Ancient Art Replicas for Beginers

An affordable way to get unique works of art for your home or business is to buy ancient art replicas. These are beautifully created replicas of artwork or statues from ancient history. Art replicas can resemble modern art or art from hundreds or thousands of years ago. Ancient art replicas often date back to Egyptian art, Greek art, and ancient Christian art, or periods in history that have been long forgotten.

What is an Art Replica?

An art replica is not an original work, but a very accurate reproduction of the original. Art replicas are usually produced from scratch or touched up by skilled artists. Some art painting replicas are painted entirely from scratch while others might be copied digitally or by print and then highlighted by an artist's brush.

Ancient art replicas portray the feeling and real-life sentiment of the original piece of work. Whether it's an ancient painting by a Greek artist or statues of FooDogs, the replica artists or craftsmen make a great effort to recreate the original work. High quality replica paintings are usually hand-painted on canvas and are not merely "copies" of the painting. This gives the paintings a more authentic look and feel.

Ancient Art Replica Statues
Statues from the past can be replicated by creating a cast to match the shape and size of an original statue. A master mold is then turned into a replica statue using the utmost detail to capture the same quality as the original. You can buy amazing Buddhist art or Greek art statues in life-like forms to place in a home, business, or religious establishment. Ancient art replicas are lovely and admirable just like the original statues, but at only a fraction of the cost.

Benefits of Buying Ancient Art Replicas

There are several benefits of buying ancient art replicas. You'll receive a high-quality painting or statue that is not merely a "copy." Replicas are often created with the same amount of care as an original work and will closely resemble the original. Ancient art replicas make wonderful decor pieces and often stir conversation wherever they're found. The statue replicas can be placed inside or outdoors. Also, art replicas are available at affordable prices. If buying an original artwork or statue, you might pay thousands of dollars whereas replica pricing often ranges from $50 to $300.

Ancient art replicas are available for many types of art as well so you can choose from thousands of products. There are also websites that specialize in ancient replicas so you can buy Greek art, Christian art, Buddhist art, FooDogs, and more from your own computer. Statues come in many shapes and sizes as well as themes so you can easily find one or two to add to your current décor. Whether you prefer Christian artwork such as a Celtic cross or Byzantine cross, or Buddhist art such as a statue of Buddha Amitayus or a Buddha in teaching pose, there are plenty to choose from.

Use art replicas to bring ancient history to life in your home or business today!

Donating Art is less complicated than you think-(USA)

Compare donating art to adopting art: both require planning.

• Locate a qualifying institution to accept the item.
• Pass the related use test.
• Arrange for an appraisal not more than 60 days ahead of the date of gift.
• Obtain a letter of acceptance dated prior to December 31 of the year you plan to take the deduction.
• Deliver the property to the institution.

Want to make sure what you are about to read is correct? Get the IRS publications 1) 526 Charitable Contributions and 2) 561 Determining the Value of Donated Property. You can get these publications on the Internet at www.irs.ustreas.gov or you can call 800-TAX-FORMS (800 829-3676) to order them.

Publication 526 specifies that “a charitable contribution is a donation or gift to, or for the use of, a qualified organization.” A qualified organization is a “nonprofit group that is religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose or that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals.” The amount is generally limited to 50% of your adjusted gross income, but in some cases 20% and 30% limits may apply. The detailing of which of these limits applies is on page 9 and 10 of Publication 526. You can carryover unused deductions for a maximum of 5 years.

Form 8283

You must complete Form 8283 and have it accompany your donation. This form identifies who receives the gift, its condition, how, and when you acquired the gift, and its fair market value as of the date of gift. If you received the item as a gift from an artist, you can only deduct the artist’s basis, which is the cost of materials needed to create the art work.

Related-Use Test

Related use is a concept that was instituted roughly 10 years ago to prevent citizens from donating items to organizations that were inconsistent with their collection direction. For example, if you gift a Civil War sword to a clock museum, a 19th century doll to a contemporary art museum, an Art Deco sculpture to a science museum, this pairing will not pass the related-use test. Flunking the related-use test mandates a deduction that is limited to your cost or basis.

The first question in Tax Court is: “On what day did the appraiser view the property?” Your appraiser must personally inspect the property. If you jump ahead and send the piece across the country to a qualified organization that fits the related use test, you will also need to ship your appraiser to inspect it or find one who can visit the piece in person. The following people cannot perform the appraisal: anyone associated with the qualified organization receiving the gift, the dealer who sold it to you, anyone who a reasonable person could imagine would have a bias in producing a value. The appraiser must be someone who holds themselves out to be a professional appraiser.

The report can be prepared after the date of gift, but not more than 60 days before the date of donation. Another time sensitive element is the date of the qualifying organization’s acceptance letter. A representative of the qualifying organization using that organization’s stationery must write the donor an acceptance letter dated no later than December 31 of the year you plan to take the deduction. If giving a fractional interest, a new appraisal must be prepared for each year a percentage of the item is given.

Timing is a key issue with respect to accession meetings. These generally take place once a month and often a quorum of Trustees or committee members must be present. Contact the organization on December 20 and you may be told they held their last meeting for the year on December 11.

Word of caution, a gift means “it is not yours anymore”. Most organizations will not allow you to specify how and when it is to be exhibited. Deliver the item to the organization and mentally separate from it. Do consider closely if you want to be cited as the donor or if you would prefer to have the citation read “anonymous donor”.

Tax forms frighten everyone, but thankfully, the 8283 Form is quite simple to complete. Specify your name and social security number and then fill in different parts, depending on the fair market value of the property given. Section A Part I is to be filled in if the deduction is $5,000 or less. There you give the name and address of the organization receiving the gift as well as a description of the property. Then specify the date of the contribution, the date acquired, how it was acquired and the your cost or basis, its fair market value and the method used to determine fair market value. Section B Part I is for property that is worth more than $5,000, where you are asked the same information. If the fair market value is greater than $5,000, the qualifying organization has to complete Part IV of Section B. Part III is completed by the appraiser.

If you are donating property with a fair market value of $500 or more, you must complete Form 8283. You may be asked for an appraisal if the value is greater than $5,000. You must attach an appraisal to your IRS filing, if the value is $20,000 or greater. It is generally understood that donated property valued at $20,000 or greater will be reviewed by the Art Advisory Panel.

