Art news

Featured Artist Romy Pfeifer

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:52 +0200

Featured artist Romy Pfeifer creates stunning nature-based photography that evoke human connection and wonder.

The post Featured Artist Romy Pfeifer appeared first on Artsy Shark.

“An island within the island” by succco

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:10 +0200

Michael Francalanci

Michael Francalanci’s Website

Michael Francalanci on Instagram

Featured Artist Laura Moser

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:00:57 +0200

Featured artist Laura Moser presents a collection of ethereal abstract paintings that convey calm and positivity.

The post Featured Artist Laura Moser appeared first on Artsy Shark.

It’s Not What You Make. It’s What You Keep

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 19:10:38 +0200

I’ve been at this for a long time, and I’ve experienced this dynamic myself.

It can be exciting to project what you might make from your art in the coming year. You have plans you believe will put some sales on the board. You look at what happened in previous years, what you know about your plans for next year, and make some realistic assumptions.

Maybe you’re projecting that you could make $50,000. And if you’re lucky and things go your way, you may even make more.

That’s what I wish for you. But that’s not the whole story. In fact, it’s just the beginning. That $50,000 is at the very top of your earnings. Nothing has been deducted from it yet. And your top number could be anything. $10,000. $50,000. $100,000.

While your gross sales figure matters, this dynamic always applies.

It’s not what you make. It’s what you keep that matters.

Sometimes, that outcome can be a sobering reality. But it’s the kind of information you absolutely need if you want to have a successful, sustainable career in the art business.

This dynamic holds whether you’re marketing art as a profitable side hustle or creating and selling art as your main occupation that supports you and your family. When it comes to the financial side of your art business, the bottom-line question is pretty simple:

How much is left after I deduct my business operating costs?

Before you bank anything, you first pay for or deduct materials, framing, commissions, show fees, shipping, marketing, payment processing, studio expenses, and everything else it takes to make and sell your work. All those costs reduce your top number.

I wanted to give artists a better way to see the whole picture.

That’s why I created the Artist Income & Pricing Forecaster. I’ll tell you how to get it below.

It’s a workbook that lets you use your own information to create three different views of your potential income: Conservative, Realistic, and Stretch.

You enter your own assumptions about your prices, sales, and costs. The Forecaster then lets you see what those numbers could mean for your annual and monthly take-home income.

I developed it with three scenarios so you can experiment and compare outcomes.

The variables let you examine what happens if sales aren’t quite as strong as you expect, or what if they are, or even better. You can see what happens when you increase your prices, change your sales mix, or get creative in finding ways to reduce expenses.

The reality is that some of those things are under your control and some aren’t. That’s life.

I created this workbook to help you clearly understand that the things you can control can help you bring more of what you earn home to yourself and your family.

This isn’t a tool you use once and throw away. You already know your circumstances will change and that next year’s business won’t be exactly like this year’s. With the Forecaster, you can go back, change the inputs, and get a new perspective.

The Artist Income & Pricing Forecaster is $17. I’ve intentionally kept the price low so it’s useful and affordable for working artists.

Before I tell you how to get it, I want to share another part of the pricing picture for free. I also created a complementary research project because knowing what you might earn and keep is only one side of the pricing question. Artists should know what other artists are actually charging.

It’s a brand-new, free 16-page PDF called “What Are Artists Like You Charging?” — An Independent Artist Pricing Index.

I’ve found tons of posts, free and paid courses, and calculators on pricing your art. While most are pretty good at providing formulas, they are also limited in how much real help they give because they lack context. That’s why I created this free resource.

It examines the publicly listed asking prices of 250 original artworks in August 2026. I included a cross-section of different sizes, media, price points, and selling environments. The result is a report that I’m offering for free to all artists.

I created it because artists are naturally curious about what other artists charge, and that information provides useful context.

There are plenty of ways to calculate art prices. You can use price per square inch, price per linear inch, hours and materials, or a combination of these. What I find is that all these methods work to some degree, but the results are a bit like reading a thermometer.

You know the temperature, but you don’t really know the weather.

That’s because a formula can only give you a number, but it can’t give you the whole context in which that number has to work.

In conducting the research, I found a remarkably wide range of prices. Across the 250 artworks, asking prices ranged from $100 to $20,000. The median price was $1,150, with the middle 50% falling between $550 and $2,500.

My research also examined differences in asking prices by artwork size, medium, and selling environment. The results reinforce the idea that copying someone else’s price is a mistake.

That’s because these are asking prices, not confirmed sales.

Another artist’s price cannot accurately determine what you should charge. Your costs, reputation, audience, selling environment, size, medium, and actual sales experience are unique to you, and each matters in its own way. As such, I hope you recognize that the report is intended to give you market context, not a pricing formula.

I think that’s much more useful.

You can have the report for free.

Download What Are Artists Like You Charging?

There’s another reason I’m giving it away, and I’m happy to tell you what it is.

I use the report as a lead magnet.

I’ll be advertising it to artists who don’t know me and aren’t subscribers to Art Marketing News. They can download the report for free, and afterward I’ll offer them the Artist Income & Pricing Forecaster for $17.

I’m offering you the same thing. When you download the free report, you’ll also have the option to get the Forecaster.

I think $17 for the Forecaster is a bargain given what it can help you understand. And I’ve intentionally priced it low.

I operate on a premise I’ve mentioned before:

I judge my success more by what I give than by what I get.

I want to make useful things available to as many artists as possible at prices they can afford.

The $17 also helps make the economics work for me. I’ll be paying to advertise the free report to reach new artists. Sales of the Forecaster can help offset those costs, allowing me to reach and help even more artists.

I look at it as a virtuous circle.

I give artists something useful for free. Some of them decide the Forecaster is worth $17. That revenue helps me reach more artists. And I get to continue doing what I’ve been doing for a very long time: helping artists make better decisions about their careers and businesses.

So, I encourage you to download What Are Artists Like You Charging? It’s free, and I think you’ll find the information useful.

And when you get it, you’ll also have the option to get the Artist Income & Pricing Forecaster. I encourage you to consider it because knowing the prices other artists are charging is useful, and so is knowing what you might make and keep.

Whether you make that $50,000 next year or some other number, there’s still one question that matters more.

Do you get to keep $10,000? $20,000? Or even more?

The answer depends on your business, your expenses, your prices, your sales, and the decisions you make along the way.

But it’s a number worth knowing.

Because in the end, it’s not what you make. It’s what you keep.

See you next week.

— Barney

Eye Candy for Today: Thomas Shotter Boys color lithograph

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:34:29 +0200

La Ste. Chapelle, Paris, Thomas Shotter Boys, color lithograph, 15 x 12 in. (38 x 29). Link is to the image page on Wikimedia Commons.

Thomas Shotter Boys (1803–1874) was known for his urban and architectural subjects, both in watercolor and in lighographs. Here in a color lithograph, he presents the soaring 50 foot high gothic windows of the chapel and its dramatic buttersses.

There is a wonderful contrast between the darker stone of the main structure and the white stone that is apparently either being built or repaired. Look at the subtle change in value between the top of the walls and the base, and the intermediate dvalues of the neighboring building. It’s a beautiful use of value relationships.

The two figures and their donkey to the right (made noticable by their touches of red, echoing the legs of the hoist) give the scene its human scale, emphasizing the monumentality of the structure. Harder to see in this reproduction, but still visible, is the delicate latticework of the stained glass.

Jonathan Monk on Restoration, Ruin, and Painting Withou...

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:54:15 +0200

An artist and historic restoration expert, Jonathan Monk restores pre-1930s houses for a living, which means treating every surface as if it might not survive him. His canvas is where he lets his guard down. There, animals and public spaces become witty and complex social commentary, loose and funny and unbothered about being liked.

Meet him below as he talks us through the paintings, the process, and what he’s after.

Tell us about who you are and what you do. What’s your background?

My name is Jonathan Monk. I am the founder of Jurraf, where I specialize in the authentic restoration of pre-1930s heritage residential properties, typically dated 1850-1910. In my line of work, I make attempts to restore historic properties to their ‘former glory,’ and to repair damage in the most delicate, period-appropriate, and least intrusive manner.

I previously worked as a scenic artist in theme parks and museums. Having lived abroad for many years in Morocco and Thailand, I completed artistic works before returning to the UK and retraining in Psychotherapy.

Are there particular themes or ideas you’re drawn to in your work?

I thrive on connected themes and series in my work, which grant me the freedom to seize whatever feeling takes me at a particular moment. I approach my studio. Whether my muse arises from the animal kingdom, history, or current affairs, they all contain the same base note: the theme of evolution.

Having witnessed immense societal, technological, and personal change since childhood in the 1970s, I am acutely aware of the way artistic expression evolves with the context of its appearance, and how prevalent this theme is in my body of work. I view myself as a mirror, picking up on the political, intellectual, and artistic cues which surround me. As such, change directly shapes the perspective, media, and intention which I bring to each hour of creative focus.

I hope that in the future, I can serve as an archivist: my work, a record of the climate in which I work, always with an eye to the past, the point from which evolution occurs.

What is your process for turning an idea into a finished painting?

Process is fundamental to my daily life, whether in my day job or my art, as I approach a canvas with no fear, and with either an established idea or an intense, visceral feeling. When I work, I find myself eager to reach the ‘punchline,’ the finishing strokes, the moment of satisfying completion. My experience of neurodivergence informs my reliance on a progression within my work, as I undertake epic, emotional journeys within one painting. By beginning the brushwork, underdrawing, or by simply ‘doing,’ my intent comes to the forefront.

I enjoy the feeling of cycles in my process—to some, continually developing a piece until it wholly fulfills the artist is destruction. To me, it births a foundation upon which I love to build. To be precious feels limiting, a contrast to my precise work in preservation. On the canvas, therefore, I express without constraints, and without anxiety of damaging or reducing astronomical worth.

Who are your biggest influences and why?

Lee Majors, Colt Seavers, The Fall Guy 1981: I wanted to be a stuntman. Miles Davis, be-bop, hip-hop, drum and bass, reggae. The fifteenth century artists who slightly misunderstood perspective.
Dada, Surrealism, Marcel Duchamp. A client who spent $3000 on a print.

I try not to fixate on other artists, nor other heritage businesses. What purpose does comparison serve, save to inhibit my innate creative instinct? I focus instead on authenticity, truth, and presenting every facet of my work to the world, ‘good, bad, and ugly.’ It is what it is!

How do you see your work evolving in the next few years?

I take comfort in the knowledge that I can craft any sculpture, painting, or encaustic flooring. My endeavor and inspiration needn’t be confined to a particular form or function, but is always expressed to keep me in equilibrium. The uncertainty of my future means that I see a body of work as my legacy, ideally blossoming at the ‘pinnacle’ of death! There are two clear routes which I can imagine taking: ‘gallery’ art and ‘wall’ art. Both interest me, but for different reasons. I find the notion of gallery art simpler, more comforting, and intuitive, whilst wall and commercial art require consistency, close attention, and constraint.

