Art Business Today August 2014 by Art + Framing Today

ART TODAY

BUSINESS

_ LinkedIn: good for business? _ The A-Z of exhibition organising _ SHIPPING FRAMED PICTURES _ Creating an aged walnut finish

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Contents Art Business Today, August 2014, Issue 4

First published June 1905 as the Fine Art Trade Journal

BUSINESS 30 Establishing worldwide connections Does LinkedIn help you engage with customers and find new ones? 36 All wrapped up A look at the options for sending framed artwork around the UK

ART 42 Global gallery How easy is it for artists to sell work through online marketplaces? 46 Putting on a show Jan Baker organises an exhibition of work by Pip McGarry

FRAMING 52 Driven by diversification A focus on independent retailer Angmering Framing & Stitches 58 Green framing Framers who regularly use reclaimed timber sing its praises

56 COVER

REGULARS 8 Trade news 16 Comment and letters 27 Face to face: Nigel Artingstall 28 Product news 40 The art of good business 51 Business tips for artists 56 Pete Binghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agony 62 Trade secrets 64 B2B: classifieds 66 Last word: Daniel Simons, D&J Simons

COVER A DiasecÂŽ mounted image from Kaymounting, which holds exclusive UK rights to this unique facemounting process. See page 8 for further details. kaymounting.co.uk

46 ART BUSINESS TODAY

August 2014 5

Letter from the editor It’s not the crime that kills you, it’s the cover-up

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 Jan Baker Emma Bell Pete Bingham GCF Mira Bishop James Potter 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

‘ve heard it said before that you don’t lose customers by making a mistake, it’s how you deal with it that counts. As the old adage goes, it’s not the crime that kills you, it’s the cover-up. It’s human to make mistakes, and dealing with them can be an opportunity to show customers what you are made of. I was reminded of this when I received a panicked call from a framer who had lost a customer’s print. The print was antique, so hard to replace, but it wasn’t museum quality or an heirloom. A week or so later the beleaguered framer called to say that this customer had just placed a big order for framed mirrors and has been recommending the framer to all her friends. How did the framer turn a bad situation into a good one so effectively? Apparently she admitted responsibility, politely and calmly, and didn’t try to blame anyone else (even though an employee was actually to blame). She visited her customer’s office to tell her in person, rather than hiding behind an email. She focused on what she could do for the customer to make up for the mistake, rather than discussing the minutiae of what exactly happened. The customer was pleased with an offer of free framing. Since the framer didn’t try to worm out of admitting culpability, she established herself as a person of character. The customer respected her for owning up and her apology helped build trust and gave her credibility. In an era where politicians and big business leaders rarely admit responsibility, preferring to deflect questions or point the finger at the opposition, we feel particularly warmly towards those who are prepared to accept blame. This attitude is endemic: large organisations have complaints departments with staff trained to ‘hear what you say’ but are scrupulously careful not to admit blame, or lay themselves open to legal action. If you complain to many companies you simply don’t get a reply. Thinking about how to deal with making mistakes led me to consider the secret of customer service generally. The secret, of course, is to treat people as you would like to be treated yourself. We all want people to be polite, show an interest in us, be honest with us and make us feel good. In retail terms, that translates into greeting customers in a warm and friendly manner, remembering details about previous encounters, complimenting the customers’ choices, giving the best advice you can and sounding 100 per cent absorbed when talking to customers. The products you offer might lure customers in to begin with, but it’s the service you offer that will keep them coming back. In our global economy it’s easy for customers to identify that the products available from different retailers are pretty much identical. The reason they choose to buy from one retailer over another is customer service. That might come down to convenience, delivery times, expertise or the fact that visiting a particuar shop makes people feel good. Once people trust you and enjoy shopping with you, you should have a customer for life. The good news is that if success these days is down to customer service, then independent retailers are in pole position. They don’t generally suffer from quick staff turnover, which prevents long-term relationships developing, and they are able to be flexible when making arrangements with customers, as they aren’t tied down by restrictive corporate strategies.

Annabelle Ruston 6 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS ADVERTORIAL

Corner the market with Wunderbars in-house canvas frame concepts NOT TO BE CONFUSED with something made by Willy Wonka or that infamous billboard featuring an enticingly attired Eva Herzigova, rapid framing solution Wunderbars – available exclusively from Fujifilm UK and sold through Fujifilm UK Webshop and their appointed distributors – is a product that sticks in the memory. You can use the system as a ready-made solution to create your own in-house framed canvas prints, including triptychs and unique in or out corner angled designs. The wonder of Wunderbars is that this is a fast and easy canvas sretching and framing solution that never goes slack. Wunderbars uses a system of spring-loaded corner blocks that simply snap into position, without the need for a mallet or screws. Then it’s a case of stretching the canvas around the frame and stapling it neatly into position, ready for display or selling.

“As with most stretched canvas products, margins when selling to the customer should be high – especially for such a unique product as this one!” Wunderbars MD Tim Jones

No need to cut corners... The most original, innovative – and very profitable – product from the Wunderbars’ team is the Corner Frame (right). These have been designed to brighten up dull corners of your clients’ homes, with both an inner corner frame and an outer corner frame option available. The inner corner frame is designed to slot into the inside corner of a room or office, is constructed from Obeche wood, and available in natural wood, plus black or white. The added beauty is that thanks to an interchangeable insert, corner frames are designed to work just like a switch frame. In fact switch frames can be use alongside the Corner Frame to create corner triptych displays (top photo). As regards the second option of the outer corner frame, these are designed to fit round a corner, available in the same material and same colours as the inner corner frame.. “If your studio has a retail counter or mini-lab services, you can also present Wunderbars kits to your customers as a direct sale for their own D-I-Y use, as the frames are very easy to assemble,” Wunderbars’ Managing Director Tim Jones explains. “They’re pre-made, so attaching the canvas to the inner insert of the frame is all that’s required.”

In-corner, out-corner… and clever corner frame packaging, below.

According to Tim, these sizes represent the image size on each face of the corner, so in effect we’re getting two 8 x 10, two 10 x 12 or two 12 x 16 in one frame. The frames come in a protective box that can be re-used to pack the finished canvas, so there is no waste, and no need to try to find packaging for collection by the client. They’re supplied one frame per box, along with everything needed to assemble. “All the photographer needs to do is print the image,” enthuses MD Tim. “As with most stretched canvas products, value when selling to the customer should be high – especially for such a unique product. We know of no one else offering a self-assembly corner frame.” Wunderbars Hangers can be slotted onto the rear of the frame in order to hang it on the wall. Once again no nails or screws are required. Hangers come in boxes of five or 50.

Framing profits for you Instructions on how to do this are shown via a ‘how to’ web page. Once again, as with the Wunderbars, little or no prior canvas stretching experience is required. Images can then be removed from the frame and replaced with a new image without taking the frame off the wall. There are three sizes of Corner Frames available: 8 x 10, 10 x 12 and 12 x 16 inches.

The second product covered here is the standard Wunderframe, an attractive floating frame in a choice of three finishes (beech is shown here). Again assembly is said to be simple, doing away with all the complicated and difficult canvas float frame techniques. Simply slot your completed Wunderbars canvas print into the frame, slide in the specially adapted pins and you’re done. An added benefit is that the

Wunderframe is not attached to the stretched canvas, thus allowing it to contract and expand in the typical Wunderbar ‘constant tension’ manner. The Wunderframe is available in natural beech, black or white, and again Wunderbars Hangers can be used in conjunction with this product. “This is another unique product making use of the Wunderbars White stretcher bars,” confirms Tim Jones. “At Wunderbars we focus on the time-equals-money aspects of canvas stretching. All of our products save time and all of our products can be used and assembled by any photographer or studio employee with little or no experience of canvas stretching, thus enabling them to turn a healthy profit.” Call Tim Jones on 0121 559 4476 for more product info or visit: www.wunderbars.com

Looking to add value to your studio’s in-house fast photo finishing? Or to generate extra add-on sales? Contact Fujifilm Customer Services on 0333 0100200 or search Wunderbars at www.fujifilm.eu/uk

News Please email news stories to annabelle@fineart.co.uk

Kaymounting expand to the USA and Canada KAYMOUNTING, PROVIDORS of the patented Diasec® process, are celebrating the upcoming launch of their new Diasec® dealership licences in both the USA and Canada. There are currently 18 Diasec® licensees worldwide, in countries including South Africa, Australia and Estonia. Diasec® was the first face-mounting process that allowed photographs to be bonded directly and permanently to acrylic sheet. Images are mounted to high exhibition standards without borders, eliminating the need for a traditional picture frame. Diasec® was developed in 1969 and is a worldwide trademark. Kaymounting hold exclusive UK rights, meaning they are the only company in the country which is allowed to provide this unique service. ‘The secret ingredients for Diasec® are a closely guarded secret formula,’ explains Kaymounting’s co-managing director Keith Reid. ‘These ingredients, combined with the light penetration and refraction of clear cast acrylic, produce stunningly high image definition, brilliant colour and fine detail, the equal of which could not be achieved using traditional glazing methods.’ Diasec® panels are backed with aluminium or a composite material called dibond, which reinforces the

rigidity of the finished product and provides an attractive profile when the picture is viewed from the side. An aluminium sub-frame is attached to the back of the image, allowing it to be affixed to the wall and giving the impression that the artwork is floating with no visible means of support. ‘Diasec® is neutral curing and has an in-built UV light filter,’ says Keith. ‘It contains no plasticisers and is resistant to fungicidal matter, bacterial agents and airborne pollutants. After curing, the whole airtight panel remains chemically inert and stable. It is able to withstand the changes in temperature and humidity that commonly affect works on paper. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, they say. A number of companies have offered ‘face mounting’ in the past and falsely claimed that it was Diasec®, a matter that’s generally resolved with a solicitor’s letter.’ Kaymounting’s clients include artists such as Julian Opie, Lorenzo Agius and Gavin Turk, as well as galleries of the calibre of Saatchi & Saatchi, The Fine Art Society and Hamiltons. kaymounting.co.uk

