Business

Free Ways to Promote Your Paintings: Part I – Press Releases

April 22, 2013 by Susan Blackwood OPA Leave a Comment

Press Release Okay, we are kidding ourselves if we think that there isn’t a business side to art. There is and, as you know, artists need to wear many hats in order to have a growing career. One of those hats is “Marketing and Promoting your Paintings”. There are many ways to do this necessary aspect of your career. Some methods require big funds to accomplish and some methods are free. I will be writing a series of articles on some of the free ways that you can promote your paintings and gain recognition.

One marketing hat you should wear is the “Press Release Writer” …Now, this is where the artist pales at the mere suggestion of writing an article. Relax, press releases are one of the easiest articles to write and can make a huge difference in any event, workshop, or announcement. Here are the basics.

Start your article with these basic facts: Who, What, Where, Why and When.
Example #1: The oil paintings (WHAT) of Skokie artist, Elizabeth Jones (WHO), will be featured in “Light and Wonder Show ” (WHY) for the month of October (WHEN) at the White Rose Gallery (WHERE), Skokie, Illinois.
Elaborate upon the facts:
Example #2: Thirty floral paintings, emphasizing the inspiration of luminosity, will be on display.
Elaborate on the techniques or style of the paintings:
Example #3: Thick juicy strokes accent the brilliant glow of these impressionist paintings.
Bio on artist:
Example #4: Elizabeth Jones, known for her romantic expression of flowers, studied oil painting and design with nationally recognized artist, Howard James. She has been an associate member of Oil Painters of America for 5 years and has been juried into 3 of the OPA regional shows.
Reception:
Example #5: The Opening Reception will be October 1st from 5 pm to 9 pm. Artist, Elizabeth Jones, will be present to discuss her techniques. The public is welcome.
Contact info:
Example #6: White Rose Gallery is located 931 Niles Center Road, Skokie, Illinois. For more information contact Cheryl at 316-673-4196.

For this example, that would be the end of the article. It is 143 words long. It is a short Press Release, easy for the newspaper or magazine to fit into their layouts. But you are not done yet.
At the top of the article, you need to write:
For Immediate Release
At the end of the article, in order for the newspaper to be able to contact you and verify that this press release has originated in their area, you need to write:
For more information contact:
Elizabeth Jones (your name)
5140 Howard Street ( your address)
Skokie, Illinois 59715
312- 222-5555 ( your phone number)
Be sure to include a photo of one of your paintings that will be on display. Include the title, size and medium of that painting. Most newspapers are wanting digital 250 dpi images that are about 5 inches x 7 inches.

Here is the finished Press Release example: ( all names and information are fictional )

For Immediate Release:

The oil paintings of Skokie artist, Elizabeth Jones, will be featured in “Light and Wonder Show” for the month of October at the White Rose Gallery, Skokie, Illinois. Thirty floral paintings, emphasizing the inspiration of luminosity, will be on display. Thick juicy strokes accent the brilliant glow of these impressionist paintings.

Elizabeth Jones, known for her romantic expression of flowers, studied oil painting and design with nationally recognized artist, Howard James. She has been an associate member of Oil Painters of America for 5 years and has been juried into 3 of the OPA regional shows. The opening reception will be October 1st from 5 pm to 9 pm. Artist, Elizabeth Jones, will be present to discuss her techniques. The public is welcome.

White Rose Gallery is located 931, Niles Center Road, Skokie, Illinois. For more information contact Cheryl at 316 673-4196.

For more information contact:
Elizabeth Jones
5140 Howard Street
Skokie, Illinois 59715
312-222-5555

Write the press release based on facts, do not let it sound like an advertisement. Always write in the third person. Be aware that some newspapers are more prone to print press releases than others. In my home town, the arts have a separate insert magazine once a week that features what is happening in the arts, music, and dance. This is where art related press releases would be sent.

Submit your press release to neighboring newspapers, local magazines and, yes, national magazines. Many publications are now accepting press releases via e-mail, easy to use and to attach your photo. Call the publication first to find out the way that they prefer to receive press releases.

Each time you win an award or are juried into a regional or national show, you need to write a press release. Not only are you getting the word out to the public about your achievements, but in the process, you are introducing the editors of these publications to your work and your career. In time, this could definitely develop into an article. Press releases will awaken the general public to your work and your career. The more they know about you, the more likely they are to step up and purchase your paintings, take classes, etc.

So these are the basics. Most newspapers welcome an independent writer to aid their reporters’ efforts to keep their publication interesting. Try it! You have nothing to loose and “career recognition” to gain!

Filed Under: Business

How to Keep Track of Shows That You Want to Enter (and Not Miss the Deadlines)

February 18, 2013 by Susan Blackwood OPA 12 Comments

In 1998 artist Howard Friedland and I were married. Right away we could see that keeping track of two artist’s deadlines could quickly get out of control. So I devised a simple system for both of us to keep track of our paperwork. Yes, we do use an art data computer program ( Working Artist ) but that is another story. As visual creatures, we needed to put all the paper work in a spot that was easy to find and not miss the deadlines. We have used this for 15 years now and are happy to pass this on to you. From now on, you won’t miss the deadlines!

Here is our system for keeping track of shows.

