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Art Help & Info

Everything’s Coming Up… Copied?

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Original painting (above) "Everything's Coming Up Roses" by Amy Guidry; 2007; Acrylic on canvas; 40"w x 30"h; (c) Amy Guidry 2015. Below is a copy by unknown person
Original painting (above) “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” by Amy Guidry; 2007; Acrylic on canvas; 40″w x 30″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2015. Below is a copy by unknown person

Well, I encountered one of an artist’s worse nightmares.  I found a copy of my work on the internet painted by someone other than myself.  I don’t know who did it or why they would do this, so I will limit any speculation for the moment.  I would love it if they would come forward and explain themselves, though.

So I thought I should write a post about this topic now that I have some personal insight, and as I said, I know a lot of artists fear sharing their images for this exact reason.

Okay, so you find your art being used on the internet without your permission, or worse, find it being copied by someone else.  What do you do?

– Personally I don’t mind if someone shares my work on Facebook or other social media sites, so long as they credit me.  At the very least it should say that the work was created by [your name].

-Ideally if your work is shared on social media, it should include your name, the media, dimensions, year created, and a link to your website.  **Note to everyone out there sharing other peoples’ images: please follow these guidelines.  Artists work HARD to do what they do, and it is much appreciated when someone gives them credit for it.

-Always  put a watermark on your work.  I know this can’t always be done since most online publications want to feature your work sans watermark.  Do what you can, though, to help limit uncredited images going awry.

-If you find your images shared without credit to you, first contact the person posting and send a polite request that they add your contact info.  Send them the info as you would like it listed so it is easy for them to copy and paste, thus they will be more likely to follow through.

-In the event that this person ignores your request, you can go above their heads and contact their web host or Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Explain that you asked nicely to get your work credited and since they refused, tell them you want the image removed.

-If your work is being copied by someone else… my condolences.  This is aggravating, but something can be done.  First, find out who did the copy.  Just because someone posted it on social media sites does not mean they are the one that created it- it may be a re-shared image.  Trace it back to the original “artist.”

-Contact all social media outlets and the website host of the copycat artist and explain your situation.  Provide images and information regarding the copied art, yours and theirs, with links to the posts and direct links to the work in question on their website.  Ask that the images be removed.

-Your original work is automatically protected under the copyright treaty law.  If you need to take legal action, it will need to be formally registered, which can be done after the fact.

-Social media sites and the website host should comply, but if need be, you could contact a lawyer or lawyer friend, and have a cease and desist letter sent.  Further action may not be required, sometimes this is enough.  If not, you’ll have to take everything into consideration as to whether or not it is worth a legal dispute in court.

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www.AmyGuidry.com

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Art Help & Info

Promotional Materials

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With the popularity of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, I’ve found that many artists rely upon these as tools to promote their art.  While this is great, there are also many other ways to get the word out.  In addition, many are tangible items that are especially valued given today’s internet-crazed society.  Turns out, if it’s a card or a handwritten note, people tend to pay more attention as opposed to something that can go away with the push of a delete button.  So here is a list of materials that I rely upon as well as others:

Business cards: These are the tried-and-true promotional tool for artists.  You can get cards printed up quickly and rather cheaply thanks to the multitude of online printing companies.  I feature my logo in addition to my contact information, including my website.  You may also want to include social media links where people can find your work.

Brochures: Great concise way to present a sample of your portfolio as well as your biography or even parts of your resume.  According to some surveys, galleries and collectors respond well to these due to the quick introduction to you and your work.

Postcards: Basically a combination of the business card and brochure in that you can put an image or images or one side and your information on the other.  Or even put images on both sides, depending on how much you would like to spend.  There are many options for these.  I like to send one out every quarter to announce new work or an upcoming exhibit.  Added benefit: they can be handed out without the worry of being lost in one’s wallet or purse as would a business card.

Websites: Many artists still don’t have a website and some even feel that they don’t need one since they are on Facebook, etc.  Not true.  While social media sites do help, you want your website to rank high on the web, not Facebook.  When your name stands out, it will direct traffic to your site, your available works, your shopping cart, etc.  Still not convinced?  According to The Internet & Marketing Report, your Facebook Fan Page is not enough because of EdgeRank, Facebook’s algorithm for determining which updates show up in a user’s news feed.  It filters out about 99% of content from friends/businesses. Yikes.

Portfolios: Just the word portfolio makes me think of the days when I was in school, lugging around one of those giant black portfolios full of my work.  However, there are some better options.  For a digital version, you can put all of your images on CD.  This is great to hand out to anyone and everyone.  Be sure to get the printable kind so that you can put your info on the front just as you would on your business card.  Don’t use the sticker labels.

For a more traditional approach, you can make high-quality printouts of your work on photo paper and include them in a nice presentation book with clear sleeves for inserting photos.  Also include your resume in the front as well as your contact information.  I recommend featuring 8-12 of your best images.  You can get a standard 8″ x 11″ book or even make a small postcard sized book to carry with you at all times.

Note Cards: Whether it’s a thank you card or a handwritten message, cards are a great way to stay in touch with those that buy your work or put on an exhibit for you.  The ultimate purpose of these is to show gratitude, but having your work or name on the front is a nice reminder.

