Best Practices for Artists

Thank you for bringing your talent and skill to our website, for the world to see!

Creating your profile is the first thing all artists should complete before they can start making sales. Please find the link that delineates the profile creation process here: https://youtu.be/fQSpiNDvQNc

(please ignore shipping)

Please find the separate shipping tutorial link here: https://youtu.be/cznqunBg3fg

Once your profiles have been perfected with at least the following factors, please email us so that we can publish them (info@lauraigallery.com):

– Both a profile and banner image

– An ‘about’ statement

– Artworks

Please remember that you should be aiming to have uploaded at least 10 artworks – with accompanying grammatically correct descriptions, prices above £200 and accurate shipping information.

IMAGES

Please upload multiple images of your artworks – ideally, you should have one image of each of the following…

• Full image of the artwork in the frame, if applicable
• Side image
• Close-up image of interesting detail
• In-situ image
• Back of and/or signature image

These images should be named as the artwork and what they represent i.e., ‘Flowers in Blooom, side image’

ATTRIBUTES AND PRODUCT TAGS:

The more applicable attributes and tags you add to your artwork, the greater chance you have of selling your work – potential buyers will often be searching for specifics, so make sure to let collectors know that your art is what they are looking for! The attributes should describe more official information like colour, whereas the product tags work like hashtags and should be targeted to the audience in a way that advertises your art, i.e., ‘artworkforlivingroom’

PRODUCT CATEGORIES

The product categories you select will determine where on the website your artworks appear – perhaps the most important of all, then, is the ‘all artworks’ category, as selecting this category will see your work showcased on our main page, instead of just under the specific categories which it belongs to, i.e., paintings (these should still be selected too).

How to Apply to have your Works Showcased on Artsy:

We are a registered gallery on the biggest art marketplace website in the world – Artsy. The showcasing of your works on this website is a rare and valuable opportunity that would bring unprecedented visibility to your artworks. 

We are currently considering artworks for upload on Artsy; only artworks of the highest quality will be selected! 

To apply for this unmissable opportunity, please fill out our application form via the following link: https://form.jotform.com/223183212863048

The artist’s statement says what it is. You should only be writing your personal views on your practice, what inspired you to create your artwork, your emotions, your socio-political views, as well as your vision of the world

To ensure your artist statement is written to the highest standards with minimal effort, check out our Write it Right: Artist Statement writing service: https://lauraiartgallery.com/product/write-it-right-artist-statement-writing-service/

1. Make sure your artist statement is written in the 3rd person point of view and it’s about your vision as an artist in your practice and in the world
2. Prepare a quote about your practice or your vision of art that we can use on our page. [Please see below as an example.]
3.  

Johnson’s work pushes the boundaries of pointillism and the close detail of Georges Seurat with his differently sized stippling marks that create an optical illusion out of their subject. 

3. Write your credentials and examples of your most important. What are you most proud of? [For example] 

1. 1. 1. Write a proper description of your art. Please remember to include all of the following information.

Materials and detailed description of the medium: 

[For example Mixed media, raw silk powder and oil on canvas. The canvas is stretched on a wooden frame and the artwork is ready to hang. Framing is not required.

This artwork was created using fine Kremer pigments and hand-stretched canvas (of 380g quality). A thin layer of varnish protects the artwork against UV light and dust.]

Where is it signed? 

[For example, The artwork is signed on the back 

Quality of artwork: 

[For example I use professional oil paint and bespoke canvases, or high-quality linen.

 The artwork has a little scratch on the back of the frame. Not visible.] 

NOTE: The images in situ are computer-generated, might not be to scale and serve for illustration purposes only.

Delivery: 

Buyers OUTSIDE the EU and USA: Importing artwork into your country might be associated with additional charges and taxes. For many US collectors, this is already included in shipping costs and the artwork will be delivered duty-paid.

Frame/Unframed? 

[For example Bespoke frames made of pine wood or another medium. Hanging systems?]