It uses just a few basic tools. You will need:

A ring binder notebook
Four tabbed dividers
Monthly tabbed dividers (January through December)
Plastic sleeves
Any Calendar that you use

1. One Ring Binder Notebook

2. Four Dividers for the four sections

3. Monthly Dividers

4. Plastic Sleeves

5. Your Calendar of choice

Step One:

Fill out the following dividers

To Enter
To Be Accepted
To Be Shipped
To Be Returned

Step Two:

Inside of the Section To Enter – Put the monthly dividers

Step Three: How to use the system

Now you are ready to start using the system. Make sure that you have printed information on each show that you would like to enter, including computer printouts from the on line shows.

Each time you get the printed information on a show that you want to enter or are invited to enter, put the information into a clear plastic sleeve and file it under the month that the entry or images are due.

Also, at this time, put the Entry Due Date on your calendar.

For example: The 2012 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Show Entry was due July 13. So I put the paperwork about the show into a plastic sleeve and filed it in July. Then I wrote that entry deadline date onto my calendar.

If the entry due date is close to the beginning of a month, I put the Information into the month before. That way I am not caught by surprise at the beginning of the month.

At this point, the paperwork on each show will start traveling through the notebook as each next stage is met.

After you enter the show, move that plastic sleeve, containing the paperwork about that show, to the next categorythe To Be Accepted section. This is the section for all entries and applications that you are waiting to find out the results (accepted or declined).

Once you find out that you are accepted in in the show, that plastic sleeve containing the paperwork about the show moves to the To Be Shipped section.

Mark your calendar for the date that you need to ship or deliver the painting.

If you knew from the beginning that you were invited to the show then skip the To Be Accepted section and put the plastic sleeve with the paperwork on the show immediately into To Be Shipped section.

Once you ship your painting to a show, move the plastic sleeve containing the paperwork for the show into the Waiting to Be Returned section.

This is very important because we have had one or two shows that didn’t return the paintings for a long, long time!!

Once the painting is no longer at the show, you can clear out the plastic sleeve and file your info on the show, or throw it away.

That’s it!

This is a great and easy system. We only use one book for all of the paperwork that comes in on shows for both of us.

Use the comment section below to let me know if you have any questions and how it works for you!

Don’t miss those deadlines anymore!

“Always save your best work for the shows.”- Zhiwei Tu

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Deadlines, organization

Dealing with the Distasteful aspects of Self Promotion

January 21, 2013 by Hodges Soileau OPA 10 Comments

"In The Sunlight" by Hodges Soileau OPA, 17x13

“In The Sunlight” by Hodges Soileau OPA, 17×13

The issue of successfully promoting one’s efforts is one that has always given me great pause. I know the importance of not being out of sight for to long….out of sight out of mind. Unfortunately, things move so quickly now that any effort made is fleeing at best. That being said, one still must make the effort. It is not only the self conscious part of it, but the time required to put email ads and newsletters together, face book, etc., that I have the most difficulty with. All of that is time consuming and not much fun. That is time that I personally would prefer spending with brush in hand.

“A Little Rest” by Hodges Soileau OPA, 12 x 16

I have always had difficulty with this, as I’m sure many artists do. There is something about tooting one’s own horn that is somehow distasteful to me. In my early years as an illustrator, it never was much of an issue for me, because I never had to deal with it. I always had a rep/agent that took care of this type of stuff for me….of course, this came with a price. Reps/agents take a commission, and deservedly so. It was always worth it to not have to deal with this type of minutia, with the work loads and deadlines we had at the time.

"Info for Repairs (The Issac Hayes)" by Hodges Soileau OPA, 12x16

“Info for Repairs (The Issac Hayes)” by Hodges Soileau OPA, 12×16

I have been giving this much thought lately as I seem to be spending more time on the computer than I really want to. The more I try to do, or involve myself with, the less time I have to do the important one….which is painting. I try to help the Galleries that represent me as much as possible by sending out announcements, newsletters to my mailing lists, and postings on Face Book and my blog. Even though it is a drop in the bucket, compared to the audience that can be reached by spending a lot of money on expensive ads in major art magazines, I feel like I am contributing somewhat to our partnership. There is after all only so much time in one day or week….using it efficiently is extremely important. These are the areas in my business that I find myself wanting to take shortcuts, or become more efficient at……leaving more quality time for painting.

"Early Morning" by Hodges Soileau OPA, 9x15

“Early Morning” by Hodges Soileau OPA, 9×15

"The Curious Bay Mare" by Hodges Soileau OPA, 6x6

“The Curious Bay Mare” by Hodges Soileau OPA, 6×6

I can only speak for myself when it comes to this discussion. Some folks may like this part of the business, so this is not necessarily a universal opinion held by everyone. The one thing I am sure of is the absolute need to not neglect this part of the art business. As far as answers to solving the problem, or the best solution….I do not have a solution, except to try and find what seems to work for me personally. Again, as in most things, one size does not fit all. What works for me might not be a suitable solution for someone else. Unfortunately the learning process as it relates to this requires making mistakes, and wasting time and sometimes money, with things that really do not advance your career or cause.

Again, thanks for listening to my Cajun Ramblings.

Filed Under: Business

It’s Just Paint and Canvas

January 14, 2013 by Rick J. Delanty 3 Comments

“Perihelion” by Rick Delanty, 24×24

What is the true “market value” of a painting? How does a potential collector know that a fair price is being offered? After all, the price can be negotiated… It’s not like a car, a stereo system, or a suit jacket that contains technical components and can be shopped between stores. It’s only paint and canvas, right?

