I don’t know if some sort of Mercury Retrograde applies to emails, but this year, my inbox has been overwhelmed by spam, scams, and what I call “email bombs.” And since I haven’t signed up for any new magazines, subscriptions or websites, nor did I do any new online shopping, I find the added activity highly suspect. Daily, my Gmail mailbox is bursting at the seams with online magazines, Wayfarer sale notices, home improvement offers, and the growing number of fake ‘collector’ emails. Maybe you’re seeing an influx of dubious emails as well? I’ve had a number of fellow artists and [...]
Mystic Auctions at Sotheby's March 4-16!! At Sotheby's Contemporary Art Auction in NYC! The auction begins online today at noon and this painting will be available for in-person viewing by appointment at their NYC location. (CLICK HERE) My time in the sunny days of Scottsdale went by so quickly, I forgot to send out my February newsletter! But not only that, I forgot that this month marks my 10th anniversary...of oil painting!! Ten years ago on March 5, 2012 I stepped into the doors of the Scottsdale Artists' School and entered the classroom of the great Romel de la Torre to start learning how to [...]
Time has always been a source of anxiety for me. I am one of those people who leave for the airport three hours too early, rushing the whole time, weaving in and out of traffic, absolutely certain I am just one unforeseen obstacle away from missing my flight — only to sit in the terminal for two and a half hours before boarding. I absolutely hate being late, so much so that I will berate everyone that I perceive is holding me up. So it goes without saying that to me, 2021 flew by too quickly and that, up until [...]
If I’ve learned one thing as a professional artist, it is that there is no special bookkeeping software just for artists. You might think that is negligible knowledge, but a major red flag for me as a mentor is artists who are looking for business tools and practices that are ‘especially for artists’. I see those artists as being in danger. What kind of danger? The kind that sucks up all your time, energy and money, because there are too many businesses that are ready to prey on artists. I know you’ve seen them, the infomercials for ‘art marketing’, ‘art accounting’, [...]
I often work with artists who have been students for the better part of their painting experience. They have put a lot of time, sometimes years, into developing their skills and are beginning to see the fruits of their labor. Their paintings are improving, they are creating work that is consistent and they are beginning to truly create beyond the lessons they’ve learned and to develop a voice of their own. This is right about the time that their work catches the attention of collectors, who begin to ask where they can see more of their work for sale. These [...]
So I’ve been giving a free Q&A session on Facebook each month for a bit now and it has been so much fun to connect with new and old friends. In January’s Q&A I was asked if I have goals for this year, or the last five years and how do I set them? The whole idea of goal setting is such a driver in my art and business process, I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of sharing it with you before now. The short answer is: I DO! And that’s exactly how I feel about setting goals. They [...]
Did you know there is a free color test offered online by Pantone? The X-Rite Color Challenge and Hue Test is available at this link: https://www.xrite.com/hue-test?pageid=77&lang=en You can find out if you are one of 255 women or one of 12 men who have some form of color vision deficiency. I love sharing this link with my students and mentees because it helps them recognize that each person sees color differently and so their main concern should be on mastering value literacy, as I like to call it, and to place less emphasis on color. That’s right, I said it. What color something [...]
Part 3: Q&A In this final part of my 3-part article on pricing your artwork, I’m going to answer the questions that I get frequently. Don’t hesitate to re-read parts one and two, follow my blog and newsletter and Feel free to join my free Q&A Live Broadcast Group on Facebook where, once a month, I answer your questions about all things art in a fun, live, real time format. Pricing your work so that you are making what you need to make in order to make a living is just the beginning. As the quality of your work grows, as your [...]
It goes without saying that if you are making the best work possible, you will need to get clean, accurate images of your finished works (and in these images, there should not be any framing or matting). In 2020, even if you have gallery representation — which less and less artists are able to attain — you must have a regular social media presence and a website (make it easy on yourself and use FASO). After all these steps, if you are still not selling, you will have to reflect on what you’re offering and the value of your work by assessing your market. [...]
I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve heard these questions: “Do you think my work’s ready to sell?” and “How do you think I should price my work?” The kind of work you offer, and how you price it, can make the difference between selling consistently and having a dedicated “unsold works” storage space. This three-part article will show you how to craft a pricing structure that reflects the quality of your work and your income needs, give you strategies to raise the value of your work, and help you reach an art buying audience. Please feel free [...]
