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A slow down in the economy, or a recession (like we are in at the moment), hurts art and art sales.  Purchasing art is discretionary, meaning that it is not something that we need to have to survive.  Collecting art abounds in good times, and slows down in bad times.  So, artists, beware.  A bad economy is the time to batten down the hatches and secure the ship.  Make every minute count. (more…)

We do a number of retail shows in Alaska each year, and choosing the best venue is always a bit of a gamble.  Comparing sales records from past shows is a good beginning, but that is not always the best rule of thumb.  Many factors influence why sales at a show are better one year than the next.  Here are several issues to consider when evaluating the success of shows. (more…)

Today I am giving a presentation on “The Business of Art and the Artist” at the Native Arts Summit from 9:30AM to 11:30AM at the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Building, Anchorage, Alaska.  And, tomorrow I will be giving a similar presentation at the Alaska Arts and Culture Conference from 3:30PM to 4:45PM at the Captain Cook Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska.  I’ll tell you how it turned out in my blog next week.

I remember when I first thought I was ready to have a show and sell my work, I had been painting for a few years and accumulated a number of good works.  It was time.  If you are in this situation, heed my words they come from experience.  Marketing art is a business, you better know, understand, and practice good business principals before you embark into this new world.  Without this knowledge you can damage your reputation, spend unnecessary time straightening out messes, and leave yourself vulnerable to be taken advantage of by those who prey on the uninformed.  You also better be ready to hear, not only praise, but criticism of your work.  If you cannot take rejection, you are not ready. (more…)

Continuing the amazing Alaska winter weather cycle this year,  the hurricane force winds of a few weeks ago yielded a positive result; our lake ice was polished into a perfect place to ice skate or play ice hockey!  This beautiful evening produced ice fishermen, skaters, a man walking a dog, and the inevitable car spinning circles as it attempted a fast start on the slippery surface.  And, I was mesmerized by the incredible colors of the sunset reflected on the ice as I watched from my studio.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

If you don’t like the weather in Alaska one day, just wait a day.  After bearing through weeks of bitter cold, hurricane force winds, then rain, Girdwood was a perfect place to be last Sunday during the Alyeska Ski Club training races.  Perfect temperatures, excellent snow conditions and happy faces basked in the gorgeous glory of an amazing landscape on a picture perfect day.  I found many beautiful scenes to use as reference material in future paintings.  Days like this are the reason we live and love it here!

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Every artist should have a good resume, or “vitae”, and a biography.  They should be kept up to date and ready to hand out as needed.  The resume should contain the artist’s name, age, address, telephone, email address, website, and media.  It should also contain a summary of art education, schools attended, degrees earned, and the years these were attended, relevant art teachers, seminars and continuing education.  Another section should list by date significant competitions, exhibitions and honors.  A different paragraph should list important public and private collections.  Included could be some tastefully mounted photos of your work and/or a brochure. (more…)

Converting space in your home for business use is the easy part, once you have your rooms assigned and setup the real challenge begins.  Blending time to paint and work in the office into the regular routine of running a household with other family members is tough.  From the beginning I established a routine, and worked designated hours during the day, five days a week.  I believe this is essential in order to be taken seriously by family members, neighbors and friends.  The telephone went on the answering machine during painting sessions, unless a family member was available to screen calls.  A strict “no interruptions” while painting rule existed, and still does today. (more…)

The convenience and comfort of working from the home cannot be beat, but this advantage does not come without challenges and compromises.  In order to have a good space to paint it needs adequate illumination.  Natural north light is best.  In Alaska we have too much daylight in the summer and not enough in the winter so I need to supplement with artificial light.  Finding the best solution can be tricky, incandescent bulbs are too yellow and regular fluorescent tubes are too blue.  What works best for me are a series of overhead fluorescent fixtures with 5,000 Kelvin daylight tubes, that simulate natural light.  When using a drafting table a clamp on fixture with an adjustable arm is sufficient. (more…)

The IRS requires that in order to deduct expenses for your home based business the rooms that are designated should be devoted exclusively as the principal place of business for your trade, or the place where you meet with clients in the normal course of your business.  You cannot deduct business expenses for any part of the home used for both personal and business. (more…)

Some of you might be thinking, why keep records?  It is tedious, boring, dull work and will interfere with my painting/creating time.  Records are irrelevant, I just paint them and sell them, who needs to know?  Who’s business is it anyway?  Believe me, if you don’t figure out an efficient method for keeping track of your work you will loose out in the long run.  Think big, and think about your future. (more…)