The Art Of Cleaning Art

Art is a part of life and for some, it is their way of life. Others usually consider art as a worthy investment. Regardless of how you see art, restoring and preserving art pieces are important techniques to maintain their value. Painting restoration is a serious matter; that is why most people prefer to have their paintings professionally restored. However, if you like the thought of restoring your own pieces, lots of practice and familiarity with techniques are necessary. Because according to statistics, more paintings and art works are destroyed each year by inept restoration and cleaning than by accidental burning or fire.

Clouded varnish, dirt, and smoke are the usual culprits that cause paintings to become dirty. Restoring paintings by cleaning it is the logical step of most owners. However, wiping paintings with rags or whatever liquid is damaging. Art restoration professionals recommend researching restoration techniques on the internet or attending seminars on restoring paintings before embarking on a restoration mission.

Art works look more elegant and classic when preserved in their original frames. As it is, detaching paintings from their frames is necessary and important before the actual cleaning. Non-removal of the frames not only causes discomfort and unease in cleaning, it also causes scratches and abrasion. Remove the frames by laying the picture backside up on a flat surface layered with foam or cushion to avoid scratching the frames. Vacuum accumulated dust on the frames' back and remove nails gently with a metal ruler and pliers. Secure the nails on board with labels of their previous positions. For example, secure and label the nails plucked from the lower right side of the frame as "lower right". This way, each nail fits exactly on its previous place without causing added strain on the frame. Marking the frame is also a good idea to be able to return it to its original position.

After removing paintings from their frame, it is better to inspect the kind of dirt build-up on the paintings. Knowing the kind of dirt to be removed is necessary in finding and using the right product and tools. Anti-mildew solutions remove mildew build-up or "foxing" effectively. However, soaking the painting in these solutions damages the colors and the painting. To prevent this, soak or spray the solution on a cotton pad and wipe on the area affected with foxing. Follow up with a water-dipped cotton pad and wipe dry. Periodically check cotton pads to see if some color or paint was dissolved. For dirt build-up that requires light to medium cleaning, slicing an onion in half and dipping it in lemon juice remove grime and dirt off art work. Rub paintings with lemon-soaked onion using a circular motion for even application. Slice the onion regularly to expose a fresh layer. An alternative is using warm water with lemon detergent or washing soda. Finish either treatment by wiping their painting with a moist sponge and leaving it to dry. Art works respond to this treatment with improved depth of color.

Experts recommend leaving varnish removal and painting repair to the professionals. Art works do not sell well or look good if extensively damaged. As these types of restoration require complicated techniques, the chances of botching the job are high if done by amateurs. The job is expensive but make the value of your paintings appreciate.

The Online Art Gallery: Gaining Momentum

The Internet has expanded our world in many ways. Today, through the use of an online art gallery, we can buy, or just enjoy, works of art. If we are good enough, we can even sell our art work.

No one wants to be a starving artist, but can be hard for an up-and-coming artist to get enough people interested in his or her projects to want to purchase some of it. That’s only one of many reasons an online art gallery might be a godsend for those artists looking for their big break.

An online art gallery is a website that features art of various kinds. Whether the art itself is painting, sculpture, or any other form, the piece is first digitally photographed and then displayed on the website as a webpage image. Often, an online art gallery will display the works of several artists at once, or may offer several pieces from the same artist.

In return for this service, an online art gallery may make its money by receiving commissions from the sales of the work of the various artists. Usually, an agreement is tendered wherein any piece that is sold through the online art gallery is subject to a fee. The gallery withholds the fee once the art is sold and paid for.

This kind of arrangement works well for both parties. The artists can showcase their work to a broad audience, without the marketing expense having to come from their own pocket; the online art gallery benefits in that they collect a payment for the pieces that are sold and have a constant supply of art to draw in potential customers.

However, not all online art galleries use this type of arrangement. Some prefer to charge the artist a fee, which must be paid in advance. Generally, this fee is used to offset the bandwidth cost incurred by the site owners, as well as the cost for the website design itself. The good side of this is the artist will usually not have to pay a commission to the online art gallery once the sale is made.

An important added benefit to using an online art gallery is that the artist receives exposure as well. The online art gallery makes a profit only when people come to the website and buy from it. Because it is in their own best interest to do so, they will work hard at promoting their virtual space, which, in turn, promotes those artists showcased there. For the artists, this means more exposure, which can translate into more sales.

If you are interested in displaying your art work in such a manner, you should do some research as not every online art gallery is willing to feature the work of up-and-coming artists. Some of the more prestigious galleries prefer to focus on the works of more established artists.

Whether you are an artist, or simply an art connoisseur, you should browse the contents of an online art gallery. The level of quality and the sheer diversity of what you may find can surprise you.

The Future Of Art - Investment Ideas

In order to look into the future we need only to look into the recent past.

It is not only helpful to look at different trends as well, but I believe we will find that certain fashions have had varying degrees of mutual influence upon artistic endeavors.

Current art trends are mirroring the apparent confusion found in the fashion industry. 60's hippie gear (itself a mixture of classical medieval and pop) can be seen with 80's punk; experiments with pop and new wave continue; and cartoon wear taken directly off the pages of anime imagery is finding an affinity with hip-hop and black gangster rap. Alongside this I see a fantastic mixture of some or all of cartoon, naive, pop art, abstract expressionism, and surrealism, which I believe has been coldly labelled neo-expressionism.

This observation amazes me ... it is so similar to the abundant fashion and art at the end of the nineteenth century. What is more incredible is that out of that chaotic time came the first momentous in-roads into the drama of avant garde art, and the yet to be dominant power of the modern art movement.

And I think history is about to repeat itself.

Just look at the commercial world where "instant" recreation is fast becoming the most successful entity in that it pervades almost everything ... everywhere. Television has introduced a specific modern basic attitude towards art and living, but now it is fast being replaced (or I should say - consumed) by the very latest technological breakthrough ... the computer - hooked into the world wide web. Here is the new world ... and a fundamentally unexplored world too. Here art can be produced one end of the world ... and be seen at the other end in a matter of seconds. Everyone is invited to add their own personal art ... no matter where they have come from, or what lack of teaching they might have had. There is a kind of "free-for-all" attitude beginning to grow, and with it a beautiful artistic innocence is very slowly flowering from every culture, every community, every body.