Thus, my future direction is comprised of a dual puzzle––both paths are valid, but would contort me in divergent ways, bringing with them unique challenges. Regardless, I know I will continue to be prolific and honest in my artistic pursuits.

How do you hope viewers respond to your works? What do you want them to feel?

I hope viewers are not limited by binaries of the ‘hive mind,’ and take the liberty to love my work, adopt neutrality, be repulsed, or any shade of feeling in between. There is always intention, though, regardless of reception. Some work, I hope, is pretty, witty, shocking, or repellent.

I am your mirror.

I want audiences to view my work with honesty above all, however that may manifest, because the best art requires bearing all and believing in the inherent value of granting attention to the interiority of another.

Do you have a favorite piece of your own artwork? Why?

My favorite piece would be DJ Crane playing the classics at Finches, as its metaphorical dimensions of inclusion and acceptance—all species dancing under one roof—is what our world is crying out for.

If your art could be displayed anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Saatchi Gallery, London. Whilst it may seem to be the mute, predictable response, I studied when Saatchi and the surrounding Young British Artists exploded in the 1990s. In particular, I remember visiting Swiss Cottage. I think this would be my spiritual home.

Meet more artists like Jonathan. Discover a new talent or hear from your favorites in our monthly One to Watch interview.

The post Jonathan Monk on Restoration, Ruin, and Painting Withou... appeared first on Canvas: A Blog By Saatchi Art.

Photographer Spotlight: Raphaël Gaultier

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:00:52 +0200

Raphaël Gaultier

Raphaël Gaultier on Instagram

Featured Artist Kirk Sutherland

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:28 +0200

Artist Kirk Sutherland presents a vibrant, uplifting portfolio that reflects his mastery of color and emotional intuition.

The post Featured Artist Kirk Sutherland appeared first on Artsy Shark.

Illustrator Spotlight: kokooma

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:00:39 +0200

kokooma

kokooma’s Website

kokooma on Instagram

Does Your Art Business Look Amateurish?

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:00:44 +0200

Your artwork may be excellent, but you could still be sending signals that tell others you're not ready to be considered a professional.

The post Does Your Art Business Look Amateurish? appeared first on Artsy Shark.

Eye Candy for Today: Joseph Coomans portrait

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 01:00:09 +0200

Portrait of a Young Woman, Pierre Oliver Joseph Coomans (1816-1871), oil on canvas, 19 x 15 in. (48 x 38 cm). The link is to the Wikimedia Commons page from which you can view or download a large image. The image source is a 2017 Bonham’s auction, so I assume the painting is in a private collection.

Beautifully and delicately rendered, this portrait is an exercise in softly turned transitions, soft edges and carefully controlled color and value relationships.

I love the little splashes of light on her hair and costume, and even on the ends of the eyelashes on the lower lid of her right eye (to our left, images above, second from top).

Look at the simple, painterly brush strokes that make up the highlights on her hair.

Art Business Brief — September 7, 2026

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 22:02:15 +0200

A new round of Canadian tariffs taking effect September 8 could have an unexpected consequence for U.S. artists: original artwork and reproductions may receive very different treatment at the border.

Also this week, the U.S. government is taking a clearer position in the fight over copyrighted work used to train AI, and upcoming art fairs are offering a useful lesson about something artists sometimes overlook—helping first-time buyers feel comfortable enough to become collectors.

“See the Elephant” by Photographer Shawne Brown

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:00:54 +0200

Shawne Brown

Shawne Brown’s Website

Shawne Brown on Instagram

Eye Candy for Today: Vernet’s Hunting in the Pontine Marches

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 04:03:18 +0200

Hunting in the Pontine Marches, Horace Vernet, oil on canvas, 40 x 54 in. (100 x 137 cm), in the collection of the National Galleryy of Art, DC. You can zoom or download a high resolution image from their page.

Every once in a while, I come across a landscape that captures my intention, and look up the artist’s work only to find they are not at all landscape painters, and the painting I’m admiring is an exception.

Such is the case with this painting, and it’s companion piece, Departure for the Hunt in the Pontine Marshes, which I wrote about in 2018.

French painter Horace Vernet, who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was not known for his landscapes. This and the companion piece hang together in the National Gallery of Art, in DC; and I always make sure to spend a few minutes with them when I’m there.

I love Vernet’s value arrangement, playing hide and seek with our visual interest. Sometimes we’re drawn to things in the light, and sometimes in the dark. I really like the textures he uses on the tree trunks, both smooth and rough.

I also think of this as a pretty good example of limiting a color range, and caresully doleing out the size of the roles for each color, with the most highly chromatic color at the 10% range.

I recommend zooming or downloading the image in the NGA site to get a feeling for it as a whole.The play of light through the composition doesn’t read well in my small image (images above, top).

Milk Bone Underwear

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 19:10:29 +0200

Does it sometimes feel like you’re living in a dog-eat-dog world and you’re wearing Milk Bone underwear?

I know the feeling. I think most of us have been there at one time or another.

It sucks when you’re not feeling the love.

Maybe it’s critics who don’t appreciate your work. Maybe it’s the lame lookie-loos who waste your time, ask a hundred questions, and disappear. Or maybe it’s family and friends who just don’t get what you do and have no idea how to support you.

Whatever the source, it can wear you down.

Artists put a lot of themselves into what they make. Unfortunately, not everyone gets it, from clueless to dismissive. No matter how or why they are that way, when someone dismisses your work, questions your rates, offers unsolicited advice, or treats your career like a pleasant little hobby, it’s hard not to take it personally.

There’s something I learned from Stephen Covey long ago. That is, you can’t change your circumstances. And I would add that you can’t really change other people. And even if you could, it’s probably not worth trying. But what Covey taught me was that you can change how you react to circumstances or other people. And that’s what’s useful here.

The reality is that sooner or later, you are going to have to ask yourself: What the heck are you going to do about it? How am I going to respond? How long am I going to let other people get me down?

This is where “hope is not a plan” applies. That’s because you can explain yourself until you’re blue in the face. And you can wish other people were more supportive and understanding, giving you the respect you obviously deserve, and simply taking some interest in what you’re doing. I don’t think it’s too much to ask because I suffer from the same thing.

Are You an Older Artist?

I write weekly essays about creativity and growing older for you.

Visit Older Artists

When I wrote my first book, I thought everyone I knew would be interested in reading it. It was a cold slap in the face to realize that many, in fact, most weren’t. It’s an esoteric topic on how to get your art into the print market that doesn’t apply to most people’s lives, and it doesn’t even apply to most artists’ lives. It’s very specific.

Your art is kind of the same thing. It’s very specific. It applies to the people who get it. Everybody else is an outsider. And some of them are cruel or stupid in how they react to you. And that’s a shame, but it’s the truth.

So we’re faced with the reality that you can’t make other people change, and furthermore, you shouldn’t even try. It’s not worth your time.

With my first book, I went through some version of the Kübler-Ross continuum. Something like disbelief, frustration, disappointment, and eventual acceptance. These folks, even ones close to me, just weren’t that into what I was doing. And to be honest, I probably wasn’t that interested in what they were doing either, so it works both ways.

And that’s a good thing to think about when someone doesn’t get your art or dismisses it. You probably don’t care that they’re a financial planner or whatever they do. It’s only mildly interesting to you, if that.

Eventually, I found enough people who thought my book was terrific, including the North Light Book Club. That was from The Artist’s Magazine. They bought 1,000 copies to stock their bookstore. I can’t tell you how good that felt.

My advice is not to worry about people who don’t get your art. It doesn’t mean you stop loving or liking them, though you’re welcome to if the situation warrants it.

You can turn the situation around by changing how much influence you give others over your feelings. Everybody’s got an opinion, but none of them matter unless they’re paying your bills or buying your work. And even then, it’s a limited deal, not giving up everything to someone else.

There’s an enormous amount of freedom that comes with understanding that you’re not going to chase people who aren’t interested. And that you can’t convince people who don’t understand. And that you give up giving every criticism equal weight. And you become more selective about where you put your time, attention, and energy.

Essentially, you realize that wearing Milk Bone underwear is optional and that you don’t have to do that anymore. You can wear what you darn well please and not worry about what anybody else thinks.

Your work has value, and you’re going to find people who appreciate it. I’m not saying that’s an easy task, because it never is.

Getting your work into the world is a challenge. It always will be. But it’s not an insurmountable one, and you can find ways that work for you to become associated with people who are most likely to buy your work and appreciate it.

And when you start becoming selective like that, everything gets a little easier. And living in a dog-eat-dog world doesn’t feel so difficult. And your butt probably hurts a little less, too.

Just because you are more aware of Milk Bone underwear, you can’t expect to change everything about yourself, especially all at once. Change takes time; it might involve money, convenience, familiarity, and sometimes even a relationship that no longer fits. That’s why you need to be realistic about what you can change now and what might take a little longer.

But realism doesn’t mean being timid. If anything, turn that timidity around and shoot higher.

You just need to accept that you’re never going to get rid of all the critics, tire-kickers, skeptics, and people who don’t get or understand what you’re trying to do. Those dogs are always going to be there with fleas and all.

But one thing I am certain of is that you’re going to be much happier in those new silk undies or boxer briefs than in the old Milk Bone underwear you’ve been wearing lately.

That is all. Peace out.

See you next week,

— Barney

Harriet Mena Hill Brings Crumbling Concrete Back To Life

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 18:34:36 +0200

“Nwanne M Nwaanyi” by Photographer Chiemeka Offor

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:00:52 +0200

Chiemeka Offor

Chiemeka Offor’s Website

Chiemeka Offor on Instagram

“Between the Folds” by Artist Maude Corriveau

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:00:09 +0200

Maude Corriveau

Maude Corriveau’s Website

Maude Corriveau on Instagram

“Autophagia” by Artist Rhys Edwards

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 01:17:30 +0200

Celestial Stance: The Art of Marigold Santos

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 20:34:33 +0200

Marigold Santos’s spectral forms are as layered with detail as they are with metaphor. Swirling amid marbled backgrounds in a feverish dance, they serve as critical examinations of cultural injustice. Their textures materialize their celestial properties as they become fierce teachers of colonial violence, problematic histories, and forgotten ancestry. Covertly, her haunting figural silhouettes aim […]

The post Celestial Stance: The Art of Marigold Santos first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

Dot Day Collaborative Lesson!

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:26:40 +0200

Hi, friends!

Well, it's the time of the year: Dot Day! It's quickly approaching on September 15th but...you can celebrate making your mark EVERY day of the year, right? So I put together a lesson just for you and your artists!

For the FULL lesson details, please visit HERE!

This lesson not only revolves around The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds but it also features the ROUND paper that I created with my friends at Prang!

