ART TODAY
BUSINESS £6.50 June 2014 fineart.co.uk
Framing software in focus Business tips Art and print FAQs ART & FRAMING CONVENTION AND AWARD WINNERS
From mouldings to mountboard, frames to glass (and everything in-between). Whatever you’re looking for, Arqadia gives you plenty of options. Visit arqadia.co.uk to view our range.
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ART BUSINESS TODAY
Contents Art Business Today, June 2014, Issue 3
BUSINESS
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First published June 1905 as the Fine Art Trade Journal
COVER
26 Celebrating in style A look at this year’s winners, artists’ exhibition and convention 32 Awesome arrangements Window displays that sell products and make your business stand out
ART 40 FAQs about art Answers to commonly asked questions about the art business 44 The fine art of sponsorship Working together can raise awareness of artists and sponsors
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FRAMING 50 Haute couture framing Jonathan Gooders GCF makes frames for modern British artworks 56 Which pricing software? A look at the frame pricing software that’s available in the UK
REGULARS 8 Trade news 16 Comment and letters 22 Face to face: Julie Cross 23 Product news 39 The art of good business 49 Business tips for artists 54 Pete Bingham’s agony 62 Trade secrets 64 B2B: classifieds 66 Last word: Kerry Keays, point101.com
COVER Snow White and Rose Red by Kerry Darlingston. kerrydarlington.co.uk
ART BUSINESS TODAY
26 June 2014 5
Letter from the editor The future of retail lies in marketing a lifestyle
Art Business Today Published by the Fine Art Trade Guild 16-18 Empress Place, London SW6 1TT, UK T: +44 (0)20 7381 6616 info@fineart.co.uk www.fineart.co.uk Publisher Louise Hay louise@fineart.co.uk Editor Annabelle Ruston annabelle@fineart.co.uk Advertising manager Kasia Szkolnicka kasia@fineart.co.uk Subscriptions Moira Sanders moira@fineart.co.uk Contributors Emma Bell Pete Bingham GCF Sarah Gillespie Jonathan Gooders GCF Philip O’Reilly Alan Reed Leszek Wolnik Publication dates Art Business Today is published five times per year: January, April, June, August and October Subscriptions 2014 UK Europe World One year £30 £36 £44 Two years £53 £62 £74 To subscribe, call 020 7381 6616 or visit our website, www.fineart.co.uk, and click on the ‘go to Art Business Today magazine’ button Liability ©All rights reserved. ABT is intended to inform but no liability can be accepted for action taken, or not taken, in reliance on it
Guild CEO Louise Hay Master of the Guild Steve McKee GCF Adv Like us on Facebook facebook.com/artbusinesstoday Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/abtmag
6 June 2014
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recent conversation with Mark Prince of Chantry Fine Art about how their target customer has changed was thought-provoking. According to Mark, 20 years ago they were primarily selling unframed prints to high street picture framers. Today, many of these small framers have retired and closed their businesses, so Chantry Fine Art is also selling framed artwork to gift shops, book shops, garden centres, farm shops and furniture retailers. This conversation resonated, particulary in the light of a chat I’d just had with an art dealer friend, who specialises in selling paintings in the £10,000+ bracket. According to this friend, the days of scholarly art experts such as himself selling ‘second hand goods’ to collectors with an interest in a particular period of art history are numbered. Today’s buyers, he explained, aren’t interested in historical details, they are interested in how a picture looks, and how owning it will reflect on them. The art dealers of the future won’t be art history graduates, they are more likely to be interior designers with impressive address books, who will supply a range of luxury goods and services to ‘high net worth individuals’, as the media refer to them. Whether it’s affordable reproductions or expensive paintings, it looks as if buyers are increasingly sourcing artwork from purveyors of ‘lifestyles’. If you feel comfortable with the look and feel of the shop, you can buy a range of products there. Farm shops, for example, sell high quality organic food which attracts customers with high disposable income, so it makes sense to make other, similarly high quality products, available to those people when they visit. The key to success in this new retail environment is understanding your target customer. I recently visited a shop called The Food Company (thefoodcompany.co.uk) in Marks Tey, Essex, which is a good example of this new type of retailer. The shop, which opened 15 years ago, started selling fine organic food and interesting hard-to-find groceries. It has since opened a restaurant and also sells ‘an unrivalled range of luxury homewares and designer furniture that you can’t find in the supermarkets.’ So successful has the home and gifts section of this destination retailer become, that it now stocks ‘gorgeous and unique’ toys, children’s bedroom accessories and clothes. Visitors to The Food Company are buying into an aspirational lifestyle. They can have lunch in the restaurant and spend the morning there, visting the chocolaterie and florist along the way. A retailer which seems to be doing very well at the moment is Anthropologie, which has opened shops on Regent’s Street and the King’s Road in London. This US retailer definitely knows its target customer. Anthropologie sells stylish clothes, gifts and homewares which are original, but not flashy. While Urban Outfitters sells everything an aspirational teenager with birthday money to spend might want (clothes, gifts, accessories), Anthropologie appeals to her mother. Both shops are fitted out to make their target customer feel comfortable. You might not go to Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters with a specific purchase in mind, just to see what they’ve got for you. Where does this leave art and framing retailers? They need to think carefully about their target customer and design their whole shopping and branding experience around the aspirations of this person. Framing and art are luxury goods, so people must feel good about buying them. And once you’ve got that target customer firmly in mind, why not stock other goods that this person might enjoy? Annabelle Ruston ART BUSINESS TODAY
BOOST YOUR BUSINESS ADVERTORIAL
Large prints, big profits with Fujifilm We learn how bigger prints can mean a bigger profit for you as a photographer when it comes to large format presentations of your imagery… Every social photographer wants to maximize the client spend for each hard won job, and presenting your images in such a way that you deliver the necessary ‘wow factor’ can certainly help with that. For, if you’ve never really considered how great the potential margins are with large format prints, perhaps now is the time to take a look at the inherent potential. Put simply, a print that costs you pounds to produce can sell to your customers for a few hundred. It’s no wonder then that many photographers have already invested in large format printer bundles, such as those supplied by Fujifilm that marry an Epson Stylus Pro large format printer and high quality Fujifilm Photographic Artwork papers, with the brand’s inkjet media range offering cut sheet and roll media. Alternatively, and luckily for those photographers who might not want the expense of investing in a large format printer, nor have the studio space to house one, there are plenty of providers of large format printing, either online (such as proamimaging.com via its ProPhotoPrints off-shoot) or at a local level. For example, Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service (FDIS) member Allan Taylor, owner of Westcliff Photographic Solutions in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, has turned his business around on the back of an upsurge of interest in large format printing. He now handles print fulfillment for around 50 art galleries. “In this industry photographers are always trying to find out what the next big thing is,” says Allan. “The quality from Fuji is just phenomenal. I’m printing the work of three different artists on Fujifilm FineArt Etch paper.” With Allan charging his photographer customers just £25 for a 24x32 inch print, we’re talking a very, very good margin when you come to sell that same large format image onto your own clients. Should you wish to personally invest in one of Fujifilm’s printer and media bundles – perhaps if you regularly print large format works, or are intending to do so – the cost for a print of a similar size drops right down to a few pounds. When galleries are charging several hundred pounds for photographs printed that large, the potential to boost your own photographic business’ profits and weather any financial storms is huge.
Allan Taylor with two production printers working full day shifts (above) From paper stocks to stacks of finished limited edition prints (below)
“Once the prints are framed the gallery is then selling them on for over £300 each in limited runs of 100 or 250,” Allan Taylor continues. “It’s really transformed my business. Prior to having a discussion with Fujifilm Professional’s Marketing Manager Peter Wigington, I hadn’t really considered how well large format printing could work for me. I knew what I was charging, but hadn’t realized how much of that was pure profit. And the artists I print for are also making a lot of money, so everyone is happy.”
On a roll with Fujifilm To go into more detail, 300gsm Fujifilm Fine Art Etch paper is available in 24-inch (610mm) x 12 metres, 36-inch (915mm) x 12 metres, or 44-inch (1118mm) x 12 metres roll sizes. Needless to say it’s ideal for high quality digital fine art reproductions, being a traditional fine art paper with a special ink receptive matt coating that is rapid dry. It’s compatible with Epson, Canon, HP and most other photo capable large format and desktop printers. To see the entirety of what’s available via Fujifilm’s large format range simply direct your browser at: www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/photofinishing/large-format-printing/inkjet-media-overview/ Fujifilm Digital Imaging Service (FDIS) member Allan Taylor, recommends interested photographers sourcing 44-inch and 24-inch large format Epson printers – the 7880 and 9880 – via Fujifilm, or of course seeking out your local FDIS specialist for print fulfillment. The manufacturer says that 90% of its FDIS members now have 24-inch wide format printers. Allan adds that he has these machines getting through up to four rolls of paper per day, and running non-stop without any major issues. With Fujifilm, photographers can also be confident of always having professional back up to call on if they ever need it. “Our Photographic Artwork Range of fine art paper is the perfect media for any photographer thinking about adding large format prints to their client offerings,” enthuses Fujifilm’s Marketing Manager Peter Wigington. “Social photographers who shoot Friday to Sunday and occasionally find themselves with down time during the week can quite easily turn those otherwise wasted hours into profit generating ones by adding this additional string to their bow. And, apart from producing works of fine art, or huge portraits with real visual impact – something that often gets lost in the digital age and which an image on an iPad can never compare to – there are so many commercial opportunities in every town or city for any photographers looking to expand their business. So why not generate additional spend from installing a large format printer in your own studio.” So don’t miss out on the potential to generate big profits from large format prints with Fujifilm. Put simply, for photographers of all disciplines, it’s time to ‘think big’!
“It’s really transformed my business. I hadn’t really considered how great the potential margins were with large format printing.”
Interested parties wanting to find out more about Fujifilm’s Photographic Artwork Range of fine art papers plus printer and media bundles are invited to call Fujifilm’s Peter Wigington to discuss their requirements on 01234 572 138 or email admin.photofinishing@fuji.co.uk
News Please email news stories to annabelle@fineart.co.uk
Action-packed programme at art and framing convention
T
he Guild held two days of training opportunities, along with a mini-trade show, a display of framing awards entries and the Guild Artists’ Exhibition, over the same weekend as the awards dinner this May. The seminars and workshops were all extremely well attended, though visitor numbers at the trade show were disappointing. However, those who took the trouble to come to the event all found it extremely worthwhile. Photographer Hayley Lehmann visited, ‘I want to differentiate my product with non-standard framing so meeting suppliers, going to training events and looking at the techniques used by the framing competition entrants has been invaluable. This weekend is a great resource.’ Framing author and guru Rob Markoff travelled over from California to deliver a range of educational sessions, including a ‘lunch and learn’ workshop entitled Developing Your Competitive Edge. ‘It was really good,’ says AnnaMarie Bartlett GCF. ‘Rob talked about how your clients perceive your business and explained how the image you convey to your target customer is part of your product.’ Photographer Peter Drought was equally enthusiastic, ‘Rob’s insight into the US market was fascinating. He discussed how to appeal to the right type of buyer and how to identify your market. He also explained how he has grown his business.’ Other training opportunities included a business forum chaired by Maxwell Roberts, a seminar on frame design led by Mark Wilson, a discussion on the business side of being an artist from Anne Corless and a workshop on Morsø maintenance from Steve McKee GCF adv. Alec and Jo Palmer GCFs, The Framing Lot, attended the forum and a business seminar presented jointly by Rob Markoff and Mark Wilson. ‘We learnt a lot. They were fascinating sessions. The time rushed by; it’s always a good sign when you don’t even glance at your watch.’ Exhibitors at the mini-trade show included Slater Harrison, who were promoting their new 3.2mm Colourmount mountboard, which is available in four
colours. Two artists took stands: Cheri Hunston showed her fine pen and ink work, while Jackie Gale exhibited textile art. Framing suppliers Arqadia, D&J Simons, Daler Rowney and LION Picture Framing Supplies were there, along with frame pricing software experts Framiac and LifeSaver. John Turner, Angmering Framing & Stitches, summed up the benefits of attending the awards dinner and convention, ‘I’ve never been to the event before, but it was excellent to meet other like-minded people and to talk to them about how they run their businesses. Sharing ideas is the quickest way to learn.’ Phil Stephenson of Framin’ ‘Ell echoes these views, ‘I came to network, meet people and to personally thank the Guild staff for all their help over the last couple of years. I enjoyed the session on frame design, Rob and Mark’s business training and the Morsø maintenance workshop.’ Ravi Chandarana is currently setting up a photography, framing and printing business, ‘I came to meet new suppliers and attend training sessions. I have so much to learn at the moment, and this has been incredibly useful.’ See the awards winners on page 26. fineart.co.uk
Delegates at the business forum chaired by Maxwell Roberts
8 June 2014
Pollyanna Pickering in front of a painting by David Lyons at the Guild Artists’ Exhibition
Salt of the Earth’s Debbie Adderley (left) with Jackie Gale
ART BUSINESS TODAY
NEWS
Artist Cheri Hunston on her stand Graham Down GCF, The Village Framer, at the Guild Artists’ Exhibition
Arqadia’s Simon Flavill with a customer
Eric Crowe, LifeSaver Software, (left) with Philip Stephenson, Framin’ ‘Ell
Steve McKee GCF Adv, Dromore Picture Framing, presents a workshop on maintaining your Morsø
Irene McIver (centre) and Paul Bowden of Slater Harrison talk to a customer
John Turner, Angmering Framing & Stitches, studies the framing competition entries
Rob Markoff, Artrageous, USA, delivering a seminar on developing your competitive edge
ART BUSINESS TODAY
D&J Simons’ Joe Davis
NEWS
New gallery and artist for DSWF
Comprehensive catalogue from Scragg A 26-PAGE catalogue featuring everything you need for hanging and displaying pictures is available from Scragg’s Hanging Systems. From angled plates to Z-clips, each product is illustrated with colour photographs or clear line drawings. frankscragg.co.uk
Brochure from the Wodehouse of art A FULL-COLOUR 40-page brochure featuring the latest limited edition prints from Sue Macartney Snape is available from SMS Editions. Sue, who won the 2004 Pont Award for drawing ‘the British character’, has been described as ‘the Wodehouse of art’. Her art allows us to rediscover the quintessential comedy to be found on our doorsteps. sms-editions.co.uk
But It’s Cold Out There by Sue Macartney Snape
10 June 2014
WILDLIFE ARTIST, and chair of the Guild’s Fine Art Committee, Anne Corless, has been accepted as a supporting artist at the brand new David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Gallery. ‘My inspiration to become a wildlife artist stems from seeing David’s work while I was a teenager living in Kenya, so it’s an honour to see my work on the wall of this beautiful gallery,’ says Anne. The DSWF Gallery has just moved to new premises in the village of Shalford, near Guildford. annecorless.com davidshepherd.org David Shepherd OBE, far right,opens the new gallery
Changes to art and framing at Spring Fair FOLLOWING THE gradual decrease in size of the art and framing hall at Spring Fair International, it has been announced that from 2015 this will no longer be a discrete sector. Companies selling artwork and framing will be in the newly branded HOME area of the show. In 1990 the art and framing sector at the show included around 300 companies, with fierce competition for stands and a long waiting list. This has gradually decreased to around 50 exhibitors this year. The Spring Fair is still the UK’s main art and framing trade fair, but technological developments mean that trade shows are no longer the only way for retailers to see new products. Overall, however, the fair has grown substantially over the last decade, cementing its position as the UK’s largest trade gift and homewares event. Exhibitors now hail from sectors as diverse as jewellery, beauty, kitchenware and toys. Organisers i2i Events have made significant investments in the art and framing hall for the last few years, in the form of a dedicated seminar and workshop area. They worked hard to promote the training programme, but even free educational events didn’t attract exhibitors and visitors in
sufficient numbers to sustain a standalone art and framing sector at the show. Chantry Fine Art have exhibited at Spring Fair for more than 20 years. Mark Prince explains how the event has changed, ‘We will continue to exhibit. Over the years, less of the visitors are high street framers, as these business have closed, and we now sell more finished, framed artwork than unframed images. Our target customers now include furniture shops, garden centres, book shops, farm shops and gift shops, all of whom attract consumers with high disposable incomes. It makes sense for us to exhibit alongside other companies who are targeting these same customers.’ Framing supplier Wessex Pictures is another long-time exhibitor. ‘As an industry we need a trade show,’ says MD Ashley Younger. ‘If we drop out of Spring Fair, we can’t go back. It’s not the organiser’s fault, it’s our fault as an industry for not supporting the fair, both potential exhibitors and visitors. Our core customers are picture framers, so it’s no good for us if all the framing suppliers are scattered among homewares companies. We want to be together with 30 or 40 other exhibitors who are also selling to framers.’ springfair.com ART BUSINESS TODAY
THE GUILD Commended Framer qualification, which was launched by the Fine Art Trade Guild’s Framers’ Committee 20 years ago, is being updated. The most significant change is that framers who qualify from now on will commit to a programme of continuing professional development (CPD). Framers’ Committee chairman Mal Reynolds GCF Adv explains why CPD is being introduced, ‘We want to maintain public confidence in qualified professional GCF framers. If the public know that GCFs are committed to developing their skills on a longterm basis, they will value their services and feel confident to entrust them with their precious artwork.’ ‘CPD is required in many other professsions, including teaching, law, medicine and accounting,’ explains Mal. ‘You can’t leave any of these professions for a decade, then return and expect your old qualification to be valid. You have to take steps to prove that your skills and knowledge have been updated. Framing should be no different.’ Framers who undertake CPD will be called Guild Certified Framers. They are required to keep abreast of new materials and techniques, and develop new skills, throughout their careers as picture framers. CPD will be free of charge, though framers will need to pay to attend certain training events. GCFs need to provide evidence that they have attended workshops
Cutting a cake to mark 20 years of the GCF qualification. From left: Framers’ Committee Chairman Mal Reynolds GCF Adv; Guild CEO Louise Hay; Roy Rowlands GCF, the first person to qualify as a GCF; and Pete Hayton GCF, the fourth person to take the exam
GCF: 20 years ushers in the changes and trade events, read specialist publications and joined online discussion groups. The Guild will lay on a range of learning opportunities at the Art & Framing Convention, Making Pictures events and regional branch evenings. These training sessions will be open to everyone, not just framers carrying out CPD. It is hoped that existing GCFs will embrace the CPD programme, though they are not under any obligation to do so. ‘We do not intend to make it hard for framers to accumulate credits,’ says
