but not usually — it’s simply canvas by-the-yard and pigment. The materials of which a painting is made today are not much different than they were thousands of years ago, when early man painted and engraved shapes of animals on cave walls, with crushed plants and vegetable matter for paint, and animal-fat crayons and fingertips for brushes. The technology of paint-making and the variety of painting surfaces have significantly improved since then, but paint is still made of pigments and the surface of a painting is still usually flat. Doesn’t sound that impressive, does it?

“The synthesis of truth and beauty…is the highest and deepest reality.”Ovid

"Point Glow" by Rick Delanty, 16x20 — “Point Glow” by Rick Delanty, 16×20

Let’s consider the work of those early artists, at places like Lascaux and Altamira: they were the agents of man’s first recorded history. Their wall paintings speak to us through the millennia, even though their materials were elemental. Those artworks still communicate human ideas, perceptions, the very milieu in which early men and women lived. Those paintings today give us an insight into a culture, basal psychology, and the soul of early man. Those artworks were — as all artworks have been since those first paintings were created—visions, thoughts, dreams and an exploration of what it means to be human. Those paintings in sedimentary sanctuaries were not — and are not now — simply colored dirt on stone: they are the reality of a time gone by.

“ We keep our eyes on the things we cannot see: for the things which we can see are temporal; the things that are unseen are eternal.”2 Corinthians 4:18

"Sunset Billows" by Rick Delanty, 16x20 — “Sunset Billows” by Rick Delanty, 16×20

It’s the vision encapsulated in those ancient artworks that give them their true value, not the materials with which they are made. Then as now, it is the material that gives the immaterial form and meaning, and which gives any painting its value. How well a contemporary artwork does that for each viewer or potential collector in today’s marketplace, how deeply the painting establishes a personal connection, is what gives the work its significance and worth. Paintings enable us to see more than the obvious, to break free of our prejudices, to elevate our thoughts. The author Charlotte Bronte expressed this ability of the artist to help us “see” on a higher plane: “I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”
The artist is the catalyst in this process of Imagineering and revelation. It is through the artist’s eye that new possibilities can be discovered, and comprehended. In fact, former President John F. Kennedy underlined that creative significance: “I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” The painter does what the director does for a film, or the composer for a symphony. He or she draws unrelated concepts together, instills pattern, variety and unity, and discloses the essence of an idea. If we look through the painter’s lens, we are treated to a new perspective on reality. The visionary artist is a conductor on the journey to an exotic destination. We begin to understand that here is something higher in that artwork, than just paint and canvas.

“An artist is not paid for his labor, but for his vision.”James Abbot McNeill Whistler

For a painting, it is the experience of the artist expressed therein that is of utmost value. The material nature of the work is quite secondary. A painting that conveys the power of emotion to the viewer is more than “just paint and canvas.” It is the description of a heartfelt concept that has been forged into tangible excellence through a creative process of envisioning and technical facility. It even has the power to change lives. “(Art) has the capacity to penetrate even the most callous skin and to ignite a revolution from within,” as musician Benjamin Moore so eloquently reminds us. Pursuing art with our whole hearts and minds is probably the most civilizing undertaking we can do as artists. “What a privilege it is to be able to take brush in hand and put paint on paper in this troubled world,” is our encouragement from artist Veronica Stensby.
A painting’s value is not in its material nature, as “just paint and canvas.” Rather, it is the vision an artist expresses with those materials that is of value: that slice of heaven, the best of the Best, that idea of the Ideal, that is the central core of both the material and spiritual worth of an artwork.

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.

The Price of Success

Kathy Anderson · Apr 9, 2012 · 8 Comments

"Red Roses And Wedgewood" by Kathy Anderson OPA — "Red Roses And Wedgewood"
by Kathy Anderson OPA

