Professional Artist Magazine

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Access the Interactive July/August Issue

July/August Issue Now Available

This issue includes articles Facebook, E-Newsletters, Increasing Online Art Sales and more.

2011 Portrait Cover Contest

Professional Artist is happy to present the winner and finalists of our Portrait Cover Contest, sponsored by BLICK Art Materials: Terry Strickland, Sara Scribner and Maayan Zari.

Online Member of the Month: Robert A. Kamarowski (rkamarowski)

Read about our March 2011 ArtScuttlebutt.com Member: Robert A. Kamarowski (rkamarowski)

Meet the Winners of Our 2010 Studio Makeover Contest

2010 Studio Makeover Contest

The results are in for our second annual Art Calendar Studio Makeover Contest, which ran from June 1 to July 31, 2010 and featured more than $17,000 in prizes.

Choosing An Artist’s Representative

16 Questions You Need to Ask

When choosing an artist representative, do your homework to make sure you know enough about them and how the business relationship will work. Renee Phillips poses 16 questions to ask to get the whole story.

Why Artists Need to Get Their ZZZs

Are you getting enough sleep? Sleeping enhances performance, helps generate “aha!” moments, and plays a role in your body’s overall health and well-being. If you are sacrificing sleep to spend long hours at the studio, you could be doing yourself more harm than good.

How to Select the Right M.F.A. Program

Matthew Daub takes you through the steps.

Looking to obtain an M.F.A.? Researching graduate studio programs might seem daunting but knowing what questions to ask is a good place to start.

Practical Aesthetics PDF Download

Companion piece to Practical Aesthetics: Examining Artwork With a Critical Eye by Stephen Knudsen, featured in the October 2010 issue of Art Calendar.

The Challenge of Commissions

Be focused, flexible

Commissioned work requires a certain focused and flexible mindset. If you are willing to take on the challenge, here are some useful guidelines to follow to make the process a positive experience.

Secrets of the Trade: Free Marketing and Business Tools (Part 3 of 3)

In the final part of this series, you'll how to sell your art on the Internet using PayPal, your own Web store and Facebook, all with no upfront costs.

Secrets of the Trade: Free Marketing and Business Tools (Part 2 of 3)

A strong Web site and e-mail campaign is essential to maintaining good communication with collectors, fans, the media and anyone else interested in your artwork. Here are three free tools that can enable you to send professional-looking e-newsletters, learn more about your audience and improve the organization of your Web site.

Online Member of the Month: Mark Goings (Mgoings)

Read about our September 2010 ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Mark Goings (Mgoings)

Secrets of the Trade: Free Marketing and Business Tools (Part 1 of 3)

Editor Kim Hall shares some helpful tools that the pros like to use.

Used strategically, Facebook and Twitter can be effective, free marketing tools. But are you aware that there are dozens of other simple, free digital tools that marketing experts, entrepreneurs and even big corporations use all the time to manage and market their businesses?

Insure Your Artwork and Studio

Insurance is an important but often overlooked issue for artists.

It's important to understand that if you have a studio in your home, it may not be covered by your homeowner, condo or renter policy.

10 Tips for Improving Your Art Sales

Follow these 10 tips

Being the salesperson for your art isn't always the easiest thing to do, but taking the time to create a good sales approach is key to success. Here are 10 ideas that are sure to power up your sales.

Paris Blues: Profile of an Artist Living Abroad

The joys and challenges of working overseas.

Irish painter Tom J. Byrne loves living in Paris, but is quick to admit that the City of Light can be tough place for artists trying to establish their careers.

Online Member of the Month: Lindy Gruger Hanson (Lindyhanson)

Read about our July/August 2010 ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Lindy Gruger Hanson (Lindyhanson)

Summer Reading Recommendations

Great books AC editors and writers recommend.

The summer season is nearly here, and hopefully, that means you'll have time to catch up on your reading. In case you need some recommendations, here are 13 art books that the Art Calendar writers and editors are currently enjoying ...

25 Golden Rules of Success

As a career consultant and Artrepreneur myself, I have many golden rules that I teach and follow. Many of my clients have told me it is often the simple change in attitude or behavior that can often reap the best results. Here are 25 of my favorites.

