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Don’t Loose Your Artwork to the Studio Mess

This past week I was with some friends at a local coffee shop, all right it was Panera’s, and we got on the subject of how much inventory artists have. This of course led to how do you keep track of the stuff. Not surprising most artist don’t keep track of their art or they hope their spouse or partner will magically do it for them. Personally I run about 50 50 when it comes to keeping track. At least I did until the beginning of this year. That’s when I was surprised by multiple sales of sculpture and paintings from the gallery that represents me, and while this was a great thing, I realized I didn’t have a clue as to which ones sold. I know that sounds silly but somewhere along the line the gallery and I had different names for the works. It took weeks of searching through computer files to match up the sculptures. It was then I decided that this was NOT going to happen again.

So I devised a plan to inventory my work in a coherent fashion that would not be labor intensive. After all I’m an artist and my mind tends to wander to more creative endeavors, meaning art marketing overwhelms me. You can make up a spreadsheet for this but I don’t keep a computer in my studio. Besides I thought a basic handwritten log would be a good starting point. My laptop is way to distracting. However I do try to transfer this information periodically to an Excel sheet which I’ll go over at another time.

I created a naming convention that works for me. Year-Month-Number, which looks like this 15-o6-001, (2015, June, first piece)
I place this number on the back of a work in the bottom right corner WHEN I START IT! Wherever you put it be consistent.
Now for the really hard part. Copy the number in a cheap composition book. You can add more information later.

I need to interject a small note here. YOU WILL MESS UP THE ORDER OF NUMBERS ON THE BACK OF ARTWORK. So what, its your reference, you don’t get marked on it. I wrote the same number on 3 separate works and had to go back and change them. No one laughed at me. So if it makes you feel better go ahead and list a bunch of numbers in the book now but skip a line between them. That way you can jump to the rest of the information you need to record. Let’s look at that now.

Weekly I go back to the book and next to the art works matching number I add the medium, (acrylic, oil, watercolor, etc)
Next I list the substructure, (canvas, art board, watercolor paper, etc) You can make up your own abbreviations, just be consistent.
Then I list the size which is about the last known piece of information.
I leave the title and description for last because you know the work can change overnight.
Once the work is done I write the title and size on the back.

It takes a little work but if you start now with any new work you can go back and tackle all that other stuff laying around. Remember these do not need to be in sequential order. This list is for you to inventory your work. It will be important later!

Let me know how you keep track

Imagination is never still. The marks we make are verbs!

Mono-Transfer Strappo

I have been providing lessons on how to create a Strappo and realized that I have modified the technique in a natural progression that I thought I would explain here.

Briefly, Strappo’s are a monotype from a dry acrylic transfer. An acrylic painting is developed and painted in reverse on a clear glass plate. When the image is fully formed and dry, to thicken the acrylic skin, successive layers of acrylic gesso are added. For the transfer process, fresh coats of acrylic gesso are applied both to the back of the glass plate and on the sheet where the image will be placed. The plate is placed on the prepared surface while the fresh gesso surfaces are still wet. Weights are placed to insure contact while the gesso layers bond. After the acrylic layers are bonded, the image and attached surface will be peeled from the glass. It is exactly the image as painted. The image, a monotype, is now transferred and the glass plate is clean. The surface of the image is smooth because it was developed on the smooth surface of the glass. A great advantage is that it does not require the use of a press.

The modifications are created when I add collage and drawing elements to the mix. By first coating the glass surface with a polymer (and letting it dry thoroughly) I am able to create a surface that I can draw on. I use permanent markers to sketch out gestural images and objects and I have also experimented with crayons and lithography pencils. I then coat the surface with polymer and again let it dry.

When I want to add collage elements the layering process starts again. For the Floral pieces I create, I use acrylic paint chips from dried pigment on my palette. This is great for the leaves and blossoms of plants. They are set in place using polymer and then coated with the same medium. Wallpapers in rooms are often designed with pre-painted newspaper or magazine clippings. These collage elements are treated and adhered in the same way as the floral works, alternating layers of polymer with the pieces of ephemera.
Red-Flowers1

The only other adaptation is that after all is said and done instead of adhering the glass to a surface for weights and drying, I peel the image from the glass and then apply it to a new surface. This can be paper, material and even an existing painting. While these are still Strappo’s, I have also begun to refer to them as Mono-Transfers.
You can see additional examples of Strappo’s and my other artwork at donaldkolberg.com. And feel free to email me with any questions.

