Ask An Artist

Recorded remotely (and with a few technical difficulties...sorry!) during our isolation. It is unlikely that there are many artists who embark on their careers thinking "I'd really like to be doing something that generates lots of adminstration", but inevitably thast is what will happen.  Peter and Laura discuss in this episode, how they deal with book-keeping, calendars, e-mails an...

This episode was (obviously) recorded remotely and with a few technical problems.   In this fourth special COVID-19 episode Laura and peter talk about some of the things they have done in response to the shutting down of what was planned to be a very busy year for both of them.  Keeping busy, being generous and working out new ways to run your business: these things are all second nature to creati...

This episode was recorded remotely (and with a few technical issues!) whilst we are all in isolation. Greetings cards can be a useful additional revenue stream if you are an artist whose work lends itself to being reproduced in this way.  Laura and Peter talk through their very different responses to Greetings cards: Laura embraces them as a significant part of her business whilst Peter (quite rig...

Peter and Laura give their views on buying art materials.  What is important?  is it the price, is it the service, is it the quality of the materials themselves?  That might sound a little basic, but it really does depend on what you are doing and where your work is likely to end up!

Prompted by the extraordinary situation during the Covid 19 pandemic Laura and Peter have explored different solutions to remain connected with their respective audiences.  Today's podcast is not specifically about crisis management, it is more about how the crisis can be seen as a reason to think about new ways of working, in particular using the inherent creativity that we have as artists l...

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 Selling 2D art often comes with the additional responsibility of framing and presentation, adding that finishing touch to your work.  It is so important that you get this right, putting an inferior frame around your picture will not do it justice so how should you approach this tricky subject.  Peter and Laura have dragged t...

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 Many artists will read magazines about Art and one of the most popular is Artists and Illustrators Magazine.  Steve Pill has been working there for many years, most of that time as editor.  Laura and Peter (both on their best behaviour - since they both write for A and I) discuss with Steve the value of magazines, how they c...

In this special episode Laura and the Talented Mr B chat about what they are up to during their enforced isolation.  Peter is doing his best to wade through the mountain of government literature and will be taking a short break from these special updates, we miss him and look forward to saner times!

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 Most artists will at some time be commissioned to do a piece of work, a particular view, a specific size, a portrait of a loved-one or something to commemorate an event.  The kind of artist or craftsperson that you are will determine both how likely this is to happen and also how you might need to approach this situation.  P...

Following last week's COVID19 special episode Laura and Peter have decided to make a weekly update on what they are up to and how the special measures that have been introduced are affecting them as self-employed professional artists.

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 Copyright is a proper minefield!  There to protect intellectual property, it is misunderstood by the majority of people who seek its protection and by the majority of people who contravene its rules.  Sal Shuel spent some of her working life in the rôle of 'expert witness' in court cases over issues of copyright. ...

Laura and Peter are both professional artists, paying the bills by making art.  At this hugely difficult time they discuss how the situation is affecting them and what measures they are taking to ensure that when things get back to something closer to normality that they will be able to resume their work with as little lasting damage as possible. Don't expect advice on the virus itself, Laura...

Nearly all creatives will at some point encounter creative block, that inability to see what you should be doing.  In this episode Peter and Laura discuss the different ways that artists can find themselves blocked and offer some ideas about how you might overcome obstacles to move you onwards

Who hasn't at some point needed a picture of their masterpiece?  Whether it is to show to a client or a gallery or a submission to a competition or just to post on social media there are time when an accurate representation of your work is essential.  In this episode our sound-man, the talented Mr B escapes from his headphones and attempts to multitask by talking about photographing flat artw...

In this episode of Ask an Artist Peter and Laura are in conversation with Michael Harding.  Michael makes paints!  Some of the finest on the market and is uncompromising about the quality of his products.  He started to make paints whilst still at Art School because he wanted to be able to achieve some of the effects that he saw in the works of painters from the past, these were impossible with th...

There are many different ways to develop your career as an artist, exhibitions, art fairs, social media and so on. Another possible avenue is through entering competitions.  Winning or being placed can mean prizes, inclusion in exhibitions and certainly some kudos.  Is it all good?  listen to Peter and Laura talking about their experiences in the competitive world of art

Making art for an artist is very rarely enough to get you to the point where you are selling art.  Nearly everyone in the creative sphere will also need to communicate too and in this week's podcast Laura and Peter discuss how writing is an important skill that is well worth learning.  Both of them write for magazines, both have written books, both write for their social media - they are both...

So much of the on-line presence of a creative person these days is through social media, its immediacy and the way that you can gauge the reaction so quickly make it a very powerful tool, but what about websites? Should you have one of those too?  Peter and Laura believe that you should and in this episode they talk about why having a carefully considered, curated website will help to promote you...

A career as an artist is not always all about making art, for some people it is also about making artists, teaching your skills to others so that they can make art too.  It isn't for everyone, some see it as a chore and if that's the case then better to steer clear of it because you are unlikely to be a good teacher.  However teaching can be immensely rewarding, financially, emotionally...

Most artists will have some relationship with colour, wether it be ink, paint, pencil or paper.  The colours you choose are important for many reasons, for their colour for one, but also for their longevity, their intensity, their opacity, their sheen, their ability to work on top or underneath other colours - I'm really only scratching the surface of the subject. Today's guest lives and...

You have produced a collection of artworks and the time has come for you to start selling them to the public.  How do you decide where to pitch your pricing?  Too low and you may not cover your costs, or you may be seen as too cheap and therefore not worth even looking at! Too high and you just won't find people prepared to pay.  Peter and Laura talk in this episode about how the pricing of y...

Most artists want to get their work on the walls of a gallery, at least until someone buys it!  How do you get your work into a gallery?  What should the relationship be between you and your gallery?  Are there tings that you must never do when dealing with a gallery - and are there things that the gallery should not be doing?  In our second podcast interviewing Nick Bentley owner of Bils and Rye...

Social media can be a huge benefit to any creative person wanting to promote what they do, but it needs to be used intelligently and it should be the artist using it as a tool, rather than being an end in itself.  In this Podcast Laura and Peter talk about their own experiences with Social Media and how it has helped them to further their careers and businesses.

Originality in art is certainly to be admired, you don't want to be seen to be  derivative, but it is also important to have a recognisable style so that, in time, people can look at your work and see it as being yours.  In this episode Peter and Laura talk about finding your own voice as an artist, developing ideas and techniques in a way that is recognisably your own.

All artists will experience critcism, it goes with the territory.  Tastes differ so much that making art can only ever appeal to a segment of the audience, so sometimes people will tell you that they do not like what you do.  Peter and Laura talk in this episode about how to deal with this criticism, both to protect yourself and to put it into perspective.