Online Member of the Month: Ines Kramer (Inesco08)

Read about our June 2010 ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Ines Kramer (Inesco08)

Glass Artist Roger Moore's Unofficial Safety Rules

Roger Moore became a warm glass artist just a few years ago, after having "varying degrees of success" as a graphic designer, publisher, gourmet food purveyor and stockbroker. To get his new career off on the right foot, he built himself a brand new studio - a studio that, while aesthetically-pleasing and highly functional, is just about as safe as it could be.

Ventilating Your Studio

Ventilation

Ventilation is one aspect of handling art materials properly that is vital to maintaining a healthy workspace. Unfortunately, studio ventilation is routinely ignored or misunderstood. It is often overlooked by artists who rely upon open doors or windows, an air-conditioning unit or a ceiling fan to circulate the air in their studios. In many cases, this is simply not enough.

Create a Marketing and Communications Budget for Your Art Business

Marketing Budget

Just as you need a comprehensive budget to help you to manage your overall business operations, a marketing and communications budget is a central component of your marketing plan, serving as a road map for accomplishing your marketing-related goals.

Online Member of the Month: Amy Guidry (Amyguidry)

Read about our May 2010 ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Amy Guidry (Amyguidry)

Analyze Your Business Finances and Create a Better Budget

Build a Better Budget

Financials are important for measuring your profitability and growth, for creating a yearly budget and making long-term plans. Do you know which financial statements you need to review? How should you analyze them? And when things are not going the way you want them to, how can these numbers help you to get out of the red?

Online Member of the Month: Doug Forsythe (Intaglio)

Read about our ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Doug Forsythe (Intaglio)

Keep Your Hands Working: How to Avoid Injury in the Studio

Avoid injury in the studio

Artists, whether they are in the studio for hours, lifting heavy loads or simply typing on the computer, are susceptible to damaging muscles, nerves, tendons and other tissues. What can be done to treat injuries or better yet, prevent them?

Meet the Winners of 2010 Self-Portrait Cover Contest

2010 Self-Portrait Cover Contest

Art Calendar is happy to present the winner and the finalists of our March 2009 Cover Contest, sponsored by BLICK art materials: Jason John, Lloyd Greene and Lavar Munroe.

Gallery Moves Fast to Aid Haiti

Haitian Relief

People around the globe rallied to aid Haitians after the terrible earthquake of January 12th. In Brooklyn, New York, with its large Haitian population, the disaster was deeply felt. Throughout the boroughs and New York City, dozens of fundraisers and benefits were held within days after the tragedy. The Tabla Rasa Gallery was one of the first, and the simplicity of its event stood out from the crowd, enabling it to raise more than $11,000 for Haitian relief efforts in just one day.

Online Member of the Month: Lesley Payne (Lesleypayne)

Read about our March 2010 ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Lesley Payne (Lesleypayne)

Filing Your 2009 Taxes: Updates on Credits, Deductions, Exemptions and Benefits at a Glance

Every year brings changes to the already complicated Internal Revenue Code. New credits become available, others expand or expire; amounts for credits and deductions also can vary from one year to another. To help you prepare your 2009 return, we've compiled a list of items that are most likely to impact the filing of the average visual artist.

How Oil City Turned Its Town Around

In 2005, the denizens of Oil City, Pennsylvania, decided to turn their hometown into an artist-friendly community. Looking for ways to revitalize downtown, the City Council of Oil City brought in consultants from a downtown development firm, Shepstone Management Company, to give them feedback and generate new ideas.

Meet the Winners of Our Studio Makeover Contest

Studio Makeover Contest

The results are in for the 2009 Art Calendar Studio Makeover Contest that featured more than $10,000 in prizes. The Art Calendar editors and staff selected the winners from almost 1,500 entries.

Online Art Marketing Ideas to Light Up Holiday Sales

with these online marketing ideas

Holiday e-newsletters and announcements from artists are appearing fast and furious in my inbox. What are you doing to generate buzz about your business and hopefully make some sales this holiday season?

How to Network on a Daily Basis

Networking

To capture the potential of networking, you need to incorporate networking tasks into your daily routine. Art Calendar caught up with productivity pro Laura Stack and organization expert Julie Morgenstern to ask their advice on how you can flex your networking muscle.