We are blessed in being right in the middle of another chaotic period which is a kind of vast cauldron - every kind of entertainment or activity is being poured into it. And very soon the mixture will be just perfect for the next avant garde generation of artists to join together - not in a Paris cafe but in a cyber cafe, and it will be from there that true, strong, innovative art will begin to seep into the worlds consciousness. But what sort of art will it be?

For that answer I believe we have to look at what is happening now - on the internet. We need to look very carefully at those extremely fragile shoots ... such as the gaming environment, the online caricatures and their naive graffiti styles, plus those intimate personal blogs absolutely brimming with virgin creativity, and not forgetting the ever handy mobile phone with instant photographic and movie ability. It will be in these places that the next art movement will gently evolve.

So, if you are looking for investing in art for the future, I believe you should start your investigation now into the many visual interpretations found on the net, and you will find ... eventually, that the internet will heavily influence the new covenants of tomorrows fine art. Its power and strength will establish a completely innovative art that will portray a tantalizing contradiction - a movement, anonymous and yet extremely personal.

Selling Art Online?

If you are interested at all in art and photography, you will no doubt have noticed the huge number of impressive looking online galleries all over the internet. Judging by the numbers of signed up artists and photographers they seem extremely popular. But do these online galleries actually sell the work they display?

Well yes, quite often. It is a fact that many artists do very well selling art and photography on the internet. However, as with any offline gallery, showing work simply provides the opportunity to be seen by a larger audience thereby increasing chances of making sales. That said, the internet is a gateway to a worldwide audience and by joining an online gallery an artist has the potential of tapping into it. A word of caution though; some galleries are far easier to find than others. This is very important because no matter how attractive the layout of an online gallery appears, if customers can't find it then the artwork is not going to be seen.

So where are the best places to sell art online? Well, there are now many options open to both professional and aspiring artists and photographers. It all depends on individual objectives. For high visibility, joining one of the larger online galleries who get many thousands of visitors daily might be a wise consideration. A visitor count is usually provided somewhere on the homepage of these sites. There are some excellent ones to choose from but each is slightly different in terms of selection and joining procedures, how they assist in promoting work and how work is displayed on the website. Also, attention should be paid to areas such as who takes payment for work sold and how money is received after a sale. Commission taken from a sale is another important factor and can vary from 0% to 40+%.

Can one really make any money from selling art online then? The short answer to that is 'probably'. A good indication is whether the art sells in the 'real' world or not. If it does, then it is likely to be also successful online. If an artist hasn’t yet ventured into selling, then there is nothing to lose by dipping a toe in the water by joining an online gallery. One place to test the waters is eBay but another word of caution here. If work is already selling at top end prices, it is very unlikely that these can be commanded on eBay. It is very important to avoid dropping prices for the purposes of selling on eBay too, or anywhere else online for that matter. Current customers won't like it. It devalues their purchases and also makes them feel they have been ripped off by paying higher prices. That said, some artists are making a good living on eBay with its phenomenal number, and still growing, of daily visitors.

What about fine art and photography prints, do they sell well online? Well, yes actually! Very well. In fact it would be fair to say that although the art print market is very competitive online, with huge websites offering everything from impressionist style canvases to Disney posters, there is still room for original art and fine art photography prints. The fact is that whilst people may be hesitant to spend a huge amount of money on an original artwork without seeing it 'in the flesh', prints are a safer gamble as they are much more affordable. As more and more people become comfortable with shopping online for a variety of goods, this can only help online art sales too.

Selling your Art Online - Website Tips For Artists

If you plan to sell your art online with your own unique website, my advice is simple: Be Different! There are hundreds of artist websites online today that are all making the same mistakes.

The first problem I would like to note, is the use of long multimedia presentations that artists are incorporating into their websites. I don't think there is anything more frustrating then arriving at a website and waiting for this huge multimedia presentation to download and play. The artist may think it's cool or adds something to their work, but in all actuality, it only frustrates impatient surfers. Not all Internet users have super fast cable or DSL connections. Many are still using dial up modems and if they have to wait for something to download, they will simply leave and visit your competition.

There are also sites that insist on putting unrelated banner ads or other unrelated advertising on their websites. Just the other day I was doing a search for original watercolor art. The first website I arrived at had a big banner at the top of the website advertising a dating site. I am not sure how dating is related to watercolors? This is simply a distraction and you are immediately sending visitors off your website. If you are going to advertise on your website, make sure it's related to the theme of your website and is helpful to your visitors. Do not make it the very first thing they see when they arrive at your home page.

You need to catch your visitor's attention right away. This means putting your most important information near the top of your website in plain view. Your goal is to draw your visitor into your site immediately with a compelling headline so that they stay long enough to check out what you have to offer. Once you draw them in with a good headline, you must then direct them to take an action. That could be to subscribe to your newsletter, or to check out your latest product(s).

Keep your site navigation consistent throughout your entire site. This means having the same navigation links in the same order on every page of your website. Your goal is to make it as easy as possible for your visitors to get from one place to the next, not to confuse them.

Make sure your visitors can easily contact you. Put a link to a contact page on every page of your site.

If you have testimonials, use them. Testimonials are awesome sales tools. People love to hear good reviews about a product or products they are about to purchase. It really does boost sales. If you have ever received testimonials from customers, highlight a few of them on your home page in clear view. If you do not have testimonials yet, contact people that have purchased from you in the past and ask if they could provide feedback on the product they purchased for inclusion on your website. Make sure they know how you plan to use their testimonial, and ask if you can site their name with the testimonial.

Start an opt-in newsletter. If you do not already have a method for collecting your visitors email addresses, then you may be losing sales. Many people who first come to your site will usually leave without making a purchase. It is important therefore to collect as many email addresses as possible so that you can follow up with your visitors. You could send out an announcement to your list of subscribers whenever you have a new piece for sale. If you regularly attend art or craft shows, you could send out an email and let your subscribers know when and where. You could also send out surveys or questionnaires to your list to get a better idea as to the type of products they are interested in purchasing.

