9th-15th February 2012

Free

Cambridge Art Salon

29 Cromwell Road

Cambridge

CB1 1DF

England

The Finsbury Park Deltics present ‘News From The War Against Terror’
- an eclectic mix of cartoons, paintings an’ that.

See one man’s obsession with nostalgic futurism and the Victor Book for
Boys. And maybe buy a few pictures.

Private viewing Friday 10th February (but feel free to turn up for free
food and drink). Closed Monday 13th February.

http://www.thefinsburyparkdeltics.com

—–

Hughes-Lubeck at The Spring Fair NEC

5th to 9th February

£30 but free with invitation

NEC Birmingham

UK

Contact me via my website to apply for a free ticket.

http://www.hughes-lubeck.com

—–

International Collective Exhibition

16/02/12 to 07/03/12

Free

Camden Art Gallery

61 Chalk Farm Road
Camden Town

London

NW1 8AN

England

Cameron Haldane will be exhibiting at Camden Art Gallery London as part
of a collective exhibition of international artists from 16th of February to
7th of March 2012. Nine of his works from 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be on
display.

http://www.camdenartgallery.com/

—–

Nomadic – Not in Transit

Jan 13th – Feb 10th

Willesden Green gallery

Willesden Green
Willesden Library Gallery Bar

London

England

An exhibition of 18 artists from Espacio

http://www.espaciogallery.co.uk

—–

Shore Lines, new works by Marjoke Henrichs

2 february to 25th february

free entry

Frameworkshop and Gallery

22, St Nicholas Street,

Ipswich

IP1 1TJ

UK

opening times
Monday to Saturday 9.00 – 4.30

—–

Under the Sea

25 January – June 2012

FREE

Millennium Gallery

Millennium Gallery
Arundel Gate

Sheffield

S1 2PP

England

For anyone fascinated by things from under the sea, you should go see
this exhibition at The Millennium Gallery, Sheffield. It’s on until June
2012 and there will be various talks/events related to this exhibition. A
bespoke ‘glow in the dark’ box has been made for this, so you can see my
work glowing in full glory!!! (Jenny Llewellyn)

http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/museums/millennium-gallery/exhibitions/

—–

Bizart Art Fair

Saturday 11th February 2012

Free!

The Lyttleton Well

Church Street

Malvern

England

New local art fair featuring established and up and coming local artists
an designer makers.

—–

Lost Worlds

18 – 24 February 2012

Free

The Framers Gallery

36 Windmill Street

London

W1T 2JT

UK

An exhibition of five artists work all concerned with figurative,
dreamlike, landscapes.
Hannah Batterhshell, Melissa Launay, Rebecca Merry, Roz Richards and Belinda
Syme
Gallery open 10 – 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 10 – 5pm on Saturday.

http://www.theframersgallery.co.uk

—–

Children’s Weekly After School Art Class

20 February

£6.50

Melrose Primary School,

Melrose
Scottish Borders
Scotland

TD6

Scotland

Classes to run on Monday and Wednesday term-time from 3.15-4.45 p.m.

1. Get Discovered

Last year we covered quite a bit on the process of getting your work out there, and being discovered by as many people as possible. Here’s a round up…

• As you may be aware, Artweb has created a Facebook App to allow syncing between your Artweb account and Facebook page, and also to enable you to promote your work more easily. If you have an artist Facebook page then you can try out the app right now, visit this link!

• Search Engine Optimisation – Using effective keywords in order to expand your online presence and ‘searchability’. Here’s a link to a useful article on this subject.

• Social Networking – Back in October we covered how to effectively use social media to improve traffic to your website. Read it here!

2. Be Inspired!

Sometimes it’s hard to be inspired. Never-ending chores, day jobs, and the mundanity of the everyday, sometimes make us forget, or just completely miss, those inspiring moments in life. Here’s some ideas for how to reinvigorate your creative mind…

• Inspiration lies in experiencing the new, so why not book a plane/train/bus and go to a place you’ve never visited before…. whether that be the other side of the world or a nearby town you haven’t yet explored.

• Take some time out from your routine. Inspiration can’t be forced, but sometimes all it takes is switching off from everything for a few hours, or minutes. Yoga is great for relaxing the mind, as is going for a long and unplanned walk, or even simply closing your eyes and putting some relaxing music on for a few moments. Meditation on a regular basis is something a lot of people swear by, and can be the key to keeping a relaxed and open mind.

• Slow down, be observant of your environment: nature, people, books, cities – they are all teeming with inspiration for you to find, it just takes noticing the world around you!

• Do something out of your comfort zone at least once a week. This is a great way of learning skills you never you knew you had in you!

• Attend a Pecha-Kucha night! Pecha-Kucha nights started in Tokyo, and involve presenting a series of 20 slides on a certain topic, for 20 seconds per slide. The result is a fast-paced and fun presentation on a new subject, each person bringing together completely different themes. Find out more here.

3. Motivation is key!

We all know it can be hard to remain motivated during January and the winter months, but we have a few tips that might help…

• Here’s one great technique for upping your creative output: The One Hour Project. Give yourself one hour to complete a work of art, and not just a sketch of an idea, a fully completed work. If you have only one hour, then there is no time to deliberate or think – it forces you to act, plus it’s such a short time commitment so you should have no trouble fitting it in – perhaps today, perhaps once a week? And as it’s only an hour, you won’t feel precious about the results.

• Decide to enter a competition with an imminent deadline. Artquest has some great opportunities listed by deadline dates, which are updated constantly.

• Make a commitment to updating your website – a monthly update can be a great motivational tactic. Make it so you have to upload at least 1 new art work every month, and stick to it!

• Starting a blog can give you motivation by being a tangible and public record of your progress. Here’s a link to one of our previous articles on the benefits of an artist’s blog.