Mal. ‘We will be open to suggestions about learning experiences that can be included. We want people to come along to training events and enjoy themselves. The aim of CPD is ultimately for framers to continue to take pride in their qualification.’ CPD is being announced now so that newly qualified framers are aware of their future commitment. The schedule of learning opportunities, and details of how accreditation will work, will be made available in time for a January 2015 launch. fineart.co.uk
Pip McGarry at The Frame Gallery THE FRAME Gallery in Odiham is holding an exhibition of African wildlife paintings by Pip McGarry, which opens on 28 June and runs until 12 July. The show will feature paintings from the artist’s recent trip to Kenya, with subject matter including cheetahs, leopards, lion cubs and zebras. In 2013 Pip’s painting of a white tiger sold for a record-breaking £40,000, so both the artist and gallery owner Jan Baker have high hopes for the show. In November a gallery will open at Marwell Wildlife Park that will be exclusively devoted to showing Pip’s work. Collectors are invited to meet Pip at The Frame Gallery on Saturday 28 June, between 9.30 and 4pm. theframe-gallery.co.uk, pipmcgarry.com ART BUSINESS TODAY
Guests at the last Pip McGarry show at The Frame Gallery
June 2014 11
NEWS
UP-COMING BRANCH EVENTS
Left: Maxwell Roberts Below: Ernest Chan GCF with Maxwell Roberts
COTSWOLDS REGIONAL ORGANISER Cath Friend GCF, Emerald Frames 07507 774017 1 Jul, 16 Sept, 25 Nov LONDON, INC MIDDX & SURREY BRANCH MASTER Nick Hood, Hook Framing 01442 878472 16 Jul, 24 Sept, 26 Nov NORTHERN IRELAND BRANCH MASTER John McDermott GCF 028 933 67804 24 July, Making Pictures NORTH WEST BRANCH MASTER Anne Corless 01253 780734 24 Jul, 2 Oct, 5 Dec SOUTH WEST BRANCH MASTER Fiona Haddon, Haddon Galleries 01803 313133 23 June, Making Pictures Details of upcoming branch events, reports on past events and information about officers and regions can be found at fineart.co.uk
Framing textile art demo in Bath FRAMING TRAINERS Mal Reynolds GCF Adv, Harlequin Frames, and Martin Tracy GCF, The Framing Workshop, are joining forces to deliver a demo on framing textiles at the Bath Textile Summer School. The session takes place on Monday 18 August, from 7pm to 8.30pm, at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. The demo is aimed at needlework artists, but picture framers are welcome to book too. bathtextilesummerschool.co.uk 12 June 2014
Guild exhibits at Chinese trade show MAXWELL ROBERTS, Headrow Gallery, represented the Fine Art Trade Guild at the China (Shanghai) Art and Frame Expo 2014. Maxwell, who is past-Master of the Guild, manned a stand with the help of a translator, as well as Guild member Ernest Chan GCF of Lee Wah Art & Frames in Hong Kong. The three-day show, which was sponsored by the Asia Picture Framing Federation, was a showcase for around 200 companies selling art and framing materials and equipment. The Guild’s stand was supported by the UKTI (a government department that helps businesses trade overseas) and the China-Britain Business Council. Maxwell describes his experiences: ‘I talked myself into the ground. Visitors were particularly interested in Guild standards and training. There’s great respect for British education and standards in China; people were fascinated to hear about the Guild Commended Framer programme and our standards for printing and mountboard. I was repeatedly asked,
‘How do we get into the European market?’, with people interested in both import and export. There is very little understanding of the European market, but people are extremely keen to learn.’ This story featured in ABT’s April enewsletter. To read more, visit www.fineart.co.uk/article/guild-at-cafeexpo-840.aspx
Second Chinese trade fair in 2014 CAFÉ EXPO, the organisers of the Shanghai trade fair, are holding a similar show at the Yiwu International Exhibition Center, about 150 miles from Shanghai, from 18 to 20 September. The marketing material for this show states that visitors will see innovative new products, original designs with their own copyrights and products from new factories. cafexpo.net
Celebrating a decade of Art on the Street THE TENTH Art on the Street event will take place on the streets of Maidenhead on Saturday 14 June. Over 100 artists will be showing paintings, prints, ceramics and photography against a backdrop of live music, performances, free workshops and activities. maidenheadartmarket.org Mural artist Philth created a mural behind Bovilles Art Shop using Liquitex paints during the last Art on the Street show
‘Excellent’ event in Glasgow GUESTS TRAVELLED from the furthest corners of Scotland to attend Making Pictures Glasgow at FW Holroyd’s premises. Organisers the Fine Art Trade Guild are proud to report that 40 per cent of attendees described the event as ‘excellent’, while the remaining 60 per cent thought it ‘very good’. These trade events allow art and framing professionals to talk to suppliers in an intimate informal setting, and to learn from talks and demonstrations. Ian Donaldson, Annan Gallery, talked about the importance of image capture. Ian bought along a selection of photographic hardware and showed visitors how to achieve the best results. FW Holroyd’s Ken Ralston talked about pricing bespoke framing. Prior to the event he asked 32 Scottish framers to price a simple framing job, which revealed quotes ranging from £45 to £133. Framiac’s Mark Wilson presented a ‘part two’ to Ken’ talk, explaining how framers must fully understand the real cost of making each frame. Ian Kenny GCF spoke to retailers about connecting with customers. He discussed visual merchandising and branding, as well as using videos and new media. First Data’s Nikki Doherty also addressed retailers, focusing on streamlining merchant services. Jack Siwinski and Sarah Clarke, LION Picture Framing Supplies,
demonstrated cutting and joining frames on a range of equipment, and discussed the pros and cons of each option. Ron Warbrick, The Frame Shop & Gallery, visited Making Pictures, ‘Nothing beats getting together with fellow traders and experts, then watching practical demonstrations and discussing them face-to-face. It’s so valuable to see people using equipment, to actually pick up and handle samples, and to talk about ideas with other likeminded folk. Ian Kenny’s marketing talk was particularly inspiring.’ Cecil Hughson, The Camera Shop, also enjoyed the evening. ‘Mark Wilson’s talk on pricing was excellent, and I was interested to see where our prices fit in. I attended the event with a view to talking with Nikki Doherty about EPOS systems, and she was helpful. I hadn’t met Ken Ralston before, he’s a great guy, and I was interested to see his samples of invisible glass and discuss how to sell this product.’ fineart.co.uk Upcoming Making Pictures events: TORQUAY Haddon Galleries, Monday 23 June BEDFORD Arqadia, Thursday 10 July BELFAST Hilton Hotel, Thursday 24 July
Top: FW Holroyd’s Ken Ralston presents a talk on frame pricing
Clockwise from second down: Framiac’s Mark Wilson explains the intricasies of pricing; Ian Kenny GCF presenting his talk on connecting with customers; First Data’s Nikki Doherty discusses merchant services
Bologna: exhibitors and visitors pleasantly surprised EXHIBITORS AND visitors at the new framing and art trade show that took place in Bologna, Italy, this March report being ‘pleasantly surprised’ by the quality of the show. Arqadia’s Pauline Hutchinson reports, ‘As the show was launched at such short notice we didn’t have very high expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the visitors. Most were from Europe and they were serious buyers in the main. Italian shows are always very well presented, and this was no exception. There was a good range of suppliers taking part. We’ve been coming to Bologna for many years and we love the ease with which you can reach the city centre. It’s a great location for a show, far better than Rome or Milan. As exhibitors, we appreciated the show being held over just two days, but a longer event is planned for 2015. We’ll definitely be back next year and I’m sure the show will be bigger and better then.’ This story featured in ABT’s April e-newsletter. To read more, visit www.fineart.co.uk/article/famaart-2014-838.aspx ART BUSINESS TODAY
June 2014 13
NEWS
Bumper crop of rustic influenced designs from Arqadia ARQADIA RELEASED a bumper collection of mouldings this May, which show the influence of traditional rustic designs. ‘This season’s hottest trends are a contrast to the high-gloss glamour of winter, providing a more traditional and natural feel,’ says marketing manager Pauline Hutchinson. ‘Our latest designs couple smooth curves with a neutral colour palette. While perhaps not as instantly striking as some of our bolder ranges, these profiles offer
something beautiful for people who appreciate that you don’t need a fanfare to make a statement. Sometimes it’s more about simple style and true quality.’ The hand-finished Original Collection is influenced by French craftsmanship, while the Chambery Range features stronger colours. The ornate Giverny profiles feature swirling patterns and a dewy metallic glow, providing a soft feminine edge. Pescara mouldings show how
traditional designs can be brought into the 21st century with the use of subtle colouring. Lastly, mouldings in the Seaford range have a ribbed finish that is reminiscent of beach huts. Chambery and Giverny mouldings are priced from £21.99 per metre, and are available by the length or via the chop service. Seaford profiles start at £2.89 a metre, and Pescara designs are from £4.35 a metre. arqadia.co.uk From left: Pescara; Giverny; Chambery; Seaford
Four global manufacturers, one corporate brand THE FLETCHER Business Group has unveiled new corporate branding to be applied to the four global brands under its ownership. All four companies provide quality materials and equipment to the framing industry, as well as the graphics, woodworking and glass industries. The Fletcher-Terry Company, founded in 1868, provides products for frame joining and substrate cutting and finishing. Fletcher makes tabletop and wall-mounted cutters, as well as a range of points, drivers and hand-held glass cutters. AMP is an American manufacturer of underpinners, double-mitre saws and frame 14 June 2014
Operating an Alfamacchine Minigraf 44 frame assembly machine and, left, the new corporate branding
assembly machines, while Albin provides hanging and display products such as the patented Picture Perfect nowire hanging system and EaselMate, Displaymate and FrameStrap products. Alfamacchine
is an Italian manufacturer of underpinners, saws and frame assembly equipment. The Fletcher Business Group is supported by a network of international distribution partners. fletcher-amp.com, fletcher-terry.com alfamacchine.com ART BUSINESS TODAY
Comment LESZEK WOLNIK considers the magic involved in transforming an image through printing and framing The difference between a 1.4mm bevel and a 4mm bevel is subtle, yet the brain reacts positively and intuitively to the beauty of a crisp deep mount
et’s look at the intuitive, emotional side of printing and frame making, and pose the seemingly bizarre question: ‘Are we in the fetish business?’ I rather like to think we are. Not in the sense of coveting high heeled shoes, but in the sense that we make objects of ‘magical potency’ that elicit ‘respect and reverence’. We hold workshops at The Copper House. A constantly recurring theme is the transformation of an image, be it a photograph, digital file or original, into an object of beauty and substance that has presence and gravitas that speaks to the viewer. We’re all of us blessed to be able to work that magic because, as craft practitioners, it falls to us to explore the nuances of papers and inks to make the most appropriate print of an artwork or file, and then to determine how best to finish or frame the work to make it into an object of potency that elicits respect. I love how an image can be transformed by your choice of paper. Matt papers such as a Photo Rag or German Etching provide richness and saturation as the inks soak in deeply, while the same image will sit ‘on top’ of the coating on a Baryta and mimic a traditional silver halide photographic print. Etching-type papers are beautiful if you’re editioning watercolours or gouaches. The textured base can be a superb match for watercolour paper.
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We delight in challenging artists to identify which is the original and which is the editioned print. Certain contemporary images look magnificent printed on resin-coated photo-type papers. These papers yield sharp white highlights and great intensity and purity of colour, which, in some cases, is what is needed to match the artist’s intent. Having made a really good print we add magic by choosing the right frame. Rich photographic artwork may require a 4mm bevelled mount, rather than a standard 1.4mm offering. The difference is subtle, yet the brain reacts positively and intuitively to the beauty of a crisp, perfectly-cut deep bevel. Likewise, deckle-edged watercolour prints might float in deep box frames with plenty of space for the play of light and shadow, and sit behind invisible museum glass. This presentation can provide an interaction with the art that is deeper than can easily be explained. So, go wild exploring the subtle possibilities and nuances of our craft. Tell the family you spent the day pondering fetishes . . . Leszek Wolnik is curator and strategist at The Copper House Gallery, Dublin. leszek@thecopperhouse.ie
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conveying information about your work. You can provide personal insight on the painting process, along with preliminary sketches, information which might not fit well on an e-commerce site. Adding links to your website, particularly the online shop, and tagging key words helps with search engine optimisation. It’s important to keep up to speed with developing technology. More of us are buying online via our mobile phones now. I’m not sure if people are buying art this way in great numbers, but I’ve made sales via my main Twitter name, @artistalanreed, which I use mainly on my phone. Twitter includes designated weekly
Photograph courtesy and copyright of Dara Munnis
Artist Alan Reed is a dedicated Twitter user
16 June 2014
’ve always believed that my paintings sell themselves, with no need for a hard sell. But the challenge these days is getting folk to see your work in the right environment to make a decision about buying. Conventional advertising and mailing printed invitations is expensive. But a bit of effort, creativity and a carefully thought out strategy can generate a decent return from blogging, social media and e-newsletters. Digital media enables you to reach a wide audience of potential art buyers. It’s not a quick fix, but can form a valuable part of your overall marketing strategy. A blog is an effective tool for
ART BUSINESS TODAY
Comment Relationships between artists and galleries should be long-lasting, says EMMA BELL
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f art lies at the heart of our business, then carefully considered relationships with artists must be at the heart of our business practice. My husband Harry and I run the business with Sonia and James; between us we have clocked up 32 years of marriage. We apply the wisdom that has made our marriages work to the delicate operation of representing artists. After all, what we’re trying to build are relationships based on enduring mutual respect that bring benefits to us all. Before the marriage vows, the official asks for a declaration. It goes like this, and is easily applied to this particular business relationship: ‘Will you love, comfort, honour and protect, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to them as long as you both shall live?’ Well alright, perhaps not forever, but let’s consider this. We have to love the work an artist produces, otherwise how can we sell it? So gallery owners must be genuine in selecting work for their walls. The personal aspect of the relationship is important too; artists appreciate gallery owners who are friendly and stay in touch. Equally, artists
slots for business promotion, such as @TheoPaphitis #SBS (Small Business Sunday, 5 to 7.30pm). You can tweet about your business, which may be re-tweeted to a wider audience. A tweet of mine was an #SBS winner in June 2012. I said ‘Painting is my passion, come rain or shine’, and included my painting of the Pump Room, Bath. The former Dragons’ Den businessman retweeted this to his 300,000 followers, which helped me gain many more followers. Many UK regions have similar slots on Twitter, such as #northeasthour, which is for small businesses. People buy from people. It’s easy to interact with potential buyers on ART BUSINESS TODAY
should share information and ideas with gallery owners; the more we know about our artists, the more persuasive we can be in sales. Comfort. One of the hardest parts of being a gallery owner is explaining to artists why their work hasn’t sold. Make sure you’re supportive and encouraging. Honour and protect. This is a big one. We are shocked when artists tell us that galleries have withheld money after a sale. Some report telephoning their gallery, then arriving to collect their work to find there’s been a mysterious flurry of sales. Another was told that her paintings had been stolen but was then contacted by long-term customers who had bought them. Many report slow payment following sales. The very least galleries should do is pay their artists promptly. It’s simply the right thing to do. To reciprocate, we ask that artists honour us. This means, in practical terms, not selling work in nearby galleries - it’s hard enough to sell a luxury product without being in direct competition with a neighbour. It also means not selling directly to customers at a reduced price. This surprisingly widespread practice undermines the value of an artist’s work, as well as the
Gallery owners work hard building relationships with customers, leaving artists time to paint
work galleries do to promote and sell it. If you’re going to sell direct, ensure that prices are consistent across the board. Lastly, be faithful. This is crucial. We know that gallery commission rates are a big bugbear for artists, but remember that we have substantial overheads. Ours are in the region of £100,000 per annum. Yes, we charge a commission, but we develop artists’ reputations, promote them, talk to customers about them and spread the word when artists have something to shout about. We light their work beautifully and frame it with the best quality materials. We handle admin, providing artists with time to paint. In return be faithful to us, we’re doing our very best for you. And that is our solemn vow.
Emma Bell is a director of The Mulberry Tree Gallery
Twitter if you follow them, comment on their tweets and generally engage in a friendly, polite way. Twitter has been described as an online cocktail party with guests from every walk of life. It can be a great way to socialise online. Obviously you can’t chat to everyone so you have to be selective. You can network with gallery owners and buyers via Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Post images of recent work to get feedback and generate interest, so buyers visit your studio or gallery. It’s easy to spend hours on Twitter and Facebook without actually achieving anything, so establish clear goals and objectives, then evaluate progress. June 2014 17
Comment Was the price right?
Same frame, different labour charge
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read your article The price is right? (April 2014, page 38) with interest. You asked framers to price frames for a cross stich, a watercolour and a poster. I priced each frame using different labour charges: £50, £40 and £30 per hour. My FramR software calculated that it would take 54 minutes to frame the cross stitch, including lacing; 41 minutes to frame the watercolour; and 39 minutes to frame the poster, including drymounting. I have listed the cost, net and profit for each job. Materials have an allowance of 40 per cent wastage built into the cost. Please note that the cost includes both labour and materials. It’s interesting to see that the cross stitch took the longest to make and here returns the lowest profit, even though it was almost the highest cost item to make, yet most of your framers priced it as the cheapest. This is due mostly to a perception of size. Framers often think that customers will not pay the correct price for a small frame, but almost half your framers were pricing at below cost. Is it worth doing a job at a loss,
XStitch @ £30ph: Cost £36.29, Net £50.03, Profit £13.74, markup 37.84% XStitch @ £40ph: Cost £45.43, Net £62.33, Profit £16.90, markup 37.21% XStitch @ £50ph: Cost £51.99, Net £71.11, Profit £19.12, markup 36.76% Watercolour @ 30ph: Cost, £39.21, Net £55.95, Profit £16.74, markup 42.70% Watercolour @ 40ph: Cost, £46.01, Net £65.11, Profit £19.10, markup 41.50% Watercolour @ 50ph: Cost, £52.82, Net £74.20, Profit £21.38, markup 40.47% Poster @ 30ph: Cost, £33.20, Net £49.18, Profit £15.98, markup 48.10% Poster @ 40ph: Cost, £39.78, Net £58.07, Profit £18.29, markup 45.99% Poster @ 50ph: Cost, £46.35, Net £66.90, Profit £20.55, markup 44.35%
when you could be using the time to frame profitable work, or focusing on marketing in order to attract better work and customers? When framers see only the material price and the net selling price they can be concerned that they’re ripping off the customer. For example, £10 for materials and a £40 net selling price generates £30 profit. This seems like a great profit, so you might give a ten per cent discount, bringing the profit down to £26. This makes the framer feel better, the customer will be happy and you’re still making money.