About the work. [Inspiration, motivation, and what artists [mention 5] have you been compared with and why] *When writing about the work, please keep in mind that you should use a living artist to compare your work. You may use a deceased artist but also include a living artist.* 

 “As an artist, Ania can only present what has stimulated her own curiosity and creativity. She is fascinated by everything that’s organic and aspires to create resonances between texture and the dynamic details of light. Her objective is to develop her work to a new level, to strive for a new vision, and to transcend cultural boundaries. Her work is heavily inspired from David Hockney’s early abstraction paintings. Similar to Hockney, forms, textures, shadows, movement and capturing energy are aspects that dominate her work and portraying these aspects echoes her life as she experiences it. Her way of working has become more meticulous through constantly adding or applying new materials like silk fibers or testing new techniques to push my process to its limits. This continuous experimentation is a key element to her work”.

Your (USP) Unique Selling Point. What is distinctive about your artwork? What sets you apart from others? 

[For example, 

I use unconventional tools…

I paint while I am floating by a string

I use unique materials

I use gold

I paint with my hands and my feet

I splash with paint while I eat..

I climbed on top of the mountain to paint.]

When choosing the price for your artwork, please make sure that you include the time you spent creating the piece, the value of materials, the packaging materials, and the delivery fees. Also, when selecting the pricing of your artwork, please keep in mind your sales track record. If you have never sold before for the same asking price, please be reasonable. The price should reflect the level of your career you are at. If you are unsure, please refer to artists at one level higher than yours or at a similar level and choose your price accordingly. The number of exhibitions do not always reflect the price of artwork but the quality of institutions and exhibitions you have been involved in should dictate the final price. If you are not sure and in need of support, please register for our Professional Development Programme for Artists. 

https://www.lauraiartgallery.com/professional-development.html

You will be required to buy your own certificates. Example of certificate – with gold borders]  click the link to see Certificate Paper

You will also be provided with a template of the certificate. When selling artwork, you will be asked to send us the certificate for signature. Then, the certificate will be sent by us to the collector.

We are living in a world where artists are needed to participate in current social events to represent their artworks. We are decades away from the old-fashioned artist hiding in their studio space. We are in a digital era where artists are needed to be present and interact with the world as they take on a leadership role in which they become activists. Reflecting on the current situation on public funding, projects and funds are given to artists who are actively engaging with their communities. Collectors, on the other hand, are inspired by artists whose vision and aims go beyond their creative artwork. Artists like Ai WeiWei whose works are not straightforward and visually attractive, tend to say more and that speaks to millions of people. To like something or not is based on preference but what you say is based on common values with other people. Connecting with other people has never been more important to this world. With this thought, I advise you to be present online and connect on a more personal level with your audiences because art is about people, about you, about them, and how we are all part of a bigger picture. Please make sure that you tag us in your posts and we will share your artwork with the world. If you are not confident in using social media, how to be selected in exhibitions, and how to build partnerships with the right institutions, please enrol in our Personal Development Programme. We will teach you tips and tricks on connecting best with your followers. 

https://www.lauraiartgallery.com/professional-development.html

You are part of our community. At Laura I. Gallery, our motto is “One for all and all for one. Nobody is left behind.” We are inspired to celebrate people, cultures and diversity, and we embrace anyone wishing to join us. We have developed and designed vast programmes and opportunities to suit everyone’s needs. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you need support. Our mission is to make a difference in the world and discover artists alike by providing them with our platform to make dreams happen. We are convinced that our partnerships with artists, collectors, and other people go beyond creativity. We understand the world we are living in, the needs, the problems, the dreams and we want to become a part of the solution. We are about to launch an initiative that we hope is not only going to promote talent but also bring awareness about climate change while coming up with projects to save the environment and our planet. We are using our commission on sales to invest back in our community by planting a tree for every artwork our collectors buy. While at the same time helps us bring to life projects that support our community’s growth, progress and development. Hence, it is important that you share our vision and let the world know about the work we do. Please share our posts because only together we can create awareness and make an impact in the world. On the other side, sharing our initiative of planting trees encourages more collectors to invest in our artists because if we believe in you, they believe in you.