• Get a new look…for your website! Here are some great new templates from Artweb that will be available very soon:

www.alexbamford.com

www.richardwhadcock.com

www.sarah-young.co.uk

That’s it for now! We hope our New Year’s Resolutions have helped inspire those of you who might be feeling the January Blues this month. We’ll be back with our next newsletter in February, see you then!

16 December 2011 -16 Feb 2012

free entry

Innovative Apps

224 Baarsjesweg,
5th floor

Amsterdam

1058 AA

The Netherlands

viewing by appointment,
tel +31(0)626 526 001

http://www.innovative-apps.nl

Undefined

15th January 2012 – 28th January 2012

Free

Pavilion Cafe

Off College Road
Dulwich Park

London

SE21 7BQ

United Kingdom

A small selection of paintings and sketches of nature and snap shots of
memorable places visited.

http://www.rikachandra.co.uk

Exhibition: Kym Haverson

26/1/2012

FREE

The Reading Room Gallery

65-66 Frith Street Soho

London

W1D 3JR

uk

FREE Exhibition!

If you are in Soho on the evening of 26th January 2012, please pop along to
my exhibition at The Reading Room Gallery!
Lots of free wine and art!!
Hope to see you there!

http://www.kymhaverson.co.uk

Richard Lloyd

11th Jan 2012 -21st Feb 2012

Free Entry. Photo prices vary

THE PAVILION in Porthcawl, South Wales

The Grand Pavilion, The Esplanade, Porthcawl, CF36 3YW

Porthcawl, Near Bridgend

CF36 3YW

My name is Richard Lloyd.
Born in Bridgend in 1962, but have lived in Leeds, West Yorkshire since
1998.
I have a stammer but this has never stopped me getting what I want out of
life. The British Stammering Association has been so supportive of me over the
years. I now work for West Yorkshire Police, after caring for the elderly and
those with learning difficulties for most of my adult life.
I am happily married with children and a menagerie of pets.
Photography has been my 1st and only interest since I was a young lad who
tried to photograph ants !! My father lives in Porthcawl and in 2009 I cycle all the way from Leeds to
his house in time for his 70th birthday. This exhibition is dedicated to Jean Lewis, a much missed friend and a lady
who supported me all the way with my interest in photography.

richardlloydphotography.co.uk

Exhibition – Journey of Islamic Miniature Painting

14th December 2011 to 17th January 2012

Museum of Islamic Civilisation Sharjah, UAE

Old Heritage Area, Sharjah, UAE

Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

The Art of Miniatures – Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization
17/12/2011 – 17/01/2012
Sharjah Museums Department is pleased to invite you to attend ‘A Journey
through Islamic Miniatures’ exhibition Organized by the Sharjah Museum of
Islamic Civilization in collaboration with Jumaa al Majid Centre for
Heritage and Culture, and the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of
Sharjah on the occasion of the Islamic Arts Festival 2011

The museum also presents a workshop by Artist Fatima Zahraa Hassan entitled
‘the Art of Miniatures’
Time: 10am
Inquiries: +97165655455
Miniatures – Sharjah Art Museum
08/12/2011 – 08/01/2012
Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr.Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi
Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, The Department of
culture & Information – Government of Sharjah – Directorate of Arts are
very pleased to invite you to attend The Festival of Islamic Arts – the
14th Session “Miniatures”
Inquiries: 065123357 – 065688222

http://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/

ART EROTICA 2012 – Exhibition-

19th – 27th Jan 2012

£10 per person or £15 for two per couple

The Gallery

Cork Street,
28 Cork Street,
London,
W1S 3NG.

ART EROTICA 2012 exhibition is held in support of FPA sexual health
charity, appreciating erotic art for a worthy cause.

FPA wants to see fewer unwanted pregnancies in the UK, lower rates of
sexual infection and wants more parents able to talk to their children about
growing up and relationships.

Both the Association of Erotic Artists and Guild of Erotic Artists firmly
believe that the road to acceptance of the erotic arts as a genre rests
within education, operating good business practice and in no way affiliated
to the exploitation industry.

http://www.arteroticaexhibition.com/

Open Studio Sale

27th & 28th January

Free

LinC Art Studio

69 Station Road,
Brimington

Chesterfield

S43 1lj

United Kingdom

I will be holding an open event at my studio in Chesterfield at the end
of January where I will have a selection of half price and reduced original
works and prints for sale.
This will also be an opportunity to see new works and some of the paintings
from my Blue of the Scillies collection. I will be around to chat about my
work and inspiration.
Come along on either Friday 27th in the evening, 5 – 8.30pm or on the
Saturday 10.30am until 4.30pm.

http://www.linc-art.com

Two Kats and a Cow January Sale!

21/22nd and 28/29th January 2012

Free

Two Kats and a Cow gallery

167 Kings Road Arches
Brighton Beach
BN1 1NB

UK

Original oils by Kathryn Matthews, Katty McMurray and John Marshall,
all with 20% off !

http://www.twokatsandacow.com

‘Christmas Cushion Collection’ by Lettie Belle

1. Marketing

• So you’ve spent hours handcrafting your products, have arranged a stall and are all ready to go… you need people to come!! Of course, being part of a larger Christmas market will in some cases guarantee you a great footfall. However, a bit of marketing before you go could have a great impact. Social media is the obvious tool here – get Tweets out to craft-focused organisations who might re-tweet to their followers, think about your audience and who would like your work and target those areas.

• Marketing also continues throughout your Christmas Stall, and being part of a fair is a great way to promote your work. You don’t want people walking away from your stall without knowing who you are, or how to contact you for future sales! Make some simple business cards, or even just paper slips with your website details to give away with each sale. If they like your artwork now, then they are quite likely to want to find out more.

