Art eXposed

The solitary artist isolated by his eccentricity and social ineptitude is a myth. Artists have always gathered in groups, and you will gain immeasurably from constant contact with as many other people in the art world as possible.

Making friends with artists

Networking is more than fawning at the feet of dealers and gallery owners, local artists should be first on your list of people to know. From them you will gain invaluable advice, support, inspiration and hopefully lifelong friends.

The best place to start is not by trawling the internet for artist’s discussion groups. Certainly the internet has its place, but it can in no way substitute for real human contact. The more you interact with successful artists in your area, the more you will learn about your local arts scene and the people within it.

Industry people

Every aspiring artist dreams of a chance meeting with an industry bigwig, and you shouldn’t be afraid of approaching them if the opportunity arises. However, there are some important rules of conduct that you should keep in mind:

Never push yourself onto them, however tempting

This is not because these people are unapproachable, but because for the most part if they are interested in you they will find you. If you are able to be introduced to them, do not immediately start talking about yourself and your art.

Be natural

Nervousness of any sort is a sign of the amateur. You should be as natural as possible, even if it’s your own show or gallery opening that they are attending.

Do not lie

A seemingly simple rule, but so many artists make the mistake of trying to enhance their appearance when under pressure. Be assured, you will be found out. It is always better to be honest about your achievements and about what you know. Never get out of your depth by talking about something you have no knowledge of. You will gain far more respect if you simply say you don’t know but you are interested to learn more.

Do not put down their views

Of course you can disagree with them, but don’t do it aggressively. If they like an artist you don’t, ask what they like about them and show a genuine curiosity. The best way to give the appearance of being interested is by actually being interested. Find out why they like certain types of art and always be open to their opinions.

Don’t get drunk or misbehave

We have already stressed many times the importance of appearing professional in order to further your career. Your reputation is everything, so don’t jeopardise it by acting foolishly.

Places to network

The best places to begin networking are local arts events, and ArteXposed members get several services that help you to do this. You should also check out local newspaper listings and ask in libraries and local government offices for upcoming arts events. You should aim to be a regular face at every event you can make it to. Many events have competitions which are also an excellent way of meeting new artists and getting yourself known.

Begin local, then spread wider. Once you have established yourself on the local arts scene, reach out to more distant towns and cities. Visit as many galleries as possible and talk casually with the people there about art. If you have the courage, you can even try creating your own arts event with a few fellow artists you’ve met, and ArteXposed will often sponsor such events if you are a member. If your reputation spreads to the right people, you may even find yourself being invited to join a member’s only arts club, which is another excellent opportunity for meeting new people.

Finally

There are no great secrets to networking. Simply try to meet as many people interested in art as possible, whether they are in the industry or not. Don’t forget there’s always the chance of making a sale or two from anyone, and you never know where it might lead.

This month we take a look at a subject that many artists find the most difficult:  Marketing Yourself. What we’re talking about here is not selling your work; it’s learning to sell yourself. As an artist you are not an anonymous manufacturer; you have put a little of yourself into everything you produce, and it is this that people buy.

Why should you market yourself?

For the most part artists do not have agents unless they are highly successful or they work mostly on commission, so promotion is down to you. But don’t worry about compromising your integrity; marketing yourself is not about tricks and stunts, it is about defining yourself and forming a brand that people can latch onto. It is choosing to label yourself, rather than letting others choose their own less desirable labels. The first and most important task in this process is creating an artistic statement.

The artistic statement

If you still believe that all art should speak for itself then you are probably not doing too well as a professional artist. A terse statement about yourself and your art is an essential marketing tool. It is a slogan for your product. It will be the first thing people read about you on your website or portfolio. It will roll off your tongue when asked about your art and it will be regurgitated in newspaper articles and the mouths of those discussing you.

It should be evident then just how important it is that you get it right. To start with, you should spend time thinking over and writing as much as possible about the following questions: What it is that you do? Why do you do it? What unifies your work? What are you trying to convey? Where do you fit in the art world? What are your core beliefs about art in general?

Write as much as you like, but try to keep it written in plain English. Imagine explaining your art to someone you respect, but who knows nothing about art. Once you have all your thoughts written out, you must then distil them down to a few short sentences. Do not merely cut things out, but think of what principles underlie all the different facets. You should aim for a short, memorable and profound statement that will explain the essence of what you do. If you need inspiration, look at the artist profiles on the ArteXposed website for good examples.