We all define success differently but I think there is one common element that tells us that we have achieved something, and at the same time can easily becomes a burden that starts to interfere with our art. To define it in one word, it is “recognition”. How do we get there, how do we stay there, and how do we manage the demands that it brings?
First, there’s no getting around the fact that hard work, the strong desire to learn and grow, and the discipline to stick with it, is where it starts. We study and struggle to constantly improve our work because lasting success will only come through producing the very best work that we can and never accepting our last work as our best.
But that is rarely quite enough. When the work is good enough to demand attention, we still have to find ways to have it seen by galleries, collectors, show organizers and all of those who will provide the “recognition” that we seek.
To be sure, there are “overnight successes” but for most of us it requires that we strive for visibility among the clutter. It means that we enter major shows and competitions, attend openings and shows to meet our peers, collectors, and gallery owners, advertise as much as we can afford, seek out higher quality representation, and hopefully we slowly become a presence (at some level) in the art world.
If it all works, at some point in our professional progression there is a subtle change. We gradually stop ASKING to be accepted and start BEING ASKED to participate. Whether it is in the form of invitations to be represented by galleries, or invitations to be a guest artist somewhere, or requests for donations to benefit shows and auctions, gradually the emphasis shifts. In short, it is the recognition that we all seek but it places demands on us that we may be hard pressed to meet.
Let’s take a look at some of these steps and talk a little about what each of them requires but first remember the fundamentals that brought you to your current level and will propel you to the next:
Present only your best work.
We know when a painting is less than we are capable of. If you look at your painting and say “it’s good enough”, chances are that it’s not. Don’t let it out of your studio until you are really satisfied with it. This becomes especially difficult when you are faced with a deadline or when the painting is going into a lesser venue of some sort. Having more demand than supply is a nice place for an artist to be but it can become a trap. If you don’t have time to present your best effort, you are over-committed. You are better off forgoing an opportunity than wasting it with work that might damage your reputation.
Always be professional.
Galleries and show organizers are constantly frustrated by artists who fail to make deadlines or who in a hundred little ways make their job more difficult. Doing your part extends beyond providing the artwork. Fill out entry or consignment forms completely and on time. Provide publicity images or information when asked. Drop off or ship paintings on time. Provide quality framing that will allow them to present your work in the best light.
All of this takes time away from the easel but if you are easy to do business with, you will be remembered and invited back.
Spend your time wisely.
Seek out the major shows and competitions and enter whenever you can. The magazines cover many of the major events and help spread the reputation of the winners at no cost to you. Just being juried into many of these shows provides you with great resume material and the galleries and many collectors do read your resume. While the big national and regional shows are generally quite eclectic, many shows and competitions tend to have a bias to certain styles and subjects. The internet makes it easy to see past winners and help you decide where to best spend your efforts and entry fees.

Then what?

OK, your work is outstanding and you are easy to work with, you have achieved some level of recognition from your peers, from collectors, and from galleries. Now you can relax and paint! This is when you gradually find that as your reputation spreads as a result of all of your hard work, everyone wants you to work harder.
Your galleries want more work and always want you in all of their open and invitational shows, you receive solicitations from other galleries either to represent you or to invite you to participate in shows, you are solicited for a wide variety of benefit shows or auctions and you are asked to demo and teach. You know that, as in all the arts, the public is fickle and if you are going to remain successful you need to remain visible but you can’t possibly meet all of the demands for your work. What do you do?
First, you have to start to prioritize. While the attention is flattering, you need to decide what opportunities are good for your career and not just good for the one soliciting you. Watch for the shows and competitions that will provide you with the maximum exposure and devote your efforts to them. When you produce a painting that you think is outstanding or in which you have achieved something new, put it aside and wait for the right place to enter or exhibit it. Learn to get the most return for your efforts.
You may need to refuse a lot of “opportunities” but for me, I really try to answer any emails or phone calls I receive. This goes along with what I said earlier about professionalism. It only takes a minute to provide a polite refusal to an email request but it sets you apart from all of those who simply delete the email. At any given level, the art world is a much smaller community than you imagine and building a reputation as polite and professional even when turning something down is worth the effort.
Yet another growing demand is less on your time than on your finances. Even as your reputation expands, you need to regularly remind the art world that you are still there. In the very upper reaches of the market where there are always collectors waiting to snatch up your next painting this may not apply but for most of us struggling to reach that level, advertising is important. The results of advertising are often subtle and hard to gauge but my experience tells me that there are real benefits. I have had galleries tell me that collectors have bought one of my paintings over the phone based only on seeing it in an ad. More recently, my phone number was published in a magazine feature with photos of several of my paintings and I received multiple, direct inquiries about my work and invitations to participate in several shows. Advertising is not cheap but do whatever you can. Often there are special advertising sections associated with the major national and regional shows which offer discounted rates. Ask your galleries to share costs with you. They are going to spend on advertising anyway, why not with you?
Don’t neglect your growth. With growing demands on your production and time, it’s tempting to hide in your studio. If your work is going to keep improving you need to be exposed to the thoughts, ideas, techniques, and critiques of your fellow artists. Seek out opportunities to study with or just paint and spend time with artists you admire. There is always more to learn. You should be supporting your galleries anyway by attending openings and meeting their clients and it is a great way to meet your fellow artists and to develop both personal and professional relationships.
One more thing about being asked to donate work for various charities. We as artists are so fortunate to be able to create something of value that can actually raise money for something worthwhile. It’s so great to be able to give back in this way, but once again we really have to be realistic about what we can do .I think the worst thing is to give “any old painting” that you might think is “not what I do anymore, not so good, etc”, because once again, —it’s out there with your name and reflects on you. So better to gracefully decline if you can’t give something really beautiful.
In summary, the key is to learn to invest your time wisely. With hard work and a little luck, the demands on you will grow proportionately with your success and you need to identify the things that will further your career. Be aware that many “opportunities” are really opportunities for others to benefit by selling your work or by having you associated with their particular endeavor. Some will be good for you and some will be causes you want to support but remember that what we all really have to sell is our time and keep it’s value in mind as you make those decisions.

When the Money Doesn’t Follow

M Kathryn Massey OPA · Mar 26, 2012 · 10 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.

Money

Then what?

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