Now look at it this way. £10 for materials, plus £20 for half an hour’s labour, and a £40 net selling price gives a profit of £10. Suddenly the idea of a ten per cent discount seems less favourable. Framers will not understand their profitability unless they know what it is costing them to make each frame. Labour is the biggest cost of manufacturing, it is why companies have their products manufactured overseas where labour is cheap. Mark Wilson Framiac
Vettriano: fine art or pornography?
Devotion is one of five erotic images by Jack Vettriano that comprise The Red Room Collection and which are published for the first time as signed, limited edition giclée prints
18 June 2014
The art/porn debate is alive and well in the images by Jack Vettriano that were reproduced on page 12 of your April issue. These images depict young women willingly colluding in their own humiliation at the hands of unstable predatory males. For the latter it’s a short step from leering and catcalls, to psychological aggression and physical abuse. Artists, publishers, advertisers, traders and customers who promote these images bear direct responsibility for enabling these viscious and heart-rending consequences. In the interests of the dignity and safety of our mothers, sisters, daughters, colleagues and acquaintances we must say to Vettriano: ‘No more. Use your gifts and considerable skill to elevate your subject matter, not debase it.’ Even in our increasingly hedonistic society there is room for beauty, decency, kindness and integrity. I value the industry I work in and want to see it embrace these values. Norman Herringshaw Norman Herringshaw Picture Framing
ART BUSINESS TODAY
Comment Exciting plans are in place at the Guild, says CEO LOUISE HAY
I Thanks for the publicity
All three images are by Elizabeth Hemming
I want to thank you most sincerely. My daughter, Elizabeth Hemming, has been contacted by a gallery in Northampton regarding her work as a cat artist. It transpires that the gallery owner saw a piece about her in your October 2013 issue (news, page 21). May I say how much both Beth and I appreciate your running this story. There is nothing she would love more than to follow in her old man’s footsteps as a professional artist. I know she has the talent to succeed, but, like all aspiring artists, she needs a little help along the way. Gestures such as yours in publishing the story make all the difference, and for that we are most grateful. Nigel Hemming, artist
ART BUSINESS TODAY
was pleased to see over 30 Guild members turned out of their comfy beds for the AGM, held the morning after the night before. Support for the new Court members was overwhelming and our board for 2014-15 is composed of Paul Bowden (Slater Harrison), Steve Burke (Arqadia), Karen Hollis (Art in Bloom), Aidan Lynch GCF (University of Limerick), Stephen Finney GCF (MKV Creative), Joe Davis (D&J Simons), Garry White GCF (Wessex Pictures) and Mark Wilson (Framiac). Following the AGM four additional candidates were elected under special provisions in the Articles of Association, and we welcome Jo Palmer GCF (The Framing Lot) and Roy Rowlands GCF (Hedgehog Frames) to the Court, and Peter Hayton GCF and Martin Harrold back to the Executive Committee on a remit to bring programmes in development to fruition. Ian Kenny GCF (Ian Kenny Framing) will be joining the Executive as the new Members’ Warden and Steve McKee GCF Adv remains as Master of the Guild, ably supported by his Master’s Warden Maxwell Roberts. We still seek a Treasurer to guide financial strategy. With the Committee Chairs, Anne Corless and Mal Reynolds GCF Adv, we now have a full complement of Court members and I look forward to working with my new board. I’d like to thank all of them for putting themselves forward for the good of our industry, and those outgoing Court members who have contributed greatly. The Annual Report and Accounts were accepted and those of you who have read the document will know that exciting times are ahead with a move to brand new premises located in Wandsworth Town, on the bank of the Thames. The plan for the building is to make a welcoming, accessible space on the ground floor that members can use and share with office staff for workshops, seminars and even exhibitions. The Executive, staff and I all hope that members will come and see us in our new home sometime this autumn when the build is completed. Mal Reynolds, Chair of the Framing Standards and Qualifications Committee, used the AGM to announce important changes to the Guild Commended Framer programme and the development of a new Framer Training Course (see page 13 for full story). There will be a new Continuing Professional Development requirement for the certification and we plan to deliver high quality content in our new home, as well as at Guild events around the country and overseas. Back to the night before . . . thank you everyone who made our annual Art & Framing Industry Awards Event such a success including my staff team, who were fantastic; the committees who help guide the framing awards and Guild Artists’ Exhibition; and all those volunteers on the day who gave time to hang shows, pack and unpack and delivered our programme of workshops and seminars. Although extremely hard work in the run up, the evening itself was a delight and even the presentations went smoothly. A final thank you and massive congratulations are due to Jorge Aguilar-Agon and Gordon King for their Lifetime Achievement Awards in celebration and gratitude for their many years of support for the Guild. June 2014 19
NEWS
WCAF at same venue as 2014 IT HAS been confirmed that next year’s West Coast Art & Frame Expo, to be held in Las Vegas, will be at the same venue as this year, The Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The trade show will run from 26 to 28 January, while the national conference will begin on the 25 January, and run for four days. wcafshow.com
The Framing Lady returns ANNA-MARIE Bartlett GCF, who trades as The Framing Lady, is returning to South Africa later this year. Award-winning framer AnnaMarie will be a GCF examiner, and will implement a training course to raise awareness of framing standards, the Five Levels of Framing and the Fine Art Trade Guild. ‘In the meantime, I am looking for a lady who would like to be The Framing Lady in the UK and adopt the theframinglady.co.uk website, which will obviously showcase the new framing lady’s work,’ explains Anna-Marie. More details about the website are in Product News, page 24. 01462 713388 or am@theframinglady.com
Learn mounting and laminating for free HOT PRESS mounting and laminating products, which are available exclusively from Wessex Pictures in the UK and Ireland, will be showcased at a series of free drop-in days. These events, which are for anyone involved in professional photography, printing or framing, teach the skills required to turn pictures into fully-finished marketable products. The training days, which run throughout the year, are hosted by Wessex Pictures’ Steve Goodall, a wellknown expert in the field of mounting and laminating. ‘Steve has more than 30 years experience in print finishing and has a wealth of experience to pass on,’ says Wessex Pictures’ MD Ashley Younger. ‘He always puts on a good
show and has plenty of new ideas for even the most seasoned Hot Press user.’ Visitors can just pop quickly to the venue that is most convenient for them, or they can stay all day. Entry is free, there is no need to register in advance and all venues have easy parking. Around three drop-in days are scheduled to take place at each Wessex Pictures branch this year. Further details and dates can be seen at wessexpictures.com/news_articles.html
Discounted websites for Guild members THE FINE Art Trade Guild’s chosen web company, e-mango, is pleased to offer a low cost website solution to members. ‘This starter package is suited to those who do not already have a website, or who have something basic that they are finding hard to use or update,’ explains e-mango MD Gordon Fong. ‘Simply choose from a range of templates, select colours, come for training and you will be ready to go. Training is provided to ensure that
members get the most out of the system and have the skills to update their own website, and a support team are on hand to assist by telephone or email. e-mango looks forward to working with members and raising the internet profile of the Guild as a whole.’ A discount of ten per cent off set-up and annual charges will apply. E-mango will waive the £300 set-up fee for the first three Guild members to sign up. e-mango.com
Anna-Marie Bartlett GCF with Peter Cleevely GCF (left) and Dom Dalton, who carried the Olympic torch which Anna-Marie and Peter framed
20 June 2014
ART BUSINESS TODAY
NEWS
Cutting out the middle man
Memory Box’s Play & Display Flip Frames for vinyl records
Memory Box partners Nielsen Bainbridge FRAMING SPECIALIST Memory Box has partnered with Nielsen Bainbridge to make and promote their new patented Flip Frame design. These innovative frames for 3D objects allow instant access, so the artifact in the frame can be removed and replaced in seconds, without the need to take the frame off the wall. Flip Frames will now be manufactured by Nielsen Bainbridge, for distribution across the world, notably the USA. Over the last three years Memory Box has sold over 100,000 of its Play
& Display Flip Frames for vinyl records. ‘We are now looking for global licensees in publishing, education and the wider framing market. The Flip Frame design could be used for a number of artistic items, not just vinyl,’ says Andrew Heeps, founder of Memory Box. Nielsen Bainbridge has been making aluminium frames for 30 years and owns five European distributors, as well as a 30,000 square metre factory in Germany. artvinyl.com
THE COST of posting prints has increased considerably, so Salt of the Earth Giclée Print Service has launched a SendDirect service, whereby they print and mail artwork to collectors on behalf of their artist and gallery customers. ‘This saves you postage and packaging costs, and time spent packing and going to the Post Office. The service also ensures that your customer receives their prints with minimal risk from handling,’ says Salt of the Earth’s John Roland. Orders are despatched with custom shipping labels and, if required, certificates of authenticity. salt-of-the-earth.biz
Salt of the Earth’s John Roland
A floral parade Curwen Studios returns to London CURWEN STUDIO, which offers collaborative lithographic printmaking services to artists, is moving back to London after 20 years in Cambridgeshire. Curwen is joining forces with Coriander Studio, which provides screenprinting, digital, lenticular and 3D printing. Lance Trevellyan, owner of Coriander and CCA Galleries, said, ‘We are thrilled at this collaboration which will see the unique medium of lithography available at Coriander for the first time.’ Stanley Jones MBE, co-founder of Curwen Studio, adds, ‘All forms of lithography will be available, plus the infinite possibilities of cross-medium printmaking.’ thecurwenstudio.co.uk, corianderstudio.com
Black Circle by Sir Terry Frost RA, a screenprint made at Coriander Studio
ART BUSINESS TODAY
FLORAL ARTIST Karen Hollis has created a life-size baby elephant that is currently touring the UK as part of the Elephant Parade, which raises money for the conservation of the Asian elephant. Karen was selected to take part as her sense of shape, texture and colour would really bring her elephant to life. Her contribution, Lily Pepper, stands shoulder-to -shoulder with creations from both celebrities and artists. Buyers can bid online until 26 July. intuelephantparade.co.uk artinbloom.co.uk
The Unicorn Artist by Paula Rego was commissioned by Curwen to celebrate their 5oth anniversary
June 2014 21
ARTIST INTERVIEW
JULIE CROSS ‘Running your own business is hard work, but I’m used to tight deadlines and tackling admin efficiently’ Were you always a professional artist? No. I have a PhD in children’s literature and worked in television. I was given a watercolour course with Charles Evans for my 40th birthday, and I became hooked. I started painting late into the night and the art gradually took over. After a year or so I entered a picture of a polar bear into the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition. The picture was a finalist, was hung in pride of place in the Mall Galleries and sold for £750 on the first night. Shortly after that I wanted to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, so I organised an exhibition of 80 of my paintings in Wetherby town hall. The show made £4000 for the charity and generated lots of sales leads. That’s when my career as a professional artist took off. My work was soon in local galleries and I was receiving regular commissions. The Mallyan Spout
Hotel asked me to be their artist in residence and to provide work for all their rooms, which was a great boost. How do you promote your work? I enter a lot of competitions and submit work for a wide range of exhibitions, which ensures that galleries and collectors see my work. I am secretary and exhibitions coordinator for the Association of Animal Artists, and I sell through their events. I am a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild and submit work to their annual exhibition as well. I’ve twice won the World Mammals category in the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition. My work has been accepted by The Society of Women Artists for the last three years, and it’s been included in the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries. When ever my work is included in London shows it seems to sell. I also organise exhibitions, solo and group shows. Last year I arranged an exhibition in the RHS garden at
Harlow Carr, featuring my work and that of two other artists. I sold figurative and equestrian work there, not just florals, which was a little surprising. It was hard work; we had to staff the show, hang it and promote it, but it was worthwhile. We also took it in turns to demonstrate painting techniques, which visitors always like. I don’t sell online or promote my work via social media. You can’t do everything. How do you balance running your business and creating art? I paint at night very often. People often say, ‘You’re too efficient to be an artist!’ which is partly due to my commercial background, I think. When I was in TV I worked to tight deadlines and production companies expect a high level of attention to detail. There’s an awful lot to be done when you are working for yourself. I outsource framing to Frame-Abel, who are Guild Commended Framers. They work to a very high standard and pull out all the stops if there’s a tight deadline. Your style and subject matter are varied . . . I’ve always had a connection with animals, but I also paint abstracts, florals, figurative studies, landscapes and still lifes. I work in oil and watercolour. Some subjects are suited to the fluid interpretation of watercolour, while others demand to be painted in oils. I’ve been told numerous times by gallery owners that I should find a niche and develop a reputation within that, but I don’t want to be restricted. The style I paint in reflects my mood. Some galleries sell work in one style, others prefer a different look. I don’t want to be pigeon-holed. Do you produce prints and cards? A fine art printer in Harrogate makes giclées for me and I use digitalprintdesign.co.uk to print greeting cards. I haven’t got time to get into producing my own prints. I publish editions of 20 prints for people who can’t afford an original. Both prints and cards sell well at exhibitions. ■ juliecross.co.uk See Julie’s work on page 23 (opposite) ART BUSINESS TODAY
To advertise here, call Kasia Szkolnicka on 020 7381 6616 or email: kasia@fineart.co.uk Entries are £80 for Guild members, £150 for non-members (+ VAT)
PRODUCT NEWS
Julie Cross Contemporary Fine Art
Jackie Gale Textile Art
Emerging from the Gloom is an original watercolour from versatile artist Julie Cross.
Textile artist Jackie Gale, who was a finalist for this year’s Best-selling Up & Coming Artist award, creates unique colourful wall candy with new and recycled textiles. Original artworks and limited edition giclée prints are available. Galleries sought. Email the artist at Jackie@jackiegaletextileart.com and follow her at @jackiegale art
01937 543870 juliecross.co.uk
07513 439689 jackiegaletextileart.com
Selective Prints
D & J Simons
Selective Prints are pleased to announce two new Margaret Clarkson prints, limited to 200 copies. Title: Rain Dance Image size: 175x270mm RRP: £43 (ince VAT)
The Verona Range, a stylish new gallery collection from Simons, is available in three profiles and four finishes: gold, silver, pewter and bronze. Profiles are 50mm wide x 20mm high, priced at £5.42 per metre (£1.65 per foot); 21mm wide x 20mm high, priced at £3.94 per metre (£1.20 per foot); and 36mm wide x 35mm high, priced at £5.42 per metre (£1.65 per foot).
01948 818181 selectiveprints.co.uk
020 7739 3744 djsimons.co.uk
LifeSaver Software
FrameVue is new digital preview software from the makers of LifeSaver Software for picture framers. The company was founded in the USA in 1994 and co-founder Eric Crowe has just relocated to the UK in order to promote the company’s products in Europe. FrameVue, which integrates with LifeSaver Software, creates a library of mounts and mouldings, eliminating the need to recapture. Mountboard can be re-positioned without re-shooting and multi-opening mount designs can be displayed. Users can create bespoke slide show presentations and email designs to customers.
020 3286 5431 lifesaversoft.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY
Toni Watts ‘Fascinating, delicate and original’ was how the judges for the 2014 Pollyanna Pickering Award for the Best Depiction of the Living World described Toni Watts’ work. Toni uses the techniques and materials of medieval manuscript illuminators to create beautiful contemporary designs where light dances on gold. Original paintings are available direct from the artist. toniwatts@live.co.uk
toniwattsartstudio.com June 2014 23
PRODUCT NEWS LION Picture Framing Supplies
The Framing Lady
SeaLion cold and hot mounting and laminating materials are superb professional quality at great value trade prices, made for LION in the UK. To help you test SeaLion materials, many are available in 5m test rolls. For a SeaLion samples pack contact sarah@lionpic.co.uk
Want to show off your handy work in style? Then this website may be the answer. Being a finalist for the Art Business Website Award 2014 gave AnnaMarie Bartlett GCF the idea to offer framers an affordable way to showcase their work, which is easily updated. Add your domain name, logo, contact details and a growing gallery of frames. Too easy! Even choose your own colour scheme. Make videos and use the news page to communicate with the public. ‘My website generates a lot of business for me and will do the same for you,’ says Anna-Marie.
0121 773 1230 lionpic.co.uk
01462 713388 theframinglady.com
Valiani
Marialuisa Marino
2014 is a year to celebrate; a year to celebrate ’40 Years of Innovation.’ 40 years during which Valiani has developed a wide range of mountcutters, including nine CMCs, which have provided custom framers with innovative and intuitive cutting solutions. Valiani is especially proud that a business started in 1974 by Franco Valiani remains a family concern, dedicated to providing an outstanding level of support for its customers.
The 9th Symphony (illustrated) is inspired by the music of Sir Malcolm Arnold CBE. Artist Marialuisa Marino can be
valiani.com
07770 553787 marialuisamarino.com
Framiac Software
Arqadia
Anna-Marie Bartlett GCF from The Framing Lady has this to say about FramR software: ‘Framiac is easy to use, very accurate, and one of the best features is that you can customise it easily. Creating templates is simple for tasks like needlework, football shirts and frames with spacers and fillets. I like the price breakdown sheet, where I can see my hourly rate applied to the different framing tasks. I can see the actual material and labour costs and also a markup for my profit. An updated price list of my favourite suppliers is easily imported into the system and I have confidence when I quote that it is a reasonable and fair price each and every time. No more guessing and inconsistency . . . FramR makes my day!’
Picture perfect presentation is now even easier for framers to achieve thanks to the launch of two new products in the Clarity by Larson Juhl collection. A new invisible waterwhite glass that offers up to 92 per cent UV protection, and specialist float glass that delivers 90 per cent UV protection, are added to the Clarity brand. The new ranges join Arqadia’s existing Clarity product which offers 70 per cent UV filtering and reduces reflections to less than one per cent. For ease of handling, Clarity has a smooth surface with a durable and scratch resistant coating. No special cleaning products are required and because both sides of the glass hold the same properties, either side can be placed against the art. Clarity is available in 800x1100mm and 1100x1600mm sizes, each with a thickness of 2mm. It is priced from £31.68 per sheet. A free specifier is available.
0117 904 7153 07938 508 343 framiac.com
01234 852777 arqadia.co.uk claritybylarsonjuhl.com
24 June 2014
contacted at marialuisamarino@live.co.uk, or facebook.com/fantesise or look for her on LinkedIn.
