AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL ART SHOW PATRONS

"In today's world the artist is on the endangered species list. The world is increasingly moving towards eradicating individualism from society. Without individualism there is no art, without art there is no beauty and without beauty there is no quality of life" ~ PopArtDiva™ aka The Normal Challenged Artist™

You may have seen them around your town, those white tents and portable galleries, the signs and balloons announcing a fine art show for the weekend. You may have even stopped by to enjoy the pleasure of viewing the talent and creativity on display. You visited with the artists and asked questions about their work and, possibly, you even purchased a new treasure to add to your own art collection. But the art is only part of the unique story of the traveling artist; the real story lies in the road the artist took to get that art to you and why they travel that path.

Contrary to popular myth, the traveling artist is not a happy-go-lucky free spirit, unencumbered by life's realities. The traveling artist has the same mortgages, family responsibilities and life problems as anyone else. These talented individuals have the added responsibilities of any corporation or business enterprise and they must constantly balance these business sciences with their creative qualities. A successful traveling artist is not only a creative individual following their passion but a multi-level executive with knowledge of all the elements of modern business.

Many artists travel each weekend to a different city or state, often driving long hours and hundreds of miles for a two to four day festival. They spend hours setting up their booths; days dealing with the public, and often hazard severe weather, security risks, and even errant wildlife to bring the apogee of their creative expression to the community. They must deal with multiple city and state taxes and licenses, rising show fees and jurying costs, increasingly larger shows and greater competition, the multiple requirements by show promoters and jurying panels and a sometimes uncaring or uninformed populace, all the while maintaining a positive attitude. After all this, there are only two or three days remaining in the week to design, produce and package their art. Their personal life quite often suffers from the hundreds of hours needed to run their business.

You may be asking yourself at this point, "Then WHY do they do it? Are they idiots?" Quite the contrary, most traveling artists are highly educated, the majority holding Bachelor's degrees, many with Masters and a few with multiple degrees or even Doctorates. Most have degrees in the arts, some in the sciences. Almost all have been honored in some fashion for the excellence of their work; many hold the distinction of prestigious national or international awards. Some of these creative people have always been career artists, a few were involved in other professions and came to their talent later. Each person has a unique story of how they became a traveling artist, but the one common thread among all these diverse and intriguing individuals is their passion for their art, whatever form it takes. There is a driving need in each and every one of these people to create and to bring their creation to the people. They suffer the hardships because they believe that art is essential to the soul of mankind. They endure the long hours, inconsistent weather, the tedious drives, the hard labor and the fickle fates to bring you their vision, to bare their souls and give you the gift of their talent and their hearts.

In a society that is increasingly cutting funding for the arts, dropping cultural subjects from its school curriculums, and promoting censure of expression, these traveling artists might just be the last of their kind, the last cultural vanguard in a world closing in on free expression and individual rights.

So, the next time you see those white tents, make an effort to stop. Look at their work with a new eye, talk to the artist and ask questions. And take home a piece of their soul, they made it to share with you and bring you joy. You will be the richer for it and you will have helped save an endangered species.

Thank you,
The Normal Challenged Artist™

If you would like permission to copy or distribute this article, please contact PopArtDiva via e-mail at popartdiva@yahoo.com.

What Do You Know About Prints? A Great Article on the Different Forms of Printing Your Art!

Have you always wanted to reproduce your original art but don't know much about how to go about it? I have a great article for you:

My friend, fellow artist and Adjunct Professor of Art, Ray Horner, has written a great article on the types of art printing entitled, "What Do You Know About Prints?" that is concise, informative and quick to read that speaks to the traditional, time-honored fine art printing methods for limited edition runs.

In this modern world we artists have additional options for reproduction such as standard digital printing, archival digital printing known as giclees and even color copiers. These are wonderful methods for reproduction at a lower cost and for lower runs which can be utilized for the mass market.

I hope you enjoy this article by Ray - and stop by his other sites for more help, great tutorials, free books and to see his wonderful art!

Ray's Website

Ray's Art Workshop

Ray's Photo Blog

Ray's Figurative Art

ARTISTS - FEED YOUR INNER CHILD!

CHIP FROM A BIO SHIP is a digital abstract that I redid from an original acrylic painting from a few years ago. I love doing abstracts because they give me a chance to play with art.

I consider "play" to be a vital element in creating art and the inner child has to be invoked for this important factor to work properly.

I believe that the ability to be childlike is essential to being an artist. Children view the world in a different way, they see with fresh eyes and they are not afraid to let their wonderment in. These qualities are essential to those of us who seek to create art.

I often take time to play with art. I will experiment with a different medium, I doodle constantly and I take time to do some art just for myself like painting a tee shirt to wear or a piece of furniture for my home. I've found that some of my most successful series of art pieces come from this playtime. Most importantly, I am feeding my inner child and keeping my love for art as fresh and exciting as it was the day I got my first box of crayons.

Today, stop being an adult. Try something new, doodle, have some fun, throw some paint - play! Wake up your inner child and give that kid a nice, big box of crayons and let him or her color on the walls! It will open up a whole new world of freedom and imagination!

You're an artist? Are you a Bohemian or a Beatnik?

I frequently stop by The Art Newspaper to check out what's going on in the art world outside of my little bubble. I enjoy this site because it has some good articles and you can even comment on them.

I like to read the articles themselves but the more interesting part for me is reading the comments made by other artists on a particular article. You get a clear sense that artists are just like regular people, we come from all walks of life, have varying philosophies on art and life, and we are all unique.

