scarlet canvas

by Diptiman Sengupta

This guest post is by Diptiman Sengupta. Diptiman is an amateur artist of modern times practicing art as an avenue to vent out the subconscious. He likes to portray his thoughts occasionally through his paintings, sketches or abstract forms, whatever suits the mood. In a way his inspiration comes from the Great Artists like Rembrandt, Turner, Seurat, Monnet, Whistler, Durer to name a few. Every painting of his is of a different genre, trying to experiment upon a different style.

Pointillism, just as it sounds, is a style of art using only dots. French Artist Georges Seurat (2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891), was the founder of this movement in the 1880s.

The technique behind

When viewed from a distance the eye blends the dots, in a process called optical bending. Even though no orange paint was used, red and yellow create the effect.

The emerging picture
Seurat set up the ten-foot canvas in his small studio in the Boulevard de Clichy. Working from a step-ladder he painted over a speckled base, and patiently built up small areas of the picture at a time. The blobs of color on his palette were laid out in the exact order of the spectrum. Seurat began as a more traditional painter and later developed Pointillism. 
 
Scientific background and influences
During the 19th century, scientist-writers such as Michel Eugène Chevreul, Ogden Rood and David Sutter wrote treatises on color, optical effects and perception. They were able to translate the scientific research of Helmholtz and Newton into a written form that was understandable by non-scientists. Chevreul was perhaps the most important influence on artists at the time; his great contribution was producing a color wheel of primary and intermediary hues.

Chevreul was a French chemist who restored old tapestries. During his restorations of tapestries he noticed that the only way to restore a section properly was to take into account the influence of the colors around the missing wool; he could not produce the right hue unless he recognized the surrounding dyes. Chevreul discovered that two colors juxtaposed, slightly overlapping or very close together, would have the effect of another color when seen from a distance. The discovery of this phenomenon became the basis for the Pointillist technique of the Neoimpressionist painters.

His Works 
Pointillism, required so much patience, his most famous piece took two years!

Seurat made over 3 million dots in this piece (3,456,000 dots one at a time!). In the summer of 1884 Seurat began to work on this masterpiece of his, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. 
 
Later he moved from the Boulevard de Clichy to a quieter studio nearby, where he lived secretly with a young model, Madeleine Knobloch, whom he portrayed in his painting "Jeune femme se poudrant."

In February 1890 she gave birth to his son, who was given the first name of Pierre Georges. It was not until two days before Seurat's death that he introduced his young family to his parents. Seurat died in Paris on 29 March 1891 at the young age of 31 only. The cause of Seurat's death is uncertain, and has been attributed to a form of meningitis, pneumonia, infectious angina, and/or (most probably) diphtheria. His son died two weeks later from the same disease. His last ambitious work, The Circus, was left unfinished at the time of his death.

by Lori Woodward

This guest post is by Lori Woodward.  Lori is a  freelance writer for various art publications. She has written more than 60  published articles for American Artist, Watercolor, Workshop, and International  Artist Magazines since 1996. Her paintings, along with instructional articles, have been featured in Watercolor Magazine since 2007, and in American Artist's  Highlights Issue, Step by Step 2011, with the article: "Moving into Acrylics". Woodward has co-authored the book, "Watercolor Step by Step" a Walter Foster  Publication, and authored a chapter for Calvin Goodman's "Art Marketing Handbook  for the 21st Century". 

During past months, I've been doing a bit of research by asking collectors where and how they most enjoy buying artwork. Additionally, I've been casually interviewing professional artists - asking them how their sales are going and where they're selling the most art.

A few trends have emerged, and in a few sentences, I'll share these with you. Since I'm not an art marketing consultant, but rather a professional artist and arts writer, I have no conflict of interest in sharing information that I know is true - whether the current trends are looking bad or good. My only goal is to help artists understand what's happening with art sales and perhaps help them take advantage of art market trends. Yes, the way art is sold and bought has changed significantly in the last 5 years.

Ten years ago, I wrote the chapter on artist websites for Calvin Goodman's Art Marketing Handbook. At the time, few - if any, artists were selling online. Today, artists are selling online from their websites, blogs and even Ebay. Brick and mortar galleries are handling a great deal of sales online, as well. Collectors are buying more and more artwork without having seen it "in real life". Even auctions take bids online or by phone these days. American Art Collector Magazine has a section near the back of each issue showing which paintings were bought, sight unseen, over the phone - solely from gallery advertisements before the show's opening.