Diasec® mounted images from the side, front and back, with the joint MDs of Kaymounting, Keith Reid (right) and Dean Brown

8 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS

Pictures from the previous Art & Frame Expo

Two shows in China this autumn THIS SEPTEMBER will see two art and framing trade shows take place in China, one in Yiwu, which is less than 200 miles from Shanghai, and one in Guangzhou, which is 75 miles from Hong Kong. Art & Frame Expo will be in Guangzhou from 4 to 6 September. This event, organised by United Art Exhibition Co, will include 400 exhibitors occupying 168,000 square metres of exhibition space. Art & Frame Expo is a showcase for mid- to high-end manufacturers and distributors, with the emphasis on framing materials, equipment, readymade frames and oil paintings. There will be a range of educational opportunities, including a ‘business banquet’ with guests from all over the

world. The show attracts more than 10,000 buyers, including framers and retailers from various regions of south east Asia. The organisers will be targeting their marketing efforts at potential visitors from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. The tenth China Art & Frame Expo takes place in Yiwu from 18 to 20 September. This is the second art and framing show this year for organisers Café Expo, who also hosted the Shanghai Art & Frame Expo this spring. Exhibitors are from the same sectors at both shows, though the Yiwu event is promoting the presence of digital print publishers, stating that ‘China Art and Frame Expo 2014 loves exhibitors with lawful

copyrights’. Maxwell Roberts, Headrow Gallery, represented the Fine Art Trade Guild at the Shanghai show earlier this year. ‘The two exhibitions are in fierce competition with each other, each claiming to be more upmarket and better organised. Both claim to the largest art and framing show in the world. An important difference between the two events is that Cantonese is spoken in Guangzhou, which is the language of Hong Kong. Many business people in the region also speak Mandarin, which is the official Chinese language. Cantonese isn’t spoken in Yiwu.’ afaexpo.com/en (Guangzhou) en.cafexpo.cn (Yiwu)

New German trade show launched A NEW European trade fair is being planned, which will take place between 25 and 27 September 2015 in Berlin, under the name Artexpo Berlin. The show is promoted by Rainer Helbing, Galerie Helbing, who launched the Art Fair Europe show in north Germany in 2007. Rainer is a gallery owner and framer but, in his words, ‘Our sector didn’t have a fair, even though it needed one, so I decided to plan it myself rather than wait for others to discuss it. Sometimes in life you have to be a tiny bit crazy and anything is possible as long as you approach it with enthusiasm, joy and tenacity.’ Art Fair Europe was bought by exhibition ART BUSINESS TODAY

organisers NürnbergMesse in 2010 and it moved to Nuremberg, though Rainer was retained as a consultant. The show folded in 2012, due to insufficient support from exhibitors. Since that time the only standalone European art and framing trade show has been held in Italy, hosted by two different organisers. A show was planned for September 2013 in the Molfsee region of Germany, organised by Expo Management GmbH and supported by trade magazine Der Kunsthandel, but this never got off the ground since not enough exhibitors signed up. Rainer explains why he’s promoting

another show, ‘Many former exhibitors have contacted me asking me to organise a fair, but due to contractual obligations I had to put off all such enquiries until after April 2014. I have no doubt that there is a need for a dedicated trade fair.’ The proposed trade-only event is open to exhibitors from all aspects of the art and framing industries and will be held at the Arena Berlin. So far, 30 exhibitors have booked with 20 expected to confirm soon. The organiser reports that bookings have come in more quickly than in previous years, indicating that this is the right time and place for a European show. artexpo.berlin August 2014 9

NEWS

Hahnemühle wins Tipa award

Martina raises thousands A PAINTING by Martina Melkonian (illustrated above) sold for £4400 at the Maserati & BMG Charity Auction, which took place at a polo match at Cirencester Park Polo Club in the presence of the Princes William and Harry. An exhibition of the artist’s work is being held in Doha, Qatar, and the story of her charity triumph featured in Hello! online. martinamelkonian.com

Kenro adds new frames READY-MADE frame manufacturer Kenro have added to their Frisco and Emilia gift frame ranges. The Frisco range is now available in a high gloss white finish and 18 sizes, for 6x4” up to A1. The Frisco frame features a slim moulding and a rounded top. The Emilia range now includes two ‘shabby chic’ colours, distressed blue and white. kenro.co.uk 10 August 2014

PAPER MANUFACTURER Hahnemühle was awarded Best Inkjet Photo Paper for their Photo Silk Baryta 310 at the TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) Awards. This is the fifth award for a Hahnemühle paper. The jury commented, ‘Photographers who seek the look, feel and tonal depth of traditional silver halide in an inkjet paper will be quite pleased with this Hahnemühle offering. The paper’s unique barium sulphate coating offers rich monochrome and brilliant colour reproduction in a weight that speaks to both its high quality and ease of handling for mounting and display. The 100 per cent alpha cellulose paper is acid-free and meets the criteria for durability according to ISO 9706. It is available in all cut-sheet sizes starting at 8.5 x 11 inches/DIN A4 plus rolls on a 3-inch core up to 50-inches wide.’ Photo Silk Baryta is perfect for intense, vibrant colour prints or black and white motifs with great contrasts from all genres of photography. The paper contains a minimum amount of long term stable optical brighteners to guarantee an elegant white of the paper. hahnemuehle.com

Innovation from the makers of Wunderbars THE CORNER frame, new from Fujifilm, is designed to brighten up dull corners of customers’ homes. The frame is available as ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ models. The inner frame, which is designed to slot into the inside corner of a room or office, is constructed from obeche wood and is avaible in a natural wood finish, as well as black or white. Thanks to an interchangeable insert, corner frames work just like Fujifilm’s switch frames, so they can be used alongside each other to form a corner triptych. The outer corner frame, which bends around the outsides of corners, is also made from obeche and is available in the same finishes. ‘The frames are very easy to assemble, so can be sold on a DIY basis, along with Wunderbars,’ says Wunderbars MD Tim Jones. ‘They are pre-made so attaching the canvas to the inner insert of the frame is all that’s required.’ The Wunderbars website includes clear ‘how to’ instructions. Little or no prior canvas stretching experience is required. Images can be removed from the frame and replaced with

new ones without taking the frame off the wall. Corner frames are available in three sizes: 8x10”; 10x12”; and 12x16”. These sizes refer to the amount of frame on each face of the corner. wunderbars.com

ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS

Framing competition 2015 theme revealed Left: You Are Nothing But A Pack Of Cards, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Below: Cath Friend GCF, Emerald Framing, winner of this year’s Guild Challenge Framing Award (centre) accepting her trophy from Mal Reynolds GCF Adv and Guild CEO Louise Hay. Mal was acting on behalf of sponsor Valiani, for whom he runs the Valiani Support Group

THE GUILD’S Framers’ Committee has announced that the theme for next year’s technical framing awards will be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to celebrate the fact that Lewis Carroll’s book was first published 150 years ago next year, in 1865. ‘The image to be framed and the precise entry details have yet to be

finalised,’ explains committee chairman Mal Reynolds GCF Adv. ‘We are announcing the theme now so that framers can start getting creative in good time and think about their frame design. I anticipate framed top hats, rabbits, Cheshire cats, playing cards and pieces of cake saying EAT ME. There’s so much potential for framers to excel themselves and I look forward to seeing the entries.’ Framers can register their interest on the Guild website, to ensure that they receive entry details as soon as they are finalised. A shortlist will be announced in March next year, and will be included in the April issue of Art Business Today, and the winners will be revealed and awarded their trophies on Saturday 16 May at the Awards Dinner in Harrogate. fineart.co.uk

Tecco expands portfolio PAPER MANUFACTURER Tecco has launched two papers for the professional photographer, which boast exceptional clarity, sharpness and fidelity of colour. Tecco Smooth Pearl 310gsm is a heavy high-density paper with a smooth surface and natural photographic white shade, while Tecco Baryt Fibre Silk 310gsm creates high definition images with extended tonal range. Both papers are available exclusively from Color Confidence. colorconfidence.com

The history of picture frames GERMAN ACADEMIC Dr Tobias Schmitz has written a new book, published in English, entitled Schmitz Compendium of European Picture Frames 1730-1930: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Biedermeier, Impressionism, Historicism, Jugendstil. This systematic overview of frames covers materials and techniques, historical background and information about artists and their preferences. The hardback book is 320 pages and is priced at 92 euros including shipping. It is also available on amazon.co.uk schmitzrahmen.de Flexible working changes now in force SINCE 30 JULY employees are able to request flexible patterns. Under previous provisions, anyone wanting to make a statutory flexible working request had to have a child under 17 or be a recognised carer, and be making the request in order to care for the child or adult. Now, anyone can request flexible working hours and they do not have to specify their reasons. Employees can apply to vary their working hours and place of work. However, employees do not have an automatic right to these changes, they only have a right to request them. gov.uk/flexible-working/overview

ART BUSINESS TODAY

August 2014 11

NEWS

UP-COMING BRANCH EVENTS COTSWOLDS REGIONAL ORGANISER Cath Friend GCF, Emerald Frames 07507 774017 16 Sept, 25 Nov LONDON, INC MIDDX & SURREY BRANCH MASTER Nick Hood, Hook Framing 01442 878472 24 Sept, 26 Nov

Hanging last year’s show and, below, the private view

NORTH WEST BRANCH MASTER Anne Corless 01253 780734 2 Oct, 5 Dec Details of upcoming branch events, reports on past events and information about officers and regions can be found at fineart.co.uk

