Getting My Mojo Back
The suppression of all these creative thoughts over the last couple of years had somehow manifested itself into a slumbering Leviathan which has recently begun to twitch and turn in its arty dream state.
Popular Art Mediums That Sell
“Art is whatever you can get away with.” - Warhol and McLuhan It is a great throwaway line which almost everyone knows and the debate about who said what first will rage on forever, so let's just attribute it to both of them. Or is that worse? Anyhow in a time when almost any medium can be considered art, let us pause for a moment to consider what sells most. Kathleen Grace, then art consultant is quoted as saying "Good art sells more than anything else. And oil paintings would generally be considered the most advantageous." She encourages artists to be true to their own style and not to pander to the mob. We always find it a little shocking when we see the list. Reading that Limited Edition prints sell the most can be deflating to any creator, but the reality is that prints enable the masses to access popular art in ways original art does not. We also think it is sad that 'Artists Original Prints' are not [...]
Not Knowing Anyone In The Art World
Not knowing anyone in the art world before starting to buy art as a collector. Of course, if you have a grounding in art, then maybe you don't need to do very much and maybe you can operate on instinct alone, some do and do very well. You might choose to opt for a collection uninfluenced by monetary value but rather only buy what you like, what you want to live with and then, who cares if you know anyone or not. You are a free entity, unshackled and able to ricochet about without care and abandon. For most, buying art as an investment requires knowledge and or experience most people simply do not possess. So without going back to school or spending the next 10,000 hours immersing yourself, is there a way to achieving success as a collector of art? It is a fact that our friends literally influence 'who' we are. They can have an impact on what we do, what we eat and drink and [...]
Setting The Price Of Your Art
As has been said before the point of all of this creating is to sell; right? A studio full of pieces of work is a waste, it needs to be an industrious space where more is being created all the time. A studio is not a big cupboard. So assuming that your work is of a good enough standard to sell and assuming that there is a market for what you have created, let's look at the price. It is difficult for some artists to work out a price for the things they create. Often for those who are new to the game, the price is plucked from the air (we use the term 'air-plucked'). This has resulted too often in either an artist having amazing luck in that someone came along and paid over the odds for the work (and it is luck) or an artist has let something go too cheap and lost potential income resulting in them working for less than a Euro an hour. [...]
Shalt’s and Shalt Not’s When Commissioning Art
For some, the idea of commissioning a piece of unique artwork for their living or work space conjures visions of grandeur, something only reserved for the ruling elite, not the great unwashed. In reality, there are lots of different artists working in lots of different styles and many are very affordable for us the mob to consider either to brighten the place up or to invest some of our hard earned cash into. Some artists might advertise commission opportunities on their website or elsewhere, such as ArtMarketDirect.com. It may be that you just want to approach an artist who does a piece of work you like. There are some considerations you need to at least think about before you proceed, and they are very important. You have envisioned a unique piece of art. How then are you going to get an artist to make it for you; something that they have created with their style which somehow fits with what you have in your mind's eye? This could [...]
Common Mistakes Made By Art Collectors
We are starting a new thread which will be updated from time to time, relating to some of the more common mistakes made by art collectors which we might not have experienced but can at least relate to. There has been a lot of debate here about whether to even do a list such as this. The argument goes along the line "Mistakes is a word which is negative, can't they be referred to as 'habits'?". "What? Bad habits? Isn't that negative too?" How can we make the list positive? It's about things to avoid. So, it goes on and the conclusion;...."Common Mistakes Made By Art Collectors...and how to avoid them". We do not stand in judgement since we reside within the same the glass house too. The points are listed in no particular order: Not knowing anyone in the art world End. __________________________________________ @rtMarketDirect Email us.With ArtMarketDirect.com artists are able to take control of their own careers, list their own pieces for sale to collectors and undertake [...]
Forgetting To Build The Brand
So you are a professional artist. You are self-employed. You are the Chief of Production, Finance Manager, HR, President of Marketing & Sales. You are the Chief Executive. You wear many hats and that's just the way you like it. You like spinning plates; or else why would you be here? There isn't anyone who will tell you in the morning that you are late for work or indeed early to clock off, and these are human temptations especially when the sun shines. The problem Just like the singing Sirens in ancient Greek mythology, the women whose beautiful singing lures sailors to wreck their ships on the rocks; just so the prospect of lingering a little too long in the deli for another cup of tea, taking time away from making for a tennis match to be had with the folk down at the courts, maybe you might be able to squeeze an hours sailing, a dog walk, cutting the grass, or painting the gate...all beckon! They are sent to stop [...]
Not Identifying Yourself As An Artist
We are what we do and a lot of what we do hinges on how we see ourselves and how others see us. By definition, artists create art and by extension, those who create art are artists. When someone asks you that annoyingly common four worded question; "What do you do?", how do you answer? What are your reactions in your mind and your body? For some the prospect of saying the four worded answer of "I am an artist", is too much. This is sad. Coming Out Declaring yourself as an artist to folk you know and strangers you meet can take guts and is a coming out like any other. Just as there is a plethora of sites and pages dedicates to help young folk come to terms with the person they have grown up to be; to love who they want, so this post is to assist, support, encourage and otherwise hammer home the reality that if you spend your time creating art, you are [...]