Everyday items: Some artists put their work on useful items which they sell for some additional income.  Although, there would be nothing wrong with giving these items away as well in order to promote one’s work.  You could create an item with one or several images of your work, as well as including your name and website.  Examples include stickers, bumper stickers, magnets, pens, mugs, calendars, t-shirts, hats, and bookmarks.

No one idea is better than the other, so I would not say that you should rely upon some promotional tools more so than others.  Each serves a purpose and reach people in different ways, which is exactly what you need to broaden your audience.  Therefore, I strongly advise anyone to adopt all of these strategies mentioned.  That can be tough if you are on a limited budget, but as mentioned earlier, there are many competitive printing companies online that can help for very little cost.  Also look into graphic designers (or recent design grads) in your area that can work out a fair deal.  Even trading art may be an option to fund your business.  Just be sure to check out their portfolio to see if they are a good fit for your needs.

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For more information on my upcoming exhibitions, interviews, etc. sign up for my newsletter (or that postcard I mentioned above!) at http://www.amyguidry.com/contact.html

Art Help & Info, Press

Interviews, websites, makeovers, Oh my!

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Artist Amy Guidry discusses her work with viewers at Gallery 549

Sorry for the delayed post! I’ve had a lot going on as of late, some of which I would like to announce right now. I recently did an interview for Pop Culture Radio with Chris Wakefield. The interview is now online and has a bit of something for everyone whether you are an artist, a collector, or just an admirer of art. You can listen to the entire interview at this link: http://popcultureradio.net/radio-interview/amy-guidry/.

Also, for some even bigger news and I do mean big- if you’ve been following along you know of this several months long undertaking- my website makeover is finished and the results are now online! The overall design is a bit different (new and improved!) and there are some new added features. For one, the images are now large. And I mean large! Many of them have a zoom-in feature as well. While you are there, be sure to sign up for my e-newsletter. You can also now sign up for my quarterly postcard which features one of my latest paintings on the front and a quick list of exhibits on the back. Many people just like to collect the postcards for the paintings since they also get my newsletter. Sign up for one or for both, they’re all free. Check it out at www.AmyGuidry.com.

Art Help & Info

I Live in London and Would Like to Purchase Your Art

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Awhile back I wrote about a potential scam, which then got me into some hot water. I do feel, however, that it is important to discuss this issue since scams seem to run rampant among the art community. (Do emails from Nigeria ring a bell?) To be clear, I am not talking about art competitions that don’t lead to overnight success. I’m talking about competitions that are dead-ends with someone looking to run off with your money. These are the real scams. Often these are run by people with shady financial backgrounds (bankrupt, etc.), but this is not always easy to find on the internet. So here are some common traits I’ve come across:

First, the organization that’s running the competition is probably one you’ve never heard of before. If you do a search for their name on the internet, you may come up with nothing. If other artists have had success with said competition, they post it on the internet via blogs, press articles, resumes, etc. There will be a trail.

If the organization contacts you directly via email, and again, you’ve never heard of them, then where did they get your contact information? This is not to say that every email you get from a stranger is a scam, but usually the email should at least be directly written to you. If it is a mass emailing, then clearly they are just shooting arrows in hopes of hitting a target.

Who are the jurors? Often scams do not give names of jurors. They can certainly make up jurors as well, so that is why I highly recommend you do your research.

One of the more flagrant traits of an art competition scam is the deadline extension. I’ve seen many legit competitions extend a deadline (for example, the original deadline falls on a holiday) but usually the reason for the extension is stated in such a case. And, not to mention, this is usually done by a competition that is well-recognized in the first place. The ones to worry about are the ones that nobody’s ever heard of and they extend their deadline…again…and again…and again. Keep tabs on their websites and you’ll find this to be true.

Lastly, if the prize money is outlandishly big, but their company looks cheap, then it’s probably a scam. Successful arts organizations that have money to dole out, also have money to hire a great marketing team. Their websites will be top-notch, their logo is well-designed, and there are no grammatical errors on their marketing materials. One of the best examples I discovered was a website with overlapping text and photos. You have 10 grand to give me but you don’t have the money to hire a decent web designer? Oh, and their photos should be of actual events and of their actual gallery, etc. If all they have is stock photography (or NO photography), then something is fishy.

My Exhibitions, Sold

LPB Auction

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"Transcendence" by Amy Guidry; From the New Realm series. Copyright Amy Guidry 2009

I will be participating in the LPB Art and Travel Auction, which supports Louisiana Public Broadcasting. I was asked to participate as a representing artist for the Oak Street Gallery in Hammond, LA. So I did a small piece, 6″ x 6″, wood-cradled panel, titled “Transcendence.” This piece is an extension of my New Realm series and features the red and black butterflies seen throughout the series. I also added some of the flowers and blue swirls seen in a few of the other paintings in New Realm.

Aside from being part of the live auction on LPB during primetime, my painting is included in an exhibition of all the art up for auction at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge. The exhibit will be on display through May 18th. On-air coverage will be during primetime on June 7th at 6pm. You can also bid online at http://auction.lpb.org/. Just look under Gallery 17 Oak Street and you’ll find my work listed there!

If you’d like to see more of my work, or my entire New Realm series, go to my website at www.AmyGuidry.com. And if you’re a regular, check out my new home page design!