Artists - How About Fine Art America?

"...then...It Rained Teapots!"

Looking for a nice online gallery that will sell prints of your work and leave you free to make any sales of the originals? I've just picked up a spot on http://www.fineartamerica.com Its only been a couple of weeks but people are looking at my work and they are leaving comments so I'm hopeful this will turn into a viable venue for me.

On this Fine Art America you must upload files of your paintings to them. I generally upload a file of about 3 to 4 megs at 300 resolution. That's easy to do in any paint program to set the resolution to 300 pixels per inch and make the image as large as possible. This allows Fine Art America to make fine prints of your work for any customers who wish to buy them. You set your own commission on purchases.

They have free spots and for a small fee (30.00 a year) you can get more perks. They also have community forums and groups so its a nice place to go and chat with other artists.

Just thought I'd pass this information along and hope you will comment and add places where you are doing well.

My painting for today is a silly piece I just simply enjoyed painting.

Ebay - Art is not an iPod

"Tranquility"

I really hesitate to even bother with this post but it seems to be necessary to bring up a big point. Ebay has probably the largest artist community in the world yet instead of helping artists they are busy pounding them into the same mold along with iPods and other items sold on the site! The same rules apply to artists as apply to iPod sellers....quantity will make you a Top Rated Seller and TRS sellers get top billing in the listings. Offering free shipping will also get you better placement in the listings. So, now, instead of a piece of art selling on its own merits buyers are instead seeing the art of those sellers Ebay gives the most exposure! Most art will not even be seen on the site. Top sellers will grind out the same art enmass to keep themselves at the top - good art will be missed or not seen at all! Ebay still uses its best match search in the arts category. That just has me scratching my head....best match to what? An artist can be brilliant but if he takes his time and lists just a piece or two a month then he will find himself buried in the listings and given little to no exposure. Soon....he is forced to walk away. I just have to ask you art buyers and collectors....are you aware of all this or are you content seeing the same artists over and over again - is this really how you want to buy your art? Comments please....

After my vent I think we need something calming. My watercolor for today is called "Tranquility"

Help the Economy.....Make & Buy Art!

In our present society, where people stand in line overnight for the latest electronic gadget, its pretty easy to ignore the artists and their work in this country. That's kind of sad. Art is a talent - it can be honed and perfected thru hard work but the spark has to be there...within the artist. It's what makes a true artist - not a scribbler or a paint dripper who are touted as genius in the artworld but the true artist who enjoys creating for the sheer joy of it. We have literally thousands upon thousands of them in the world and their talent is mostly ignored. A sad fact.

Artists can be so ignored in our society that a good one can be found most anywhere and most do not even know they have this talent. People always come up with the same stale old line "I can't even draw a straight line" - well...neither can I but I have the patience to pick up pencil, brush, chalk or whatever and to let my mind wander to what I want to put on paper.

After awhile, the hand learns to draw what the mind sees and creating art becomes a joy, and the soothing of the act of creating art becomes a calmness and a euphoria!

Some artists stick to a single theme or medium. I seem to enjoy all themes - all mediums. #1. The Lesson, pastel. #2. The Biker, watercolor. #3. A Walk in the Rain, Acrylic.

So, grab a pencil or brush and some paper and give it a try AND have a bit of encouragement for that artist in your neighborhood or your family or among your friends. Art needs to come into the sunshine once again and it needs to gain the respect and be recognized by our society once again.

Last but far from least....go out and BUY some REAL art. I don't mean prints from Walmart. I mean something an artist has taken his time to do and to put down for posterity. Places like Ebay, Overstock, Etsy, etc. are full to the rafters with original art - most selling below the price of prints you will find in stores AND you don't even have to move from your computer. SUPPORT artists by encouraging them and by buying real art.

Now, for listening to old granny's rant.....have a cupcake :-)

Support American Artists!

"Sunburst Daisies"
5 X 11" Watercolor

I know the economy is bad but yesterday I was shopping in Walmart and saw a bin of large prints with several people picking thru them. One fellow pulled one out and smiled at it...as though he found the prize in a box of Cracker Jack! I looked over and noted the price....not much less than some small original works one can find on artists' internet websites or on sites such as Ebay, Bonanzle and Etsy. I wonder what makes a person bypass real art in favor of a sheet of paper some machine stamped out? I look at original paintings and am sometimes in awe at the skill and imagination of the artist. I respect the person behind an original piece of art and the work he/she put into it. There is NOTHING like original art. No mass produced print - no matter the name compares to a piece of art where you can look deeply and see the brush strokes that artist placed on the canvas.

So, I'm asking any who might stop by to read this to check out the sites I've mentioned here and look at some original art. If you buy a piece I'm pretty sure you won't be sorry. Look beyond just the topic or color of the piece - look deeply to see the part of the artist's life and heart that he or she put into it.....just for you!

My painting today is a sunny watercolor.

World Drawing Day 2009 - Did You Participate?

Drawing Day 2009

If you weren't drawing yesterday, then you missed it. June 6, 2009 was World Drawing Day. Several sites were offering participation including Facebook, Youtube, Ratemydrawings, etc. The goal was to reach 1 million drawings. I do not have the actual count but I know over 13,000 artists signed up and stated they would be drawing. I added about 5 new drawings myself and now have a gallery on www.ratemydrawings.com with 181 drawings.

I suggest to anyone out there who likes to draw to get on over to Rate My Drawings and register. Its totally free and artists and would be artists of all ages are welcome.