I cannot tell you how many fantastic art opportunities I have turned down because after reading the fine print I found out these great offers were contingent on my making a purchase.  Pay attention to the fast road to success claims when a fee is attached.  When the market is slow, and economy is stuttering, more and more incredible propositions will come your way.  Bad deals and a bad economy seem to go hand in hand, people are struggling and some will try anything to make a buck.  If they can separate you from your hard earned money they win, you loose. (more…)

This year I’ve tried not to let the winter weather get me down.  During the last three weeks we have experienced record cold way below zero, and the yard was carpeted in a thick crust of wind hardened snow.  Fishermen dotted the lake standing by their vehicles for warmth while dangling bait through holes cut in the ice.  Then, the weather abruptly changed and temperatures rose to +40’s Farenheit and the snow disappeared in record time.  The roads became ice rinks when the air temperature met the solidly frozen pavement and caused countless wrecks.  I’ve been happy to watch from my studio window, cozily tucked inside counting inventory and puttering in the office doing year end organization.  Today is +54 degrees, stong winds, and rain in torrents.  Our lake is a sea of wet ice, no fishermen, no vehicles.  I’m sure if anyone was foolish enough to try to drive on the lake in these conditions, the experience would resemble the Tipsy Tea Cups at Disneyland.  And, the lawn is turning green!  This is January in Alaska, good grief!  This weekend I had plans to continue photographing the gorgeous snow scape in Girdwood, but right now there are Weather Advisories for 80-100mph winds in that region.  In Alaska if you don’t like the weather right now just wait a few moments, the one thing you can count on is that it will change!

Gail Niebrugge, Artist

Here we go again, the first few weeks of January always finds us busy doing our annual inventory count for the end of the year.  A long time ago we created forms in our computer Data Base and they have been invaluable ever since to help us calculate inventory.  Every business is required to establish a beginning of the year and end of year inventory on their IRS tax forms, and the business of art is no exception. (more…)

This conference is sponsored by the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation, January 29-31, 2009, at the Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage, Alaska.  The Arts and Culture Conference is designed for artists, arts organizations, art educators, and volunteers.  Many informative seminars will include photographing your artwork, financial management for artists, marketing and design, marketing on the web, online art resources, digitizing images for online use, and more.  I am scheduled to present a seminar on the “Business of Art and the Artist”.  This promises to be an informative and interesting event.  For further information contact Charlotte Fox at charlotte.fox@alaska.gov, or Christine Crooks at ccrooks@gci.net.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Another of my quick photos taken while on a subject matter research trip to Girdwood, AK.  This time I was alone on a beautiful crosscountry ski trail, after cruising through an open meadow the tracks led me through a narrow dense forest where I was surrounded by the fascinating shapes of snow laden evergreen trees.  Although it was a bit cold, -8 degrees Fahrenheit, and my glasses were all fogged up and frosted over I retrieved my handy camera from inside the warmth of my ski  jacket and quickly clicked off a few shots.  I think I found some nice trees to include in my next winter painting.  It was so quiet and beautiful out there, if it weren’t for the cold I would have stayed all day.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

During my recent quest for good winter subject matter for future paintings I happened to be on the bridge in Girdwood at just the right time to capture a full moon over the mountain peaks that were beautifully lit by the setting sun.  I think I can utilize elements from this photograph in a painting someday.  I always carry my camera in my pocket for I never know when a magic moment, like this one, will happen.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Ask; Will the gallery honor your copyright and help you protect it?  If the gallery uses an image of yours for publicity make sure that the copyright notice is visible.  The gallery should inform collectors that the copyrights remain with the artist when an original painting is sold.

Ask; will the gallery provide an address list of people who purchase your work? Galleries are often reluctant to divulge collectors names because they fear that you will by-pass them and sell direct.  Assure the gallery that you will not interfere as long as the gallery represents you and pays you in a timely way.  Remind the gallery that you are willing to share your address list when they give you a show, it should be reciprocal. (more…)

It is best to have a checklist when interviewing galleries to help you evaluate and compare services.

Ask; will the gallery give you a one-person show, or do they want to begin by taking a few pieces on consignment?  If the gallery will take a few pieces at a time, find out where they will be kept.  If the work is stored in drawers or the basement it is of no value to you.

Ask; if the work is damaged will the gallery reimburse you or if possible make needed repairs at their expense?  Get the answer in writing. (more…)

Entering Juried exhibitions is an important first step for an artist to gain recognition and establish a reputation, after that I see no significant purpose to go through the juried process.  Juried exhibitions are expensive, most charge a fee to enter, and have specific framing requirements (you may need to re-frame your work), and the fees are not refunded if your work is rejected.  These fees are often the primary funding for the operation of the sponsoring organizations. (more…)