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Issue #9: The Most Valuable Objects on the Planet
by Clint Watson on 4/27/2007 6:00:55 AM
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4/27/2007 5:49:14 AMSubject: Fine Art Views: The Most Valuable Objects on the Planet
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Fine Art Views by Clint Watson
ISSUE #9 - Daily Edition - (Sponsored by FineArtStudioOnline)
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FineArtViews Newsletter
Straight Talk about Art, Marketing,
Inspiration and Fine Living
For Artists, Collectors and Galleries
(and anyone else who loves art)
|
The Most Valuable Objects
On The Planet
TODAY: Today's missive explores the idea that artworks are the most valuable objects on the planet. Perhaps a bit of hyperbole in the title, but read on, you'll get the idea...
IF YOU WISH TO UNSUBSCRIBE, CLICK THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER
Friday, April 27, 2007
IN THIS ISSUE
* The Most Valuable Objects on the Planet
* COLLECTOR'S DISCOVERY ZONE
See the latest works by our artist members!
The Most Valuable Objects on the Planet
by Clint Watson
When you think about it, good paintings are among the most valuable objects on the planet (notice I qualified the statement with by adding the word "Good"). Think I'm kidding? Van Gogh's "Irises" sold for $49 million dollars in 1987. No doubt it would be more today. "Au Moulin de la Galette" by Renoir has sold for as high as a whopping $78.1 million. Now, that's a lot of green for one canvas! However, not only are paintings valuable FINANCIALLY, but even more so EMOTIONALLY.
Back when I was in the gallery business, I often saw people moved to TEARS by paintings. What kind of price tag do you put on THAT? Usually only those you love (or hate) can move you to tears, but with paintings, we're talking about a tangible object that can move a person to tears. Paintings can affect a myriad of emotions in their viewers, from happiness and excitement, to sadness and disgust. Visual art can "take us away" from our hectic lives and daily problems and give us an inner moment of peace, tranquility or joy.
For these reasons, people become extremely emotionally attached to their art. I know a lady who has been offered over a million dollars for a particular bronze sculpture that she owns (This is many times what she paid for it.) Her reply? "The bronze means more to me than the money." I find that even with my own art collection. People often ask me, "Which piece is your favorite?" I usually respond with, "Which of your children is your favorite?" (Along with a sheepish grin.) Even when selling paintings in the gallery, people would select a painting to purchase and I would think, "NO! I'm not quite ready to let THAT one go!"
Few people have the opportunity to create truly unique, tangible, one-of-a-kind items of high value like visual artists do. Even other types of "artists" don't have the opportunity to relish in such wonderful physical "proof" of their creations. Think about musicians, dancers, and actors. To see their "originals", the viewer must be present at its creation (i.e. the performance itself). And a performance is a re-creation anyway. To reach the audience in their homes (as painters can do simply by hanging the painting on the collector's wall), all other art mediums must rely on duplication techniques: music (CD's), dance (video), acting (video) ... even photographers must rely on film.
Indeed, only visual artists have this tangible evidence of the original creation process. And the value is attached to the work product itself. Think about it. Other forms of art have no original and tangible product to store their intrinsic value. How do you purchase music? You can purchase a recorded copy, you can purchase a concert ticket, you can purchase the score, and you can even purchase the copyrights to music. But none of those things are truly the original. "'What about the concert?" you ask. Good question. The original artist may perform it, but even it is only a rehearsed copy. It would be like watching a painter "repaint" a painting. . . without even having a finished painting at the end!
My somewhat belabored point is that only visual art provides both an ORIGINAL & TANGIBLE product. Gold can store value, but can't move us to tears (unless you bought it at the wrong time), while music can move us to tears, but can't store value in a physical way. Paintings can do BOTH.
This is one reason we become so addicted to paintings. We like experiencing the emotions they provoke and we like the idea of owning the original one-of-a-kind item that nobody else in the entire world owns. Paintings are like people: no two are exactly alike, but all are gifts from God and are to be cherished.
