A Man With A Turban Walks Into The Gallery........

Jim Hunter

A man with a turban on walks into the gallery..........what does he say?

No it's not a joke, this actually happened.

'I am the worlds best fortune teller, let me please tell you your fortune' is what he said.

I said 'No Thanks'. He shrugged and left, who knew the Worlds Best Fortune Teller was alive and well and pounding the streets of Swanage being rejected at an alarming rate. And I think that I have a difficult job.

Backseat blog, that's what it has become. The truth is that so many people are still reading the previous posts I have used the breathing space to get some much needed work done. But I know how people worry that it is call coming to an end. Fear not, I'll be back boring you on a regular basis before you know it.

Just a reminder that I am a one woman show. Every single business responsibility stops at my door. It is  keeping me well and truly on my toes. Maybe I should install a foot spa under my desk?

I have no real big informative blog for you today just going to keep you informed of all the latest gallery developments.

Debbie Lee will be giving a talk at the gallery tomorrow at 11.00, it will be followed by a storytelling workshop. Please do come along as it should be a great way to spend a few hours. The best thing is it is FREE!

I have just got off the phone to Jan Dagley who is exhibiting here at the beginning of August. She has decided to have an art sale, an eclectic mix of her back catalogue as part of her exhibition. One wall will be full of works for under £150. I strongly urge you to add this to your list of exhibitions to come and see in August.

I have had a sneaky peek at the new work by Jim Hunter. I have to tell you it is magnificent. I can't believe that it has all been produced in the last 12 months (ish).
The work is light and bright and bold. Come and see it for yourself on Saturday at 6.00.

I am getting a sign on the Sandbanks Ferry. I hope that it will bring many new visitors through the door. I have to say that I am 'over' designing this week. It has been very full on, and it means that there is an awful lot of computer staring. Yawn!

Commercial Artist or Fine Artist? You Decide.

Why doesn't anybody buy my paintings of children being beheaded and chased by Demons of the Underworld in this quaint gallery in a seaside town?

I think that's as good a question as any. Can you be a commercial artist and a fine artist? What exactly is the difference?

One produces work specifically to sell, one produces work they hope will sell to someone, somewhere at some point. Is that the difference?
One works with a specific audience in mind, the other works because they are driven to do it. Is that the difference?

What are the driving forces behind the work? Money? Passion? Necessity? I know that I am deliberately asking and not answering lots of questions. These are questions that I am asked really often.

Can you be true to your artistic self whilst pursuing commercial gain? Do you have to sell out? Should you develop an alter ego whose work you tout that caters for a more commercial market?

The thing is we all have to eat, pay mortgages, rent, bills etc. What is more important to you, being recognised as a mover and a shaker in the art world? Or regurgitating several variations on a theme that conform to an accessible aesthetic and a regular income? That is not undersell the latter because the skill involved in that particular formula is not to be sniffed at.
Can you do both?

These are all questions that I think should be up for discussion. People get disappointed when they don't sell much work at an exhibition (understandably so I hasten to add). I have been there and done that. But let me bring you back to the opening line of this particular blog. Would you want that picture in your lounge if it did in fact exist? I'm not so sure, but is there an audience for that kind of art? Of course there is. But this brings us back to an earlier blog, do your homework and find where you think your potential best audience might be. I would possibly suggest a 'Weirdo Convention' for that particular image.

Artists have asked me in the past what I thought they could paint that would sell. You can imagine that I have absolutely no response to this. I think that I may have mentioned before that I feel that we respond to art subconsciously as well as consciously. I believe people engage with the passion, enthusiasm behind the work. That must count for something.

Does this mean that artists have to make decision? The jury is out as far as I am concerned. Personally, I make art that I feel driven to make and I hope that people like it enough to buy it. Which they have and do. Do I make a living from it? NO! But I do however make a living from art so I feel that I am very lucky to do so.

I am posing all of these question in the hope of starting some discussions about this as I think it could be useful and informative. Feel free to comment.

How Do You Price Your Work?

What is the value of your art work? This is such a contentious area because it is reliant on so many factors.
The first thing I think that needs to happen is as an artist you have to be honest with yourself. I understand that there is an attachment that forms between an artist and his/her work. You wouldn't willingly sell your children (on a good day). But that is how it can feel, something that you have slaved over now must be given a price tag. It is a necessary evil, this is where the honesty comes in. Ask yourself the following:

• You say that a painting (for example) was two years in the making. In real terms how much time did you actually spend?
• Did you produce other works in between?
• Did you spend 8 hours a day for 104 weeks on this piece of art?
• Does the work reflect that amount of input?
• Do you really expect to earn the equivalent of a wage from a painting?