Luxury Marketing Part 5: Placing Luxury Products

Luxury Marketing 5

Your marketing campaign is only as good as where as you place your product. In the September 2009 issue of Art Calendar magazine, I discussed placement in "Back to Basics: Tried and True Marketing Principles," but let's take a look at placement in the context of luxury brands. Which places work for luxe products?

Career Resources for Artists

Find books, Web sites and other resources in addition to Art Calendar that can help you manage your career.

Photo Tour of the Home of Artist Doug Granum: Bonus Material from the December 2009/January 2010 Issue of Art Calendar

Doug Granum December 2009

In the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Art Calendar, columnist Steve Meltzer introduced us to the world of artist Doug Granum and his artistic sanctuary. Here are some of the additional photographs of Granum's home and studio that we were not able to get into the magazine.

Luxury Marketing Part 4: Creating a Luxury Brand

Luxury Marketing 4

Branding is key to creating a product of perceived high-end value. It is through branding that consumers buy into the notion that there are distinctions of value between one product and another.

Social Networking for Artists: Tips for Success

Social Networking

Much like in-person networking, social networking consists of communities of people who share interests and/or activities; however, it takes place on Web sites known as social sites. The most popular social sites, like the ones I use - Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter - are free.

Luxury Marketing Part 3: Do you make the luxe list?

Luxury Marketing 3

One reason why luxe is luxe is because the quality and workmanship are bar none. As the economy begins to recover, many market analysts are predicting that quality will take on heightened importance among buyers of the upper stratosphere.

Luxury Marketing Part 2: Studying Your Target Market

Before you leap into the luxe market, you've got to develop a marketing plan, which starts with defining and studying your target market. In this article, we'll discuss the things you need to know about your prospective buyer, where to find this information and how to analyze the data you uncover so that you can decide whether and how to sell your products to affluent buyers.

Luxury Marketing Part 1: Finding Your Place in the Luxury Market

Even as the economy is going through a recession, a market for luxury goods and services still exists. While American consumers are cutting back on extravagant spending, they are not willing to give up on indulgences altogether. It is entirely possible for you to sell your art in this marketplace even in this current climate, as long as you understand luxe buyers and their behavioral patterns ...

Judge and Jury: What to Expect When Entering Art Shows

Entering an art show, at any level of your career, is a wonderful means of gaining validation and recognition. For beginning artists, receiving appreciation from people other than friends and family can be very encouraging. Competition is an excellent way of building up a resume, especially if one is fortunate enough to win an award. Plus, more people may see your work, increasing the possibility of sales and getting into galleries.

Exploring Viral Marketing: Part 2 From Spectator to Player

In monitoring online art chatter, you may have identified some blogs, groups and high-profile users of social media networks where a discussion about you and your work could have great impact on your publicity and sales. What actions can you take to attract the attention of users, and what techno-savvy things can you do help push yourself further into the limelight?

Online Member of the Month: Phil Napala

Read about our ArtScuttlebutt.com Online Member of the Month: Phil Napala (panapala)

Exploring Viral Marketing: Part 1

Marketers love it when a product goes "viral." It means that someone has picked up on their message, and it's getting passed along to more and more users, generating a buzz of (hopefully, positive) interest. What artist doesn't want to be the object of attention of millions of people?

Second Life Part 4: Pricing and Selling Art in Second Life's Virtual World

Please read the July/August Art Calendar magazine articles Second Life: Networking in a Virtual World and Streamline Your Time in Second Life, as well as The Artist's Guide to Marketing and Networking in Second Life on www.ArtCalendar.com, before proceeding.

Second Life Part 3: The Artist's Guide to Marketing and Networking in Second Life

As a continuation of the Second Life articles that appeared in the July/August issue of Art Calendar magazine, in this article, we're going to explore some ways you'll be able to hit the ground running with marketing yourself in Second Life's virtual art scene. There are many similarities to real life when it comes to presenting yourself to the inworld audiences of curators, collectors and other artists.

E-mail Marketing Part 5: Knowing When to Send What

In this age of online marketing, knowing when to send bulk e-mail communications is extremely important. Get it right, and you build the trust and familiarity that keep your support base willingly tuned in.