Make certain that you have a variety of different payment options for your customers, especially payment by credit card. Studies have shown that sites, which accept credit card payments, have significantly more sales. Use a service like PayPal to accept credit cards from your website. It's free and easy to setup.

Make sure you have detailed purchasing and shipping instructions in place.

Have a good refund policy. When your customer receives your product, it may not be exactly what they anticipated. By having a good refund policy upfront, you will gain your customers trust and they will be more comfortable making a purchase, especially if they are parting with a lot of money.

Include a "Privacy Policy". Internet users are a paranoid bunch. People are still somewhat reluctant to part with personal information, so it is your job to make them feel at ease when they use your website. In a nutshell, a privacy policy clearly states what you do with users personal information. What kind of information do you collect from your visitors? What do you do with that information? Do you share it with anyone? If you are not sure how to create a privacy policy, visit the following website to access an easy to use Privacy Policy Generator: http://www.the-dma.org/privacy/creating.shtml
Include a "Terms of Use" section. This section outlines the terms and conditions for using your website. For instance, you probably want to restrict visitors from copying or reproducing the images on your website. You would put that in your Terms of Use section.

When adding images of your products, always use thumbnails that can be clicked to show a larger image, so that your pages download quickly. If the larger image is a big file, let the visitor know that they may have to wait for the picture to load.

Avoid putting traffic counters on your site. Counters make your site appear amateurish. If your site is fairly new, and your traffic is not yet established, you are broadcasting this to everyone that arrives at your site. If you need to track your website statistics, check with your hosting company. You may already have a good website statistics program included.

Choose a basic color scheme and only one or two different fonts. If you go overboard on color and use too many different fonts, your site will look out of balance and amateurish. Your website does not have to be a work of art. You are trying to sell your art, not your website.

Use a light background, preferably white, with dark text, preferably black. Don't use images or textures for your background. This makes it difficult for your visitor to read the text on your site.

Avoid adding music to your site. You may think it sounds nice to include your favorite songs when your page loads, but not everyone will agree. If they find the music annoying, they will leave.

Don't make your visitor have to scroll horizontally to view information on your website. Web surfers are lazy. Most hate to even scroll up and down let alone left and right.

Avoid animated graphics and scrolling or flashing text. This only distracts your visitors.

Put prices on all of your products. If people have to contact you to find out the price of something, they will more often than not leave and look elsewhere.

Make sure your site works in all the major browsers. The most popular browser today is Internet Explorer, but there are a good amount of surfers who use Netscape, Opera, and Firefox. Check out http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html. They have a great tool that enables you to see what your site looks like in various browsers.

Lastly, make your website personal. Speak to your visitors. Let them know who you are and what your art or craft is all about. Educate and enlighten. Include a step-by-step article or demonstration on how your work is created. If people have more of a connection with you and your art, they will be more comfortable buying from you.

I hope these website tips have helped. I wish you the best of luck in everything that you do.

How To Start Your Own Art Collection On A Budget

It is amazing how the art world seems to have taken a hold of general society. Many more individuals are inclined to forgo reprints and posters and start collecting their own unique art pieces for their homes and offices.

Are you interested in starting your own collection of original art? If you do not have thousands of dollars to spend on famous original artwork then you may wish to consider some other ideas and sources for your art pieces.
One avenue to consider, especially if you have not spent much time cultivating your tastes, is to rent art from a local gallery. You can have an original piece from local artists for a fraction of the cost of purchase. You can also trade in your selection for new pieces which may be refreshing in a business environment, or even a smart way to select art for personal enjoyment if you are not sure which pieces will suit you long term.

Another avenue is to go to local art schools or check your paper for shows by student artists. Here you can buy original pieces by up-and-coming artists for much less than established artists. It also allows you to invest in the growth of local talent, and possibly make an investment that will appreciate enormously in value should the artist truly excel in their field.

If you have an artist's community in your area - studios that are rented by local artists, you may also find that they hold open houses during the year. You may find artwork on sale as they promote themselves through this avenue. It also gives you a chance to speak with the artist and get a real history on the work you select.

Often art collectors are interested as much in the career of the artist as they are in their work. Finding an artist that moves you may cause you to consider collecting from a single artist rather than creating a diverse collection. Following the career of a new artist may give you a more valuable, as well as meaningful, collection down the road.

You may also finding interesting pieces in antique shops, markets and consignment stores. Always keep your eyes open for artwork that appeals to you and do not be too concerned with the value. Art is always subject to individual interpretation and only you can decide if a piece is worthy of your investment.

Do enjoy immersing yourself in your art collecting. Whether it is simply an occasional hobby or becomes an ongoing passion, art is an extension of our imagination that is one of the few truly human pursuits - it fills no need other than emotional - and yet has an impact that intrigues and fulfills us like no other.

Stained Glass Art Auctions

I have found some really beautiful pieces of artistic stained glass at art auctions. 

I found some wonderful stained glass at an art auction for a client that was trying to complete his new kitchen.  The three windows I won were exactly right for him.  The stained glass had a Victorian star design in shades of blue.  The borders were all beveled and the piece was hand cut and soldered.

The modern stained glass windows sometimes come sandwiched between two pieces of tempered glass to protect them for years of use.  The windows I bought at the art auction were framed in vinyl.  Each of the stained glass windows was 30” X 30”.

Stained glass art auctions always include lampshades.  I went through a period of time where I purchased every stained glass lampshade I would find at an art auction.  I am a little more discerning, now.  I found a stained glass lampshade not long ago that I purchased for another client. 

My client had just redecorated her bedroom in green and mauve.  The stained glass lampshade that I found for her only had variations of those two colors running through it.  It was perfect for her and she really liked it when I gave it to her.

I had a call from a client last week that asked me to find a piece of stained glass to hang in a picture window.  She always had a curtain hanging over that window, so I had trouble picturing what it looked like.  I stopped by her house and chatted with her before I went to the art auction so that I could get better idea of what would delight her.

