niebruggestudio.com

“Basin Road” 54″x 72″ original acrylic on canvas commissioned by the Alaska Per Cent for Art program for the Juneau Pioneer Home, painted in 1991, ©Gail Niebrugge

I have to admit my learning curve with Photoshop has been long and hard mostly by trial and error, with more errors than success at times.  I’m sure I would have benefited from taking a class, but my excuse is that no one teaches a class out here in Wasilla, Alaska, for folks who use MacIntosh computers.  So, with my ancient Photoshop, a part of Creative Suite 2, I’ve stumbled through the process usually with some kind of deadline forcing me to produce a decent image to send via the web.

My love/hate relationship with Photoshop began about eight years ago when I decided I needed a website.  It required digital images of my art saved in low resolution jpg for each page.  At the time, most of my painting were photographed in 4×5 transparencies and 35mm slides.  A few were photographed digitally, but the file sizes were very small.  I stretched my brain figuring out how to scan the 4×5’s with my flat bed scanner and a film adapter, but when I opened the images in Photoshop they were extremely saturated with very high contrast.  I fiddled with different settings until the artwork looked fairly acceptable, at the time I had no idea how to use layers, and emailed 72dpi jpgs to my webmaster.  I look back on those early efforts and want to re-do all of them someday when I have the time.

Recently I’ve found a few excellent websites that post tips for using Photoshop and I’d like to share this one that explains in very good English how to optimize images for the web.  Happy Photoshopping!

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

I’m new to Twitter and FaceBook, but I can already see that this social network stuff can eat up a huge amount of time.  Thinking that the exposure would be good for my art and bring people to my website I signed on to these sites.  And, it has been a good move.  But, I’m just a small peanut in the big world of internet.  I’ve found folks who have more than 50,000 followers on Twitter and wonder how they keep up with their followers?  That kind of following boggles my mind.  I’m a johnny-come-lately to this internet stuff having grown up before home computers were invented and seem to be running way behind the learning curve, but doing my best, it seems like a small business needs at least a part-time employee to keep up with the email, posts, tweets, requests, website updates, and the like.  I have spam filters but still find 30-50 or more junk mail in my inbox every day, and thank goodness for a great spam filter on my blog where I can control “comments” or my site would be a walking billboard for pharmaceutical companies.  Here is a great article I found (on the internet) about this issue a good read, enjoy.

Gail Niebrugge, just an ordinary artist living in Alaska

Two hard working volunteers on the Mat-Su College Fine Arts Advisory Council, Sharon Allen and Janice Strong, confer on auction items during the first annual “Tie the Knot Community and College” fundraiser held at the Palmer Depot last Friday night February 12, 2010.  The proceeds of the auction will be used to support the first Artisan Festival on campus for the community and the college planned for 2011 with the goal of making this annual event for artists throughout the state.  The evening was sparked by the humor and energy of the auctioneer, radio station owner John Klapperich, and capped by the generous contributions of featured artist Shane Lamb.  This is a very worthy cause and important to the cultural growth of the Matanuska Valley.  Next year, I (your humble blog writer artist) have the honor of serving as featured artist at the second annual auction.  Plan now to attend, and start saving your money to bid high on my donation

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape painter

Here is a chance to spend some time first hand with one of Alaska’s finest professional photographers, Ron Niebrugge, on a photography workshop touring Prince William Sound living aboard a research vessel.  this is a great opportunity to gather research for future paintings and to learn something about photography at the same time.  Yes, this is my son, and I might sound a bit biased but check out his website and decide for yourself.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Many thanks to a friend who alerted me to an irregularity with my blog.  A Google search took her to my blog site where she was shocked to find pop-up ads filling half the page.  Three were for Las Vegas and the other two promoted some strange, questionable websites.  On a hunch that the ads were unauthorized she sent me a quick email explaining the problem.

According to Google Support my site was hacked and additional code referencing was added.  Google directed me to delete the fugitive code and update my software to the latest version of WordPress.  Thanks to the trouble shooting of my son, photographer Ron Niebrugge, and my webmaster, Nick Hand who not only keeps my site current but designs gorgeous websites, my blog is hack free and working fine again.