Everything we do in relation to the physical work of art should reinforce a message of professionalism. When handling the art, we should do so respectfully and almost reverentially. This applies to how the art is shipped as well. When the art arrives on your client’s doorstep, you want the packaging to look like it is worthy of the artwork within, not something that fell off the recycling truck.

We are also fortunate to live during a “Green” revolution when recycled materials and energy-efficient transport are becoming more easily accessible. Please try to use recycled materials wherever possible, and many transportation companies will allow you to buy carbon offsets for your shipments inexpensively. With a little careful planning, you can minimize the environmental impact of your art shipping activity.

Wood crates ,bubble wrap and card boxes

Fragile” Stickers

If the artwork is framed please protect the corners.

Please be accurate with your shipping measurements. 

If you mislead the sizes, the collector will be put in the position where she or he would have to pay the extra costs. 

And that inconvenience would definitely make the collector never come back to you.

A Protective Skin of Plastic

Please use the plastic wrap to protect paintings and frames from scratches and scuffs. There’s nothing complicated about applying the wrap, but the secret is to pull the wrap tightly around the artwork, applying pressure the entire time you are wrapping the painting so the wrap doesn’t become bunched or tangled. Start wrapping on the back of the artwork.

Your natural tendency is going to be to start on the front, but if you start on the back and wrap at a straight angle all the way around once, you can then pull the wrap diagonally down the back side of the artwork to start your next row of wrap. By having your diagonals on the back, the front of the artwork is covered with smooth, straight rows of plastic, which not only protects the art itself, but also looks attractive to the client upon opening. It’s a small thing, but it will make the wrapping job look more professional.

An important thing to remember is that each artwork provides its own unique challenges. While these guidelines will work in most cases, occasionally you will have to adapt them to meet the needs of your individual situation.

One of the worst imaginable calls in the art business is from a client who has received a piece of artwork damaged in transit. No matter how great a work of art is, no matter how well you have served your collector, if the artwork arrives damaged your customer is going to think you are unprofessional.

This versatile plastic wrap is perfect for giving your art a protective skin before boxing. It is very similar to the plastic wrap you use in the kitchen to cover casseroles and other food you want to keep fresh in the refrigerator. As the name implies, its main function is to wrap boxes on shipping palettes, but I will show you below how you can use the wrap as a protective coating around your art to protect against scratches and scuffs.

I’m only going to say this once, but I’m going to say it emphatically:

Buy the very best packing tape you can afford!

I know we’re all on budgets, and we have to stretch to make those budgets meet our ever-increasing needs. While I understand that every penny counts, packing tape is not an area where you should be pinching those pennies.

Cheap tape is harder to apply, harder to cut, and doesn’t stick. You will end up having to use two to three times as much tape to secure your boxes, and even then you risk it not working effectively.

Cheap packing tape may actually end up costing you more, not to mention a client, especially if your artwork is damaged because the tape fails.

“Fragile” Stickers

 The freight company might not pay much attention to them, but they make me feel better, and they let my clients know I care.

Another consideration when planning packaging is your freight company’s dimensional weight policy. If your delivery company always charged you shipping fees based purely on the weight of your package, calculating and minimizing your shipping costs would be pretty easy. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Because the size of a package impacts the number of packages a freight company can move just as much as the weight does, the companies have come up with a way to account for both dimensions by calculating the “dimensional weight” of a package. If a package exceeds a certain size threshold, the carrier will charge you based on the size or the actual weight; whichever is greater.

You should also be aware that many of the common carriers, including UPS, FedEx, and the US Postal Service have unique size restrictions. Check with them to find out what those restrictions are. Exceeding these size restrictions will cause you to incur additional fees and force you to seek out another delivery option.