I talked with this client for awhile and found out that she used to grow roses competitively, but that since her arthritis had gotten worse, she was no longer able to garden.  She had a curtain hanging over that window so that she wouldn’t have to look into her bare backyard.  I instantly knew exactly what kind of stained glass art piece she needed.

The art auction was a lot of fun and I found a large oval stained glass piece to hang over the picture window for my client.  It was almost three feet tall and just under two feet wide.  The red roses done in stained glass were just magnificent.  She was so happy after the stained glass was delivered; she thanked me with coffee and bagels.

She hired me again to find a special piece for her bedroom window.  She liked the idea of replacing the curtains in her home with stained glass pieces of art that I could find for her at art auctions.  I looked at the way her bedroom was decorated taking special notice of the colors she used. 

I found a fantastic stained glass piece for her at the art auction of a peacock with lavender in the background.  It fit really well with her existing decorating.  She hired my son to hang this piece for her.  She was pleased with his work and has promised him future jobs that require more strength than she possesses.

I was asked by a friend of mine to find a special piece of stained glass for his office.  I went to three art auctions before I could find something that felt right.  His taste and furnishings run the direction of more contemporary than most pieces of stained glass usually represent. 

The Disruptors- ARTtwo50 Co-Founders;Patrick Coughlin and Ethan Appleby

1.What have been your greatest challenges as your company matures?

Our greatest challenge as we grow is focus and prioritization - we have so many ideas, features we want to add to our products, and tools we want to deliver to our artists that it becomes difficult to prioritize.  It's a vicious cycle, because the deeper we get into this and the bigger we grow, the more we want to change and the faster we want to move - but we love it and it gets us up early and keeps us up late everyday.

2.What aspect of visual Art do you see as being undervalued and do you have plans to pursue shedding light on it?

We believe the mass-produced big box store prints are over-valued and original artwork from emerging, local artists is undervalued.  But, that imbalance is due to both a real and perceived imbalance in accessibility.  Too many people who want to Be Original and can afford original art for their space shy away from it because shopping for original art in galleries, art fairs, or the current online space can be intimidating, expensive, and time-intensive.  It's so much easier now for people to buy art at the same place they buy their couch or carpet.  We want to change that - and our whole messaging, business model, and marketing plans are directed at that behavior and hopefully making the world a more artful place.

3.What specific accomplishments had you achieved in your career that made your skill set unique to ART two 50's success?

All four members of the founding team have experience solving hard problems before coming together for ARTtwo50.  Ethan worked to bring innovation and design-thinking to the Middle East, Patrick worked in strategy and policy for countering violent extremism, Win was building cutting edge health/medical apps, and Brandon was developing curriculum for the fledgling academic field of User Experience / User Interface.  But, we all have personal connections to the art world. Ethan's step-dad and sister are artists, Patrick's mom was the art-lady at his local Kansas City school and works at the Nelson Art Museum, Brandon's wife is an artist and art teacher, and Win (we joke) has dated the most artists in the SF area.

We see the fact that none of us have come directly from the art world as critical to our ability to innovate and think outside-the-box in the art world, but our personal connections to art and artists keep us grounded in the needs of our most important users: our artists.

4.In making Art more accessible what do you see your role making the technology or distribution models that make delivery better, faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive?

All of the above!  We want to use technology and new business models to change the way people buy and sell art.  That means everything - the way people discover art, the way people price art, and the way people share art.

5.What things do you not like to do as a company?

Talk to lawyers - kidding, sort of. If it were up to us, we'd just keep growing and innovating, but the nuts and bolts of running and building a company can't be ignored if we're going to win. 

6. If we were sitting at your office a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you in your role, what did you achieve together as a corporate culture/brand?

We have three pieces of our culture.

Be Original - We strive to be original in our thinking and our products.

Be Approachable - We strive to be approachable to both our artists and our buyers.  We thrive on feedback and will always put our ARTISTS FIRST.

Be Balanced - We strive to be balanced in the way we work - we work hard and we play hard - we can be serious and we can have fun - this is how we keep our team happy and completely engaged in our mission everyday.

At the end of 2014, we will be able to look back on the year and say we lived these three values to their fullest.  And, in so doing, we helped thousands of artists sell artwork and brought original artwork to customers across the country who otherwise wouldn't have discovered it. 

7.If you could engage your customers right now what would you like to learn from them?And what would you like them to know about how you view them?

We engage our customers everyday! It's a big part of our process. We still speak with every buyer and actively solicit feedback from our artist community.  We try to learn what both our artists and buyers liked/disliked about their experience and then we try to make it better.  No matter what their experience with us, we hope both artists and buyers know that we listen, we care, and we move fast in making changes.

8.How do you determine whether ideas are worth pursuing at ART two 50?

Annnnnnnd, we've come full circle! Wow, didn't even plan that. This is the challenge we pointed to in #1.  It's hard, because we feel like there is so much we want to do. We brainstorm, we test, we debate, but most importantly, we listen - we listen to our artists and we listen to our buyers - and then we make decisions and get busy building!

 

We would like to thank ARTtwo50 for sharing their thoughts with us on the Art space.Continued success to Patrck,Ethan and the ARTtwo50 team. Twitter Pinterest Blog Website Facebook

 

Finding Maritime Items at Art Auctions

I find some really nice maritime items for my collection at art auctions.  I went to an art auction in Charleston last year and found a pair of candle powered navigation lights that were used on ships in the 19th century.  These types of candles were also used in lighthouse stairwells.

In my prior collection also included a maritime item that was made in 1891.  It is a chronometer and it still kept great time.  It was very special because the broad arrow on it indicates that it was purchased by the British Navy and they are known to have only the best time pieces.  I found this piece of my collection at an art auction in San Luis Obispo.

I had another chronometer in my collection that I found at an art auction in Santa Barbara.  It was sold to me in a wooden box from someone that had owned it for fifty years.  They had kept this maritime relic in a closet.  I had planned to keep it to display but,sold it to a collector in Portugal.

I was at an art auction in San Francisco a couple of years ago and found a fantastic maritime item for my personal collection.  The compass that I won was over 100 years old and was made in Persia.  The compass face has all twelve signs of the zodiac engraved on it.  I thought that this was a great find.