I wish non-artists would read some of these comments. So many people outside of the art profession have a very narrow view of artists and artist lifestyles. I've encountered a kind of prejudice more than once when I've mentioned my profession is "artist".

I have to admit, though, I am Bohemian. No, I am not a beatnik, my mother's parents were both born in Bohemia, now part of Czechoslovakia. I am Bohemian by birth, not by nature. Though I might sell more art if I wore all black, grew a goatee and started snapping my fingers.

Great Site for Paper Scupting!

I found this great little blog by an artist who does paper sculpting and they even have instructions and layouts!

I've always wanted to do this so the next spare minute I get (yeah, right) I'm trying it out!

Ciao for Now!

YES, YOU CAN SELL YOUR ART ONLINE AND HERE'S HOW TO DO IT!

EVEN FREUD CAN SELL ART ONLINE!
THE FATAL FALLACY OF FREUD'S FAULTY FINE ART - An Artistic Parody that speaks to the fact that everyone thinks they're an artist!

It's Free and it's Easy - You have no excuses anymore!

I've discovered that many artists with a very marketable portfolio are not selling their artwork online. The internet is a wide-open marketplace with a niche market mentality. Niche markets are subject or item specific and they are the new pathway to selling anything on the internet.

If you produce a specific kind of art, or art on a specific subject matter (i.e. portraits of Yorkshire Terriers, landscapes of the Hawaiian Islands, humorous women's art, etcetera - you get the picture) you have an ideal kind of art that can be reproduced and sold as posters, archival prints and giclees on canvas and even on products like mugs, tee-shirts, tiles, aprons and other merchandise.

Many artists I come in contact with are lost when it comes to getting their work into the marketplace. They aren't selling their work because:

• They don't know anything about digital technology
• They don't have a ton of money
• They don't know where to get their art printed
• They aren't web savvy and don't have a website

Well, I'm here to tell you that none of above is an excuse any longer.

• You do not need a full-blown website
• You don't need a ton of money
• You can have an online gallery page up and running in less than a day.

There are several on line galleries/services on the internet that will print and market your art for you for a percentage of the sale. These same galleries will give you a gallery site of your own to post your art and you don't have to know anything about web design or complex web programs. These sites have online page building programs than anyone can use and they provide several methods for you to get your art to them for reproduction.

You will probably have to have your art converted into a digital file. There are a lot of companies that can scan/digitally photograph art now - including Kinkos and others of that nature. Make sure you inform them that you plan to use the digital conversion for high resolution giclee printing and tell them the largest size you want to print.

Below are a few online Art Galleries where you can create an account, set up your profile, resume and bio/artist statements, and create an online presence for your art and set your art up to sell. If you google "sell art" several more will come up. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the site and the seller agreement carefully so you will understand the contract you are signing by joining.

And you might want to check out CafePress. (There's an ad link to their site on my right sidebar) You can make your art available on a variety of products and collect a decent commission without any of the hassles of printing, storing, packing and shipping or carrying inventory! (Right now I have a basic, free CafePress store but I'm getting ready to launch a full professional store there later this month with all my art on several products.)

FREE TO JOIN:

Red Bubble

Artist Rising

Image Kind

Art Flock

MEMBERSHIP FEES:

Boundless Gallery Provides a 7 day free trial.

Yessy Provides a 14 day free trial.

THE FATAL FALLACY OF FREUD'S FAULTY FINE ART is viewable in the Parodies Series on PopArtDiva.com. Post images Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

STIMULATE YOUR CREATIVITY - STEAL FROM THE MASTERS AND OTHER CREATIVE PEOPLE!

"Bad artists copy. Good artists steal" - Pablo Picasso

Okay, I'm not talking about downloading another artist's work and saying it's yours - don't be silly. What I am saying is look at other people's art and let it inspire you. Do you like the way a particular artist used color? Experiment with that palette in your work. Do you like the way the artist used negative space? Try to emulate their design sense. Let the view of other artists open your eyes to new possibilities in your own art.

Go visit some of the world's greatest museums online and get inspired by what the other artists are doing with their art. I stop by several sites on a regular basis just to have a look see and let the visuals sink into my unconscious to percolate. (Links below.) Sometimes I will analyze what I see in a very logical thinking process and sometimes I just absorb the information intuitively. This practice helps me to evolve my own art and keep it fresh and exciting.

I am particularly fond of MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) because I lean towards very contemporary and even avant guard works in my personal tastes. Plus I love their gift shop! MOMA's site also has a great e-card section too!

Don't just stop at traditional art for your inspiration, there is art and design all around you if you look for it. I get inspiration from a lot of surprising sources, the abstract art I did above was inspired by watching the stand-up comedy special "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding" by Christopher Titus, one of my favorite comics!

I fell in love with the set colors of lavenders and yellows and warm browns on the wrecked wall part of the set. The way the set designers used lighting to invoke the colors in that area had me sketching color combinations as I watched the show! I was really itching to use those colors in an abstract and "TITUS" was the end result of that inspiration! (What kind of cracks me up is how the title of the special itself uses the name of one of my favorite artists as Titus' pun on his dysfunctional family. Stop by his website for a good laugh if you need one!)

"TITUS" is available as archival prints and giclees on canvas on my website, PopArtDiva.com in various sizes.

MOMA - The Museum of Modern Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Guggenheim

The Louvre