Gallery Blues, and a Deep Dark Prussian Blue at That

Spring's Bluebells, mixed media on canvas

I'm really not having a good time at the moment. I'm owed a lot of money from different sources, and no one is paying.

I have found, over the years, that a number of galleries (not all) are just not willing to pay artists for the paintings, prints and cards they have sold. Galleries can take from between 40 - 60% of a painting's sales price, and on top of that, a few will even charge artists for the printing of invitations for the private view as well as all that is consumed at the event. If you think about it, the artist has also paid for all the framing, the paints (which can be very expensive), the canvas and the shipping of work to the gallery. It's a huge initial outlay when there is no guarantee that your work will sell. So you would think that a gallery would appreciate that and promptly pay you. Well a number of good ones do - Smithy Gallery for example. A lot don't.

I placed the above painting at a gallery in England. After 3 months I phoned them to find out how things were going, and they told me it had sold a couple of months before. Delighted with the news, and a bit confused as to why I no one had told me, I asked when I would receive my cheque. It took another 6 months of badgering to get it out of them. How can this possibly be right?

Korean Tiger, Extinct, mixed media on canvas board

And now I am fighting with a gallery in Edinburgh trying to get my money for the painting mentioned in my post Korean Tiger, Extinct. It turns out the gallery sent out a group email and I could see every artist involved's address. So I got in touch - they hadn't been paid either. We all got together by email, Facebook and other internet and electronic methods and got in touch with the gallery as a group. Hopefully, by the end of the month, there will be activity in my bank account as a result.

These aren't isolated incidents. Card shops have to be chased repeatedly too as well as organisers of charity auctions who sold my work. I hear you saying that we should have an artist's union. We do. They don't reply to emails and calls either.

Maybe the answer is in the internet as the artists involved with the Edinburgh gallery have shown. Perhaps galleries and exhibition organisers should be legally obliged to give all artists taking part in a show one another's contact details so that we can band together as a group and stand up for ourselves as one.

Might work - I'll let you know at the end of the month.

Happiness is a Red Dot

I was at a private view on Sunday. It was for a group show at Smithy Gallery, and I have a couple of paintings exhibiting.

Just about anybody can go to a private view, you don't need an invite, really, as they are all about selling the artists' work; and they are what they seem to be on television, lots of people milling about talking about art and to artists, drinking champagne. A group of passing backpackers turned up and were welcomed with a glass and a catalogue list - I think they bought cards and prints.

However, from my point of view, private views can be something very different. I am a nervous wreck before I even arrive, and when I walk in, the first thing I do is look around trying to find where my paintings are hanging; then I check out if there are any red dots (meaning they have sold). I try to avoid looking at anyone while they look at my paintings (will they buy, won't they buy), then there are the people who just glance at my work and walk on (obviously no taste). I don't know why I put myself through them. It's much more fun doing something else and receiving the good news by phone from the gallery.

My Dad coined the family motto, "Happiness is a Red Dot". So true, but I like to think of it with additional small print - "...but only when you are not present".

Image: Blossom Avenue, mixed media on board 42 x 26cm (16.5 x 10")

The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice

On the 21st January the auction of paintings for The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice went ahead. I had completely forgotten about it - you donate a painting (as mentioned in So Much To Do...), but don't go to the event; it wasn't going to be a social night out for me, so I didn't need to make an effort to remember.

I got a call from a gallery yesterday. The caller was excited because one of the organisers of the auction had been in and told her that my donated painting had sold, which is amazing. I've never tried to sell at any type of auction before, and someone actually decided to bid on one of my paintings. However, I have to admit, that the real thrill was in the number of paintings that actually sold at all. Just 25 out of 80.

I am sorry more didn't sell, but I am delighted that mine was one of the few. It gives me a wee boost and a spot of encouragement. This week has started well.

Image: Bluebells, oil on canvas 30 x 30cm (12 x 12"), sold at auction

Vandalism and Other Irritations

It's not been the best start to the year. One of my paintings, hanging in an exhibition, has been vandalised. Somewhat upsetting as it is gratingly obvious.