2. Display

‘Vintage Wedding Bunting’ by Nicola Corrigan

• As an artist, you are bound to be confident creating a creative and appealing display. But often, with so much else to organise, you may find yourself rushed and unable to plan your space before the doors open to the fair. A little pre-planning can go a long way in this situation! Draw up a couple of plans and consider how to creatively stand out from the crowd.

• Think about your bestsellers, what you think will have more impact and draw people in, and also think about the direction most of your audience will be coming from (something that might need to be reconsidered once you see the space!)

• Think of inventive ways to display your work. Cards stacked in a box might not be the most exciting way to show off your designs – they need to be visible and every design needs to be showcased!

• Remember, this time of year people are bound to get into the Christmas spirit! Even if your work isn’t inherently ‘christmassy’, a few fairy lights or twinkles might encourage people to see your work in a more ‘gifty’ light!

3. Packaging

‘Christmas Star Cards’ by Sharifa Brooks Read

• One thing people will love at Christmas fairs is the option to have their purchases wrapped. This doesn’t need to be anything extravagant or expensive, some simple tissue paper with a little bit of ribbon or bow will go a long way!

• Provide paper bags for larger items to allow people to take their purchases away easily, without effort

• Clever packaging is also a great way to link or up-sell your work. If a customer loves a print, you could mention that you also sell them as packs of 3 (nicely tied with a ribbon, all ready to go!)

4. Price

• Clear pricing will often make or break a sale! If a potential customer can’t see a price, they’ll very often walk away rather than asking, especially if you are busy talking to another customer.

• Label your prices in a fun and friendly way, perhaps you could personalise each piece of work with a little quirky sentence that describes the piece!

• Before pricing your work, you need to research and see what similar items around you are selling for. You don’t want to be selling similar items to those around you at a higher price, but equally you don’t want to under sell your artwork!

And finally, here is some advice from some of our Twitter followers, who are particularly experienced in the art of the Arts/Crafts Fair!

RT @1958 Munich Get to know your stall neighbours at the fair- How many fairs do they do- which are the best ones? What sells? make friends!

RT @peggy_martinez: Arrive early, some fairs state they open @ 10am but let crowds in @ 8, missed opportunities! Be friendly & open-minded.

RT @BronaghKennedy: bring a seat! Standing for hours on end makes for a tired grumpy artist!

RT @jobs_and_opps: Christmas Fair tips: Clear price labels, decent wrapping + smile no matter how cold you get!

David Rodgers, whose Spotlight interview is currently on our blog, has helpfully compiled some art fair advice on his own blog, visit his post here! Thanks David!

We hope this helps if you have an upcoming fair, or perhaps inspire you to get involved in one this year or next!

This is the last article in this series, and will focus on how you can develop your own individual website design, without going over the top and without having to know lots of fancy coding! A lot of you will be using Artweb’s templates, so we will be referencing some of the provided tools within this article. If you are thinking about designing your own artist’s site and haven’t tried Artweb’s website builder, it’s a great place to start!

1. Easy Navigation

As artists, it may be easy to get carried away when you first start building your site. After all, it is a technical version of a blank canvas! Creativity and experimentation are great for your artwork, however simplicity and keeping things obvious is key to a successful website design. Here are a few simple tips regarding navigation and menus:

• Your menu should be arranged in either a straight column on either side of the page, or as a bar along the top. Artweb’s templates already featured these menu options, so the hard part is done for you! Here’s an example of top menu bar, put into practice by artist Yvonne Ayoub: http://www.yvonne-ayoub.com/

• …. And here is an example of side menus, used by painter and printmaker Sharifa Brooks Read http://www.sharifabrooksread.co.uk/

• Have clear, concise menu headings that explain what the user will find within those sections. For example, use ‘Paintings’, ‘Mixed Media’, ‘Sketches’ etc.

• Avoid the temptation to be too cryptic! Potential buyers might be put off by long headings that describe in-depth processes before they’ve even seen the work. If you want to include processes and the background to your ideas, this could be done as a caption once they have already clicked on the artwork. That way, they are drawn in by the visual impact of the work.

• Equally, avoid being unspecific. A section on your website that has some of your best work in it is not going to be well represented by the heading ‘misc’ or ‘other work’.

• Try to avoid colours that are too close where text is. For example, don’t use yellow text on orange menus, or purple on pink etc. The classic black on white is ideal!

2. Get straight to it!

• You may have seen websites with fancy ‘splash’ pages. These can often put people off, especially if they include a lengthy animation that can’t be skipped through! Make sure your homepage is your landing page, and that it clearly shows the menu with all the sections.

• If you want, you can still create impact on your home page by displaying a large image of your most recent/successful artwork, or having a film or animation playing. However, make sure all the links are visible too so they can navigate easily from the homepage.

• Here are some great Home Page examples:

• Painter Kym Haverson lets her work do the talking with her simple, clean homepage: http://www.kymhaverson.co.uk/:

• Tracey Ann Marrison uses 2 sidebars on either side of the page. On the left are all the sections to do with info, while on the right you can find her artwork categories. She has kept her text and name a modest size, which allows her featured artwork to really stand out: http://www.tracyannmarrison.co.uk/:

• Again, simplicity is key for Simon M Smith: http://www.simonmsmith.co.uk/:

3. Colour scheme

• Keep to a colour scheme that compliments your work!

• If in doubt, stick to white, blacks and greys. As tempting as it is to use your website as a paint pallet, try and think about how this comes across to visitors!

