Professional Artist

I limit my planning to three must-dos for the day. This forces me to prioritize. There’s nothing I love more than the calendar and planner section of any stationary store. Put me in that aisle in an Office Depot or a fancy paper store and I’ll be entranced for hours. This past year, I’ve been focusing on how to hone my planning skills so that I can get more of the work done that really matters. I have two tips to share that have changed my life. They are simple and they work: 1. Plan your day the night before. If I get to my office without a plan for the day, it might still only be 9 a.m., but I’m sunk. Yet, if I take 20 minutes the night…

Here’s what fans are saying about Professional Artist magazine: The article that lead me to join Instagram was in the October/November 2015 edition (Instagram: It’s All About the Hashtag by Ora Sorensen). I had been on Facebook for ages but was frustrated with their algorithms and was exploring other social media platforms. The glowing article helped me to decide on Instagram as a place worthy of the time and energy required to develop a new social media presence. There have been several articles since then with more nuts and bolts information, but the initial one gave me some important tips on the kinds of things to post, how often and what to include in my bio. All in all, I’m happy with Instagram, and with the magazine. ~ Robin Baratta, London,…

Creating a mission statement for your art business is one of the most important tasks in developing your business plan. Some companies take months, even years, to come up with a mission statement. For some companies, their statement is a series of statements which they use to guide their overall actions and represents the culture of the company. After researching mission statements from several companies in many industries, one stayed with me. Maybe because I shop at this store and can relate to how their statement correlates with the shopping experience. Target’s mission statement reads “We make Target our guests’ preferred shopping destination by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience — consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less.® brand promise.” To me, this statement is true…

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. is tickling funny bones through January 6, 2019 with their exhibit of works on paper that celebrate a Sense of Humor. The works range from the 15th to 20th century and are organized chronologically. The exhibit traces forms of comical prints and drawings from Renaissance caricature to British satire of the 18th century through counterculture comics of the late 1960s. Drawn from the gallery’s collection, works are by artists including Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Jacques Callot, William Hogarth, Francisco de Goya, Honoré Daumier, George Herriman, Alexander Calder, Roger Brown, the Guerrilla Girls and Art Spiegelman, to name a few. Many works will be shown for the first time. “Humor is a fundamental element of the human experience, and has too often been…

In the August/September issue (http://bit.ly/2JIIITS) Isaac Babcock wrote about artists who had expanded their businesses through altruism. One of the artists he interviewed was Chelas Montanye who, after our publication deadline, offered these five tips on how to start an organization like the Art of Recycle (artofrecycle.org). The nonprofit started in a 10 foot-by-10 foot booth 10 years ago and just opened a 10,000 square foot space that sells gently used arts and crafts supplies and hosts art classes. CHELAS MONTANYE’S FIVE TIPS FOR STARTING AN ORGANIZATION LIKE ART OF RECYCLE: 1 Do it. Don’t talk about it. We aren’t saying that you should quit your day job tomorrow, we are saying that you should put your foot where your mouth is and move forward by starting your organization. Give…

Hahnemühle, has been creating artist papers since 1584, and still uses spring water in their manufacturing process. Their Harmony Watercolour paper, a natural white, is suitable for all wet-paining techniques and features surface sizing. The paper enhances the natural brilliance of color and allows the use of masking fluids and tape without any left-behind residue. The paper is light resistant and acid free which makes it “extremely age resistant” within the highest life expectancy category, meaning it will last 100 years or more. Harmony Watercolour Paper is available in cold pressed, rough and hot pressed. The paper is eraser resistant due to the sizing. For details about where to purchase, visit hahnemuehle.com/en/contact/find-a-dealer.…