ART BUSINESS TODAY
PRODUCT NEWS
To advertise here, call Kasia Szkolnicka on 020 7381 6616 or email: kasia@fineart.co.uk Entries are £80 for Guild members, £150 for non-members (+ VAT)
Art4site Earlier this year, at Art4site, we have been busy with the refurbishments of our newdedicated canvas printing studio. We are delighted that our new facility is now fully operational after the installation of our new wide format printer purchased specifically for the job. Printing onto the finest certified archival grade canvas, available in either satin or gloss, the quality of reproduction sits comfortably alongside our range of award winning fine art reprographics, giclée printing and card printing services.
Selective Prints
Selective Prints are pleased to announce two new Margaret Clarkson prints, limited to 200 copies.
01233 811664 art4site.co.uk
01948 818181 selectiveprints.co.uk
D & J Simons
Cheri Hunston
The new Detroit Range is multi-purpose. The profiles can be used as either deep rebated mouldings or as photo frames. Available in four different finishes - gold, champagne, silver and matt black - the size of the profile is 25mm wide x 54mm high. Prices are £4.10 per metre (£1.25 per foot).
Tristan and Isolde is the latest piece by Cheri Hunston, a finalist for this year’s Up & Coming Artist Award. Working in ink on hot pressed paper, Cheri gives her wildlife art a fantastical twist, creating characters and suggesting stories. Each print is hand embellished.
020 7739 3744 djsimons.co.uk
0771 838 6580 cherihunston.com
Title: Train Driver Image size: 200x185mm RRP: £43 (ince VAT)
Edition: 50 giclée prints signed and numbered with certificates of authenticity included. Image size: 53x37cm (mounted, 63.5x47cm) Trade: £70 print only or £75 mounted, wrapped and ready for resale. + p&p. RRP £150. Cheri.Hunston@hotmail.com
Alfamacchine
Compo Mouldings
Alfamacchine’s MP/Multi- Channel unit is a highly advanced frame joining machine for the picture framing and woodworking industries. Balancing sophistication and operating flexibility for joining picture frames, window and door frames. With data storage of 5000 different frame profiles, the operator can easily recall any frame profile either alphabetically, numerically or scanned using the barcode reading option. This machine is ideal for medium type production facilities requiring flexibility for different sized V-nail fasteners or a common mm size through the use of a market exclusive configurable channel magazine feature.
Compo Mouldings is a new company supplying mouldings for framers to finish themselves. Being internet based allows Compo Mouldings to keep prices low. Mouldings come in lengths of approx 2.9m and a wide array of widths and profiles. Samples are available. Orders to the UK mainland, received by midday, are sent by a 24-hour delivery service. Carriage is free on orders over £170.
sales@alfamacchine.com
01268 573473 compomouldings.com
ART BUSINESS TODAY
June 2014 25
BUSINESS
From left: artists Jackie Gale and Cheri Hunston with the Fine Art Trade Guild’s Kasia Szkolnicka
Master of the Guild Steve McKee GCF Adv (left) with Joe Davis, D&J Simons
Mal Reynolds GCF Adv, Harlequin Frames, with artist Pollyanna Pickering
Jamie and Victoria McCallum of the Art Retail Network
Celebrating in style ou guys really know how to do it,’ commented American trainer and author Rob Markoff, who travelled from San Diego for the weekend. ‘We need to get more American framers and retailers over here next year. They would love your event. We don’t have anything like it back home.’ Rob’s enthusiasm was mirrored by Ian Morris GCF, Chalfont Art & Framing, ‘It was nice to see so many independent businesses shine and I had a lovely table. It was a great night out.’ This was the first time that Salt
‘Y Annabelle Ruston attended the art and framing industry’s 22nd awards dinner, where guests from all sectors of the trade networked with friends old and new, and celebrated achievement, in a glamorous yet informal setting 26 June 2014
of the Earth’s Debbie Adderley had been to an awards dinner, ‘We sat with a group of artists and publishers. It was a very enjoyable evening and everyone was very friendly.’ A night to remember Artists, gallery owners, publishers, framers, printers and trade suppliers all came together in their finest evening wear at the Holiday Inn, Elstree. The evening started with a reception, sponsored by PermaJet, where guests had an opportunity to study the amazing array of artwork in the Guild Artists’ Exhibition and the ingenuity ART BUSINESS TODAY
BUSINESS of the framers who entered the technical framing awards. This was followed by a three-course dinner, after which the atmosphere became tense with anticipation for the announcement of the award winners. Guild CEO Louise Hay, elegant in lapis lazuli silk, and Master of the Guild Steve McKee GCF Adv, resplendent in a violet satin waistcoat and bow tie, took to the stage and the awards presentation began. Once the official part of the evening was over, guests were able to let their hair down and dance to a live band that played hits from every decade. Many repaired to the bar, where they remained making friends and reminiscing until the small hours. Sponsors The weekend is made possible by the generous support of a number of sponsors. Steve McKee gave his sincere thanks to all the sponsors at several points during the evening. The award for the best Art Business Artist Jorge Aguilar-Agon
Website is appropriately sponsored by e-mango, which specialises in providing online business solutions. ‘We want to support the Fine Art Trade Guild and make our company visible to their members,’ says emango’s Gordon Fong. ‘We have worked with the Guild for several years and are now launching a product into the industry, so we are keen to promote excellence in art and framing.’ Besso Limited, who sponsor the award for the best art retailer, have been the Guild’s chosen insurance brokers for many years. ‘Besso are proud sponsors of the best art retailer award. We look forward to offering the winner the insurance benefits so widely enjoyed by many Guild members.’ PermaJet’s Doug Morgan explains why they sponsor the award for digital printer of the year, ‘We want to encourage printers to strive for excellence and we particularly want to support those operating at the top end Daler Rowney’s Craig Mumbray
2014 WINNERS ART BUSINESS WEBSITE sponsor: e-mango Mainline Mouldings ART RETAILER sponsor: Besso Limited The Harrison Lord Gallery BEST IN SHOW: ART Jorge Aguilar-Agon BEST IN SHOW: FRAMING Anna Marie Bartlett GCF, The Framing Lady BEST MOUNT DESIGN sponsor: Framers Corner / Wizard Andrea Cooke GCF, Picture It BEST-SELLING ARTIST sponsor: Arqadia Kerry Darlington CUSTOMER SERVICE sponsor: Fine Art Trade Guild Arqadia DIGITAL PRINTER sponsor: PermaJet Art4site GUILD CHALLENGE FRAMING AWARD sponsor: Valiani Cath Friend GCF, Emerald Picture Framing & Gallery
Wessex Pictures’ Garry \White
Eric and Michelle Crowe, LifeSaver Software
INNOVATION sponsor: i2i Events Group Art Retail Network LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Jorge Aguilar-Agon LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Gordon King POLLYANNA PICKERING AWARD FOR THE BEST DEPICTION OF THE LIVING WORLD Toni Watts UP & COMING ARTIST sponsor: Daler-Rowney Antonio Russo
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BUSINESS ➺ of the market. This award is about quality, in terms of materials and production, and quality is what we at PermaJet value most.’ Business awards Websites are judged on their creativity and design, ease of use and the impact the site has had on the business. emango’s Gordon Fong was pleased to present the trophy for best art business website to Mainline Mouldings’ Joshua Gardner. ‘This will be really good for business. We won the award for our frame visualiser and our spinning mouldings; the website is very easy to use and is packed with upto-date information,’ said Joshua. Those aspiring to be voted Art Retailer of the Year had to answer 40 searching questions and provide data including an analysis of how strategic activity has driven growth. Shimmering in silver sequins, Guild membership secretary Stephanie Winn announced the winner to be The Harrison Lord Gallery. ‘This is a great honour,’ said Steven Lord. ‘I am Daniel and Kirsty Pluta, DK Frames
proud to affix my membership sticker to the window each year, but taking home this trophy tops that by a long way. We are very big on PR and we’ll broadcast news about this win via newspapers, websites, mailshots and social media. Winning an award of this calibre makes a huge difference as to how companies are perceived by customers.’ The Innovation award was open to businesses with a product or service solution that was launched after March 2011. The judges analysed the value of the product to the industry and its value for money. Garry White of longtime Spring Fair exhibitor Wessex Pictures was asked to present the award for sponsor i2i Events Group. Garry broke the news that this year’s winner is the Art Retail Network. Wearing full Scottish evening dress, founder Jamie McCallum commented, ‘I expected to win the award for best kilt, or even best-dressed man, but I’m incredibly proud to win this award. Like I’m proud to help galleries and artists sell Roberto Ariata and Sharon Hunter, Creative Picture Framing
more stuff. I will use this award to help put us on the map internationally. We will tell the media about our win in every way we can.’ The prize for the best Customer Service was fiercely contested. Guild retailers nominated their best suppliers; over 40 companies were named, though three had way more votes than the others. These became the shortlist, and the winner was revealed to be Arqadia. ‘We would like to thank the wonderful Pauline Hutchinson and all the team at Bedford,’ said Arqadia’s Graham Miller and Simon Flavill. ‘This award is for everyone at Arqadia. It was a team effort. We pride ourselves on our customer service and all our guys work really hard to achieve our goals.’ The art of good business The first art award to be presented was for Best in Show at the Guild Artists’ Exhibition, which was voted for by visitors to the show. Last year’s winner, Karen Wallis Coleman, whose painting features on the exhibition Sarah Clark and William Jeal, LION Picture Framing Supplies
Artist Antonio Russo with Christine Russo
Mainline Mouldings’ Joshua Gardner (left) with e-mango’s Gordon Fong
28 June 2014
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From left: Stephanie Winn, Fine Art Trade Guild; AnnaMarie Bartlett GCF and Cecilia Holden, both from The Framing Lady The Fine Art Trade Guild’s Moira Sanders with artist Colin Ruffell
From left: Maxwell Roberts, Headrow Gallery; Steven Lord, The Harrison Lord Gallery; and Rob Markoff, Artrageous
poster, took to the stage in backless navy chiffon to reveal that this year’s winner is Jorge Aguilar-Agon. It was a big night for Jorge, who was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, along with Gordon King. Steve McKee explained that these two artists were taking home trophies in recognition of the dedication they have shown to the art trade over a number of years. ‘Both winners have selflessly given their time and expertise for the benefit of the industry as a whole, with the aim of helping others,’ said Steve. Jorge has been a professional artist for over 50 years, during which time he has produced 75 best-selling prints and been the focus of a staggering 183 solo shows. Gordon King, best known for this figurative work, has painted portraits of subjects including Ann Widdecombe, Tim Henman, Katherine Jenkins and Sir Norman Wisdom. New this year was the Pollyanna Pickering Award for the Best Depiction of the Living World. Dressed in sophisticated cream silk and statement jewellery, this bestselling wildlife artist and passionate conservationist announced the inaugural winner to be Toni Watts, for her minutely detailed painting of bees ART BUSINESS TODAY
entitled Waggle Dance (see the painting on page 48). Both art awards have been redesigned. Artists and publishers were invited to submit 2013’s best-selling images, which were posted on the Guild website where visitors voted for their favourite. There was a separate survey allowing Guild member retailers to vote. The results of both polls were combined and analysed to reveal the winners. The award for best Up & Coming Artist, presented by Daler Rowney’s Craig Mumbray, was scooped by flamboyant abstract painter Antonio Russo. ‘Daler is all about art,’ says Craig. ‘We need to see growth in the art market and are keen to encourage this. We want to see new artists come on board and sponsoring this award for up and coming artists is part of that mission.’ ‘I have some massive US backers,’ says Antonio. ‘They will be thrilled to hear that I’ve won this trophy. Awards are an important part of reinforcing your market position. A customer was buying pictures recently and when we told her that I was a finalist she bought an extra one. It gives customers the confidence to buy.’ Kerry Darlington scooped the award for Best-selling Artist, taking to
the stage in a soft mushroom satin pleated dress to accept the trophy from Arqadia’s Graham Miller. ‘I’m overjoyed to have won and we will mention this achievement extensively in our publicity material. It’s a great thing to tell collectors.’ The Digital Printer of the Year accolade was developed to reward excellence in fine art printing, whether carried out by gallery owners, artists or specialist fine art printing companies. Entrants were asked to send in three samples: a photographic image, a fine art reproduction and a print of which they are particularly proud. Entries were assessed on an Osram Lumilux Deluxe daylight viewing panel for their print values, the enhancement of the image and the choice of materials and techniques. PermaJet’s Doug Morgan, in a wittily stylish pinstipe suit with matching shirt, proclaimed the winner to be Art4Site, whose MD Michael Setek accepted the trophy. ‘It was an incredibly strong shortlist,’ said Doug, ‘but the quality of Art4site’s images stood out. They showed a crispness of colour and real depth. Each of their three images was perfect.’ ‘This award will help ensure that artists feel confident to work with us,’ said Michael. ‘Being able to say ‘award June 2014 29
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BUSINESS ➺ winning’ on your marketing material makes a huge difference.’ Framed to win New this year was a Best in Show prize for the framing competition entrants, which was voted for by guests on the night. Winner AnnaMarie Bartlett GCF, The Framing Lady, accepted her award in a shoulderless dress featuring a strikingly upbeat pattern of red and pink roses on a black background. Anna-Marie commented, ‘I learn new skills each time I enter and I love to unleash my creativity and express it in a frame. Frames can be pieces of art too, and this is a great platform to show the public what can be done. My favourite part of the competition is looking at the other entries; I’m always amazed at the ideas and technical skills of my peers and learn so much from them.’ Anna-Marie’s deep box frame featured a ‘paper tole’ technique, which is a type of 3D decoupage involving cutting and layering images. Framers vying for this year’s Best Mount Design trophy framed a postcard entitled Brightest London is Reached by Underground. The frames
were presented anonymously, and the judges looked for creative, innovative and skilled use of mountboard, cut by hand or computerised mountcutter. Wearing an off-the-shoulder fuschia dress, Framers Corner’s Sam Cook informed the crowd that the winner of the award for best mount design is Andrea Cooke GCF, Picture It. Andrea has entered the competition five times and been shortlisted once, but has never won before, so was overjoyed when she stepped onto the stage in a full-length backless black dress with beaded straps to accept her trophy from Sam. ‘It’s amazing to win at last. I’ll tell the local media and make a window display featuring the trophy and all my past entries.’ ‘We are honoured to support the industry by sponsoring this award,’ said Sam Cook. ‘Encouraging excellence in mount design is something we are passionate about.’ Andrea’s deep box frame includes a curved mount that was cut using a Keencut Futura cutter and a Logan freestyle V-groover. Silhouettes at the front of the frame are sandwiched between invisible glass. Entrants for the Guild Challenge Framing Award were asked to frame
objects and images on the theme ‘a day out in London’. Mal Reynolds GCF Adv, representing the Valiani Support Group, tore open the envelope to reveal the winner to be Cath Friend GCF, Emerald Picture Framing & Gallery, for her black and silver art deco frame. Cath framed a monochrome limited edition of the stairs at Clapham South station. Her design is in keeping with the strong period styling of the time. A complex yet coherent array of mounts are contained within a black gloss inner frame and a deep silver outer frame. The last word goes to artist and first-time attendee Jackie Gale, ‘The Guild staff and members were so welcoming. I was lucky to see the amazing work on show and to meet so many fabulous people. I now feel very inspired to continue creating the best work I possibly can.’ ■ All the photographs seen here, and many more, can be viewed and downloaded at Facebook.com/FineArtTradeGuild Email kasia@fineart.co.uk to request hi res images
Richard and Eileen Prior, Angles of Art
Art4site’s Michael Setek (left) with Doug Morgan of PermaJet Anne and Peter Hayton GCF, Designline Systems
Bruce Chidovori, Afrikart Gallerie
The Fine Art Trade Guild’s Louise Hay
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From left: Jenny Isaacson GCF, Topmount Framing; Derek Tanous, Tanous Fine Art Frames; Keith Isaacson, Topmount Framing
From left: Simon Flavill, Arqadia; artist Kerry Darlington; Graham Miller, Arqadia Andrea Cooke, Picture It, (left) with Framers Corner’s Sam Cook
Artist Gordon King with Mary King
Emelyo Hunston, Cheri Hunston Fine Art
Ray Loud of Buckingham Fine Art
The Fine Art Trade Guild’s Nii Tackie
Cathy Robinson (left) and artist Karen Walllis Coleman
From left: Stuart Hibberdine GCF; Liz Hibberdine; and Lynzi Casbeard, all from Angles of Art
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Mark and Gilly Wilson, Framiac
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BUSINESS Stuart Hibberdine GCF’s giant Christmas cracker was made from a print tube cut with a zig-zag and then covered in gift wrap. Above is Stuart’s sketch for the window
Window displays should stop people in their tracks and pull them into your shop. They should ensure that people remember your business next time they need gifts or framing, they must be inspiring and they should tell people about your products and services. Retail consultant Sarah Gillespie provides simple guidelines on creating windows with impact
Awesome arrangements
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reating awesome windows doesn’t need to cost a lot, particularly if you are selling products as visually enticing as art and framing. You probably only need to invest in haberdashery, gift wrap and a bit of hardware (which can be used again and again). A dramatic and enticing window tells people that your business is keen to get things right and that you care about appealing to your customer. A lacklustre display says you don’t really care. Independent shops often have the best displays, as they don’t have to stick to blanket corporate guidelines; the owners can give way to their creative side, or let arty staff show
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what they are made of. Remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel: look at other window displays, as you walk past or via Google images. It might seem obvious, but your window must be cleaned regularly. When you are busy and pre-occupied it’s easy to forget such details, so build window cleaning into your weekly schedule. The glass must be clean and inside must be free of dust and debris. Even an almost imperceptible layer of dust makes goods look undesirable and dreary. CHANGE YOUR DISPLAY The best way of explaining that you sell a range of products is to change
your display regularly, rather than to cram everything in at once. You don’t have to change the whole window each week, but it’s a good idea to alternate the painting on the central easel, for example. Changing a few key components can make the whole window seem different, and conveys the idea that you are selling products fast. You want people to walk on your side of the road in order to see your display, you don’t want them to think they’ve already seen it. You won’t have time to entirely re-do your Christmas window in the middle of December, but think in advance about key items which can be switched to keep it fresh. If you don’t change the window ART BUSINESS TODAY
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STUART HIBBERDINE GCF Angles of Art
‘I
t’s important to change our windows every couple of weeks. The more often we change the display, the more visitors come into the shop. People think, ‘I’ve got to walk the dog, I’ll go past Angles of Art and see what’s new’. They see our windows from the bus and when driving past, then come in later. There’s nothing worse than a tired window; you’ve got to try to create theatre and a sense of excitement. We’ve split our window into two distinct spaces, half for pictures and half for gifts. Our shop used to be a butcher’s so there’s a strong metal bar running the length of the window that we use to display pictures at different heights, suspended from chains. A framed picture is sufficiently heavy not to move around once hung. Our window starts about 2’ from the ground, and we use three easels to display further pictures. Two are large, and there’s a small ornate easel in the middle, so the pictures are at different heights. Our picture window always has a theme. The pictures are linked by colour, subject
The glass display cabinets came from IKEA and Stuart made the covered display cubes himself
matter or artist. Animal art windows work well for us, or we might go for modern florals or abstracts. A recent black and white window looked good, as did our red, white and blue display. If we are keen to promote a particular artist we’ll dedicate the whole window to a single artist’s work. The main display props in our gift window are two glass cabinets from IKEA. They have fitted lights and were cheap as chips, yet look smart. Most of our gifts are small, so these are useful. We also use an MDF plinth that I made and covered in carpet, which coordinates with the rest of our décor. It is made from a series of cubes in decreasing sizes, so gifts are placed on the ‘steps’. Flags are a good prop for window displays; they have visual impact and can be bought in markets. We used flags in our
Olympics and Jubilee windows. Bunting is effective too. When I have time I make props, particularly for our Christmas windows. One year I made a giant cracker from a huge print tube. It was cut in half with a zig-zag, then covered in gift wrap. Our gift window is fitted with a hanging track that we bought from LION Picture Framing Supplies, so the cracker was suspended from the nylon hanging wires that are part of the hanging system. Another year I made a ‘fireplace’ using hardboard, staircase spindles and an oval mirror. I painted the whole thing black, then displayed our Christmas gifts on the mantelpiece and the hearth. It was decorated with stockings and other accessories.’