• In most cases, your artwork provides the colour, and shouldn’t be competing with your background colour (see the successful examples by Kym Haverson and Simon M Smith above)

• In some cases, vibrant colours can be used… if they suit the work! See examples below:

• Illustrator Corrina Rothwell, who was our featured website a few weeks back, is an excellent example of this. She uses vibrant pinks and contrasting black to set of her colourful and humorous art works: http://www.corrinarothwell.co.uk/:

• Here’s another example of colour being used effectively. Sheila Marshall has complimented her confectionary-focused work with a subtle pop of pink! http://www.sheilamarshallartist.com/:

4. Fonts

• When choosing a font, stick to simple and clear typefaces such as Arial, Georgia, Tahoma or Times new Roman

• It’s personal preference, but sans-serif fonts such as Arial appear clearer and less fussy than serif fonts, such as Times New Roman

• Choose a font that suits your work best! In the 2 examples above (Corrina Rothwell and Sheila Marshall), both artists have used fonts that are clear and easy to read, but that reflect the character within their artwork.

That’s it for now! We hope these website examples and tips have helped inspire those of you who might be struggling with their website design. Remember there are so many great websites out there, get exploring and see what works and stands out for you!

We will be soon, as we are bringing next month’s newsletter forward to talk about all things Christmas! Got any tips for selling work at Christmas fairs? Know effective ways to market your work at Christmas? Why not share your ideas with other artists… let us know your thoughts here. See you soon!

OPPORTUNITY

Artist or Illustrator wanted for Album Cover

Sharon Lewis is a highly regarded songwriter and is looking for artists who may be interested in painting/illustrating a cover for her new CD titled Roses At The Top. See more info about Sharon here: http://www.sharonlewis.net/.

Sharon’s new album is quite a magical journey, with songs about longing, hope, loss, friendship and transformation. The inspiration behind Roses at the Top is of a spiritual journey in life, and the quest for self-knowledge and self-love. The emotional landscape of the song is a mountain that one is climbing, symbolising life’s trials, and the roses at the top symbolising enlightenment, contentment, peace.

The album is self produced and at present does not have financial backing, so Sharon is really looking for artists who feel inspired by the music and would like to contribute. However, all credits and links to artists would be noted on the cover. Please contact info@sharonlewis.net if you are interested. Below are links to some of Sharons songs for the new CD:
http://soundcloud.com/sharon-lewis/kings-and-queens
http://soundcloud.com/sharon-lewis/roses-at-the-top
http://soundcloud.com/sharon-lewis/birds-of-prey

Good luck!!

Friday 02nd December – Monday 16th Jan

Free

Howden Park Centre

Howden
Livingston

EH54 6AE

Scotland

Paintings exploring road trip experiences around Scotland

http://www.howdenparkcentre.co.uk

BIKERS RULE ! Open Call to Artists

Reception is DEC 8th 2011 in Los Angeles

10 US Dollars to enter an art work OPEN CALL

Bureau of Arts and Culture in conjunction with DTLABIKES in Los Angeles
Ca USA

inquire about details at the site

Los Angeles California

90027

USA

Anyone may enter a 24

http://www.BureauofArtsandCulture.com

Handcrafted for Christmas

2nd & 3rd December

free

Civic Hall

14, Rother Street

Stratford Upon Avon

CV37 6LU

A Christmas exhibition and sale of work by a group of Warwickshire
artists. It will include ceramics, stained glass, wood, feltwork, jewellery,
painting and fused glassware.
Open 9.30am – 5.30pm on both days.

http://www.SWArtists.org.uk

Liane Stevenson, Recent Work.

Friday,2nd to Saturday, 31st, December, 2011

free

Grant Bradley Gallery

1, St Peter’s Court, Bedminster Parade,Bristol.

Bristol

BS3 4AQ

North Somerset

A mixed show of painting and printmaking, featuring work by Liane
Stevenson, Rebecca Howard, and a selection of print makers from Spike Island
Studios.

www.lianestevenson.theartistsweb.co.uk

http://www.grantbradleygallery.co.uk

open house weekend

10/11th December

free

liquid landscapes gallery/studio

56 Rodmell Ave
Saltdean

Brighton

BN28PG

UK

fused glass sculpture, paintings, photography, drawings on
exhibition

http://www.christine-harfleet.co.uk

Richard Whadcock Solo Exhibtion

1st December

Free

Northcote Gallery

253 King’s Road
Chelsea

London

SW11 6QP

UK

Solo Exhibition

http://www.northcotegallery.com

The Art Of The Book Illustrator

Sunday 4th December to Saturday 31st December 2011

Free entry

Gallery Q

The Quay Theatre
Quay Lane
SUDBURY
Suffolk
CO10 2AN

UK

A colourful exhibition of children’s book illustration from picture
book illustrators Rebecca Elliott and Cee Biscoe. Rebecca has illustrated
dozens of children’s books since 2002 and more recently branched out into
writing them as well, her self-penned books include ‘Cub’s First
Winter’, ‘Just Because’ and ‘Zoo Girl’ which have all been
published to great acclaim. Cee’s first picture book, ‘Gruff The
Grump’ written by Steve Smallman came out in 2009 and since then she has
continued illustrating picture books and board books for Little Tiger Press,
including the much loved ‘Too Hot To Hug’.
Full colour original illustrations, large and small, and drawings too from
these and other books by Rebecca and Cee will be on show throughout December
and all are for sale. Everybody welcome!

http://www.quaytheatre.org.uk

Emerge: Interim Art Exhibition

until 10 December

free

Asa Briggs building,
7-17 Ansdell St.

London

W8 5BN

United Kingdom

I am exhibiting a groundbreaking installation piece at this exhibition
that requires the participation of the viewer. It is an unusual piece as it
combines the solitariness of painting with the participation of an
installation piece.

More info on my piece:

VOTE is located under a staircase. It engages directly with visitors,
requiring their active participation, with a clear set of bureaucratic
instructions reading:

Using the small sheets of paper provided, either:

*Write down what you want me (the artist) to paint for you, & slip it into
the first ballot box, to your right.

