I attended the open exhibition at Lowes Court last night and I have to say that the standard of work was higher than I had anticipated.

You see I had the honour of being invited to become the new chairman as Ian was stepping down and I thought this is something that is really dear to my heart as my first exhibition as an artist was held at Lowes Court so it’s like, for me anyway, coming round full circle.

I was struck as I looked around the exhibition, and I urge you to go if you are in the area, by how low the prices were on some of the pieces and was curious on how the artist had arrived at that figure? Then it got me thinking about a conversation I had with my good friend Kay Hebbourn about young artists and maybe not so young that have no idea on how to price a piece of work…so here goes on pricing, but please watch out for guest post I will be doing for Kay entitled Negotiating Time and Money in the Design Process.

When an artist sets off on a piece of work, unless it’s a commission, then sometimes it can have been a very long process. I was discussing this with Kerry Wright, who for all intents and purposes and along with Gareth, is Lowes Court, they keep it ticking over. Anyway I was discussing with Kerry this very subject and she was quite right when she said that artists carry around with them ideas for month’s maybe even years. I had this experience when visiting Staithes in North Yorkshire a few years ago, and for anyone who’s been there, walking down the steps to the town and seeing those fantastic red roofs and the way the river ‘snakes’ through the town is magical and just cry’s out to be painted.

But how does an artist price their work because after all art is a very subjective thing and what someone will pay someone else won’t. But isn’t this true in any businesses? It’s the time, effort, experience and ‘know how’ that has gone into producing whatever it might be that counts. Think about a car for a moment, as these can just as well be a work of art every bit as much as a painting or sculpture.

When I started out I looked to other artists for guidance and at each stage of my development as an artist I looked to see what they were charging. Now it’s no good looking to one of the top artists when doing this, unless you are a top artist that is, because they will always command a higher price through demand, and that leads me on to another valid point once you are a ‘sought after’ artist then you really should look at your pricing. Another good way to gauge this is to ask an experienced artist or gallery owner what they think? Don’t be afraid to do this as it can give you a valuable insight into pricing and how you arrive at it as they have been doing this for a long time and gained a lot of knowledge.

Gallery owners especially have an inside knowledge of what sells and what doesn’t and what the price should be etc. so seek them out and ask.

I used to decide by how long a painting ‘stuck’ in a gallery. If a painting hung around like a bad smell then it was one of two things, it wasn’t a very good painting in the first place or the price was too high. You have to be honest with yourself here and if the work isn’t of a good standard then it won’t sell no matter how long it’s there. But what if a miracle happens and it does sell? Well I always look at composition or how well the painting was ‘painted’ and the framing. I take all these things into consideration before I submit a painting to any gallery or exhibition and I urge you to do the same. Never get comfortable on anything always be trying new things and don’t settle for mediocre.

So what if you are selling lots of work at exhibitions and galleries? Well if it’s a gallery, as stated earlier, the gallery owner or manager can help with this and you can decide one of two things, to put up the price of your work or if you can, produce more work, this would be entirely up to you. I increase the price of the work then it doesn’t become too stressful trying to ‘knock out’ more and more work that becomes dull and uninteresting.

What if at every exhibition you sold most of, or all of your work, a great feeling for all of us? There are usually two reasons for this, your work is fantastic and everyone wants a piece of it or it’s too cheap. Again how do you determine which one?

Well if it’s too cheap then the exhibition organisers can help with this. I always asked them if there were any comment when people purchased my work. Things such as “I can’t believe how cheap this is?” or “Why is he selling it for a price this low?” and “ Doesn’t he charge more for his work?” Are really good indicators that you seriously need to look at your pricing.

Like any business, and I urge you to think of it as a business, if you chase the money then you will not produce good work, but if you produce great work that inspires others to do what you do then the cash will follow.

I hope this has helped in some small way on how you decide on the pricing of your work and please feel free to let me know in the comment boxes below how you arrive at a price.

Until next time…do something special today!

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Who are you and what do you do?

I am Owen Parker , my full time job is a greenkeeper on a golf course which I have been for 25 years. But I have been an artist for over 30 years. Working in watercolours, oils acrylics and pastels.

I like a good variety of subjects such as landscape, seascape, portrait, just about anything .

Why do you do what you do?

Its not the money its the passion for it and getting stuck into a challenging painting.

How do you work?

I normally work from photos for the colour match and mainly sketches for the main subject and sometimes on location .

What’s your background?

I am totally self taught and did not learn it from school, but sold a few paintings to the teachers .

I never got the chance to get to college or university. My father worked in the coal industry and the strike put a stop to my chance to further my art .