All of this presents the gifted artists themselves with a wonderfully awful dilemma. Wonderful because of what they are able to contribute to humanity, but awful because for us to enjoy it, THEY HAVE TO LET THE ARTWORKS GO. I've often seen FABULOUS paintings in an artist's studio and I ask the artist, "Can I buy THAT one?"
"I'm not quite ready to let THAT one go . . .", He replies.
I know exactly how he feels.
Warm Regards,
Clint
PS "Every genuine work of art has as much reason for being as the earth and the sun." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
COLLECTOR'S DISCOVERY ZONE:
FineArtViews Past Issues with Reader Comments!
Creativity Begets Creativity So Get Small for Erfahrung:
Imitation Learning:
Email Everyone You Know
The True Value of An Artist Blog
What NOT to Get Your Wife for Her Birthday
All Past Issues:
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For more info, click the following link or to apply:
ABOUT FINEARTVIEWS
DO WE SELL ART?
FineArtViews is a Free email newsletter. We do not sell art or have a commission structure with any of the artists discussed in this publication. If you wish to purchase art by any of the artists featured, we will assist you in contacting the artist or the artist's gallery representatives.
DO YOU OWN A GALLERY? WANT YOUR EXHBIT FEATURED HERE?
If you're a gallery and would like us to mention an upcomming exhibit or to consider a particular artist, please email us. We don't guarantee inclusion but we are all about sharing with the art industry so would like to know about it.
Republish FineArtViews Insightful Content on
your own website, blog or enewsletter free of charge!
You may republish your favorite articles from FineArtViews without charge. Use of this material without adhereing to ALL of the following instructions is a violation of copyright laws:
Republishing our articles is simple. You must include attribution of the author(s) and the following short paragraphs (everything between the dashed lines), in the same font size and visibility as the article:
----------------------------------------------
This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews.com by Clint Watson, a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists, collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art) .
-----------------------------------------------
Suggest FineArtViews to a Friend:
If you would like to suggest FineArtViews to a friend, please point them to:
Tell them to click the "Join" link.
Have a Question for Clint?
FineArtViews welcomes your questions, thoughts and comments. Send them to:
The Fine Print:
This copyrighted material is published here by permission of its sole author, Clinton B. Watson, except as noted otherwise.
As law-abiding citizens who wish to comply with our anti-spam laws (unlike actual spammers), we our postal address below.
FineArtViews.com
PO Box 700534
San Antonio, TX 78270
Thanks for your friendship.
If you liked today's newsletter, please forward it to a friend, if you didn't like it, feel free to forward it to your enemies ;-)
© Copyright 2007 Clinton B. Watson - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, or Change any other preferences regarding your subscription to Fine Art Views, visit the following link:
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Issue #6: Email Everyone You Know
by Clint Watson on 4/24/2007 8:42:00 AM
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4/24/2007 6:02:08 AMSubject: Fine Art Views: Email Everyone You Know
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Fine Art Views by Clint Watson
ISSUE #6 - Weekly Edition - (Sponsored by FineArtStudioOnline)
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FineArtViews Newsletter
Straight Talk about Art, Marketing,
Inspiration and Fine Living
For Artists, Collectors and Galleries
(and anyone else who loves art)
|
Email Everyone You Know
TODAY:
FOR ARTISTS: The next step in focusing people on your artwork is to email everyone you know.
FOR COLLECTORS: We repeat from our daily edition, our popular commentary, What NOT to Buy Your Wife for Her Birthday.
IF YOU WISH TO UNSUBSCRIBE, CLICK THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
IN THIS ISSUE
* Email Everyone You Know
Get started with marketing your art - start with who you know
* What NOT to Buy Your Wife for Her Birthday
Never, Never, Ever Reveal her true age
* COLLECTOR'S DISCOVERY ZONE
See the latest works by our artist members!
FOR ARTISTS: Email EVERYONE YOU KNOW
by Clint Watson
If you followed last week's advice, you made a list of everyone you know. Today, you take the first step in focusing the marketing lens upon your artwork. Today’s action is simple: email everyone you know.