Someone just decided to pick off some of the light coloured thick paint right in the middle of the canvas revealing a hole at the bottom of which is dark under paint. It was just such a pointless thing to do, and I find it distressing. What does it say about the painting, or my work, or me as an artist?

Meanwhile, I have been told that my paintings are morbid and have been asked if I could do something cheerier, like flower paintings. I was somewhat taken aback and rather upset (stoically tried not to show it) as I've never heard my landscapes and skyscapes described like that, certainly not to my face.

I find the criticism all the more confusing as the people doing the opining have my paintings in a corridor against dark wallpaper. The lighting is angled at the dark blue carpeted floor and not my paintings. I'm trying not to let it bother me, but I still find it unsettling even though the conditions aren't exactly of a gallery quality.

Here's one of the morbid ones; let me know what you think.

Image: New Year's Day, Troon, oil on canvas, 102 x 76cm (40 x 30")

So Much To Do...

It's January (I'll assume you've already noticed), and I've been painting again, at last. I can't believe how much I missed it over the festive period. But I'm having difficulty concentrating as I have so many things that need to be sorted for this month and I probably should have finished them before Christmas.

I have been asked to send paintings into Smithy Gallery for their handing in days from the 21st-23rd January. They are holding an Affordable Art Fair, where all paintings are under £500. I have one done (you can see it at an early stage in my Experimentation blog, and now finished in the image above). Another one is just started and I'm messing about with it the same way as the one below, but I'm not at all happy with the way it is looking at the moment. I think a bit of sanding down of the guache is in order, then I'll use some chalk pastels.

I have also been asked to donate a painting to The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, based here in Glasgow, for sale in their "A Celebration of Burns" charity auction (that is, Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, not a party for those who got frazzled while cooking the Christmas dinner, thought I should clear that up). This painting has to be handed in by the 15th January.

Regardless of how many canvases I need to have finished this month, I have to have paintings that I am happy with. And then I have to get them framed which can take up to 2 weeks.

Of course, that's not taking into account all the competitions I want to enter, so I have to think of work for them too. The exciting part is that I never know what I am going to produce, but whatever it is I'll be happy with it for a while (just a wee while).

Image: Beinn Damph, mixed media on board, 41 x 25cm (16" x 10")

Exhibition Hanging Gone Mad

I have been dreading today, and now that it is over, I'm dreading the next time I have to do it.

I have my paintings scattered around the Glasgow area a bit at the moment. As well as in galleries, I have 3 semi-permanent solo exhibitions in an office building, a country club and a dental practice; but today I changed all my paintings round, introducing new ones, while moving older ones between the venues if you get my drift. Hanging an exhibition takes time, as there are so many considerations - you have to make it look good so that nothing detracts from the artwork. All the paintings in a row have to be level (either the tops or the bottoms), if they are hung in columns, the larger one goes at the top, then all centred. And before that, which painting goes where has to be decided. Never mind the physical work of packing the car (ensuring frames are protected), then carrying each canvas into the venue, then lifting it into place while struggling with ladders, chairs, hooks and picture wire, oh, and health and safety. Finally labelling has to be added, making sure it is clear, and unobtrusive all at the same time.

I took down the country club exhibition last night (late last night), leaving their walls bare. This morning I rushed to the dentist and cleared those ones out, dashing to the office block before 10am as they had a Christmas Carol concert at 12:00pm in the foyer, and I had be finished rehanging by then. With the help of the wonderful John, my largest work was hung in Skypark within the allotted time. I snaffled a sandwich and headed back to the Whitemoss Dental Practice in East Kilbride where I discovered their walls were crumbling and wouldn't accept picture hooks - eep! On solving that problem, I headed to the Parklands Country Club, staggered in with all that I had left, and realised that I was running out of energy; the paintings are up though.

There you go, all done 25 paintings taken down and 29 hung. Time for a very hot bath, but I have a 4 year old...