Submissions invited to RWA open show ARTISTS FROM all over the country are invited to submit work for the Royal West of England Academy’s 162nd annual open exhibition, which opens on 12 October. Last year over 2200 works were submitted by 1000 artists. Artists of all ages and levels

of professionalism are invited to submit work via a dedicated website. The show attracts around 15,000 visitors and all work is for sale, with prices starting at just £25. Submissions must be made by 27 August at oss-rwa.org.uk

Changes to the GCF qualification

Framiac’s Mark Wilson talks to guests in the London area at an event hosted by LION South and, below, the Guild’s branch organiser Stephanie Winn

12 August 2014

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). This means that to retain the qualification framers must undertake a certain amount of training every year, which will give them ‘credits’. ‘We do not intend to make it hard for framers to accumulate credits,’ says Framers’ Committee chairman Mal Reynolds GCF Adv. ‘We are 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.’ 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 ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS

Packed schedule at UK School of Framing THE UK School of Framing has an impressive schedule of training events lined up for this this summer and autumn. Sessions take place at the company’s Buckinghamshire HQ, but also at venues around the country, from Bristol, to Tunbridge Wells and York. The UK School of Framing won the Fine Art Trade Guild’s Innovation Award in 2010 and its courses are accredited by the Guild. Its sister company, DIY Framing, sells a wide range of framing supplies. Upcoming courses include a twoday Photography & Art Framing weekend in Brighton, priced at £242.60, and a one-day Basics of Framing session in Salisbury, priced at £121.30. Specialist courses include 3D Framing (High Wycombe, £146.96); Fabric Framing (same place and price); and Organising & Planning a Framing Business (High Wycombe, £160.87). ‘We try to ensure that there’s something for everyone at the UK School of Framing,’ says MD Duncan McDonald. ‘If someone suggests a course and we like the idea, we go for it.’ diyframing.com

Inspiration for artists working in the north west FINE ART Trade Guild members in the north west of England recently enjoyed an excellent buffet supper and a trip round the Association of Animal Artists’ annual exhibition, followed by a talk on how the right brush can affect your art, presented by Symi Jackson of Rosemary & Co. There will be events for members and their guests in this region on 2 October and 5 December. See the website for details. fineart.co.uk

First International Graphics catalogue for three years PUBLISHER INTERNATIONAL Graphics are producing their first comprehensive catalogue for three years. This hardback tome, which has 700 pages and introduces more than 50 new artists, will be released in September, in time for the Photokina fair in Cologne, at which International Graphics will be exhibiting. All images are available on a print-on-demand basis, with some also printed as offset lithos. ‘With many publishers seemingly content to rely on their websites to give customers access to their images, ART BUSINESS TODAY

many people thought we’d seen the end of the traditional catalogue,’ says MD Lawrence Walmsley. ‘However, the latest studies rebuke this common belief: customers still want to see products on paper. Good websites are important, and we’ve invested heavily in ours, but this complements rather than replaces the experience of browsing a printed catalogue.’ ig-team.de The image on the cover of the catalogue is by Patrice Murciano

August 2014 13

NEWS

Germany’s second season event

New look and new products atPoint101 FINE ART and photography printer Point101 has launched a new look, a new website and new products. ‘The website has been refined and streamlined to give visitors a more enjoyable browsing experience,’ says MD Kerry Keays. ‘Our industry-leading image upload and room preview systems have been integrated into the new

GERMAN GIFT and homewares trade show Tendence, the sister show to Ambiente, takes place in Frankfurt from 30 August until 2 September. Last year’s show attracted 38,000 visitors, who came to see 1300 exhibitors from 55 countries, all showing new products in the mid- to high-end sector of the market. tendence.messefrankfurt.com

Exciting print resource in Rye A NEW print room at Rye Art Gallery is offering opportunities to local artists. Work by three local printmakers is on show at the moment: Paula MacArthur, Nick Archer and Elizabeth Barton. Their work will be shown alongside prints by artists including Norman Ackroyd RA, Sarah Young and Edward Bawden. As well as exhibition opportunities, the print room provides facilities for making prints, from mono printing to dry point and intaglio processes. ryeartgallery.co.uk

site.’ Point101 has also launched new printing and mounting products, including photo blocks, DiBond, MDF and Gatorboard mounting options. 12 new mouldings and four new giclée papers are available too. point101.com

An image from the new-look website

3D prints of museum artifacts displayed THE USHER Gallery, Lincoln, is displaying 3D printed images of items from its collection. Artist Oliver Laric scanned more than 70 sculptures from the museum, and the exhibition is the culmination of a cutting-edge project funded by the £60,000 Contemporary Art Society Annual Award for 2012. The resulting 360 degree digital images can be viewed online. These free-to-download models have since been used by people to create new artworks, including several by Oliver Laric himself.

Included in the show is a piece that now forms part of the permanent collection. The unique collage sculpture was created using several of the 3D images blended together to create an entirely new form. ‘The 3D scans project opened our collection to the world and offers anyone the ability to use the iamges as the basis for new work and ideas,’ said Ashley Gallant, collection access officer. The exhibition runs from 26 July until 26 October. lincoln3dscans.co.uk

3D prints of, from left, Tennyson by Thomas Woolner, a medieval font and Venus Kissing Cupid by John Gibson

If it Could Always be This Way by artist in residence Paula MacArthur

14 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS

Acrylicize creates artworks for Coca-Cola ART INSTALLATION firm Acrylicize have designed key elements for CocaColaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new UK HQ. Highlights include hand-painted ghost signage throughout the building, a series of bespoke artworks and bottle wall lights. Acrylicize worked closely with MoreySmith, who were responsible for the overall interior design of the building. Acrylicize specialise in creating art and interior features for residential and commercial spaces. acrylicize.com From left: A mural featuring vintage Coca-Cola artwork; a 3D effect pair of lips crafted from 35,000 drinking straws (the lips are backlist with a glowing white light); and hand-crafted hearts from 210 cans decorate a section of wall

400 new suppliers sign up for Autumn Fair International 400 NEW suppliers will be exhibiting at Autumn Fair International, making the show the perfect place to stock up for Christmas. There will be a new and improved Ecommerce and Retail Services sector in Hall 4. Here, visitors can engage with key industry figures offering expert technical guidance in the ecommerce theatre and meet with exhibitors who can help drive business forward, offering services from social media marketing to fulfilment and mailing. UK Trade & ART BUSINESS TODAY

Investment, a government department, will be at the show to provide UK businesses with export advice and guidance to help them grow in international markets. Other highlights include the Design Lab, where new collections from exciting brands are showcased. The Summerhouse sector will display an eclectic edit of home and gift products from 36 specially selected brands, while the New Product Showcases includes 150 of the newest products from across the

whole show. The Brands of China sector gives visitors the opportunity to meet 150 Chinese suppliers who will be presenting their newest innovations. The show is divided into sectors including Home Interiors & Furniture; Greetings, Gift & Craft; and Contemporary Gift & Home. Autumn Fair takes place from 7 to 10 September at the Birmingham NEC. autumnfair.com

August 2014 15

Comment LESZEK WOLNIK says that it’s the little things that ensure customers keep coming back

This embossing machine was upcycled from an old flypress sourced on eBay for £67 Below: The Copper House chopmark and embossing plate

Artist Alan Reed on e-newsletters

16 August 2014

hen reading art magazines or browsing online I often notice printers declaring that they are ‘specialists in digital printing’, which amuses me. The other declarations that raise a smile are that the printer is ‘unique’ or ‘an innovator’. Cynicism aside, it’s completely understandable that, as practioners, we like to have a differentiator, something special that sets our service apart from that of our competitors and gives our clients a real and pressing need to use us. One way to make your service stand out is to specialise, to develop an aspect of fine art printing that your customers will love you for. This might be a skill in post production for photographers, or perhaps the ability to correct files with a troublesome colour balance. Artists and photographers are generally incredibly busy, juggling many aspects of their professional lives, so they are delighted to find a printer who will make their lives easier. If developing a technical skill is not for you, or you are disinclined to grapple with the finer intricacies of Photoshop, then pure niceness and excellence of service can be the best way to build customer loyalty. Folk flock to where they are treated nicely and, because of their positive experiences, they become great ambassadors for your business, like an unpaid but devoted print sales force.

Digital printers can be unique and innovative by offering customers features and benefits that they don’t get elsewhere. These don’t need to be earth shattering, just simple service add-ons. We give print handling kits consisting of nitrile gloves, a lint-free cloth and an information sheet to customers who would like one, which many do, and they appreciate being made to feel special. Another free add-on we offer is The Copper House chop mark (or embossed logo) on the borders of a print. This is very cheaply achieved by buying an old fly press on eBay for half of nothing and getting an embossing plate made (ours is pictured here). Printers who also frame may have a computerised mountcutter, which can be used to make bespoke archival boxes for customers to store prints in. You can even print your details on the box before you machine it, as most Epson printers have a flat-feed facility. These are just a few small ways of adding benefits for our print customers, since the more benefits they enjoy, the more they’ll use us. Leszek Wolnik is curator and strategist at The Copper House Gallery, Dublin. leszek@thecopperhouse.ie

they ensure that your customers know about new products, exhibitions and news as soon as possible. If you use an e-newsletter platform such as Mailchimp you can look at statistics after each newsletter. These reports provide detailed information on how many ‘clicks’ and ‘opens’ you’ve had. You can compare your analytics with the industry average and work out what you may have to do to increase the success rate of each campaign. I have a number of targets for my e-newsletters. These normally refer to a ‘call to action’, such as how many people click on a specific link that is built into the newsletter. This might be a ‘buy’ button for a new print on

ending customers postal invitations to exhibitions is a tried and trusted method that usually yields a healthy return. It is, however, becoming increasingly expensive thanks to rising postage and printing costs. If you have a database of 1000 customers or more, you will face costs of over £1000 before you even look at framing, advertising and refreshments. I still use traditional paper invitations a couple of times a year, but, for the last four years, I’ve sent e-newsletters two or three times a month. These have a number of advantages over postal invitations. They take time to design and plan, but the financial cost is almost nil, and

ART BUSINESS TODAY

Comment You can’t afford to ignore Facebook, says EMMA BELL hat the tweet has a poke, like or share got to do with good business practice? Don’t groan, this is worth every minute of your attention, I promise! Marketing has come a long way during the last few decades. The early seventies saw a shift in advertising trends from the standand-point style of the fifties, to a widespread attempt to tap into people’s emotions. Think 1973 and the famous Hovis advert on Shaftesbury’s Gold Hill for heartwarming nostalgia.