The Framing Workshop’s ‘cone head’ window, created in conjunction with the Natural Theatre Company, provides an interesting twist on the traditional Easter window display. The window supported Bath’s Comedy Festival
34 June 2014
Mozart bursting through a sheet of music was in support of the Bath International Music Festival. The corner of the frame is outside the window because the frame was made too big. The corner was bolted on each day, which caused a huge amount of attention from passers-by
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BUSINESS display, you are conveying the idea that goods aren’t selling. LIGHTING Strong lighting is essential; the most awesome display will look lacklustre if it’s inadequately lit. Spotlights focused on key products are the way to go; the effect is dramatic, yet simple to achieve. Let the sides of the window be darker, as this creates contrast and interest. Bright spotlights emphasise the colours in your display, and the artwork you are trying to sell. Bright lights also make products look vibrant and desirable. General ceiling lighting can be flat and uninspiring. Leave lights on in the evening after you’ve closed, never leave dead bulbs in the window and remember to refocus the spots on key products each time you change the window. START WITH A THEME This might be a national date or event such as Crufts, Chelsea Flower Show, Valentine’s Day or the World Cup, or your window might celebrate a local sporting or cultural event. Your
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themes might be colours, seasons or particular product groups. You don’t have to stick with the calendar: you could have a cat window, an Alice in Wonderland window, an underwater display or a circus-themed arrangement. The limit is your imagination. Once you have an overall theme, break it down further. Your Christmas window, for example, might focus on snowflakes and snowmen, or on presents and stockings. A summer window might focus on buckets, spades and children’s windmills, or on gardens and summer flowers, or on summer weddings. Don’t attempt to create a display that encompasses all of these ideas, as there’s a danger of it appearing messy and visually confusing. Mother’s Day and Valentine windows might sound boring, but those are times when people buy gifts. By having a Valentine’s Day window you are telling people that you stock suitable gifts. And your Valentine’s window will only be boring if you let that happen.
STRUCTURE The focal point of your display should be at eye level. Step outside your window and put a post-it note at eye level so you can’t forget where this lies. The products displayed between waist-height and eye level will be the most visible. Retailers often place their most important products on the floor of their window, which is a mistake. Your display must have shape, and a pyramid with your key products at eye level is the classic approach to this. A combination of easels, pedestals and boxes can be combined in different ways to make your pyramid. Framers should be able to make differently sized cubes out of plywood or board, which can be covered in fabric or gift wrap and stacked in various combinations. This is a cheap and versatile display option. Vintage suitcases, driftwood branches, laundry hampers, step ladders and ceramic pots are just some of the items which can be used to display items at different levels. Suspending items from the ceiling
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MARTIN TRACY GCF The Framing Workshop
‘P
ressures of time prevent us changing the window as often as we’d like, as a new window display always brings in customers. We like to tie our displays in with local events, such as Bath in Bloom or exhibitions at the Victoria Art Gallery. The limit is your imagination when it comes to props. We once bought a van load of old wooden printers’ blocks, which became a very useful prop for displays. We used them to spell out words or phrases. One Christmas we made an upside-down Christmas tree from small gold frames, which was suspended in the window. At this year’s Spring Fair International we saw a snow machine, which we bought for about £300. It will blow ‘snow flakes’ around the window for eight hours at a time and will be used in this year’s Christmas display. Moving components always stop passers-by in their tracks. Perhaps we’ll use it with glitter or coloured paper at a later date. We are known for our memorabilia framing, so we try to include framed examples in the window. We try to keep signage to the minimum, as it can easily
The sunflower window was linked to the Bath in Bloom competition. The theme of the window was extended onto the roof above
36 June 2014
look tacky. We often continue our window display onto the flat roof above the window, as the effect is eye-catching. I particularly liked our Monet window, where we framed the same poster in different sizes, then re-created the scene on the roof. One year the theme of the Bath Festival was migration, so we sprayed hundreds of little birds on the pavement, leading into the shop. Our summer window might include deckchairs, sand, buckets and spades, along with framed beachscenes. Our Bath in Bloom window generally features hanging baskets outside the shop and floral images. When the pantomime of Snow White was showing at the Bath Theatre Royal, we made a ‘Snow White and the Seven Framers’ window. We cut figures out of MDF, each carrying out a different framing task. It was time-consuming, but we won £2000 of marketing through the Theatre Royal. When it was the European Youth Olympics we put an MDF swimmer in the window, plus athletes hurdling and running on the roof.’
can work too, either using transparent fishing line or colourful ribbon. Consider using a backdrop behind your display. This can be painted board, or draped fabric. Changing your backdrop can make each window look very different. You don’t want to stop light getting into the shop and people want to see round the backdrop into the rest of the shop, but a small backdrop can have visual impact. A backdrop separates the display from the shop and stops it conflicting or looking messy. GRAB ATTENTION The main routes to creating an attention-grabbing window are props, colours, size and motion. Don’t be afraid to try wacky ideas; buying art and framing is meant to be fun. ● Unusual items, or juxtapositions of items Unusual props make people stop, look and remember. Memorable windows I’ve seen recently have included vintage skis and toboggans; child’s tricycles, space hoppers and balloons; papier mache animals sprayed silver and covered in glitter; and a tea party scene painted in fluorescent colours. ● Bright colours, unusual colour combinations or dominant colour schemes Bright colours are upbeat and make people look. Bright pink ribbons, fabrics, gift wrap and display panels can say a lot. Think about colour combinations: red and turquoise; purple and yellow; and pale grey and burgundy are all slightly off-beat combinations that attract attention. A dominant colour scheme helps ensure that your window looks coherent. ● Out-sized props Over-sized items grab attention. If you specialise in small art materials, find an artist to paint some giant tubes, brushes and palettes (maybe in exchange for some free materials). Use giant artificial flowers in your summer window, or out-size model animals. ● Moving items Moving displays always stop passersby. Consider including a digital photograph frame, or other computer monitor or tablet, with a rotating slideshow of photographs of past framing projects in your window. Flashing lights, flickering electric candles and rotating turntables all attract attention too. ART BUSINESS TODAY
BUSINESS KEEP IT SIMPLE Wacky and fun are different from random and incoherent. Your window must not be crowded with disparate products or be visually confusing. A few well-chosen products, set off with accessories and creative display ideas, look upmarket and high quality. A single product in many colours, or a pile of the same product, can look good if artfully displayed. But lots of different items do not make an effective window. People driving by, or looking down from the top of the bus, only have a few seconds to take in your display, so it must give a single clear message. If you sell, for example, paintbrushes, a single example won’t make much impact on someone driving past, whereas multiple brushes suspended from the ceiling on nylon thread would be memorable. Too many types of art materials would be visually disparate and lacking in impact. Empty space is not necessarily there to be filled, leaving space around an item can emphasise it and make it seem desirable. Don’t fill every spare centimetre of window space for the sake of it, or there’s a danger of looking like a pound shop. ACCESSORIES AND PROPS Once you’ve decided on your theme, consider props and accessories. That could be artificial flowers, pots and gardening implements for your Chelsea Flower Show window, or cardboard dogs, bones and water bowls for your Crufts display. This is where you can let your imagination run wild. Remember, props and accessories need not be expensive. Neighbouring retailers might lend you stock, so long as you keep their business cards on your counter, or lend them items for their window. It’s amazing what can be bought on eBay for very little money; a search for ‘bunting’ gives 50,000 results, and type in ‘silk flowers’ and there are more than 100,000 choices. POSTERS AND SIGNAGE Don’t include too many signs and posters in your window. Think carefully before sticking posters directly onto the glass, as this tends to look downmarket. Posters should be framed and displayed on easels, or ART BUSINESS TODAY
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BUSINESS ➺ free-standing on display furniture. An alternative is ‘cable frames’, which are suspended from wire running the length of the window. Make sure your signs don’t contain any wasted words. Don’t put a sign saying ‘10x8” frame’ on a 10x8” frame, but say that it’s available in 15 colours. Don’t just repeat the obvious, and consider whether the sign really adds anything to the viewer’s understanding of your stock. Needless to say, signs must be well presented and smart. EXTEND YOUR WINDOW If you’ve created a window that works you should continue the ideas on your website, leaflets, in-store displays and e-newsletters. If someone is looking up your website specifically because they saw your display, they must like that display, so will be reassured to see its key elements once again. This also confirms that they are looking at the right website. A coherent approach to marketing conveys professionalism and a thorough approach. ■
EMMA BELL THE MULBERRY TREE GALLERY e change the window every three or four weeks. If you don’t change the window display people get used to seeing it and just walk past without looking. You’ve got to grab their interest. We have a cycle of exhibitions, which tends to dictate the themes of our windows. For example over Valentine’s Day we had a floral window, rather than an overtly Valentine’s theme, and over Easter we might have a yellow window, rather than one dominated by eggs and bunnies. We use a lot of props. We toyed with just putting a single picture in the window, which we thought might look upmarket, but it wasn’t sufficiently visually engaging. We try to make our windows a bit like domestic interiors, in order to inspire customers. We use chairs, lights, furniture, soft furnishings and ceramics to create atmosphere. We also use colour blocking, which has great impact. For example, everything in the window might be navy blue. Our floral window included large Mia Tarney statement pieces, along with smaller works, fresh flowers and silk accessories. If we are holding a show of ten artists’ work, we would only include the work of one artist in the window. Otherwise it doesn’t hang together properly. We might include eight pictures from one artist.
‘W
At Christmas we often use a Victorian pine dresser as the basis of the window, and fill the shelves with gifts and ceramics. We bought some oak blocks from a supplier called Indigo Blue, which look very smart and are useful for creating different heights. We also use clear plastic display blocks, shelves and steps, which are very versatile. We use a range of easels in the window, depending on the size of pictures we are displaying. The small nickel- and pewterplated easels from Selwyn’s are really beautiful. We hang accessories from nylon fishing wire sometimes, as well as Christmas baubles. I put leaflets and magazines in the window if they are relevant to the artists whose work is on display. We often sell items from the window. If we take a picture out of the window and hang it in the gallery, people often come in asking if we’ve sold it. The worry that we might have done so makes them buy it. It’s essential that windows are clean, inside and out. Otherwise you are giving the message that you don’t really care about your business, so why should anyone else? Dead flies are a disaster, as are cobwebs. Water in vases must be totally clear and there should be no dead petals on the ground. Pictures must be straight and everything must look immaculate.’
Three windows from The Mulberry Tree Gallery. The two Christmas displays shown here feature vintage pine furniture. Emma Bell and her team often evoke domestic interiors in their windows, in order to inspire customers
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The art of good business The power of Facebook
Stand out online with a personal brand
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efore artists go anywhere near the web they must create a personal brand. Failure to do this is the number one cause of online failure for artists.You can go on Etsy, Facebook or Twitter till your fingers drop off, but without a solid professional brand it is a waste of time. People will not part with their hard-earned cash if your presentation is shoddy. Many artists launch themselves on the web without a unified image, then get lost and disappear from sight. This is what separates the successes from the failures. Your personal brand is how you and your work are perceived. It’s about using your knowledge, artwork, interests and personality to create a powerful impression that is uniquely you. It’s more than just a logo or a style. A strong personal brand differentiates your work from all the other millions of pieces of art out there. It makes you stand out and unifies everything you do. It will stick in peoples’ minds. Your personal brand makes you stand out. Helen Aldous artonomy.co
Whenever you frame something unusual, or with a heartwarming back story, be sure to post it on Facebook. If you capture people’s imagination, they will like your post and forward it to their friends. It’s essential that all photos are high quality; posting out-of-focus shots doesn’t make a good impression or win people’s confidence. The great thing about Facebook is that your customers can do your marketing for you. There’s a romantic story behind this framed feather; our customer posted the image on Facebook and we got 60 likes plus some direct enquiries. The last six enquiries we’ve received have all come via Facebook. People see images of our frames and say things like ‘Take me to this frame shop!’ and ‘I didn’t know you could frame cake icing!’ You don’t need to spend hours on Facebook; quick regular posts and human interest stories are all that’s needed. Facebook is definitely our most powerful marketing tool after word of mouth recommendation. Steve McKee GCF Adv, Dromore Picture Framing
Market your framing business through camera clubs Doing demonstrations for camera clubs is an excellent way of finding new framing clients. Photographers are primarily interested in mounts and styles of mountcutting, because when they enter their work into competitions it’s generally submitted mounted but unframed. Just Google ‘camera club Chichester’, or wherever you’re based, then call up and offer to present a demonstration at their next meeting. Take along the same photograph in a range of mounts and show what a difference each can make. Demonstrate a range of decorative techniques and boards with various finishes. Deep bevels are popular, as are double or triple mounts with V-grooves. It is easy to produce company logos, flags, club colours, and names and dates, if you have a computerised mountcutter; guests will be amazed at the results you can achieve, and business should follow. Photographers should provide repeat business too, and they may want whole exhibitions mounted. We find camera clubs to be more useful than art circles, as artists are often keen to have a go at doing their own framing, rather than outsourcing it. But if your area has a strong art group, I suggest calling up and offering to demonstrate canvas stretching, as this is the topic that artists are most interested in. John McDermott GCF, Still Photography NI ART BUSINESS TODAY
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The Fine Art Trade Guild, which is widely seen as the fount of all knowledge about the commercial art scene, helps countless artists and gallery owners each week. Below are the answers to a few commonly asked questions Folding back the borders on prints alters their original condition, so is bad practice (image courtesy of Sonia Rollo)
FAQs about art Which digital fine art papers meet Guild standards? The Guild doesn’t approve inks, papers and printers in isolation, but sets standards that the resulting fine art prints must achieve. Different setups and studios will achieve different results. Digital papers can’t achieve Blue Wool Scale ratings on their own; you have to analyse how various inks behave in conjunction with paper coatings. Guild standards specify that the lightfastness of the finished print should score six or higher on the Blue Wool Scale in all areas of the print. The substrate should have a pH reading between seven and ten and the substrate should have a minimum weight of 250gsm. It is important to note that producers can only claim that their prints meet Guild standards if the producer has had a print tested by a UKAS approved laboratory during the previous 12 months. They must be using an identical print method, materials and equipment to the print that passed the test. The best way of ensuring that your chosen paper is high quality is to buy from a specialist Guild member supplier, who will offer expert advice and recommendations.
might be infringing copyright. Should I be worried? Firstly, remember that Fine Art Trade Guild members have access to free legal advice, so we recommend that you call the legal helpline to clarify the points outlined below. You need to consider whether your work is recognisable as deriving from someone else’s photograph. Copyright in a photograph belongs to the photographer, so, regardless of whether your copy is in a different medium (paint, rather than a digital file) you cannot copy it. It is acceptable to be influenced by someone else’s style, but if your work is recognisably copied, then the copyright holder could ask you to
desist from selling your work and request a proportion of sales proceeds. Is it acceptable to fold back the borders of a print, rather than to cut them? The framer’s job is to conserve artwork and not to alter its original condition. Folding borders does alter the original condition, so is bad practice. Some reputable framers would fold borders Photographers own copyright in their work, so you can’t just copy it (image courtesy of steveallenphotography.com)
I copy wildlife photographs, or elements of these, when I create my paintings, and have been told that I 40 June 2014
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at the customer’s request, having explained that this is not good practice, and would ask the customer to sign a disclaimer. Others would refuse to fold the print at all. It may be possible for a paper conservator to remove creases at a later date, or the paper may perish along the fold. Some collectors are only interested in perfect examples, so would not touch a print that has been folded, while others may pay a reduced price. It’s hard to say exactly how much the value of a print would be diminished by folding as it depends how rare and collectible the item is to begin with. It comes down to market forces. If I’ve published a painting as a limited edition, can I reproduce a heavily cropped portion of the image as a greeting card? It is not good practice to use an image which has been published as a limited edition print in any other form, whether as a greeing card, jigsaw, apron or open edition print. Using even a heavily cropped portion of the print again would
ART BUSINESS TODAY
Artist’s proofs are a marketing tool with digital printing, as proofing is carried out before the printrun is made (top image courtesy of Gillian Tyler)
compromise your integrity. An artist’s reputation is incredibly valuable, and should be carefully nurtured and developed over the years. We would advise against putting shortterm gain before long-term career development. However, if you do decide to go ahead with the greeting cards, to the best of our knowledge this is not illegal, unless you have specifically stated that the image will not be used again. Are artist’s proofs still valid when producing digital prints and, if so, is ten per cent the correct quantity?
Are these still given to artists by publishers as part of their renumeration? What about publisher’s proofs? Artist’s proofs are really a marketing tool with digital printing, as proofing is carried out at an earlier stage, so prints made at the beginning should be identical with those made at the end of the run. However, some collectors seek out prints with ‘AP’ on them, so many publishers continue to produce them. Ten or five per cent artist’s proofs is conventional, but the key point is to make the maximum number of prints in the run abundantly clear to buyers at the outset. You don’t want Trading Standards to consider that you are deliberately misleading the public about the size of the edition. Therefore, if there are 500 prints plus 20 artist’s proofs, it’s safest to call it an edition of 520.
