Why Because?

A LinkedIn member and visual Artist, Jessi Campbell, Posted an honest question and quote that, I thought, took fortitude to articulate. Here is her discussion starter.

"What happened within the art world that made it seem as though everything needs to be explained?

I ask because I was attending the local first Thursday events in my city and found it to be a little blah, fake and full of fluff. I'm not saying that having an explanation is bad, not at all, after all a full concept behind a painting is great. I just feel like people expect there to be some crazy, unusual meaning and purpose behind everything that is created. And in some cases I think these explanations for certain art are there because without an explanation it isn't art.

I just think a person should be able to get something out it without needing an explanation.”

Jessie’s post is new discussion thread on Visual Artists and their Advocates, a networking group started by Art Marketing Consultant, Allyson Stanfield. Here is my response.

Jessi, that’s a powerfully honest question. I think these kinds of trends and attitudes are result of the emphasis and value many third party art marketers put on art that makes a provocative statement. I think it has caused artists, in general, to fall into a defensive attitude of “My art counts too and I’m going articulately argue until you believe it does.” I’ve got no statistics to back this up but I’ll make an educated guess that a majority of people, who collect art, do so because they like something.” I’m separating out collectors who are purchasing art for investment purposes and require a broker of art explain to them why it’s important to have a work by a certain artist; similar to diversifying your 401K. Pure, simple motivations often are considered invalid and sometimes ridiculed by “Madison Avenue” right on down to “art event, next door” venues.

I think the condescension of third party art marketers is an art sales strategy. If you don’t love some flavor of the month as an art collector, you are not sophisticated, cultured or educated. Who wouldn’t feel bad about that kind of encounter?

I’ve had many venues that ask for vision statements for each individual work. Some works I create have definite meaning and personal importance behind there conception and execution. Some works I’ve painted, I did so just because the subject or idea was fun and make me feel good. Sometimes its admiration of an aspect of the subject I paint.

When I run into the requirement of vision statements for individual works or bodies of work, I try to think about and then articulate my personal attraction to the subject. I mean I took the time and energy to paint the work so I had to have some reason. I admit having to embellish my purpose when my gut thoughts are, “Geeze, I don’t know. Painting it was just darn fun.”

I know I’m guilty of whipping up some heady titles for my artwork because I read in some art marketing book that exhibition juries will pick pieces with clever names. So I’m never surprised when people who attend my fine art events feel obligated to articulate intellectual meaning behind their appreciation of a painting. After all I’ve socked them with some hokey bloviating title. I almost feel like apologizing to them and saying,”Aaaah! Forget about it. I wanted to really name this piece ‘Man the warm summer sun feels so good. It just makes that water sparkle, like…, well it’s just totally awesome. This day, this nature God created is just pretty.’ I gave it the nerdy title you see on the wall card because I thought it would give me a better chance of getting accepted into this show.”

 If I had your fortitude, Jessie, I’d submit my next vision statement required for a submission reading. “Just because, because!”

Now try not to laugh when you read the title of my new painting.

Help, I'm Drowning in Cyber Pool. I Need Time to Smell the Rose Jam

I’ve studied with and have become a friend of my mentor, portrait artist Carol Stone over these past 20 years. She has a favorite quip. “No one can appreciate or benefit from the passion of your creativity if it stacks up under your bed.” Artists have been given a passion for creative expression. Expression requires another to express to. In a Biblical parable, Jesus said no one who has a light should put it under a bushel.

Most artists struggle with how to bring the very personal light of their creative work out into the light of day so others can share in it. The emotional, physical, spiritual and monetary expense sheet tallies a huge risk. With a struggling economy, venues to bring our creative work to others vanish and the artist is left to redirect some of that creative resource to uncharted, inventive ways of getting our creative work out of our work space and into the lives and experience of others.

Artists often spend a lot of time alone. Social media can hold a common modern danger of resistance to real human interaction. Everyone in society has to take inventory of routines and habits, to assess if any one thing is engulfing how we function. If we don’t we can find some innocently disguised “one thing” diminishing the quality and balance of our life.

We are constantly checking voice mail, text communications, email, blog feedback and social networks on top of all the other basic requirements of work that pays the bills and puts food on the table. Every working person has to make a choice to limit some of all this or be consumed. We have to tell ourselves; yes I will miss some real or perceived opportunity and live a reasonable life because life on this earth is too short.