The Mulberry Tree Gallery discovered Mani Parkes’ work via Facebook (illustrated is A Bicycle Made For Two © Mani Parkes)

my website, or getting folk to sign up for a painting holiday in Italy that I’m running, or joining a watercolour painting course that I’m teaching. Other calls to action could be enticing people to look at painting tips on my blog, to follow me on Twitter or RSVP to visit the gallery to view a new limited edition print or original painting. Prior to Christmas, Easter, summer or Valentine’s Day, my newsletter includes ideas for presents or homewares. The great advantage of analytics is seeing which links are being clicked on and which clients open the newsletter. You can then assess what content folk are finding interesting ART BUSINESS TODAY

This aspect of marketing has lead to today’s viral networking, where companies with multi-million dollar budgets use the power of the internet to sell their products. McDonald’s recent World Cup campaign, featuring a two minute compilation of trickshots from amateurs around the world, went viral. The ad has absolutely no connection to fast food, but capitalises on the speed at which feel-good stuff is shared on the web. So can a small business like ours do likewise? Absolutely, yes. The Mulberry Tree Gallery is based in a seaside town in Dorset, population 10,000. About a year ago, we bowed to the pressure and opened a Facebook page for the business. Relatively swiftly, we had 200 ‘likes’ on our page. This gave us an audience for information about exhibitions, new artists, special offers and the like, so we started updating it every day. So far so unimpressive. In February last year I found a painting by an artist called Mani Parkes on Facebook and bought it as a Valentine’s present for my husband. It’s such a lovely piece that I invited her to contribute to this year’s summer exhibition. She accepted and emailed a photo of a painting for the show. I posted it on Facebook and was astonished to watch the ‘likes’ reach 30,000. The exposure was thanks to Mani’s own page, to which a couple of high profile artists are linked. When one of them hit ‘like’, that artist’s

129,000 followers had a chance to see it - along with The Mulberry Tree’s page where the photo was listed. Our followers have since risen to 3000. This captive audience have smartphones in their pockets and are bigger in number than our footfall. They share things they enjoy with their friends and want to be the first to know when something new is on offer. Two thirds of Mani’s pieces sold before the exhibition, and we could have sold that first work ten times over. So how best to keep these 3000 followers interested? A little reading around the subject lead me to the concept of ‘synthetic personalisation’. The idea is to build a relationship with these faceless masses. Using personal language, like addressing posts to ‘you’, creating familiarity and a sense of shared values, makes a potential customer enjoy your posts. Art galleries are well positioned to make the most of Facebook as it’s a social space where lifestyle is the currency. People use Facebook to feel good about themselves. Art makes people feel good. Then there’s Twitter. It’s on the to-do list, but does anyone have an app for more time?!

Emma Bell is a director of The Mulberry Tree Gallery

and build on that. The effectiveness of your newsletter is dependent on the quality of your database. It’s essential to keep collecting customers’ (and potential customers’) email addresses. When I’m out networking and someone gives me their business card I try to ask if they would like to receive my newsletter. That way they are less likely to unsubscribe. An e-newsletter strategy is just another part of your overall business plan. It’s not a question of abandoning postal invitations, but of integrating them into a carefully thought out marketing plan, along with regular enewsletters. August 2014 17

Comment All wedged in

s a GCF examiner, I notice that a large number of framers insert wedges into the corners of stretcher bars the wrong way round. While this is not a heinous crime, candidates are marked down from an A to a B if they make this mistake, and it’s something that professional framers should know how to do properly. The diagrams on pages 25 and 61 of the GCF Study Guide show the wedges inserted correctly. However, the Framers’ Committee have decided that the manual should be updated to include a more detailed paragraph explaining how to insert wedges. In the meantime, an addendum will be affixed the relevant page. Most wedges have a 90 degree angle, a 70 degree angle and a 20 degree angle. The grain of the wood runs from the 90 degree angle along to the point. You should insert the wedge with the 90 degree angle projecting into the centre of the canvas and the 70 degree angle abutted to the stretcher bar. The grain of the wood should run longways, into the corner of the frame.

90 degree corner note the grain of the wood on the wedge running from the 90 degree corner down towards the 20 degree corner

70 degree corner the hypotenuse (or longest side of the triangle) runs opposite the 90 degree corner, abutted to the stretcher bar

If you position the wedges the other way, the end grains of the two wedges rub against each other and they will burr up and get damaged. The movement of the wedges would be inhibited and might break. In geometric terms, the hypotenuse – the longest side of a right-angled triangle, which runs opposite the right angle – should lie against the stretcher bar. Framers often mistakenly put the short side against the stretcher bar. Wedges are much more likely to split when

20 degree corner (embedded in stretcher)

tapped if they are inserted the wrong way. You should be tapping against the grain of the wood, not along it. Plywood and plastic wedges do not have a grain, so the above guidelines do not apply, but most quality wedges are made from hardwood. Hardwood wedges are strong and long-lasting and are less prone to woodworm than plywood. They are also available in a variety of thickness. Steve McKee GCF Adv Dromore Picture Framing

What is Rolf Harris’s artwork worth now? Bit of a long shot this, but clients have contacted me about possible compensation for the ‘investment’ they made buying Rolf Harris limited editions. Galleries like mine may have a stockpile of his art that had high market potential, but now, because of his conviction, might be worthless. Could galleries seek compensation from the artist, given that the artwork was bought in good faith on the back of Rolf Harris’s popularity and, moreover, his good reputation? Lawrence Robinson GCF Pictor Gallery

18 August 2014

The editor replies:

There is certainly speculation that Harris may face compensation claims after his conviction, as discussed in an article on the BBC website by Tom Moseley. Collectors are reportedly dumping his paintings cheaply via eBay, while the owner of his portrait of Bonnie Tyler has threatened to burn it. Interestingly, an unremarkable 14x10” watercolour by Harris sold at auction in March 2013, with an estimate of £400 to £600. Gorringes Auction Galleries sold it for £5500, which is £6875 including premiums. In July 2012 a

portrait of Jimmy Savile by Harris sold at Dreweatts Auctioneers for £4500, months before Savile was publicly accused. It was in April 2013 that Harris was first named by The Sun newspaper on suspicion of sexual offences. Since then, no highprofile works by Harris have been publicly sold. The last original work by Harris to come up at auction was in June this year at Hartleys Auctioneers, and the picture was unsold. Whether an artist’s work drops in value irretrievably following convictions for sexual offences is largely down to its quality and

ART BUSINESS TODAY

Comment Guild CEO LOUISE HAY looks at the economy

ow is your business doing? At the Guild office we track financial performance against budget and prior year, but sometimes it can be good to lift your head out of your own books and see how the rest of the economy is doing. In January and February things were looking tough; we were below budget for income and I was looking inwardly for reasons why – was it because I’d been off in December, because we had a new staff member, because something was wrong with our marketing messages, or what we were offering? Then suddenly in March and April it got better – we caught up and membership increased. In May I had a light-bulb moment. For many years I have been participating in The Markit/CIPS UK Purchasing Managers’ Index, a report by an independent research company on the service sector. Every month I dutifully fill in the survey and receive in return the report which I glance at

place in the history of art. Eric Gill, for example, was a self-confessed paedophile yet his typeface and artwork are widely respected and collected. The film-maker Roman Polanski is fighting extradition to the USA to face similar charges, yet his films are revered as groundbreaking and innovative, so people still watch them. Egon Schiele is known to be an incestuous paedophile, and Caravaggio killed a man in a brawl, yet the work of both artists is esteemed. Whether Harris’s work will stand the test of time remains to be seen. The Guardian’s art critic, Jonathan Jones, opines that Harris was never

ART BUSINESS TODAY

Data from UK Services PMI Markit Economics Ltd

and file. In May I decided to have a proper read, and there it was; the conditions we had been facing and subsequent recovery pretty much tracked the trend that the majority of the 700 panel members were experiencing. It was both a relief and a revelation to realise that sometimes what happens in our business is not all about us, but can be affected by the economy for both good and bad. I attended a briefing where Steve McKenzie, CEO of Larson-Juhl, explained that your competitors are not the gallery round the corner but the big box store in the mall. Pressure on consumers is not about whether to buy a painting from Gallery A or Gallery B, but whether to buy a new washing machine/sofa/car instead.

a good artist but speculates that eventually his notoriety could enhance his prices. People collect memorabilia relating to the Kray brothers and Charles Bronson, after all. The art critic David Lee says, ‘Rolf was an atrocious painter, but he could sell paintings for £70,000 simply due to his celebrity. Art which relies so heavily on the name of the painter becomes valueless once the name is tainted. Prices will collapse as people won’t be proud to own his work.’ The Guild’s legal team advised me that a gallery would struggle to obtain compensation, since the gallery’s contract would have been

As a trade association we are aware that members have other pressures on their budgets but we don’t necessarily make a direct connection between what happens to our finances and the economy at large. Everyone in business expects that if we work hard we will be able to buck national trends, but sometimes this just isn’t possible. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to improve, but it helps to put our situation in context. Hidden at the end of that lengthy report is a nugget of good news. The prediction is for economic growth to continue at 2.9 per cent for 2014, and Bank of England guidance is that interest rates will remain low until the end of the year, rising to a high of one per cent by end 2015.

with the artist’s publisher, who was acting in good faith, rather than with the artist himself. A gallery could try to claim misrepresentation if they bought stock while the case was ongoing and the seller didn’t mention it. But it is extremely unlikely that a gallery would have invested in Harris’s art once the case became public. The legal advice I received, as well as the opinion of art dealers I talked to, is that the value of art goes up, and it goes down. Buyers should be aware of this when they buy artwork. You don’t have to give the money back when you make a large profit, after all.