This is a collaborative project you could do with ALL grades which makes it super fun.

I decided to create this lesson with three different types of media...that way you could decide which one would best be suited for you and your artists...

Here's one with bleeding tissue paper and a line design review in permanent marker...

Oh! And I'll also show you the SUPER easy method that the kids can do to connect all of the lines in their circles so that the whole piece works together.

If you are ready to venture into the world of tempra paint, I have that featured in the video too. These are giving me Romero Britto vibes!

If you want to explore with oil pastel resist and watercolor paint, I have that featured in the lesson video too!

No matter what, I know your students will love this lesson (and you will too!)

Have a great week, friends!

Why Connections Matter More Than Followers

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 19:09:30 +0200

I’ve never bought into the idea that visual artists need a large subscriber list or a massive social media following. That’s contrary to the common wisdom some artists believe and many art marketing experts promote. Maybe they know something I don’t, but I doubt it.

For paid subscribers: The newest Art Business Brief looks at encouraging signs from the everyday art market, including new Saatchi Gallery marketing options, younger collectors, strong interest in emerging artists, open-studio and art-festival sales, and what they may mean for working artists.

There is math that contradicts the concept of large lists and, even more importantly, the reality of most artists’ lives. The math is based on the plausible rule of thumb that artists who primarily sell original art might produce 1,000 originals during their careers. That’s 33 originals annually for 30 years. If you start late, create slowly, or are unusually prolific, your mileage will vary, but 1,000 is a number we can work with.

Regardless of how much art you create, you don’t have the time or resources to find a new buyer for every piece. Neither do most galleries. Maybe huge lists and thousands of followers fix that problem, but how many artists do you know—or even know about—who have both? And how many everyday Main Street artists, who make up the large majority, have the time, money, or desire to work nearly full-time marketing their work?

The math and reality don’t line up for most artists. So, what should you do? Start with a realistic perspective. What are you capable of doing? What are you willing to do? What do your circumstances allow? You can spend a lot of time answering those questions, but even a simple understanding is better than hoping, wondering, or bouncing from one plan to another because nothing seems to work.

Maybe you can make 33 originals a year, but you don’t have to set a goal of selling them all. Or maybe you make fewer and spend more time on them. You can take older or dated pieces you know will be difficult to sell, remove them from their stretcher bars, inventory them, roll them, and store them in tubes. Find some way to solve the storage problem so you can stop worrying about every piece and concentrate on selling your best work with the most commercial potential.

When you remove the pressure to sell everything you make, life gets simpler. Suddenly, you don’t need a huge audience. You need a warm list of connections that matter. Not all connections are the same. They begin with one-way connections, where someone knows about you, but you don’t know them. That’s what happens when social media, advertising, publicity, or word of mouth kicks in.

These are people on your email list, social media followers, someone who passed through your booth at a show, or somebody who watched one of your 15-second reels. You need those people because you can’t make warm connections without first making one-way connections. But followers alone are less likely to provide the personal familiarity and confidence that help sell original art, especially at higher prices.

The next level is where you know someone, and they know you. Better still, you’ve had some personal interaction. At the bare minimum, you may have exchanged emails because you reached out to thank them for something they do in the community, or found another natural way to get on their radar.

The possibilities and angles are limited only by your imagination. Maybe you met at a cultural event and introduced yourself. In those situations, you don’t blurt out everything you know and say, “I’m an artist. Can I come show you my work?” You make the connection.

It’s no different from developing a potential friendship. The relationship evolves.

You pass through stages of familiarity, mutual respect, and sometimes genuine affection. Of course, not every relationship turns into a friendship, nor does every casual encounter turn into a longtime supporter who buys multiple pieces.

It’s natural that some connections will develop in ways you could not have seen when they began. Because time and energy are finite resources, you can’t afford to make connections indiscriminately.

Two kinds of people are especially valuable for you to know. As such, it makes sense to focus your efforts on becoming known to people who have the means to buy original artwork.

Census Bureau statistics show that about one in ten U.S. households earns $250,000 or more annually. But you want more filters to further narrow your ideal client, and this is a good start. Your income doesn’t need to match theirs for you to find ways to intersect your life with theirs. You only need some shared interest to give the connection a reason to begin.

Sometimes, your artwork provides that interest. If you are a wildlife artist, you might get involved with the Nature Conservancy or another conservation organization. If you’re a marine artist, you probably already share similar interests with boat owners. Or perhaps you create work based on local subject matter, which gives you a natural reason to engage with people and organizations that care about your community.

The other valuable connections are people who may never buy your art but know others who might. They might be a center of influence who knows everyone and who also enjoys bringing people together. Other examples are designers, framers, community leaders, event organizers, business owners, and arts supporters.

One well-connected advocate who likes you and believes in your work can be worth more than thousands of passive followers. Is making these connections a chore, and can it be hard sometimes? Of course. But so is nearly everything else you can do to get your work to market.

A good first step is to identify what is distinctive about your art and spend time considering which people are most likely to respond to it. It’s not precise scientific research. It’s a mix of your instincts and sharpened awareness. You want to figure out where people who seem like your top prospects spend their time and what they care about. Then use your creativity and imagination to envision how your life might naturally intersect with theirs.

Making intentional connections is an iterative process. You chip away at it a little at a time. Make it part of your everyday life; find time to incorporate it along with whatever else you’re doing. You might be running a Meta advertising campaign, participating in shows, sending emails, or using other marketing channels. Don’t let any of that keep you from thinking about individual people you would like to know and finding appropriate ways to connect with them. It’s human nature that the things you think about are the things that get done.

Even 10 or 20 minutes a day spent thinking about intentional connections and following up can pay off. Write an email. Send a handwritten note. Make a call. Join a club. Volunteer your time. Attend an event where you have a real reason to be there.

It begins as a mindset. You decide that being purposeful about making meaningful connections makes sense and is worth the effort. Then you accept that it is a long game in which patience and persistence become your greatest allies.

And this is where the math begins to work in your favor. You don’t need to find 1,000 different buyers to sell 1,000 works. Some collectors will buy multiple pieces for themselves or even as gifts. And others will refer you to contacts who become buyers, or they may introduce you to people who can influence your career in ways you can’t imagine. Connections like these will likely continue supporting your work throughout your career.

But it isn’t only the math that works out. I contend that your satisfaction with being an artist works out, too, because the value of these relationships extends beyond making a sale. There is something meaningful in knowing your work made an impression on someone’s life, or that a piece was given to someone who loved it. When you know who those people are and they tell you what your work means to them, you can’t put a price tag on that.

Years ago, I saw an extraordinary painting my mother had made and given to relatives decades earlier. It had become an heirloom passed through generations, and I had never seen it. I offered to buy it from my cousins for its full independent appraisal value. They told me no price would interest them and flatly turned me down. To them, it had become part of their family history and meant as much to them as it did to me.

I wish my mother could have known how much that painting meant to them.

See you next week.

— Barney

Announcing the Inaugural Older Artist Get Together in Phoenix!

Many of you know I also publish the weekly Older Artist blog on Substack. This week’s post includes an invitation to join me and fellow artists for a lunch date. It will be casual. No agenda, just fellow artists sharing a few minutes with each other. The date is September 23 at 11:00 AM. Since this is the first, I don’t know how many will show. If you can come, please reply so I can get a count and then find a place. I’m thinking of O.S.H.O Brewery - Paradise Valley on Tatum & Shea, near the 51.

Maia Ramishvili

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 04:39:46 +0200

Maia Ramishvili is an artist from Tbilisi, Georgia. Her subjects are primarily women in ornate garb, the pattens and textures of which give the paintings a look of collage. Her restraint on using rendering in faces and hands gives the work a graphic feeling. but they are oil paintings on canvas.

She also paints more directly realistic paintings of ordinary scenes.

Ramishvili has enlivened her work with vibrant color relationships, often using muted complements. I see influences from various periods in history, in particular Botticelli and Modigliani, but in service of a contemporary sensibility.

The best selection of her work onine is her Behance portfolio, which has nicely large reproductions of her work.

You can also find her work in the galleries listed below.

“By the Lake” by Photographer Tommy Keith

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0200

Tommy Keith

Tommy Keith’s Website

Tommy Keith on Instagram

Let's Create Larry's Line-Finding Glasses!

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:32 +0200

Hi, friends!

As you might know, Larry the Line is mighty popular this time of year as many of us art teachers kick off the new school year with a unit on LINE. In fact, I've been sharing a TON of line lessons here and on my YouTube channel. It's been so fun seeing folks use them with their artists!

We've done a Larry the Line spiral snake here, a how-to-draw Larry here and a paper chain Larry here!

And today, I have a Larry's Line-Finding Glasses tutorial for you and your artists!

Here's what I would recommend:

* Print this totally free download on cardstock. This way a thicker paper backing, which I talk about in the video, will not need to be added.

* I also thought it might be interesting to pre-make a class set of 20 and then laminate them. This way, the kids can just enjoy the act of drawing lines with a dry erase marker and then go about their Line Hunting adventure. Once the activity is over, the glasses can be cleaned and ready for the next class. Yes, work for you on the front end but then you'd have them ready for your classes!

Free download here.

Of course, part of the fun is getting to keep the glasses...so that's totally up to you! Here's the lesson video:

I just think these are so cute! And a fun way to really get your artists looking for the lines that are all around them.

For a copy of my book Larry the Line, go here!

Have fun making your glasses and searching for lines with your Larry the Line Line-Finding Glasses!

Art Business Brief

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 19:57:53 +0200

Encouraging signs are emerging in the part of the art market where most independent artists do business.

New research shows younger collectors entering the market, strong interest in emerging artists, and substantial demand for work priced below $5,000. Open studios and major art festivals continue to generate meaningful sales, while evidence from one of the country’s largest studio tours reinforces the long-term value of turning first-time buyers into repeat collectors.

There are other developments worth watching. Saatchi Art is introducing paid placement for artists, while a small South Carolina town shows what can happen when art and artists become part of a larger economic development strategy.

Eye Candy for Today: Empress Augusta leaves New York, Carl Saltzmann

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:36:14 +0200

Empress Augusta leaves New York (Kaiserin Augusta verlässt Newyork), Carl Saltzmann, chromolithograph. Link is to image page on Wikipedia. The available hi-res image is much larger than my crops.

Carl Saltzmann, who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was known for his seascapes and landscapes.

The images above are not of his original painting, but of a chromolithograph of that painting.

Chromolithographs were an early form of color printing, in which the use of multiple lithograhpy stones for different colors, combined with team labor, allowed for commercial color printing of images using a few colors or many. At their most expensive in terms of the number of stones and difficulty of preparation, they resembled modern process printing.

Magnified, you can see a difference in the kind of random looking distribution of colors on the surface (images above, bottom two). It’s a sharp contrast to the more ordered patterns of most modern printing.

What’s Your Take on Your Art Business?