Dare to Step Outside the Box

Are you sick and tired of working hard as an artist and still feeling invisible?

E-mail Marketing Part 4: Achieving the Right Look

When you create marketing materials for the Web, you are making something that will be visible to many people. The appearance of your mailings can either make you look either like a pro or a hobbyist. Take the time to produce mailings that create a good impression; your good name depends on it.

E-mail Marketing Part 3: Writing an E-Newsletter

Writing copy for your newsletter will be much less daunting if you break it down into manageable parts: pre-writing, writing, revising, and proofreading.

E-mail Marketing Part 2: Developing a Mailing List

An effective e-marketing campaign begins with the creation of a quality mailing list.

E-mail Marketing Part 1: Contact Systems

E-mail marketing service companies offer affordable, easy-to-use bulk e-mail services...

Using Solvents: Rules for Handling and Disposal

For oil painters interested in eliminating harmful solvents from their painting methods, or reducing their exposure to the most harmful, although commonly used, solvents. Expanded article with clean up and color-theory tips.

Expanded April 2009 Article: Solvent-Free and Safer Solvent Solutions for Oil Painters

For oil painters interested in eliminating harmful solvents from their painting methods, or reducing their exposure to the most harmful, although commonly used, solvents. Expanded article with clean up and color-theory tips.

Eco-Friendly Sign Products for Your Art Fair Booth

The start of the art fair circuit has practically arrived! Sign products are a great way to show how green you've become.Take a look at the earth-friendly displays that could hang in your booth:

22 Simple Guidelines for E-mail Etiquette

It is very possible that a major obstacle standing in your way of attaining professional success may be a lack of communication skills, specifically, your e-mail skills.

Overcoming the Fear of the Blank Canvas

Artists can become quite skillful in creating convenient excuses to delay painting.

Six Ways to Promote Your Business During the Holidays

Now that we're in the thick of the holidays, it may be too late to run a sales promotion that will get people into your studio or virtual gallery to purchase artwork that will arrive before December 25. Rather than bemoan might-have-been sales, start thinking about where you can channel your marketing efforts in the time remaining between now and the New Year.

Finding a Market for Large-Scale Art

The recent downturn has resulted in less private buyers placing gigantic 2D pieces in palatial homes.

Expanded February 2009 Content: Add a Custom Search Engine to Your Web Site

The following article is a supplemental piece to Art Calendar magazine's February 2009 article 'An Introduction to Google Analytics.' In the Google Analytics piece, we recommended that artists with their own Web sites implement an internal site search, also known as a Custom Search Engine (CSE), in addition to Google Analytics, so they can better understand if their Web sites are effective for visitors.

How to Prepare and Send a Media Release for a Group Show

A well-written press release that is sent to the right people and followed up with precision can result in tremendous publicity for your collaborative art event.

Creating an Artist-Friendly Community

Many communities are enacting economic stimulus and revitalization programs that specifically address ways to increase their inventory of artistic venues.

Manufacture a Custom Designer "Toy"

If you read the article in the November issue on how contemporary artists are creating custom lines of vinyl toys...

How to Self-Publish a Book of Your Art At Lulu

In the November issue, Diana Moses Botkin wrote about self-publishing a book of your art. Here, artist Bob Bissett shares his experience with self-publishing through Lulu.com.

Vanity Galleries: Pay to Play at Your Own Risk

An artist recently e-mailed me a copy of a contract she received from a Chelsea, New York gallery. The gallery offered her several options of "gallery representation," ...

42 Companies that Will Publish Your Work

Have you ever walked into a Bed, Bath and Beyond, or Target and wondered how artists got to sell prints and reproductions of their work there? Here's a list of 42 publishers accepting ongoing artist submissions.

Taxes and Estate Planning, Part 2 of 2

Someone said the only sure things in life are death and taxes. Artists rarely plan for the ultimate disposition or settlement of their personal property. After all, it's not the most pleasant thought to consider, leaving your work behind.

E-Selling for Artists: Web Design Rules

Artist Web sites should be more than just virtual calling cards. Keep you Web site design simple, with the same, consistent navigation and phone, fax, e-mail and address details...