What art do you most identify with?

Turner,and the dutch masters

What work do you most enjoying doing?

Local scenes such as the Tyne bridge , Newcastle .

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

My  late father kept me going  when he was alive, and I will keep painting in great honour of him, he was my hero and a true friend.

Why art?

Its amazing art and how people can produce work of outstanding beauty.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

I just get a buzz out of people enjoying my work.

Favorite or most inspirational place?

The Lake District Cumbria.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Nothing is impossible

Professionally, what’s your goal?

To be well known, and people to say ooooh you painted that .

What wouldn’t you do without?

A nice cup of tea, milk three sugars. Job done.

Thank you – Owen Parker

www.owenparkerart.moonfruit.com

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You see when I ran the night classes I found that the first 30 to 45 minutes were taken up with ‘chat’ and ‘art’ talk, which is fantastic and I love to encourage this as it helps us grow as people and artists, but when you only have two hours it takes up quite a chunk of the night.

I find the best way forward for the beginner is to spend the day with me and other artists learning the techniques on how to paint a successful watercolour and then maybe in time we can switch to night classes to keep the momentum going.

For this reason I think these are workshops that you won’t want to miss as they will be packed with information and great advice on how to get the best out of your paintings.

So if this interests you please click here and book your place.

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www.Maxims4Mavericks.com

www.TheUncommonLife.com

www.KentHealy.com

kent@maxims4Mavericks.com

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kent Healy and I’m an artist and serial entrepreneur. A lot of people tell me this is an inherent paradox, but I’ve never agreed. In fact, I believe approaching every facet of life from an artist’s perspective has been an incredible asset to me professionally — and as you’ll soon see, I’ve been involved in many seemingly non-artisan businesses. The artist in me loves tackling challenges with style and dreaming up creative solutions where they don’t yet exist.

From as long ago as I can remember, I’ve always thought in visual terms and was compelled to pick up a pencil and draw. I wasn’t a natural born prodigy, but I was committed and passionate. At age 14 I started a surf company called Reactor, which sold skimboards, skateboards, and clothing. A significant part of my inspiration came as a result of wanting to see my artistic designs coveted by the people who used my products and wore my clothing. I designed everything the company produced and loved every moment of the creative process. In fact, I enjoyed the process of graphic design so much that not long after the launch of Reactor, I started creating and selling logos and t-shirt designs for small companies and organizations.

These pursuits exposed me to an alternative world beyond the classroom and significantly opened my eyes. I realized conventional education was not teaching what I needed to know to thrive in the “real world” so I began devouring hundreds of non-fiction books, attending seminars, and interviewing successful people. This self-edification had a profound impact on my life. I felt compelled to share my discoveries, experiences, and life-lessons with other young people so I teamed up with my brother to write my first book titled, Cool Stuff They Should Teach in School and then founded my publishing company, Cool Stuff Media, Inc. Engulfed by this newfound passion to write, speak and help other I somewhat shelved my visual art cravings while writing several more books. This soon led to the world of real estate in which I currently own two companies (here and here), but that is another story for another time.

Despite this productive business interlude, my inner-artist surfaced yet again. After receiving the Intous4 graphics pad as a gift my passion for graphic art returned at full force. I found a way to marry my passion for leadership, communication, business, and creativity with my love for art. The result was my newest company, Maxims4Mavericks.

Today I am 28 years-old and enjoy pursing my interests in business, writing, and art. Maxims4Mavericks uniquely allows me to merge the best of all three.

Why do you do what you do?

Quite simply, because I love it. At Maxims4Mavericks I have a saying, “Artists are not groomed to be artists; they are doomed to be.” Trying to be something other an artist at heart would mean denying who I am at my core.

How do you work?

I tend to segment my day so I can submerse myself in whatever I am doing. During the typical work day/week I focus on building my real estate companies. Most of my artistic work is done in the evenings and on the weekends. However, every day, all day I am observing my life and the world around me taking notes and jotting down ideas for new art. Coming up with ideas is never my problem. The real challenge is finding time to executing all of them.

While I still pick up the pen and pencil from time to time I spend most of my time creating art using my Intous4 graphics pad, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop.

What’s your background?

See above

What art do you most identify with?

I enjoy many forms of art — from painting, to sculpture, to graphic design. However, I always tend to gravitate most closely to art that reflects my current abilities and interests. In this case, it’s graphic design. I am fascinated by the countless variables that artists must take into account when arranging colours, shapes, pictures, textures, copy, and more. There are so many creative ways to both make something visually appealing as well as effectively communicate a core-concept — and it this unique combination of variables and choices that inspires me to think creatively.

