The Art Blog

This Week in Advertising... Do Artists Retire?

2008-07-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

This week a T-Mobile commercial has caught my eye a couple times. As I got my degree in Advertising; I always pay a little more attention to the commercial breaks. Here it is:

It's not the greatest commercial or even that original an idea, the word replacement trick has been done before, but I have a lot of respect that they were able to incorporate Brett Favre in what had to be an incredible short lead time as the hoopla surrounding his anticipated un-retirement has really only swelled in the last couple weeks. His image is sure to add a little extra attention to this spot.

Favre's situation got me thinking about Artists' careers. I think most professional artists start their adult lives in a different field. Whose first job was 'Professional Artist'? I would guess very few, even though I'm sure most would say that they've been an artist their whole lives, just not as an occupation.

So, like Favre, does there ever come a time where you consider quitting? And, I don't mean because you have to take a 'real job' to pay rent. Does the job itself, creating, working, and I guess the marketing side too; does it ever just get to you?

Do artists wake up one day and say, 'okay, I've done enough...'?

Infinity Arcade #1 - "Nate Lake"

2008-07-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Click the image to view the strip.

Infinity Arcade is very loosely based on actual events @ BoundlessGallery.com.

Former BoundlessGallery.com Artist of the Month Featured Again

2008-07-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

In Good Company

Today I discovered on of our former AOTM's, Tom Fedro aka 'FidoStudio' was featured in the emerging artists section of the latest edition of Art Business News. Congrats Tom!

If anyone would like to submit an artist to the magazine, they ask for an email with 4-5 samples of your work, a full biography, artist statement, and resume to:

Jennifer Dulin Wiley
Managing Editor
Art Business News
jwiley@sbmediallc.com

80.4 Million Paid for a Monet

2008-06-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, Le Bassin aux Nymphéas was auctioned off for a cool 80.4 million dollars... While I understand the importance of 'rarity', and get the fact that living artists can continue to produce new works, which only hurts their value at auction. Wouldn't it be nice to see more living artists fetch these ridiculous sums of money?
NY Times Story

Or is not being 'appreciated' in the financial sense while alive, almost an accepted part of the occupation?

The New Adventures of Old BoundlessGallery.com

2008-06-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a pleasant chat with long-time Boundless member, supporter and wonderful artist, Janeice Silberman. At some point I was reminded of a site that has a feature called "The Way-Back Machine", which saves snapshots of websites periodically over time.

Without further ado here is a walk down Boundless memory lane.
(Click titles for larger images):

BoundlessGallery.com - 2003

BoundlessGallery.com - 2004

BoundlessGallery.com - 2005

BoundlessGallery.com - 2006

BoundlessGallery.com - 2008

As a student I studied Philosophy and recall one theory about the "illusion of progress". I do not recall the author but I think it was Hobbes or Hume. The idea was that we often go about doing things and get a sense of progress that doesn't really exist. Obviously, I disagree, especially in the specific case of BoundlessGallery.com. As always feel free to share your thoughts and opinions, and if anyone knows the philosopher I was referring to, please confirm or correct me.

Art Related "TV" Online Today

2008-06-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

In just a short awhile, 2PM EST there is a scheduled broadcast at Afremov.com. The site is dedicated to an artist, Leonid Afremov, whose works are available on Boundless. At the moment I don't have further info on today's scheduled programing, but if your up for some "channel surfing", check it out.

More from CurrentTV

2008-05-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

After blogging about Cristine Cambrea HERE I asked how more of our artists could be featured on their site and channel. Here is their reply:

Thank you for posting our video and speaking so amiably about our site. We really appreciate it. Artist videos like Cristine Cambrea's are actually submitted by the artist or someone they know--what we call viewer created content, which is a large portion of our programming.

Anyone is welcome to create mini documentaries, what we call pods, and send them in. All the info you need to get started is right here: http://current.com/make/pod

The best videos receive a monetary incentive as well as getting on TV. I totally encourage you to get your artists to create videos and submit their stories. We'd love to hear about them!

So, if you're looking for more exposure, here's is fun way to garner attention and use those expensive digital cameras we've all got laying around.

Bigger is Better

2008-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago we decided that our thumbnails were not doing justice to some of the great art on the site. The size was always carried over from one design to the next even though there is way more room as we continue to stream-line everything. So, long story short, we are beefing up our thumbs. Right now it is only on the homepage, but soon all thumbs will have the new improved size.

Here's an example of Old vs New: (Stormy Skies by Rick Smith)

We think this subtle increase will really help our customers and artists find each other.