I made a choice, years ago that I would not let my work become more important than my relationship with God, my spouse & children or my personal health. The result is I’m not a mover and shaker in the fine art or computer graphics communities. But my important relationships are in good shape and my creative work also is not stacking up under my bed.

Art Splash, a succes! Thank you God.

Art Splash went well this weekend. I sold one original, which usually makes or breaks a show for me; as well as quite a few unmated prints and note cards.

Ballet Between Sun Showers, painting in question, oh well.

 However, I once again, had another interesting conversation with a booth attendee during the show. He asked me how I had the nerve to put a price of nearly $1,000 dollars on a painting that was on display. I have gotten similar questions in these 20 years of marketing my work. Usually the question is framed in a less blunt inquiry, pardon the pun. I explained my materials for the piece came to $350 which included a professional grade cotton duck canvas, wholesale custom framing (1/3 the price of retail framing using the same quality molding) and the art fair venue takes 30% of the selling price. For me to receive $300 above those expenses requires me to sell the piece at $950. This was how I calculated price the artwork. This price ignores the ever growing cost of the professional grade oil paints, the show fee to participate and what I pay my aged 20 nothing brute squad to help me set up my booth. If I also included this price, as a responsible business person would, the price would be well over $1,000 which is far more than what the market will bear.

This particular artwork he referred to took me approximately 100 working hours to paint; a very conservative estimate. This rounds down time and also does not include time taken to photograph the subjects and produce my photo references and basic layout. That would bring working hours closer to 120 working hours. The $300 received for my working hours and creative ability is less than what most people would hope to receive as financial compensation for services rendered but an artist has to be cognizant of what the market will bear. I told my both attendee that I did understand why $950 would still produce sticker shock for someone shopping for a luxury item during a brutal economy. His response was $950 is above what anyone can bear in this brutal economy.

I don’t think posting a description of my itemized expenses would go over well with those running the art fair venue or those attending my exhibition booth. I have never seen such an item in any artist’s exhibition. In the past, galleries I have had my work in had a problem with my transfer of ownership – artists receipt document I affix to the back of my artwork that itemizes artist’s percent, consignee’s percent and cost of materials of the total purchase price. I include it because it is hard copy documentation, for tax purposes, of what I actually receive as income within the purchase price of the piece. The gallery curators did not like the broadcasting to the purchaser that they were receiving 30% to 50% of the purchase price. It makes perfect sense because only a truly uninformed purchaser would not understand that a retail establishment needs to cover their overhead and make a profit.

I do understand the dilemma of what an artist considers fair compensation for talent and ability versus what the market will bear. There does come a point when working in a sweat shop in a third world country would provide a better bottom line than what artists are compensated for their creative work. I’m always faced with the harsh reality that if I had continued to work as a closer for a popular fast food restaurant as I had done for 10 years of my 35 year work experience, my family’s financial outlook would be profoundly healthier.

I’m woefully resistant to stop painting. If my sales at least covered my expenses and I broke even, I could justify to myself that I’m, at least paying for sincerely loved hobby. I’m, however, confronted with the reality that at age 53, as my husband and I quickly approach our retirement years, my passion for painting puts us at risk of not having enough money to live independently. My husband has been supportive of my painting ability. I fear we are now at the point where painting, even at an amature level is financially irresponsible. The best way to celebrate his support in the past is to cease the activity professionally and once again get a real job. I'm not sure I would be able to work part time and still produce enough original work to continue selling at art fair venues.

I have been doing some research about other ways to market artwork. Feedback from other artists who have tried venues such as Etsy and other internet selling sites did not produce sales. One option may be to join the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce and participate in their monthly networking opportunities. Almost all of my portrait commissions I've received in the past two years came from recommendations from Tualatin Chamber Coordinator, Linda Moholt. Because of my volunteer work with Tualatin Studio Tour, which the chamber helped sponsor, Linda has continued to pass on my contact information even though I'm not officially a member. I know if God wants me to continue create art, He will show me how to responsibly continue in the future. I have 2 more art shows that I've committed to this year and 2 portrait commissions to complete. In 2012, my plan is to cut back my art show schedule even further than I have this year. I also continue scan the Craigslist, jobs section looking for part time work in computer graphics. Despite the extremely difficult of the past three years, God has provided the blessing of enough sales to bring me close to breaking even. I think that is remarkable given the reality that most of us are struggling to keep above water. I certainly do miss that fruitful bottom line of my years at Burger King and providing child care. There is no dismissing the blessings of good and honest hard work.

