Top 10 Art Blogs to Follow

By Joseph Armstrong

We all use the term “starving artist”; it’s a moniker that’s often a prerequisite for an artists’ success. But no one strives literally become a starving artist. Artists derive success from their passion to create art in which they have invested a certain amount of emotion. Here are some of our favorite blogs, with success as the goal and passion as the driving force, that cater to helping starving artists eat—or at least kill some time.

1. Barney Davey, the voice of Art Print Issues, has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry and helps visual artists market themselves in more effective ways. His blog offers advice on how, what and where to sell your art, as well as video clips and links to helpful books and inspirational pieces to boost morale. artprintissues.com

2. Carolyn Edlund spent 20 years running a full-time production studio, representing artists and selling their art and is now executive director for Art Business Institute (artbusinessinstitute.org). Her blog, Artsy Shark, provides many useful tips on better art business practices, artist vignettes and interviews with gallery owners. artsyshark.com

3. Art Biz Coach is another useful site, offering direct consultation from the site’s curator, Alyson Stanfield. The site offers videos with advice on how to be successful showing your art. Find out what to expect from galleries, how to avoid alienating perspective buyers, resources that can help, and how to get emotional fulfillment from your art. Her site also provides links to workshops nationwide, books and other helpful websites. artbizcoach.com

4. How many artists, when asked how they became artists, have answered, “Well, I wasn’t any good at sports, so…?” For starving artists trying to explore every avenue of exposure, the weekly podcast at Bad at Sports features contemporary artists and people in the art community discussing the art world and a range of related topics. A blog also discusses the art world from ideological and practical perspectives. badatsports.com

5. Daily Art Fixx comments on art history and promotes unknown artists. It has links to facts, historical pieces and artists and quotes and links for art subgenres, including painting, photography, sculpture and video art. For artists hoping to use this blog as a self-promotion tool, site creator Wendy Campbell offers numerous options for submission: in a group gallery, where your piece will be displayed with works from others; in a short feature with one to four pieces; or in a full feature with six or more pieces and a short artist bio. A neat feature of Campbell’s site is the art-related prize- giveaway contest for any- one who chooses to enter. dailyartfixx.com

6. Connecting art lovers with exhibitions in South Carolina started DailyServing, but it grew to become an international network of artists. More than 30 writers contribute editorial here. Each month its “Fan Mail” section provides a portrait of an artist, whom the editor selects, making this a great way for unknown artists to gain recognition. dailyserving.com

7. We just can’t keep our eyes off another obscure, yet interesting site: Doodlers Anonymous. It focuses primarily on publishing fan- and artist-submitted works of—well—doodles. A database of featured artists is available, as are myriad interesting tools for the potential doodle star. If you’re feeling particularly inspired—or bored—try the site’s Showcase feature, which challenges visitors to submit doodles that conform to a set of parameters. For example, one challenge may be to draw a book cover from a class you wish you could have taken in high school. Download doodle wallpapers or order a Doodlers Anonymous coloring book of submissions, which the site publishes each year. doodlersanonymous.com

8. Art dealer Edward Winkleman’s blog, edward_winkleman, details the do’s and don’ts for artists striving for success. Many posts focus on the trade of art from dealer and gallery owner perspectives. For artists looking for exhibition or increased sales and exposure, this site gives the all-important perspective from the other side of the tracks: the promoter. Many film directors will tell you about the experience they gained by dabbling in acting and gaining perspective in front of the camera. Winkleman’s blog is a useful tool in applying that logic to the art business. edwardwinkleman.com

9. Although it accepts submissions and suggestions from anyone, Happy Famous Artists focuses on promoting art from all realms that have already attained some level of success. Creators—Intelligensius Anarchus, The Great Attractor and Rick B—provide the site with an edgy feel. It features a huge amount of content, ranging from art, music, architecture and television to perspectives on pornography, travel, top-10 lists and a perfectly captioned “WTF?” section. Although not necessarily the “anarchist of art,” happyfamousartists.com certainly fits into that niche. happyfamousartists.com

10. Dan Johnson, creator of Right Brain Rockstar, has given his site a credo: “Make creativity your day job.” Johnson offers advice based on his experiences of the transition from art as a hobby to art as a profession. The site focuses on but is not limited to the topic of building a successful art website. His archive proves as inspirational as it is instructional, and he offers links to many useful books and products. rightbrainrockstar.com