Lines, colors, shapes, usually on a flat rectangular surface: that’s how we most often define “a painting.” As an objet d’art it has perceived value, both inside and out of the marketplace. Often paintings contain little or no moving parts. Precious metals may be employed, but not usually — it’s simply canvas by-the-yard and pigment. The materials of which a painting is made today are not much different than they were thousands of years ago, when early man painted and engraved shapes of animals on cave walls, with crushed plants and vegetable matter for paint, and animal-fat crayons and fingertips for brushes. The technology of paint-making and the variety of painting surfaces have significantly improved since then, but paint is still made of pigments and the surface of a painting is still usually flat. Doesn’t sound that impressive, does it?

“The synthesis of truth and beauty…is the highest and deepest reality.”Ovid

“Point Glow” by Rick Delanty, 16×20

Let’s consider the work of those early artists, at places like Lascaux and Altamira: they were the agents of man’s first recorded history. Their wall paintings speak to us through the millennia, even though their materials were elemental. Those artworks still communicate human ideas, perceptions, the very milieu in which early men and women lived. Those paintings today give us an insight into a culture, basal psychology, and the soul of early man. Those artworks were — as all artworks have been since those first paintings were created—visions, thoughts, dreams and an exploration of what it means to be human. Those paintings in sedimentary sanctuaries were not — and are not now — simply colored dirt on stone: they are the reality of a time gone by.

“ We keep our eyes on the things we cannot see: for the things which we can see are temporal; the things that are unseen are eternal.”2 Corinthians 4:18

“Sunset Billows” by Rick Delanty, 16×20

It’s the vision encapsulated in those ancient artworks that give them their true value, not the materials with which they are made. Then as now, it is the material that gives the immaterial form and meaning, and which gives any painting its value. How well a contemporary artwork does that for each viewer or potential collector in today’s marketplace, how deeply the painting establishes a personal connection, is what gives the work its significance and worth. Paintings enable us to see more than the obvious, to break free of our prejudices, to elevate our thoughts. The author Charlotte Bronte expressed this ability of the artist to help us “see” on a higher plane: “I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”

The artist is the catalyst in this process of Imagineering and revelation. It is through the artist’s eye that new possibilities can be discovered, and comprehended. In fact, former President John F. Kennedy underlined that creative significance: “I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” The painter does what the director does for a film, or the composer for a symphony. He or she draws unrelated concepts together, instills pattern, variety and unity, and discloses the essence of an idea. If we look through the painter’s lens, we are treated to a new perspective on reality. The visionary artist is a conductor on the journey to an exotic destination. We begin to understand that here is something higher in that artwork, than just paint and canvas.

“An artist is not paid for his labor, but for his vision.”James Abbot McNeill Whistler

For a painting, it is the experience of the artist expressed therein that is of utmost value. The material nature of the work is quite secondary. A painting that conveys the power of emotion to the viewer is more than “just paint and canvas.” It is the description of a heartfelt concept that has been forged into tangible excellence through a creative process of envisioning and technical facility. It even has the power to change lives. “(Art) has the capacity to penetrate even the most callous skin and to ignite a revolution from within,” as musician Benjamin Moore so eloquently reminds us. Pursuing art with our whole hearts and minds is probably the most civilizing undertaking we can do as artists. “What a privilege it is to be able to take brush in hand and put paint on paper in this troubled world,” is our encouragement from artist Veronica Stensby.

A painting’s value is not in its material nature, as “just paint and canvas.” Rather, it is the vision an artist expresses with those materials that is of value: that slice of heaven, the best of the Best, that idea of the Ideal, that is the central core of both the material and spiritual worth of an artwork.

Filed Under: Business, Oil Painting Tagged With: Market Value, Marketing, Money, Positive Thinking, Self Improvement

Important Website Considerations for Artists: Part 3 of 3

November 5, 2012 by Brian Steck 1 Comment

This article is part 3 of a 3-part series discussing important website considerations for artists. The first part laid out some general thoughts to keep in mind during the initial stages of creating your art website. The second piece attempted to put complex website elements into simple terms.

Part 3: Implementation – Putting it all together

In today’s world, your website is likened to a business card, giving you credibility, basic details about yourself and a way for others to contact you. If you’ve read the past two parts of this series, you know it must reflect the excellence and perfection of your artwork, as well as be inexpensive to maintain and easy to edit, which is why WordPress may be your best bet. Assuming you’ve read my tips on setting up your website in Part 2, you may be asking, “So, how do I design a great website?”

Navigation

Consistent Navigation When designing a website or choosing a theme, I believe that it is much more important to design through the lenses of usability than esthetics. Sure, your website should be beautiful and pleasing to the eye because it reflects your excellent artwork, but the colors and layout is much less important than your visitors ability to move around the site.

If a visitor comes to your site, but cannot navigate easily, it is very unlikely that they will hang around long. So it’s essential that your site navigation be blatantly obvious, intuitive and consistent.

Blatantly obvious navigation
Make your links easy to see. A usable website will incorporate vertical or horizontal links that are either shaped as buttons, tabs or use colors to distinguish them as links. If your site navigation uses the same font, size and color as the rest of the text on your site, it will be very difficult for a user to discern between text and links.

Intuitive navigation
Your links should describe with simplicity what the user is being linked to. Terms such as “store”, “portfolio”, “contact us” and “home” are widely used and understood. If you get too creative in the titles for your web pages, it will only succeed in confusing your guests. It’s like being at a restaurant where they get too creative in theming the names to the Men’s and Women’s restrooms… using a different language or some ancient hieroglyphic symbol can leave you feeling real embarrassed when you wind up choosing the wrong door.

