Artists struggle with self-confidence all the time. Do you? Seriously, as an artist, you are putting the most personal and vulnerable parts of yourself forward. Everybody has an opinion on your work and thinks they know better—and it’s easy to listen to them. It’s certainly much easier than keeping the faith. I know a photographer who recently showed his work…
“I used to have a band,” he told me. He had played lead guitar and sang. It was the 1980s, and he worked hard, touring the country and gaining a small following. But he never broke through. When he turned 30, he got a chance to play one of the biggest music festivals in Great Britain. His brother ran the…
Art is more than just pretty pictures. The best art explores ideas, and ideas need time to develop and to grow. In fact, they demand it. Respect the process and give yourself permission to take time for your work. Schedule it—or, better yet, make it a part of your daily routine. Each day I take an hour or so to…
Any artist worth his or her salt is part of a larger arts community. Other artists are not your competition; other artists are your colleagues—and, I think you’ll find, your best friends. I once lived in a town with lots of artists but no community. Everyone worked in their own frustrated little bubble. I tried to begin a monthly get-together,…
When I worked in the art business, I talked on the telephone constantly. So much for the glamorous life! Who knew that cauliflower ear was an occupational hazard for art dealers? But I was moving and shaking, baby! I needed to be on that phone. I couldn’t be disconnected! My phone defined my life. I recently read a study suggesting…
I just can’t believe it’s been a month since Artexpo New York! Time is just cruising right along and we haven’t slowed down a bit since getting back from New York. But, I’ve been dying to share with you all that I discovered while my incredible team and I were there. First of all, there is nothing like being in…
by Meagan J. Meehan Socrates Marquez is a Dominican born, self-taught and artist who was presented with a ArtExpo New York SOLO award. Socrates is known for his use of bold string-mop markings combined with images and his signature paint-splatter technique allow him to create pieces of art that are vibrant and stimulating, pulling the viewers in and inviting them…
Aspiring to be an art dealer? Eric Smith, CEO of Redwood Media Group gives us the scoop on how to be the next best art dealer. “So, you’ve decided to become an art dealer. What’s next? Well, let me tell you, it takes a lot of hard work, long hours, and knowledge to make it as a professional, but if…
It happened again. An artist wrote to me about a project she was offered, excited by the opportunity. She wasn’t going to be paid, mind you, but it would be “good exposure.” Ah good exposure! The two words that should make every artist cringe. I get it. Trust me, I still do things for good exposure. And I find it…
Here are a few of the ways that I’ve found artists price their work: By being so traumatized by the very question of pricing that you decide to wait for posthumous fame and hide your work – lest anyone ask the price. By having angst about it until, fortified by chardonnay, you finally decide on a number. Any number. Just…