I’m growing increasingly bewildered at the rapid changes on the internet and the amount of time it takes to keep current, not only with software for my computer but my website and blog.  I think I spend more time on this stuff now than I do painting.  This seems wrong.  But, if it weren’t for the internet, many folks would not know about my work.  My computer personifies a perfect love-hate relationship.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

I ran across a good article the other day written by artist Lori McNee that I want to pass on to you about writing an artists statement.  I’ve always been puzzled by this request, I have a biography and a resume, what else do people want?  A lot of statements that I’ve seen seem to be very esoteric, and go into deep, deep thought about feelings and emotions, and can be quite lofty.  I have never thought about my art this way, and have often been at a loss when trying to create one.  This article offers good, sound, factual advice and something that I can relate.  Hopefully it will help some of you.  Let me know.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska pointillism artist

I recently found this article on Art Marketing Secrets website that discusses the pros and cons of image theft from art websites.  It is a problem that is difficult to control.  I’ve found some of my images on blogs and in articles all over the world.  Sometimes it isn’t too bad if I get credit and the copyright symbol is visible on the work.  What I will not tolerate is someone using one of my images without permission for profit.  That is where I draw a hard line in the sand.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Here is a good article recommended by artist Annie Strack’s on writing an artist’s resume.  Recently I was asked by an up-and-coming artist about this very topic and I find this information to be extremely helpful.  It has useful advice for artists who are completely self taught.  Check it out.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska painter

Rothschild Foundation’s missing grant money, interesting article.  Arts groups that anticipated receiving grants from $4,000 to $10,000 are seriously concerned.

Gail Niebrugge, Artist

Just got this offer in my email and found these comments about the offer in an artists forum Wet Canvas.  Read the comments carefully, there are many risks for the artist with this offer.  Gail Niebrugge, artist

Hello,

I have contacted you recently regarding our various events and have decided to contact you about a Fantastic Project we are organising. As you know New Art Originals.com is an online art gallery, however due to the success of our events and your feedback we are looking to adopt a physical Gallery space and are looking for quality artists to be represented at the gallery.

As usual all works must be original. We are able to give a Limited number of artists exclusive exposure at the Gallery for 1 Whole Year!

Here is what you get (Only a limited number of artists will be accepted):

1. 1 year access to our Real world Gallery to display works of your choice.
2. Up to two inclusive solo exhibitions a year.
3. Placement in the Gallery to Sell your work in London for 52 Weeks Guaranteed.
4. One year Online web prescence included.
5. Extra exposure on the Real World Gallery website – This is seperate from the main New Art Originals.com website.
6. London exposure in the capital city in a prominent part of town.
7. Marketing and promotion of all participating artists and works submitted.
8. If you do not sell at least 1 piece within a year we will refund your registration or the next year totally free guaranteed!

If you want to take up this amazing opportunity please contact me Today to reserve your place.

Many Thanks

Jules

I’m curious.  Over and over I’ve received solicitations to show my work on online galleries.  They seem to make it easy to upload images and build themes and provide all the visual bells and whistles.  So far I’ve been skeptical because I don’t know how to evaluate the market, or find out if the gallery has a good record for sales.  I’m sure some are very good, but how many are just an idea from an entrepreneur hoping to make it work.

Some charge a monthly fee for being represented on their website, others take a portion of sales.  The latter seems fair, at least they will be working to sell to make money.  I’m leery of monthly fee based sites.

I’m interested in any of your experiences, ideas and suggestions for what works, and what doesn’t work.  Let me know your experiences pro and con and I will share this information with my subscribers, together we can network and maybe save someone a whole lot of grief.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

I’ve been approached by several artists asking about securing a grant to help with the expenses of an exhibition or travel to a class or seminar.  I haven’t had a grant for more than 20 years so I’m using this opportunity to refresh myself.  The first place I visited was ArtBiz101, a site that seems to have a lot of good practical information for setting up a business plan.  Most of the financial problems artists face can be resolved by creating a good business plan.  Itemizing all the expected and unexpected expenses that will be incurred while running an art business will certainly help you plan for the future, and keep you from falling into the pit of unrealized expectations.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts has a wonderful grant program for individual artists, Career Opportunity Grants provide financial assistance for travel to seminars, and programs to enrich the artists professional standing and career.  The Connie Boochever Artist Fellowhip recognizes Alaskans who are emerging artists of exceptional talent.  Familiarize yourself with these grants, deadline dates, and application requirements well in advance of the need and you will be ready to submit when an opportunity arises.

The Rasmuson Foundation has a number of grants for artists, included is the Art Acquisition Fund, the Arts Education Fund, and Individual Artists Awards.  Again, artists should familiarize themselves with deadlines, procedures and application process.  Applying for grants is very competitive, you may not receive one on your first or second try but the old adage holds true here; if at once you don’t succeed, try, try, again.

These are but a few of the opportunities available to artists.  Most important is to have a good portfolio of digitized images of your best work, a professional resume, and a worthy proposal.  After that it takes perseverance and diligence to secure assistance from a grant.

Gail Niebrugge, Vice Chair Alaska State Council on the Arts

Recently I’ve been receiving an unusual amount of spam, and much of it has to do with someone trying to part me with my hard earned money.  Several have to do with including my biography with a couple of images of paintings in a prestigious art book for a fee, others want an entry fee to submit to an art exhibition, and some actually try to buy art with the fake cashiers check scam.  I found a website that wrote about the cashiers check scam, I’m posting the link here and recommend that all artists read “International Art Scammers Want You !”