OR

*Write down what you yourself want to paint, & slip it into the second
ballot box, to your left. Then feel free to use the paints and brushes
provided to paint onto the canvas.

The installation contains visual and physical tricks, which are only
realised once the visitor actively engages with the piece, with the

Exhibition Still lifes with (archaeological finds) pewter

03-12-2011 till 31-12-2011

Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 49

Amsterdam

1017 DD

Amsterdam

Marjolein van den Berg has painted a number of masterpieces from the
collection of pewter in Jan Beekhuizen .
These paintings are exclusively for the first time on display during the
exhibition.

http://www.holland-paintings.com

Arundel By Candlelight

10.12.2011

Free Entry

Victoria Institute

10 Tarrant Street

Arundel

BN18

England

Come along to purchase sculpture, paintings, prints and more @ the
‘Arundel By Candlelight’ Late Night Shopping Event in West Sussex….Art
work available to buy at affordable prices!!

An exhibition of paintings

November until New Year 2012

free

The Hare country restaurant

Lambourn Woodlands,
Hungerford
Berkshire

RG17 7SD

UK

Artist Michele Wallington will be exhibiting mixed media paintings of
Avebury and Dartmoor at the Hare country restaurant until the New Year
http://www.michelewallington.co.uk

http://www.theharerestaurant.co.uk

8th November to Saturday 3rd December

Free

The Gallery Upstairs

81 High Street
Henley-in-Arden,
West Midlands, B95 5AT

UK

A selected exhibition of established and upcoming artists with
displayed in the beautiful upstairs gallery, the shop and Yew tree
courtyard. One an Elizabethan coaching house, the gallery is a prestigious
centre for British art and craft situated in the historic, and picturesque
Henley High Street, a few miles north of Stratford-upon-Avon. My work will
be displayed in the court yard and gallery.

http://www.thegalleryupstairstorquil.co.uk/

Reflections

23-30 November 2011

Free

The Blake Gallery

Civic Centre, Windmill Street

Gravesend Kent

DA12 1AU

UK

Reflections is a joint exhibition of Medway artists Marion Smith and
Kevin Clarkson. Although both are inspired by the river Medway and its
maritime history they demonstrate dramatically different visual
interpretations, from the highly coloured pointillist style of Marion to the
traditional figurative approach of Kevin. All work is for sale.

www.kevinclarkson.co.uk

Space2Watford

Oct 20-Nov 20

Free

The former JJB shop in Watford

69 High Street, Watford, Herts

Herts

WD2 57DU

England

Space2Watford

I’ll be exhibiting up to four paintings at this new pop-up gallery at 69
Watford High Street for the rest of October and the first week in Novemeber
2011. The gallery is open from 1-6pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

www.traceyunwinart.com

Swop ‘n’ Shop

Saturday 19th November 2011

Free

University of Derby (Atrium)

University of Derby,
Kedleston Road,
Derby,
DE22 1GB.

UK

Time: 1-5pm

A selection of handmade craft stalls, artistic workshops and
demonstrations.
Come along to get your Christmas gifts sorted in one go or to learn a new
creative technique!

@swopnshop

http://www.redcross.org.uk/swopnshop

Family

October 30. 2011 – December 31 2011

Royal West of England Academy

Queen’s Road,
Clifton,

Bristol

BS8 1PX

UK

159th Autumn Exhibition

http://www.rwa.org.uk/index.htm

First Thursday Solo show, Helen Masacz

3rd November 2011

Free entry

Gofigurative

1 Liverpool Street

London

EC2M 7QG

UK

For invites please contact Nina: niinakeks@gofigurative.com

www.helenmasacz.com

The Makers

25 October – 6 November 2011

free entry

The Fountain Gallery

26 Bridge Road
Hampton Court

East Molesey

KT8 9HA

UK

An exhibition of original prints and jewellery by Jennie Ing
(http://www.jennieingart.co.uk), Ruth Green (http://www.ruthgreendesign.com) and
Dana Leigh (http://www.danaleigh.co.uk). Jennie’s linocuts inspired by city architecture
particulary London, Ruth’s screenprints by midcentury design and the great
outdoors, and Dana’s carefully designed artisan jewellery and ornaments.
Gallery open Tuesday to Sunday, 11.30am to 5.30pm. (closed Mondays). Do come
and see us, we look forward to seeing you.

http://www.fountaingallery.co.uk

Winston Wolfrider Presents..

15th to 20th November

Free

The Huntsman

Eridge Green,
Eridge Road,
East Sussez

TN3 9LE

England

Winston has his first Art Show. Unseen artwork with a subject twist. />
Tuesday 15th to Sunday 20th November 2011.
At The Huntsman, Eridge Green, Eridge Road, East Susex, TN3 9LE
http://thehuntsmanpub.com/
in a wonderfully friendly atmosphere just 50 meters from Eridge Train
Station (1 hour from Charing Cross/London Bridge).

Official open night Thursday 17th November or join the pub’s family
atmosphere art party on the weekend (19/10/11). Winston wll be present each
evening and throughout the weekend.

http://www.winstonwolfrider.artweb.com

The Crafters Art And Design Fair

Sat 19th – Sun 20th November

£1

Springwood Park (Borders Union Showground)

Kelso, Scottish Borders

Over 60 stalls selling all hand made items by local artists and
designers. There will also be an exhibition and refreshments provided by
Macmillan Cancer Support.
I will be there with a stall selling small pieces of my work, including
seascapes and trees, and my greetings cards made using prints from my
original work.

karennelson.artweb.com

Open House

12/13, 19/20, 26/27 November 2011

Free

202 Ditchling Road

Brighton
east sussex

UK

Ten artists exhibiting. Come and browse over a glass of festive mulled
wine.

