Utrecht is excited to announce our partnership with TheApple.com.  We will be providing members of the online community art supplies through our exclusive member-only discount.

TheApple is a resource and social networking community for future and current educators. Members have access to articles and lessons that outline best practices in instructional strategy.  Original content helps teachers connect with the latest career trends and advice for success.

As a member of TheApple, you have access to:

-Daily Education News
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The fifth installment in artist tips & instructions provided by Sessions Online School of Fine Art discusses selling your artwork on your own without the assitance of a gallery or art dealer.

When first starting out you will need to turn people you already know into collectors. Think of friends, family, and co-workers.  When you create new work you should advertise it by sending emails showing what new work you’ve created.  This email doesn’t need to be accompanied by a sales pitch. The artwork should sell itself. If you’re artwork is really eye-catching those who receive the email may forward it onto to others who may appreciate it. This is viral marketing.

This can be a very simple email.  An example would be:

Subject Line: Updated website

Hi,

Please take a look at my updated website: myartwork.com - Any feedback is appreciated :)

Have a great day!

It can be that easy.  Hopefully your website and your artwork will do most of the talking for you.  Make sure your website has your bio, artists statement, and that the images are all well labeled with dimensions and materials listed.

Another option is to get your work shown in building lobbies or coffee shops. These smaller venues are often highly trafficked and will put your artwork in front of many sets of eyes.  To do this you’ll need to do a little bit of investigative work to find out who is in charge of the display of work in the building. Either call or go directly to the company to find this out.  From there be prepared to have your work available to be viewed by them. Don’t expect them to make a studio visit to see your work.  You should have your work either on the web, in slides, or in digital format on a CD. Ideally you would have your work available in all three formats.

Juried shows are also another good route of getting your name and artwork out there.   Juried shows are group shows put on my galleries and museums where the work is chosen by a panel of judges.  Think of it as a contest where the prize is you are included in the show. In most cases though there are actual monetary prizes that are awarded by the jury for the best work in the show. You should look in art magazines at your local magazine shop or check online for juried shows that are themed around concepts that your artwork would fit into.  Don’t be surprised if it takes a number of tries until your artwork gets shown.  Persistence is the key.

Here is a helpful list of sites with juried show listings:

http://www.artshow.com/juriedshows/
http://www.theartlist.com/
http://www.artfairsource.com/

Please visit Sessions Online School of Fine Art if you would like to learn more about their program.

Here are some helpful tips for keeping your artist oil paints fresh in pint and quart containers.

After removing the quantity of paint desired, smooth out paint with palette knife and gently tap the bottom of the container until the paint becomes leveled.  This will prevent air from being trapped in the paint.

Cut a wax paper disc the diameter of can by placing the paper under the can to trace the shape. Press the disc firmly against the surface of the wet paint. When storing paint for long periods of time a very thin layer of linseed oil over the disc will further preserve the paint. Reseal can with rubber mallet.

It is not uncommon for there to be dried paint or oil upon opening the can.  If this occurs carefully remove it along with wax paper disc with a palette knife and discard. Fresh paint will be found just beneath. Always reseal can with a new wax paper disc over paint.

Clean up is easier with a glass or disposable palette. Clean knives with paper towels/rags and odorless mineral spirits. Clean brushes with brush cleaner. Dispose of wet or dry paint and paper towels/rags in waste container not in sink or drain.

A variety of surfaces are suitable for oil pastels as long as they are durable and smooth. Artist Canvas, Gesso primed masonite board and heavy weight cotton watercolor paper and board are good surfaces that will hold up to repeated blending.

To blend oil pastels, dampen a soft rag or brush with mineral spirits or turpentine, then smooth out the lines. Another technique is to apply thinner to the support prior to drawing.

Popular techniques for oil pastels are wax resist and sgraffito. Wax resist creates subtle, interesting backgrounds by using a light wash of watercolor over oil pastel marks. Exposed areas will be tinted, but the oil pastel drawing will not be discolored. Sgraffito is a technique used to achieve layers, textures, and patterns. Build up multiple layers of oil pastel and use a painting knife or scratch knife to expose colors or drawing surfaces.

Prismacolor is having an art contest and the winner could get up to $5000!  Looks a like great opportunity!

Your need to submit original artwork using art supplies from one of the following categories:

Colored Pencils
Art Markers
Graphite or Charcoal
Pastels
Pen & Ink

...or any combination of the above.

Click here for the details and registration form.

Our next installment from Sessions Online School of Fine Art provides some tips for selling your art...

Selling your artwork can be an artform onto itself.  It takes quite a bit of business skills to successfully sell your artwork.

You may consider acquiring an agent or gallery to represent you.  These businesses are in the business of selling art to collectors, corporations, commercial ventures, or to private owners.  Often these business will take a cut of the sale of your artwork that can range anywhere form 30% to 70% of the sales.  This may seem high but you need to consider all of the work these individuals are putting into selling your work for you.  They will be helping you reach out to clients you might never get to know, helping you sell you work for prices much higher than you could ever receive on your own. In addition they may be promoting your work at artfairs across the globe.  Artfairs, like the Armory show and Scope are essentially giant Art conventions where galleries, agents, artists, and collectors all meet.  Do not overlook the benefits of having a gallery or agent in the selling of your work.