Maritime items don’t seem to be in as much demand anymore in the Eastern USA.  A few years ago, my collection got easier to add to for some reason.  Art auctions everywhere I went started having really great things on the auction block due to estate sales after the mortgage meltdown in 2007-2008.

The brass plaques from old ships have always been one of my favorite things to find up for sale at art auctions.  One of my favorite maritime plaques came from a ship that was used in WWII.  The ship that the plaque was on was called the Marechal Joffre and it was taken from the French in 1942.  The Maritime Commission renamed the ship USS Rochambeau.

Lighthouse items are of interest to me more and more lately.  I am researching upcoming auctions in San Diego where there are going to be antique brass oil lamps up for auction and I plan to win at least one.  The prices will probably get up to fifteen hundred dollars, but I can flip it for a handsome price!  I need this maritime item in my collection to offer if I am to attract world-class investors!

Native American Indian Art Wood Carvings of the Pacific Northwest

Native American Indian art in the American southwest is dominated by the magnificent pottery and jewelry in the region.  When it comes to the Pacific Northwest region which covers the states of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia (Canada) and the southern part of Alaska, the Native American art here is mostly wood carvings.  This is not surprising since unlike the southwest desert, the Pacific Northwest is abundant with forests which have provided the wood as raw material for the region’s Native American Indian art.

The wood carvings of the Pacific Northwest Native American art come in many different forms.  The huge totem poles which are carved on entire tree trunks are probably the most famous.  Certainly the most common form of contemporary Pacific Northwest Native American art is the plaque wood carving.  The entire range of Pacific Northwest Native American Indian art subjects including eagles, ravens, thunderbirds, bears, killer whales and salmons are carved as plaques to be hung on the wall.  A more complex project and usually higher priced would be the masks which are also carved out of wood.  The Pacific Northwest Native American artists make some of the most striking aboriginal masks in the world.

Creative artists and carvers from this region have also used wood to carve out bowls, paddles, rattles and boxes which are all expertly decorated with Pacific Northwest Native American Indian designs.  Some carvers have even carved more day to day objects such as letter openers out of wood again decorated with the region’s Native motifs.  Although not restricting themselves to just wood, the Pacific Northwest Native American artists also do art prints, paintings and precious metal jewelry but overall wood is still the most common material used in their artwork.

The Pacific Northwest style of Native American Indian art is still unknown to many parts of North America and the rest of the world but this will definitely change as the 2010 winter Olympics in British Columbia approaches.  The world will see British Columbia and as visitors to this Canadian province have already noticed, there are fine examples of Pacific Northwest Native American Indian art everywhere one goes in the west coast of Canada.

Native American Pottery Collecting

Native American pottery is fun to collect.  There are so many different pueblos, and each one has its own style of pottery.  While collecting the pottery, you are also learning a lot about Native American art and culture.

This form of art has been practiced for thousands of years. Yet it is constantly improving as modern artists are experimenting with new techniques and designs. You can purchase antique pottery or modern versions, and each has its pros and cons. Of course, the older pottery is much more expensive, if it is in good condition, because of the value as an antique.  But the newer pottery can be just as beautiful or even more so.  It is important to collect what you like and can afford.

The first thing you should do is visit some websites and look at photos of Native American pottery.  WHen you see enough good quality pottery, you will train your eye to recognize what is good.  Be sure to read some books on the subject as well.

If you can visit New Mexico or Arizona, be sure to visit some of the pueblos where the pottery is made.  Often the pueblo will have a cultural center where they display works of the local artists, along with a lot of information about their history and crafts. This will help you get a feel for the pottery as well.

You can purchase pottery at these cultural centers, but you might be better off buying the pottery directly from the artist.  For sure,  you should not buy the pottery at the expensive shops in the tourist areas of Santa Fe or Albuquerque.  It will be marked up a great deal there.

You can also purchase pueblo pottery online.  You can often get some good discounts at online sites.  Of course, you can't handle the pottery then, so be sure that they have good photos of the pottery at the website.

Try to get the largest examples of pottery you can afford.  It should not have any chips or cracks, as that will reduce the value.  Also, some pottery is made from molds, which is ok, but the hand made pottery is more valuable.  In any case, even the pottery made from a mold should be hand painted beautifully by the potter.

It is fun to collect pottery from the different pueblos.  It is amazing how different they can be.  The differences could be in the color of clay used, the shapes of the pottery, the subject matter of sculptures, the amount of carving on the piece, the style of painting, and so on.  Get a good book showing the various styles.  It wll help you a lot.

There are many different types of pottery too.  Some are ollas, bowls, seed pots, traditional wedding vases, story teller figurines, figures of animals, and many others.

Some of the Native American potters have become quite famous, and their work can be very expensive, but it is also extremely beautiful.  But the work of lesser known potters can be lovely as well, and is much more affordable.  You can always start out simply and purchase more expensive pottery as you get more familiar with it.

Enjoy your new hobby of collecting Native American pottery!

What Are The Different Types Of Fine Art Reproduction?

As well as hand painted fine art reproductions on canvas, there are several different mechanical methods of fine art reproduction – none however come close to accurately replicating the color and texture as hand painting does.

Aquaprint: Is a printing process which uses color separation. The colors can be bright but the texture of the finished reproduction art is flat and does not mimic the artist’s brushstrokes.

Artagraph: The artagraph is a special printing method which recreates not only the color of the original, but also the surface texture. This is achieved by taking a silicone mould of the original oil painting and using it in the fine art reproduction. The problem is that not many museum curators or collectors are willing to have their prized masterpieces smothered in silicone, therefore the range of artagraph fine art reproductions is very limited.

Canvas transfer: Canvas transfer art reproductions are basically prints on canvas rather than paper and remain flat, unable to recreate the texture of the artists brushstrokes. First, a lithograph on paper is coated with acrylic emulsion, then when the acrylic is dry, the print is covered with a solution that helps to separate the image from the paper it was printed on. The image is now bonded to the acrylic and free of paper. This film is then carefully bonded to the canvas. Canvas transfer art reproduction’s flat texture can be enhanced by the artist adding some brushstrokes. Canvas transfer reproduction art is subject to color fading, yellowing being a particular problem.