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:10:36 +0200

Once you start looking for advice about art marketing and the art business, the firehose of information gets turned on. You quickly realize everybody has a plan or formula, and they’re eager to share it with you. All that well-intended advice can become overwhelming, especially when it concerns something important but incidental to being an artist.

I know. I’m one of those people.

I’ve been writing weekly blog posts for artists for more than 20 years. Most of my nine books on art marketing start with or include “how to” in the title. And if they don’t say it specifically, it’s inferred.

Maybe it’s the privilege of getting older that I seem to be getting wiser. There’s an old line attributed to Mark Twain about how his father was a complete fool when Twain was young and how smart his father had become by the time Twain turned 21. I may be butchering the story, but you get the point.

What I’m finding at age 78 is that I feel wiser because I’ve become more informed and gained experience. And one of my wisest revelations is that I’ve come around to thinking that everything starts with you.

Whatever success you attain begins with you. It begins as the seed of an idea that grows into a vision, turns into action, creates momentum, and puts you into the marketplace, where you have a chance to fulfill your dreams, whatever they might be.

Some people get lucky. Through kismet, things start clicking. People show up, systems arrive, and it all seems magical, particularly when viewed from the outside.

My reality is that it never happened for me. And it didn’t happen for nearly any artist I ever met. The ones whose success was noticeable to others did it through skill and hard work. It included a little luck, a great deal of talent, and a lot of perseverance.

But what I really want to talk to you about is this:

What’s your take on your art business?

It’s a challenge to question yourself, beginning with something that seems elemental. I’ve long said that everything good that happens in an art career begins with a conversation.

That includes getting into a gallery, negotiating for a better booth at a fine art show, getting a grant, getting into a school, reaching out to a docent, developing relationships with influencers, and, most importantly, developing relationships with collectors—the people who may buy multiple pieces of your work and refer your art to others over the course of your career.

Every one of those encounters and relationships requires conversation.

But the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I was jumping into the middle of the stream, even though it seemed like the beginning. And it is the beginning, to a degree. But there is something before it.

I recently wrote a post for Older Artists called “The Thing Beneath the Thing.” It came from my penchant for wanting to understand the why and look beneath what’s going on.

I’ve always felt that if you can deconstruct what happened, you can understand it better. As you begin to understand what truly motivates you first and others second, you find ways to apply those insights in your life or business.

That tendency to be curious about the thing beneath the thing has helped me understand myself and other people. For example, when I see someone acting in their own best interest in a way that also serves others, I wonder why. How did that happen? What motivated them? Where did it come from?

Sometimes I file the insights away, but more often I wonder how I can model that to make myself a better person, a better artist, a more competent marketer, or all three.

And it inspires me to encourage you to think about the thing beneath the thing before you engage in marketing, and to remember that the first conversation begins with yourself.

That’s why I’m asking: What’s your take on your art business?

There are probably many other ways to ask the same question. Some would sound more polished. But I prefer to be blunt sometimes and write the way I think rather than worry about making everything grammatically perfect or precise.

The question gets to the point. It’s also open-ended because I don’t want to guide your answer. I want you to take the question and think about it for yourself. Here’s a method that can help you.

If you use an AI tool for brainstorming, as I do, sit somewhere quiet, turn on the microphone, and give it an unfiltered answer. Just start talking. It’s just you and a machine, and you can express yourself freely about your take on your art business without feeling judged. More likely, you’ll get useful feedback and never get the blank, trapped look because you’re bringing up the same topic and want to go deeper into it.

This process works for me. That is, speaking instead of typing because it lets my mind keep pace with my thoughts, and good things often come from it. When I’m finished, I have my words in front of me and a conversation ready to begin. It’s often a raw brain dump that contains nuggets sprung from my subconscious.

Whatever you say may lead you to something useful and valuable, and often a new perspective on something that might not have even been what you had in mind when you began. Saying what you really think without a filter or concern over anyone’s opinion is a way to understand yourself.

The idea is to open your mind to your own possibilities and perhaps expose some preferences and assumptions you’ve inherited that aren’t actually yours. One of the biggest problems artists face is trying to perform to someone else’s standards.

You read one of my how-to articles—or somebody else’s—and it tells you the key to freedom is building an email list, blogging, using social media, or whatever else the author recommends.

All that stuff can work. It can all be useful, but it needs context.

I wrote my bestselling Guerrilla Marketing for Artists more than 15 years ago, and nearly every one of its close to 20 chapters describes something you can do to improve your art business: networking, promotions, publicity, self-promotion, email marketing, direct marketing, gallery marketing, website marketing, and social media.

Just reading that list is enough to make anybody crazy. How are you supposed to manage all of it?

And if you don’t have a firm grasp on what you’re trying to achieve, it gets worse. You’re using a shotgun when the job requires a rifle, especially if you’re trying to market your work directly to buyers and collectors.

You don’t have time to find a new buyer for every piece of art you want to sell. And you don’t have the time or resources to mass-market to strangers, hoping the right buyers eventually enter your circle of influence.

There has to be something better.

And that brings us back to relationships and conversations. They start with you and then emanate outward. Once you have a clearer understanding of your own take on your art business, you can begin thinking about how to have conversations with people who are likely to appreciate what you do or who are simply worth knowing.

We’re going to talk much more about this in upcoming issues of Art Marketing News. I’m working on something new around these ideas, and I’m excited to see where it goes.

See you next week.

— Barney

PS: If you missed last week’s post, it introduced the Art Business Brief, which offers details and insights worth knowing.

Matthew Bird

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:48:19 +0200

Matthew Bird is a watercolor painter based in the Baltimore area whose primary subjects are still life, portraits and figures.

When I first glanced at the page of still life images on his website, I thought he was painting in a deliberattely high-chroma manner. Once I started to look through, I realized he was actually painting quite true to nature, simply choosing colorful subjects, arranging them against generally dark backgrounds, and lighting them effectively.

Something that’s not mentioned often enough when discussing still life painting is the aspect of the art involving the arrangement of the objects. Yes, this is composition, but it’s a stage of composition that is physical and different from similar concerns of compositional placement in landscape.

Bird’s arrangents are often thematic, and usually involve a number of objects related to food, The resulting paintings, with their dark backgrounds, carry echoes of classical Dutch still life, but with a modern color sensibility.

His figures and portraits likewise can have brilliant color, but without pushing past the boundaries of naturalistic chroma.

His website includes a shop for prints, and a page listing workshiops, both recorded and upcoming in person. His blog has some interesting articles, including an extensive and thorughful article about varnishing watercolor, and a list of watercolor societies whose shows accept varnished work, for which there is an accompanying YouTube video.

Introducing the Art Business Brief

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 19:10:25 +0200

Welcome to the first edition of the Art Business Brief. I’m making this one free to all, even though future reports will be an exclusive benefit for paid Art Marketing News subscribers.

I’ve always believed that artists derive great value from becoming students of the business of art. With a deeper understanding of the environment you work in, you make better decisions and, more importantly, see new opportunities or avoid “gotcha” traps.

Recently, I began using ChatGPT Work to do the kind of research for me that used to take hours of internet searching and drilling down into links and topics I felt were useful to know and understand. The idea is to identify developments worth knowing about and explain why they may matter to independent visual artists.

Unlike headline news that covers the top end of the market with celebrity artists and high-end art affairs, the Art Business Brief is an AI-assisted project that searches widely for topics, events, and news affecting Main Street artists.

I defined the brief’s purpose and identified markets and sources worth monitoring that rarely surface when you ask, “What’s happening in the art business today?” I was looking for useful information for the unsung everyday artists who make up most working visual artists, including Art Marketing News subscribers.

The Art Business Brief is a feature for paid subscribers, but I will also make it available to all subscribers occasionally, as with this announcement. Rather than sticking to a set schedule, I’ll publish the brief when I have content worth sharing.

While the Brief below is partially written with AI, my weekly Art Marketing News posts are my writing, sometimes edited with AI assistance. The Art Business Brief is different. It uses AI to monitor, research, organize, and explain more information than I could reasonably cover on my own. I direct the work, review the results, and make the final editorial decisions on content, style, and format.

Scroll to the bottom for more details on a paid subscription, including a best-price offer good through August.

Art Business Brief — Mid-August 2026

News and views for visual artists

1. Square’s offline mode can turn completed-looking sales into no sales

An artist posting on Art Fair Insiders reported accepting 35 offline Square transactions at a Detroit show. After reconnecting, every transaction was declined. According to the artist, the app had collected signatures but did not indicate that the payments would later fail. The artist had no practical way to contact all 35 buyers afterward. This is one artist’s report, not evidence of a system-wide Square failure. [Art Fair Insiders report]

But Square’s own documentation confirms the underlying risk. Offline transactions are stored without the card issuer's authorization. Sellers receive no decline notification until the device reconnects, and Square says sellers are responsible for expired, declined, or disputed offline payments. Square cannot supply customer contact information afterward.

Square automatically enabled offline payments on devices in April 2026 unless account owners opted out. Transactions must be uploaded within 72 hours, although Square strongly recommends reconnecting within 24 hours. Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android do not support offline payments. [Square offline-payment guidance]

Why it matters: Artists selling at outdoor shows regularly encounter weak or overloaded cellular and Wi-Fi service. Offline mode can keep a line moving, but what looks like a completed sale remains unsecured until the payment uploads and clears.

Before the next show, artists using Square should review whether offline payments are enabled, understand which hardware supports them, set an offline transaction limit appropriate to their risk, carry a backup connection or payment option, and reconnect as soon as possible. A signature does not mean the money has been collected.

2. Copyright registration is likely to become more expensive this fall

The U.S. Copyright Office submitted a proposed fee schedule to Congress on July 14, with implementation planned for fall 2026.

For visual artists, the most relevant proposed changes are:

Standard electronic application: $65-$85.
Single Application: $45-$55.
Group registration of up to 20 published two-dimensional artworks: $85 to $130.
Group registration of up to 10 unpublished works: $85 to $130.
Group registration of up to 750 photographs: $55 to $85.

The Office initially proposed eliminating the lower-cost Single Application but reversed course after individual creators and industry groups objected. It now plans to retain it with a $10 increase. The Single Application applies only to a narrow category: one work created by one author who is also the sole copyright claimant. [U.S. Copyright Office proposed fee schedule]

Why it matters: Registration remains voluntary, but timely registration can substantially improve an artist’s position if infringement occurs. The higher group-registration fees will particularly affect artists and photographers who register bodies of work periodically.

Artists with completed work already eligible for registration may want to review their plans before the new fees take effect. That doesn't mean rushing an inaccurate application to save money. It means recognizing that delaying a registration you already intend to file could soon cost more.

I’m keeping an eye on the proposed fee increase and will update the AMN Copyright Guide when it takes effect. For now, I’ve opened the Guide to everyone. If this development has you thinking about copyright registration, you can [read the complete Copyright Guide here] through August 30, 2026. After that, it will return to the paid Guides library.

