A Way Out of Creative Paralysis
It took me a little while to realize this, but prepping canvas has always been a great way for me to ease myself into a new series.
Beginning a new artwork series can be a nebulous cloud of anxiety and excitement: What will I do and how on earth will I do it ? The options are endless and seem to stretch out before me in an endless tirade. It’s overwhelming to say the least, and in this state it's quite common that I'll find many…
Give Clients Food For Thought: What They Want To Know About Your Art
I remember a friend showing me how to scan my images at art school. For convenience sake, he quickly titled the files while we worked. He came up with them on the spur of the moment - they were funny and quirky and revealed much of what I knew of his personality (he is a very funny guy). These titles changed the feeling of looking at the images and offered a new way to connect with the work. This valuable experience showed me…
The Escape Artist
It has been a very busy year so far, I'm not going to sugar-coat it.
There have been moments where I thought to myself, if things get more intense I might just go mad! But I tend to be the type of person who can really put myself into a pressure cooker of expectations. The more I accomplish, the higher the bar gets raised - it's enough to drive a drama queen a little mad. Sometimes I just want to put on sweatpants and do nothing,…
Humour in Art
I love this photo, it's from an art exhibition about humour. How many of us can relate to this one?
"Laughter is universal, it is something that people in every culture can relate to. Humour, however, is socially specific". - Director Ralph Rugoff speaking about art exhibition titled Laughing in a Foreign Language at The Hayward Gallery.
Image source: Roi Vaara
Use Protection: Contracts for Commissioned Artwork
Commissions are tricky. And unless you have been thorough you might end up working "on-spec". This means that you create a commissioned work, and then, once it's complete, the client views it and decides whether they will purchase it or not. Ouch! This can be a truly unholy, rude awakening. With equal parts foresight and clear communication in written or verbal form, you can effectively ward off evil and reassure yourself that your…
Wait! Don't Throw Out That Paint Brush...
OK, I'll shamefully admit that I used to gleefully abandon old, crusty paint brushes. Visions of buying brand new brushes (in all shapes and sizes) danced through my head. Buying new art materials is always fun, isn't it? However a case can be made against this attitude:
A) It's not kind to the environment.
B) It's a waste of cash.
C) Those brushes aren't dead yet.
Artists are some of the most practical people I have ever met.…
Be Super on Facebook
There is nothing worse than having great images for your Facebook page, but having the dimensions all wrong. Getting it right will keep your Facebook presence looking super sharp and professional. You can even get into Photoshop and create a cover photo that highlights multiple artworks. If you are prolific, this will have quite an impact.
Here is a quick guide from rightmixmarketing.com that will help you sort your images out…
Official launch of Artist Run Website blog!
With great excitement, I am pleased to announce the launch of the Artist Run Website blog!
What's more exciting than blasting off into the inner-space of creativity! Each week we will bring to you inspiration, tips & techniques, and insight into the issue's facing today's contemporary artist.
Your guide to the final frontier of art-making will be Artist-in-residence Rebecca Chaperon.
Rebecca Chaperon, Artist-in-residence…
Curated Art Collection: Minimal
View more of Phillip Mcdermott's painting portfolio here.
Each week we present a collection of artwork from a variety of artists curated around a common theme. This week the theme is Minimal. As in few and far between. It's the heightening negative space created in a moment that is edited down to it's essential features and nothing extra. I wanted to present this collection to show how some artists bring a space and unity to their…