Etchings: The art reproduction image is etched into a copper plate, ink is then applied to the plate. Dampened paper is then laid onto the plate and under extremely high pressure from an etching press, ink is forced onto the paper. This is a popular method of art reproduction for drawings but is not suitable for reproduction art oil paintings

Giclees: Are produced from a color transparency made from the original oil painting usually by taking a photo or using a drum scanner. Today many giclee art reproductions are made with ink jet printers attached to computers and consequently they suffer from inconsistent color reproduction. They are expensive while remaining flat and untextured reproduction art.

Hand painted: This method of fine art reproduction involves a trained artist carefully copying the original oil painting. The artist mimics the exact colors, texture and brushstrokes of the original masterpiece to produce a fine art reproduction that is a stunning replica of the original oil painting.

Lithograph: Basically this is standard offset printing. The art reproduction image is drawn on a litho - limestone or exposed to a light sensitive litho plate. The printing surface is kept wet with a sponge; the ink is then rolled by hand onto the plate or stone. This is a popular art reproduction method for posters but falls to recreate the brushstrokes and texture of oil paintings

Serigraphy: Also known as screen prints. Serigraph art reproductions are produced by creating a stencil on the fabric that is stretched across a frame for each color by a master printer. They can have a thin texture but cannot mimic the heavy texture of oil painting.

Mystical Abstract Art

When attempts have been made to describe a work of abstract art many people have used words like "feelings", "emotions", and "soul". I think these words are clues to what is actually happening within both the viewer and the artist.

The world of art and the environment of the mystical go back a long way together with many facets in common with one another - one being that they both seek to look into a deep unknown - and then seek to manifest it into this physical world by one means or another.

Therefore it is understandable that a non-representational picture can be difficult to comment on. The viewer might be "moved" by the artwork, but they may not really know why. I believe it has something to do with their sleeping soul being gently (or violently) shaken into a specific awareness. The earthy physical body may have very little understanding as to what might be happening, so they are left to struggle in explaining a spiritual concept from a physical point of view.

However, as an artist who has acquired (and lives by) a little understanding of certain spiritual aspects, here are my offerings of what I believe happens when a viewer comes across a mystical abstract painting.

In order to do that I want to present the whole episode from all aspects:

The Spirit
One of the Spirit's major intentions is to bring spiritual understanding into the physical realm. One way to do that is to enter time and manifest a potential opportunity for a receptive body. That receptive body can either be the person being offered the opportunity - or the messenger of it. If they are the messenger then there are many ways in which that message can be put across ... and one of them is by producing a provocative illustration or allegory in the form of an abstract painting.

The Messenger
... Or Artist in this case ... Or more specifically an artist who is prone to take note of their own inner enigmatic visuals. Once inspired the artist then sets about translating these visions into a personal style of depiction. I think it is quite probable that many an artist will be unconscious of what exactly they are putting down upon the canvas ... all they might know is that there is an urgent complusion to work with particular colours, or in a specific style.

The Art
A personalized manifestation of the inner visuals ... portrayed on board or canvas - or any other handy appropriate medium at the time. The artist lets the visual take shape in their mind and allows for interpretation into the physical world ... which results in an artwork of surreal allegory, or be-riddled story, or just a simple abstract presentation of specific colours or shapes. Each element of the art will include (or be) a potential key ready to allow the appropriate viewer entrance into its intriguing yet creative environment.

The Viewer
A receptive observer viewing the art may initially have an indefinable affinity with it. They are perhaps first emotionally drawn to the image before them. And as their thoughts begin to trigger other thoughts, gradual realizations start to become apparent ... gaining strength until they acquire a personal creative understanding seen only by themselves but which may eventually involve others who come into contact with them.

The Gift
The originally unknown vision now begins to unfold its truth within the receptive viewer. This can be in many guises ... a simple affirmation ... a personal revelation ... a specific spiritual, mental, or inner encouragement ... an energizing edification for a hungry or floundering soul ... offering a sense of contentment within a challenging situation ... This gift can be as simple or as complicated as is required for the viewer. Its influence can be timeless - remaining relevant over a period of days, weeks, months, or years.

So the next time you seek to produce a piece of art or decide to visit a gallery do not hesitate or dwell upon any lack within you ... rather open your eyes (after all they are supposed to be the windows of the body) and prepare yourself to either see in order to create - or see in order to receive.

Folk Art Auctions

Folk art auctions feature a wide range of objects that reflect the artist’s craft traditions, and traditional social values.  Folk art is generally produced by people who have little or no academic artistic training.  Folk artists usually use established techniques and styles of a particular region or culture.

Folk art auctions include paintings, sculptures and other decorative art forms.  Some artists also consider utilitarian objects such as tools and costumes as folk art.  For the most part, the category of folk art auctions exclude works by professional artists.

It has been my experience that folk art auctions have something for just about anyone.  I found a folk art painting of a cat in a peach tree that was done by the artist Tascha.  The artist also noted on the folk art auction that they create unique ceramic tile art.

I found an interesting folk art auction for a carnival knock-down dummy in the shape of a large cat.  It was made around 1930 and is twice the size of similar items.  I researched the item on a non-auction site and found that it is worth a lot of money.

Another folk art auction that I found and was sad to bid up past my budget was a handmade set of miniature dominos.  The set was in a folk art decorated maple case.  The set dates from the mid to late 1800’s.  It was really exquisite and I’m sorry that I missed out on it.

I really liked another folk art auction that I found for a modern fraktur.  A fraktur is a specific kind of Pennsylvania German folk art.  The fraktur I found was a watercolor of a marriage record.  It was very colorful and looked like it held very special significance to its original owners.

I found a wood box from Maine in an estate auction locally to me in Orange that really appealed to me.  It was rather small, but was painted chrome yellow and was trimmed in forest green.  The paint was crazed and worn and it was made in the late nineteenth century.  There were no visible nails and the hardware was reported as looking original.

The folk art auction that I missed out on that was way out of my price range was for an Andrew Clemens sand bottle.  The sand bottle was date 1887 and was covered in patriotic decorations.  It was an apothecary style bottle with a stopper and it contained at least ten different colors of sand.  The bottle ended up selling for five hundred dollars.  I’m sure that it has ended up in an excellent collection of folk art.