http://www.anniemcmullan.co.uk

Solo Exhibition

1st Sept. 2011 to 19th Dec. 2011

Free

Regal Community Theatre Bathgate

South Bridge Street

Bathgate

Scotland

Joe Hawthorn solo art exhibition,Regal Community Arts Theatre Bathgate,
West Lothian.

http://applesart.artweb.com

Northcote Gallery Chelsea

30th November 2011

free

Northcote Gallery Chelsea

253 Kings Road

London

SW3 5EL

UK

Solo exhibition of new work.

http://www.northcotegallery.com and http://richardwhadcock.com

Placelessness

12th November 2011

free

Debur Contemporary

82 Westbourne Grove

London

W2 5RT

UK

Jenny Leonard will be at the gallery on November 12th exhibiting a wide selection of painting and collage works and making some pieces of work live at the gallery.

http://www.debutcontemporary.com/

Solo painting Exhibition-A Borrowed Dream

Oct.24-Nov.24, 2011

Gallery of Equator Art

29 Adelphi Street

Preston

PR1 7BE

Lancashire

The up and coming Preston Artist Peter Huajin Qiu is exhibiting his
latest works from Oct.24-Nov.24, 2011.
Opening time: 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday

http://www.huajinqiu.co.uk

For many artists, social media and publicising your website or work on the Internet is already a major part of their routine. For many others though, this can be a very confusing and daunting area, particularly when using social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook to their full advantage. This article will hopefully clear up some questions that we regularly get asked!

1. Social Media

Perhaps the most obvious way of publicising your website is through social media. The most popular platforms are Twitter and Facebook, however there are many other networks out there. For this article we will cover the basics needed for getting started in the social media world.

Setting up a Facebook profile for your artist practice:

Firstly we have some big news – Artweb is shortly releasing a free artist profile app for creating a professional artist’s facebook page – click here to join the waiting list.

And in the meantime, we have a great article online that shows you exactly how to set up your own artists’ ‘page’ on Facebook. This is different from your personal profile, and allows the focus to be solely on your creative practice. People can ‘like’ the page, and the more people who do, the further audience your work could reach! Having a link on this page to your main website will increase traffic and get your site seen – you just never know who could stumble across your work. See the full article here for more information on setting up your Facebook page.

Setting up a Twitter Account:

We have had a few requests recently for an article on Twitter, and how to use it effectively in an artist/creative business-specific way. Hopefully we can demystify it a little! Of course there is plenty of information on Twitter itself, and they have a great glossary which will go some way to helping you understand the language that can be utilised, see here. We’ve put together a few helpful hints here though just to get you started:

• Your username should be the name you use for your art practice (remember, keep things clear)! You could also mention your profession in your username, for example “JamesTurnerArtist” or ‘ClaireBarkerPaintings”. That way when you Tweet it will be clearly relating to your business, and can help people relate your Twitter account to your website.

• Using the @(username) sign in a Tweet is called a mention. Whoever’s name you put after the @ sign, that user will see the Tweet in their mention feed. If you say something particularly of interest, they might then Re-tweet that to all their followers, and your name will be in their Tweet. So this is how you can get your name spread around quite quickly, by mentioning relevant organisations who might be interested in your work. For example, if Artweb receive a Tweet saying “@theartistsweb I have a painting exhibition this weekend@SkyGallery, Bournemouth”, we could then Re-tweet this to all of our followers, meaning they have very quickly increased the exposure of their exhibition!

• Another great tool is the hash-tag # symbol. This links popular words to a pool of Tweets, meaning you can click on the hash-tag word and see other Tweets relating to the same thing. For example, you could Tweet “My #photography is on show at Star Gallery, #London, #Art”. This way your Tweet will be linked so people who might search Twitter for ‘art’, ‘photography’ or ‘London’ could see your Tweet. To get the most out of this you need to spend a bit of time seeing how hash-tags work, and getting to grips with popular searches.

• The best way to learn is, as with most things, to jump straight in! Sign up, follow some people or organisations, and gradually work out how the conversations work. A great one to start with is Artweb of course, follow us @TheArtistsWeb and give us a mention… we’ll Re-tweet any events or exhibitions you have coming up!

Remember to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ other people…

…who are relevant to you, whose work you admire, or who you just generally like! Starting a network of fellow artists is extremely helpful, and can help you see how others are publicising their work too.

Setting up a blog:

We talked about setting up a blog in a previous article – take a peek here. In reference to getting your website more publicity, a blog can be extremely useful in starting networks and letting followers into your working process. Our last article covered various blogging platforms and the benefits of blogging – so if you’re interested but don’t how, it’s a good place to start!

2. Spread your url

• Add your website to
 all of your social media profiles

• Make sure it is clearly written on your business cards

• If you are on any online communities, include your site as a forum signature

• Include your website in your email signature too!

• If you’re applying for a job, it could be a good idea to include it on your CV, even if you don’t think it’s hugely relevant. A friend of mine once applied to a job in a gallery, and whilst the gallery did not take their application further, they visited their website out of curiosity and ended up offering them an exhibition instead!

3. On your website:

• Linking to social media: So you have a Twitter account, a Facebook page and a blog. The next thing to do is add a link to all of these things on your website, so people who may come across your site can then connect with you, follow your progress and like your pages! By doing this, people who are genuinely interested in your work can be reminded of you on a daily basis, and it’s also easier for them to share your site with others.