OK, now I'll share what I've been hearing from collectors. Some of these collectors are what I think of as lifetime collectors. None of them are multi-millionaires (that I know of), but they consider building a significant art collection one of the joys of their lives. When I asked each how they prefer to acquire new work, they first mentioned museum invitational art events... one time shows where the paintings hang for a month or so and then are returned to the artists. They enjoy attending these shows where they meet the artists and visit with fellow collectors. The only complaint is that many of the paintings are sold by draw - which means names are pulled out of a box - and collectors often "lose-out" when the painting they really wanted goes to the name that was picked.

The great thing about these types of events/shows is that the non-profit museum often takes as little as 25% on the sale. The downside is that it's difficult for artists to get invitations to these events. The list of artists on the roster is what gets the avid collectors to travel to them. 

Many art buyers want to meet and get to know the artist, and furthermore, they are interested in knowing why the artist painted the work they would like to purchase. Collectors truly want to know the stories behind their collected treasures. With the internet, these folks can easily get in touch with artists, and sometimes arrange for a studio visit. One collector said he prefers to buy from the artist in the quiet of the studio - even though full retail price is paid. That way he is assurred to get the work he wants without competition from other buyers.

As artists' galleries close, they are left with no recourse but to sell on their own. Many I've interviewed are just waiting for the economy to improve so that gallery sales pick up. However, just like the housing market - art collectors are not in a buying frenzy like they have been in recent years. Some collectors are wanting to "cash-in" on their investment and are selling their acquisitions at the same galleries where these artists are selling new works. Unfortunately, for all involved, these collectors are finding it difficult to re-sell work.

So, where's the good news? Gallery district rents are dropping as they deal with empty space, artists are looking for new venues and getting creative in their marketing efforts, and collectors are saving their purchases for the best art they can afford. Artists are forced to improve on both the quality of their work and and at the same time, get that work in front of art buyers. Instead of paying the traditional 50% commission to a gallery, some artists are doing their own advertising and hiring an administrator to handle sales from their websites. Of course, I'm talking about wildly successful artists who already have the money to invest in magazine ads and a staff.

So that's great for all those big named artists, but what about the middle ones, like us... like me? Here's more good news. If we create a cohesive body of work that rocks and set aside some money to get our work in front of collectors, we no longer need a gallery. It makes me sad to see so many artists vying for gallery representation, when most of the artists I know who are working with galleries are not selling any work from them (at this time). Right now, galleries are not the panacea that artists imagine.

I'm all for galleries that do a great job of representing their artists, have fair contracts, and actually sell the work that's consigned to them. I've worked with many galleries through the years, but I've also sold my work on my own.  I do understand how awesome it is to say I work with "so and so - bigtime gallery", but in the end... I've sold more work on my own than any gallery has for me. I like keeping that extra 50% commission and I enjoy the relationships I have with my collectors. It's really not all that difficult to sell art - even for shy artists; just takes a bit of know-how and practice.  Recently, I wrote a post on how artists can sell each other's work -- why not? Other artists who don't want to work direcly with collectors might consider hiring a friend, or even a collector who has great administration skills. Hiring someone with writing skills would also be a plus. Either pay them by the hour or else give them a 20% commission on sales. 

Some artists are selling better than ever at plein air festivals right now. When the economy drops, plein air paintings sell better. The collectors buy smaller, less expensive works and, as a plus, get to meet with and eat with the artists. Another option I'm checking into right now is setting up my art booth at local farmers' markets in wealthy towns. Last week, I got in touch with an artist who has been selling her work this way. You know, if a group of farmers can get together and sell their goods on the village green once a week, what's to stop several artists from getting together every Wednesday afternoon throughout the summer months to hold a regular art show? Do we really need gatekeepers to organize events?

With all this said, if you are working with a gallery successfully, there's no reason to leave. As my tennis teacher used to say, "If you're winning, don't change a thing; if you're loosing, try something different until the tides turn."