When searching out an agent or gallery make sure to consider the connection you are trying to make. If an agent only deals with abstract oil paintings don’t try pushing your portrait photography on them. Your work might be great, but if they don’t have the proper clientele developed for your work then they won’t be able to do anything for you and helping you will be a waste of their time.  Do some research, try to find out what other types of artists and work that they represent and find one that is the best fit for you.

One of the best ways to get in with a gallery is via one of their existing artists. Galleries will often taken on the recommendations of their artists regarding new artists.  This is another reason why it is important to go to openings and make contacts.  Don’t be pushy or desperate; just try to seek out like-minded folks.

For more information on building a realtionship witha  gallery see our article "Getting the Attention of a Gallery"...

Please visit Sessions Online School of Fine Art if you would like to learn more about their program.

Selecting an artist easel can be a daunting task.  Whether you are considering a field easel or studio easel or wood or metal easel you can use this overview to help with your choice.

Most artists eventually own more than one easel; the large, full-size easels good for a permanent painting station are not portable, and folding travel easels are not always stable enough for larger works. When choosing a first easel, consider the primary use- travel or permanent studio use. The physical dimensions of the painting area will determine the height of the mast and base the studio will accommodate. Three-legged easels work better on uneven floors, but a flat base will give better stability for wide canvases if the floor is flat enough.

For artists working in a small studio, dormitory or at home, a Lyre easel is a great choice. The traditional A-frame design of the lyre has a small footprint, folds small enough for storage, and is light enough to transport in the backseat of a car. Lyre easels like the Winsor & Newton Shannon or Mabef Inclinable are ideal starter easels which will hold fairly tall paintings.

Larger models for permanent studios such as the Best University and Santa Fe II are extremely stable, even with large canvases. The masts are tall enough to allow working on the bottom of a picture at eye level. Larger easels generally have trays big enough to hold mediums, brushes and even a palette. Most easels in this category are constructed of hardwood, but metal versions of traditional forms are available, as well as original designs made only in metal. Metal studio easels are sturdy, rugged and long-lived in the classroom.  

Travel easels come in a range of clever designs intended to offer maximum utility in a small package. French field easels such as the Jullian fold into a paintbox which can hold all necessary supplies. The Jullian Half Box version is good for artists who only carry enough for a day’s work; the Jullian Full Box will take the whole show on the road. The Guerilla Box is an innovative easel box that attaches to the top of a camera tripod, great for artists who also bring a camera on painting trips.  

Metal tripods are the most compact travel easels, and can double as display furniture for exhibiting charts or finished art. The most durable are the ones with locking levers on the telescoping legs, but that variety is usually more costly than the ones with threaded collars. Both are lightweight and collapse small enough to fit in a backpack.  

The variety of affordable easels available today means there is literally something for everyone, at every level. From a part-time pleasure painter working in the spare room to the professional studio painter, everyone needs a way to hold a picture at a comfortable level, so there’s no glare on the wet paint, up away from pets and children. Working at an easel cures distortions in drawing, keeps dust off the picture and allows the paint to be mixed in the same light as the canvas. In order to do the best work possible, having a good easel is not just a luxury, it’s a necessary tool of the trade. 

If you need help selecting an easel - send us an e-mail, we'd be happy to help you.

Our fourth article from Sessions Online School of Fine Art offers advice for getting the attention of an art gallery.

It may take several steps to get from being an unknown to being on the roster of a high-profile gallery.  You’ll need to learn how to market yourself. Never miss a chance to have you and your work shown.  Go to openings and parties. Make sure you have business cards with a link to an online gallery on them. This is a great tool for getting people to see your work. Make your business cards intriguing – maybe put some of your work on them.

Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom though.  Getting your artwork out there can mean showing in a coffee shop in your neighborhood or in the lobby of a building. Your artwork is always doing more for you out in the world than it is in your studio (unless you are fortunate enough to have regular studio visits).

Getting into these shops and offices will require a little bit of legwork. You’re going to need to contact these businesses either by phone or directly and find out who is in charge of selecting what work is shown. From there you are going to need to be able to present to them samples of your work. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to talk them into studio visit. That may come later, but first you will need to be able to make your work available to them as either slides, digital images on a CD, or have a website that you use to market yourself.

In whatever format you send your images out on you need to make sure that they are well photographed. Photograph your images on a plain background without anything distracting nearby.  The other alternative is to digital mask out the images or, if taking slides, use slide tape to mask your image. 

As with any business contact you should present yourself as professional.  Understand what it is that you are trying to get accomplished (getting your work shown), and speak clearly and calmly.  If you send your work in the mail make sure that you write a proper cover letter detailing your goals and include an artist statement and your resume (unless you don’t have any experience showing yet.  In which case stick with the artist statement and good examples of your work).

Please visit Sessions Online School of Fine Art if you would like to learn more about their program.