3. Europe’s AI transparency rules are now in force

The EU AI Act’s Article 50 requirements took effect on August 2. Providers must make synthetic output machine-detectable, while certain users must disclose deepfakes and AI-generated material involving matters of public interest. Older systems have until December 2 to meet some technical marking requirements. Penalties can reach €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual revenue. [European Commission explanation]

Why it matters: This does not mean every artist who touches an AI tool must label everything “AI-generated.” But it establishes provenance and disclosure as normal expectations rather than optional courtesies. Marketplaces, social platforms, galleries, and buyers are likely to develop policies influenced by the European standard, including those outside Europe.

4. Some galleries are using collaboration instead of discounting

A recent issue of Art World News reports that independent galleries and frame shops are partnering with wineries, hospitality businesses, corporations, cultural organizations, local retailers, and community groups to attract people who might not otherwise enter a gallery.

Cousen Rose Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard described art-and-wine tastings, author events, corporate receptions, wearable-art presentations, and collaborations with local art walks. Blackfish Gallery, an artist-owned cooperative in Portland, reported increased attendance and sales after opening an exhibition to guest artists. [June 2026 issue of Art World News]

This is trade reporting built partly around individual gallery accounts, not comprehensive market research. Still, the examples are concrete and align with a larger principle: reach new buyers by joining existing communities rather than continually trying to manufacture an audience on your own.

Why it matters: Independent artists can apply the same idea without needing to operate a gallery. A studio event can be paired with a neighborhood business, charity, designer, author, musician, garden group, historical organization, or another artist whose audience complements it. The value comes from bringing relationships together, not merely adding entertainment.

Notably, these galleries are trying to increase traffic and perceived value without training buyers to wait for discounts.

About Paid Membership

The Art Business Brief is a benefit for paid subscribers to Art Marketing News. Paid members also receive full access to the growing AMN Guides library and occasional downloadable resources.

Check out the Perks page for current downloads for paid subscribers.

I’ll occasionally open a Brief or Guide to everyone, as I have today, so free subscribers can see what is available. Paid subscribers have continuing access as part of their subscription.

As these paid benefits expand, I’m also updating the subscription price. The current price is $5 a month or $50 a year. If you subscribe by August 31, you’ll keep that rate for as long as your subscription remains active. After that, new paid subscriptions will be $8 a month or $80 a year.

Upgrade Your Subscription

Art Business Brief

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 01:17:01 +0200

News and views for visual artists.

Why Art Licensing Might Not Be Right for You

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 19:10:54 +0200

Art licensing provides artists and illustrators the opportunity to earn passive income by agreeing to let their images be used on a wide range of products. Everything from stationery, linens, wallpaper, party supplies, and more. Contracts get you royalties or licensing fees in exchange for granting those rights. For some artists, it can create a new source of passive income. Passive means someone else markets the work, but that doesn’t imply your participation is passive.

I’m writing this to give you a clear perspective to help you decide whether it’s a business you want to pursue. As with many aspects related to creating new income streams from your art, licensing may sound appealing but still not be right for you.

When I entered the art business in 1988, the open-edition print market was booming. Licensing existed, but it wasn’t in the business model of print publishers and self-published artists who used my magazine and shows to get to market. Their marketing included producing print catalogs with thousands of artworks that they sold to new retailers and sent to top buyers like those operating volume framing businesses. And they targeted thousands of retail art galleries, picture frame shops, and mall art stores.

It was fascinating to watch publishers realize licensing’s value as a new revenue stream. It went from incidental to increasingly important as the industry went through wrenching changes. Then the internet made its mark on the industry and licensing’s role changed again. Printed catalogs disappeared. Mall art stores faded away. The publishers that survived reinvented themselves around licensing, print-on-demand, hospitality, healthcare, commercial interiors, and digital production.

The opportunity didn’t disappear. It evolved, and like in the jungle, only the fittest survived. That evolution is why I think artists should begin with a different question than they might have asked twenty-five years ago. Instead of asking, How do I get into licensing? I’d suggest asking, Why do I want to get into licensing in the first place?

For most artists, the appeal is making more money from existing images. That’s a good decision, but it requires more understanding. First, licensing only pays off with multiple contracts, and it can take a couple of years of steady work supplying images before the income is close to desirable. Second, you need to know that you don’t have much control over things. For example, your work may be cropped, or you might get requests to change colors.

Success as a licensed artist requires you to create in a consistent style, be willing to adapt your images for specific products, and create companion pieces, sometimes on spec.

I’ve known artists who built remarkable licensing businesses. In the 1990s to 2000s, coastal artist Paul Brent built a phenomenal print and licensing business. Mary Engelbreit used her whimsical illustrations to create one of the strongest licensing brands of her generation. Bob Timberlake’s limited edition wildlife and rural scenery formed a business model that included extensive home furnishing licenses.

You can find contemporary artists doing the same thing today, although their path looks different than the legacy icons mentioned above. Today’s artists often follow current marketing trends by building their brand before anything else. Licensing then becomes a single aspect of a larger business that may also feature books, public speaking, direct sales, social media, illustration, teaching, and additional revenue streams.

My experience is that artists who succeed in licensing work at it diligently. In other words, it’s not something you can do casually and expect it to be worthwhile. I suggest studying current artists doing well in the licensing business. Spend time learning about licensing agents and how they operate, how they are alike and how they differ. Some are large shops while others are boutiques. Figure out if you are ready for the licensing market and how you think you will fit into it.

If, on the other hand, what you love most is spending your days making the kind of art you like to make without demands on time, consistency, or vision, there’s nothing wrong with that either. Most of the artists I’ve known over the years wanted their time in the studio, not in meetings about product lines, marketing plans, licensing agreements, or brand development. There is no wrong path here; it comes down to being clear on what you want, what you are capable of doing, what you are willing to do, and if your circumstances are favorable to your plans.

Every opportunity comes with an opportunity cost.

If an artist were to ask me today how to invest the next year in building a career, licensing likely wouldn’t top my list of recommendations. Not because there is anything wrong with licensing, but more because it’s a long-tail proposition that should be a third or fourth income source rather than primary or secondary. Get those streams working first, then come back to review if licensing makes sense.
I don’t want to dissuade anyone with genuine interest from pursuing licensing. My aim is simply to ensure you appreciate the level of commitment before you dive in.

After spending nearly four decades around artists, I’ve come to believe that the biggest source of career contentment comes from self-awareness, self-assessment, and self-determination. Don’t pursue things just because you think you can. You may have all it takes, but you may also know that’s not the right choice for you. Chase the opportunities that fit the kind of artist you really want to become.

Evidence proves that licensing works. But does it work for you? That is the question you need to answer.

See you next week.

— Barney

Mixed Media Exploration and Elements of Art Review!

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 15:48:26 +0200

Recently, when I was working on THIS line design lesson...

Where I shared how to make black glue without actually making black glue...quick video here:

It got me thinking. If you can make black glue that way, then couldn't you do the same with any water-based marker on white paper?

The answer, YEP! You can! And that's how this lesson came to be!

For this project, which I envision would be perfect for 5th grade and up, I started with a 12" square of paper, water-based markers and Elmer's Glue All. Check out the full lesson here:

Once the glue is dry, I used my paper cutter to cut the papers into 4 6" squares. Then I decided to do a mixed media exploration on each!

To alter this lesson, you could always NOT cut the paper and just pick one of the mixed meda methods to do on the entire paper. Just a thought. I did find exploring all of these really fun but I know that would take a several art class days...so I'll leave that up to you!

For the first one, I just used a permanent marker, a cup of water and a paintbrush. I used my Line Design sheet and a permanent marker for the first step. Then I added water to the marker lines to create a blurred line effect with a little bit of a tint of color.

For the next square, I used chalk. Whenever I use chalk in my art room, I always use a color wheel. I created this free color wheel download for you to use, you can access it here!

If you have hesistated to use chalk pastels in your art room in the past, don't sweat it! I created a whole video and blog post of all of my chalk Tips and Tricks and you can see it here!

I also just recently posted a lesson for 2nd grade and up using chalk and line...and you can check that out here!

Okay, back to the lesson at hand! I LOVE chalk and my students do too. I really enjoyed creating this little chalk square study.

BUT THIS ONE...

Was even more fun! For this, students will use bright and light color oil pastel and saturate their paper in color. THEN...

Using a combination of black paint (I used acrylic but tempera would work) and a squirt of dish soap (I only had Dr. Bronner's on hand but Dawn or any other would work!) blended together well, paint over the areas you wish to do scratch art on.

Allow that to dry COMPLETELY before using a skewer to remove the paint and create line designs.

I really recommend adding the dish soap. What it does is help the paint scrap off evenly and not in chips. I've tried it without dish soap before and...it just didn't work as well (chips. We had chips).

So fun, right?

And for the final method, we explore wet-on-wet with watercolor.

Now, when it comes to display, I laid my pieces back out like a puzzle. But these could be displayed individually, on in a vertical or horizontal manner...so many options! I'm so stoked about this lesson. I don't often do lessons for upper grades because I never taught beyond 4th. I do think this could be done with fourth (maybe after Christmas, when they are officially fourth graders) and definitely beyond.

By the way, if you are looking for books, downloads and resources for all things art teacherin', I have a library of them! You can see them all here!

Catherine Denvir’s Strange, Storybook Paintings

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 22:53:17 +0200

Artist Catherine Denvir always wanted to paint, but life took the long way round. A childhood watching her mother draw led first to graphic design and illustration, then finally back to the canvas. Now splitting her time between London and Italy, she paints portraits steeped in memory and quiet melancholy. Here, she talks about that journey, her process, and her ideal creative collaborator.

What inspired you to become an artist?

My mother. My earliest memories are of watching her draw and marveling at it, so naturally my first and only ambition was to be an artist like my mum. I think it’s very fortunate in life when you know what you want to do. I spent many happy childhood hours drawing, making up stories, and reading.

Can you tell us a little about your artistic career so far?

Although I always wanted to paint, my art-world parents were wary of my future as a painter because they had many struggling artist friends. They encouraged me instead to study graphic design and illustration. The emphasis on abstract painting at the time also influenced my decision to study illustration and graphic design, which I did at Chelsea School of Art in London.

The course included a great deal of drawing, which has been enormously beneficial to every aspect of my career as a graphic designer, illustrator, and painter. I don’t regret having taken this meandering path towards becoming a painter. If anything, I probably enjoy and appreciate painting all the more because of it.

How would you describe your style or approach to someone who hasn’t seen your work?

I suppose I would describe my approach to painting as an exploration of memories, impressions, and experiences. I hope all those elements come across in the work itself. I like to think of the images I make as being like stills from a film—an episode caught at a particular moment in time.

What is your process for turning an idea into a finished painting?

