Friday's art article - How to Hang a Picture - How to Hang Pictures with a Wire Hanger

Enjoy this two minute video on how to hang a wired picture or painting on your wall.

Where to avoid hanging art

1. Buy what you like and you'll be able to find a place for it.
2. Avoid hanging art over a fireplace. It should be protected from heat and smoke. It is also best to keep it out of direct sunlight.

Today's tip is from oil painter, Shannon Grissom.

Picture credit: Shannon with her oil paintings at a recent exhibition.

What kind of art should I buy?

Buy what you love and don't ask others for their opinions...YOU will be living with it, not your friends. And whenever possible, buy originals. Save up for them; they are worth it!

Today's tip is shared by oil painter Deborah Grayson Lincoln

Friday's art article - How are retail art prices determined?

I often get asked just how a piece of art gets priced for the amount it does. Retail art pricing is much like any other industry or business; many factors go into the final retail price. Assuming you're not looking at a "world famous artist", a few of the influencing factors most art collectors will run into are:

1. Materials. The price of the materials can have little influence to lots of influence on a final price. For example, precious metal jewelry is heavily influenced by the price of the gold, silver, platinum, etc. used to make it while, the price of the oil paints a painter might use doesn't impact the final price as heavily.

2. Quantity. If there's only "one" of something, you can expect to pay more. Artists that sell prints of their work generally will have a lower price per single item versus a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Buyers can also expect to pay more for limited edition (number produced is specified) versus and open edition (no end) series.

3. Production methods. For example, artists that have their giclee prints professionally printed will charge more since it costs more to them to have the higher quality print (versus printing off a home printer system). The benefit to a collector is that these professionally printed prints will last a lifetime.

4. Demand. Yes, supply and demand applies here too. If an artist cannot keep up with the demand for their artwork, prices will go up.

5. Time involved. This is probably the hardest one for art buyers to consider when buying a piece of art. Sometimes artists will spend 10, 20 or 30 hours getting the perfect piece of art. Even at minimum wage, that makes a piece of art cost $50 to $150, before supplies are even included.

6. Business overhead. Just like any other business, artists and the art galleries that represent them also have fixed costs they must cover to keep a shop open and operating.

These are just a few of the starting points that influence art's retail price. If you want to learn more about art pricing, get to know your favorite artist or art gallery. They can be an invaluable resource to helping you with your art knowledge, including art pricing.

Friday's art article: Art Copyright laws

I have received several questions from customers pertaining to what they can do with the images displayed on Cow Art and More. These situations are specifically governed by copyright laws. I will go through a few of the situations here and explain what customers can and cannot do.

The moment someone creates anything "artful", the only person legally allowed to makes copies of that artwork is the original creating artist. If the artist decides to make copies (e.g. prints, multiple sculptures, etc.), he or she can. If anyone else does, without written permission from the creating artist, this is a copyright infringement. The artist has the legal right to take the offending party to court and sue for damages. In fact, copyright laws are so strong that family or legal heirs will still own the copyright to the artist's artwork until 70 years after his or her death.

Artists that display their work online or allow their art to be published in books or magazines often put a copyright symbol (letter c encased in a circle) next to the image. Just because the symbol isn't there doesn't mean you can copy the work; copyright is automatically implied when the art is created. The symbol is there as a reminder.

Art collectors should be aware that even after buying an original work of art, the artist still holds the copyright. This is what allows the artist to sell prints of the work. The buyer cannot make prints or sell copies of the art unless the artist has given express permission in writing. If you as the collector want to buy a piece of art, without giving the artist the right to make reproductions, please make this clear up front. If this is an artist that makes prints of their work, it is likely the artist will want to do so for that original piece. If you as the buyer want to also own the copyright, I would also suggest getting this fact in writing since the laws are written in the artist's favor.

There are three areas where I see art collectors fall into problems when it comes to copyrights and art work.

1. You cannot use an artist's image for anything without their explicit consent. This includes using an image of the artwork to represent your business or organization. This is still the case even if you have purchased a copy of the artwork.
2. You cannot download a copy of the artwork to use as a screen saver, t-shirt logo, avatar on your Facebook page, or other assorted activities without written consent from the artist. Even though you are using it for your own behalf, with no plans to resell, it is still considered "stealing" unless the artist has consented.
   
3. This next area is a bit more fuzzy, but you cannot post a copy of the artwork on your own website, blog, facebook page, etc. without consent of the artist. Generally, if the artwork is identified with the creating artist, copyright symbol, and even a title and date created, problems can be averted. But without that identification, problems usually arise. Many artists like to have the publicity, so an email is usually all it takes to avoid problems. Nowadays with social media sharing buttons, I would suggest using one of them to "share" the artwork with others.
   

In general, the few copyright problems we have had to deal with have not been malicious in any way. People were just unaware of the laws and were happy to comply with our request once we asked not to use it in the manner they were.

My advice: when in doubt, ask. If you've made a mistake, rectify it. If you're caught, be honest.

Friday's website of art interest: THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

The Smithsonian American Art Museum, is today's art website of interest. It is the nation's first collection of American art, and is an unparalleled record of the American experience. The collection captures the aspirations, character and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries. The American Art Museum is the home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its artworks reveal key aspects of America's rich artistic and cultural history from the colonial period to today. More than 7,000 artists are represented in the collection.