Watch the Faces of Boundless Artist - Cristine Cambrea

2008-05-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

I received a pleasant email this morning from an employee of Current TV. He wrote to let us know that one of our artists, Cristine Cambrea, was being featured in a new video on their website.

Without further ado....

Of course we've known how video-genic Cristine is for awhile thanks to her great Studio Tour on BoundlessGallery.com.

Thanks again to Current TV, which can be found on the following providers and channels:
+ DIRECTV 366
+ Comcast Nationwide 107
+ Dish Network 196

Be sure to check them out. And, if you are an artist, don't be afraid to contact the media and tell them your story. You never now what might happen until you try...

R.I.P. Robert Rauschenberg

2008-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today, I came across a headline that caught my eye. "Titan of American Art, is Dead at 82". Although I'm young, I have a pretty good encyclopedia of famous people in my head. However, I was unfamiliar with the name, Robert Rauschenberg. After reading this NY Times Story by Michael Kimmelman, I'm sure I would have liked to have learned about him before he passed.

Kimmelman describes him as follows, "A brash, garrulous, hard-drinking, open-faced Southerner, he had a charm and peculiar Delphic felicity with language that nevertheless masked a complex personality and an equally multilayered emotional approach to art, which evolved as his stature did."

If you've got the time and inclination, read over that story and take a moment to consider your own journey through life's always uneven paths.

Boundless is Rockin & Rollin

2008-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Early this morning I suddenly woke up to a what I thought was a little tremor in my arm. It took a few seconds for me to realize I hadn't slept on my arm wrong or got it caught up in the sheets, but in fact, my whole apartment was shaking thanks to an early morning earthquake.

It wasn't dramatic or anything, I had completely forgotten about it by the time I woke back up and made my way to the office. The first thing our Support Director, Nolan, asked this morning was if I had felt it. Seems it was strong enough to wake us, and as I later found out, everyone else who works at Boundless. Then to top it off we had a very noticeable aftershock around 10 local time. Here's one of the many stories from the local papers, the Southern Illinoisan.

Guess it shows those West Coast internet start-ups that they haven't cornered the market on earthquakes. Just another interesting little chapter in the Boundless story...

A Daily Dose of Inspiration

2008-04-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

As I've shown here before, I'm a big fan of great quotes. It seems I'm not alone... Big thanks go out to Hengameh Kaghazchi for starting a great group within the Boundless Social Network.

Share Your Favorite Quotes has become a must check group for me, whenever I see new posts there. Here's a recent one;

____"An Optimist is the Human Personification of Spring"
____Unknown Chinese Philosopher

Consider me Spring, because I'm very optimistic about the future of Boundless and our great artists!

More Whirlwind Weeks @ Boundless

2008-03-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Perspective can be really funny sometimes. It seems like each week we get caught up with something, and there is a constant pressure that can make it seem like you are falling behind or at least should be doing more. But, then comes a moment where you step back and see the big picture, and realize that while each detail is important and takes time to do right, ultimately the little projects get accomplished and on the whole you are making tremendous progress.

Within a couple weeks we've unified most of our navigation, redesigned the entire site, added a 'Family Filter' to safeguard the new 'discover an artist' section in our homepage tabs, which are also new; along with creating some cool features for artists like, the new 'My Links' page which allows our artists to create and update 2 custom URL's in order to make it even easier for them to market their work all across the Internet.

So, I guess my point or advice would be, if a little portion of a painting is bugging you, or if a current project at the office seems to be monopolizing all your time, take a step back and give yourself some credit before jumping back into the fray. If you love what you do, the rewards will come.

The Amazing Influence of Insecurities & Songs about Time

2008-03-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Working for an art gallery you run into all kinds of personality types and get to ‘meet’ all kinds of great & talented people. With each passing month you start to see cycles; a new artist catches your eye, another artist figures out ways to keep making sales every week, or an old familiar name pops up and you wonder what they’ve been up to.

What often amazes me most, are the emails I receive from potential or new artists members on Boundless.

“Do you think my work is good enough?"
"Any suggestions for pricing my work, I don’t think anyone will want to buy my stuff, but…”

It almost makes me sad sometimes; how can someone so talented not see it? These men and women write in, shy and guarded, so fragile about what is obviously their life’s destiny. I (usually) feel pretty great about my job, but what these artists are capable of… it is something I could only dream of. I'm completely jealous of these people and they don't even know how lucky they are!

Time & time again they write-in unsure of themselves. What really saddens me is that for every 1 that writes, there are probably 10 more who don’t even find the courage to ask.