Consistent navigation
This is a common mistake for most beginners. For example, when you visit the home page, the navigation is on the top, but then it’s on the bottom on the next page. Later on, it may move over to the side, or change verbiage. Even for a familiar web-user, this can be confusing and cause them frustration — even to the point of finding another site to browse. Do yourself and your visitors a favor: keep your navigation consistent on every page.

Connecting with your visitors

There are a few methods of connecting with your visitors. Because of SPAM-bots that scan websites for e-mail addresses and then bombard your inbox with junk mail, it’s recommended that you avoid listing your e-mail address on your website. If you must share your e-mail address, I recommend using the following code to help throw the SPAM-bots off the trail:

<a href=”mailto:name&#64;domain&#46;com”>name&#64;domain&#46;com</a>

Replacing the @ symbol with @ and period with . is a method of protecting your e-mail address from being hunted down and mercilessly overwhelmed with SPAM e-mail.

Contact Forms
Another excellent way of letting your visitors connect with you, and my preferred method, is using a contact form. WordPress offers a number of superb form options, with my favorite being Gravity Forms, allowing you to easily create a form that can be used for contacting you, taking polls or making purchases. The benefit to the contact form is that it doesn’t require your visitors to use their default e-mail program. Have you ever clicked an e-mail address on a website and all of a sudden the website disappears and a program you never use opens up? This is the default effect of linking to an e-mail address. Instead, I recommend linking either the text “Contact Us” or, if you must, your e-mail address to a contact form. The contact form, when submitted, will safely send you an e-mail and return a confirmation such as “Thank you for contacting us! We’ll reply shortly.”

Social Media
Social Media is the general term for tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, MySpace and other platforms that allow you to create a profile and use their features while connecting with others. Depending on your business, different platforms may be more useful than others. Let me explain a few of them:

Facebook is the most widely used social media platform. It originally started with college users, but has since grown to welcome children, grandparents, businesses and celebrities. By posting photos, videos, links and comments, Facebook users can keep in touch with a wide range of friends, family and coworkers easily. Facebook is an excellent resource for artists who want to feature artwork and keep their collectors and potential followers updated. Facebook provides some great tools, such as the “Like Box” and “Activity Feed” to help you easily integrate Facebook with your website.

Twitter seems to strike the most fear in people’s eyes when it is mentioned. And, other than fear of the unknown, there is little reason for this. Twitter is a social media platform allowing you to post short (140-characters or less) status updates, called “tweets”. Other Twitter users can “follow” you, which allows them to receive regular updates on your status updates. Twitter appeals to quick-paced hipsters and executives alike who prefer to get straight to business, cutting away the clutter of videos and long-winded Facebook status updates. Twitter uses a few symbols to help users shorten their tweets:

The “@” symbol is used refer to someone’s username
The “#” symbol, or hashtag, denotes a subject or keyword, making it easy to search for or join in a conversation
“DM” means direct message and is used to send a private message
“RT” means “retweet” and is used to forward someone else’s tweet
URLs are frequently shortened to save space. Twitter will do this for you automatically.

A great Twitter example for an artist would be:

@OilPaintAmerica Check out my artwork being featured at the #OPANationalShow this year! http://bit.ly/uxHSPX

Pinterest is a newcomer but has quickly taken the social media world by surprise. Pinterest is a digital pin-board of creative ideas. Thousands of creative crafts, recipes, outfits, haircuts, architecture designs and cute quips are posted daily. As an artist, I believe this is a great opportunity to share your paintings with the world. Simply post your paintings, linking them to your website or blog, and Pinterest users will “pin” your paintings if they like them. They may even begin to follow you on Pinterest, in which case their friends would see your artwork and could lead to more artwork sales.

LinkedIn is the serious side of social networking. Geared towards the executive or businessperson, LinkedIn has become the generally-accepted digital resume. As you connect to others in LinkedIn, your network of connections grows, giving you credibility and potential job opportunities. This would be a great option for an artist wishing to connect with publishers, businesses looking for artwork or portraiture, as well as side-jobs or a way to stay connected with others in the business world.

Keeping it all organized

There are many more social networking options coming out every year. My word of advice is to pick one or two that you feel comfortable engaging with and then focus on those alone. Do not feel the need to master every new trick the internet throws at you.

For those of you who want to try your hand at a few social networks, I recommend using a desktop program such as TweetDeck, which allows you to post to multiple platforms with a single click.

Search Engine Optimization

I’m going to keep this section short, because there is a lot of information about Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, on the web. SEO is the process of creating websites that are simple for search engines to understand, making it easy for search engines such as Google and Bing to present your site to visitors.

A few things to know about SEO:

It’s not an overnight job. It’s a process. Count on it taking longer if you have a lot of competition who is actively pursuing high search engine rankings.
Focus on content before tricks. Similar to “If you build it, they will come.” in SEO, “If you provide valuable information, your ranking will improve.”
Proper coding matters. Use a web designer that knows what they are doing and a search engine-friendly platform like WordPress.

Strategy

Begin with the end in mind. We talked about this a bit in the first part. Begin with a clearly defined goal so that you can focus on achieving it. If your goal is to collect a large list of subscribers to your blog or newsletter, then make your sign-up form obvious and the sign-up process simple. If you’re goal is to increase the amount of people seeing your artwork, integrate social media with your website and be active on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. If you want to sell artwork at all costs, make your online store flawless and offer to mail artwork out to buyers to inspect, giving them 72 hours to send back the artwork or purchase it. There are many strategies. Choose one that fits your personality and goals and stick to it.