Draft an email announcement. Take a bit of time to make it interesting. Make it enticing. PLEASE, whatever you do don’t send a “hey check out my site” email. Talk a bit about your work. Or perhaps something new that you have done. It is a bit of a balance as you don’t want the email to be too long or too short. It also needs to sound personal, not too commercial.
While this article is not exploring the finer points of email marketing, here are a few pointers to consider
1. Send the email in plain text. For this email, we want to maximize delivery to your network. Plain text minimizes the chance that your email will be caught in a spam filter.
2. The Subject Line is the most important line. Take some time to consider what you want to say and be SURE to include your name in the subject since this email is going to your friends and family.
3. Include a post script. All direct mail marketers know that the “PS” is usually the most read part of a message. Include the most important point you wish to make in your “PS.” (You can duplicate this point in the email body as well if you wish)
4. Include a link to your web site. Above the link, include a description of what the link is for. See my sample below for clarification. This two line method is necessary because the email will be sent in plain text and this provides the most reliable way to ensure that the link works (and that your web site URL can be read).
5. To make this email personal, send this email from your personal email account, NOT from an automated system. To accomplish this, put YOUR email address in the “TO” field and paste all your friends’ address into the BLIND CARBON COPY field. If you have more than 200 names, break the list up into chunks that are smaller than 200. If you have access to an email blast system that appears personal, feel free to use it, but what you DON’T want to do is automatically add everyone to your regular email newsletter list. They should choose to subscribe to that themselves. You can see how I encourage that in my sample.
To get your juices flowing, I have drafted a sample email below. Feel free to use any of the wording in your own effort:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SUBJECT LINE: A Special Announcement to Friends of JOHN Q ARTIST
Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you sincerely for your past and continued support of my artistic endeavors! I’m excited to announce that I’ve taken my art career to the proverbial “next level” with the launch of my new web site.
After months of experimenting in my studio and refining my style of painting, I am achieving intriguing new levels in my artwork.
I’m inviting you, my friends, family and patrons to enjoy my new direction. Please take just a moment to continue your generous support by stopping by my web site to provide feedback, sign up for my email list, leave a comment on my blog, or simply browse my artwork portfolio.
See John Q Artist’s Intriguing New Style of Art Work:
http://www.JohnQArtist.com
I thank you for your support and for your friendship.
Sincerely,
John Q. Artist
PS: I sent this email because I wanted my family and friends to be the first to see my new artistic direction. If you wish to receive continued announcements regarding my art work, please sign up for my email list on my web site.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After you have drafted your email, proof it for spelling, grammar and send it out!
If you’re worried that this method is not personal enough for family and friends, don’t worry. We still have several steps in our Focus the Lens series to go and PERSONAL emails are coming soon enough….
This step is intended to be a “jump start” to get people looking at your work and your site. And a way to get you back in your supporters’ minds, which will be helpful in the next steps.
Sincerely,
Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic
PS: I told you that people read the post script.
For our complete recommended email marketing method, visit my blog at:
FOR COLLECTORS:
(Repeated from our Daily Edition)
What NOT to Get Your Wife for Her Birthday
by Clint Watson
Today we look at a man who made, in our opinion, the "mistake" of buying a birthday present for his wife that was "art" announcing her age. Since this newsletter discusses "art" and "fine living" we feel this article is appropriate. After all, the work in question poses as art and keeping your wife happy on her birthday would definitely contribute to fine living (or at least NOT keeping her happy would hinder fine living) . . .
One Thousand Paintings:
http://www.onethousandpaintings.com/
Quite a few of our readers replied. Several wondered if we had lost our marbles...our at least our eye for art, obviously thinking that we admired Sala's art. Let us assure you, we do not. Whether we've lost our eye for art or not, we cannot say, but, it seems our point was missed. Our agenda that day was one of giggling and poking fun...As we said, Sala's "art" is ridiculous. Sala’s marketing is not too shabby.
Since writing about Sala, we’ve had the opportunity to read more about him in Wired magazine. Columnist Daniel H. Pink apparently could think of nothing clever to buy his wife for her 41st birthday. We would have suggested some real fine art or at least diamonds. But Mr. Pink instead contacted Sala and bought his wife number “41” for her birthday.