• Sharing buttons: Another useful addition to your website is to include ‘like’, ‘tweet’ and ‘+1′ buttons, that allow visitors to your site to instantly follow you and also to share your work. Conveniently Artweb has a feature to help with this! If you are an Artweb user, just go to: -> Login -> Settings -> Sharing & Bookmarks, and you will be able to add like/ tweet/ +1 buttons to your website. It’s a very useful tool, as every time a visitor clicks one of these buttons all the people connected to them will potentially see this, and be inspired to visit your site. Also, search engines are starting to use social media activity as “signals” for their algorhythms – similar to how lots of incoming links to your website helps with search engine results, lots of likes/ tweets/ +1′s are starting to have a similar effect. If you’re not sure what these buttons look like, you will probably have seen them before without realising – here’s a reminder:

Artweb members Liberty Gallery put these links on their homepage, ensuring maximum visibility (visit their site here!) and see below:

• Link to fellow artists and friends, and get them to link to your website. Having a page dedicated to ‘links’ or ‘other artists’ is a great way of publicising fellow artists’ work and getting them to repay the favour. Don’t go crazy with adding links, but link to people you might have worked with or have had an inspiration on your work, as well as galleries, organisations and collectives you might be part of. Here’s a great and simple example from Maria Rivans website:

• Have a ‘News’ section, and include information on publications, artist talks you might be part of, and exhibitions. This will keep people up to date with your activity and can also link to the things you talk about on your blog and social media.

We hope this has helped anyone who finds social media daunting, and inspired you to become more active in getting your work seen by more people. After all, there are so many brilliant websites out there, they deserve to be seen by the masses! We will be back on the 21st November with the 4th and final part of this series, focussing on the design aspect of your website, and giving some tips on how to make the most of your website’s visual style. See you then!

1. Price your work

• Pricing your work is an important element to your website. Many artists don’t include specific prices, but visitors will feel a lot more keen to buy an artwork if the price is there in front of them, rather than having the extra process of contacting the artist.

• Pricing your work can be tricky! Knowing the best price to specify can take a bit of time to work out. Think about how many hours it took you, the cost of raw materials and the realistic profit you want to make. It is also important to consider other artists working in a similar genre, at a similar level. There is a lot of info out there to give you some extra advice. A great source is Art Quest, where they have a detailed run through of the things to think about when deciding on a price: www.artquest.org.uk

• Here’s an example from Artweb member Karen Simmons’ website:

As you can see, Karen has clearly marked her work with the price, and has made sure her customers know that this is an unframed work. If you visit Karen’s website at http://www.karensimmons.co.uk/ you’ll see that she has also sectioned her work into ‘Work for Sale’ and ‘Work sold’ sections, to make things extra clear!

2. Details about your work

• Include as much as possible! The computer screen can be deceiving, and although you know your work, people visiting your site will be coming with fresh eyes. Make sure you include things such as size, framing options, media and any other details that might be confusing to customers.

• A great example of this is Artweb member Adam Arbeid, who uses a number of materials to create his beautiful work:

For this image he has clearly stated the media, size and framing. See more of his work at http://www.adamarbeid.com/

3. Make it clear – T+Cs

• It’s the boring bit, but essential that you have some solid Terms and Conditions in place. It’s beneficial to both you and the customer, and will also mean you are not constantly answering emails from potential buyers.

• Your terms of sale should include things such as shipping rates, resale rights, and return options.

Here are some examples of artists with informative T+C sections that cover everything:

• http://www.wendy-puerto.co.uk/terms–conditions
• http://www.ewood-art.co.uk/payment-and-delivery
• http://www.eliseferguson.co.uk/how-to-buy

• You can also create your own Terms and Conditions on your Artweb profile, and then copy them over to your website. Artweb has an automatic generator to make it easy to put what you want into official jargon! Find it here: http://www.artweb.com/myaccount/mydetails/editbuyerinfo

• Also ensure that within your T+Cs you clearly state your copyright. Here is an example: http://www.ptfrench.co.uk/copyright

4. Good Images

• Good photographs or scans of your work can make or break a sale! It’s a shame but a lot of brilliant work can often be let down by a blurry, out of focus, dark or overexposed image.

• You don’t need the latest digital camera to get great photographs. The best and simplest way to make sure you get good, even light, is to go outside on a dry, overcast day. Bright sunlight will give you harsh shadows and burnt out areas, whereas the cloud acts as an enormous soft-box and will mean perfect, even light. Lay your work on the ground, on a larger sheet, and photograph from overhead. This is best for smaller works – larger might mean you struggle to get far enough away!

• Make sure you are directly overhead to avoid skewing the image.

• Shoot as high quality as your camera will allow, and scale down later.

• For larger work, find a blank wall and either lean or hang your work, always ensuring it is in a space with even and consistent light.

• Sculptural work may require a bit more thinking through. Scale can be particularly deceiving, so ensure this is not misleading your viewers.

• It is up to you whether you need to give an idea of scale. It might be good to include a hint of location around the artwork, or the frame that it comes in etc. Some artists might find this distracting – if so, make sure you clearly state the sizing next to the image.

• Scanning is also a great and easy option for smaller, 2D works. See out page on scanning tips if you need help: http://www.theartistsweb.net/wiki/How_To_Scan_Artwork

• Make sure you prepare your images for the web. If you have ever noticed that your images seem faded, washed out or just a different colour altogether when you upload them to your site, it may be because they are not set to the right colour profile. For more info on this, there are lots of helpful articles online. We found a couple here, and here. Use photoshop (or similar program), use auto levels to brighten and add contrast, or you can also tweak them yourself to your desired effect. Use adobe RGB colour profile

So, as long as you follow a few simple rules, you will have great pictures on your website!

Here are some examples of good images from a few Artweb members’ sites:

- Biota by Duncan Bell- great example of showing sculpture in it’s site-specific environment, and helps the viewer understand scale!

http://www.duncanbellsculpture.com/

- Clear, bright and beautiful! Kim Glass’ ‘London Twitter (detail)’

http://www.kimglass.co.uk/

- Wendy Kemp uses artistic photography to emphasise her jewellery and uses models to let us know the size and shape of the items in context:

http://www.wendykempjewellery.co.uk/

- Diana Fegredo’s delicate watercolours are shown off to their full potential in these bright and colourful images:

http://www.greenartgirl.co.uk/gallery

So that’s it for this month! Hope you have found this article useful, and if you’re stuck for inspiration just have look at the hundreds of brilliant sites by Artweb users. In Part 3 next month, we will be looking at the best ways to publicise your website and get your work out there. We’ll be sending it out on the 17th October… see you then!