I always keep a note of ideas as they come to me. I message myself notes or, even better, sketch the idea down with annotations. I usually use paper—preferably a school-style squared exercise book—or a very handy app called Paper, which is like a digital Moleskine. It’s particularly good for train journeys, where I always seem to have lots of ideas, inspired by all those passing images. From there, the process of making the painting involves a lot of drawing, redrawing, discarding, and, essentially, editing.

What’s your studio like, and how does your environment influence your work?

I divide my time between London and Italy, where I am at the moment. Here I have lots of space, high ceilings, a table, an easel, good light, and distractingly beautiful views. Those surroundings certainly influence my work, although the same is true when I’m in London. Within reason, though, once I’m deeply involved in making an image, I could work almost anywhere.

How do you hope viewers respond to your work? What do you want them to
feel?

It would be nice if viewers could experience some of the mood, atmosphere, and pleasure that I felt while making the painting. However, the effect it has on them might be completely different, and that’s interesting too.

Are there particular themes or ideas you’re drawn to in your work?

I often return to landscapes, trying to capture a sense of beautiful melancholy. Trees, forests, highways, bridges, tunnels, castles, and the marks that humans leave on nature all recur in my work. These often serve as backgrounds in which a solitary figure stands, sometimes accompanied by a horse or a cat, whose presence adds another dimension of mystery—rather like the figures in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century portrait paintings.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?

I think I’d actually prefer to collaborate with a writer. Vladimir Nabokov would be fascinating. I’ve always seen his short stories as a series of images, and his writing has long been an inspiration to me.

If your work had a soundtrack, what would it sound like?

The soundtrack is always changing, but right now, in this hot and sultry Italian summer, it would be L’Estate by Bruno Martino.

Meet more artists like Catherine. Discover a new talent or hear from your favorites in our monthly One to Watch interview.

The post Catherine Denvir’s Strange, Storybook Paintings appeared first on Canvas: A Blog By Saatchi Art.

Line Designs with Chalk and Glue!

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 04:19:04 +0200

At this point, I feel like I'm spamming my own blog with LINE lessons! Just for a recap, I'll add links to them all right here:

* Line Sculptures

* Line and Shape Paintings

* All About Me Line Portraits

I'll be sure and do a Best Line Lessons post soon but if you are looking for more ideas now, see THIS review of my fave line lessons here!

And if you are looking for all of my Larry the Line lessons, see the end of this post!

Before we dive into the lesson at hand, let me just share my LOOOOVE of lessons with black glue! Now for some of these, I didn't know about this epic time-saving hack and I MADE my own black glue with ink and Elmer's Glue All. It's a REAL DRAG, lemme tell you: the bottles clog, the ink spills, the glue leaves a permanent mess because of the ink...it's all such a pain. I will say...the end result of the black glue versus this hack is better but not so much that it's worth the hassle.

Here's some of my very favorite black glue lessons:

* Abstract Faces Inspired by Sandra Silberzweig

* Black Glue Tigers with Chalk

* Black Glue Abstract Fish

* Stained Glass Trees

When we use chalk, this is our set up: a divided tray with warm and cool colors and black, gray and brown removed. These divider trays were donated to the art room from a hospital...so I can't tell you exactly where they are from. BUT I do love that they keep the colors separate.

We also use a tissue for cleaning our finger AND a laminated color wheel.

I always get so many questions on where I got the color wheel...I found it online YEARS ago and I couldn't tell you where. So...I made one for you! You can download it here.

And now for the lesson! Here you go:

I know art teachers tend to have a love/hate with chalk pastel (I just call it chalk)...it's messy and often the artwork smears. BUT I love the stuff. The colors are bold and bright. And if you use a color wheel and really teach the kids about analogous colors, I think you'll find it fun to teach. I use that same color wheel method you saw in the video for every chalk lesson.

For my VERY favorite chalk lessons and more of my tips and tricks, visit here!

When studenst are done with their chalk lessons, I will often spray their work with an aerosol hairspray like Aqua Net from the dollar store. It will dull the work a pinch and can leave little speckles of spray but...it works pretty good. As long as the artwork is not man-handled much once complete, the spray works fine.

And, OF COURSE, if you don't have my book on LINE and SHAPE already, now's the time to get 'em!

You can find Larry the Line here.

And Alfred the Ape Knows his Shapes here!

Future Relics: The Art of Morgan Sorensen

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 20:55:23 +0200

Skeletons, tombstones, and serpents. These are just a few of the iconic images pre-vailing throughout the works of Morgan Sorensen—all relating to the themes of struggle, sadness, pain, and death. While anyone might agree that these graphic designs would all make for killer band T’s, there’s quite a bit of depth surrounding the artist’s sentiments […]

The post Future Relics: The Art of Morgan Sorensen first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

The Disconcertingly Honest Self-Portrait Sculptures of Monica Piloni

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:33:41 +0200

Former illustrator turned full-time painter Gregory Hergert’s work has been described as “urban Surrealism”. He paints non-traditional themes in a traditional manner, yet allows the medium to shine through the often brutal settings depicted in his work. Hergert’s latest solo at Brass Works Gallery in Portland, Oregon displays the artist’s talents in both painting and […]

The post The Disconcertingly Honest Self-Portrait Sculptures of Monica Piloni first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

Human/Nature: Animals Go Underground In the Paintings of Matthew Grabelsky

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:12:15 +0200

This article originally appeared in Hi-Fructose issue 42, which is sold out. See Matthew Grabelsky’s new solo show at Thinkspace gallery here. Matthew Grabelsky had studied tradition in Florence, lived in the cultural nuclei of Europe, but hadn’t yet found the idea that would set him apart as an artist living in the twenty-first century. […]

The post Human/Nature: Animals Go Underground In the Paintings of Matthew Grabelsky first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

How to Make a Paper Chain Larry the Line

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 20:41:31 +0200

Hey there, y'all! I'm coming to you today with a new Larry the Line lesson (I had a brain explosion recently and came up with so many lessons to go with my book Larry the Line! And I have one more to come...so stay tuned for that!).

For the other Larry the Line lessons, just tap the link:

* Larry the Line Spiral Printout

* Larry the Line How to Draw

* Larry the Line Watercolor Lesson

This lesson serves as a perfect introduction to lines or a line review! It also can be used for sub plans too. My students LOVE making paper chains. And this one is interactive! Now they can make their own paper snake and create lines with that. Video lesson here:

This lesson does come with a free download. I used both the download and paper strips to make Larry a little longer...and to add more color to him. I decided to keep those strips of paper blank. I think it works because you really only see the strips of paper with the lines on it!

Free download here!

I love colorful copy paper so of course I had to print this on that! BUT if students love to color, you could always print on white paper! And then they could add color that way.

This project is an easy one that I think would work for kindergarten up to second grade! Again, that download is here.

Now, if you are new to the Larry the Line lore then you might not know that after reading my book to my students, I use a stuffed carnival snake. It's a lot of fun...actually a little too much fun ;) The kids LOVE Larry and I thought this would be a fun way for them to take home their very own!

Once created, students can quiz each other by forming their snake into lines and naming the lines!

And all ya need for this lesson: markers, scissors and a glue stick. I love low mess at the start of the school year!

Have fun, friends!

Optimize Yourself First

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 18:10:18 +0200

If you’ve been reading Art Marketing News for a while, you may have noticed a shift. In addition to the latest tactics, I’m writing about relationships, self-awareness, and building an art career that fits the person living it. It’s not by design — it matches where my thinking has landed after years spent with a more exclusive focus on teaching artists how to market their work.

I haven’t abandoned art marketing. I still believe artists deserve practical advice that helps them connect with collectors and sell more art. But looking back, I realized that most of what I taught came from the middle of the story rather than from the beginning.

A good deal of my attention focused on what many in the tech world call plumbing. That term describes the infrastructure that helps your work reach other people. Your website. Your newsletter. Your social media, online store, AI tools, payment processors, CRM — every piece of technology you use to run your business. It’s also known as the tech stack.

Plumbing matters because it makes your life easier. But the wrong plumbing creates unnecessary friction. It wastes precious resources of time, money, and energy. If you’ve ever fought a website that refused to cooperate, or fiddled endlessly with something that seems like it should just work and won’t, you know what I mean.

The mistake isn’t having plumbing. The mistake is believing better plumbing automatically creates a better career. Technology, when it meets its potential, improves your marketing capabilities. But it’s only as good as the plan to use it, and it doesn’t create anything.

Before switching a tech service or platform, or adding another component to your tech stack, there are more important questions worth asking.

What kind of creative life do you want?
How much income do you truly need for your life to feel successful?
How much of your week are you willing to devote to marketing?
Which parts of promoting your work energize you, and which ones drain you?
What are your circumstances today — not the circumstances you hope to have someday?

Those questions don’t usually appear in marketing books, yet they determine almost every marketing decision you’ll eventually make.

It is easy to convince yourself you know where you’re going. But do you really? And if you know where you’re going, is it the place you really want to go? The harder question is whether you’re pursuing goals you’ve consciously chosen or goals you’ve inherited. It’s easy to absorb the assumptions of the marketplace without ever questioning them — get more followers, boost your exposure, produce more content. Theoretically, it’s great if you can make it happen and keep it going. Practically, it’s more like a hamster wheel.

Everybody’s different, and you’re different at every stage of your life and career. A simple online portfolio may be all one artist needs. Another may eventually run a website, an online store, a Substack publication, an email marketing service, and more. Neither approach is inherently better. The right plumbing depends on the kind of creative life you’re trying to build, not on what everyone else says an artist should have.

If you’re honest with yourself, you might find what you’re doing isn’t congruent with what you’d actually choose. Maybe it is, and if so, that’s great. But if you find conflict, it’s time to optimize yourself first.

Lewis Carroll is often credited with the observation, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” Whether that’s the exact wording or not, the principle has stayed with me for years.

Here’s an experiment worth considering, if your circumstances allow it. If you have some breathing room, even for a couple of months, ease off the pressure to make every marketing decision produce an immediate sale. This doesn’t mean to stop marketing; I’m suggesting you stop measuring everything by transactions. Instead, take some time to invest in yourself.

Clarify what you’re truly passionate about building. Pay attention to the collectors and conversations that energize you rather than drain you. Put more effort into meaningful relationships and less into chasing what the algorithm seems to favor right now. Permit yourself to do work that genuinely matters to you, rather than work you hope will perform well online.

While you’re at it, take a friendly peek at your plumbing — your tools and subscriptions. Are you still paying for software you hardly use? Maybe you’ve signed up for several because each expert seemed to recommend just one more tool to solve everything. The goal is to find the right tool — not necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive — that helps you get your work done smoothly, without draining your resources.

Visual artists have an advantage over many other creative professions. You simply don’t need tens of thousands of followers or even thousands of customers. Compared with other arts fields, you need only a relatively small group of loyal collectors who genuinely appreciate your work to sustain a satisfying career for decades. That insight can shift your thinking and actions into solving relationship problems more than marketing problems.