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ART ➺ Some artists may be given artist’s proofs as part of their renumeration, but most are more interested in their royalty payment. We would advise against producing publisher’s proofs, as this may confuse your sales message. Keep it simple. What’s the difference between an original print and an artist’s print? ‘Original print’ was deemed an imprecise term by the British Standards Institute when they created BS 7876:1996, which is the official standard for print types. The term ‘artist’s print’ is preferred. There are various categories of artist’s print, depending upon the level of involvement by the artist in the creation of the print. A ‘category A’ print is where the artist created both the matrix (eg the metal plate or woodblock) and made the impressions from the matrix. A ‘category D’ print is largely made by workers in a studio, but with the artist looking on and approving the production process. I am about to start publishing limited editions of my work, but am not sure how much to sell these for. Do you have any guidelines? A quick look online will show that you can buy limited edition reproduction prints for several hundred pounds, down to around £10. The main reason why some prints demand higher prices than others is reputation, both of the artist and the publisher. If an artist’s originals commonly sell for four-figure sums, and the artist has exhibited at
proven sales record and a substantial reputation, then you will have to be realistic and price your prints towards the lower end of the spectrum. As you develop a loyal base of collectors, and thus stimulate demand among buyers, you can gradually increase your prices. No printer or licensee can work with poor quality images. Artists must invest in the best quality image capture they can afford (lower image courtesy of Cruse Digital Imaging Equipment)
prestigious galleries, won competitions and has work included in high profile collections, then prints of that artist’s work are likely to sell for higher sums. Similarly, if a publishing house has spent many years and invested large sums of money in developing a brand and reputation, then people will feel confident to spend more on prints from their artists. However proficient you are as an artist, and however high the quality of your reproductions, unless you have a
Many artists value the exposure that greeting cards bring
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I have been approached by a licensee who wants to use three of my images on cards. They are offering £250 per image. Would letting my work appear on cards look downmarket? Start by looking at the quality of the card publisher’s other cards and the type of outlet in which they are sold, then consider whether their market position is a good fit with your own. You can also get in touch with other artists they have worked with and ask their opinion. It’s reasonable to ask to see proofs before the card is printed, so you check that you agree with, for example, how an image is being cropped. Many artists value the exposure that greeting cards bring and they specify that their web address must appear on the back of the card. People who buy or receive greeting cards may go on to buy prints and paintings from an artist. However, established artists sometimes turn down approaches from card publishers on the grounds that they only receive a one-off fee, even if the card is a best seller. £250 is an average fee. Artists may receive less than that if multiple licences are bought, or more if they are well known. It is advisable to put a time limit on the company’s use of your image, so they have to pay again after one or two years. Other than that, it’s rare for artists to have any say in the size of the print run. ART BUSINESS TODAY
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I want to sell a licence in a painting that I sold a few years ago, but I don’t have a sufficiently large digital file of the image. The new owner won’t let me visit to take another photograph. What can I do? The painting now belongs to someone else and you don’t have the right to photograph it without the owner’s permission. Copyright in the image remains with you, unless you specifically sold it, but you can’t exercise that copyright without a high resolution digital file. It’s too late on this occasion, but in future you need to ensure that all work is photographed or scanned before it leaves your studio. Ideally, you should retain high resolution files for making reproductions, and low resolution files for viewing and sending online. High resolution files should be a minimum of 48 megabytes, which is standard for commercial images across the licensing industry. Images should be stored as RGB files, which hold more colour information than CMYK files. JPG is a useful format, but it is degenerative. TIFF and PSD files don’t suffer loss of data each time they are opened, so printers and licensees perfer these, though they are cumbersome to send. Licensees can’t work from out-offocus files that lack detail, however skilled they are at using Photoshop. Artwork must be photographed or scanned to a professional standard. ■ This woodcut by Sarah Young is a category A artist’s print, as the artist carved the woodlbock herself, and made the impressions
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Clockwise from top: The finished mural at the Omnibus arts centre; Brian McClure fitting the paper into the panels; the printed paper before it was fitted into the panels
The fine art of
sponsorship Many art projects, exhibitions and competitions couldn’t take place without the support of sponsors. Philip O’Reilly’s Omnibus arts centre mural was made possible by sponsorship, as was the Guild Artists’ Exhibition
ponsorship takes many forms, some involving more time and effort than others. ABTs 2013 marketing survey revealed that over 40 per cent of art and framing businesses sponsor local events and 30 per cent support competitions. Sponsorship might involve giving money, or donating products and services. Sometimes sponsors publicise an event, or help with logistics, which doesn’t involve handing over either cash or goods. Whatever form it takes,
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sponsorship can generate all-important goodwill among your target customers and be a cost-effective method of getting your message out there. Many art projects, such as the two discussed below, would not have been possible without the support of sponsors. The Omnibus mural Artist Philip O’Reilly created a mural for the Omnibus arts centre in Clapham, south London, with support from digital substrate supplier Innova
Art and fine art printer Print Post. Philip, who lives locally, volunteers at the centre and was helping restore some seats when the artistic director asked if he would donate a mural. There would be no fee, but Philip would benefit from prestige and publicity. The mural was designed to conceal four large bay windows facing onto the street, which are fitted with soundproof and lightproof shuttering. The brief was to provide a simple design that would masquerade the ART BUSINESS TODAY
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wooden panels and provide a strong visual presence to the exterior of the arts centre. ‘I invited fellow artist and volunteer Brian McClure to help with the project,’ says Philip. ‘We had a couple of meetings in my studio, then went and worked independently in Photoshop. We agreed to use a single colour in each window; we began using text and imagery as well, but we gradually eliminated this as we wanted a strong design that would stand the test of time and wouldn’t conflict with the rest of the Omnibus branding.’ ‘I made printable files in Adobe Illustrator,’ continues Philip. ‘The images are gradations, fading from solid fully saturated hues at the bottom, up to delicate tints at the top. There are 16 colours in the sequence.’ The logos of sponsors Innova Art and Print Post are shown on alternate panels at eye-level for passers-by. QR codes are also included, which take people straight to the relevant part of the sponsors’ websites. Philip approached Innova Art having seen a news story about them in Art Business Today. ‘I was interested to read about their new self-adhesive paper, made with solvent-based lightfast inks, that could be used both indoors and outdoors. Innova launched the product at the FESPA trade show last year. I contacted Kirsty-Anne Ward, Innova’s marketing assistant, who kindly gave me product samples. I tested these and eventually wrote to the company MD, Mike Gonzalez, via Kirsty-Anne, to formally ask Innova to support the project. My pitch included figures and descriptions with scaled up drawings and a visual mock-up of the finished project, which was created in Photoshop by Brian McClure.’ Innova Art agreed to sponsor the project. They provided materials and asked Print Post, a fine art printer with whom they have a close working relationship, to print the mural. Philip was thrilled with the quality of the colour printing, and the weight and finish of the paper, when the paper prints arrived. Innova Art invited Philip and Brian to comment on the installation process, and flag any technical issues. Neither artist had worked with a ART BUSINESS TODAY
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www.besso.co.uk June 2014 45
A visitor looking at the work of Antonio Russo, winner of this year’s Up & Coming Artist Award
➺ product of this kind before; they found the surface to be delicate and sensitive to touch, so they quickly learned to work with the protective backing paper. Air bubbles were an issue to begin with, but the problem was eliminated by working from the centre of each panel, systematically expelling air outwards. The heavy panels were removed from the windows for installation. It took three men to remove each one. Each coloured panel was fitted in sequential order. The internal windows and frames were cleaned and re-fitted. It took five volunteers one and a half days to complete the job. ‘The outcome is a very satisfied Omnibus,’ summarises Philip. ‘The centre has acquired a new, original
A guest looks at Colin Ruffell’s paintings
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mural at no cost. Brian McClure and I are happy with our achievements; it is a joy to see the mural every day. Our two sponsors are happy too. The materials provided proved exceptional; Innova’s high quality product has a good weight and feel, is lovely to handle and is strong enough to be moved during installation. The ink sits nicely on the surface and gives deep rich colours. We can only thank Innova Art and Print Post for their generosity. We worked together to provide Omnibus with this simple but exciting mural. The project is a neatly rounded example of a co-ordinated approach to a charitable objective, with each party sharing in its success. The mural has received countless favourable comments from passers-by.’
Innova Art’s Kirsty-Anne Ward explains why they contributed to the project. ‘We wanted to support the creative community at Omnibus, as well as to get our name in front of new audiences. Projects like this could not happen were it not for the support of businesses like ours. We asked Print Post to come on board; they generously provided ink and technical expertise, enabling us to provide the graphics for free. When we sponsor charitable projects we always ask that our logo is displayed, along with a short explanation, maybe a single sentence in an event programme or a six foot banner. The main benefit of sponsorship for us is that people become aware of our brand and products, hopefully resulting in
Photographic images from Peter Hayton GCF
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rewarding business relationships in the future.’ Omnibus chairman George Owen comments, ‘The arts centre opened after a long and determined campaign by a dedicated local community group. A group of volunteers renovated the Victorian former library, with stalwart artists Philip O’Reilly and Brian McClure using their varied artistic and creative talents to devise and install the impressive mural on the windows. They were greatly assisted by contributions from Innova Art and Print Post, who sponsored the installation by providing innovative materials and printing techniques. An enticing rainbow mural now enhances the 19th century building.’ innovaart.co.uk philiporeilly.co.uk printpost.co.uk The Guild Artists’ Exhibition PermaJet, a leading supplier of imaging hardware and consumables, are sponsors of this year’s Guild Artists’ Exhibition and the award for the best digital print company. The exhibition, a showcase for Fine Art
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Trade Guild artists, took place during the Art & Framing Convention in May, with an online version on the Guild website. PermaJet generously funded the marketing and promotion of the exhibition, as well as laying on a drinks reception for trade buyers. They also provided their new SnapShut Folios which were used to create a catalogue for the exhibition, which is now available to buy from the Guild website. Organiser Kasia Szkolnicka wanted this year’s exhibition to have more lasting impact for artists. ‘I realised that a quality catalogue would be prized by collectors and would be referred to for many years to come. Inclusion in a beautifully presented printed catalogue is also a valuable part of artists’ career development. Joseph Reiner, who handles marketing at PermaJet, had approached me offering to become more involved in Guild marketing initiatives. I was aware of their new SnapShut Folio for prints, so I asked Jo if he would consider printing the exhibition catalogue and presenting it in
The poster for the exhibition, which includes PermaJet’s logo
SnapShut Folios. I am delighted that PermaJet are sponsors of the exhibition.’ In return for their support, PermaJet’s logo appeared on the exhibition poster, which also features
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A visitor admires wildlife art from Andrew Cowdell
➺ an image by figurative artist Karen Wallis Coleman. Their sponsorship is mentioned in several issues of Art Business Today, on the Guild website, via social media, on signage at the exhibition and in all publicity and preand post-show press releases. Importantly, PermaJet’s sponsorship ensured that their name would be seen by their target customers, who are upmarket artists, gallery owners and fine art printers. The exhibition was open to the art-buying public, but also to trade buyers, who were guaranteed to visit the show since it ran alongside training sessions, a mini-trade show and the awards dinner at the Art & Framing Convention. ‘All the exhibiting artists were made aware of PermaJet’s sponsorship,’ explains Kasia, ‘As well as visiting art professionals. PermaJet’s sponsorship helped reinforce their position at the top of the digital fine art printing market.’ PermaJet’s key account manager Doug Morgan explains why they sponsored the exhibition and the award for the best digital printer. ‘We receive requests for sponsorship on a weekly basis, and we can only take up about one in every 30 approaches. We look for opportunities to work at the top end of the fine art reproduction market with businesses that share the same values as us. If there’s a good synergy between both parties, then sponsorship can be mutually beneficial. When, for example, we are approached by businesses that are primarily involved in high-volume printing, we turn down their sponsorship requests. A partnership between us wouldn’t work.’ ‘It is of course in our interests to encourage printers to work to the highest possible specifications, and being associated with the award for the best digital printer is very good for us. Our sponsorship of the award and the exhibition provided us with valuable content for our marketing and PR drives too, and meeting people within the industry is always worthwhile. Customers appreciate companies who give something back to the industry that supports them, so we are keen to let people know how we support the trade.’ ■ fineart.co.uk permajet.com 48 June 2014
Anna-Louise (left) and Pollyanna Pickering with artwork from Afrikart Gallerie
Waggle Dance by Toni Watts (below, right) won Best in Show at the exhibition. This miniature artwork (10cm in diameter) was made with 24 carat gold leaf, green gold leaf, shell gold and egg tempera
PermaJet’s Doug Morgan with the digital printer award
ART BUSINESS TODAY
Business tips for
Artists
Networking and contacts are key You’ve got to be open to ideas and keep on making new contacts. You can’t stand still. Work won’t come to you, even if you are an artistic genius, you’ve got to go out and get it. Exhibiting at fairs has worked for me, both retail events such as the Country Living show and trade shows including Top Drawer and Spring Fair International. It’s not just about selling stock there and then, but you develop a network of contacts at these events. If you get your work out there all sorts of people will see it, including agents, licensees, retailers and a range of publishers. It’s essential that you listen to feedback from customers; no artist can afford to ignore the demands of the market. People enjoy meeting the artist and talking about the creative process, so it’s important to be at these shows, rather than to send a sales representative. Clinton Banbury clintonbanbury.com
Find a niche before trying to sell online ou have to find a niche, a subject you can promote that makes you stand out. Mine is photographs of London. I actively promote my London portfolio and people discover the rest of my work when they visit my website. Most of my customers buy direct from my website, there’s no room for middlemen today, so internet marketing, social networking and search engine optimisation are very important. Martin Smith mrsmithworldphotography.com
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Publicity from cards Greeting card companies don’t pay very well, but artists should consider letting their images be used on cards, particularly at the beginning of their careers, as the exposure is valuable. One of my galleries contacted me after the owner saw a card featuring my work on a friend’s mantelpiece. Make it a condition of using your image that your web address appears on the back of the card.
John Walsom johnwalsom.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY
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FRAMING
Becoming an expert in a particular area of framing can help set you apart from your competitors and make you the ‘go to’ framer in that field. JONATHAN GOODERS GCF, who specialises in designing unique hand-finished frames for high-end Modern British art, shares the inspiration and techniques behind recent commissions
Haute couture framing rofessional framers need to become a ‘jack-of-all-trades’, particularly those who handle a range of different artworks, both 2D and 3D, all of which present their own set of challenges. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day, especially if you are working alone or with just a small team, but framers shouldn’t be afraid to cut out a niche by specialising. I have been supplying unique bespoke frames for galleries and museums for several years. It is rewarding to work with original artwork and to enhance, and, in some
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instances, completely transform a piece. It is great when a client exclaims that they can finally ‘see’ the work for the first time, even if they have lived with it for many years. Nothing can kill what is otherwise an interesting and strong piece quite so much as bad framing. I specialise in creating period frames for Modern British art, which means artwork created between 1900 and 1970 (post-1970 is generally termed as contemporary art). As a trained artist myself, I am able to bring an understanding of painting to my framing.