Strappo Art Printmaking

I have recently had the opportunity to reform a friendship with an artist I knew in Levittown, NY. Harold Garde was a subtle art influence in my early development. His daughter and I were high school friends which led to hanging out at each other’s homes. This of course put me in contact with her father Harold. After high school we again crossed paths in art classes he taught at the local community college.

I moved on with my life, he with his until both of us wandered into a gallery opening in central Florida. When I heard his name mentioned I introduced myself. After the fog of some 30 years was cleared away we found we liked each other’s art and enjoyed talking about of all things, art! This led to discussions about a technique that Harold developed and named “Strappo”. This technique is a printmaking monotype dry acrylic image transfer that has been recognized by the New York Metropolitan Museum. A sample of the strappo image is in the museum print library collection.

Specifically the Strappo technique is a combination of two procedures.

The initial process is developing an acrylic painting on a piece of clear glass. In my experience the glass used should be 8 x 10 inches or smaller to start off, my preference being 6 x 8 inches. If you have never painted this way there are a few things you should remember.

· You are painting in an opposite progression and in reverse

· So if you paint a background first and cover the entire surface, you will not be able to add any elements

· If you paint images with dark edges, you will want to do the edges first.

· Your paint will need to be thick and dry between layers.

I have found that keeping a wet cloth and a razor blade at hand for mistakes have helped in my compositions. Remember it will be easier if you plan out some of the elements of the images in your work. Once the work is completely developed and dried, to thicken the acrylic skin of the painting, additional layers of acrylic gesso should be added.

The second step is the image transfer process. Fresh coats of acrylic gesso are applied both to the back of the glass plate and on the sheet where the image will be placed. To avoid any undue frustration place the image to be transferred on a sheet of paper with extra space around the edges. Some artists like large white areas around their work while others prefer only enough to provide an edge before the matting. Make sure weight is applied to insure bonding of the gesso layers as they dry. Once dry, the glass can be peeled away from the image leaving the monotype transferred on the paper and the glass plate left clean. You might need a thin blade to remove any dry anchor that might have formed along the edge of the glass to help coaxed the process. The image having been developed on the glass surface will be exactly as it was painted and very smooth at once creating unique tactile and visual qualities.

Strappo lends itself to some interesting challenges as you work. Perspective and balance take on new meaning as you explore the picture plane. And I think I should mention that the finished art can at once stand alone or be introduced into another finished piece. Harold Garde has a significant body of Strappo work on display at MOFA, the Museum of Florida Art in Deland Fl. Also on display is a permanent installation of his piece Iconoclass that measures 8 feet by 24 feet. This is the 1st unveiling of the fully assembled original Iconoclass mural in 35 years.

Harold Garde Iconoclass Mural at MOFA (donaldkolberg.com)

Special Webpage for Art Sales to Clients

I was recently asked by one of my regular clients if there was a listing of less expensive works of art that I have created. He was very apologetic about how the economy had hit him but with a special occasion coming, he wanted to invest in more of my art.

I took his dilemma to heart. And also realized he had spawned a thought as to how to provide a ‘special’ sales event for a client while creating a market for my experiments, sketches and smaller works.

First I created a webpage with the address of donaldkolberg.com/myclients name. Then I took photos of a variety of pieces uploaded them with sizes and prices. Finally I sent an email to the client. In the email I stressed that this page had been created especially for him, note the address, and that it would only be accessable for one week. This resulted in establishing a bond between my client and myself that actually resulted in two pieces of art being sold for a larger amount then I had at first expected. I also received a thank you for understanding his position and for provided such a wonderful direct online experience.

Since this episode I have explored some of what my clients have bought in the past and created webpages to include in emails directly to them offering the same terms. This is one process that now has become a regular part of my art marketing course and has given a jump start to a sagging art sales season.

Expressing Gratitude (faso.com)
Avoid Saturating Your Market (faso.com)
There is Gold All Around You! (artistmarketingsalon.wordpress.com)

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