Can't Keep the Artist down on the farm unless she's Plein Air Painting Impasto

I owe such a debt of enjoyment to much to my artist friends and teachers Carol Stone and Millie Van Sickle.

Millie introduced me to painting with a pallet knife. It has helped me to approach creating art with a contemporary feel because it prevented me from relying on the tendency to tighten the work into a traditional rendering. Whenever I have a sable brush in my hand my years of classical painting just seem to take over. I blend shape and model like you would expect a traditional portrait artist to do. It’s an enjoyable challenge to use the design, composition and spatial training in my contemporary paintings to make a pleasing image.

God has been gracious to help me come up with work, more excepted in the way people in the Portland area decorate their living spaces in a contemporary style.

I do love the gift of classical portraiture that Carol taught me over these 20 years.  I have been so blessed with the opportunity to paint some portrait commissions, last year and this year. I’ve been able to take the hand of my old friend, portrait painting and have some good times.  I do find the expressiveness and techniques of contemporary painting spilling over into my portrait work. When you experience the spontaneity of pallet knife, it’s a little difficult to keep the artist within the limitations of a classical purist approach. As my good friend Susan Wells often say’s, “It’s kind of like herding cats.”

Advice on how to sell art from a fellow artist is often free but is it good.

Debbie Bunce 2011

Art marketing authors and coaches, rightly, advise artists because of honest feedback by established art sell venues to develop a creative voice. I’ve also heard this reiterated by curators reviewing my work. “A body of work should have a consistent flow in subject matter and style.”

 I was trained in classical portraiture.  I branched out to landscapes and still life as I entered art fair venues. I didn’t get any accepted submissions to galleries or even alternative venues in my back yard market until I started producing more contemporary pieces for submissions. The feedback for my traditional work was, “Nice paintings, not a fit for our clientele.” It was frustrating because I was selling work at art fairs and all the art marketing books said. “Selling experience and a collector’s base is the only way an emerging artist can hope to be considered by more established venues such as galleries.”

Art marketers also, rightly, instruct artists to research their target market and to be sure they know the creative emphasis of a venue before bothering to submit submissions. My problem was I was a classically trained artist who was placed in a contemporary town because of job relocation. There are very few gallery venues in Portland, Oregon that market traditional, representational work. So I concentrated my submissions on the few galleries that offered both contemporary and representational art.

I made the mistake of including my traditional pieces in my portfolio for the 1st few interviews because I thought showing myself to be prolific was most important. I was told my portfolio, and website, though carefully divided in subject matter and style looked schizophrenic because of the varied styles. One curator who’s gallery offered an eclectic variation of styles explained,” While the gallery may offer more than one style, a solo exhibition needs to have coherent flow. The collector wants to purchase in confidence that the artist is a master of their style. Contrasting styles is what one expects to see in a college portfolio as a student is learning and experimenting.” My interpretation of what he was saying is the gallery is hoping to convince their patron that despite the fact that they have never seen or heard of this emerging artist before, the gallery has discovered a master. More than one curator said they don’t want any surprises when receiving work for a solo exhibit.

I had better success in setting up several presentation books of singular style. However, I have not excluded any categories from my website.  There is a strong probability that this will continue to be a problem in the eyes of any curators reviewing my work. The reality is my direct sales have exceeded my gallery sales. 3 of the 4 galleries that exhibited my work have become casualties of the economy and closed their doors. I made the conscious decision to include both contemporary and classical in my portrait presentation book because in the direct sales venues of commissions, the art collector is less concerned about a proliferation of styles. What’s important is a potential client sees something they connect with. Because my website is essential to my direct sales I’m resistant to removing either style.

Even in the direct sale venue of art fairs, I get questions from booth attendees as to why I paint in both contemporary and classical styles. I’m honest with my answer.” I couldn’t get gallery exposure with my initial creative direction, so I worked to find a creative expression that fit how people in my home town enjoyed developing and creating their home sanctuaries. I found I love painting in both styles now and if I had to give up one in would severely stifle my creative expression.”

 There are also several art fair venues in Oregon that dictate that the artist exhibit artwork strictly in the style as their accepted submission. For those venues, I’m careful to comply and leave one or the other at home. No sense in ruining your chances to exhibit for the next year. Galleries are closing left and right in Oregon. There are fewer selling venues for artists so you have to create your own opportunities.

One example is local Chamber of Commerce offer networking opportunities where you can offer presentations of your business service. 3 portrait commissions this year have come in from recommendations from my local chamber. Also, many townships, who offer farmers markets, are now offering artists’ markets. Those require small, quick setups with small originals and impulse items like note cards. I’m currently researching one that has just come to my attention.

 Blessings towards your efforts to share and market your creative gifts. Hopefully some of the mistakes I’ve shared will help you do a better job of hitting the target of earning income from your passion. In the ten years I’ve been selling my art, I’ve yet to see my income exceed my expenses. As successful artist and art marketer Jack White attests, “Better to take advice from and artist who is successful at selling their work then one who isn’t.”

Canon Beach Evening Sentinels

Warm Springs Fortress From the Flames

Is photographing your own artwork a fit for your creative needs?

Perhaps some of this information will help you decide if photographing your own artwork fits how you operate as a creative professional.

Photographing your own artwork requires financial and time expenditure for training in digital photography and digital file management as well as financial expenditure in equipment. I personally feel learning to photograph and manage my own artwork digital files has been an asset in functioning as a professional artist. I’ve been doing so for 3 years

 I use a Nikon D90 which is moderately priced digital 12 megapixel camera. I purchased it for $900. I found a good used tripod at $150.

I had already been taking monthly lessons from a professional photographer and graphic artist learning applications of Adobe Creative Suite; Photoshop, Bridge, InDesign and Illustrator. She charges $100 for a 2 hour lesson. That has been a $5,000 expense over 4 years. I did this to learn how to create my own printed and web digital promotional material. When I purchased the D90 she began instructing me about how to photograph and manage my artwork as well as my photography references for my painting.  I first used CS3 as my graphic and digital photo management software. I purchased it at a student discount for $600 when I was taking a 3 credit, art marketing course at our local community college. My Children chipped in to purchase a student version of CS5 for me for Christmas.

I have also been able to utilize YouTube tutorials to learn the functions of my D90 and Adobe CS.

My choice of graphics software dictated my choice of computer and operating system software. I run Windows 7 Pro $150 on a multi drive gaming PC because you often need several applications of Adobe CS open at once. There is your largest financial expenditure. A multi drive gaming laptop with a decent will set you back $1,500 to $2,500. Because my husband and I run 2 businesses out of our home, investing in office equipment is a way of life. We couldn’t operate either business without it.

It’s been wonderful to be able to quickly shoot, download color correct and crop a digital image of my work in one to two hours. Oregon’s many overcast days offer perfect defused lighting for photographing artwork. I can get a well exposed digital image by shooting my work setup on a student easel in outside daylight that is not in direct sun.

The first 6 years I operated my art business, I delivered my work to professional photographer. There was considerable expense and turnaround time. I had to I had to wait until the work was fully dry, make visits back to check proof and was never really satisfied with the color of the images in comparison to the original. My photographer charged $350 per image to shoot and color correct my digital file

The tradeoff has been that my professional photographer could provide me with a large 300 to 400 MB file. The largest file I can get with my D90 is a 40MB file. Initially, I was selling Giclee’ reproductions of my original artwork as large as 24x30 inches which requires large digital files. For the price required to for me recuperate just my expense of the larger reproductions, attendees at art fairs were more interested in purchasing a small, affordable original piece of art if they were going to make an expenditure of that amount.

I’m told a good printing facility can overcome this limitation with computer software that can enlarge a smaller 40MB digital file to produce large Giclee’ reproductions. I have not tried this yet. I use my 40 MB files to print 5x7 note cards as well as 8x10 and 11x14 Giclee’ reproductions on my Epson 2200 which we purchased for $1,000 about 8 years ago. It still produces excellent Giclee reproductions after 8 years of heavy operating.

Interesting insite from LinkIn Arts

An established artist blogging at Linked wrote about her surprise that her gallery thought it necessary to ask her to stay for the entire 3 hours of her artist’s reception. She came away with the feeling that this simple courteous obligation was not the practice of some of her colleagues.

She gave an interesting admission from an established artist for emerging artists, like me about some fortunate individuals who seem to not quite appreciate their available marketing venues. I have been able to jury into only 3 galleries as a regular exhibitor. Two have closed in the past 2 years along with several of our cities largest, influential galleries in PDX. My galleries didn’t have the financial means to represent their artists in any way that excluded the artists themselves from doing a significant amount of the marketing for their solo and group exhibitions. These were not co-op or vanity galleries. These were local business, doing their best to stay in business in very hard economic times. Regular exhibitors did everything from providing food, paying for entertainment, sending out personal invitations to their personal purchaser’s lists. I’ve always made it a personal goal to send a thank you card to each purchaser of my art. Many of us also helped in the painting and maintenance of these galleries. Some artists also kept hours for the gallery owners. The only apparent differences between a co-op vanity gallery was there wasn’t a fee or dues involved in exhibiting, a challenging submissions process that one would expect from a gallery trying to turn a profit and these particular galleries didn’t require exclusivity because of their inability to truly represent their artists until they and the artists began turning a considerable profit.