When creating period frames, there is a fine line between enhancing the artwork with a frame that is representative of a past era and ensuring the frame doesn’t look old fashioned. Developing a good understanding of the period, including various art movements and changing styles, is important. I always work closely with the client to make sure I understand what they want to achieve. Some clients want to increase the presence of a piece, others might want to enhance a particular aspect, or reduce something they feel is weak in the original, such as one
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over-riding colour. All this can be achieved by the use of shape, finish and subtle colouration. It is important to make sure you create the right ‘weight’ of frame. Too big and it will swamp the picture, too small and it will not achieve the necessary effect. Some small paintings, for example, can actually carry quite a heavy frame – it depends on the composition. Do not be afraid to put different mouldings together; turn them on their sides, flip them over, cut into them, or re-engineer the shapes. Let your creativity run wild. Experiment and have fun. First World War battle I was recently commissioned to frame two original works by CRW Nevinson, one of the key artists of the First World War. The first piece was an aerial battle that contained a lot of very strong blue, which, if not handled carefully, could have made the whole painting feel very cold. It was originally framed in a thin frame, which did not give the painting the gravitas it deserved. I created a
Opposite page: Jonathan Gooders GCF with a framed wartime etching by Paul Nash, and examples of his frame finishing techniques This page: The distressed frame Jonathan made for a painting by CRW Nevinson
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Frame Design Annabelle Ruston
Frame Design by Annabelle Ruston is £12 from the Guild Bookshop (£10 to members), plus p+p Order at fineart.co.uk or contact Moira Sanders on 020 7381 6616 or moira@fineart.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY
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FRAMING ➺ profile by stacking several different mouldings to produce the right shape. The frame was built up at the back to provide the necessary depth to accommodate the canvas. I added further elements on the outer side, to add visual interest and bridge the joins between the mouldings. Once I was happy with the shape, the frame was sanded, filled and treated with rabbit skin size to seal the wood. Layers of different concentrations of gesso were applied to build up the surface (on this frame, about 12 coats were applied). The gesso was sanded to provide a ‘blank canvas’ on which to start distressing. The amount and style of distressing you apply completely depends on the painting and the eventual finish you want to achieve. On this particular piece I wanted to convey a feel of the wood, canvas and metal of the bi-planes in the picture. I wanted the frame to feel that it had been through the wars. When distressing you can employ many interesting techniques (and it’s a good way of releasing stress!) For this frame, I used a combination of denting using different sized hammers, dragging with nails, chipping away with a chisel and ‘roughing up’ with wire brushes. I also used a specially created implement - a piece of wood with various sized screws in it - to create ‘worm holes’. The effect needs to be random; if it is too considered it will look manufactured and artificial. The finish was built up with a series of coloured washes, each knocked back and sponged to create depth. Around 25 layers were applied. More distressing was then carried out, which was rubbed back to reveal glimpses of the build up. In order to express a sense of age, I applied an artificial rust and verdigris effect, which helped bring the planes 52 June 2014
The frame for the wartime landscape by Nevinson
‘forward’ in the composition. The whole thing was then built up further with a series of waxes, to convey the idea that the frame had been handled over many years. Finally it was brushed with rottenstone, to create ‘dust’ in the corners and crevasses. A hand-finished slip completed the piece. The frame helps convey the idea that the viewer is part of the convoy, almost sat in a plane following the others, being drawn into the composition. Wartime landscape The second painting, by the same artist, is a wartime landscape, which employs strong Vorticist shapes. I
wanted to emulate these shapes in the frame, which would provide a sense of period. I constructed a frame with strong angles positioned at different levels, which lead the eye into the painting and work with the perspective. This was achieved by adapting existing mouldings, then marrying them with specially created elements. The treatment of the frame in terms of build up was the same as the previous frame, however. This smaller painting has a strong stylised look, so the distressing had to be toned down and subtle, otherwise the frame would have been distracting and taken attention away from the painting. Never forget that the artwork is always the most important element of the whole. Good framing is like a good soundtrack to a film; it should enhance without being distracting, if you notice it, it is not doing its job. For the finish, I took colours from the composition and used them to enhance the perspective, which led the viewer away from the top of the painting. The artwork needed to be contained, but at the same time the frame had to work with the artist’s intent of conveying endless destruction. I introduced gold leaf on the inner edge, which was heavily burnished, to pick out some of the highlights in the picture and provide movement. The outer edge was waxed, but to give contrast, I left the inner ‘gully’ matt. Further light distressing was applied and brushed with rottenstone to convey age and create ‘dust’. Woodcut This small Edward Wadsworth woodcut needed a different approach, despite being from the same period. It is a small intimate piece, only 4x3”, with clean lines and minimal colour (just black, brown and olive green). The artist was interested in structure and composition. This is a work on paper, so had to ART BUSINESS TODAY
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be treated accordingly. The piece was hinged with reversible Hayaku museum hinging paper onto cotton museum board, so it could be easily removed without damaging the artwork. Because the print is made from very thin paper it was important to find an undermount of the right colour, which would elevate the work without changing the colours. Too dark and the paper would feel dirty; too light and it would have been too bright, throwing the balance. Working with the strong angles in the image, I decided to combine a deep bevel with cotton museum board in the same colour, so there was no obvious jump to distract the eye. An embossed line was added to introduce interest and ease the eye into the composition. The frame is clean and simple, made from a single deep angled moulding. This was built up using gesso, but instead of distressing, it was sanded very smooth to provide an almost glass-like surface. The inner angle of the frame was painted with a light tone of the olive green in the composition, while the top and outer
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edges were finished in dark charcoal. The whole frame was waxed and buffed to provide a slight gloss. Finally, I gave the inner top edge the lightest of sandings, to reveal a tiny amount of paint, which conveys a sense of age and wear. Museum glass was used to give protection and clarity. â– Jonathan Gooders GCF owns Framers in south west London. framers.co.uk
The glazed frame for the Wadsworth woodcut
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A FRAMING
Pete Bingham’s
gony
I’m about to receive a big order for display cases for various artifacts, from model ships to vases. I remember that you demonstrated an ingenious method of making these at a Fine Art Trade Guild branch event some time ago, but I stupidly didn’t take any notes. Could you run through the procedure again for me please Pete? Alice Logan, Co. Durham Happy to oblige Alice. I was taught the method by the originator of Collector’s Cases – a company that won a Guild innovation award some years ago, so I must give him all the credit. As you say, this technique is highly ingenious. Many believe that a glass case is made up of a frame to which is added glass sides and a top. In reality, it’s the
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Send your framing problems to: pete-bingham@hotmail.co.uk
opposite: a five-sided glass box with the frame added afterwards as decoration and a means of concealing corner joins. Begin by deciding on the dimensions of the case, then cut the component pieces. The top should be 2mm larger than the desired internal size, and it must be cut accurately. For instance, if the internal dimensions of the box are 300x200mm, the top should be cut to measure 302x202mm. This ensures that the top will not fall inside the box during assembly. The bulk of the job is assembling the sides. If the case is rectangular, the sides are assembled in this order: wide, narrow, wide, narrow. You will need masking tape, glazing silicone (in cartridge form for use with a mastic gun) and a narrow scrap of the glass that is being used for the case. Place one of the pieces face down and stick masking tape along one of the long sides, leaving half the width of the tape overhanging. Repeat this on two further pieces working alternately. Turn the glass face up, place the scrap piece of glass vertically against the edge of the glass side, so that it is held in place by the masking tape. Place the next side against the scrap piece, which acts as a spacer, pressing it firmly down onto the remaining masking tape. Repeat this
procedure until you have four sides held together by masking tape, with a glass thickness gap in between. Now apply the silicone. Cut the nozzle to give a fine bead of about 3mm. Carefully squeeze the silicone into each gap, ensuring the gap is completely filled; an excess of about 2mm is about right. When all four pieces are filled with silicone along three joins, leave the box to cure for several hours. I usually leave it overnight to be on the safe side. When cured, slice excess silicone from the surface of the glass with a razor or mountcutter blade. Cut a piece of back board, mountboard or foam board to the size of the interior dimensions of the case, and use this to hold the sides in shape as you fold them round to meet at the corner. Use a further piece of tape to hold the corners together whilst carefully applying a small amount of silicone to the joins. Leave to cure. Fit the top by carefully laying it on top of the assembled sides, then apply more silicone along the join. It can be helpful to lie strips of thin card across the corners to support the top while the silicone cures. Appropriately shaped mouldings can be used to make a plinth. Cut the moulding with the back onto the bed of the mitring guillotine. Spoon or flat mouldings are ideal. ART BUSINESS TODAY
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The frame for the box can be made from a variety of materials. My favoured options are flat hardwood corner profiles, small plastic or slim aluminium mouldings. These should be held in place with silicone. If you work carefully and neatly, the finished result will look very impressive. I am setting about learning as much as possible about how good bespoke framing should be done. What would you consider to be the best use of my time? Julian Perkins, Cork, Ireland I had the good fortune to work in sales for a supplier of framing equipment for five or six years, before becoming a full-time framer. After that, I took a few months off and went to San Francisco where I worked – for no pay – in the workshop of a leading gallery and framer. That period was the finest investment in time that I have ever made; not only did I learn the very best procedures and standards, but also how to think ‘out of the box’. Some of the people I made frames for – Clint Eastwood and Bette Davis
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were two of the best – taught me what really discerning customers want. They prize quality above all else, including, and perhaps most importantly, cost. Aim to be the best; it’s difficult to be better, but dead easy to be worse. My foot-operated underpinner is reaching its ‘sell by date’ and I’ll be changing it in the next few months. What would you recommend as a replacement, Pete? B Thorpe, Dumfries
the same horrors when you are using a pneumatic underpinner. Bear in mind that you get what you pay for. Look at what you need, not what it’s possible to have; you can pay several thousand pounds for a massively capable machine that would be a Godsend to a contract framer making several thousand frames a week, but would be totally over the top for a bespoke framer. I’ve always had great respect for the Alfamacchine Minigraf 4. ■
I suggest that you convert to air operation whilst you’re making the change. It’s much easier and more predictable; oak and ash don’t hold
Pete Bingham GCF owns Wright & Layton and the Northern Framing School, Sheffield, as well as the Everest range of decorative paints
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1) One of the long sides with masking tape applied 2)A piece of scrap glass is positioned at right angles to the rectangular side 3) Two of the rectangular sides in position, with the scrap glass creating a space between the two 4) Filling the gap between the two sides with silicone
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Which This year’s ABT pricing survey revealed that 58 per cent of framers use pricing software. While this figure grows each time we carry out similar research, it is surprising that over 40 per cent of framers work out their prices manually. Annabelle Ruston talks to framers and software developers about the available options sk any convert to pricing software what’s good about it and they’ll say it provides consistent fair prices, cuts down on timeconsuming admin, ensures profitability and makes businesses efficient. Importantly, pricing software ensures that framers charge the right amount for their work, since there’s a tendency to undercharge. Customers are likely to accept prices that are worked out by a computer, explain the converted. They have confidence in computers and are less likely to ask for a discount. Also, staff deliver prices with an air of confidence, since they know the price is fair, which helps ensure the price is perceived as good value. My research uncovered nine brands of pricing software that are available in the UK, some written by UK framers, others which have been tried and tested overseas. Some of these are available for a one-off fee, while others require payment of an annual subscription. Each has its devotees and unique features. Some pricing software links to visualisation software, which allows framers to show customers how their artwork would look once framed. US manufacturer Wizard makes both pricing and visualisation software, but their pricing software is not available in the UK, so is not discussed here (their visualisation software is available
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software?
from Framers Corner). Each of the nine brands of frame pricing software readily available in the UK is outlined below. Custom Framer Custom Framer software, from SEE-IT Corporation in Canada, is integrated with the company’s FrameNview visualisation software. The software, which is used by framers in 14 countries, is priced at $249US (£148). Developer Nathan Goldfinger outlines some of Custom Framer’s key features, ‘Firstly, it’s highly affordable compared with the competition. We are proud of the software’s flexibility, which allows users to configure the program to match the way they work. The database is fully searchable and records can be updated in batches using CSV files. There’s a nifty profit analyser feature, which allows you to see the effect on profit and sales price if you change your prices, and a discount analyser. It’s easy to generate quotes, invoices and purchase orders and you can track the status of all orders, enabling you to complete work on schedule.’ Darren Smith of Inframe Gallery, Sheffield, has been using Custom Framer for several years. ‘I downloaded the trial version, which was up and running in a matter of minutes, and I’d made a more profitable sale within half an hour. I showed the customer how his work
would look in a wider mount and better frame and he went with my recommendation. The software paid for itself within a couple of days.’ ‘All my staff can use Custom Framer, even those without any particular aptitude for technology,’ enthuses Darren. ‘We have a ceiling mounted camera, then you just follow a series of prompts. A feature I particularly like is the batch frame option for volume orders, which gives you one price, even when you input frames with lots of different sizes and specifications.’ EstLite John McAfee GCF created EstLite software for his own shop about 20 years ago, and updates it himself on a regular basis. ‘I wrote EstLite for my own use, since my background was in IT. I wrote it for computers utilising DOS back then, so it’s seen many ART BUSINESS TODAY
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changes. We’ve got around 500 users now, which must make EstLite the most widely used pricing software in the UK.’ EstLite integrates with John’s PreView software, which allows framers to show customers how their artwork will look in a range of framing options. What are the other features that make EstLite stand out from its competitors? ‘I am particularly proud of its ease of use,’ says John. ‘When generating a price with EstLite, far fewer keystrokes are required than with any other software. Also, we are the only software with a public forum where users can share comments. This is very useful for customers and
demonstrates the level of confidence we have in our product. We really do listen to customers; suggestions are often taken on board and included in the next update.’ EstLite costs £450, which includes updates and support, plus there’s no extra charge if you run it from several computers. The software includes the option to text customers when their framing is complete and, if framers chose to use this feature, John passes the cost on via an annual subscription. Mark Wallington GCF, Eight Bells Gallery, has been using EstLite for more than a decade, ‘It’s speedy and simple to use. John’s very amenable and writes requests into the program. For example, I suggested a postcode look-up function, which means you can collect vital information very quickly, and John went with it. I also suggested a system of colour coding for jobs: white for a new job, red when materials have been ordered etc. EstLite holds information from all my suppliers which is automatically updated every week. It shows if a supplier is low on stock, so you can
warn the customer or choose an alternative, and it gives comprehensive quotes that can be easily found later. I use the system whereby you can text customers when their framing is complete too. Some software is more complicated that you need, and churns out endless reports, but EstLite is really straightforward.’ FrameMan Dave Woolass GCF designed FrameMan for his own shop many years ago. ‘It’s really simple and can be used to price any framing job, however unusual or complicated. I’m proud of its flexibility; we have users who are sole traders, and volume framers who run the software on lots of terminals.’ FrameMan costs between £299 and £499, depending which of the three versions you choose. There’s an optional annual fee for updates and support, and users can opt in and out of this at their convenience. The standard version is used for working out prices, while the gallery version is designed for framers who ➺
Custom Framer software™ Frame visualisation and pricing
Shop and web site versions Easy to use and affordable Localised for the UK
www.artframer.com Try it. Download the demo
ART BUSINESS TODAY
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FRAMING ➺
also sell artwork. Features include the ability to log the sale of artwork and email collectors about specific artists’ work. The professional version carries out stock control and letter writing, as well as generating chop service order forms and calculating the cost of printing giclée prints, including both materials and labour. Bailey Arts, a large-scale framing operation with a 3500 square foot retail gallery, has used FrameMan for a decade, explains Daniel Bailey. ‘FrameMan is the backbone of our business. Consistency is the key to its value for us. We have 6500 mouldings stored in our pricing system, but if, for example, a customer calls asking for a price over the phone, then comes into the gallery the following week, the two different staff concerned will quote the same price. If someone comes in who last bought a frame from us five years ago, we can call up the particulars of the order in two seconds, and repeat the order to the millimetre. Dave Woolass is incredibly efficient and helpful. He tweaks suppliers’ pricelists so they can be instantly uploaded to the system and he’s always open to ideas for new features and improvements.’ FrameReady FrameReady software from Canada, which can be used on both Macs and PCs, is available in two versions. The full version produces a range of sophisticated financial reports and includes shop management tools and retail inventories, as well as providing marketing options and handling communications with customers. FrameReady Lite allows users to price framing jobs and order supplies. The Lite version costs £357, while FrameReady costs £835, and there’s an annual membership fee of £165
Keith Emmerson GCF of Guisborough Gallery
(depending upon conversion rates). Leading UK framers Campbell’s of London have used FrameReady for 18 months, says Wendel Clement, ‘It’s an incredibly useful tool and is both straightforward and versatile. Our business is thoroughly bespoke and FrameReady makes it easy to enter details such as which type of gold leaf was used. We chose FrameReady as the underlying database is FileMaker which I know is easy to use, install and update, without a super-technical background.’ Rich Timmons, owner of Rich Timmons Fine Art Gallery, says, ‘We’ve used FrameReady for a year now, and we love it. It helps manage my inventory of 700 paintings and 50 artists, as well as framing projects. I can produce quotes quickly too. Even an old guy like me can figure out how to use FrameReady! Carol Graham has held my hand throughout the learning curve and is always helpful.’ Mo’s Gallery has been using FrameReady since 2010. ‘This software has so many ingenious features and can track, list, store and calculate pretty much everything. The team at FrameReady imported all our old data for us, created fields for information that is unique to us and patiently answered endless questions. They created an art consignment form to our specificaitons, which I expect to see included in a future update.’ FramR Framiac’s FramR software has been in use in Australia since 1996, and Mark Wilson re-located to the UK a few years ago to promote it over here.