I make it a practice to not respond to unsolicited emails and use the “delete” button often.  Do business only with those you know or have thoroughly “vetted.”  The internet is a global world now and anyone can make up anything and try to sell it to you.  Use caution!

This blog has a great spam filter Akismet, and it keeps me informed as to how many spams a day it catches.  It is one of the best.  To date they have caught 40,264 spams with an overall accuracy of 99.943%.  Awesome!

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape painter

This photo was taken before the 80mph wind gusts began, when it was only gusting to 60mph.  A lone vehicle tried to find a sheltered spot to fish but failed and quickly drove ashore.  We’ve been battered by high winds for days at the studio, the howling noise and power interruptions make it hard for me to concentrate on painting.  I’ve taken to more mundane tasks like counting inventory and replacing light bulbs.  All of this is just part of winter in Alaska, and this too shall pass.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Bob and I attended the Palmer Arts Council annual meeting dinner Friday night at the Red Beet Cafe in downtown Palmer, Alaska.  The beautifully remodeled historic building was packed to capacity (100) and the atmosphere was warm, friendly, gracious and joyful.  Pride shown.  The arts council is thriving, growing and full of accomplished, talented members.  One of my favorite ladies, Fran Ulmer, Chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage, gave the keynote speech, and the highlight of the evening was the concert by percussion artist Meggie Aube.  This is indeed a worthy organization and one that should be on the “join” list of all valley residents.  Basic membership is $25.00, larger donations are graciously accepted, contact Palmer Arts Council at PO Box 4286, Palmer, AK 99645.  Thank you for a lovely evening.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

Below is the full text for the Call for Art.  I got involved as Chairman of the Alaska State Council on the Arts Contemporary Art Bank because I wanted to know more about the program and find out why my work is not represented.  I found out that the Art Bank has not had a call for art for many years due to lack of funding.  Fortunately there are a small amount of funds available now and we plan to include new artists work in the Art Bank.  Unfortunately, I can’t apply because it is a conflict of interest, so now I know why my work is not included.  I encourage all Alaska artists to submit.

Gail Niebrugge, Vice President Board of Directors, Alaska State Council on the Arts

The Alaska Contemporary Art Bank (ACAB) was founded in 1975 by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. It was created to address two primary concerns: to expose more Alaskans to high quality work by contemporary Alaskan artists through the loaning of original art to public offices throughout Alaska, and to provide support to professional artists in Alaska through purchase of their work. The collection has grown to more than 600 art works in a wide variety of media, styles and subject matter. Although the art is the same as that collected by museums, the purpose of the Art Bank is to provide a circulating collection of artwork with the primary goals of education and exhibition of Alaskan art in public areas other than museums.

The ACAB is implementing it’s first call for art since 2001, from which artworks will be selected for purchase by the ACSA’s Visual Arts Advisory Committee. The VAAC is a statewide group of artists and arts administrators who meet periodically to advise the Arts Council in policy and acquisition. Selections are then recommended to the Arts Council for purchase. Artwork is purchased from the artist, not an intermediary entity such as a gallery or agent. VAAC and Arts Council members are ineligible to apply for Art Bank acquisitions under State of Alaska Regulations.

Art Bank artworks are selected for loan to display in public areas in State owned and operated buildings, University of Alaska departments, the State Legislature and in the offices of the Alaskan members of the U. S. Congress. Artwork must be durable, appropriate for public areas, and will have labels identifying the artist (ASCA provided).

All Alaskan artists are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be through CaFE (https://www.callforentry.org/index.php), and the VAAC will review all applications. Priority will be given to artists who are not currently represented in the collection, but not limited to those artists. To see an example of previous Art Bank purchases, visit www.eed.state.ak.us/aksca and click on: Alaska Contemporary Art Bank. ASCA will use the artists listed in CAFÉ as an Artist’s Registry so that we can keep them informed of upcoming artist opportunities.

Qualifications:
• Must be an Alaskan resident, or an Alaskan resident at time the work was created
• Work must have been created in the last five years
• All applications must be through CaFE; no paper applications accepted

Considerations:
• All media will be considered, but priority may be given by the committee to types of works most in demand by the loan program at any given time.
• Work must be durable due to the demand of shipping and display in public areas; 2-D works must be framed with hanging devices and 3-D works must be self-supporting
• Imagery must be generally suitable for display in public buildings
• Purchase price is set by the artist, but priority will be given to works under a set price ($4,000)
Artists can submit up to 6 images of artwork that are available for purchase.