Putting it into action

So, you’ve written your artistic statement and come up with a great individual brand. How do you put it into action? What are the secret marketing tricks to spread your reputation? Sorry, but there are none. Self-promotion gimmicks are tawdry and counterproductive. You shouldn’t be waving banners and blowing trumpets to announce yourself to the world. We will be discussing how to get interest in your art later on, but in terms of promoting your name there are only three things to rely on: word of mouth, the newspapers and time.

Word of mouth

We will be discussing networking in depth next month, but for now you should know that it is through simple conversation that most opportunities will arise. Being able to talk about your art with confidence, fluidity, passion and sincerity to anyone who takes an interest is essential. All the work you put into writing your artistic statement will help you to verbalize your ideas. As for confidence, you must practice talking about yourself without either shame or arrogance.

Newspapers

A photo of you and your art in a newspaper is an excellent promotional tool, so always keep an eye out for opportunities. Think of what might interest the general public about your work. Perhaps you have created something with a local interest, or maybe your work involves novel techniques to create it. If you are holding an exhibition, submit details and a brief profile of yourself to local newspapers. The templates in the Art eXposed PR toolkit enable you do this in the correct form that journalists expect.

Give it time

Your reputation will spread if you put the work in, but it will take time. Understand that gaining notoriety locally must be done before you try to spread yourself further. Be patient, but always be on the lookout for new opportunities to spread your name.

The blank canvas is the bane of artists since the number of options seems limitless, but worse is to come on completing the work. After putting the final touches to your work, you are presented with the equally open ended problem of what price to give it. For the inexperienced artist it can seem impossible to fix a price, so they ending up making wild guesses (almost always too high) and then wonder why their art is not selling.

The first thing to understand is that the price of art is simply the highest amount that someone is willing to pay for it. However, the second thing to understand is that only people who see it can pay for it. The price is circumscribed by the wallets of those who view it, hence the importance of having your work seen by as many people as possible.

Why price at all?

Many artists refuse to put fixed prices on their art, but they lose sales because of it. If you keep an open studio where people can enter and browse your work it is imperative that every piece hanging on the walls has a price tag on it.

People hate to talk about money, especially where art is concerned, so many buyers will choose to walk out rather than face the indignity of asking how much a piece costs. If they do have the courage to ask and the price is not written somewhere, they will assume you are making it up based on how rich they look.

Creating a baseline

So where do you begin in setting a price? The first step is to work out what your minimum monthly income is. Be realistic about this and always estimate high. Keep this figure in mind at all times as it will act as a deterrent for unrealistically low prices.

A preliminary price

Next, add up the cost of producing the art work you’re trying to price, including all expenses. Then add up the total amount of time spent on the work and multiply it by a sensible hourly rate – 20dollars an hour should be a minimum. Simply adding these two figures together will give you a fairly sensible estimate for a price. Dividing your minimum monthly income by the price of this work will tell you how many pieces you should be aiming to produce a month to keep you going.

Better methods

The best way to price work is to base it upon previous sales, hence the importance of keeping the catalogue of your work we discussed last month. The more you sell, the more you will get a feel for what your work is worth. You should compare your prices with those of other local artists and those on the Art eXposed website, but remember to take into account their experience and reputation.

Another method is to talk to art consultants and galleries. Galleries will not display your work at unrealistic prices, but keep in mind that visiting them without any idea as to the value of your work will mark you out as an amateur.

Maintaining and raising prices

Always maintain consistent prices. Inconsistency shows you are unsure of the value of your work. If you cannot bear to part with a work for a low price then keep it hanging in your studio without a price tag, and if anyone asks about it let them make you an offer. On the whole, larger works should be valued higher than smaller ones. This may seem arbitrary, but it is the law of the market.

You should only consider raising the prices of your work: after you have achieved respectable sales in your current price range for at least six months; if a gallery tells you that your prices are too low; or if you have changed your output significantly to justify such a change.

Final tip

Make sure to keep track of your sales in your catalogue, and always keep some cheaper works on hand for any impulse buyers you happen to meet.

This month we take a look at how to keep a catalog of your art work. If you’re wondering why you need to catalog your work, the simple answer is “because every successful artist does,” but if that’s not enough then here are 5 reasons why it is imperative that you keep a catalog.

1. It allows you to price your art accurately

We’ll deal with the specifics of pricing your art next month, so for now you only need to know that the most accurate price can only be obtained by seeing what similar works have sold for.

2. You can spot trends in sales

Many artists starting out in their careers find they have certain works which are easy money makers, and the easiest way to discover this is by keeping a catalog

3. It can be presented to dealers and gallery owners

Anyone serious about buying or selling your art needs to know that it can be expected to sell at the prices you’re asking for. A categorised history of past sales is by far the best way of proving this.

4. Allows you to select your best work

It is always a difficult task deciding which work you wish to put in a portfolio, gallery or competition. The problem becomes a lot easier when you can browse an organized catalog of your work rather than having to sift through endless canvasses.

5. It acts as a positive reminder of your progress

Looking back over a year of work you will feel far more positive about your future if you can clearly see just how far you’ve come.

What the catalog should contain

Exactly how you create and organize your catalog is up to you, but whatever format you choose, it must contain the following:

Title and date

Both of these are essential. If you do not wish to title your work, create a reference number system instead.

Photograph

This is a lot easier to accomplish if your catalog is digital, but if you choose to have a physical catalog then a Polaroid camera will be invaluable.

Cost of production

Take into account all expenses required to create the work. It is always better to over-estimate.

Time taken to produce work

Keep close track of how long it takes you to produce each work. Be honest about it, include breaks from work. Again, it is better to overestimate.

What the work sold for

You should be able to easily reference this alongside the title and date.

Extras

Has the work been on display anywhere? Is it now hanging on someone’s wall? Did it win a prize? Any extra information about the artwork itself should always be kept.

Digital catalogs

Having your catalog on your computer has many advantages. It is easier to maintain, easier to back up, and allows you to transfer work to your website much more easily. It can be as simple as a set of organized directories and text files or as complex as a database that automatically updates to a website, but whichever way you choose make sure it is easy to update and back up.

Photographing your art

Unless you happen to be friends with a professional photographer, the best way to photograph your work is with a good digital camera. You will find excellent resources on the internet with advice on how to photograph art, but just experimenting with the settings on your digital camera will usually suffice. Make sure that you always photograph in good light without a flash and be sure to take multiple shots from different angles if your work is three dimensional

Creating a selection from your catalog

Catalog/gallery/showcase/portfolio? The lines are blurring more and more thanks to digital cameras and the internet. Whatever you call it, you will at some point wish to have a presentable selection of your best work that you can show to others. Many artists are choosing to use their website as their only portfolio, but if possible it is worth investing in getting a selection of your work printed.

Finally

The most important aspect of a catalogue is keeping it up to date, so keep this in mind when designing the system. It should not be too complex, or else you will avoid updating it. Try to have a mental habit that no work is complete until it is photographed and documented in your catalogue.

A few months ago  we began our investigation into life as a professional artist by debunking some basic stereotypes. This time around we’re going to lay out the basics of how the world of art works and how to deal with people within it.

Don’t expect miracles
The first thing to understand is that whether you are just out of art school or you have been producing art for decades, there are no shortcuts to success. It will take time and experience. There is no foolproof route that we can advise you to take, but one general rule does hold true: work outwards. Despite the internet, success almost always begins locally.

It is imperative that you establish yourself on the local arts scene first, which is precisely why we at Art eXposed have created a range of services that build connections between you and your local arts community. We link you up with local businesses, represent you at local arts shows, sponsor events and even organize entire shows to increase your visibility and boost your reputation in the community.

Dealing with people in the art industry
If you are an Art eXposed subscriber then a lot of the hard work in building a reputation in the local community is already done for you, but there is one thing that we can only provide advice on: dealing with people. The art world is all about people, and the more you talk to, the more success will come your way.

If you make an effort to attend local arts shows and events, you will no doubt meet gallery owners, dealers, buyers, critics and others who can help you in your career, but you must be prudent. These people are bombarded each day with new artists seeking the limelight, so you’ll do well to follow a few simple rules that will help you to gain their favour.

Do not annoy them
To begin with, accept that for the most part these people are far busier than you. If you are not of a genuine interest to them then you are a nuisance. Therefore, always hesitate before approaching anyone in the industry. Do not just walk up to them and introduce yourself as an artist looking to further your career.

Instead, you should talk to them about art. They got into this industry because they love art. Talk to them passionately and sincerely about art. Don’t be afraid to disagree with them, but do so without vitriol. Say that you just never understood a particular artist they admire, or that you don’t have much experience of them. Turn it around by asking what it is they like about them. If you are someone who doesn’t like any modern art, then consider that you might be in the wrong profession.

Understand their position
These people make money from art, and they need to know how you can make them money. This doesn’t mean you should boast about your latest sale, but that you must make it clear that you are not a mere dilettante. More than anything, they must see potential in you.

They make money by taking risks
Understand that if they take a chance on you it is a real risk for them. Even if no money is involved, their reputation is at stake. No-one wants to have a loose cannon on their hands that causes them embarrassment, so you must show that you are capable of having a long term professional relationship with them.

Finally
Remember, it will take time. Do not dream of overnight success because it simply will not happen. Learn about your local arts scene, utilise the Art eXposed services, and talk to other artists about what route they have taken to get where they are. Keep a constant lookout for new opportunities and when you see them, grab them. Finally, have no fear of rejection: you will not find a successful artist who has not experienced rejection.

There is a tremendous amount of value that comes out of online conversations in social networking communities. Today, the concept of PR 2.0 focuses on reaching people who are like-minded individuals who share similar interests through meaningful web discussions. And, as you venture into and explore different web communities, whether it’s MySpace or Facebook, you’ll find opportunity to build trust and strong relationships with people. Just by setting up a profile, you open up and make information available about yourself. By taking this first step, you are welcoming the opportunity to talk to people one-on-one and to listen to them. That’s the best kind of relationship building there is!

As an artist, there’s tremendous potential for you to speak directly to someone online who may be interested in your style of art or perhaps they will contact you to help them answer a question pertaining to a period in art history. Either way, you use dialogue to start the interaction and to build the “friendship.” In these social networking forums, you are also able to participate in groups, perhaps with other artists or with people who prefer a particular type of art. On Facebook, when you search under the word “art” about 500 different groups surface that you can peruse and join if you are interested.

Another great opportunity for you to speak with people who share you passion for art is by setting up your own blog and by blogging regularly. You can easily start your own blog through Word Press (www.wordpress.com) or Blogger (www.blogger.com) or you can choose to blog in a social networking community (whether your blog is posted as a part of your profile or within a group that you participate). Blogging is a great way to start conversations and learn about people and have them learn about you. However, whether you are blogging about your favorite artwork, your technique or your passion, it’s really important to make a solid commitment to blogging and to stick with it (however often that may be). Soon you will have people who follow what you say, and look forward to reading your blog, on a regular basis.

In the past, you may have heard that social networking is just a way to collect ‘friends’ rather than a PR strategy, but savvy people are realizing it’s so much more. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to talk to people who are like minded and who are able to share interesting insight. If you listen and listen hard, you will learn, and then you will be able to reciprocate with information that will guide someone else. That’s how to make real friends and possibly gain new followers who end up someday as your best customers.

By Deirdre Breakenridge, Art eXposed President.
Her new book: PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences

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“Smart World, Breakthrough Creativity and the New Science of Ideas” is a book written by Richard Ogle. In this book Mr. Ogle talks about the mind and how it can be used to foster creativity. Below, I define the nine laws of breakthrough creativity as it relates to artists.

The Nine Laws of Breakthrough Creativity:

1) “The Law of Tipping Points” – The tipping point is the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible development. This happened in every artistic movement to date. Your art may not have hit the tipping point, but when it does; you will be in the forefront.

2)“The Law of the Fit Get Rich” - Think of Darwinism: The theory of evolution that states that all plants and animals developed from earlier forms by changing and adapting to their environment for survival. Can your art survive, does it have a quality that attracts people to it?

3) “The Law of the Fit Get Fitter“ – Does you artwork have the traits to engage other artist ? As Picasso brought in so many follows, does your art have this quality? Can you get other artists to see the light of your work?

4) “The Law of Spontaneous Generation“ – Can your style grow and multiply. Look at the Lowbrow or Graffiti scene; it’s infectious, with hundreds of artist thriving.

5) “The Law of Navigation” – Treat your creativity and art as a matter of navigation, rather than invention. Tinker, break away to fuel your creativity.

6) “The Law of Hotspots” - Breakthroughs happen through hotspots and occur at them. Hotspots create energy. If Andy Warhol didn’t move from Philadelphia to NYC, the art hotspot at that time, pop-art would not be what it is today.

7) “The Law of Small-World Networks“- You cannot live in a vacuum; you must be part of a network. All networks are connected by hubs, which connect to other networks. Artists have always collaborated, their networks help them to excel. Get into a network today. Use the power of community the internet provides, join forums, and show other artists your work.

8) “The Law of Integration“ – Innovations that bring fundamental breakthroughs are not the end game, they transform common thinking. J.M.W Turner’s revolutionary paintings show the possibilities of this law. His peers did not like or understand his work. With the industrial revolution starting, Turner grasped the inner workings of things, rather than just their surfaces.

9) “The Law of Minimal Effort” – You will do your best work when you’re “In The ZONE” (In a state of focused attention or energy so that one’s performance is enhanced). You mind takes the route of least effort when solving problems, so as an artist, your “In The Zone” when your creative juices are flowing. Find that state and keep it for as long as you can.