The Profitable Artist: Chapters 17 & 18

1. Based upon your practice, what type of work would you sell on your website and what method of receiving payment would be best?

The work I would sell on my website would most likely be actual paintings or high quality prints of my paintings. I could also possibly sell drawings or smaller water color images. One of the best methods of payment would probably be using a Paypal account, to help keep things managed in a site for me.

2. Recall a time where you met with someone who turned into a person you network with now. What are you able to do for one another?

When we started to all build relationships within the thesis class. We are able to help each other with any type of medium or get materials or help each other build things in exchange for another favor. Like bartering. Allows for further networking.

3. In what ways could doing favors or helping someone help you in the short and long term?

Every person can be an important contact to helping someone out can allow someone to return the favor to you, in the short term. In the long term it could build a cohesive work relationship that could even function as a partnership or business or so on. Favors show what you have to offer another person and they can become more genuinely interested in what you do and how they can help you improve yourself.

The Profitable Artist: Chapters 15 & 16

Q. In what ways would you notice your brand being recognized?

A. Your brand can be recognized if you notice you are gaining popularity; others promoting your work, more hits on your website, galleries becoming interested, more potential buyers, fan growth etc.

Q. Why is it crucial for an artist to have a website?

A. The internet is a large part of the branding process and it allows for others to access your work easier. It makes things more readily available for people to see. It allows for galleries and other organizations to see you have credibility and for them to contact you. People can get to know who you are an an artist before actually meeting you. 

Q. How can email be a beneficial form of communication and how is this type of communication different from interacting through other media outlets?

A. E-mail allows you to easily communicate within professional contexts with other artists, galleries etc. It also allows for E-mail blasts so fans can be up-to-date with your work in progress and know what is going on with you and your practice/product. It also allows you to be organized. E-mail is different from other communication outlets because of its speed and ability to be flexible. Snail mail is a good way to send physical things but email saves trees. Posters allow for visual stimulation but can be more complicated. Email is personal and inexpensive for contact.

The Profitable Artist: Chapter 14

Q. What contemporary, currently active artists do you feel your work is able to “have a conversation” with? Alternatively, what gallery or type of gallery (or company in your field) do you feel would be a good fit to represent your work?

A: Current active artists that I feel my work is in conversation with is Alyssa Monks and Taryn Simon. Alyssa Monks has an interesting way of showing photo realism with her own twist. Taryn Simon's investigative quality and her mix is fascinating. I feel that any type of professional gallery would be nice to have my work shown in. Even a pop-up gallery would be nice. Any place that would allow me to make a personal connection. Also Jenn Man's contemporary way of doing portraiture is really interesting for further investigation.

Q: Aside from your friends and family, identify the type of person who has complimented or expressed being a fan of your work. By observing the characteristics of this person, attempt to identify your target audience or clients.

A: The type of audience that has expressed an interest in my work ranges, I think my more "photo-realistic" work can be appealing to many different types of people. 

Q: When networking at openings and events, do you think it is appropriate to mention your own work as an artist? When and how?

A: I don't think I would talk about my own work at someone else's opening unless there was a specific situation to present itself. The opening is more of a focus on someone else's work, although it could be a good way to network with other people. 

The Profitable Artist: Chapter 13

Q: In your practice, how do you think that you will benefit from social capital through negotiations?

   Social capital would be a large benefit because it translates into trust and goodwill and will allow the production of my work to grow. These people could increase any part of work development.

Q: What are the long-term benefits of participating in negotiations in your practice?

  Allows you to create social relationships that could be more beneficial and valuable. 

Q: During your art practice have you gone through a negotiation? If so, what facts did you know about yourself, the situation in question, the other party's information and the timing? What was the outcome?

  Yes, during my practice I have gone through a negotiation, participating in my senior thesis class. We have to negotiate among ourselves and with the students with the graphic design program. The outcome has been positive because everyone is very supportive of each other and their work. We negotiate about funding, producing work, and for advertising. We all worked together to promote the best we could.

The Profitable Artist: Chapter 12

- Negotiations don't need to be mystifying - simple conversations
- Recognize that Its' an Opportunity to Build Social Capital - trust and good will
- Doesn't have to be adversarial - negotiating with someone not against
- "Zero- Sum" thinking - "win - win" attitude
- Long Term Benefits
- Know as much as you can
- Just because you can doesn't mean you should
- Understand benefits
- Keep mystery
- Know when you'll walk

The Profitable Artist: Chapters 10 & 11

How would copyrights, trademarks and patents apply to you and your practices?
       Copyrights are for "fixed" work of art in a tangible medium, such as paintings, sculptures, etc. Copyrights allow for visual artists to have the originality of our work. Trademarks could be important for our practice if we have a logo or symbol that we use to represent our work. Patents don't really apply to visual artists because its specifically for inventors. 

What is important to know about “art for hire” and its legal rights?
     It has to fall within the section 101 of the statute and if there is a specific agreement between the two parties

What is an advantage to using creative commons?
      It allows for work to be shared more freely but it also protects the rights of the artist that has their work on the internet.