August 2014 19

NEWS

Personalised cases from Fujifilm FUJIFILM IS to capitalise on the personalisation market by offering in-store personalised phone and tablet cases from IDT Systems, a leading provider of 2D and 3D surface decoration solutions. IDT Systems ‘case station’ allows photo retailers to produce high quality full-wrap covers in-store in under six minutes. fuji.co.uk

New paper for Hahnemühle

Artwork from Andy Ward, a winner in the Professional Advertising & Design category

Association of Illustrators winners revealed THE ASSOCIATION of Illustrators has announced winners in two categories, New Talent and Professional, from which overall winners will be selected this October. A exhibition of shortlisted artwork will tour the UK this autumn. theaoi.com

PHOTO PEARL 310gsm, new from Hahnemühle Fine Art, is finely structured with a pearlescent surface and a high quality ink-absorbing layer. This enables exceptional image quality and detailed sharpness, as well as maximum black values. This scratch-resistant paper is available in four sheet sizes and four different roll widths. hahnemuehle.com

New collection from master forger FORGER TURNED legitimate artist John Myatt has a new collection of 47 paintings on show at Castle Fine Art, Mayfair, from 16 July until 10 August. Myatt was imprisoned for art fraud in 1999, but has since produced a number of collections for Castle Fine Art and their sister company, publisher Washington Green. New works include paintings that mimic the style of Joan Miro, Claude Monet, 20 August 2014

Roy Lichenstein and Johan Vermeer. Although he vowed never to paint again, Myatt was persuaded to use his talents in a positive way by the officer who arrested him. He has since worked with Scotland Yard’s art and antiques squad to help them spot forgeries. castlegalleries.com washingtongreen.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS

Joanna Kosek at Guild awards event

Paul Tavernor branches out PAINTER PAUL Tavernor has temporarily swapped his brushes for heavy-duty gloves and pliers in order make a giant wire installation. Paul, who is best known for his paintings of hares, designed and created this giant three-dimensional leaping hare, which is his first foray into 3D artwork. The model is made entirely out of

entwined wire of varying thicknesses, which Paul spent eight weeks bending and sculpting in his back garden. The model was transported in several pieces and assembled on site. It is now in-situ outside Buxton’s famous Devonshire Dome, the largest unsupported dome in Europe. paultavernor.co.uk

Creative Cotswolds

Stuart Hibberdine GCF demonstrating mount xxxxx design and cutting techniques

ART BUSINESS TODAY

GUILD MEMBERS in the Cotswold region enjoyed inspirational demonstrations from Stuart Hibberdine GCF, Angles of Art, and Cath Friend GCF, Emerald Framing. Jenny Isaacson GCF, Topmount Framing, was on hand to explain the changes that are being made to the GCF programme. The evening started with dinner and a chance for guests to catch up with industry news. Stuart then demonstrated how to carve creative patterns and lines into mounts with a handheld cutter, then Cath talked about designing mounts using her computerised mountcutter. Both framers brought along extensive samples for guests to handle and study, which everyone agreed is very helpful and thought-provoking. fineart.co.uk

THE FINE Art Trade Guild’s awards event will take place in 2015 at the four-star Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate, on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May. The 2013 event was held at the same venue, which has been re-booked following positive feedback from members. The weekend will include the Awards Dinner, the Guild Artists’ Exhibition, the Guild AGM and a series of educational opportunities. It has been confirmed that Joanna Kosek, Head of Pictorial Art Conservation at the British Museum and author of books including Conservation Mounting for Prints and Drawings, will be leading training sessions at the event. Further training opportunities will be added shortly. fineart.co.uk Above: Joanna Kosek delivering a talk at Conservation by Design’s open day Below: Kerry Darlington accepting the Bestselling Artist Award from Arqadia’s Graham Miller at this year’s awards event

August 2014 21

NEWS

Arqadia supports Upbeat Music FRAMING SUPPLIER Arqadia provided mouldings and mountboard to frame celebrity artwork for charity Upbeat Music, which organises musical events and workshops for people with mental health issues. The framing was carried out by Menor Ltd in Hertfordshire. Celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Chris Martin, Ricky Wilson, Bernie Taupin and Ian Botham created art for the event. The pieces were displayed at London’s Store Street Gallery, before being auctioned off to raise an impressive £14,000. Limited editions of the artwork are available via http://eazl.co.uk/shop-art-in-a-box/ arqadia.co.uk

Test packs from PermaJet IMAGING SUPPLIER PermaJet have launched 30 and 14 sheet test packs, which include the new Smooth Pearl, Smooth Gloss and FB Gold Silk options. An A7 swatch book is included in all test packs and the price is £11.95. Three other test packs are available too: smooth; textured and inkjet canvas. permajet.com

Comedian Charlie Higson next to his painting, created for Upbeat Music and framed with Arqadia materials

Tim Thompson illustrates new book THE STORY of the America’s Cup 1851-2013 is a new book by Ranulf Rayner, illustrated with paintings by marine artist Tim Thompson. Published by the Antique Collectors’ Club, the book includes 75 colour and 200 black and white illustrations. accpublishinggroup.com

Fun by Von Trueba (left) and Queues by Kapitza

New artists at East End Prints LONDON PRINT company East End Prints have signed new artists including Von Trueba, who creates geometric images with a tropical flavour, and sisters Petra and Nicole Kapitza, whose bright patterns and quirky fonts are best-sellers. eastendprints.co.uk 22 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS

Guild welcomes the first Moldovan GCFs THE FIRST two framers from the Republic of Moldova to qualify as Guild Commended Framers were presented with their certificates at the Guildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s London offices. Stela and Sergui Moldovanu GCFs took the exam at D&J Simons, where their examiner was Steve McKee GCF Adv, Master of the Guild. Their company, Extramobile srl, sells hundreds of decorative oval and round frames, as well as Italian hand-carved and painted frames. The bespoke framing service includes aluminium, plastic and a wide range of wooden profiles. moldeco.md

Epson inspires new generation EPSON TECHNOLOGY helped many students in the Royal Academy Schools graduation show realise their final pieces. Several works were created using Epsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large-format printers and projectors, which are accessible to students in the on-site digital suite. Julie Born Schwartz used an Epson projector to display a film inspired by interviews with a New York acting coach, and produced a large-format urban landscape photograph using an

Epson printer. Hannah Perry combined printed components with paint and industrial materials. Her work used Epson-printed photo transparencies to produce bold screenprint stencils and digital photographs that are assembled together to create collages. royalacademy.org.uk epson.co.uk Above: Artwork from Hannah Perry on show at the Royal Academy

Gallery Systems embraces the world GALLERY SYSTEMS unique picture display equipment is now in use in even more prestigious locations. Satisfied customers now include Microsoft UK, Oxford University, NASA, and Harvard and Princeton universities. The framing system was the brain child of Australian entrepreneur Bruce Green. Back in 1984 Bruce bought a retail furniture shop and found that no adequate hanging system was available, so he set about inventing his own. The result was a stainless steel cable system, a traditional picture rail system and the new Slimline System. thegallerysystem.co.uk

ART BUSINESS TODAY

August 2014 23

NEWS

Anne Hayton talks to a customer

Martin Edwards GCF shows how to gild frames Sarah Osborne GCF Adv cuts a mount with a Gunnar CMC

Martin Edwards GCF handling gold leaf

A bumper year for Making Pictures 2014 HAS been a busy year for Making Pictures events, which are organised by the Fine Art Trade Guild. So far, these intimate mini-trade shows have been held at venues in Glasgow, Torquay and Bedford. Making Pictures Belfast takes place as this issue goes to press, with further events scheduled for the autumn in both Dublin and Yorkshire. The event in Torquay was generously hosted by Fiona and Paul Haddon at Haddon Galleries’ spacious premises. Guests were able to talk to artists Nigel Hemming and Karen Hollis, as well as look at the latest works from Haddon Fine Art Editions, Fiona and Paul’s publishing 24 August 2014

business. Those interested in fine art printing listened to a talk by Designline Systems, while framers benefited from sessions on pricing by Framiac’s Mark Wilson, gilding demos from Martin Edwards GCF of Lutterburn Fine Art, and chats with Gunnar’s Sarah Osborne GCF Adv and Arqadia’s Dai Matthews. First Data were on hand to discuss EPOS systems with retailers too. Designline System’s Tony Hayton was at the Torquay event, ‘It was a great evening at a superb venue. It was good to see both existing customers and potential new ones. Visitors included a good cross-section of framers, artists and printers and I’m

sure we’ll collect some new business. The event had a good buzz, which I am sure was largely down to the energy of the Guild’s Kasia Szkolnicka and Stephanie Winn, who organised the evening. A big thank you to them both.’ Making Pictures Bedford was held at Arqadia’s spacious premises, where Pauline Hutchinson, Steve Burke and their team welcomed guests. Chris French, Conservation by Design, talked about conserving photographs and digital images, while Mal Reynolds GCF Adv pulled in the crowds with his demonstration of conservation framing techniques. Peter Cleevely GCF demonstrated a range ART BUSINESS TODAY