Before I was ever a painter, I was in business as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer for 10 years. Thanks to that career, I have had a lot of experience adapting to less-than-ideal circumstances. This versatility has ensured that I have rarely needed to take drastic actions like borrowing money for my business or discounting the products and services that I offer. In hard times, artists are especially in danger of giving up on their art dreams and getting a “real job.” Now more than ever, in the midst of a pandemic with a nearly unforeseeable future, being able to adapt [...]
I was recently given a link to an article that was supposed to help artists know what to paint based off of the presumptive data of what collectors buy. I’d like to think the person that wrote the article came from a place of truly trying to be helpful to both creators and collectors, but I found the information…absurd. According to the data, art creators are supposed to make work that is smaller rather than large, landscapes or abstracts — preferably ones that match popular room decor. This is the recipe for becoming a successful art seller. As a creator, I cannot [...]
Did I ever tell you my story about the Nigerian scammers using my name to lure innocent administrative assistants to do their scam banking and shipping? Well, this isn’t that story. I’ll have to save that one for another time, but there is an odd parallel. There was a reason why this international scam operation wanted to use the name Artist Tina Garrett. Or, at least I’d like to think this is the reason: I have a reputation as a person who does everything I say I will do and I do it quickly, efficiently, affordably and usually with a smile and [...]
As an art teacher, I'm often asked by students about the rules of copyright. Students want to know if it is okay for them to paint paintings that are like mine or have the same subject matter as mine do. I've always said "Yes!" because I believe that I alone can make a "Tina Garrett" and so I've never felt that I needed to covet my process or my models or anything that I use to make my paintings. Additionally, I often recommend my students make master copies of the studies they buy from me and of their favorite works as [...]
I feel so strongly that I have a responsibly to share what I know that I myself teach over a dozen workshops across the U.S. and abroad annually. I also give lectures, write for a couple of publications, publish this this blog and my newsletter and I’ve published a comprehensive 5 hour instructional video on painting from photos. Additionally, I donate one 8-month long mentorship to an artist through the Portrait Society of America’s Cecelia Beaux Forum each year and I accept up to 15 artists at a time, though an application process, into my mentorship program which costs $375 for three one-on-one session, once a month for three months. [...]
Learn About How to Give Painting Workshops With Artist Tina Garrett I am so honored to have my essay on how to teach oil painting workshops published by the Art Renewal Center, (ARC)!!! ARC is a non-profit organization which hosts the ARC Salon, the most prestigious art competition on the planet (in my humble opinion). They work tirelessly to promote art and artists who's work is representational, beautiful, meaningful and builds up the profession of fine artist. I'm so thankful to have two of my paintings in ARC's renowned collection of works dating back hundreds of years. ARC publishes papers on art, [...]
It Is Competition Season! Are You Ready? Artists, it is competition season again. If you have not entered the BoldBrush, OPA Online Showcase or the Gateway International Painting Competition or ArtMuse or ARC Salon, etc., you should be thinking about it — if you have at least 3 of the best pieces you've ever made, photographed or scanned in well and in .jpg format and ready to enter. It will also help if you have an up-to-date website with an easy to use shop so collectors can buy your work or prints. With that said, it is critical for artists to understand that acceptance [...]
I've always struggled with time management. For most of my years as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, I had just a handful of really fantastic clients, my largest was a 100 year old publishing house. It was easy to stay on a schedule because I had client deadlines and an art director coordinating my priorities. In those years I worked way too much. I took on any project that was offered and worked as fast as I could and late into the night several nights a week. I also didn't feel any emotional connection to the work. If anything, I [...]
How do I even begin to write about this extraordinary experience? I should start at the beginning... In February I wrote a list of 5 goals to be accomplished in 5 years.The list was titled "2015 - 2020 Goals". This is that list, pay close attention to numbers two and three:1. Advertise my own workshops through the National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society and Oil Painters of America2. Jury into the ARC Salon (Art Renewal Center's most prestigious competition) 3. Get a piece collected into a museum or equivalent private collection 4. Achieve "Signature" Status with in the National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society5. Have [...]