The Profitable Artists: Chapters 8 & 9

1.   You are looking for some used furniture for an upcoming exhibition and find an ad-"Selling some chairs and stuff; price is non-negotiable." Would this ad fulfill the requirements of an appropriate offer? What would make this offer more appropriate? 

No the example ad is not an appropriate offer because it does not offer enough specific details. If the ad offered additional information on the chairs, maybe had accompanying photos, status on condition, add pricing and possible location of pick up of the chairs would make the offer more appropriate.

2. Which do you think is the most important of the "common" clauses when creating a contract (e.g. "Whereas", Merger and Integration, Non-Waiver, etc.)? Why?

                  All of the clauses are essential to creating a contract. They each add a valuable part to creating a contract. If I was forced to pick one of them, I would chose the “Whereas” clause because it clearly spells out parts of the potential agreement that is being entered.

3. When/why is it advisable to consult a lawyer about a contract?

                        A lawyer can always clarify the meaning of the meaning of the rights and legal conditions that are binding you to the contract. They can protect your legal interests.

The Profitable Artist: Chapters 6 & 7

Q: Why is it important to build a budget, even if art-making isn’t your main source of income?

A: They are used as a reference point for communication and strategizing.

Q: Based on your current semester spending, pretending you are spending another term here- build a budget for that semester?

A: 2014 Fall Semester ( Projected )

Gas – 3,360

Food – 4,000

Supplies – 6,000

Tuition - 7,500

Q: What is the difference between actual cost and opportunity cost?

A: Opportunity cost is the revenue that your resources would have generated in their next- best use (capital, materials, skill-sets, etc.) Actual cost provides a realistic set of numbers to use as your future activity estimates.

The Profitable Artist: Chapter 5 Questions ( my week )

1. Make a sample cost tree to better examine your costs as an artist.

1. Based off of  your cost tree, look into your future and try to create a general pricing for one to two of your pieces in the senior exhibition.

          a.     For two paintings, ranging from 3’x2’ in size, price could approximate to 300$ a 

               painting. Looking into the cost tree helped me better visualize the time, materials, and                  additional help required to create one project. 

1. Why  is it important to analyze your financial status?

          a.     It is important to analyze your financial status to keep track of development, materials, and                 stay on top of correct pricing for your work. It allows you to better understand your practice and             additional supplemental items that are necessary for its development

The Profitable Artist: Chapters 3&4

Q: Why is it important for artists to learn about finance and all the terms?

A: It is important for artists to learn about finance because it helps the artist keep on top of the their business and prevents any financial issues that could come along without having a solid understanding of how a business operates. 

                                                                                                           
Q: Make a sample invoice sheet for you and a client over a past artwork that you have done.

Different sheet

Q:After graduation, you are commissioned to make a piece annually for Monet Inc. at a monthly salary of $4000 starting June 1st. On their invoice for May, however, you are not shown on their invoice sheet. Why is that?

A:Since you have no started creating the work for them in may, they do not have a reason to create a receipt for you work.

Q: Provide examples of current variable costs for you this semester.

A: Current variable costs for myself this semester are …

1.   Masonite – used for building painting surface

2.   1x2’s – used for building painting surface

3.   Paints

4.   Liquin

5.   Turpentine

6.   Gesso

7.   Brushes

Invoice:

Invoice # 100                                                                                    4 Meadowood Road

Date 2/9/2014                                                                        Jackson, NJ, 08532

Job  Paintings                                                                                    xxx-xxx-xxxx

Customer Jane Doe

                  123 Main Street

                  NY, NY 10001

Quantity	Description	Price per item	price
1	Oil on paper	Paper - $5.00 Oils - $25.00 Hours – $45.00 Framing – $35.00	$120
1	Oil on canvas	Canvas and prep – $100 Oils – $ 50.00 Hours - $ 150.00	$300
			=

                                                                                    INVOICE TOTAL -   $420

Project notes:

            Project completed 1/25/2014

The Profitable Artist: Chapters 1 & 2 Question Responses

Chapter 1 & 2 questions:

Q1: What is your personal mission statement and vision statement for your long term career goals as an artist?

A1: My mission statement: To continue to develop my skills, knowledge, and interests as a visual artist

     Vision statement: To successfully show a series of paintings in a professional space within the next five years. 

Q2: What would be some issues an artist encounters during their environmental scan? What would they need to address?

     A2: Issues an artist could encounter when doing an environmental scan are taking record of everything they have in their inventory and the lack of familiarity artists could have with some financial, legal, and some business-related topics. The artists need to be willing to address every item in their inventory and even consider additional help in assisting them in their growth process. 

Q3: Define your SWOT analysis for your future (3 to 5 year) artistic goals. 
A3: 

Strengths: Ability to time manage affectively, technical abilities in painting and drawing, ability to work affectively with others, teaching abilities and wants to educate, affective writing, interests in speaking and organization, experience in proposal writing
Weaknesses: Finances, lack of skill with digital arts like video, further development in editing software and photography, further development in technical skills in visual arts, further development in teaching skills 
Opportunities: Development through the MUSE program, the resurgence in the interest of painting as visual imagery, current living location 
Threats: Shifts in taste for society/ popularity in medium of work, lack of finances, lack of opportunities because of location, lack of opportunities because of interests in teaching