"You Were Right Art....Kids do say the Darndest Things"

Art Linkletter had it right when he coined the phrase "Kids say the darnedest things" I know my kids have. I remember the time I was sitting on my couch with my youngest son, then 4, watching the winter Olympics when he turned to me and asked "How do you spell USA?"

To go through life with the perspective of a child would be interesting. Their sense of wonder and honest excitment for discovery is refreshing. We soon forget what it was like to notice that a cucumber structurally is just like a watermelon and find they are related. These little people are always thinking...

I heard a story once where a young boy was standing in line at the grocery store with his mom behind a really large man. This large man was too busy visiting with the clerk and putting groceries on the counter to notice the little boy. Then from the man's pocket came a ring... ring when his cell phone went off.

When the little boy heard this he got fidgety and said to his mom "watch it.... he's backing up"

One of my favorite personal stories was when my oldest son was around five years old. It was my wife's birthday and we had just come home from church which in our house means "Let the party begin" so I started this conversation with my son..

"Hey, do you know what today is?"

"Yea, it's Mommy's birthday!"

"That's right, 38 years ago today your mother was born...."

"She was born on her birthday!!!!! COOL!"

There are days when your kids are a challenge but we can learn alot by seeing the world through their eyes. I guess we keep them around for those moments when they brighten our day and make us smile....

Prescott Galleries

Why Pay for Advertising?"

Why pay for advertising when you can be paid to advertise? This is not only something every artist should understand but learn to look for. What branded products like Coke and Nike understand is that having their image visible is a component of marketing. So the movie scene which shows a can of coke or the golfer wearing the Nike logo is in some way promoting their products.

Visibility equates to marketing and helps you to Brand your image or in our case images. I find the most cost effective way for artists to do this is to identify those markets who not only will benefit from using our art but will pay to do so.

This is what a use for your artwork looks like....

When the local bank called and asked if they could use one of my oil paintings "Waiting for Winter" for the background of a debit card. I wrote a "Limited Use Rights" statement. This stated that this bank had the right-(my permission) to use this image for the background of a debit card and any media promotion of that debit card for the fee of $.... This protects them from having me sell the same image to another bank for the use on their debit cards, yet allows me to sell the same image to another business for a completely different use. The image used on this banks debit card has also been used by a Vermont Chamber of Commerce magazine and The Vermont Law School- Environmental Law Symposium. Each time I would clearly define what the reproduction rights were and included the amount we agreed they would pay for this right.

"THAT'S RIGHT" they pay for this right. So you can run a lot of ads in print media and pay those bills but isn't it more fun to pull out a debit card with one of your paintings on it, watch the eyes pop of the person you are showing it to as they become aware that they have the same card, and know that someone sent you a check to do so?

As Artists who create images we always hold the right as intellectual property until we, in writing, transfer that intellectual property over to someone else. Even though we have sold the original painting we still hold the "Creative and Intellectual Property" of that image we painted. What this means is that we always have the right to put it into print, create a product, or use that image for improving another products. In a nut shell- we own the "image" until we let it go and put it in writing. With rights the more we give away the bigger the check we should receive because we are letting go of our ability to reuse an image and generate income. "Limited Use Rights" states that you are signing the rights over for one or just a few rights for reproduction.

They only gray area here is termed "Work for Hire" which is when you are putting a image to someone else's creative idea. The best example of this is commercial work or book illustration. In this case the person doing the hiring is the "Creative or Intellectual owner" and thus holds those rights. The gray area for painters comes in on commissioned pieces which can fall either way. What I do is clear this issue up right off when I discuss a commission. "Now I will be doing this painting for you and I will also be considering putting it into print" A lot of times you can lay on the "But you will have the only Original"

So why pay for advertising... when you can be paid to advertise?

Prescott Galleries

"How does this work for Art?"

I do oil paintings for a reason. The English language escapes me. So I communicate with a image or picture. I do not have the time or desire to distinguish between there and their, where and were, or is it a or an before this word? Or is it "That Word"?




Here are a few statements I need help understanding.




For me the worlds most confusing question is "Are you related to your Mother?" I mean really!How many was can you answer this?




Along those lines here are requests (in English) that apparently work for the arts and does not work with any other profession.




Artist goes into a bank. The Banker says "If you ever want to display your work on our walls it would be great exposure for you"




Banker goes into a Art Gallery. Gallery Owner says "If you ever want to give me free banking services I will tell everyone what a great bank you are. It would be great exposure for you."



Sounds good to me....... so I wonder if I can get a new toilet installed if I promise to tell the plumber that I will put a sign on the back of the toilet that says "Installed by Best Plumbing" After all it would be great exposure....




Artist goes into a school The principle says "We are having a arts fair and would love to have you come in and work with the kids. We have no money in the budget for this."




Principle goes to Town Meeting. Artist says "I'd love to have my children educated at your school. Of course I will not vote to give you money to cover your budget."



Wow! This is fun. I like this...

Arts Council says to Artist We have this great idea that follows our mission to support the arts. We are going to give wooden pallets to artists that they can turn into a pieces of art and give away to non-profits so they can generate income.

Artist says to Art Council We have this great idea that will help the community. We know you do not have enough money to support yourself so we feel that instead of going on vacation, volunteer your time at a local non-profit.

hold on.... now it is starting to hurt

Artists need to realize that they need to be compensated for their services and the use of their creations is a service. So when the restaurant asks if you can bring in enough artwork to cover their walls. "It would get you great visibility" Artists should negotiate. At the very least dinner out with the family. If you are decorating service for their walls they can give you a meal. Trade service for service. It's the least they can do.....





Prescott Galleries