The business of getting noticed (part 2)

The second in the series has Lisa Woolfe running a session on how to create artist websites and how to use Facebook.  I must admit I skipped this because I had attended her seminar previously – hence the website I have now created (www.mengwoo.com).

A good website is essential but where I’m not clear is how to utilise Facebook as an artist?  Lisa’s opinion is that a personal Facebook account can double up for family and friends as well as art contacts.  You just need to know how to organise it accordingly. 

The third in the series featured Sara Leonardi McGrath, Glenn McGrath’s second wife.  Sara opened a contemporary gallery in Chippendale (www.mclemoi.com) last year and came to tell us what gallerists do and how to approach a gallery.  Sara is refreshingly honest and open.  What I gathered is that a good gallery is a publicity machine for their artists.  They’re constantly on the phone, ringing up potential buyers and answering emails.  They are basically the people who chase the sale.  And if they do everything that Sara does, they more than deserve their 50% commission!

As to how to approach a gallery, her advice is to scout around and get to know the galleries and what they specialise in.  There is, for instance, no point at all for me to approach her gallery as I’m not a contemporary artist.  But if the gallery was as approachable as she was, I’d be very lucky!

The business of getting noticed (part 1)

For Art Month March 2013, ArtEst school at Leichhardt is running a series of seminars on professional development for artists.  Bravo, Jennifer!  There are so many art schools around but most focus primarily on technique, not how to make a living from your art.  We all know that artists are not usually the most business savvy people – the delight is in making art, not to selling it. 

I must admit the business of selling art fascinates me more than most artists, mainly because my other job is management consulting.  I’m always wondering how business principles can be applied to my hobby.  So these seminars were just the thing to illuminate.

The first of the series has Todd Fuller talking about Art Prizes, Grants and how to be noticed.  Todd is 24 and graduated from NAS.  For such a young man, he has done very well to be noticed, and is in fact represented by a well regarded gallery.  It is clear from the talk that Todd understood what it takes to be a professional artist as he was applying for residencies and entering art competitions, even whilst at school. 

The first step is to build up a convincing CV.  To get an idea of what an artist CV looks like, he suggests googling your favourite artist (someone alive, preferably).  Usually, this has a practice rationale which requires some thought to put together.  A hook to get people interested.  And if you have friends who are copywriters, get them on the job!  The CV also lists prizes/ awards and education.  The first requires perseverance as art prizes are a lottery (how can any one pick a winner from a broad range of genre and mediums? Yes, eeny meeny, miny moh).  But there are lots of grass root prizes to try before entering the Mosman prize or attempting the Archibald.

 

Print making with Jane Gascoigne

Jane Gascoigne, also an inner west artist held an exhibition at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery in Camperdown. Jane offered free print workshops for adults and older kids and I brought Miss 9 along with her little friend. Which sparked off my interest in print making.


We used a real leaf for this which was rolled a red and pressed against a Lino tile in green. Nice effect but not sure how reproducible it is.


This bird is a sgraffito attempt. Oil pastels are applied then painted over in black. A toothpick was used to scratch out a design which revealed the colour underneath. Jane also showed us how to print from a Lino cut but wisely provided a precut piece. I could just imagine the blood involved otherwise! Anyway this has sparked my imagination and I thought I'd attempt some Lino printing. Soon as I can get to an art shop....

Sister's creek completed

After much messing around I completed (for now at any rate) this painting. The actual creek is a tannin colour and if you are submerged in it you couldn't see past your waist. But it does a great job in reflecting.

Bold impressions

In a bid to get my painting mojo back I decided to cash in my voucher and enrol in a one day workshop at ArtEst. Having had a rollicking good time with Paul McCarthy previously I decided to go for the 'Bold Impression' workshop once more.


Paul is a master in the application of colour theory. He paints with one brush and mixes his colours on the canvas and never puts a ground on his surface. Yet the results are eye catching and harmonious. His trees are pink, his sky hardly ever blue but they are far from discordant.

This painting is of an urban landscape - the rooftops of Balmain, near the Dawn Fraser pool. There is something harmonious about a row of terraces. The shapes are like frozen music.

Back in the saddle

The lateness of my posts probably has not gone unnoticed. Apologies all round and rest assured I'm back in the saddle now. I started on this painting of a creek in Sister's Beach, far north west Tasmania a few weeks ago. Sisters beach is a lovely spot, surrounded by bush and rather prone to bush fires. Ocean swimming in the height of summer is still a cold affair. Indeed I thought I'd lost all circulation on my feet after 5 mins paddling!


The solution is to swim in the creek. The creek flows out to the beach and at low tide, the water is warm although tannin tinged so that one can't see the bottom. At high tide, all the cold cold sea water comes in and the water is clear but cold!

This painting was inspired by the creek and please note that it is a work in progress. I decided that the sky be pink which meant a rework of the entire colour scheme. It's a Paul McCarthy (ArtEst tutor) touch which I hope will succeed.

Sunrise completed

Apologies for the long absence but I've been away over the festive season. It's pretty hard to get back into painting after a break. I'm struggling to inspire myself despite the fact that I saw lots of beautiful scenery in Tasmania.


This sunrise painting was completed priorto my break. Ha ha. I've hung it up in my lounge and feedback is that people noticed it and liked it too. Using Carla's tips, I've knocked back the reflection and occasionally when I catch a glimpse of it, I'm impressed with the realistic way the sunlight is peeping out of the clouds.

Although I think I should do a couple more skies for the practice, I have not had the opportunity to observe a sunrise recently. The sun gets up far too early and as for sunsets, unless you live in WA they are just as elusive.