How do you choose a ‘good’ art show or crafts fair when you’re a beginner? A few simple cues can help you, plus one reliable source. The first cue is the quality of promotion. Does this fair have an online presence, and does their site look professional. (If not, tell them about my book, Sites…
Author: Aisling
Keys to successful art shows: Have fun
Art fairs and art shows can be great or totally boring. What makes the difference? You do. Many artists don’t like to hear that, but it’s true. When I was a Guest at Dragon*Con 2007, I visited the”Walk of Fame” to see a few friends and buy some autographed photos. One of the busiest booths…
The Quadrants, revisited, by Robin Retallick
Let’s begin by understanding a couple of things here: 1. If you’re reading this, then you may be among those looking for a “fix” to life. We see others that seem to have it all, and we can’t seem to get ourselves organized. If only we could find the secret to success. Well – read…
Trademarks, original ideas, and copycats
Copying is a regular topic of discussion among artists. Recently, someone suggested copyright and trademarks as ways to protect clever product or workshop names that we use, and so on. I can’t give you legal advice. I’m not a lawyer. But, here are a few of my experiences and opinions: I’m not convinced that…
Copyright and the ‘three stroke’ rule
The popular “three stroke” rule suggests that you can copy anyone’s art as long as at least three brush strokes are different. No, that is NOT a law. In fact, even within clear copyright law, every legal case will return a different decision. My background in copyright law I’m not a lawyer, so this is…
Faerie Grandmother Pindoll
My faerie grandmother pindoll is still among my favorites. That’s partly because the doll’s face belongs to my paternal grandmother. I wanted to create a happy pindoll to remind me of what I liked best about that grandmother. She’d lived to age 80, but that wasn’t long enough. (click image to see full sized) This…
9 Ways to Communicate a Rock-Solid Identity
Aisling’s notes: Bob Baker, author of “Unleash the Artist Within” and “Branding Yourself Online” offers some very helpful advice about creating interesting and helpful websites. This is a reprint of one of his articles. I wish that I’d read some of this years ago. 9 Ways to Communicate a Rock-Solid Identity by Bob Baker Branding…
Be friendly at shows
It’s important to be friendly when you have a booth at an art show, a crafts fair, or any art-type festival. Often, owners of new art galleries visit shows like this, to spot new talent. You may be invited to participate in an upcoming gallery show, or find a similar opportunity to “move up” to…
When a student copies
In the days of the Old Masters, apprentices and students would copy their masters’ works over & over again, until they could mimic the technique perfectly. Then, they’d develop their own styles. When a student (or someone who’s learning a new technique) copies my art exactly–or very closely–I like to think of them in that…
Copying and coincidence in art
Many artists–especially new and/or tired ones–talk about being “copied” by others. Sometimes, it’s not clear who is doing the copying, if anyone is. And, artists–even established ones–are often influenced by the same things as others, and develop startlingly similar ideas as a result. RICE’S MILAGROS DOLLS For example, awhile ago I visited Rice’s website, voo-doo-cafe.com,…