Don’t be afraid to have a simple website. Your website can be very simple and doesn’t need to be updated often. But make it professional so that it reflects your product. Though, I recommend that at the very least, use a Facebook or Twitter feed as a way to provide fresh content on your site.

Try something new. Give blogging a try. Tweet. Give something away for free on your website… you’re an artist! You’re supposed to be the crazy type! Do something fun and take a risk!

Learn from some of the great minds of our day. Read the writings of Seth Godin, John C. Maxwell, Dave Ramsey or Michael Hyatt. These thinkers are shaking the way marketers sell, leaders stir and people spend.

In Summary

Part 1 spoke about adapting to a digital world as an artist, as well as general goal-setting. Part 2 detailed the backbones of a website and a few steps to getting a website set up. This article gave some next steps after you have a site up and running: easy-to-use navigation, connecting with your visitors, and additional strategic tips. We at OPA hope this has been helpful and welcome your thoughts, criticism and questions. Thanks for reading the OPA Blog!

If you have questions, feel free to visit www.steckinsights.com for consulting or website advice.

Filed Under: Business, Technology

Important Website Considerations for Artists: Part 2 of 3

August 6, 2012 by Brian Steck Leave a Comment

This article is part 2 of a 3-part series discussing important website considerations for artists. The first part laid out some general thoughts to keep in mind during the initial stages of creating your art website.

Important Considerations – Part 2: Basic Website Elements

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“Okay you twisted my arm. Now what?”

There are a number of questions that inevitably should be going through your head: what will this cost me? can I do it myself or should I hire a professional? I’m an artist, not a nerd – how the heck am I supposed to build a website?!

As the resident “nerd” at OPA, let me help you along. I’ll walk through some basics that you should know about, even if you hire a professional.

Terminology
“Gigabytes? Hard drives? Ugh… That megahertz my brain just to think about!”

In order to have your own website, you need two things working together: a domain name and a web host.

The “domain name” is what people type in to find you.

“OilPaintersOfAmerica.com” is a domain name. This is purchased from a “domain registrar”, such as NameCheap, Verio or GoDaddy.

Then the domain name is pointed to your “web host”. A web host, like HostGator, BlueHost or GoDaddy for example, holds onto the files of your website and presents them to people when they arrive.

Before you get too confused, think of your “web host” as a gallery that holds your artwork and the “domain name” is the address collectors use to get to the art gallery.

Basic elements of a website

In summary, you purchase a domain name and a web hosting package. The domain name points to your web host.

Congratulations! You passed our terminology section! (Well done. You did great!)

What will this cost me?
Typically a domain name costs between $9-14 per year (sometimes the first year is cheaper when you purchase in conjunction with a web hosting package) and a web hosting package normally runs between $50-80 per year.*

For most users, the starter packages will do the trick. HostGator has excellent prices, so any of their webhosting packages will work. I recommend their “baby plan” if you would like to have more than one domain name (like myawesomeartwork.com and myawesomeartwork.org) or their “business plan” if you would like to sell products directly from your site.

Where does the “website” part come in?
Next, you actually need the files that make up your website. Some web hosting packages provide simple templates for you to fill in your information. There are some companies, such as Fine Art Studio Online, that provide slightly more advanced templates specifically for artists. Then there are web developers like myself, Steck Insights Web Design, that design custom hand-crafted websites for anybody and everybody.

Each of the options listed provides more customization than it’s predecessor, but will generally cost more.

The generic site that comes with your hosting package is usually not what you want. I recommend, at the very least, having someone set up a “WordPress” site for you.**

WordPress, which was originally a blogging platform, has become a leader in web design — in fact, everyone from small start-ups to multi-million dollar corporations use it, including OPA! The WordPress platform makes it easy for someone with little to no technical savvy, to easily update the content of their website. That way, you don’t have to pay someone each time you want to share your latest painting with the world. For extra credit, this is known as a “Content Management System (CMS)”.

Web Design Costs
Having someone design a website by hand can be expensive. A typical custom designed, WordPress-based, “brochure website” will cost between $1,000-1,500. A brochure website will contain 3-5 pages and provide most of the basic information about you that a handheld brochure might. When you add in the need for an online shopping cart or custom features, it can be even more expensive.

So what I would suggest for someone just getting started, is to hire a web designer to set up the free WordPress install, do some slight configurations and walk you through the basics. This could be completed for between $150-300 and it would give you a starting place to get your feet wet.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about WordPress or how to set up a basic website.

Time vs. Money

“Do you want to be an artist or a web designer?”

We all know that you want to be in the studio painting or scoping out your next plein air location, not pulling your hair out in front of a computer.

This is the main reason why I point people to using a Content Management System (CMS), which enables you to make simple changes, add pages or move links with a few clicks. If you can send an e-mail or create a Microsoft Word document, you can handle WordPress.

The starving artist out there may be tempted to try to do it all himself. There are many great resources available that can help you with this, but I would urge you to seek the help of a professional, so your website showcases your work in the best light and you can get back to the canvas.

If you’re on the other end of the spectrum, you may prefer to stay as far away from a keyboard as you can get and hire a web developer to manage your website for you. When you want to make a change, just give them a call and they’ll take care of it for you — but keep in mind, this is a more expensive option. But when you consider the additional cost of lost business (and extra gray hairs), a trained professional may be the way to go.

Lesson 2 Summary

Option 1:

Purchase a domain name – “myawesomeartwork.com” for example – (currently available, by the way)

Purchase a web hosting package

Set up WordPress

Option 2:

Hire a web developer to do it for you

*Both domain names and hosting packages can be much more expensive, depending on the demand for the domain name and the features of the web hosting package, but for most people’s needs, these are typical prices.