I’ve always found that artists pursue their craft because they truly love creating art, not because they dreamed of joining the business world. Managing a business comes along with the passion — it’s never been the reason for choosing this life.

Somewhere along the way, many of us began serving the marketing instead of letting marketing serve the art. I think it’s time to reverse that order.

Optimize yourself first. Become clearer about the life you’re trying to build. Start cultivating relationships with people who genuinely care about your work. Life’s too short to chase random prospects hoping you connect with the right ones.

That’s the real plumbing job — not building something bigger but building something that fits.

The Perfect Back-to-School Art Project: Getting to Know You Sculptures!

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:17:28 +0200

Every single year I do a paper sculpture lesson with kindergarten to kick off the school year. In fact, we do it on the very first day of art! You can see me teach that lesson to kindergarten on their first day of art right here.

Because that lesson is always a hit, one year, I decided to level up the lesson and share it with my other grade levels, first through fourth. BUT I put a spin on it and we called it our Getting to Know You Sculptures!

Now, we start this lesson AFTER our First Days of Art Rules/Routines, which you can learn all about here:

The above post comes with several free First Day of Art downloads so you'll definitely want to check it out.

If you are new to teaching elementary art or if you are looking to level up your classroom management game, I dive into all that AND SO MUCH MORE in my book Art Teacherin' 101!

Okay, back to the lesson at hand...

For supplies, you'll need base paper (I used 12" black or white paper) and cut strips of paper. I sprinkled in some unclaimed artwork as well as strips of neon copy paper for the sculptures. You'll also need glue as well as these two totally free downloads!

Find one here!

And the other one here!

I like to keep them in sheet protectors to keep them from getting too crusty with glue.

Now, if you have never done a paper sculpture with students, don't you worry! I've got a couple videos that will walk you through the process. Start here:

And here's a video I created of this very lesson when I was going to be out for a couple of days:

The artists had a blast creating these! The only problem...storage! We had these piled EVERYWHERE. BUT they only had to make it to Open House...and then we hung them all up for display!

OF COURSE these als make for the perfect LINE review! Which is where you can use my book Larry the Line!

What I loved most was that when we displayed these at Open House, they were interactive. Meaning family and friends used a decoder sheet to "read" about the artist! That was so fun to see!

Just wanted to share this low-mess/low-stress back to school lesson that is always a hit. Happy BTS season!

Let's Draw and Make Larry the Line!

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:01:38 +0200

Hi, friends!

The other day, I shared a spiral Larry the Line download (check it out here) and it got me thinking. I've had a lot of requests of How to Draw Larry the Line tutorials in the past and I thought I would combine that idea with a follow up to the spiral snake download. So...here we go!

A How to Draw and Make Larry the Line!

I'm here for scale to show ya just how big you can make these!

In the video, I'll walk you and your artists through how to draw their very own Larry the Line, how to create their snake as well as do a line review. To check out the full video, it's here:

In this video, I share how you can make your Larry the size of a messy mat or 18" X 24", 12" X 18" OR 9" X 12". It's up to you and the supplies you have available!

For supplies:

* Large Larry: tagboard (aka Messy Mats), new or used! Not sure what a Messy Mat is? Here's a short clip! And here's a link to those mats as well as my very favorite art supplies.

* For tagboard, I'd recommend using an ink-filled bingo dauber!

* Tempera paint! Need some tips and tricks on working with kids and tempera paint? Here ya go!

Planning to create a smaller Larry? Then you can simply use markers to draw!

Of course, this TOTALLY FREE download may be a fun warmup for artists!

And if you don't have a copy of my book, Larry the Line, you can find it here!

And stay tuned, I've got another couple of Larry-themed lessons coming your way this week, yay!

Dont Tempt Me: the Art of Kristen Liu-Wong

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:25:32 +0200

“Danger” is a word often associated with the candy-colored work of Los Angeles artist Kristen Liu-Wong. Her feminine tableaus, often rendered in a bright blend of acrylics, paint pen, and marker, have particularly veered into more menacing territory in recent years. “The world is a dangerous place,” Liu-Wong says, in a June interview. “I don’t […]

The post Dont Tempt Me: the Art of Kristen Liu-Wong first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

Personal Growth: the Art of Nathan Reidt

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:41:14 +0200

On paper, Nathan Reidt’s creatures sometimes reveal themselves through a fog of graphite. He may begin with a “vague, circle-y shape” and shade areas. “Then I just stare at it for a long time and wait for something to pop out and refine that a little and stare at it.” The Philadelphia-based artist explains by […]

The post Personal Growth: the Art of Nathan Reidt first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

Line and Shape Paintings!

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 20:57:17 +0200

Y'all, I don't know if you have noticed but...I'm on a bit of a lesson-sharing roll lately and I hope you all are here for it! Because...I have much more to come. The best way to stay tuned is to check back here often, join my email list or subscribe to my YouTube channel. My lessons are always FREE and usually come with free downloads too.

I'm so excited about this lesson!

This video lesson has THREE lessons in it...and you can decide what works best for you and your artists. Before we dive in, here are the supplies I used:

* Oil Pastels (I like neon ones, you can find them here)

* Square paper (I only use 80lbs paper)

* Ink-filled bingo daubers

* Watercolor Paint

This first portion of the lesson goes perfectly with my book Larry the Line...if you don't have it and would like to take a look, you can find it here.

This video is broken down into three different lessons. It's perfect for a wide range of learners! Here's what I would recommend: K-6th Grade: Everyone can do the first portion of this lesson! It's a wonderful line introduction and review. Students will also learn how to use their watercolor paint to add color. 3rd-6th Grade: The second portion of this lesson is great for these learners as it will introduce them to geometric and organic shapes as well as positive and negative space. 4th - 6th Grade: The final portion is perfect for these learners but does require paint pens (I am using the POSCA brand) or metallic Sharpies. I know these supplies can be pricey so you may wish to limit this portion of the project based on the supplies you have available.

The second half of this lesson focuses on SHAPE. I dive into all things shape in my book Alfred the Ape Knows his Shapes!

I dive in deep in this book...I wrote it when I noticed that most books on shape just focus on learning the names of shapes and seem to cater to very young children. I used the second grade curriculum to guide me in writing this rhyming book and it covers ALL things shape!

For this final portion, students can use paint pens or metallic sharpies. Both can be pricey...which is why I recommend this for your older students who may take better care of supplies.

Regardless of which portion of this lesson you use, I know you and your artists will love it! I especially know they will love the first portion of creating lines from sounds!

If you have not used ink-filled bingo daubers, I have lots of info about it here. It's one of my very favorite art supplies!

Thanks for letting me share, y'all! Have a great weekend!

Is Substack Worth It for Artists?

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 19:10:13 +0200

Substack is getting attention from writers, creators, and now artists. Visual artists may wonder if it’s worth their time or just a passing trend.

Substack is only worth your time if it helps you solve a real problem you’re facing right now. It’s not meant to replace a dedicated platform for selling your art.

Before choosing any new tool, clarify the problem you want to solve. The right solution often becomes obvious.

It’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends, but chasing every new thing usually leads to frustration and wasted energy.

Ask yourself what you want to accomplish and what’s standing in your way.

Practical Minimalism Applies to Marketing, Too

I advocate practical minimalism:

Do less. Choose well. Enjoy more.

These ideas guide my approach to marketing and technology. Choosing well means picking tools that fit your needs, not chasing every new platform.

No single platform works for every artist. The best choice is the one that solves your real problem.

What Does Substack Actually Do Well?

Substack is primarily a publishing platform that combines blogging, newsletters, subscriptions, and reader conversations.

If you enjoy writing and want to connect with your audience without technical hassles, Substack is a good option.

Substack isn’t designed for selling artwork. Its strengths differ from those you’d find in an ecommerce platform.

Are You an Older Artist?

I write weekly essays about creativity and growing older for you.

Visit Older Artists

Can Artists Sell Art Through Substack?

Yes, but almost never with Substack alone.

Think of Substack as a place to share your writing and connect—not as your main sales channel. Most artists still need another platform for selling their art.

That’s how some artists are making it work for them.

The real question is whether Substack should be the foundation of your business. For most artists, it isn’t, because its purpose is different.

If your goal is to sell art, use an ecommerce platform like FASO, Shopify, Squarespace, or WordPress with WooCommerce. These tools showcase art, manage inventory, and handle transactions.

Physical venues like galleries and shows still matter, but they have limitations: geography, travel, expense, and time. A website works for you around the clock.

Your ecommerce platform should be the foundation of your online business. Substack can support those efforts by helping you publish and build relationships with your audience.

Two Artists, Two Different Solutions

Here are two standout examples of artists using Substack in different ways.

Illustrator Kim Koehler uses Substack for her newsletter, while her WordPress website is the center of her business and Shopify powers her store. She employs an ambitious tech stack of specialized tools for different jobs.

Substack lets her tell stories and build deeper relationships with readers. For artists who enjoy writing, it can be a natural business companion.

Monica Hebert, on the other hand, uses Substack to explore aging, creativity, and living well. Her art is part of a larger conversation, and Substack anchors her publishing-centered business. She’s a fierce, funny warrior advocate for women over 60. She recently mentioned she’s sold more art from her Substack engagement than before when actively marketing. These sales are a byproduct of her overall publishing efforts.

Both artists use Substack to build community. Neither example uses Substack as an ecommerce platform. When you’re clear about the problem you want to solve, it’s easier to choose the right tool.

Why I Chose Substack

I understand why some assume I moved to Substack because I think it’s the future of online publishing.

The real reason: I wanted to practice practical minimalism.

My business accumulated so many websites, plugins, email systems, and other moving parts that maintenance took more time than the actual work. I also wanted to cut overhead and reduce extra work.

I realized I wanted a simpler business—less time on technology, more time writing, helping artists, and building relationships. And I had reduced my need to ecommerce, which further simplified my tech needs.

Substack fit because it matched the problem I wanted to solve.

That doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. It just made sense for me.

Before You Add Another Platform…

Before you start a Substack or any new platform, take a moment to find a quiet place where you can think without interruption.

Then imagine your life six months from now and then go out twelve months. Can you still see yourself publishing, enjoying it, and finding it meaningful a year from now? Or does it already feel like just another obligation? That’s what I mean by choosing well.

Be honest with yourself about what you’re committing to because when you do, you’ll know if you’re inclined to stick with it. Every platform asks for your time, attention, ideas, and consistency. Any project is only worth launching if you have enough genuine interest to keep going after the initial excitement wears off.

Choosing well means picking the platform your future self will thank you for, because it keeps solving the problem that matters most to you.

So, Is Substack Worth It?

It certainly can be.