Paint by Numbers by Daniel H. Pink:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.12/posts.html?pg=3
In our humble opinion, he broke two cardinal rules of marriage and manhood. First, a wife’s birthday demands a more thoughtful gift than a number. And second, we all know that you never, never EVER reveal your wife’s true age . . . perhaps he should have acquired number 29.
The most telling line of Mr. Pink’s article is the last, regarding Sala’s customs declaration, “For a work whose worth was $959 and that cost $575, Sala estimated the value of 41 at $40.”
Sincerely,
Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic
PS: Since posting this piece on our blog, we've garned a lot of traffic from people searching for "What to get your wife for her birthday"....apparently that stumps quite a few poor souls.
COLLECTOR'S DISCOVERY ZONE:
FineArtViews Past Issues with Reader Comments!
The True Value of an Artist Blog
What NOT to Get Your Wife for Her Birthday
The Only Way You'll EVER Sell Art:
The Single Most Important Question in Marketing:
Do you have Stendhal Syndrome? I Do!
Make a List of Everyone You Know
All Past Issues:
If you're not receiving daily Fine Art Views, click the following link to update your profile:
--Advertisement --
Do Your Website Visitors
Make the Following Comments?
"Your site left me speechless. I'm so impressed. No words can describe how incredible and exquisite your site and work is." And another......"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! It is truly an elegant website." And another........"Great website! WOW, Wonderful, Spectacular. Way to go."
Visitors to our Clients' Websites Do!
Get more details and your Free 90-day trial:
Visit www.FineArtStudioOnline.com
Click “Create Your Site”, Use Promo Code FAV74A
FineArtStudioOnline
Easy Artist Websites with Marketing Help
Want to Work For Us?
Make Good Money...Flexible Hours....Work From Home....Work in an Exciting Field
If you know classic ASP programming, HTML Hand coding, and are good with people, we want to talk to you. A love of art and experience in the art industry (such as at a gallery), and experience with FineArtStudioOnline are plusses. Photoshop knowledge is also welcome. Also requires that you have a phone and broadband internet access. With ASP experience, part time pay starts at the $15-$20 per hour range.
For more info, click the following link or to apply:
ABOUT FINEARTVIEWS
DO WE SELL ART?
FineArtViews is a Free email newsletter. We do not sell art or have a commission structure with any of the artists discussed in this publication. If you wish to purchase art by any of the artists featured, we will assist you in contacting the artist or the artist's gallery representatives.
DO YOU OWN A GALLERY? WANT YOUR EXHBIT FEATURED HERE?
If you're a gallery and would like us to mention an upcomming exhibit or to consider a particular artist, please email us. We don't guarantee inclusion but we are all about sharing with the art industry so would like to know about it.
Republish FineArtViews Insightful Content on
your own website, blog or enewsletter free of charge!
You may republish your favorite articles from FineArtViews without charge. Use of this material without adhereing to ALL of the following instructions is a violation of copyright laws:
Republishing our articles is simple. You must include attribution of the author(s) and the following short paragraphs (everything between the dashed lines), in the same font size and visibility as the article:
----------------------------------------------
This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews.com by Clint Watson, a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists, collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art) .
-----------------------------------------------
Suggest FineArtViews to a Friend:
If you would like to suggest FineArtViews to a friend, please point them to:
Tell them to click the "Join" link.
Have a Question for Clint?
FineArtViews welcomes your questions, thoughts and comments. Send them to:
The Fine Print:
This copyrighted material is published here by permission of its sole author, Clinton B. Watson, except as noted otherwise.
As law-abiding citizens who wish to comply with our anti-spam laws (unlike actual spammers), we our postal address below.
FineArtViews.com
PO Box 700534
San Antonio, TX 78270
Thanks for your friendship.
If you liked today's newsletter, please forward it to a friend, if you didn't like it, feel free to forward it to your enemies ;-)
© Copyright 2007 Clinton B. Watson - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE, CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, or Change any other preferences regarding your subscription to Fine Art Views, visit the following link:
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