What work do you most enjoying doing?

Graphic design. Specifically, I enjoy creating art that communicates the concepts of leadership, innovation, and business in a thought provoking, visually pleasing manner.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

Great art always inspires, but surprisingly, so does an apparent lack of creative expression. As a young teenager I desired a custom shaped surfboard by a local surfboard shaper. The boards were great and had a respectable reputation. However, the company logo was lacklustre and it bothered me. At 14 years of age I managed to summon the courage to walk into the business, talk to the owner, and offer a deal. I proposed that I design a logo for the company. If they liked the logo and agreed to use it then in return, they would shape a custom board for me. One month later, the deal was done and the exchange was made. It was an incredible feeling to both earn my first custom surfboard from my art and then see my art on the surfboards and clothing of local surfers I respected 10 years my senior.

Why art?

So many reasons. Art gives the viewer enough information to present and/or underscore an idea, without pigeon holing it. Images are suggestive, but the viewer is able to take the message or lesson he or she most needs to hear — and that message may be different for each viewer.

Another reason I have spent more time creating art to communicate important ideas is because most people don’t have time to read long articles but still crave mental stimulation. In a few seconds, an image can accomplish the same or more than a thousand-word article. In addition, they are remembered for a lifetime. The same can’t be said about most articles we consume.

Finally, art is most often pleasing to look and fun and easy to share.  I love creating things that have a boundless shelf life, physically and mentally.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

Teachers have explained how they use my art each class period to stimulate thoughtful discussion about the lesson plan ahead. Managers have told me how they use my art as props in their business presentations to communicate with and inspire clients or employees by “dressing up” their otherwise static PowerPoint presentations. And I love hearing from businesses that have purchased my art to display in their offices, conference rooms, and cubicles and how the art is referenced an uncanny number of times throughout a typical business day. And finally, I receive a lot of emails from readers of the Maxims4Mavericks blog who enjoy receiving my art in their inbox because it gives them food for thought that they can digest in a New York minute.

 Favourite or most inspirational place?

It’s difficult to narrow things down to a single place because I visit different places for different reasons. But since most of my inspiration comes through action and observation as opposed to introspection, I really enjoy visiting bustling locations. I can sense the energy in the environment and it’s infectious. And when an artistic culture is intertwined, the creative sparks fly. For this reason, places such as the Village and the Soho in New York City have always been sources of creative inspiration.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

I remember reading the following quote by Les Brown as a teenager: “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” Getting started is the only thing that allows us to both excel and enjoy our lives. Sometimes it’s fear of embarrassment, fear of potential loss, or perceived lack of resources that hold us back, but the only cure is action. I believe when we look back on life we will regret the things we did not try much more than those things we attempted and failed. This is why I’ve come to accept that there is often an awkward, frustrating, or even overwhelming stage before success is enjoyed. As an artist and businessperson you must be willing to take risks. If you don’t you’re selling out to a massified ideology — the polar opposite of innovation and creative expression, the very fuel that every artist thrives on.

Professionally, what’s your goal?

I can only choose one!? Lol. My ultimate goal for Maxims4Mavericks (M4M) is to become an internationally recognizable and respected source for fun, thought-provoking, and inspirational imagery. At M4M we have plans for hundreds of various products that people (professionals, teachers, students, business owners, doctors, etc.) can use to spruce up their daily environment with imagery that inspires them to think creatively and act boldly. I’ll also be working more with business to create custom/commissioned work art that serves as visual representation of their core mission. Rather having numerous well-intended ideas and concepts sit on a pretty piece of paper (a typical mission statement) that no one reads, artwork commissioned by M4M will be highly visual, pleasing to look at, and instantly digestible.

What couldn’t you do without?

My Intous4 graphics pad, Photoshop, Illustrator, and the Internet. These tools have allowed my to create and share more art than I ever thought possible.

The post Meet the Artist – Kent Healy appeared first on The Social Artist.

I set off to paint a couple of watercolour sketches yesterday just to get the fingers and the brain going again and like everything in life sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way you think or hope it will. This happened to me yesterday.

I painted a few little watercolours but nothing really seemed to ‘spark’ and I thought maybe I should give it a miss and go back to my day job But as you know I am not one for quitting so I remembered a quote that always helps me in these ‘dry’ situations. It’s this “rediscover a master” this means go back to a master painter, writer, sculptor, in fact anyone who first inspired you to do what you do and have a look at their work.

So I got out some of my old books, which I haven’t read for a long time, and just spent an hour browsing through them.

