The human spirit is rewarded by consumption. Food, and drink, and pleasure… It all fills an inner need in our being.
To realize and profit on this basic need, the artist must create a need or desire for the art.
When a sporting event like the Olympics are in the front of mind, present illustrations or paintings that mimic what the audience has been viewing on television.
If the mood is going to vampires or wizards, show mystical works.
If the hot topic is fashion, then select colors to compliment.
This may sound like “commercial art”, but all artists need to sell their wares to survive, and yes, that is a commercial effort.
So realize the human spirit and create your visions to accommodate your ideas and be welcomed by the new visitor to your view of the world.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Venue (Presentation Part 2)
When an artist or writer or any creative type is about to present their interpretation of their ideas to the public, must realize where the presentation will take place.
Here is an example.
The Virginia Wine Expo is a great venue to show examples of your creative ideas, but think about whom your audience is.
The people in the room have come to sample wine. They are showing their culture and taste.
So your presentation to this crowd must match their expectations.
Painting of wine glasses or bottles will fit the venue, but the tipsy customer must buy and carry the art that they had not prepared acquire.
In the interactive world, would it be better to show a slideshow of ideas on a computer screen. This method allows the viewer to select from a variety of ideas and even match with a room color or decor scheme.
If a sample is necessary to show the texture or style, bring it along, but show samples without carrying huge works.
Also remember the nature of the viewer.
If it is an Art in the Park venue, bring simple easy to carry samples of work, tourist attractions, sell on the story and move the product.
If it is a Wine Expo prepare to become an artist to be commissioned for future works.
And dress appropriately.
Here is an example.
The Virginia Wine Expo is a great venue to show examples of your creative ideas, but think about whom your audience is.
The people in the room have come to sample wine. They are showing their culture and taste.
So your presentation to this crowd must match their expectations.
Painting of wine glasses or bottles will fit the venue, but the tipsy customer must buy and carry the art that they had not prepared acquire.
In the interactive world, would it be better to show a slideshow of ideas on a computer screen. This method allows the viewer to select from a variety of ideas and even match with a room color or decor scheme.
If a sample is necessary to show the texture or style, bring it along, but show samples without carrying huge works.
Also remember the nature of the viewer.
If it is an Art in the Park venue, bring simple easy to carry samples of work, tourist attractions, sell on the story and move the product.
If it is a Wine Expo prepare to become an artist to be commissioned for future works.
And dress appropriately.
Brain Storm
The effort to create an idea usually requires several observations and input.
Gather a bunch of objective people in a quiet room and prognosticate an idea.
This used to be called creating a “Think tank”, but in reality it is getting different perspectives on the same problem.
Research and Development was the corporate development for a solution.
The goal is to come up with a solution to a problem.
Committees or commissions or focus groups can be formed, but the real objective of new ideas must be free spirited no-holds-barred, throw-it-on-the-table, out-of-the box, thoughts and wishes.
New ideas cannot be blocked by corporate politics or personal objectives.
Take a goal, wipe the board clean, and let the thoughts flow. There are no wrong views.
This process can take many turns and several days to complete, but if openly realized, new and possible profitable ideas can be discussed and details formulated.
Gather a bunch of objective people in a quiet room and prognosticate an idea.
This used to be called creating a “Think tank”, but in reality it is getting different perspectives on the same problem.
Research and Development was the corporate development for a solution.
The goal is to come up with a solution to a problem.
Committees or commissions or focus groups can be formed, but the real objective of new ideas must be free spirited no-holds-barred, throw-it-on-the-table, out-of-the box, thoughts and wishes.
New ideas cannot be blocked by corporate politics or personal objectives.
Take a goal, wipe the board clean, and let the thoughts flow. There are no wrong views.
This process can take many turns and several days to complete, but if openly realized, new and possible profitable ideas can be discussed and details formulated.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Type
Words, sentences, and thoughts are pecked out on the keyboard, but how they are viewed relates the story.
Today there are millions of type fonts available for the taking. Weird shapes for expression, variations of old familiar styles, and readable favorites.
Type design used to be a painstaking effort to create. After the Stone Age, and the hot metal age with it’s limited range of characters and styles, came cold type or computer design.
Many fonts were copyrighted and their manufactures fought the new wave of designers creating new type fonts based on years of drawing on paper with ink and pen and t-squares and triangles and French curves.
Arial, Futura, Palatina, Century Schoolbook challenged names like Helvetica, Times Roman, and Bodoni, and even Goudy brought new styles using press type rub on letters. The variety increased by imagination and the ease of slight changes in the width or height or italic made a new font.
Techniques, such as kerning, baseline shift, or leading fell by the way as the ease of the computer moving and shifting type to the eye of the typist.
An entire industry was overcome by technology.