NEWS Stuart McMahon demonstrates mounting and laminating

Jan Stanlick GCF demonstrates 3D framing

Mal Reynolds GCF Adv talks about conservation framing, with a selection of Arqadia’s swept frames behind

Peter Cleevely GCF shows a visitor some mountcutting techniques

events, in the UK and Ireland of creative mountcutting techniques and designs; and Gunnar’s Sarah Osborne GCF Adv showed visitors how to use their latest CMC. Jan Stanlick CGF and Stuart McMahon of Framers Equipment ran popular demonstrations on framing 3D objects and other specialist techniques throughout the evening. The packed educational programme was completed with business advice, which complemented the framing sessions. Vicky Colne from Haslimann Taylor PR gave advice on promoting your business and Primrose Gallery’s Neil Duguid advocated the benefits of selling high-quality original artwork. Framiac’s Mark Wilson talked to ART BUSINESS TODAY

framers about their pricing strategies. ‘Sincere thanks are due to both Fiona and Paul Haddon, and everyone at Haddon Galleries, as well as Pauline Hutchinson and the staff at Arqadia,’ said the Guild’s Stephanie Winn, who organised both events. ‘These Making Pictures events wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors and hosts.’ fineart.co.uk Making Pictures Dublin, Thursday 16 October, The Copper House. At 7pm the first All of Ireland Branch Event will take place ● Making Pictures Yorkshire, Tuesday 4 November, The Lodge at Leeming Bar ●

Photographs from the Bedford event are on this page, and images from Torquay are on the facing page

Making Pictures events are made possible by the generous support of sponsors

● Making Pictures Dublin is sponsored by Valiani ● Making Pictures Yorkshire is sponsored by Fujifilm and Wunderbars

August 2014 25

NEWS

New Arqadia catalogue ARQADIA’S LATEST catalogue is a complete guide to the company’s range of 2500 mouldings, as well as ready-made frames, mountboard, back board and sundries. There are 21 new mountboards, including black and white core boards. The 2014 catalogue, the 13th edition, is bigger than ever, with 368 pages. As well as the print version, the catalogue can be viewed online and a CD is available. arqadia.co.uk New website for Graham Hunter AFTER SEVERAL builds and much hard work London’s Graham Hunter Gallery is pleased to unveil its new website, featuring current exhibitions, prints, collectable posters, original art, artists’ biographies and upcoming events. grahamhuntergallery.co.uk

Photokina this autumn FRAMERS, IMAGING specialists and photographic artists are reminded that the Photokina trade show, will takes place every other year, will be held in Cologne from 16 to 21 September this year. The 2012 event attracted 184,000 visitors from 41 countries. photokina.com Canson’s stand at Photokina 2012

Biggest ever open exhibition at SSA

MAJOR CHANGES are taking place to the Society of Scottish Artists annual exhibition. The show will be double in size this year, incorporating the prestigious upper galleries. A new digital submission process for artists means that a greater number of entries in a more diverse range of styles is anticipated. The 117th annual show takes place from 5 to 20 December, and is open

to both members and non-members of the SSA. Works less than 180cm in any direction must be submitted by 14 September. Selected works must be delivered on 22 and 23 November. The SSA, founded in 1891, has a history of supporing adventurous, experimental and emerging artists from Scotland, the UK and all over the world. s-s-a.org/digital-entry-2014

Scottish printmakers win the lottery EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS are celebrating having been awarded a £5million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to re-develop Castle Mills and turn it into a world-class contemporary arts centre. ‘We are terribly excited about the opportunity not only to expand and grow as an organisation, creating new facilities for artist and art lovers across Scotland, but also to be working with a building of significant industrial heritage value,’ says marketing officer Vilma Kirvelaite. Edinburgh Printmakers provides a range of services to artists, including studio space, training, editioning and gallery space. Castle Mills is the 2000 square metre former HQ of the North British Rubber Company. edinburghprintmakers.co.uk The exterior of the Castle Mills site, top, and a detail from Chair III, a screenprint by Brian Baker, made at Edinburgh Printmakers

26 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

ARTIST INTERVIEW

NIGEL ARTINGSTALL ‘If you type ‘British wildlife art’ into Google my name comes up on the first page’ Have you always been an artist? I’ve always painted, but I didn’t train as an artist and I’ve done all sorts of jobs including being a dental technician, working in warehouses and making deliveries. I’ve sold my work in an informal way for as long as I can remember, and I invested in a trailer to take pictures to sell at small country fairs while I was still working elsewhere. The big change came in the late 1990s, when I heard about the Enterprise Allowance Scheme. This was set up to help people become selfemployed and it provided me with a tiny bit of money to live on, so I packed in my day job. I’d always intended to be a full-time artist one day, and that was the support I needed. What happened next? I started exhibiting at more country fairs, which led to commissions for pet portraits. I also approached galleries. I walked in with my portfolio and as soon as the staff saw that I had a proper body of work they took me seriously. I bought an Epson printer and scanner as soon as I could, and learnt Photoshop. I now produce all my own prints and cards.

Do you mainly sell via galleries? My website has secure shopping, but most people pick up the phone. Very often they see work that’s sold online, so they call to ask whether I have another picture of the same animal, or to discuss a commission. I make sure that my contact details are very prominent on my website. The key to commissions running smoothly is lots of clear, close up photos of the animal. I send work-inprogress photos to the customer and listen to feedback. About six galleries sell my originals, and about ten actively sell my limited edition prints. How do you price your work? Prices must be transparent and consistent. If you see my work in a gallery then find my website, the prices are the same. My prices are clearly stated online. I’ve gradually built up my prices as my reputation has developed. I sell limited editions for about £10 more than open editions. Some people still value the idea that an image is limited. I sign my open editions. It’s worth producing prints in both formats so you have a varied offering, also, and once an image is a

limited edition you can’t use it in any other form. How do you market your work? I’ve built up a good network of galleries and loyal collectors, so I benefit from repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations. If you type ‘British wildlife art’ into Google my name comes up on the first page, which leads people to get in touch. I find search engine optimisation daunting, and Google keep changing the guidelines, but updating my website regularly seems to work. I still exhibit at local fairs, low-key events, but they ensure my name gets out there. If business is slow, I book into more fairs. I used to sell limited editions through a wholesaler, but I never knew which galleries were selling my work and I wanted to take control. I exhibited at Spring Fair International twice, at the height of the recession when people were wary of new suppliers, so I didn’t do that well given the high cost of the exercise. Do you sell licences? There are three companies that buy licences on a regular basis, then reproduce my work on cards, calendars and ceramics. We have worked together for a while so I know their products are good quality and they treat artists fairly. Most licences are for three years, then we come to a new agreement. I’ve never approached a licensee; they are proactive in finding artists. I publish around 20 greeting cards myself, which are steady sellers, and it’s good to have products at a range of price points. Any advice for new artists? Get your work out there. It doesn’t matter how, but you’ve got to get it seen by as many people as possible. Listen to feedback. Keep assessing whether you are painting the subjects the market wants and whether your prices are right. Look at what people are buying. In terms of British wildlife, owls and kingfishers sell best, as well as animals with the “Ahh!’ factor, such as rabbits and small dumpy wrens. If you want to earn a living, you’ve got to paint what the market wants. ■ nigelartingstall.com See Nigel’s work on page 29 August 2014 27

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PRODUCT NEWS D & J Simons

Selective Prints

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Title: Watcher Format: signed giclée Edition: 95 Image size: 430x300mm RRP (inc VAT): £84

Title: Puffins Format: signed giclée Edition: 395 Image size: 240x170mm RRP (inc VAT): £30

Title: Puffins Peel Hill Format: signed giclée Edition: 395 Image size: 240x170mm RRP (inc VAT): £30

Title: Ghost Format: signed giclée Edition: 395 Image size: 340x250mm RRP (inc VAT): £66

Five new images are available from Jeremy Paul. 020 7739 3744 djsimons.co.uk

01948 818181 selectiveprints.co.uk

Point101

Towngate Publications Towngate Publications is proud to present Eric Kincaid’s Enchantment Series of signed limited edition prints. Eric Kincaid has illustrated many famous children’s books, worldwide, for over 45 years and has now asked Towngate Publications to produce a collector’s limited edition for Enchantment. Other famous titles such as Peter Pan, Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass are also available.

Point101 is pleased to announce the launch of their DiBond range. A dense polythene core sandwiched between two thin aluminium sheets, DiBond gives customers’ images the elegance and rigidity of aluminium at half the weight and price. From £39 including delivery. Visit the website for more information.

point101.com

Title: The Alchemist Paper: Hahnemühle 310gsm Image size: 40x30cm German Etching This is one of a set of four Paper size: 47x37cm Enchantment limited editions Edition: 500 Trade price: £36 + VAT 01202 679182 peter@towngate-publications.co.uk

Alfamacchine

Valiani

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.

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.

sales@alfamacchine.com

valiani.com

28 August 2014

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)

Nigel Artingstall

PRODUCT NEWS

Point101

Paintings, prints and cards are available from British wildlife artist Nigel Artingstall. Illustrated is Jay.

Point101 is pleased to announce the launch of their Perspex mounts. Printed on high-opacity film, customers’ images are bonded to a 10mm thick, solid piece of acrylic, and hung on an invisible sub-frame. It’s a contemporary, vivid, and high-impact format. From £49 including delivery. Visit the website for more information.