The size of the artwork dictates the size of the final package, and there are going to be times when you simply have to go over the threshold for dimensional weight and bear the additional costs. This is not the end of the world, though, and you should certainly never compromise the safety of your artwork simply to shave off a few inches to remain under the thresholds. Again, damaged artwork costs you far more than slightly higher shipping fees.

Now that we have given the artwork a skin of tightly wrapped plastic, we’re ready to add a thicker, stiffer layer of protective cardboard. This inner layer of cardboard is going to create a kind of second box that will greatly diminish the possibility of having a foreign object pierce or scuff your artwork. This box will also help absorb shock if the package is dropped. Most shipping companies require that freight be double-boxed before covering it for damage, and in my experience, this layer of cardboard has always satisfied the requirement for a second box.

 creating an additional buffer at the end of the artwork that will act as a great shock absorber. I mentioned earlier that the edges of the artwork or frame are the most prone areas for damage, and by giving yourself this extra cushion, you have given the two ends of your artwork an almost impenetrable barrier.

 Wrapping the Artwork in Cardboard to Add An Extra Layer of Protection Pinch off the end of the Cardboard to Create Extra Shock Absorbtion Wrapping the Artwork in Cardboard to Add An Extra Layer of Protection

 Bubble Wrapping

 A Layer of Bubble Wrap Provides Extra Cushioning and Fills the Space Between the Inner and Outer Cardboard 

Dealing with Glass

For those of you who are shipping watercolors, photography, prints, or anything else behind a panel of glass, let me first say, “I’m sorry.” Shipping artwork behind glass is almost infinitely more difficult than shipping anything else. Glass is so susceptible to cracking in transit that some carriers refuse to insure anything that involves it.

Because the slightest jolt or tension can cause your glass to shatter, it is even more important that you provide ample padding and eliminate all possible movement.

As important as breakage prevention is, I feel it’s even more important to think about damage control. Basically, if the glass does break, you want to apply added protection so it doesn’t scratch, slash, or otherwise mangle your artwork. When I ship anything out with glass in it, I simply assume it’s going to break, and then focus on making sure the shards don’t destroy my artwork.

Many shipping supply companies sell 8-12” wide masking tape that is specially created for glass coverage (it doesn’t leave a sticky glue residue on the glass when you remove it). You can apply this tape to the entire surface of the glass, and, if the glass should happen to break, the resulting shards will stick to the tape instead of slashing your artwork to shreds. 3M also makes a clear film that does the same thing.

For larger pieces, you can use one of the trucking lines like Pack and Send, Conway, or freight forwarders like Bellair Express. The freight forwarders may ship the art via air, truck or train, depending on your timing needs and budget. Unfortunately, many of these companies will only pick up from a commercial address (rather than from a private address), and may be unwilling to come to your studio no matter how hard you try to convince them it is a business.

Some Things to Avoid

Up to now we’ve discussed what you should do to ship your art safely and effectively. Now I would like to discuss some practices you should avoid.

Don’t Allow Bubble Wrap to Come in Direct Contact with Your Art

I heard of cases when the artist wrapped using only bubble wrap. As I mentioned above, bubble wrap is great for padding your art in transit, but it should not come in direct contact with the art.

When they unwrapped the painting they could see that the bubble had stuck to the varnish.

Don’t Reuse Ugly Boxes

Recycling is both environmentally conscious and economical, but every cardboard box has a lifespan. Avoid pressing a box into service beyond that lifespan, especially if you are shipping to a customer.

Don’t use Styrofoam Peanuts when Shipping Paintings

As I stated in the shipping procedures section, bubble wrap is the correct material for filling voids in your boxes. Never use peanuts for this purpose,its pretty messy and not completely reliable.