**There are two versions of WordPress: a paid and free version. The paid version makes the setup simple for you, but is very limiting. I recommend finding a web designer to set you up with the free version.

Filed Under: Business, Technology Tagged With: Domain Name, Steck Insights, Web Development, Web Hosting, Website Design, WordPress

Paints, Brushes and Facebook Supports

July 9, 2012 by Cathy Dietrich 1 Comment

Facebook could be as important to artists as their favorite supplies. I sensed this when the general manager of a prestigious Scottsdale gallery told me that when all else failed, Facebook helped him locate an artist he wanted to invite into the gallery to exhibit. He believed if an artist had a web address, they would also have a Facebook page as part of their marketing plan. This seems an incredible story unique to our times and I frequently relay it to artists who profess they don’t have time for Facebook.

In addition to finding the perfect oils, brushes and supports to create your art, an untapped audience could be waiting on the other side of your screen, so to speak, to connect with you and your art. Recently, a prolific plein air artist and popular instructor posted local scenes and paintings created on his trip east and photos of Sargeant’s works from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I “traveled” with him and anticipated his daily posts. He posted “Thanks so much everyone for your congratulations and encouragement. It really means a lot to me.” Art is emotional and unsolicited constructive feedback is a gift.

When a quick critique is needed to save a piece gone awry a Facebook post of “what do you think this painting needs?” can bring every imaginable solution. I enjoy artist’s posts of “just finished, still on the easel” paintings in the studio or plein air works still on outdoor easels positioned to show the view of the painted scene. Posts of paintings sold right off the easel and paintings juried into prestigious shows send an immediate thrill throughout the art community. The sharing of friends’ achievements becomes the community’s collective success.

Artists like to share supplies they love. I was unaware of Vasari oil paints until an artist posted that the company sent her entire palette as a gift. Comments immediately appeared from artists who swore by that brand. So Facebook not only informs, but teaches. CW Mundy posted a painting with a glazing technique and when queried offered steps to achieve the effect. An artist commented “the mark of a great instructor is one who uses every opportunity to teach”. I was impressed and surprised to consider Facebook as the art community’s personal arts “channel” and discussion forum.

Jeff Legg OPAM with “The Provisions”

It is a high honor for an artist to have their work juried into the national OPA exhibit and artists shared their stellar news of acceptance on Facebook. Later posts appeared of artists alongside their award winning paintings to connect with a broader audience. I enjoyed seeing Jeff Legg next to his painting and award, offered my congratulations and thanked him for posting it. I also sent a private message to Melissa Gann who won our RayMar award. She responded with “Thank you for creating the memorial award. I am so honored to be the recipient. You and Emily do so much for the art community through RayMar.” Comments like Melissa’s are humbling and create excitement among sponsors and ultimately collectors to become more involved.

So after some solo time in the studio artists can tap into the Facebook art world for the latest news and even the possibility of a sale without ever leaving the studio. I know because I just concluded my first facebook sale. I saw a posted painting I loved, contacted the artist and made the purchase. It was immediate and I could send a message directly to the artist to express my emotional connection with the painting.

Facebook can be a waste of time if you are undisciplined, but as a fresh way to connect with collectors, gallery directors, workshop instructors and art buddies to build friendships it is unsurpassed. Facebook is an exciting part of my day and I’m happy to have the opportunity to share my thoughts about some of its advantages with you as OPA’s guest blogger.

Filed Under: Business, Technology Tagged With: Business Strategy, Facebook, Marketing, National Show, Social Media

Important Website Considerations for Artists: Part 1 of 3

July 2, 2012 by Brian Steck 2 Comments

There is no law that requires you to have a website, no one is forcing you to use a cell phone and no one mandates that you drive a car.

But each of these are tools and technologies that enhance the quality of life around us, to the point that some deem them necessities.

I’m here as a child of the digital age, and a full-time freelance web developer, presenting some ideas that, should you chose to accept them, may benefit your livelihood in this internet-crazed world we now live in.

Adapting to the digital world

“If I cover my eyes, maybe it’ll all go away!”

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as ignoring it. There are some of you that have been forced to use new technologies which would have been considered science-fiction a decade ago. Or maybe you remember the age when making a phone call meant speaking with an operator first. Either way, take a moment, a deep breath and pat yourself on the back — I mean, you’re reading a blog for goodness sakes! Way to go!

A few things to acknowledge:

It’s okay to not know – the key to the digital age is that you don’t need to know or remember anything. That’s what Google is for! If you have a question, it’s only a search away.
You don’t have to do it all – new and ever-changing technologies are just a fact of life. So don’t feel as if you need to sign up for every social network out there. Pick one and stick with it.
There are no “tricks” or shortcuts to success – when it comes down to it, your journey to success is still all about quality and trust. Providing consistent, exceptional value to the customer is what it’s all about. This is true whether you’re an oil painter, a supply store or a fortune 500 company.

The need for a website

“Com’n, you know you wanna. Everyone’s doing it!”

We’ve all heard it before: “you’ve gotta have a website”. It was the resounding cry of the dot-com boom that caused businesses and organizations, large and small, to rush out like lemmings off a cliff to stake their claim of the world wide web. Unfortunately, few stopped to ask “why?” Today, many folks are stuck with expensive, outdated and altogether abandoned websites — now scratching their heads and wondering “what did I need this website for, anyhow?”