Today there are millions of type fonts available for the taking. Weird shapes for expression, variations of old familiar styles, and readable favorites.
Type design used to be a painstaking effort to create. After the Stone Age, and the hot metal age with it’s limited range of characters and styles, came cold type or computer design.
Many fonts were copyrighted and their manufactures fought the new wave of designers creating new type fonts based on years of drawing on paper with ink and pen and t-squares and triangles and French curves.
Arial, Futura, Palatina, Century Schoolbook challenged names like Helvetica, Times Roman, and Bodoni, and even Goudy brought new styles using press type rub on letters. The variety increased by imagination and the ease of slight changes in the width or height or italic made a new font.
Techniques, such as kerning, baseline shift, or leading fell by the way as the ease of the computer moving and shifting type to the eye of the typist.
An entire industry was overcome by technology.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
What’s the story?
A painting hangs on the wall.
A person walks up to it, stops and stares.
A small card at the bottom of the frame announces the name of the painting and the artist.
The viewer must then comprehend the feeling of the artist into the message of paint and titles.
Will the “name” fit the viewer’s assessment of the presentation or just confuse the issue.
All art has a story, and that story must be relayed to its audience.
What is the story behind the painting of a small girl in a blue dress holding a flower?
Is this a portrait of a family member or a commission piece from royalty?
As an artist, the expression of the idea is in the graphic, but sometimes the viewer does not understand the process.
I’ve attended too many shows where the viewer judges the artwork on their own knowledge of shape, color, form and makes an evaluation, while the artist stands to the side and listens.
An artist trying to make a living of selling their artwork must realize this and make an effort to describe the feeling or motivation behind creating the art.
The story leading up to the creation may become more fascinating than the finished piece, but adds value to the presentation.
An artist selling their creations must also be a storyteller.
A person walks up to it, stops and stares.
A small card at the bottom of the frame announces the name of the painting and the artist.
The viewer must then comprehend the feeling of the artist into the message of paint and titles.
Will the “name” fit the viewer’s assessment of the presentation or just confuse the issue.
All art has a story, and that story must be relayed to its audience.
What is the story behind the painting of a small girl in a blue dress holding a flower?
Is this a portrait of a family member or a commission piece from royalty?
As an artist, the expression of the idea is in the graphic, but sometimes the viewer does not understand the process.
I’ve attended too many shows where the viewer judges the artwork on their own knowledge of shape, color, form and makes an evaluation, while the artist stands to the side and listens.
An artist trying to make a living of selling their artwork must realize this and make an effort to describe the feeling or motivation behind creating the art.
The story leading up to the creation may become more fascinating than the finished piece, but adds value to the presentation.
An artist selling their creations must also be a storyteller.
Presentation
After thoughts are made into ideas, the next step is the presentation to someone else. Presentation is the visual and sounds expression of the idea.
The presentation can inspire and compliment the service or product, while a bad presentation, even though the idea may be great, will ruin the chance of bringing the idea to fruition.
Back in the day, sketches and photo prints were rubber cemented onto white boards, covered in a flap of construction paper. These were placed on easels, and during the presentation to the client or organization, uncovered like a treasured surprise. The presenter had to express the excitement of the idea and engage the audience with additional notes on slides or written explanations in a darkened boardroom.
Today, presentations using video, sound, and animation, can dazzle the presentation, but does the message get across?
One, know your audience.
Two, make an organized outline
Three, double check your information
A presentation using the Internet can reach around the world and be interactive with telecommunication. With this technology, the presenter must be prepared to answer and give examples to every question.
Even with the most sophisticated software, the presentation must be brief, concise, and effective.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Competition
When following any dream, stop and look around.
Others may already be following the same dream.
If the dream is a business or service in which you want to make a livelihood or profit, look at the competition that is already out there.
Then ask the journalistic 5 questions before taking the plunge.
Who? What? Where? When? Why?
Who is the competition? Someone else came up with an idea (or stole it from someone else) and has built a business plan that banks agree with. Now the dream has become a reality, but everyone sees his or her dream in a different way.
What is the competition’s reality? This might also be defined as “how” does your competition present his or her business or service. Some might have a grand global scheme while others are mom and pop operations.
Remember, your competition is already out there, so you are competing for a slice of an established business or service.
Where is the competition located? High traffic areas will increase chances of retail sales, but does not guarantee profit. Cheaper rent locations may be appropriate for businesses that deliver their services. The Internet presents an array of new options of working out of a home office or flexible location.
When does the competition follow their dream? The old 9-to-5 operations are a thing of the past. Today a business or service, that wants to compete for a share of the pie, needs to be available at any time to any one.
Why is the competition out there? Someone else has come up with a dream, following it on a unique path, presenting itself with techniques, materials, operations, and applied results no other competition can match.
Some of the competition will fail and fade away, but there is always a new dreamer.
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