Then I came across a little painting by one of my favourite artist Ted Wesson, for those who don’t know Ted Wesson painted some of the freshest most inspiring watercolours ever, so I thought I will have a go at that and see what happens.

I have to say I took some ‘artistic license’ as I don’t like just copying as I never really learn anything when I do that.

So I did what I usually do and looked at the painting in the book for about a minute, committed it to memory and then closed the book and set off with the painting and whatever happened I would carry on to the end.

Which I did and the painting in total took me about fifteen to twenty minutes to complete. I have to confess I do get a little impatient and use a hairdryer between washes but that’s about it.

After I had finished the painting, or when I get to a stage when I can ‘fiddle’ no longer, I left it pinned to the board and left it for a couple of hours without looking at it.

When I did I know it needs a few little touches here and there but on the whole I am pleased with how it came out.

So in conclusion if you get to a stage where you can’t think of anything to paint or think of anything creative ‘rediscover a master’ and you will be fine.

I hope you like the painting, in fact add a comment below if you would

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Greeted by the wonderful Christine Robins its a veritable feast for the artist.

At present there is an exhibition by The Art in Irton Group where their paintings are all created from the paint they make themselves with the local pigment from the mine, Egremont Florence Red. Its truly incredible and my photos don’t the the artwork justice, you have to go and take a look for yourselves.

There is a fantastic studio that is used for everything from band rehearsal to film nights, it really is a great space.

Most of the artwork is for sale so you can take a little piece of the mine home with you for a very reasonable price, which I recommend you do as its all of a great standard.

The atmosphere in the mine is very special and unique and I am really looking forward to holding my watercolour workshops there in October and November…click here for more details

I would recommend a trip to the Florence Mine you will be surprised just whats going on there

If you have been to the mine please feel free to leave a comment below

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Who are you and what do you do?

I’m an Artist, Singer Songwriter and Author.

I paint Soulscapes in Oil on Canvas. When Painting commissions for other people, more often than not I use an image of the person and then meditate… which allows me to connect to the person on a soul level and create something from the realm of the subconscious which is a part of their “Soul”, through a method called channelling.

The last few years I have been focussing on a particular set of Paintings which will be published as a Deck of Tarot Cards with an accompanying Manual book on how to use the images for Pathworking and Spiritual Development.  I’m still editing my website but if you want to see some of the work I have done so far please visit www.jadeashcroft.co.uk or my facebook profile which is regularly updated with news and projects and stuff www.facebook.com/Esoteric.Art.Page?ref=hl

This particular set of images are the result of working with one tarot card meaning at a time and re-creating my own interpretation of each Tarot Major Arcana Image after meditation/study and reflection on the deeper meanings.

The style and subject matter of the paintings I have termed “Esoteric” Art because it is all very subjective, sometimes abstract, and is associated with Magic and Alchemical/Psychological processes.

At around the same time as I started defining my work as Esoteric Art The Esoteric Art Movement, or Esoteric Order of Art was founded in 2005 by Tapani Moko and Marianne Kaunio.

After being an Acoustic Solo Singer Songwriter for many years I’m lucky enough now have two others songwriters that I work with very closely and we write the songs collaboratively for our band Neter.

I write music much the same way as I paint so its more like a subconscious process and most of the time these ART forms are plucked from the ether, recorded at the moment of writing and then re-arranged with additional instrumentation later by David and Martin.

The idea to use the band name Neter came to me during a meditation. The band name and our Music also has multiple layers of depth meaning, much like the style of painting that I have adopted over the years.

I write non fiction on different subjects and also have a second Novel that I am working on which will be revealed later this year.

Media and Media production were my obvious route at University so I could learn how to promote the different work that I do, and I have A few different websites for the different areas in which I work.

Why do you do what you do?

Because I am compelled and driven from within to create!

How do you work?

In the past I have always worked very much on my own. In my studio environment / safe space. Although since the inception of Neter and working on a couple of collaborative projects this year I am a lot more open to working closely with other people nowadays. I find that it is so much easier to collaborate with people via the internet and allows you to work with people from all over the world. This is how the Enlightening Times Magazine came into fruition in 2006 when I realized there are so many Talented people out there whose work I wanted to show off, and after just learning how to use dreamweaver it seemed like the perfect platform to display Art and Writing that people submitted to me that they wanted to publish!

What’s your background?

Upon leaving School I went to study Art at the old Park Lane College. Unfortunately for me it wasnt the right setting and I actually didn’t paint or draw for years after that. I immersed myself in music instead and writing about Music.