Why do you need a website? Here’s why: People are no longer relying on yellow-pages and billboards to find the products they need. Instead, they turn to Google or Facebook. The “like” button or online product review has become the new “word of mouth”. So, when someone is looking for an “original oil painting near Denver”, for example, it becomes very important that you are online and easy to find when they begin that search.

Important Considerations – Part 1: Goals & Organization

“Tips for right-brain thinkers who prefer to leap, then look”

Steven Covey, in the book “7 Habits for Highly Effective People”, says “Begin with the end in mind.” This is my advice to you, as well. What are you trying to accomplish? We know that we are supposed to have a website, but we are often unclear as to “why”. Your website is your business card. It is the book cover that people judge you by. A website should reflect the personality, professionalism and quality of your product which, in your case, is your artwork.

Interesting Stats:

It’s been said that upon meeting someone you have seven seconds to make an impression. This is even more true online. In fact, some studies say it takes less than two tenths of a second for an online visitor to form an opinion of your brand. ¹

Needless to say, your website must present your business in the finest light possible.

So your first goal should be to make a good impression. Spend time thinking about the image you want to present of yourself?

Secondly, ask yourself this clarifying question: “What do I want people to leave with or accomplish while visiting?”

To help with the specifics of that last question, let me give some examples. Maybe your end-goal is that your visitor purchase something; so make sure that your products and prices are obvious, that you have a simple and functional shopping cart with current discounts and specials highlighted.

Would you like them to sign up for a newsletter? Then make that registration form the first thing they see and perhaps offer a free download or reward for signing up.

If your ideal is for visitors to spend time looking at your paintings and share them with others, then put your photo gallery on the front page with prominent “share” or “comment” buttons for each of them.

You see, it’s not difficult to create a game plan, but it begins with the end in mind. Your visitor is better-served because you provided them with obvious steps to accomplish. No one enjoys arriving at a website only to stare blankly at it wondering, “now what?”

The third goal that I see for any website is that it provides quality content. This content, or information, should take into account your intended audience. Some questions you should be asking while creating your website are:

Who are you trying to reach?
What is your target audience?
Are they of a particular age? If older, should font size be increased?
Will they be accessing your website on a desktop computer or from their mobile device?
What are they most likely looking for? What phrases will they be searching with?

These questions can help guide you in making decisions about layout, graphics, fonts, content and navigation.

Do your best to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think like the visitor.

“Important Website Considerations for Artists” is a three part series aimed to help artists make educated decisions around their web presence. Feel free to add questions and comments below and the author will do his best to point you in the right direction. If you’re in need of assistance with your website, feel free to visit Steck Insights Web Design.

Filed Under: Business, Technology Tagged With: Business Strategy, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Steck Insights, Twitter, Web Development, Website Design, WordPress

The Art of Survival in the Survival of Art

June 25, 2012 by Bill Farnsworth OPA 2 Comments

Since the Great Recession hit, most artists have been impacted. Collectors cut back on luxury items and art is at the top of the list. Workshop enrollment is down as well, and if you teach a lot of workshops that can be a big impact. Some artists have taken on part-time teaching as a steady gig. Doing a couple of day’s part time teaching is fine, but if you go full time it may really impact your studio time.

As an illustrator for many years I learned very fast how to hustle if I was going to pay my bills. Self-promotion was a constant thing even with an agent. Making new contacts in the Illustration world was a constant thing. Tailoring my art to the Illustration market was not much different than the fine art field. However, the fine art has allowed me to paint what moves me and still be able to sell. The last two years I have transitioned into all gallery work, which means every painting I produce is spec. So now I am trying to use what I’ve learned in the commercial world, into the fine art world. Not all of it overlaps but the business practice does.

I try to do all E-mail correspondence, phone calls, and all other loose ends before 10am and then I will have an open block of time in the studio where I can think about the painting process and not a little thing in the back of my mind. If I want to contact a gallery by phone I will have to do it after 11am, if an email won’t work. At night I might go back into the studio to touch up a little, but mostly I plan for the coming months. Keeping steady workshops planned is difficult, but you can spread them out over the year. Teaching is great way to verbalize your approach and can be a great learning experience for you as well as the student. If the area you are in during the workshop has some great scenery, take advantage and paint it or photograph it on your free time.

I keep a studio calendar list of all my upcoming workshops, shows and paint outs so I don’t lose track of opportunities. Knowing when an important show is coming up will give you more time to set aside your “show pieces”. It’s always a tough thing to do a good painting that will sell and set it aside for the shows. Choosing my own painting for a show is sometimes hard for me, so I might post it on Face Book or have some artist friends over to get a reaction that will help me in judging the right painting for an upcoming exhibition.

Recently, I have been rethinking my framing and expanding my choices. I have about four frames that I use all the time and they look great on almost everything, but sometimes having a half dozen other choices might be the difference for a Collector riding the fence. I learned early in my career that a bad frame can kill a good painting. Let’s face it; it’s the package for your product. I was in a show at The National Arts Club years ago, and that year Everett Raymond Kinstler won best in show for a stunning painting and an equally beautiful frame. When the show came down and I picked up my art, one of the curators of the show told me my painting was very well done, but the frame made it look amateurish. He was right. Looking around at the other paintings with beautiful wide gallery frames made an impact on me.

As an artist, I am not the best business person, but have learned a lot over the years in order to survive in an extremely up and down market. Some of my artist friends have taught me a great deal about good business and I have been able to use some their advice. When you sell a painting at a gallery make sure you can follow up with another piece to replace the sold painting. If there is a blank space on the wall, it will get filled with another artist’s work.