Common Mistakes Made By Artists
We are starting a new thread which will be updated from time to time, relating to some of the more common mistakes made by artists which we might not have experienced but can at least relate to. There has been a lot of debate here about whether to even do a list such as this. The argument goes along the line "Mistakes is a word which is negative, can't they be referred to as 'habits'?". "What? Bad habits? Isn't that negative too?" How can we make the list positive? It's about things to avoid. So, it goes on and the conclusion;...."Common Mistakes Made By Artists...and how to avoid them". Folk who fall into these habits can and do produce incredible pieces of work every day and we are in no way suggesting that any part of hell is reserved for those who relate to what we write here; rather this is all just food for thought. We do not stand in judgement since we reside within same the [...]
Artists Best Art Tip They Are Willing To Share
At ArtMarketDirect.com we have a section set aside for 'Featured Artists'. The concept behind the informal interview style of the interactions with the Featured Artists is to help collectors read about and form a relationship with the artists; all in pursuance of marrying that perfect piece of art with the collector who wants it.An unintended consequence of the interviews is that we are able to take a look at all of the wonderful pearls of wisdom in the answers to specific questions and between them, create a wonderful resource for fellow artists to look at, consider and maybe learn from.So lets take a look at our artists Best Art Tips: Gill Bustamante 19th October 2018 “Be your own advisor, keep your own counsel and select your own decisions."– L. Ron Hubbard Corné Akkers1st October 2018 Do tonal studies to start with. I see so many promising ideas stranding in the mist of low tonal contrasts, making them disappear. I like to impose a zen koan for beginner artists by [...]
Have you got an art event? Let us help make it!
Support ethos We are a community bound by creativity and inspiration and where we can, we need to support one another’s events. That support comes in many different fashions. It may be that an event is local to you and you can physically give support by going. It may be that you can share the event on social media – however, we can support one another – there is a moral incentive to do so. At ArtMarketDirect, we believe that the art market is big enough for all to win. Events you can list Events which we routinely list include: All events can be shared to social media platforms. art fairs biennials & triennials (FREE TO LIST) consultations call for submissions degree shows (FREE TO LIST) exhibitions festivals installations markets (such as Christmas markets) meetings (AGM or routine/scheduled) networking open studios (FREE TO LIST) panel discussions performances pop-up shop opening private view talks/lectures training or workshops shows (group or solo) social (such as quiz, drinks or dinner) What are you waiting [...]
Choosing Art? Size IS Everything!
A question we are asked often is about the size of a piece of artwork and the size of a space it is intended for. As we always say; "Its Art Love, Size IS Everything." We are ArtMarketDirect.com are not interior designers but there are some general guidelines you can follow when you are deciding whether to buy a piece for a space or not. It should come as no surprise that even when a piece is too big or too small, we say buy it anyway and find the perfect space for it after you get it home. For those who want to err on the side of caution, whether you are looking for something original, a print, photograph, drawing, collage, sculpture, or even some amazing typography, what follows are our top tips,Finally it's worth remembering that different countries have different size rooms. In the UK houses and apartments are often very old, with lower ceilings, smaller rooms in general and if the building are that old, [...]
Getting Back On Track
Who would have thought making a FREE entry level to our subscription plans would have had an unplanned impact on one of our Facebook groups? Yet, this is exactly what happened with THE ART COMPETITION. Part of what has made THE ART COMPETITION prize less relevant was because we made the entry-level tier of our subscriptions FREE. This took the wind out of our sails but we have been talking and thinking about how we might resolve this going forward. It is true, THE ART COMPETITION has been a little sidelined. But that is now to change. It has been some time since we last announced a monthly prize winner but in that time dedicated artists have been busy posting their work for you to Like or Share and you, to your credit, have been Liking and Sharing. That does provide us with a great opportunity to go back on the groups Discussion and determine who has done the best and allow us to catch up with ourselves. [...]
One Small Step; One Giant Leap
It's a strange thing. I am never usually short of words, yet I found myself this morning staring into my cup of coffee. Inside the cup I was watching a miniature reflection of myself staring back at me. "What to write?" This hollow shroud of doubt seems to have cast its shadow since I was told by our Development Team, "The Blog is Live." "Where to start?" A strange question when there is in fact so much I want to say and share with you all. I guess like any journey, the beginning is normally the most difficult, but once the first step has been taken; then the world is full of opportunity. To my mind writing a blog taps the same creative juices as starting a painting commission I have been putting off. Procrastination is something I find myself doing. I even find myself singing 'The Procrastination Song' to the melody of the late, great Roy Castle's theme to the kid's TV series Record Breakers. I am [...]
High Hopes
Hi All! Hopes for the blog are high. Our international team have spent the last four months talking and planning, weighing up the merits and demerits of a whole raft of things we know our collectors and uploading artists, in particular, will love. I must be careful not to spill the beans. Suffice to say that month-on-month, the offer of ArtMarketDirect.com continues to improve, develop and focus more on the original inspiration beyond the project. The original question: "How do we make ArtMarketDirect.com the best option you have?" Sometimes this question seemed like an insurmountable giant leap. In truth, it is not. It is a vast constellation of small steps, small changes until in a moment of magic; the energy came. At the same time, let's keep it real. This is only a blog, but we have plans and ideas which include: Editors choice pieces of artwork from the market will be promoted Events will be shared Directory entries Some outreach to highlight the work of folk who [...]