ASCA will pay for shipping of artworks selected for Alaska Contemporary Art Bank purchase by method determined by ASCA; artist will be responsible for packing and insuring transportation.

Deadline for applications is 9:59 PM Alaska Standard time, Sunday February 28, 2010. Artists will be notified of acceptance by March 31, 2010 (tentative).

The above photo of my painting “Spirit of Flight” is shown with normal formatting saved as a .jpg file in Photoshop.  To prepare your digital images to fit the criteria of CaFE, the Online Calls for Art (www.callforentry.org) website used by the Alaska State Council on the Arts, go to the CaFE website.

The second photo of “Spirit of Flight” is saved in the CaFE format of 1920 x 1920 pixels, file size no larger than 1.8MB, 72 dpi .jpg.  The black border is obtained under “Canvas Size” with background color black.  This is all explained on the CaFE website under Image Prep.

If you have questions please let me know.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

The Alaska State Council on the Arts is now using an online application site, https://www.callforentry.org/index.php (CaFE), for all ASCA Calls for Art.  I encourage Alaska artists to familiarize themselves with CaFE, create a login name and password, and begin the process of submitting digital images of your work to create an online portfolio.  CaFE offers a help page to assist in establishing your profile.

Calls for Art will be posted on CaFE, with a completed profile artists can submit a portfolio whenever necessary.  No more slide sheets or CD’s to be mailed for each Call for Art, just click on your profile, select the images you wish to submit, cut and paste your resume and proposal into the online form and submit.  Sounds easy?   Yes, once you have figured out the system.  But, it can be frustrating and confusing in the beginning, so don’t wait until the last minute to set up a profile.

To assist artists the Alaska State Council on the Arts is conducting teleconference workshops, two were held in December and two more are planned this month; Tuesday January 12 from 12-1 pm, and Tuesday January 26 from 5-6 pm.  If you need help contact the ASCA at 907-269-6610 or 1-888-278-7424 or email Andrea Noble at andrea.noble@alaska.gov.

Let me know if I can answer any questions.  I’ve gone through the process of setting up my own portfolio, and if my experience was typical I might be able to help with some of your concerns.

Best wishes for success with CaFE!

Gail Niebrugge, Vice Chair Board of Directors, Alaska State Council on the Arts

“Fiery Leaves” acrylic 23.5″ x 35.5″ on Sintra panel, original painting SOLD.

We are back to the studio after a nice week-long break for the Christmas holidays.  Collectors are welcome to schedule studio visit/tours, just call for an appointment.  Guests are always welcome.

I’m posting the image of  “Fiery Leaves” because we’ve had a number of customers that want a print.  This painting depicts the final stage of the wildflower fireweed as it appears in Alaska during early September.  At this time we are evaluating the size and substrate printing options.  Should we publish it as a small size only, or maybe offer a small size and a larger size?  If we offer a larger size should we print it on canvas or on paper?  How large is large?  There are many options to consider and we appreciate as much feedback as possible.  When and if we do offer “Fiery Leaves” as a print it will be posted on our website and website blog.

Gail Niebrugge, Artist

This year when we closed shop on December 18th, we underestimated the volume of last minute shoppers and apologize to everyone who tried to order a print for Christmas. Many are giving gift certificates at Christmas for a print with a tour/visit to my studio beginning December 28th, we look forward to meeting these collectors.

We cherish our family time together in Girdwood, my daughter and her family are here every weekend including holidays and it is a short hour and a half drive for my son (Ron) and his wife. Girdwood makes a strange bedfellow for Bob and I, neither of us downhill ski. But, we’ve learned that if we want to see our grandchildren we need to go where they go, and soon they will be grown and gone.

It seems strange, though, to not be in our home with our ancient collection of memories accumulated over many Christmas’s through the years. In the Girdwood condo we have a tiny fake tree that came fully decorated, at home stored in boxes are the hand-made ornaments I crafted when my children were babies and our budget was tiny. There are ornaments given to us as gifts each with a special memory, and as our parents passed away we saved our favorite ornaments from their personal collections. Here we can’t fuss and play with the antique Lionel train given to my husband when he was just a boy, the worn out bellows for the horn hardly functions and the train creeps along, straining to move forward, but we don’t care. Forty eight years of holidays and memories, the Christmas spent in a Newport Beach condo when our son was in grad school at UCI, the holiday we took the kids to Hawaii and tied ornaments to the ceiling fan, and the times we spent with friends when the family couldn’t get together because of schedules and distance. Several years ago we volunteered and helped serve a free Christmas dinner to over 750 people in our community, there are so many ways to celebrate this special time of year, we each need to look deep inside ourselves and find ways to share, give our love, and our help.

I pray all of you find the spirit of the season no matter where you are or what your situation.

Merry Christmas to everyone and God’s Blessings in the New Year.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist