Abstract Art

Last Abstract Painting on Paper

Here is the last of my abstract paintings on paper.  I left a lot of white space in this one, attempting to move the eye around with color while leaving an overall openness:

   Refracted Dreams, 24" x 18"

Next to Last Abstract Painting on Paper

It has been fun painting on paper.  I feel freer than I do when working on canvas.  But nevertheless, it's time for me to get back to it after I finish these last two on paper.  Here's a very loose one I just finished:

   Halo Effect, 24" x 18"

Blue Theme Continues in Abstract Paintings on Paper

My new canvases have arrived, but I am finishing work on a few abstract paintings on paper first.  This one might be a bit too pacific, but there was something about its solidity that attracted me:

   Buttressing Hope, 24" x 18"

More contemporary art on paper, part 2

I went to my bipolar support group meeting last night, and it was a relief to be with people who don't turn away or get embarrassed when you say you're depressed.  I highly recommend support groups for whatever ails you.  I've been going to one for caregivers of spouses with dementia also.  That one is a little more depressing, but we all share advice and try to buck each other up.

Here's the next panting in my contemporary art on paper series:

   Sierra Climb, 24" x 18" acrylic on paper

More contemporary art on paper

I realized over the weekend that I've been depressed for weeks but hiding it from myself and everyone around me.  No one wants to hear about it, except perhaps my therapist, but I didn't even mention it to her.  In fact, when I told my sister about it this morning she said, "Couldn't you continue hiding it for awhile?"  She was kidding, but really, it's just a downer for everyone, especially when nothing can be done about it.

I finally ordered new stretched canvases to paint on, but meanwhile, I'm still using the watercolor blocks I had in the studio.  Here's today's contemporary art on paper:

   Ice Rink Encounter, 24" x 18" on paper

Artists of the Greater Ithaca Art Trail

New brochures have just been printed for the Greater Ithaca Art Trail.  The brochure includes 53 artists and a map to all their studios.  You may request a brochure or visit http://www.arttrail.com/.   I was honored to find that this year, they used one of my paintings for the brochure's cover art:  Culmination.

The contemporary art on the trail this year includes painting, photography, sculpture, woodcarving, prints, fiber art, furniture, art glass, jewelry, and ceramics.  You'll find everything from the whimsical ceramic creatures of Mary Ann Bowman who has discovered that "life is supposed to be fun" to the folk art of Mary Michael Shelly, who creates her "picture stories" on carved, painted pine boards.

What Should A Contemporary Artist's Website Look Like?

Recently a contemporary artist friend who is new to promoting her art on the internet said she was hearing conflicting advice about what makes a good artist's website.  "Some people are telling me I should keep it very spare," she said, "with little text and mostly images of my art. And that galleries do not like to see prices on an artist's website."

It is true, I told her, that galleries do not like it when artists publish their prices on the internet.  So if your main purpose in having a website is to attract galleries, then leave the prices off.  Galleries in New York and Los Angeles pay higher rents than galleries in small-town, USA, and therefore need to charge higher prices for the art they sell.  They may also take a larger percentage of the retail price for this same reason.

Once you publish a price on the internet, it would be hard for a gallery to charge more for the same painting, or even a different painting of the same size by the same artist.  The internet is a great leveler, and more collectors are Googling art and artists, rather than relying completely on a gallery director or designer to tell them what to buy and at what price.  

If your main objective is to sell your art through galleries, then your website should provide a showcase for the art along with your credentials, exhibition history, statement, and reviews.  Think of it as an online portfolio.  You'll want to use your internet presence to help your present galleries sell your art, and to help you find new gallery representation.

Contemporary Artists on Facebook

Contemporary artists have many more options to promote their art than artists did even 20 years ago.  We no longer have to photograph our work and send slides with a typed resume and artist's statement to galleries and juried shows, hoping for acceptance. At the least, we can take digital photos of our art and send a cd or dvd to gallery directors.  Better yet, we can refer them to our websites or email digital images. 

Having a website is pretty much a requirement for any serious professional artist now.  Whether you are trying to attract gallery representation or direct sales to collectors, a well-designed, regularly updated website is a necessity.  In addition, a blog like this one, that you post to on a regular basis, will help build a following and keep traffic flowing to the website.

But what about social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Linked-In,  etc.?  Some artist friends and I have been meeting on Facebook and discussing its "fan page" where people can sign up to view your photos, videos, event news, and so forth.  But isn't it arrogant for an artist to set up a page to attract "fans"?

I felt slightly icky when I set up mine.  What if no one joined?  But what we artists are essentially doing is acting as our own publicists.  We are blowing our own horns instead of paying someone else to do it.  And the people who join my fan page are not fans of Lynne Taetzsch, but fans of my art.

The vulnerabilities of contemporary artists: scams and bad deals, part 2

Those of us creating contemporary art art in this computerized age need to be skeptics.  When you get an email from someone in Nigeria (this one is obvious by now), or perhaps London or anywhere else in the world, stating that the sender wishes to purchase your art, it is natural to think you have a real buyer out there.  But often, you don't.

Here are clues that should help tip you off about an email scam:

• The grammar and/or spelling are awful.
• The sender wants to pay you a larger amount than the art costs, and have you send a refund.
• It is obvious the sender doesn't know anything about your art, doesn't name a particular piece he is interested in, etc.
• The sender says she has her own shipper or agent.

If you are ever tempted to follow through on any of these, and actually receive payment of some kind, don't assume that  your bank's acceptance of the payment means it is good.  Find out what period of time it actually takes to completely clear the system, or you may end up shipping the art and owing the bank the full amount. 

After you've received a number of these scam emails, you'll become better at recognizing them.  After all, you don't want to inadvertently turn away a real art buyer! 

The vulnerabilities of contemporary artists: scams and bad deals

If you are attempting to make a living selling your contemporary art, you are vulnerable to all kinds of scams and bad deals.  The artist who can least afford it may be the most likely to seize one of these "opportunities" out of hope and desperation.

Paying for representation by a brick-and-mortar gallery, an online gallery, or other art rep:  If a gallery or other rep is able to sell your work, then they will make a living off the commissions from sales.  If, instead, they charge artists for exhibiting, that's the way they are making money, not by selling art. 

No matter how much you are tempted to pay for representation, do not pay a penny until you have : (a) googled the organization to find out what other artists' experience may have been; and (b) personally spoken to other artists the organization represents.  If they won't give you the names of their other artists, that's a red flag.  Do not go there. 

In tomorrow's post, I will continue my list of scams and bad deals.