I only got back into painting again seriously after training in Usui Reiki. It was like an explosion went off in my brain and while I was studying for my Media Degree at Cumbria Institute of the Arts I was also experimenting with painting and drawing after deep meditation, and setting up small groups to explore this as a therapeutic healing method.

After graduating University I set up the Enlightening Times Magazine. It emerged as an idea I toyed with first as a small pamphlet, and then embracing the internet dived headlong into a regular digital production. The first few years was a big learning curve and I started again from scratch last year using blogger and dreamweaver to run a quarterly publication alongside a blog with regular contributors. Anyone interested in this should visit http://www.enlighteningtimes.co.uk

What art do you most identify with?

I’d have to say impressionism is the closest identification I have resonated with to date.

What work do you most enjoying doing?

On the whole I’d have to say the most satisfying work, which I get the most enjoyment from is the group work for Spiritual Development.

http://www.esoteric-art.co.uk/Store you can see all the Paintings from the New deck here.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

The first time I hear Jeff Buckleys album “Grace” I was so inspired I wrote him a letter thanking him for that inspiration. Little did I expect to receive a reply but I did. A few months later I received a handwritten postcard from him saying that I would meet the right bandmates eventually and to never give up. Shaking his hand after a concert in Glasgow A year or so after that gave me the inspiration to play guitar and write songs for years.

Why art?

If you were to see my astrological birth chart… and understand the significance of the arrangement, naturally I have explored this in great depth and discovered I was lucky enough to have been born with an astrological blueprint for a predisposition towards the Arts.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

The funniest one was last Summer when I showed a selection of the Soulscapes Paintings at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, during Marcus Katz’s Tarot Conference. I wanted to see what reaction I would get from those who work a lot with the Tarot, as my images stray a little from tradition. I asked Dan Petellier to come and have a look at the images.

He walked in the room and said “Holy F***” and another few unmentionable expletives in his rather loud american accent…all captured on mini dvcamera. Absolutely priceless moment.

Favourite or most inspirational place?

Thats a hard question because there are so many inspirational and breathtaking places in our County. I’d have to say Long Meg Stone Circle because the energies there were fundamental at the beginning of my journey into healing and Tarot.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Never give up.

Professionally, what’s your goal?

To enable others to explore their creative side and assist in promotion of Art, Music, Theatre and anything that involves the Arts.

What wouldn’t you do without?

Tea. Staple diet of any serious Artist.

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Any artist can upload their images to this gallery to show off to the world, it will be down to you to promote it, although I will do my bit.

Please remember to add a description and your name so we all know who its from.

Any questions leave a comment below

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It’s a while since I created any work of note on any scale so I think it’s time I did. Why the sudden change? Well for me watercolour has always been a labour of love and I really have to be in the mood for painting and sadly over the past couple of years that just hasn’t been the case, but all that has changed recently and I am really starting to get the urge to have a go again. I might even try my hand at acrylics again to.

My watercolours were always spontaneous and I just love the immediacy of them so I intend to devote the rest of this week to painting.

I fully intend to have them on the site and if they are good enough I might even sell a few of them. I really don’t like selling my paintings, its always been that way unfortunately, as I really do get attached to them.

I will start off with a few landscapes and then see where my journey takes me.

It would be great to hear if you have experienced a similar thing with your art and if you come and go like I do? Leave me a comment of ask a question in the forum it would be great to hear from you.

The post Returning To An Old Friend appeared first on The Social Artist.

He wasn’t a friend or mentor in the strictest sense, I didn’t speak to him on a regular basis, he wouldn’t know me if we passed in the street and I would be invited to any of his premiers. But, like many millions of budding designers in the 90’s, he inspired me to try website design, look at it in different ways, do better work and try different things.

I always meant to write a second part to Walking the Courageous Path and now seems the perfect time.

His website was a mecca for designers, of all types, eager to see his latest designs and when he changed from web design to films we all wondered how he would manage this with the client list he had, but he did, and then some. We all bought his books looking for that inspiration to rub off and I have to say in a lot of cases it did there are some fantastic designers and art makers out there who credit what they do to Hillman Curtis.

When I wrote the original Walk the Courageous Path this was inspired by a post from Hillman and it really struck a chord with me, if you haven’t read it you can here, but I think the single most mesmerising thing about Hillman Curtis was his unique ability to speak to ‘you’. In his books or videos he had that ability of speaking as though he was in the room with you sitting talking to you, a unique gift.

Take time to visit his site and take in his wonderful work and let it inspire you like it has me and thousands of others.

My tribute to a great man who will be sorely missed and not just in the world of design.

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