I found an amusing folk art auction for three wooden carvings.  The name of the piece was Three Articulating Folk Art Whimseys and were all made by the same artist. The carvings were accented with sheet metal neckties.  The first carving in the folk art auction was of a cobbler, a blacksmith and a gentleman with a donkey.  The second carving was a diminutive soldier and the third was a cobbler smoking a pipe.  I think that this piece of Americana was purchased at a low price of three thousand dollars and was worth much more.

Looking for Collectible Postcards

I’ve found that the best place to find collectible postcards is at art auctions.  I was at an art auction in Westlake,CA looking for stained glass and found them auctioning a lot of vintage collectible postcards.  I bought the lot at the art auction and it contained almost three thousand beautiful collectible postcards.

About thirty percent of the collectible postcards were pre-linen.  These are postcards that were all made before 1930.  The linen collectible postcards were made from 1930 to 1945 and the lot I won at the art auction had thirty percent linen cards as well.

Forty percent of the lot I won at the art auction was for early chrome collectible postcards.  Most of them were from the fifties and sixties.  There were also collectible postcards from the British museum series from the seventies.

The collectible postcards that are my favorite are all turn of the century and were sent for holidays.  Valentine’s Day collectible postcards from the early 1900s are very romantic.  The Christmas postcards have some really nice artwork.  I was really fortunate with the purchase at the art auction because the assortment was so varied.

 I like the non-US cards.  I found an art auction that had a shoebox full of these postcards and they were from places like Bermuda, Zurich, Rio de Janeiro, Dresden, Germany, Ireland and even Istanbul.

People who do not collect vintage collectible postcards just don’t understand their value.  They are usually not even mentioned as being part of an art auction. 

I am always so pleased when I find linen ere collectible postcards at an art auction.  The auctioneers at most art auctions don't usually announce the lots as linen postcards; they usually just announces it as vintage or old collectible postcards.  A lack of knowledge of the subject can usually work to your advantage.

 The holiday collectible postcards go to collectors of more than just postcards.  I’ve seen people buy holiday collectible postcards at an art auction just to frame and decorate with them during certain holidays.

For awhile, I thought that I wanted to collect postcards from soldiers in WWI.  I found a two hundred piece lot of this type of collectible postcards at an art auction in Lancaster.  The mix of cards was British, French and German.  It was interesting because some of the collectible postcards were censored.  I’ve never seen censored collectible postcards before.

The most I’ve ever spent on collectible postcards at an art auction was $400 in 2005 for 4 Jean Michel Basquiat postcards.  They were all from 1982 and they depicted collages .  They were in very good condition.  I doubt that I will ever find any more even remotely like this the rest of my life.  They were exceptional.I didn't have them authenticated but,I was able to flip them for a $300.00 profit several months later.

The lot of collectible postcards I found this past year at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach were really fun to look through.  One exhibitor had a lot of things from a family that had emigrated here from Serbia.  The postcards were all from either Serbia or Belgrade.  This was a good lot and it went for a handsome sum from what I understood before the festival was over!

I think I may try for some Black ephemera postcards including some with offensive images because of not only their shock value but,because of their historical significance. There is a growing market for such items and even a hero of mine the late fashion designer Patrick Kelly collected mammy figurines and other such ephemera to remind him of how far American culture has come.

Finding Vintage Disneyana

Vintage Disneyana has become a personal interest of mine.  I’ve been searching for it for years now.  I attend art auctions regularly, but usually I find vintage Disneyana at a decent percentage of them due to my proximity to Disneyland.

I found a darling 1938 Knickerbocker Mickey Mouse dressed in a Santa suit at an art auction a few years ago.  This was an extraordinary vintage Disneyana find.  There was some very fine crazing to the face, but no flakes in the paint.

I did some research after the art auction and it turns out that my vintage Disneyana has quite a history.  This toy was a one of a kind Mickey Mouse toy made by Knickerbocker for a department store at Christmas and was given away for a contest.  I was suprised that the beard was real wool fur.

I searched for several years at art auctions until I found a Mad Hatter china teapot.  This vintage Disneyana was made in 1951 by Regal for Disney.  I always loved Alice in Wonderland and this teapot was very special to me.

My love of vintage Disneyana runs through lots of mediums.  I buy figurines and paintings and anything else that strikes me as special while I’m at art auctions.  If something is really rare or unusual and still has a whimsical feel to it, I’ll try to win it.

I found a painting for a mutual friend that I really liked.  The painting was created in 1949 and depicted the Cinderella castle.  It was originally created for a Disney holiday card.  My friend won the painting for four thousand dollars and I told her she had gotten a great deal!

The old Disneyland maps have become very expensive pieces of vintage Disneyana.  I have been finding more of the old maps at art auctions, but they are usually not in good shape.

The 1958 map of Disneyland was the first one that was made poster sized.  The art auction I found this piece of vintage Disneyana at had numerous Disney lots up for auction that day.  I had not expected to find such a great item.  This map had been stored rolled and had never been folded.  I bid two thousand dollars for it and it was worth every penny for my client.

  I look for vintage Disneyana that features it when I am art auctions.  The best item I’ve found for her was figurines from the 1950s that were of Snow White and six of the seven dwarfs.  There was one figurine missing, Sneezy.

I was shocked at an art auction that I attended that had a wonderful 1930s Mickey Mouse lamp and lampshade.  The art auction had not even advertised that they were auctioning vintage Disneyana.  If they had advertised this item, I know that more people would have come to the auction.  I won the lamp my client was looking for under the six hundred dollar budget because I had no competition.

The most common vintage Disneyana that I find at art auctions is watches.  I don’t like watches.  I never buy any of the Disney watches.  I am usually disappointed when an art auction advertises vintage Disneyana and all they have up for auction is watches.

I bought an autographed Fantasia vinyl album at a vintage Disneyana sale.  The art auction had a lot of signed and autographed items and Disney items were among them.  The signatures on my vintage Disneyana included Walt Disney, Leopold Stokowski (the conductor) and both of the original animators, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson.  This was a fantastic find for my resale collection.