Currently viewing the tag: "artist advice"
Gallery representation is an important part of a professional artist‘s portfolio, and being represented by a spread of galleries in a range of locations, perhaps over a long period of time, is a good way to build both your reputation and your self-confidence. But you shouldn’t rely just on galleries to show your work – it will often happen that you’ll meet someone, either at an art fair or other art event, or perhaps in a context that isn’t so closely related to your field, and they’ll express interest in your work. Don’t be embarrassed when this happens, be delighted – it’s a sincere compliment. A good way to follow it up is by suggesting a studio visit to the interested individual.
Of course, this isn’t something you should do all [...]
No one likes being criticized. And since most artists view their work as an integral part of who they are, criticism of that work can be particularly difficult to take. After all, if you’ve spent hours painting, photographing or sculpting a piece so that it finally reflects the image you had in mind at the beginning of the process, or you’ve just emerged from a fit of inspiration, having completed something you feel is just right, you’re not likely to take very kindly to someone pointing out its shortcomings. Moreover, there’s the time that goes into planning a work, consciously or unconsciously – it came sometimes be the result of years of thoughts, sketches and observations.
Artwork is enormously important to artists – and that’s just the way it should be. But that’s [...]
Have you ever been in the middle of happily creating a work of art when, in a fit of thoughtlessness or experimentation, you add something new and ten seconds later realize that you have ruined the piece? Many artists have experienced this at some point. Of course the natural immediate reaction is one of horror and disappointment – all that work, and suddenly disaster strikes! But after that, when you can think calmly again, you may come to see that it’s not such a problem after all.
In some cases, of course, the mistake can be rectified – a little bit of turpentine, the introduction of a new color, and suddenly you don’t notice that garish red streak after all. Or you may be able to incorporate it subtly into your subject matter, perhaps [...]
You’ve been accepted for representation, built a relationship with your gallery, arranged the date for an exhibition and carefully chosen the works that will be on show there. There’s a lot of work that goes into planning an exhibition, both from you and from the gallery, and it’s easy to get so caught up in that that you forget about the opening reception except as just another thing to be ticked off on your long list.
However, the truth is that an opening reception can be a great opportunity for you as an artist, and it’s important to approach it from that perspective. If you can take time out of thinking about all the other jobs or arrangements that need dealing with to concentrate on the reception, then it’s worth [...]
After the excitement and variety of the new year and festive season died away, I began to hear a lot of artists complaining that they were having trouble getting back into a productive routine, and worrying about whether they would be able to get back to normal anytime soon. Of course if that’s happening to you, it’s a worry, because for many artists work is both a career and a necessary form of expression; sometimes you hear an artist complain of feeling restless or ‘itchy’ if they can’t create for whatever reason.
This is a common problem that almost everyone faces, from artists to bankers to doctors, when they’ve spent a while doing other things and then get to the point where it’s time to return to what was once a well-learned [...]
Artists sometimes complain that they find it difficult to work in the summer, and that the sunny season can be even more of a ‘dry spot’ for them, creatively speaking, than it is for the garden physically. There are lucky individuals who thrive in the heat, love summer and are never happier than when the sun is beating down on them and their canvas and paints, but if you’re not one of them, don’t worry. You are not alone – and there are ways to deal with the summer blues!
There are a few problems that many artists have with working in summer, but the most obvious is the heat. Of course, an easy solution for some is to turn to air conditioning, but this doesn’t work for everyone – for one [...]
Many artists find that at some point in their careers they begin to play a role in helping and encouraging young people or children in some way related to their artistic development. Sometimes it’s a family connection that sparks the relationship, and sometimes a chance encounter, while at other times it can be the result of a conscious decision to volunteer in an art organization such as Art Start, a program which has been mentioned on this blog before.
This kind of relationship can seem a little intimidating, especially at the beginning, but there’s no reason why it should be. Acting as a mentor to a younger artist, or to a young person with an interest in art, is a valuable experience for both parties. You don’t have to be [...]