My gallery on Rate My Drawings:

http://www.ratemydrawings.com/user/patty013/&tab=1

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Buying Art on Ebay

I'm posting a very informative article from a fellow Ebay artist. Ebay has one of the largest art communities in the world...if not, THE largest. People need to take advantage of it. There is no need to have cheap dime store prints on your walls - art on Ebay ranges from $1.00 on up into the thousands of dollars. There is definitely something for everyone AND at reasonable prices.




A piece of Marie's artwork presently on auction on Ebay


Friday, February 27, 2009
Buying Art on Ebay

I may have jumped the gun here...with today's economy many people are probably wondering if they should even be buying art in the first place!

Is art a luxury or a necessity? Lets' talk about that briefly and then I'll follow up with some good advice about buying art on Ebay....or you can just skip to that advice by scrolling down.

Naturally, as an artist and as someone who majored in the Social Sciences, I feel that art is a necessity. Art is so much more than something to hang over the sofa. Art is the mirror of the society in which it was created...a true reflection of the concerns, joys, struggles, accomplishments, and priorities of the time.
Art is history.

Psychologically speaking, art holds it's ground here too! Our environment has a direct impact on the way we feel. Each color even has influence over our moods and the ability to concentrate or relax. If we find ourselves in a space that we perceive as open, warm and inviting we are serene, calm, and comfortable. If we find ourselves in a space that we perceive as cold, too cluttered, to stark, or sterile we can feel uneasy, agitated, or even depressed! Comfortable surroundings filled with objects that we find attractive & meaningful simply makes us feel at home and lifts our mood.
Art makes us happy!

So the next time you see a painting or a sculpture or any piece of art and that art speaks to you....GRAB IT! And do so, guilt free..."nesting" is healthy!

BUYING ART ON EBAY

In my opinion, Ebay is a GREAT place to buy original art! From traditional landscapes to modern abstract paintings...Ebay has some of the most talented artists available! Not only that...you can get some really good deals on original art. You no longer have to settle for prints and posters if you prefer original art, but are on a budget. Paintings sell on Ebay from $1 to $1000 depending on auction style, painting size, and artist recognition.

Now granted, Ebay isn't as easy to browse for unique items items as it used to be, but it's still pretty darned easy. Here are some tips for a good experience:

Pay attention to the selections!

From the home page, select: ART: from within the DIRECT FROM ARTIST menu select PAINTINGS.

This area will get you the better deals versus buying from a reseller or gallery...unless you're looking for something "vintage." If that's the case you may prefer the DEALER - RESELLER area.

Once you're in the DIRECT FROM ARTIST:PAINTINGS area you'll want to perform a strategic search. Ebay's "Best Match" search is not all that it's cracked up to be, often leaving out fabulous paintings from artists who are considered "small vendors" because they do not list 2-3 paintings everyday! Best Match might be great if you're shopping for gadgets, but it's the worst way to shop for unique, hand made items.

Having said that, Ebay also has a new tendency to force their ideas upon shoppers...be sure to look to the left of the screen...you may actually have to select DIRECT FROM ARTIST again to refine your search!

Still looking on the left side, scroll down and make any other selections you like in order to refine your search.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST.....look for the drop down menu near the top right of the screen, directly over where the listings begin...you can find it...really you can! It is there, but by design it's less than obvious. Once you locate it, click to see all the selections and choose either ENDING SOONEST or NEWLY LISTED depending on your preference. NOW, you can really browse through all that is available. Here is where you'll find those wonderful pieces of original art: Landscapes, Original Abstract Paintings, Original Modern Abstracts, Urban Paintings and so much more...all original handmade art. Not some watered down search that features mass produced schlock preferred by Best Match.

Keep an eye on all of your selections, they do tend to revert to Ebay's defaults in between visits...or even if you jump out of a category and then come back.

If it sounds like a hassle, it can be at first, but after a couple of times it really is very easy.

Support the arts..... DON'T USE BEST MATCH!

Warmest Regards,
Marie Bretz
(formerly Marie Bahr)
Paint All Night Studios

Forget Ebay Today! Life is Waiting!!!

Blue Doggie Sharpener

I've just been out on my patio enjoying the coolness of a southern california morning and drinking my morning cup of tea. Look around, the birds are flying and singing, my hummingbirds are coming in to feed on their sugar water (and dive bomb me for being in their territory) my roses are blooming and all is right with the world. What more do I need past that glorious moment. It was unmarred by thoughts of how I'm going to make sales on Ebay now that its totally messed up or even about the fact my car insurance bill will be in any day now. No....it was just about the great outdoors and how darned lucky I am to be alive and seeing and feeling and smelling all this beauty. Sometimes we have to rein ourselves in and look at the basics. I'm sure all of you have benefits in your life you never really counted before. The mere fact of living is a great benefit on its own...perhaps the greatest of all!

That's my message for today and I'm sticking to it!

Today's painting...for those artists who say "I ran out of ideas and don't know what to paint" - paint what's in front of you and that scene of my pencil sharpener and pencils happened to be in front of me. :-)

Rate My Drawings....Please

A little diversion from online selling. Rate My Drawings is a site that is truly addictive for most artists. If you have ever thought of dabbling in digital painting this is a good place to try your hand. You can use your mouse to paint with but the ultimate way is with a Wacom tablet and pen. I assure you it gets easier with each and every drawing....its only tough when your fellow artists come in and rate what you've done (just kidding).

The site is

http://www.ratemydrawings.com

and if you go there and look up Patty013 you will see over 65 drawings by yours truly :-) You also get to see just how I did each one. Go...try something new and most of all...ENJOY!