In spite of your best efforts in padding and protecting your artwork, the damage is inevitable. Once your artwork leaves your hands, it is passing into a vast and complicated shipping network with lots of moving parts. There is no way to completely eliminate the possibility of damage, so you should plan for its eventuality and consider purchasing insurance to protect against loss.

On the rare occasion that damage occurs, the manner in which you react will affect your relationship with your client and the likelihood that you will recover damages from your shipping company or insurance policy.

First and foremost, it’s important that you follow the procedures laid out earlier to ship the artwork safely. You are in a far better position if your client feels that you did everything in your power to protect the artwork. You are also far more likely to file a successful claim with the shipping or insurance company if you have met their shipping requirements.

Reassure your client that your are doing everything in your power to rectify the situation.  we will have to provide an immediate refund for their purchase, and then we should work on how to get a replacement piece .

Typically, when damage occurs, the shipping company will return the artwork to you. When the piece arrives, talk to both the shipping company and your insurance adjuster to find out how they would like you to proceed. Document the damage to the packaging and to the artwork per their instructions. You can never have too many photos or too much documentation.

Shipping artwork can be a challenge and frustration, but it has actually never been easier to ship than it is today. With the right tools, supplies and shipping procedures, you can ship your artwork safely and efficiently.

At our gallery, we are deeply committed to supporting artists in achieving their full potential and career aspirations while also making a positive impact on the world. We strive to cultivate opportunities that have both a social aim and a solid foundation for success.

Through our partnerships and programs, we aim to empower artists by providing them with opportunities to generate sales, build long-term income, and develop leadership skills. We are proud to have created a website that reflects our ambition and dedication to supporting artists.

We encourage you to explore our offerings as they are designed with artists in mind and are truly unique.

Artsy

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with the largest and most respected art platform in the world. This incredible opportunity will provide our artists with unparalleled global exposure, as well as the chance to connect with some of the most active collectors in the industry. As a gallery with an international presence, we are committed to showcasing the very best in contemporary art. Each of our artists represents our unique vision and perspective, and we are proud to bring their work to a wider audience. We understand that this opportunity is both rare and valuable, and we are honored to be able to provide it to our talented artists.

We understand the financial strain this opportunity can have on our gallery, but we strongly believe in supporting and promoting talented artists who may not have the chance to be recognized otherwise. Our gallery owner recognizes the need for a helping hand, and we are proud to offer this typically exclusive opportunity to our artists.

All you need to do is so easy :

We understand that uploading your artwork can sometimes be time-consuming, but it is an essential step towards success. We suggest taking high-quality photos of your art and using our attributions to increase visibility on online searches. These attributions should also be added to your artwork descriptions for consistency. If you are tight on time, consider upgrading your membership to receive assistance from our staff. It is important to note that well-represented artwork will have a higher chance of being published on Artsy. We kindly advise that artists who are not ready for success or who are in need of mentoring to book 1 to 1 sessions with our gallery director.

Ebay for Change

Thank you for your interest in our program, eBay for Change. Our partnership with Social Enterprise UK and eBay aims to support organizations like ours in raising funds for community projects. We have carefully selected artworks that we believe have the potential to make a positive impact on the e-commerce platform. We will be testing this for the next three months and will explore other income-generating ideas in the future. We kindly ask you to ensure that your profile is ready to be included on this platform.

Fundraise for your project:

Fundraising is an excellent way to raise funds for your projects or art. We have designed a page that allows artists to communicate with their audiences and earn a passive income by doing what they love. You can use this page to add videos, pictures, and interviews to inspire visitors to support your project. Unfortunately, we cannot run a paid promotion campaign for this opportunity if we have less than 20 projects since it is not financially feasible. However, if some artists are not ready yet, postponing our promotion is the wisest approach. We have invested in this platform to support our artists’ growth, but your success is entirely up to you. We can only provide guidance and opportunities, but no one can do it for you.

We will guide you through the process and provide you with access to opportunities, but it is up to you to make the most of them. Thank you for choosing our platform and we look forward to seeing your project grow.