I’m still very young, but I know life is short and you can’t get far wasting time. So, please as a favor to me, whether you're an artist or an accountant, if there is something that you should be doing that might make your life even a little better; go do it now! If you have to ask for help or encouragement; do it now!

The only thing to really regret is not trying.

As always please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

BoundlessGallery is cooler than cool...

2008-02-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

We've been ice cold for the last few days as a terrible winter storm hit our whole area pretty hard. According to the local paper,
(From The Southern Illinoisan)

over 17,000 people lost electricity because of the storm. I can tell from first-hand experience, it is not pleasant to be without heat in the middle of an ice storm.

It took a couple of hours and a hammer to free more poor car from its icy coffin. But, that beautiful '93 grand am (Betsy) still fired right up, although it took another day, and some help from everyone's favorite support director, Nolan, to actually get her out of the parking lot.

BETSY (editor's note; the real Betsy is far less attractive and there are no beautiful mountains on the horizon in Carbondale)

Once free, Nolan and I a made trip to Lowes. Then with new gloves, new shovels, and a robust amount of general manliness we made our way to the office. As is always the case when it snows, our lovely city snow plows had piled huge drifts in front of our parking lot's entrance. Undaunted, we began to attack the frozen enemy.

(From ViewImages.com)

Never before had I stood on a foot of snow and not sunk even a centimeter into it. It was more about cracking ice than shoveling snow. An hour and a very sore back later we had managed to get about a 6'x6' square all the way down to the pavement, just enough to get Betsy in.

So, we may be a little behind for the next day or two, but the moral of this story is that it is good to have good friends like
NOLAN
and that if you're feeling down today, just remember, it could be worse. And, if you can see the Sun today, be thankful for that.

FREE RETURNS!

2008-01-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

What? You thought 1 industry revolutionizing program was enough for this week? Not at BoundlessGallery. In addition to Framing(see previous post), we've just added Free Returns!

Now, the best place to buy art online is even better. Customers can shop worry-free as our already outstanding returns policy just got a major improvement. Should anything be less than perfect with your order, Boundless will cover the shipping costs, BOTH ways!

We hope that this added security will help convince more people to make the final step and purchase a great piece of art from one of our great artists.

Just look for the logo;

- Program Details-
-All US to US orders placed from now until February 29th, will automatically qualify for a ‘Free Return’.
*If all goes as expected, we’ll continue the program beyond this deadline.

-On orders that qualify, when returned; Boundless will provide the customer with a prepaid return shipping label from FedEx, and Boundless will reimburse artists original shipping expenses.

-This will only apply on returned orders. The current system of provider listed shipping will not be affected on normal sales.

BoundlessGallery.com, we just don't know how to slow down :)

FRAMING!

2008-01-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

BoundlessGallery.com, the best place to buy original art online, is becoming even better. We're adding the ability to add custom framing to your order! This is a major innovation in our industry. Where else can you find great original works by great modern artists & choose a custom frame all in one place?
No Where, But BOUNDLESSGALLERY.com!

Now, Boundless visitors can search for & find great art, watch & interact with great artists, and purchase great pieces with great frames!

This has been a major undertaking, and we're very proud of our work. To coordinate between customer, artist, framer, and Boundless is not an easy task, but we've taken it on, and think we've figured it out.

Right now, Boundless artists are busy enabling framing on their pieces, and as soon as we have enough in our inventory we'll release it to customers. Because it is the artist's work, we've given them the authority to allow framing on their pieces or not.

Pieces that are 'framable' will have this icon on their product page once we release it to customers;

*Important Notes about Framing*
-No Returns-
Because adding a frame to a piece will alter the original work, we will not be accepting returns on framed orders.

-Shipping Restrictions-
Due to the high costs of shipping framed works, only US and Canadian customers may order frames at this time.

-Declared Value-
Insurance costs have forced the framer to limit the value of pieces they will accept. So, art works listed above $500 may not be framed on Boundless.

-IL Sales Tax-
Because Boundless is considered the seller of frames, IL residents will pay applicable sales tax on the price of the frame.

Our goal at BoundlessGallery.com is to be the best place in the world to buy original art, online or off, and framing is another bench mark towards that mission.

Weekly Coupons!

2008-01-09T15:10:00.001-08:00

The weekly coupons system just got a nice update. Now it will send every Boundless member who subscribes, an email once a week, containing 4 random current deals from our artists.

Each different member's email will contain 4 different random deals, so that every artist gets fair exposure. Of coarse, it also contains a link to the 'Art on Sale' page where all coupons are displayed.