So let me leave you with this question: if artists who are working with galleries are not selling much work, and those galleries are not taking on new artists, then why would an artist spend hours building a portfolio to submit to galleries (at this time)? Why not get started selling on your own for far less money and much more profit? Forget the ego thing... being in a top gallery might make you feel good, but it won't necessarily bring you income right now.

by artmeandyou

Let's talk Math today! Remember the Fibonacci sequence  (1, 1 , 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89....) from high school? What you then thought was a mathematical conundrum and was in the curriculum just to make your life miserable, is in reality, a phenomenon that occurs throughout the world of
nature, art, music and mathematics.

To refresh our memory here, each term in the series is produced by adding together the two previous terms so that 1+1 = 2, 1+2 = 3, 2+3 = 5 and so on. The sequence takes its name from a famous thirteenth-century  European mathematician, Leonard of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci.

So what has this got to do with art?
The ratio between successive Fibonacci numbers approximates an important constant called "the golden mean," which is approximately 1.61803. A  rectangle whose sides are in the proportion 1 : 1.61803 is supposed to be the most aesthetically perfect rectangle (the "golden rectangle"). The dimensions of the aesthetically pleasing products from apple, the iPod and iPhone are a close approximation of the golden rectangle. This adds to the visual appeal of the product. One of the most recognized building in the world, the ancient Parthenon in Athens too adopts this mathematical ratio. Check out the rectangles I've created to highlight the golden ratios in this architectural marvel!

Many artists have exploited the golden ratio to create visually appealing art work. Leonardo Da Vinci called the golden ratio, "divine proportion" and featured it in many of his paintings. I spent most part of the day doing research into Da Vinci's paintings and superimposed some of his greatest works into the golden rectangles I created.

Let us start off with the most famous painting in the world, Mona Lisa, by Da Vinci. There are multiple ways to draw golden rectangles in this painting. I chose to frame the face in a golden rectangle and using Mona Lisa's eyes as a divider went about splitting the golden rectangles into smaller golden rectangles. See how each of the facial features aligns with the golden proportions.

The Vitruvian Man is a world-renowned painting by Da Vinci based on the correlations of the ideal human proportions as described by the ancient Roman architect, Vitruvius. Another painting by Da Vinci where there are multiple golden rectangles. I have highlighted three here dividing the body into head, torso and legs. Look at the classic positioning in each of the golden rectangle!

Here is another of Da Vinci's creations - Saint Jerome, the great scholar, sitting with a lion at his feet. This is an unfinished canvas. A golden rectangle fits so perfectly around the central figure that it is often said the artist deliberately painted the figure to conform to these proportions.

Da Vinci is not the only artist to leverage the golden ratios. I picked La Parade, a painting by Georges-Pierre Seurat, a French painter. The painting adopts an innovative technique called Pointillism (I'll blog about this technique on a different day), yet adopts the golden ratios!

Even today, several leading artists leverage the golden mean to draw the viewers' attention by placing their subject in the center of the golden rectangle, thus creating a strong visual path in their compositions. This is a simple, fundamental, mathematical technique that can be applied by all artists when creating their compositions.

Are you an artist who uses the golden mean when creating your painting? If so, let us know your opinion or send us some images of your creations in which you leveraged the golden mean technique.

Until next time...

by Lori Woodward

This guest post is by Lori Woodward.  Lori is a freelance writer for various art publications. She has written more than 60 published articles for American Artist, Watercolor, Workshop, and International Artist Magazines since 1996. Her paintings, along with instructional articles, have been featured in Watercolor Magazine since 2007, and in American Artist's Highlights Issue, Step by Step 2011, with the article: "Moving into Acrylics".  Woodward has co-authored the book, "Watercolor Step by Step" a Walter Foster Publication, and authored a chapter for Calvin Goodman's "Art Marketing Handbook for the 21st Century". 

I see a lot of artists in their early careers spend money and time on business practices that are hardly needed. Before you spend time with a consultant, elaborate marketing plan, or approach galleries, make sure you have a cohesive body of work framed and ready to sell. The quality and attractiveness of your work is your main asset. If you haven't got 10 -20 similar works ready to sell, all the other marketing activities are like adding the finest icing to a plastic cake.

Yes, in the late 1990's, I did spend money on ads and had a 2000 square foot studio, and yes, having the studio in a community of professional artists was an asset, but I could have skipped all that and just spent more time on developing a great body of work and my career would have come out ahead. I was indeed putting the cart before the horse, marketing wise.