01204 412531 nigelartingstall.com

point101.com

Compo Mouldings

Toni Watts

Compo Mouldings now supply Eco 15 tape in three widths: 35mm, 50mm and 75mm. See the website for more details

‘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. The image illustrated here is 6x6cm. toniwatts@live.co.uk

01268 573473 compomouldings.com

toniwattsartstudio.com

LION Picture Framing Supplies

Marialuisa Marino

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 0121 773 1230 lionpic.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY

The 9th Symphony (illustrated) is inspired by the music of Sir Malcolm Arnold CBE. Artist Marialuisa Marino can be

contacted at marialuisamarino@live.co.uk, or facebook.com/fantesise or look for her on LinkedIn.

07770 553787 marialuisamarino.com August 2014 29

BUSINESS

Establishing worldwide

connections Image courtesy of The Huffington Post

JAMES POTTER, aka The LinkedIn Man, explains why art and framing professionals should use LinkedIn to engage with customers and find new ones 30 August 2014

ver 242 million business professionals are on LinkedIn, all looking to network, engage and share, so it’s a rich source of insight and opportunity. Just in the UK there are over 8000 art gallery staff on LinkedIn, plus over 100,000 artists and 54,000 interior designers. If your clients are from the business world then you really should be making LinkedIn work for you. You can build profiles that get you found, noticed and sought out for your expertise, eminence and credibility. Advanced personal profiles can also include rich content such as picture presentations, video, blogs and more – all for free. LinkedIn enables you to make more of the people you know, to access easy to reach referrals and to develop your brand. Your company profile, which reflects your services and products, is easily accessed and YouTube content is easily shared. Company recommendations are collected, which enhances your reputation. Your profile can automatically configure itself to

present appropriately to different types, levels or markets to enhance engagement. LinkedIn is a safe business-only social network. In the UK alone there are just under two million directors and above. The top three segments are IT, finance and construction, whilst the average user is 45 years old and earning over £64,000. The platform enables you to get your message out to an exponential audience, control it, enable social sharing and, if required, monitor it within that setting. Most importantly, LinkedIn enables the business to shorten sales cycles, by engaging current, past and future clients with updates. LinkedIn can automatically search individuals’ connections networks to identify easyto-reach potential clients, partners and routes to market. And this is all free. Connections, clients and partners are never ignored; they are engaged, up to date and aware of the value of your business. The three levels of separation that LinkedIn provides gives you a safe platform to retain clients and leverage ART BUSINESS TODAY

BUSINESS their networks. All of this takes place outside of competitor vision. LinkedIn is a highly effective and efficient platform; even if you spend just 15 minutes a week on the site it can pay dividends. Even I spend just one hour per week on LinkedIn to achieve significant results. I generated £10 million worth of new sales for my corporate clients in six years. My largest client has turned over £20 million thanks to LinkedIn and a oneman business I worked with made over £125,000 following my training. A question I’m often asked is how to be sure that a self-professed expert in a particular field is actually any good. The ‘most endorsed for’ section of LinkedIn has its uses, but that’s not where you should look when assessing the value of a contact, as it’s not always used properly. What you should do is review the recommendations that people have on LinkedIn; look carefully at the number of recommendations, assess whether they are in fields that are relevant to your needs and consider who has written them. Look for recommendations from clients in your market, those from senior executives and those from people in companies that you recognise. Recommendations from colleagues, their own team or, worse still, their own family, are less valuable when you’re looking for critical social proof. If you want to take it to the next level then talk to the people who have written them and check their credentials; nothing beats speaking to someone. I’ve viewed thousands of LinkedIn profiles, and so many are lacking in personality and are thus hard to engage with. Video clips, different formats and languages get you bonus points, but are not the main event. There is a huge difference between thinking you’re using the internet to develop business, and really using the internet to develop business. Users often fear doing it wrong, or saying the wrong thing, which can result in them doing nothing. Imagine LinkedIn as a big room full of business people (for that truly is what it is) then think what you would say if you were at that networking event. Think about the conversation you would have about the work you’re doing, the projects you’re working on or what you did today. That is what ART BUSINESS TODAY

➺ August 2014 31

BUSINESS ➺

THE FRAMER: ROLF LAWSON GCF Pelican Picture Framing ‘LinkedIn is another way of advertising the fact that we are here, though it’s not about direct selling. We provide information and links through LinkedIn; we offer to help and remind people that we are experts in our field. We sometimes direct people to our website, but not directly to selling pages, though when they are on our site we hope that they notice our range of products and services. The best way to make LinkedIn work for you is to be proactive about posting; it’s very important to keep up dialogue with others. If people comment, you should respond, even if it’s just to say thanks. I’m a member of a number of LinkedIn groups, mainly business networking groups in our local area. Starting your own group is a good idea, then you become the acknowledged expert which consolidates the position of your business. I’m choosy about who I connect with. I’m not interested in connecting with people who just want to increase their network indiscriminately. I ignore requests from people who send out the standard template request, unless I’ve met them personally. Someone who’s serious about connecting with you will send a personal message, as I would always do. When you first start, LinkedIn might be time-consuming, but once you are confident about how it works you can just check in once a day. Lots of people visit the site in the evening, probably on their laptops while watching TV. If you are just setting up your profile, look at other people’s first and assess which you feel work best and why. You must include photographs; it’s surprising how many people don’t bother, which looks very amateur. Don’t let your profile be static. Change it regularly, even if you only change a few words, as it will appear on people’s pages as updated, which will remind them to contact you. I accessed free training thanks to one of the LinkedIn groups of which I am a member, which focused on setting up and improving my profile and understanding LinkedIn. I have also made use of free training that was available through local enterprise agencies. All the training was helpful and I made useful contacts through the workshops and seminars that have led to framing work.’ ppframing.co.uk

32 August 2014

you talk about on LinkedIn. It’s just the same. ‘Really enjoying working with the framing industry where we helped them to . . .’ or, ‘Just finishing an art installation where we put 40 panels in a boutique hotel . . .’ or, ‘Tired out after an art fair in Dubai where I was . . .’ Just share these things in status messages and more. Share small talk, acknowledge the successes of others, remind people what you do and engage with people you know. In other words, treat people like people. It’s important to communicate regularly with your connections, or they’ll forget about you. Talk, remind, share and comment; keep relationships close. There’s no point in being a spectator, not interacting or exchanging small talk. LinkedIn is not a numbers game. There’s no point in connecting to thousands of people for no reason. Connect to good people, who are relevant to you. If you connect to bad people you could have your connections stolen or your reputation tarnished. Make sure you understand the key features of LinkedIn. It should be emailing you a list of referrals to your perfect clients each week and it should be altering your profile for different types of audience. Having a profile is not enough. You’ve got to build a professional network that reflects your values and aims. It amazes me how many people don’t include their telephone number and contact details on LinkedIn. You’ve got to make it easy for clients to get in touch. People think LinkedIn is all about work, when in fact it is all about you, your personality, your values and the biggest asset you have – the people you know. Yet most people don’t think to include family or friends. Bet you don’t go out with friends or family and open up with ‘Have you met any directors in XXX industry this week?’ You wouldn’t would you? But LinkedIn knows who your connections know, so it can tell you. Shouting and repetition don’t work on LinkedIn. You need to remind, passively, about your value and leverage your insight. Network, but don’t shout. And you don’t need to spend long doing it, just make sure you visit LinkedIn regularly. thelinkedinman.com ART BUSINESS TODAY

BUSINESS

THE SUPPLIER: STEVE GOODALL Wessex Pictures

An open day at Wessex Pictures and, inset, Steve Goodall

‘

I find LinkedIn more useful than Twitter, partly because it’s a business-oriented site so there’s less waffle. I like to see what’s going on in the business world. When I make a new business contact it can be useful to look at who they are connected with on LinkedIn, so I can assess the type of person they are and what their interests are likely to be. I receive daily updates from LinkedIn, with news about my contacts, such as who’s got a new job, won an award or whose birthday it is. I sometimes drop them a quick response and very often they place an order a couple of days later. People are pleased that you bother. Sometimes a notice flashes up on people’s pages saying ‘xxx has just endorsed Steve Goodall’. The more people you are linked to, the more

ART BUSINESS TODAY

people see these notices. People often say to me ‘I saw your name on LinkedIn today’, and the great thing is it’s not me promoting myself, the site does it for me. It’s excellent promotion with zero effort. I have about 500 contacts on LinkedIn, including customers, suppliers, photographers, people from the laminating and sign industries and exporters I know from my last job. People regularly get in touch with technical questions, from all over the world. I answered a query from Australia yesterday. Last week Kris Casier GCF from Cami NV in

Belgium got in touch via LinkedIn with a technical query; it was the quickest and easiest way for him to find me. If there were more hours in the day I would use LinkedIn more to make announcements about shows and other new initiatives, and I’d get more involved in LinkedIn groups. The site suggests groups you might like to join, and points out which of your contacts are in the group, so you can easily assess how useful it might be.’ wessexpictures.com ➺

August 2014 33

BUSINESS ➺

THE ARTIST: JACQUI SIEGER

‘LinkedIn is an amazing business tool for artists, largely because it’s global but also works at a local level. I have made useful contacts in the USA, but also in Dorset where I live. I communicate with other professional artists, which is useful as we share ideas and discuss technique and practicalities. I value learning about the art business in California and New York. I learn a lot from photographers too; there are a quite a few of them on LinkedIn and their experiences of selling visual

products into a luxury market are highly relevant to me. I don’t just communicate with art people on LinkedIn. For example, I sold two enormous aluminium panels featuring images of the Jurassic Coast to a senior geologist. He’s an enthusiastic LinkedIn user and has told all his business contacts about my work, which has led to further sales and raised my profile in a market I’d never really thought about before. One thing leads to another on LinkedIn. It’s like a giant spider’s web. I’ve made sales as a direct result of being on LinkedIn, but it’s more subtle than that in most cases. Seeing your LinkedIn profile can give people who already know your work the confidence to buy from you. Once they see that you’ve been trading for a while and have contacts who are serious business people, they take the plunge and buy a painting. I have a range of 90 greeting cards featuring local views, which I know are primarily of interest to local people, many of whom use LinkedIn. I’ve just started creating work on aluminium that I am promoting into new markets, such as interior designers and furniture retailers, and LinkedIn is an excellent way of checking out new markets. I only go on LinkedIn about once a week, so it’s not a big commitment in terms of time.’ jacquisieger.com