These galleries were very reputable in my estimation. I never had to wait for payment of a sold work and when they closed they made sure every artist with work on their premises was informed of the decision. Definite closing dates were communicated. I heard of no disgruntled artists not being compensated or doors closing before artists could collect their work. I heard such stories associated with some of the large galleries in PDX that many Oregon artists aspired to being involved with.

Being early and staying for your entire reception was never communicated by my galleries but always expected in the minds of each individual artist as well as the other things I’ve mentioned to try to ensure a successful exhibition.

Much of my art income has come from exhibiting at local art fairs. For the 1st time in several years I made the alternates list of high traffic, well established show I’ve come to depend on. I’ve always treated my art fairs in the same respectful manner as I treated my galleries. I emailed back after I was emailed my notification of being on the alternates list to communicate my appreciation of the show and my commitment to being ready and willing to jump into action if a chosen exhibitor should find they unable to participate. The committee person’s answer was back was discouraging but made perfect sense. In 2010 there was considerable change over in organizers of the event as several committee people retired. The organizing committee was literally over whelmed with the numbers of outstanding, professional artists who entered this year. They chose the very best artists out of all who entered to exhibit at this year’s fair. I realized by what she communicated to me that I was extremely fortunate to even make the alternates list. I’ve made sure to communicate with her again this past week, as this is the scheduled time for artists to pay their booth fee. She emailed back thanking me communicating back; she complimented me for doing so and made me feel that my efforts may be rewarded.

It has been very easy for me to extrapolate that due to the closing of so many established galleries in our state, many of which have been in business for decades, that suddenly the venues of art fairs are being flooded by established artists who are scrambling for venues to market their art.

Living in the state of Oregon where there is such a tremendous number of highly talented professional fine arts and crafts people and few venues by which to we can market out art locally has caused a majority of Oregon artists to fully understand the privilege of participating in fine art venues.  I believe we collectively have a high respect of those who risk time and financial means to make those venues available to us.

My message to my artist colleagues; your returning purchasers are struggling to put food on the table and gas in the car. Your galleries may be risking their financial future to keep their doors open. As professional artist and marketer Jack White often writes in his column for “Professional Artist’s Magazine”, “Treat your galleries and collectors like family.” Hopefully we artists treat our families the way we would like to be treated so that treating our collectors and galleries like family is a good thing.

Stepping out of the Yellow Pages into the 21st Century

Anna Lancaster Fine Art is the new name for my existing fine art business, Abiding Art. I’ve been a professional artist for more than 10 years. Abiding Art came to fruition during age of phone book directories, hanging up a shingle and getting to work. The venues of opportunity have grown and changed as I have found my creative voice. Abiding Art isn’t obsolete. Abiding means long lasting, dependable, to stay and accompany through generations. Anna Lancaster Fine Art is my name, my work, my brand. Abiding Art is my philosophy.

However, wow! So much work to update a business name. Well as an artist my name is my brand. But with 3 portrait commission deadlines hanging over my head, this is busy work at an inopportune time.

My friend Susan Bein, Photographer & Graphic Designer took some photo’s for me for the home page of my website rebuild. Here are some of the proofs. I liked so many of what she took. It’s hard to choose. Check out her website

Susan Bein - wizmosis.com

My friend Susan Bein, Photographer & Graphic Designer took some photo’s for me for the home page of my website rebuild. Here are some of the proofs. I liked so many of what she took. It’s hard to choose. Check out her website.

Working today with Lacey Johnston of Red Lace Design on my Website update. A lot of new, exciting ideas on how to bring my website into the 21st century. Cool!

Matthews Gallery Opening

Artist’s Reception for the CompeteArt 2011 at Matthews Gallery in Lake Oswego on Saturday January 22nd was a smashing success. There was a huge turnout of over 400 art enthusiasts. An impressive amount of quality work from 75 Oregon area artists is on exhibition until February 19th.

Coming Soon

Anna Lancaster Fine Art Blog will be coming soon.  Please check back or visit our website.