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‘Framiac software helps framers to understand whether they are profitable. At its core is an understanding of overheads and the real cost of making each frame. The software takes you through the process of building your overheads into your prices, then monitors output to ensure that you are making a profit.’ Mark warms to his theme, ‘Labour is 70 to 80 per cent of the cost of making a frame, so an understanding of labour costs is essential. If you just multiply the cost of materials you are likely to undercharge for small frames and overcharge for large ones, whereas in fact it takes the same amount of time to make frames in either size. If, for example, you spend £5 on materials, then multiply this by a factor of five and sell the frame for £25, you aren’t actually making a profit. That’s because it probably took 30 minutes to make the frame, and the cost of your labour for that time is likely to be around £20, taking your overheads into account. So a £25 selling price just covers the cost of materials and labour, but no profit.’ FramR costs £330.60 per year, ART BUSINESS TODAY
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which includes four licences. The software can also handle stock control and gallery management, and includes features such as low stock warnings. Jake Vincent, Pennybatch Gallery, has just switched to FramR, having used other pricing software in the past. ‘It’s intuitive, easy to use and easily customised. I’ve got a much better handle on profitability than I did before, since I know that I make the same percentage profit on all framing jobs, regardless of size and moulding profile. That level of consistency is much fairer to the customer too. It’s straightforward to see a breakdown of costs for each job, so you can understand how each price is worked out.’ LifeSaver LifeSaver software has been in use in the USA for 20 years, and Eric Crowe re-located to the UK a few years ago to promote the product over here. LifeSaver is fully integrated with FrameVue visualisation software and is priced at £550, plus an annual subscription. ‘The two most compelling elements of our software for customers are comprehensiveness and ease of use,’ explains Eric. ‘It’s comprehensive because we’ve been taking in customers’ amendments and suggestions for 20 years, so the software really can do anything a framer wants it to do. If a user wants the software to carry out a particular function, all they have to do is call us and we’ll explain how to do it. It’s incredibly simple to generate prices.’ ‘We ensure that all suppliers’ prices are up to date,’ says Eric. ‘All the
Download your free trial www.framiac.com
➺ ART BUSINESS TODAY
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FRAMING ➺ customer has to do is hit the update button and prices from up to 180 suppliers are automatically updated. LifeSaver stores customers’ histories and can alert them when their job is ready for collection. It handles stock control for artwork and gifts as well as framing materials, and it submits orders to suppliers.’ Steve McKee GCF Adv, Dromore Picture Framing, has used LifeSaver Software for the last year. ‘I used a different program before, but switched to LifeSaver because it comes with visualisation software. You don’t need this for every framing job, but it’s useful when the customer is undecided. We’ve got a camera mounted on the ceiling and it’s very quick to photograph the customer’s artwork, along with a few framing samples, then the program produces visuals of how the framed picture will look. I also like the fact that LifeSaver comes pre-loaded with mouldings and mountboard from all the main suppliers,’ continues Steve. ‘It’s incredibly easy to use and churns out regular reports on what’s selling, work that needs doing, items that haven’t been collected and so on. And everything is automatically backed up on the company’s server.’ Mac Royall and PC Royall Framing trainer Mike Royall GCF, Royall Framing, is proud of the fact that his software is available for use on both PCs and Macs, in either metric or imperial versions. ‘It’s extremely flexible. The software is almost entirely mouse operated, with lots of pull-down menus, and almost the only thing the framer needs to type in is the customer’s name and address. There’s no limit to the number of records the software can hold, and it prints job sheets, produces weekly summaries and includes a fully searchable database.’ One of Royall software’s selling points is ease of modification, says
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Mike. ‘We have made it as straightforward as possible for our customers to adapt the software. You can delete sections you don’t use and make amendments or use it just the way it is.’ Studio29 Frames chose PC Royall primarily because of its flexibility, says owner Jonathan Jackson. ‘The software is extremely easy to use; we were up and running within minutes. I’ve changed the layout on-screen to suit our way of working, and I’ve adapted quite a few of the processes too. I’ve increased choice in some areas and eliminated other categories altogether. Software that suits one business is unlikely to be perfect for another, which is why we chose PC Royall. I’m extremely pleased with it.’ The Mac version costs £395 and the PC version £295, and these are one-off charges. PFP PFP software, from Jorn Waskags of ADIT xyz in Norway, has been adopted by 80 per cent of framers in Norway and 50 per cent of those in Sweden since its launch 15 years ago. PFP is available for £33 a month, including support and updates, with no up-front charge. ‘PFP won the UK Art & Framing Industry Innovation Award in 2009,’ explains Jorn. ‘I think the main reason we won is down to the way the software handles art sales. It keeps records on every stage of the sales process and works out VAT on art sales too. PFP is very logical and easy to use; it manages the whole production process, so staff know exactly what needs doing each day and can call up the order history and other details at the push of a button. Ian Dixon GCF Adv, Ian Dixon GCF Bespoke Framers, has been using PFP for several years. ‘When I started framing I used a pricing chart, but the prices are always approximate. Charts don’t take the width of the moulding into account and there’s a tendency to undercharge. I tried a different brand of framing software, but found that too many details had to be input manually before you could start using it, so I switched to PFP, which was a brilliant decision.’ ‘All the major suppliers give Jorn their price updates and he integrates them with his software, so you just
have to download the updated prices,’ says Ian. ‘PFP is really easy to use and Jorn helps you get set up at the start. The software does stock control, allows you to analyse the profitability of each job, produces weekly sales reports, breaks down the labour and material costs of each frame, allows you to give consistent volume discounts, or discounts for a particular customer. Jorn lives in Norway, but he provides support via Skype, email or telephone and he always gets back to you very quickly. PFP paid for itself within weeks, by allowing me to realise potential profit that I was missing out on.’ QuickPrice QuickPrice, developed more than 20 years ago by James Johnston GCF for use in his own shop, costs £395, or users can pay £35 a month for 12 months. ‘I’m proud of its flexibility,’ says James. ‘Users can change any aspect of the program without having to re-enter lots of information and it’s easy to add extra items to customers’
orders. It’s also very easy to use, making instant on-screen calculations and providing warnings about oversized materials. There’s a good database too, which means you can easily look up what customers have bought in the past and bring up quotes.’ Ian Kenny Framing & Gallery has used QuickPrice for ten years. ‘It does what I want it to do,’ says Ian Kenny GCF. ‘It’s not a complicated program, which suits me as it’s easy for new staff to learn. The main thing is that it ART BUSINESS TODAY
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ensures consistent prices are quoted to customers, and that quotes are easily found later. The software is written very logically and there’s a natural progression through each framing order. I input prices years ago and updating these is quick and easy. James is always at the end of the phone if I want him, but I’ve been using the software for so long that I don’t really require back up any more. It never crashes or causes problems.’ Wessex Professional Wessex Professional software was developed by framer Steve Hible GCF for his own business, Right Angle Picture Framing, more than two decades ago, and has been marketed by Wessex Pictures for the last ten years. ‘I approached Wessex because I saw the benefits of having their name behind the product,’ explains Steve. ‘I am still the sole developer of the software and I provide all the technical back up.’ There are two versions of Wessex Professional: a basic version that just calculates prices and costs £125 +
ART BUSINESS TODAY
VAT, and the full version which costs £285 + VAT. The latter includes a fully searchable customer database. These are one-off charges and there is no cost for updates or customer support. ‘It’s easy to tell that my software was written by a working GCF framer,’ says Steve. ‘The interface is straightforward and is instinctive for framers. Even young Saturday staff feel confident to price framing jobs after a couple of weeks. Some framing software is unnecessarily complicated, and includes features that most people will never use. Wessex Professional is also extremely competitively priced.’ The Wessex Pricing App for android devices allows users to price framing on their smart phones or tablets. ‘Framers can give accurate quotes to customers when they visit their homes, or at art and craft fairs,’ explains Steve. The app will be available to buy from the Google Play Store soon and Wessex Professional is the only pricing software with a
mobile version. ‘We chose Wessex Professional because it’s simple and the back up is second to none,’ says Jan Baker, owner of The Frame Gallery. ‘I’ve used two other brands in the past, but Wessex is by far the best. You can call Steve at any time of day and his patience is endless. If you have a problem he’ll very likely incorporate a relevant amendment into the next update. Even though the software is marketed by Wessex you can include other Frame pricing software available in the UK Custom Framer, artframer.com EstLite, pre-view.biz FrameMan, frameman.co.uk FrameReady, frameready.co.uk FramR, framiac.com LifeSaver, lifesaversoft.co.uk Mac / PC Royall, framingsoftware.co.uk PFP, pfp.no QuickPrice, qprice.co.uk Wessex PP, wessexpictures.com
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Trade secrets The best electric screwdriver
Powr-Grip Surface Vacuum Cups make lifting heavy mirrors easy
he best bit of kit I’ve bought recently is a Mac Allister 3.6V cordless screwdriver from B&Q, which cost £10. After 30 years of framing my wrists are getting a bit tired, so I thought I’d invest in some help with attaching D-rings and other frame fittings. I’ve used other electric screwdrivers over the years, but this is the best. It’s small and lightweight yet powerful. You couldn’t use it to screw 4” screws into hard wood, but it’s perfect for my requirements. And it holds its charge for a long time; I only re-charge it about once a week. Steve Hible GCF, Right Angle Picture Framing
e use these suction cups to help carry heavy mirrors to customers’ properties and when manoeuvring them around the workshop. The cups allow us to securely grip and manipulate very large mirrors, and are particularly useful when there is no clearance around the frame, such as when a mirror is to be hung in a recessed area. These Powr-Grip Surface Vacuum Cups are made by Woods and are available in the UK from CR Laurence, crlaurence.co.uk. This site is an excellent resource, which I’d recommend your readers to bookmark. Rob Markoff, Artrageous, USA
T
W
Buy stainless steel pins in bulk I buy English stainless steel pins from Watkins & Doncaster, who are an entomological supplier (watdon.co.uk). 100 pins cost £1.55, which is excellent value. I use these for pinning fabrics to foam board and pinning textiles to donor fabrics. Stainless steel will rust under certain conditions. I have discussed this with the supplier, who has never received negative feedback about this, even though naturalists put the pins to all sorts of diverse uses. Mal Reynolds GCF Adv, Harlequin Frames
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A cross stitch pinned into position prior to lacing
ART BUSINESS TODAY
Franco Valiani
Valiani, the early years Valiani srl, based in the Italian countryside near Florence, has been producing mountboard cutting machines for 40 years. The company was founded in 1974 by engineer Franco Valiani and his wife Franca. Valiani began as an engineering company, specialising in precision engineering parts for the European railway industry. Franco was an experienced design engineer, with no concept of picture framing or the machinery involved. In 1974 mountcutting was done by hand with knives and bevelled straight-edge rulers. Apertures were marked in pencil on the back of mountboard that had been previously cut to size. Franco’s cousin, a picture framer, asked if he could design and produce a mountcutter that cut at both 45° and 90°. The result was a completely new and innovative machine for cutting mounts: the first bench-top manual mountcutter, the Cuttermatec, was launched in 1978. Franco’s cousin was so impressed by the versatility of the Cuttermatec, that he advised Franco to go into production and sell the machines to Italian picture framers. Franco took samples to Italian trade events, where his machine caught the attention of the owners of Arquati, at that time the largest framing company in the world, which was based in Parma, northern Italy. Franco negotiated a four-year contract with Arquati, which went on to produce and sell the Cuttermatec worldwide under Arquati’s brand name. The machine was an instant success, providing a substantial profit for Arquati but very little for Valiani so, upon the expiration of the contract, Franco decided to go it alone and Valiani srl was born. The early years were difficult; it took time for Valiani to build their brand and develop a reputation for reliability. The company continued to manufacture train parts for financial reasons, but by this time Franco’s vision was to develop a leading company producing mountcutting machines. He introduced a number of improvements to the Cuttermatec, as well as new models: the Sqadramatec in 1981 and the Ellissomatec in 1982. The exceptional engineering standards, in terms of both quality and precision, required by train manufacturers were transferred to the production of Valiani’s mountcutters. Thanks to hard work and exhibiting at shows throughout Europe, Valiani’s reputation was established. Quality engineering and design ensured innovation back then, as they do today. Valiani’s major breakthrough was the design of the first pneumatic Cutter Matec Special, more commonly known as the CMS, in 1985. The CMS revolutionised the way mounts were cut; this professional stand-alone machine with pneumatic clamps and a manual rotating head system was the foundation for Valiani’s series of CMCs and their award-winning interchangeable head system. The August issue of ABT will take readers from 1985 to the present day, describing the background and development of Valiani’s range of computerised mountcutters.
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Play and display art vinyl album flip frames. White and black. Single item £12+VAT, triple set £25+VAT, limited stock. Carriages cost. Contact framearound@googlemail.com or 01204 397707 Mounts4You. Online web based mount cutting service. Visit www.mounts4you.co.uk for information Stretcher bars and canvases made to measure in the UK. Fast turnaround. Softwood and hardwood bars. Any size from 200mm to 3000mm. Print stretching service. Made by the UK’s leading manufacturer. For a catalogue call us now on +44 (0)121 2480030. www.harrismoorecanvases.co.uk
Workshop/gallery contents for sale. Guillotine, Fletcher glass cutter, Cassese 199M underpinner, air compressor, mouldings, mountboard., glass, Artbak-S, two Keencut mountcutters, chevron display boards, moulding storage system, racking, tools, prints. Call 07941273589 SERVICES Affordable giclée printing for galleries, framers and artists. Easy upload, trade discounts and great prices. Specialists in affordable canvas prints. Visit point101.com for more information and full price lists or call +44 (0)20 7241 1113 Art4site Ltd - award winning fine art reprographics, giclée printing, canvas printing and card printing services. www.art4site.co.uk 01233 811664 Digital artwork suppliers. High volume photographic restoration and enhancement. Range of photo-to-art products available includes Caricatures, Pop Art, and Fantasy templates. Free to register. 0208 144 2472 or yasmin@photo-wonder.com Frame pricing software available for both Macs and PC's and in imperial or metric measurements. Powerful yet simple to use and easily adapted to suit all businesses. An indispensable tool for the modern framing business. Visit www.royallframing.co.uk or call Mike Royall GCF on +44 (0)1454 617022 Giclée and canvas printing service from Richard C O Lovesey Fine Art. Order greeting cards, keyrings, notelets featuring your artwork. No Minimum order. Mount cutting service. Enquiries welcome. (01507) 600836 www.loveseyfineart.com The Association of Animal Artists invites artists working in any media to join for exhibitionss, workshops, field trips, Art Rendezvous Days and the opportunity to work from life with the En Plein Air Group. associationofanimalartists.com
No gimmicks or novelty P[LTZ Q\Z[ [OL ÄULZ[ Giclée Fine Art Printing If you’re looking for the best reproduction quality y,, call John on: 01747 852 221 www.salt-of-the-eart www.salt-of-the-earth.biz h.biz FAT TG Accredited Printer ART BUSINESS TODAY
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Art of Framing Training School. www.fringearts.co.uk or call Lyn Hall GCF Adv to request prospectus. Flexible training to suit your needs. Accommodation available. Based outside Guildford/Farnham. Call (01483) 810555 Down School of Picture Framing. ALL courses accredited by the Fine Art Trade Guild. Call Steven McKee GCF Adv 028 9269 3807 / 07834 787487 downschoolofpictureframing.co.uk Hedgehog Art & Framing is a Fine Art Trade Guild accredited trainer. Basics to advanced, worldwide training on your premises. Over 500 students to date. Roy Rowlands GCF 01527 876293, training@hedgehog-art.co.uk In a Frame - Individual framing training by a qualified GCF (Hertfordshire/Essex borders). Courses fully accredited by the Fine Art Trade Guild. Call Richard Williams GCF on 01279 260069, www.inaframe.co.uk Northern Framing School, Sheffield. Run by trainer and author Pete Bingham GCF. All aspects of framing, including GCF refresher courses and 4-day beginner course. 0114 245 1547 or pete-bingham@hotmail.co.uk
Harlequin Frames, Lincolnshire. Individually tailored textile framing workshops. Contact Mal Reynolds GCF Adv to discuss details 01673 860249 or e-mail mal@harlequin-frames.co.uk
Royall Framing (Bristol). Individual or joint tuition is offered by Mike Royall who's been a GCF since 1994 and is the only framing trainer in the UK who’s also a qualified adult education teacher. All courses are fully accredited by the Fine Art Trade Guild. For more information visit www.royallframing.co.uk or call Mike on +44 (0)1454 617022 Sophie Brown Conservation Framing. Registered GCF tester in Australia. Individual tuition from basic to advanced framing. The emphasis is on conservation. www.conservationframing.com.au +61 2 9518 0624 Sports Framing offer training from basics up to GCF standard. I day engineering courses on the Morsø. Oldham, Lancs. www.sportsframing.co.uk UK School of Framing. A range of courses available at a pace to suit each level to allow students to enjoy and absorb what is taught. Courses take place at venues all over the UK and are accredited by the Fine Art Trade Guild. www.ukschoolofframing.com, 01494 459545 Wessex Pictures Framing School (est 1987) offers training to novices and experienced framers. It is recognised by the Fine Art Trade Guild. The 5-day course in Leatherhead is £395 + VAT. Phone Garry White GCF, 01372 377738 BOOKS
Published by the Fine Art Trade Guild
The GCF Study Guide
Annabelle Ruston
Conservation Framing
ART BUSINESS TODAY
Guild Commended Framer Study Guide
Researched, edited and compiled by Annabelle Ruston and Fiona Ryan GCF
Frame Design
GILDING COURSES An opportunity to create bespoke gilded frames. This 3-day intensive course is a practical introduction to water and oil gilding with an optional 4th day covering frame restoration. Venues: London, Salisbury, Oxford, Birmingham, Hastings & Nr Edinburgh. Contact Jan Pike 01424 754104 or 07973 732184
Call 020 7381 6616 to order or visit fineart.co.uk
TRAINING
B2B
Annabelle Ruston
Supported by Conservation by Design
A Fine Art Trade Guild publication
New from the Guild. Available as an e-book or spiral bound. Call 020 7381 6616 to order or visit fineart.co.uk
Conservation Framing by Annabelle Ruston is published by the Fine Art Trade Guild with the support of Conservation by Design. 128pp; paperback; colour photographs; £12.99 (£11 to members), plus £2 p+p.
Order at fineart.co.uk or contact Moira Sanders on 020 7381 6616 or moira@fineart.co.uk
The indispensable part of every framer’s training Call Moira on 020 7381 6616 to order or visit fineart.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 DEADLINE Please email copy to info@fineart.co.uk by 8 July COST 30 words are £35 +VAT and 50p per word thereafter (free to Guild members) Box numbers cost £10 + VAT (Guild members £5 + VAT) Boxed classified ads cost £55 + VAT per 60mm (£40 + VAT to Guild members) PAYMENT Payment must be made before publication. Please call 020 7381 6616 with your credit or debit card details REPLYING TO A BOX AD Email your contact details to sales@fineart.co.uk and we forward your details to the advertiser June 2014 65
LAST WORD
Online print and frame service point101.com was launched back in 2003, when personal digital image handling was in its infancy. Founder Kerry Keays explains how the company’s intuitive upload and preview system has driven growth How did the business start? I was previously a web designer, but photography was my passion, and the business grew out of these twin interests. To begin with there was just me and a 17” Epson printer in a room in east London. Ten years ago the idea of uploading images and ordering prints online was pretty new. Our preview system was less sophisticated than it is now, but it was still pioneering and intuitive, and lots of businesses copied us. People are much more confident with digital files now and it’s increasingly easy for our customers to handle and upload large images. You’re in a competitive business. What’s your USP? We’ve invested substantial sums into progressing our website and we’ve made numerous revisions over the years. Our USP is that our website is easy to use and this is coupled with excellent customer service. If your website isn’t a pleasure to use, people will get frustrated and go elsewhere. There’s no margin for error when you are selling online, you’ve got to get it right first time; people move away from your page in a keystroke if it doesn’t answer their question, or if they find it visually unappealing or confusing. Images upload quickly to our site, then there’s an easy step-by-step process for choosing display options. You can adjust how the image is cropped and see a preview of how it will look against different wall colours. Making design choices on our website is an enjoyable process, in which the customer plays an important creative role. 50 per cent of our trade is repeat business, so we must be providing a satisfying customer experience. Who are your customers? Ten years ago our key customers were members of the public wanting personal photographs printed on canvas. That’s not where I wanted to 66 June 2014
KERRY KEAYS focus the business, as I’ve always been interested in contemporary art and photography, but that’s where the market was. Now we work for more photographers, illustrators and small businesses. Wedding photography is big for us. Our blog, point102.com, focuses on printmaking and art installation and we use it to promote the work of our artists and photographers. It’s more than a company update blog. We provide a ‘white label service’ for online galleries, where we print their artwork on demand, frame it and then despatch it direct to their customers. Customers are welcome to make an appointment and visit us, but we don’t have passing trade. How do you market point101? At the beginning we were spending up to £3000 each month on Google AdWords, but this didn’t generate sufficient returns, so we’ve scaled back. We’ve tried using agencies for search engine optimisation, but we prefer handing it ourselves, as we like having control. SEO is very timeconsuming; Google’s ranking system is increasingly complex, but you’ve got to stay one step ahead, as thinking you’ve cheated the system won’t work long-term. We book late-space print advertising in photography and art magazines as well, but our main promotional vehicle is word of mouth recommendation. We focus on giving customers a quality product in a short
time frame, then they tell their friends about us. You’ve got to be careful how you push your brand on Facebook. You can clock up impressive numbers without actually generating sales. We intend to invest time and money in Facebook and Twitter promotions in the near future, but we’ve been focusing resources elsewhere recently. What about recent developments? We launched a new website in April, with new images of all our products. We now offer 16 mouldings and eight digital papers online. We’ve also added the option of having your image mounted onto a DIBOND® (aluminium and Perspex) substrate, as well as MDF or Gatorboard. Photo books will be coming to the website soon. Tell us a bit about logistics and fulfilment There are ten of us working here at our workshop in east London. Framing is out-sourced, but we do all printing in-house, including on Perspex and DIBOND®. All orders are packed in the workshop. We have contracts with a range of couriers and we offer next-day delivery within the UK. Some couriers are best for small packages, some for large, some for overseas deliveries. We don’t deliver glazed frames that are larger than 600mm, as they may get broken. We either use 3mm acylic or the customer collects from us. ■ point101.com ART BUSINESS TODAY
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