Ok, I know there was something a little facetious about some of those questions but you do need to be honest. Here are some more for you, these all factor in the pricing of work.

1. Where have you exhibited before (especially in London)?
2. Have you sold work before in a professional gallery?
3. Are you a full time artist?
4. Where did you train?

These all factor in how to price your work. It is a rare thing that someone will spend £1000's on the work of an amateur artist. It does happen but not that often.

Serious collectors who spend serious money will want an artists pedigree if they are paying out large sums for the work.

Here's how I price my work, I'll answer the questions 1- 4 to help contextualise it for you. I have exhibited in London, I have sold quite a lot of work in galleries (excluding and including mine if that makes sense). I'm 3/4 time artist and I trained at Loughborough for my degree and Camberwell for my M.A.

I actually start with the frame, I need to make that money back first and foremost. I then think about the time it took to produce the work. I have an idea of how much I would like to be paid per hour, around £25, then I do the maths. I should add here that pieces seldom take me longer than a day, if they do I charge accordingly. If the number is too big at the end I rationalise how much I can actually live with  selling it for. I do factor in my experience as a financial number too, it's hard to explain that but I do.

So that's how I do it. 

Things to remember, keep your pricing consistent. There is a huge temptation by artists to have prices that move all over the place. I know this is often done to counteract gallery commission. But you must factor that in when costing your work in the first place. If someone buys a piece from you at one gallery and it's £300 and then 6 months later they see very similar work of yours else where for £150 they will not be happy. Quite rightly so, it is up to you to price your work correctly.

Lastly, you may enjoy living with your entire back catalogue under your bed, in the loft, in the garage or cluttering up your studio. But does that give you the impetus and money to make new work? I doubt it, price your work to sell, be fair to both yourself and the potential buyer.

How To Select Work For An Exhibition

Firstly, I would like to thank the powers that be for continuing to bless my days off with dreadful weather. What I really need most is to spend even more time inside, as 5 days out of 7 is clearly not enough.

On to the next topic for discussion, selecting work for exhibiting. There are quite a few things to think about and it does depend on where you are lucky enough to get an exhibit.

REMEMBER LESS IS MORE

The most important thing to bear in mind is the fact that unless the exhibition is called a retrospective the work should always be as new as possible. That is not to say that if you know that the area you are showing in, no one has previously seen your work then a small selection of older work can contextualise where you are now creatively. If the gallery owner is curating your exhibition I'm sure that they would find it useful to know dates of when things were produced. What you don't want is them selecting an entire body of work that is 10 years old. 

If you are a regular exhibitor in a town, then the onus is well and truly upon you to ensure that gallery visitors aren't seeing the same thing in a different gallery up and down the High Street. It is better to show less and have new work on offer when you do. Another fact worth remembering, quite often people who visit galleries, will visit most galleries in a town as they are genuinely interested in art.

Another thing to consider is varying the scale and price range of the works you exhibit. Be mindful of the fact that there is a recession and there is a definite comfort zone of spending. That is not to say that you shouldn't ask the right money for your work. Just be aware. I would also recommend having at least one wow factor piece. This could be a large scale piece that you are particularly pleased with, just because people may not buy a very big image that's not to say that you shouldn't show one. 

N.F.S - Not For Sale are a gallery owners least favourite 3 words. I do not like to have work in the gallery that isn't for sale. A word to the wise, think of a price that you could bear to be parted from it for. Then price it accordingly. Or just select another piece in it's place.

If the gallery that you are showing in has windows, these are your first point of sales. Whatever goes in the windows will help to entice people inside so give the images you use here some very careful consideration.

Group shows are such a great way of getting your work seen that it definitely will help your artistic journey on its way. Selecting work for these should really follow the same rules. Keep it as fresh and new as possible. Have business cards available with your website and contact details on. As a gallery owner I am constantly visiting shows and picking up cards. On quiet days I trawl through artists websites looking at their work. If I think their work might fit an exhibition I'm planning I contact them.

An overall comment would be adopt a certain amount of uniformity of framing. If you only have three images in a show it would look better if all three frames are the same style/colour. Unless the frame is an integral part of the work then it's uniqueness might be crucial.