Preview Fri 30th Sept, Sat 1st &Sun; 2nd, Sat 8th & Sun 9th Oct

Free

3rd & 4th Floors Vernon Mill

Mersey Street,
Stockport

Manchester

SK1 2HX

UK

Come and enjoy artists showing their work from their studios in the
atmospheric surroundings of a former cotton mill. Vernon Mill Artists Group
has been established for over 10 years and continues to promote all art
forms from conceptual, abstract and formal from 62 contemporary artists.

http://www.vernonmillartists.com

http://TriciaWarrington.artweb.com

Parallax Art Fair

14th – 16th October 2011

Free Entry to visitors

La Galleria, Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 4UY

Royal Opera Arcade,
Pall Mall
London SW 1Y 4UY

London

SW1Y 4uy

U.K.

Wendy Hyde is Exhibiting on wall 22

http://www.wendyhyde.theartistsweb.co.uk

Hitting The Hundred

22-23 October 2011

Free

Priory Barn

Holme Farm
Wighill Park
Syningthwaite

Wetherby

LS24 8BL

UK

An exciting art exhibition in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support,
celebrating 100 years of fundraising. Help us ‘hit the hundred’ as we aim to
sell 100 pieces of art to benefit the charity. With many framed originals
from £100.

http://www.juliecross.co.uk

Art of Colour

October to December

Free

The Portico Gallery

25 London Road Riverhead

Sevenoaks

TN13 2BU

UK

The Portico Gallery opens its Autumn and Winter show with the Art of
Colour exhibition, Featuring the work of 12 artists reflecting the changing
of the seasons in colour and interpretation.

http://www.porticogallery.co.uk

http://kevinclarkson.co.uk

Mosaic course for Beginners

Ongoing course

£12 per week

Winslow and Milton Keynes venues

Winslow Learning Centre
Park Rd
Winslow

Buckinghamshire

England

Personal tuition also available. Community mosaic and public projects.
Mosaic for business and homes.

http://www.melaniewattsmosaics.artweb.com

Art London

6th – 10th october

£12

Art London
Royal Hospital
Chelsea, SW3

London

SW3

England

Richard will be previewing new work for his forthcoming solo exhibition
at the Northcote Gallery London.

http://www.artlondon.net

http://richardwhadcock.com

Art for Youth

19-20 October 2011

Free-£15

Royal College of Art

Kensington Gore

London

SW7 2EU

Exhibiton of over 1000 works by 140 artists in aid of UK Youth.
Opens Wednesday 19th October 6pm tickets £12 advance/ £15 on the door.
Thursday 20th October free entry 11am-3pm. 6pm-9pm tickets £10advance/£12
on the door

http://www.artforyouth.com

http://marystubberfield.co.uk

North Wales Society of Fine Art exhibition

1 October – 18 December

free

Bodelwyddan Castle

Bodelwyddan Castle
Bodelwyddan
RHYL
Denbighshire

LL18 5YA

Wales

The North Wales Society of Fine Art, formerly known as the North Wales
Society of Botanical and Fine Watercolour Artists, was formed by
professional artists in 1990 to provide exhibition opportunities and to
promote new talent, especially in the figurative arts. Since then membership
has increased to include artists not only from North Wales, but from the
whole of the north of England. The NWSFA organises a number of exhibition
each year throughout the area and the standard of work is consistently at a
very high level.

http://www.nwsfa.org.uk/

http://gillianyorath.co.uk

Palace Art Fair

6th to 9th October 2011

£6 on the door (£5 in advance – see website)

Fulham Palace

Bishop’s Avenue

London

SW6 6EA

UK

The Palace Art Fair showcases just over 100 contemporary artists across
all media who exhibit and sell their work direct to the public. This keeps
the atmosphere informal, and provides a wonderful environment for first time
art buyers or for collectors to seek out up and coming artists.
(Jennie Ing on stand 72)

http://www.palaceartfair.co.uk

http://jennieingart.co.uk

Animal Magic

9th October Preview then on until the 22nd

Free

Ingleby Gallery,

Ingleby
Nr Melbourne
Derby

DE73 7HW

An exhibition of original acrylic animal paintings by Wendy Darker.
Also features her limited edition prints and Animal Sculptures by Julie
Wilson.

http://www.ingleby-gallery.co.uk

http://www.wendydarker.co.uk

Art 24

Preview Fri 28th Oct 6.30-9pm , Sat & Sun 29th/30th Oct ’11
11am-6.30pm

Free

St Peter’s Assembley Rooms

Cecil Rd,
Hale,
Cheshire

WA15

Uk

A rare opportunity to see a group show of 24 established and up and
coming artists exhibit their work

http://www.colinjellicoe.co.uk

New Gallery Opening

14th October 2011

Free

The Attic Gallery

46 – 48 Chestergate

Macclesfield

SL11 6BA

England

See details about the Macclesfield Art Crawl on our web site.

http://www.theatticgallery.co.uk</p>

buyart fair

27-30th October

£5 on the door but free tickets can be ordered in advance from
http://www.buyartfair.co.uk

Quay House
Quay Street
Spinningfields

Manchester

UK

Vernon Mill Artists, one of the largest arts co-operatives in the
north, will be exhibiting at the buyart fair, Manchester, for the 4th year
running. Ten artists will be showing their work including Malcolm Croft,
Tricia Warrington and Andrew Parker.

http://www.buyartfair.co.uk