In addition to a robust exhibition program in Washington, D.C., the Museum maintains a highly regarded traveling exhibition program. It has circulated hundreds of exhibitions since the program was established in 1951. From 2000 to 2005, museum staff have organized 14 exhibitions of more than 1,000 major artworks from American Art's permanent collection that traveled to 105 venues across the United States. More than 2.5 million visitors saw these exhibitions. The Museum had three major exhibitions touring the U.S. in 2009. The museum staff also produces a series of podcasts, also available through iTunes, which feature voices of artists, curators, and students.

Friday's article of interest to art enthusiasts: INSURING YOUR ART

So you've gone to the trouble of selecting and displaying an art collection. What do you do next? Don't forget to insure your art collection against theft and damage. Today's arty article of interest is Insuring Your Art. Many are surprised to find out the due to it's value, expensive pieces of art are not covered under general homeowner's insurance policies. This article details some points to consider, preparing for the worst, and what you can expect to pay for coverage.

Friday's article of interest to art enthusiasts: HOW TO START AN ART COLLECTION

Starting an art collection can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. The article, "Easy Steps to Start an Art Collection," is a great resource for any beginner. It gives advice on art education, selection and budgeting. Article author, Sylvia White, is an artist career consultant from California. She also has her own art gallery, also in southern California.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: FRAMING YOUR FINE ART

Who doesn't have questions when it comes to framing your fine art purchase? There are so many considerations: frame, mats, glass. The entire process can be overwhelming! Today's article to share with art enthusiasts is by Dr. Lori on Fine Art Framing. Dr. Lori is a nationally syndicated columnist and has a Ph.D. in art history. She has had multiple television appearances discussing art and its value. In this article, she discusses the different options and points everyone should consider when framing an art original or art print.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: THE ART AND ANTIQUES DEALERS LEAGUE OF AMERICA

Knowing that many of the readers of this blog enjoy antiques and heirloom art, today's website of interest is the Art and Antiques Dealers' League of America. The Art and Antique Dealers League of America, Inc. is the oldest and principal antiques and fine arts organization in America. This group assists buyers in finding, purchasing and appraising works of antique art.

As a nonprofit membership organization, it is devoted exclusively to the best interests of dealers and buyers of antiques and works of art, and to the encouragement of educational and cultural activities in the arts generally. Each dealer member must be well-established, with art objects of the highest quality. Each member subscribes to and strictly observes the league's code of ethics.

Friday's article of interest to art enthusiasts: HOW TO PACK ART FOR SHIPPING

Since we're moving into the holiday gift giving season, I wanted to share with blog readers an article on How to Pack Artwork for Shipping. Properly packing artwork is essential for it to arrive at its destination unharmed. This article discusses how to package and ship framed and unframed art prints.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: CREATING AN IN-HOME ART GALLERY

Today's art related article of interest is actually entitled, "How to Create a Gallery of Vacation and Travel Memories." It is actually more focused on helping people to prepare and hang art work surrounding vacations, trips and the associated family memories. I think it's a good article and can practically apply to anyone trying to hang a group of two-dimensional pieces of art in a room.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: STARTING AN ART COLLECTION

Friday's article of interest for art enthusiasts is tips for starting an art collection. Collecting fine art is an inspiring and stimulating hobby for everyone, not just for the rich or famous. There are many forms of art to choose from, as the definition to what art actually is differs from person to person. It doesn't matter what form it takes, the choice is yours in what is attractive and how much your spending limit will be.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: STORING ART

Whether it's because your moving or a need to rotate pieces of art, there comes a time when someone may need to store a piece of artwork. Today's article of interest, A Guide to Properly Storing Your Art, explains how to store a piece of two-dimensional framed or unframed art.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: DAILY ART FIXX

Friday's website of interest about art is Daily Art Fixx, a website dedicated to focusing on a particular art or style daily. The author is Wendy Campbell, a Canadian artist who has devoted time to learning more about other artists and their work. Says Campbell, "This blog is a way for me to immerse myself in art - to learn more about the masters and discover what’s going on in the art world right now. Each day there will be something new - it might be an artist profile, a product, book, or event review, or just a nifty tip that I come across."

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts

Today's website of interest to art collectors is AskART: the Artists' Bluebook. Many people are familiar with finding car values with a "blue book". This website provides the same service for two and three dimensional art pieces. AskART is dedicated to the creation and maintenance of the world’s most comprehensive centralized database of artists. In this capacity the company does not buy, sell, auction, or inventory artworks, or act as representative for any artists.

The website provides digital images, biographical documentation, book references, auction data, and the opportunity to engage in open forum dialogue about artists. In 2007 AskART expanded to include auction data, images where available on artists worldwide. The content features painters, sculptors, and illustrators ranging from our early artists to modern urban expressionists.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts

Today's website, Art Net, links worldwide buyers and sellers of fine art. It also serves a place for collectors to research artists, their work, and current values. Their database of art begins with the Old Masters and goes to Contemporary artists. The website also has a gallery database, helps with decorating ideas, and predicts market trends.

Friday's website of interest to art lovers

Today's art focused website is Art Info, which discusses worldwide art events and news. The website includes breaking news, artist profiles, information for collectors, gallery news and events, art trends, and art fair coverage.

More Agriculture and Art in the Pacific Northwest

Today's website of interest to agriculture and art enthusiasts is from Oregon State University.

Art About Agriculture encourages artists to investigate the visual resources of the science of agriculture. It strives to develop an understanding and appreciation of food and fiber production. The program was established in 1983 as the first annual arts competition and tour exhibit with an agricultural theme. It recognizes professional and emerging Pacific Northwest artists, while creating a permanent collection of fine art based on and portraying agriculture. The collection is exhibited throughout Oregon and other parts of the Pacific Northwest.