Lastly, do not invite potential buyers to exhibitions of work that they have already seen. This is a rookie mistake, but you will definitely not win any fans by making them travel to exhibitions that for the most part they have previously seen. 

I hope that this helps.

Why Keep A Sketchbook? Continued

I have spent so many hours writing my blog and delivering tutorials etc. But this old chestnut keeps popping up. There is a fear and trepidation about committing things regularly in a sketchbook. Fear of ruining said book. Does it matter if you ruin it? Does it matter if your first page is rubbish? Who is your sketchbook for?

Most artists view their sketchbooks as a highly personal almost sacred object. It is! I show people mine during tutorials and I explain that some of what I write is pure nonsense. But it's my nonsense. Free thinking/writing/drawing is when I come up with some of my best ideas. Try it, it does really work.

I also know that the backs of envelopes and random pieces of paper etc can serve the same purpose. How do you keep track of them? A sketchbook keeps it all in one place and there is something to be said for knowing when you did what.

When I was teaching I had an almost daily battle with students about the use of their sketchbooks. They would say 'But Sharon, I already have an idea that I want to do'. Before anyone thinks well what do you expect from 16 year olds, I would just like to remind you that I have taught on Art Foundation and Degrees.

The conversations followed an all too familiar path;

Have you researched your idea?
Have you developed it in your sketchbook?
What do you think you starting point should be?
What materials do you think you're going to need?

Those questions were usually met with shrugs, 'I dunnos' and 'I can see it in my head'. My evil twin teacher wanted to encourage them to go right ahead. Just make, paint or construct whatever it is. Then I could revel in their imminent failure. Don't panic I never did that. No, I made them go away and develop the idea and work out the best way to do it, in their sketchbooks.
They invariably hated me for making them go away and come up with better, viable ideas until they made the final piece.

So why keep a sketchbook? Because it's good for you. It allows to play around with ideas that you never have to show anyone. You can explore themes and media through drawing etc. Yes, it is true that sometimes your first idea is the best idea....but what harm does it do to work out the practicalities.

Some Sketchbook Do's and and Don'ts.

1. Don't be too precious, you are allowed to make a mess and use your worst handwriting.
2. Do keep at least one sketchbook on the go at all times.
3. Don't confuse a sketchbook with a scrapbook. Sticking in inspirational images when appropriate is fine.
4. Do put the occasional date on drawings it helps when you look back through to know what happened when.
5. Don't have too many on the go at the same time. It is strangely demotivating. If you worry about filling a sketchbook start at the back and front. One side for drawing, the other for ideas.
6. Do experiment widely with mark making and different media, push yourself, abandon your creative safety net. Allow new things to happen.
7. Don't tear pages out. (That was my mantra for 12 years). Why? Because if you force yourself to try and save it something good might happen. If nothing else it will be a reminder of how not to do something.
8. Do use words, they can be as inspirational as images. They can also inspire images. Poetry is often within the creative remit of artists.

It is definitely one of your art muscles that needs a regular work out. There is something very satisfying about filling an entire sketchbook. The key thing to remember is that you do not have to show anybody.

New Exhibition, New Requests.

Debbie Lee

If you knew how busy I have been you will understand the lack of blog. I have had some really good feedback about the blogs I've been writing of late. I may have raised the bar, I just hope that I can keep up the good work.

The new Debbie Lee exhibition is up and is already getting some really nice comments. It could not be more different to Brians' exhibition. It will never cease to amaze me, the breadth of work that I get to curate at the gallery. If you would like to see a few selected pictures from this exhibition then just have a look at the website.

I just want to give people another opportunity to get people to like the gallery Facebook page. I intend to add lots of interactive media to it. Video tutorials, links to art films, links to art websites and also several opportunities to get involved in art projects in the South West. Just follow the link and just click on 'like'. Don't worry it won't replace my blog it will be updated with new info daily.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LArtishe-Gallery/139294739466476

If there any of you out there who are reviewers on Tripadvisor I would really appreciate some new reviews. I am currently ranked 7th out of 12 attractions in Swanage and all it takes is a few more positive reviews to improve my rankings.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186266-d2415089-Reviews-L_Artishe_Gallery_and_Studio-Swanage_Isle_of_Purbeck_Dorset_England.html

You know how I love to be busy, well that's what you are when you take a show down and put one up in 24 hours.
I have to say that it is very rewarding knowing that you have been so productive. But the truth be told I am absolutely shattered.