If you are an artist, be sure to add a photo to your profile so that customer get to see you along side your discount.

day-by-day, one-step at a time, BoundlessGallery.com, the best place to buy original art online, just keeps getting better!

The latest steps...

2007-12-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

If your a BoundlessGallery regular you may notice that our art-search engine, The Art Finder got a little make over. It's now 1/3 slimmer and helps get our artists' work higher up on the page.

Users who are still using Internet Explorer 6 will notice a lot fixes to some bugs you may have been experiencing. We're working to make sure everything works for everyone from here on out, but consider giving yourself the gift of a new browser this Christmas :) IE 7 and FireFox are both much improved.

This year has seen a lot of changes at Boundless, we think for the better. We've got some BIG things lined up for '08, and want to thank everyone who's helped us get to where we are. So, Thanks to you!

Our goal is simple: to make the world a better place by helping artist share great work with great customers...

Happy Holidays,

Luke, and all of the Team Boundless

An Artists Letter to Santa

2007-12-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from BoundlessGallery.com! :)

Art on Sale!

2007-12-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

BoundlessGallery.com's artists are giving away great deals on their art! And, we've just expanded the functionality of Artist Coupons.

Upgrades include:
- View an artist or gallery's coupons from their profile page.
- View any coupons for a product on the product's page (located above the price).
- On the Art on Sale page you can browse coupons by artist name or expiring soonest.

Just another step towards connecting great artists with great buyers! Stay tuned this Holiday season, as BoundlessGallery.com, the best place to buy original art online, gets even better.

Best of Luck,

Free Art Flurry & Spread the Cheer, Go Boundless!

2007-12-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

BoundlessGallery.com and our artists are giving back this month. We've got 2 great drawings going on right now!

1st - We're giving away more FREE art than ever in this month's:
.
*To enter you have to complete a short survey. When you finish the questions you then get to pick which piece you want a shot at winning from among the following;

Barbara Furlong - Towering Glacier

Bonnie Morrow - Bird on a Wire

Vickie Marsango - Whisper

Laurie Kraft - PiNK GooNY BiRD

Special Thanks Go to these Great Artists for Giving Back to the Art Community!
___________________________________________________________________________

2nd - As if that drawing wasn't enough, we've added extra incentive to our awesome Refer-a-Friend Program. Check out the:
contest.

In December, in addition to earning 20% of their membership fees, you get an entry each time you refer a new artist to Boundless into a drawing that can win you great prizes! Both customers and existing artists can participate, and there are special prizes for each group.

Be Prepared!

2007-11-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Consider this a Warning:
Sharon Cummings posted a contest suggestion in one of the new groups, part of the booming Boundless Network. Part of her post was this story about Cyber Monday . Now is the busiest time of year for online sales, so if your an artist get your listings touched up and organized, and if your a boundless shopper get your favorite pieces now, before someone scoops them up!
:)
Best of luck & happy holidays

Stocking Stuffers! Gifts for Artists

2007-11-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about all the great art that is going to be given to friends and family as gifts this winter, and I began to wonder, "what do artists want?"

I'm sure there's the usual list of I-Products, Gizmos, and Jewelry. (Of coarse I'd recommend introducing your artist friends to the benefits of Boundless.) But for those already enjoying the site, maybe a good book would make for a good gift to give to your friend 'the artist'.

So off I went searching for a good book for artists... here's what I found;

How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist, 5th ed.: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul (Paperback)by Caroll Michels

Now, I can't say I recommend this book, having never read it but it's got good reviews on Amazon, and you can preview a large chunk of it by following that link above, thanks to Google Books. The cover says that the 5th edition now includes the web strategy, and there's a section about assessing online galleries.. I bet Boundless stacks up well :)

Remember to get your gifts online, it's easier,
Happy Holidays!

More Groups of Note

2007-11-14T07:43:00.001-08:00

There are two new groups in the Boundless social network that may directly lead to more traffic to an artist work.

Boundless Blogs
A group dedicated to listings of Boundless artists' personal blogs. In addition to the traffic boost you may get just from being in the group, artists might get additional attention, like this:
"Francesca's Heart Studio"
"Jennie'sPalette"
"The Galactic Truth"
"Peter Worsley" (Everyone say happy birthday to Peter, he is still going strong at 78 years young!)

&

Artist News
A group for artists to post any press releases or news stories that they have been featured in. (There may be bonus points for artists that include a mention that their work is available at BoundlessGallery.com ;)

There groups are still fresh out of the oven, so where improving them as they cool down. "Live" links are coming, and better formatting.

Use the Boundless tools, there are many more unknown art-selling/promoting possibilities that have yet to be discovered.

Best of luck,