I discovered that developing an elaborate business plan, while it was fun, was also a waste of my time and energy. Why is that? As unexpected opportunities came along, I abandoned my plan again and again. My art career has been a flexible process. I never really know what's around the corner, and the better my work is, the more frequently opportunities pop up. I'm not saying that artists shouldn't have a plan at all; what I've experienced is thatI need to keep a path in mind, but be open to change.

Even if you are ready to approach galleries, shows and invitational events, you still may not need an elaborate business plan. There are many ways to promote your work on a shoe-string budget. Spending big bucks is hardly necessary to success and there is nothing terribly elaborate or magical about marketing your work.  It's mostly just plain common sense.

So let's say you do have a style and a body of work to sell? How do you start to get your work out there? Many of my friends have placed several times in national art competitions -which lead to calls from galleries and magazine articles. That's the quickest way to get your work seen by a larger audience without spending thousands of dollars. Be picky about which competitions you enter and get ready for disappointment. If you place as a finalist, that's great, but competitions are a bit of a gamble because you never know what the juror will like and there is a ton of competition.

What happens if you enter more than a dozen shows in a year and you don't "place" at all? Go back to the proverbial drawing board and revamp, revise and improve your work. Get a critique from someone who is successful and wants the best for your career and be prepared to work hard. If art were easy to make and sell, then everyone would do it and it wouldn't be worth much.  However, it is a good thing that it does take a long time to learn how to draw and paint - because it makes good artwork scarce and therefore - valuable.

There are dozens of ways to put your work in front of the eyes of collectors, working with galleries and placing in competitions is only two ways. Today there are artists out there making a living who do not work with galleries or enter competitions. Even if you do want to show in a gallery, avoid any offer that sounds like a Vanity Gallery. If they ask you for a fee to show your work, pass those up. A gallery that has you pay them to show your work has no incentive to sell it. Besides, real collectors don't shop at vanity galleries - most of these will say you'll have a show in New York City.

Try a number of different sales venues and see which ones work best for you. I did the art-in-the-park circuit in New England for a number of years. I did well and enjoyed selling my work. The hard part is the physical labor of setting up and taking down the tent and carrying all those paintings. Of course, the goal was to have far fewer paintings to carry home than I brought. 

Don't discount local galleries and frame shops - I happily worked with some frame shop galleries just a few minutes from my home. But don't let the gallery frame your paintings unless they buy your work at a 50% discount outright. I've heard some horror stories about how some artists had to pay for all the frames before they could remove unsold paintings from the gallery - and it amounted into thousands of dollars owed. Again, you should not have to pay your gallery for anything.  They work on consignment and when a painting is sold, you get the agreed percentage of the sale. If it doesn't sell, you are not out any money and can get the painting back.

If you do place in national competitions, you can then approach well known galleries, but it's no guarantee that they'll take you on. When they are having slow sales, they usually spend all their time trying to sell the artists who they already represent, and are reluctant to take on new artists. If they're not biting, then try something else.

It might surprise you to know that I've never showed in a major, well-known gallery. They are not always a straight ticket to sales. Let's look at an example: an artist finally gets into the gallery of his dreams, but this gallery also sells work by masters who've been in the biz for a long time - some have works priced over $100,000. This new artist has works priced between $1500 and $10,000. If you're the gallery owner, who are you going to invest more time promoting, the one who sells a painting under $5000, or the one who reaps you $50,000 on the sale? Did you know that well established artists don't usually give the gallery 50%? When prices are that high and a sale is almost guaranteed, the artist normally gets 70% of the retail price.

All of this is to say: don't spend too much time worrying about how to approach galleries or print up that great letterhead before you've got a dynamite body of work.  Your work needs to have a recognizable style that collectors can recognize as "yours" from across the room. You can fight me on this concept all you want, but if your work is "all over the place" style wise, you'll have a hard time getting into any gallery and even selling from your tent in the park. Collectors want you to have a "look" and gallery dealers know that fact.

As soon as your have that body of work, then you need a flexible plan to promote your work.  There are plenty of sales venues out there, and today, selling on your own is a viable one. Focus on a few ways to get your stuff out there and see how that goes. If something doesn't work out, try something else. As my tennis coach often said, "If you're winning, don't change a thing; if you're losing, keep trying something until the game turns to your favor". I do that with my art career.


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