Do you love writing, want to use it to build deeper relationships, and enjoy publishing regularly? If so, Substack is one of the best tools available. However, if your main goal is to build a strong online business selling your artwork, I strongly recommend using an ecommerce platform. You can still use Substack if writing genuinely appeals to you. But it will play a supporting role rather than the lead role, since it serves a different purpose.

Practical minimalism is as much about conserving energy and attitude as it is doing less by choosing well. If there is no joy in the doing, it won’t last, and that’s a drag on your psyche and resources.

Whether or not Substack exists in twenty years, the real questions are:

What problem are you trying to solve?
Does this choice help you do less, choose well, and enjoy more?

Whenever you have choices, especially those that involve ongoing commitments of time and resources, ask yourself those questions. That’s how you’ll make better marketing decisions and avoid falling into the trap of chasing the latest trend.

See you next week.

— Barney

In Focus Tour: Modern Art

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:50:09 +0200

In Focus Tour: Modern Art sjenkins Fri, 07/24/2026 - 11:50

All education and outreach programs organized by LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Education Fund.

Major support is provided

Generous additional support is provided by the Judy and Bernard Briskin Family Foundation, Capital Group, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, William Randolph Hearst Endowment Fund for Arts Education, Alfred E. Mann Charities, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Gloria Ricci Lothrop, Flora L. Thornton Foundation, U.S. Bank, and The Yabuki Family Foundation.

Join a LACMA docent for a 30-minute tour in the Modern Art Galleries.

Please be aware that these tours are volunteer-led and subject to cancellation. Ask a member of our team on the day for details.

Go Metro. The D Line now brings you directly to LACMA (Wilshire/Fairfax Station). Plan your trip at Metro.net.

Short Title

Gallery Tour: Modern Art

Event type

Tours

Location (Campus)

LACMA

Location

BCAM, Level 3

Primary image

Primary image (default/desktop)

Date

Tue, 09/01/2026 - 14:30 -Tue, 09/01/2026 - 15:00

Mobile tile settings

Image tile format

Exhibition Format

Tile type

Image Tile

Hide on mobile

Off

On-sale time

Wed, 12/21/2022 - 11:20

Event audience

Adults

Ticketing button label

Alert Me

Credit line - Left column

All education and outreach programs at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Education Fund.
Major support is provided by

Credit line - Right column

Image Credit: Installation view of the new Modern Art presentation on BCAM, Level 3, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, June 13, 2021–ongoing, photo © Fredrik Nilsen

Ticket price

Free with museum admission

Event Tier

Tier 3

Module

Enable "Add to Calendar" button

In Focus Tour: Fashioning Chinese Women

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:47:34 +0200

In Focus Tour: Fashioning Chinese Women sjenkins Fri, 07/24/2026 - 11:47

Fashioning Chinese Women was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Presented by East West Bank.

Major support provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Jennifer and Mark McCormick, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF).

Generous support provided by Raymond Kai Dong, Cindy Y. Huang, Emilia Yin and Emmanuel Sharef, Mary Solomon, Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation, Dacia Xu, Jan Yang, and Jacqueline Zhang.

All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by The David & Meredith Kaplan Foundation, the Blanchard Nesbitt Family, Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Julie Jaffe, Stan and Ann Kroenke, Ezra and Lauren Perlman, The Michael Silver Family, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto, with generous annual funding from Mary and Daniel James, Bert Levy Fund, Alfred E. Mann Charities, and Kelsey Lee Offield.

All education and outreach programs organized by LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Education Fund.

Major support is provided

Join a LACMA docent for a 30-minute tour of Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity.

Fashioning Chinese Women traces a century of transformation through more than 70 exquisite ensembles from Shanghai, Hong Kong, and America. It charts the evolution of Chinese women’s dress, from loose-fitting embroidered robes of the late Qing Dynasty to the sleek silhouettes of 1930s qipao and the globally iconic cheongsam of the 1960s. Vibrant colors, sumptuous silks, and intricate trims showcase the meticulous craftsmanship that is the hallmark of these garments. Displayed on mannequins customized by fashion designer Jason Wu, the works in the exhibition present a seldom-seen story of how Chinese and Chinese American women expressed identity, navigated change, and shaped their lives through dress.

Please be aware that these tours are volunteer-led and subject to cancellation. Ask a member of our team on the day for details.

Go Metro. The D Line now brings you directly to LACMA (Wilshire/Fairfax Station). Plan your trip at Metro.net.

Event type

Tours

Location

BCAM, Level 2

Primary image (default/desktop)

Date

Tue, 09/01/2026 - 12:30 -Tue, 09/01/2026 - 13:00

Mobile tile settings

Image tile format

Exhibition Format

Tile type

Image Tile

Hide on mobile

Off

On-sale time

Fri, 06/12/2026 - 09:14

Event audience

Adults

Kids & Families

Ticket price

Free with museum admission

Event Tier

Tier 3

Module

Enable "Add to Calendar" button

Aspect Ratio

Natural

Gallery Tour: Deep Cuts

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 19:51:32 +0200

Gallery Tour: Deep Cuts sjenkins Thu, 07/23/2026 - 10:51

Deep Cuts: Block Printing Across Cultures was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

All education and outreach programs organized by LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Education Fund.

Major support is provided

Join a LACMA docent for a 60-minute tour of Deep Cuts: Block Printing Across Cultures.

Deep Cuts explores the world's oldest and most versatile method of making multiple images. More than 150 works from Asia, Europe, and the Americas present the medium as both a means of creative expression and a vehicle for mass production that enabled images and ideas to circulate widely. Textiles, prints, and books offer intricate patterns and striking imagery that reveal block printing’s global history, from the patterned fabrics of India to the illustrated books of the Kelmscott Press to modern artistic experiments by German Expressionist artists and contemporary makers like Christiane Baumgartner. The exhibition also includes a section developed with Los Angeles–based Block Shop, highlighting how contemporary makers continue to reinterpret this enduring art form.

Please be aware that these tours are volunteer-led and subject to cancellation. Ask a member of our team on the day for details.

Go Metro. The D Line now brings you directly to LACMA (Wilshire/Fairfax Station). Plan your trip at Metro.net.

Short Title

Gallery Tour: Deep Cuts

Event type

Tours

Location

Resnick Pavilion

Primary image (default/desktop)

Date

Sun, 07/26/2026 - 14:00 -Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:00

Mobile tile settings

Image tile format

Exhibition Format

Tile type

Image Tile

Hide on mobile

Off

On-sale time

Thu, 10/23/2025 - 10:42

Event audience

Adults

Credit line - Left column

All education and outreach programs at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Education Fund.
Major support is provided by

Credit line - Right column

Image Credit: Yoshida Fujio, Myga, c. 1953–54, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Felix Juda, © Yoshida Hanga Academy, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Ticket price

Free with museum admission

Event Tier

Tier 3

Module

Enable "Add to Calendar" button

The Once Invisible Figures of Yu JinYoung

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:43:00 +0200

All images courtesy of CHOI&CHOI Gallery and the artist Sculptor Yu Jinyoung garnered international acclaim for her striking figures, whose bodies are often partially transparent. These are individuals “who wish to become invisible,” she says: “those who exist free from external attention and interference.” These explorations of both intentional isolation and somber loneliness have always […]

The post The Once Invisible Figures of Yu JinYoung first appeared on Hi-Fructose Magazine.

Art news

Featured Artist Romy Pfeifer

“An island within the island” by succco

Featured Artist Laura Moser

It’s Not What You Make. It’s What You Keep

Eye Candy for Today: Thomas Shotter Boys color lithograph

Jonathan Monk on Restoration, Ruin, and Painting Withou...

Tell us about who you are and what you do. What’s your background?

Are there particular themes or ideas you’re drawn to in your work?

What is your process for turning an idea into a finished painting?

Who are your biggest influences and why?

How do you see your work evolving in the next few years?

How do you hope viewers respond to your works? What do you want them to feel?

Do you have a favorite piece of your own artwork? Why?

If your art could be displayed anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Photographer Spotlight: Raphaël Gaultier

Featured Artist Kirk Sutherland

Illustrator Spotlight: kokooma

Does Your Art Business Look Amateurish?

Eye Candy for Today: Joseph Coomans portrait

Art Business Brief — September 7, 2026

“See the Elephant” by Photographer Shawne Brown

Eye Candy for Today: Vernet’s Hunting in the Pontine Marches

Milk Bone Underwear

Are You an Older Artist?

Harriet Mena Hill Brings Crumbling Concrete Back To Life

“Nwanne M Nwaanyi” by Photographer Chiemeka Offor

“Between the Folds” by Artist Maude Corriveau

“Autophagia” by Artist Rhys Edwards

Celestial Stance: The Art of Marigold Santos

Dot Day Collaborative Lesson!

Why Connections Matter More Than Followers

Announcing the Inaugural Older Artist Get Together in Phoenix!

Maia Ramishvili

“By the Lake” by Photographer Tommy Keith

Let's Create Larry's Line-Finding Glasses!

Art Business Brief

Eye Candy for Today: Empress Augusta leaves New York, Carl Saltzmann

What’s Your Take on Your Art Business?

Matthew Bird

Introducing the Art Business Brief

Art Business Brief — Mid-August 2026

1. Square’s offline mode can turn completed-looking sales into no sales

2. Copyright registration is likely to become more expensive this fall

3. Europe’s AI transparency rules are now in force

4. Some galleries are using collaboration instead of discounting

About Paid Membership

Art Business Brief

Why Art Licensing Might Not Be Right for You

Mixed Media Exploration and Elements of Art Review!

Catherine Denvir’s Strange, Storybook Paintings

What inspired you to become an artist?

Can you tell us a little about your artistic career so far?

How would you describe your style or approach to someone who hasn’t seen your work?

What is your process for turning an idea into a finished painting?

What’s your studio like, and how does your environment influence your work?

How do you hope viewers respond to your work? What do you want them to feel?

Are there particular themes or ideas you’re drawn to in your work?

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?

If your work had a soundtrack, what would it sound like?

Line Designs with Chalk and Glue!

Future Relics: The Art of Morgan Sorensen

The Disconcertingly Honest Self-Portrait Sculptures of Monica Piloni

Human/Nature: Animals Go Underground In the Paintings of Matthew Grabelsky

How to Make a Paper Chain Larry the Line

Optimize Yourself First

The Perfect Back-to-School Art Project: Getting to Know You Sculptures!

Let's Draw and Make Larry the Line!

Dont Tempt Me: the Art of Kristen Liu-Wong

Personal Growth: the Art of Nathan Reidt

Line and Shape Paintings!

Is Substack Worth It for Artists?

Practical Minimalism Applies to Marketing, Too

What Does Substack Actually Do Well?

Are You an Older Artist?

Can Artists Sell Art Through Substack?

Two Artists, Two Different Solutions

Why I Chose Substack

Before You Add Another Platform…

So, Is Substack Worth It?

How do you hope viewers respond to your work? What do you want them to
feel?