Monday, April 28, 2008

Meet my friend, Ron Morgan. Ron is an ex-college professor who took his passion for woodworking into the next phase of his life. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Ron’s shop viewing pieces in various stages of completion. I saw many completed pieces that Ron was preparing for a show in New England.

Many people are of the opinion that woodworking is not art. However, if you saw the creative pieces that Ron has created you would share my opinion that this is indeed art. He uses woods common to the area and is of a rare and special quality. He makes furniture and special designer pieces that generally are custom made to specifications.

One of his specialties is liturgical works for places of worship.



Ron makes work to customer specification and does commission work. When I visited Ron, I saw a headboard being made to a customer’s specifications that impressed me with its detail and intricacies.

Larry
larry@findartbuyart.com

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Friends,

Today's installment is not about a single artist. It is, rather, about a gallery of artists. I met Noah Antieau at an Art event in Norcross, Georgia. He is the front man for six artists in www.redtruckgallery.com. Noah and I are kindred souls so to speak. Read this passage from his site:

“It seems most every time I walk into an art gallery I end up disappointed in one of two ways: either the art is bad, or the cost is outrageous.
More often than not galleries just do not show good art, which is amazing when you think about it, but nonetheless true. On those rare occasions when a gallery gets it right, they charge so much that the average person might as well be walking though a museum as a gallery; prices are just too high.
The result is that a huge segment of the population has been forced out of the conventional art market, left to languish in second rate craft fairs and strange, starving artist, shopping mall galleries.” (Noah Antieau) http://redtruckgallery.findartbuyart.com/

I am of the same opinion. When people go to galleries or exhibits, they find the art pricing prohibitive. Primarily this is because gallery operators may charge upwards of 50% commission on the artwork. I find this appalling. They are profiting from the sweat and inspiration of others for the privilege of giving an artist a piece of wall to display their work.

Art lovers are forced to attempt to find those diamonds in the rough artists who have not been recognized for their talent, yet. Artist’s main drive in their life is to display their unique vision in an art medium that expresses their innermost thoughts. Artist’s main sense of gratification is to have someone appreciate his or her work.

I am not denigrating all gallery owners. Some try to do right by their artists and patrons by charging reasonable commissions. Other parasites gouge their artists because artists are generally not attuned to the business side of art.

Do not let these vermin win. Go to independent galleries. View the work of some great artists who have not been discovered yet. Tell the artist how their work makes you feel. If you are so compelled, buy something.

Larry
larry@findartbuyart.com
www.findartbuyart.com

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

To all of my art loving friends,

Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to view the works of Coralette Damme. It was very enjoyable to finally be able to talk to her up close and personal. My wife and I enjoyed speaking with her very much. We also had the occasion to view the work of her Etsy friends of Central Florida. In addition to her work on Etsy she has posted another sample of her work on Find Art Buy Art.

Please read some of her bio below:

The Crafty Hag is a St. Petersburg Florida artist who creates stained glass art in a non-traditional style. Incorporating found objects and painted elements make the Hag's creations all one of a kind. However, The Crafty Hag is not just about glass. She also makes fun goofy stuff like giant magnets with silly photos, cool folk art inspired paintings, hand printed postcards, and tons of other stuff! The Crafty Hag can be found at various events posted on her website www.craftyhag.com just go to the events page! Or if you are not in the local FL area you can shop on line at www.craftyhag.etsy.com Drop the crafty hag an email through either website and let her know what you think about her work. OR, you can be the Crafty Hag's friend on MySpace www.myspace.com/craftyhag Don't be shy!

Her work can also be found on www.findartbuyart.com. Her direct link to her page is http://craftyhag.findartbuyart.com/. I am an incredible fan of her work and she is prolific and open. Please check her out and give me your opinion.

As usual, if you know of a creative person who needs to have their work displayed to the public, please give me their contact information so that I may review their work here. I am always looking to help artists create a buzz and interest around their creative expressions.

Larry
larry@findartbuyart.com
www.findartbuyart.com

Monday, April 21, 2008

To my art-loving friends,

Some of my greatest hopes are beginning to come true. When my wife and I were creating this labor of love call Find Art Buy Art, we had aspirations that we could help to promote the work of all artists young and not so young. We wanted to watch the talent and drive of people begin to blossom. Now we are getting people on the site at the onset of their careers and they are posting their work.

The vision of artists and their personal drive to create is what I enjoy viewing. My wife and I spend our free time travelling the US going to art shows in search of that undiscovered talent. We love talking to artists and getting their personal view on life and their art.

Please view and comment on our two new young artists. Katey and Reggi are high school students with a passion and talent for exposing their creative expression to the art loving public. In addition, we have a new addition from the photography world. Her name is Chelsie.

Join me at www.findartbuyart.com in watching these young people learn and grow through the arts.

Larry
larry@findartbuyart.com
www.findartbuyart.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

If you want to look at art on the move, you need to check out Nicole Del Rossi’s Grateful Dead motorcycle art. She has taken some things from her personal artistic work and translated it to a motorcycle gas tank. I love it. If I had a big bad street Hog with 1300ccs of power and a noisy exhaust with my shaved head and leather I would have Nicole detail my ride. (I would if my wife would let me own a bike, and my leather does not fit around the middle anymore and the baldhead is now a salt and pepper color, more salt than pepper to be exact) Anyway, a man can dream. However, I love the series. Check out her talent and you will be as impressed as I was. She also is a very passionate sketch artist. She has other series on the site, www.findartbuyart.com.

Within Nicole’s blog postings you can find her contact information. With her talent and creativity she can help design your motorcycle, or whatever, to customize it especially for you.

As usual I am looking for artists to write about and promote. My goal with the site is to give artists a forum to advance their work. You can reach me at the e-mail below.

Larry
larry@findartbuyart.com
www.findartbuyart.com

Thursday, April 03, 2008

To our Artistic Friends,

I would wish you would consider joining our artists at www.findartbuyart.com. If you are an artist or know of a talented person seeking additional exposure to the art buying public, please refer them to our site.

I spend a great deal of time promoting and blogging about our talented artists. We are trying to expose the world to the talented and passionate artistic people of the world. If it is one thing that artists need, it is more people viewing their work.

I also travel the US getting more people to view the site. I have visited at least 30 art shows over the past 3 years. I tell everyone I meet about the site and encourage him or her, as art patrons, to visit the site. As it stands now we get 300-400 unique hits every week. Some of these people will view and like your work and, perhaps buy. That is my goal behind this site.

My wife and I are passionate, ardent admirers of artists and their creative expressions. We gain nothing from the site other than satisfaction of helping people like you.

If you choose to join us, great!!! If not, we wish all the success in the world.

Robin and Larry
robin@findartbuyart.com
larry@findartbuyart.com
www.findartbuyart.com