The last element in our survival in Art is the psychological aspect. Artists, I think tend to be a little insecure because of the volatile nature of the business. If we don’t sell a painting in a month we second guess the subject matter we paint and everything else. Having the right frame of mind is essential in creating our best art and succeeding. The illustration field taught me to have a thick skin because one day maybe a diamond and the next a rock. An artist’s ego can be a dangerous thing. Win an award, be happy for a couple of days, and then put your ribbon away. Living in a good environment surrounded by loving family and friends , will always be a solid foundation during the bumpy ride in Art.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Money, Overcoming Adversity, Positive Thinking, Success

Is There Anything Oil Painters Can Learn From Apple?

June 18, 2012 by Craig Shillam 1 Comment

"The Birds And The Bees" by Craig Shillam

Is there anything oil painters can learn from a big fortune 500 company like the Apple Corporation? Everybody knows that Apple supplies the world with millions of high quality and much sought after tech gadgets. Oil painters in most cases create individual, one of a kind works that we hope someone would love as much as they love their iphone. Is there any possible way oil painters could learn a thing or two from a tech giant? Could there be anything that Apple does in their business attitudes and practices that oil painters might benefit from ? It wouldn’t hurt to look, would it?

Can Oil Painters Learn from Apple?

1. Everything starts with a great product. Take the ipod for example. I think it’s a great product. A great product has the power to make a name, or a brand. Once you build the brand, it is easier to present your new products. It doesn’t happen overnight, in fact it may take years. Could we change out the word “product” for painting here? The oil painters you and I admire most didn’t paint their best stuff while they were still wet behind the ears. They put in the time right? They painted quality paintings over a period of time and built up their skills and their name/brand. An oil painters name can be compared to a brand. Your name, or your brand, is a precious asset, be sure and treasure it just as a fortune 500 company would.

2. Turn something ordinary into something beautiful. A cell phone, a music player and a tablet are usually not something that comes to mind when we think of beautiful. Neither is an old, aging building, a fence, rocks, or plenty of other things. But in the hands of a person with vision, or an exceptional painter, or both, common everyday items can become so much more than ordinary. They can be made to be extraordinary.

3. Ignore the Critics. Apple has been criticized plenty of times, as most large corporation have. Most people don’t realize that the ipod was a flop for about the first three years. But they continued with their vision to build the products they wanted to build the way they want to build them. Most oil painters face criticism at one point or another. In fact if you haven’t, you probably need to try harder. But how oil painters respond to the criticism is what matters. If you want to paint juggling elephants en plein air, do it! Who is anyone to say otherwise? Realism, impressionism, cubism, criticism. Learn from criticism, don’t bow down to it. What if Apple had given up on the ipod?

4.Communicate in the language of your audience. Apple doesn’t go out of their way to tell us about all the tech specs in their gadgets. They tell us about the clarity of the screen, the speed, the design, what this great product will do for us. They tell us about the benefits. I am of the opinion that oil painters should do that as well. Tell your collectors or gallery reps about the benefits of your work. Stories, awards, travels, what makes the piece special, and so on. Build it up a little bit. Help them relate more to you and your work. What you tell people about your work is what they will tell others, so give them plenty of benefits instead the technical or instead of nothing at all. I don’t know about you, but I have found that no matter how unimpressed I am with my own work, someone else finds it fascinating.

5. Justify the Price. Apple products are not cheap, and they seldom if ever go on sale. Yet, millions of people including my wife have just got to have an iphone. How do they do that? First of all they build products that their audience loves passionately. The use of premium materials, the design, the quality of the experience and the immense personal value that people feel while using those products. Benefits. Their products also come with extras, and they don’t provide a low-end option. Can we as oil painters figure out a way to incorporate some of this attitude into our work?

6. Extend the Experience. Call it a presentation, an unveiling, a reveal, unboxing, whatever you want. But hundreds of people have even filmed themselves opening their new Apple gadget box and thrown it up on YouTube. The opening of the box is that big of a deal. An experienced framer told me several times how he would sometimes “present” art to the client. He would wrap it in paper, then take his time and unwrap it in front of the buyer, talk about the art, and build up the whole thing to make the art and person feel special, with great results. He didn’t do this all the time, but he did work me a couple of times, and it was the anticipation and the expectation that I felt that makes me remember the experience fondly.

7. Build your Tribe/Find your people. Apple has their very large and engaged tribe and it continues to grow. Oil Painters can have a tribe too. Your tribe are those people who accept you for who you are and want the best for you. They support you and encourage you to pursue your dreams. Your tribe can be friends, family, artists, collectors and whoever else might drive you to make full use of your talents and abilities. Listen to your inner voice and trust your instincts, and find your people. Oil Painters of America might be one place to start…

8. Become the Name. Most people don’t ask for an Apple for their birthday. They ask for an ipod, ipad, or an iphone. But when you say those names, everyone knows who makes them. Maybe if we keep painting and build our tribe, one day someone will want more than a painting, they will want a you hanging in their collection.I don’t necessarily want a painting of Italy hanging in my living room, iwant a Hulings.

Thank You Oil Painters

Thank you oil painters for inspiring me and teaching me through your work and your words. It is my honor to have this post on OPA. This was not meant to be an advertisement for Apple, they don’t need any help from me. In fact, my phone is a droid. But if there is even one thing to learn from the attitudes and ideas of a company that has had such an impact on our world, why not?

Filed Under: Business, Oil Painting Tagged With: Apple