THE ART SHOW ORGANISER: MARIE-ANNE LEONARD Art on the Street CIC

‘

I love LinkedIn. It enables me to connect with people I couldn’t otherwise reach unless I went to endless conferences and trade shows, which, as a working mother, I don’t have the time to do. LinkedIn is a two-way network: it’s great for both finding out what others are doing and telling people what’s going on with us. I’m a member of several LinkedIn groups focusing on either marketing art or business in our local area. I like connecting to art bloggers and art journalists, as they have so much knowledge to share. I update all our social media every morning, first thing. It doesn’t take long. I enjoy recommending people who’ve provided us with a good service and I always congratulate contacts who’ve achieved something worthwhile. I also like helping people, as that’s the main point of LinkedIn. My posts often begin, ‘I had a similar experience and this is how I dealt with it . . .’ I don’t connect with people who are obviously trying to sell to me, but I never say no to people from within my own art circles, even if I’ve never met them. I’m particularly keen to link with people from art organisations similar to ours, so we can share ideas and pool knowledge. There are definitely less annoying inspirational quotes and ‘click here if you like this’ posts on LinkedIn than other social media, as it’s business to business. It’s more about advice and support. LinkedIn helps me establish a rounded view of the market. I like to see trends emerge and develop, both aesthetic and commercial. I value seeing people’s responses to art fairs, as it helps me prioritise which changes to make to our own events. I pay attention to what exhibitors have to say as well as visitors. LinkedIn is an amazing resource, particularly as it’s completely free to join and use.’ ■ maidenheadartmarket.org Artist Philth creating a mural at an Art on the Street event

34 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

BUSINESS Image courtesy of ccshipping.com

The Fine Art Trade Guild is seeing a steep increase in enquiries about the best way to send framed artwork, where packages will be tracked and insured. Annabelle Ruston talks to retailers about the best options

All wrapped up

hanks to the internet it’s inevitable that more and more artwork is being sent to distant customers. Shopping is no longer just about buying what’s available on the local high street. However, now that many retailers need delivery services on a regular basis, they are finding it hard to locate couriers that are cost-effective, reliable and happy to deliver works of art, particularly glazed items. Finding a specialist fine art shipper is a different matter. Google ‘fine art shipper’ and the names of a number

36 August 2014

of well-respected firms appear. Companies such as Gander & White, Cadogan Tate and Hedley’s Humpers have been delivering paintings and sculpture all over the world for decades, and are familiar with each country’s customs and tax procedures. But finding a business that will reliably and affordably deliver £60 limited edition prints around the UK on a regular basis can be more confusing. Services Before getting in touch with couriers and researching prices you need to be

clear about the quantity of packages you will typically send each week, as well as their likely size, weight, fragility and value. The service that’s best for you will also depend whether you will mainly be shipping to mainstream UK destinations or overseas. It’s generally cheaper to open an account with a courier than to send items ad hoc, but if you don’t send a sufficient quantity you may incur charges. I spoke to a few framers and gallery owners who don’t send artwork to customers, on the grounds that they don’t have the space to store packing ART BUSINESS TODAY

BUSINESS materials or to pack up frames, and they don’t want the hassle. However, the vast majority of retailers do use couriers, and most have found a service that they are enthusiastic about. Ian Kenny Framing & Gallery uses a courier broker, a service that finds the most affective delivery service for each package. ‘We’ve never had a problem with our broker, inexpress.com. They tend to send our UK deliveries via ukmail.com, which is the UK’s largest independent delivery service. They use a mix of FedEx, UPS and DHL for overseas packages. Occasionally we use Parcelforce when sending items to farflung parts of Scotland, and we’ve never had a problem with them,’ says Ian Kenny GCF. Keith Marshall-Walker of The Paintbox uses online broker parcel2go.com, ‘They list a selection of options and for the last few months we’ve used Yodel, which is working well. We send glazed pictures via Yodel, up to 28x20”, and they pick up from us and deliver when they say they are going to.’ The Paintbox regularly sends Royal Worcester porcelain all over the world, says Keith. ‘We used UPS for several years and they were pretty good, but we’ve switched to FedEx as they are cheaper and their service has been good so far.’ Braithwaite Gallery send out packages on a daily basis. ‘We use apcovernight.com and their local franchise YDL (justydl.com). We pay a flat fee for items up to 15kg, and are charged a volumetric rate for heavier packages, so we charge our customers a flat rate too,’ says Anne Braithwaite. Zeitgeist Fine Art also use APC Overnight, and have done so without problems for six years. ‘APC specialise in the domestic market so we use DHL, UPS or City Link for overseas deliveries.’ Sky Blue Framing & Gallery have an account with Parcelforce, which means that packages are collected and it’s cheaper than it would be to take them to the post office. ‘We’ve used this service for several years without any problems,’ says owner Mike Ogden. Heaton Cooper Studio no longer use Parcelforce, having secured a better deal with InXpress ART BUSINESS TODAY

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

➺ August 2014 37

BUSINESS ➺ (inxpress.com), says John Heaton Cooper. ‘We send lots of glazed pictures and very rarely have problems. We use a specialist fine art shipper for originals worth £4000 or more, but InXpress are good for sending limited editions around the UK.’ Tweed Art tend to send artwork via DHL, says Toby Watts GCF. ‘Items sent with DHL always arrive in one piece, whereas Parcelforce chuck them around a bit more. If the customer is very money-conscious we’ll use Parcelforce as it’s cheaper, but I prefer DHL. Collect+ (collectplus.co.uk) offers a competitive service if you’re shipping inexpensive items; it’s just £6.19 for a package up to 5kg, and there are depots all over the country.’ Courier broker parcelmonkey.co.uk is highly recommended by Cath Friend GCF of Emerald Frames. ‘You enter weight, dimensions and destination online, then they find the best carrier for you. Their prices are good, they collect from your workshop and they offer a next day

Image courtesy of Akron Art Museum

38 August 2014

delivery service. Packing and glazing Shipping glazed items is inevitably a problematic area. Some retailers claim that, so long as artwork is properly packed, shipping glazed pictures is fine, while others will only send pictures that are glazed with acrylic. Some steer clear of sending any framed artwork. ‘We never send framed pictures,’ cautions Ian Kenny GCF. ‘We send prints either rolled or flatpacked.’ Castle Framing sends framed artwork about once a month via Parcelforce, says Richard Barnden GCF, but always glazed with acrylic. ‘You can’t get insurance cover if you use glass, or not at a reasonable price, so we only ship pictures with acrylic glazing. We haven’t had any problems with Parcelforce, though their prices have gone up recently, and sending through them entails a trip to the post office.’ ‘We use lots of packaging and, touch wood, even though we send

glazed frames on a regular basis we’ve only suffered one damaged picture,’ reports Anne Braithwaite. APC Overnight offer a ‘fragile’ service to account holders, says Zeitgeist’s Alister Colley. ‘Items shipped via the fragile service are handled separately from other packages and, touch wood, we haven’t had a single breakage in six years, even though we regularly ship glazed pictures. However, we only send pictures glazed with acrylic internationally, which is what overseas couriers require. The key to packing is that there’s no movement, so we wrap bubblewrap very snugly so it’s tightly compressed.’ ‘It’s all down to how you pack it,’ says Keith Marshall-Walker. ‘We use moulding off-cuts to create a frame to go outside the frame, then fit board top and bottom. We criss-cross the glass with masking tape to minimise the effect that breakages would have, but so far we haven’t had any problems.’ Sky Blue Framing & Gallery’s Mike Ogden agrees. ‘Over packing is the secret. Just presume your couriers are going to drop your package onto concrete from three feet up. We sometimes send glazed artwork, and though you aren’t insured by Parcelforce if the glass breaks, it’s a risk worth taking if you pack the frame properly. We had boxes made from triple wall corrugated board and we put a sheet of board over the frame as well. We pack the artwork inside the box with 2.5mm expanded polythene foam, which we find more durable than bubblewrap.’ Heaton Cooper Studio invests a substantial amount of time and money in packing framed pictures. ‘We order tri-wall board cut to various standard sizes, 2” larger than our frames, which is expensive and we have to order 300 sheets at a time. We then pack pictures with rolled corrugated board round the sides as well. It’s time-consuming to pack pictures properly.’ ‘I struggle to find decent shipping boxes,’ says Tweed Art’s Toby Watts. ‘LION Picture Framing Supplies sell frame transit boxes in three sizes, made from fluted cardboard and egg crate foam, which slips into a rigid outer case. They cost between £7 and £14, which most people are happy to pay, but the biggest size they do is ART BUSINESS TODAY

BUSINESS 705x535mm. If I could find boxes like these in a wide range of sizes I’d be much more happy to send artwork by courier, as it will arrive in one piece in a good box. If you buy boxes direct from a manufacturer there’s a big minimum order size.’ Insurance Some business insurance policies cover items sent via courier, some galleries use their courier’s insurance option, while others take the risk and don’t insure. Some couriers are happy to ship glazed items, but won’t insure them, others won’t ship them at all. ‘We focus on packing glazed artwork as well as possible,’ explains John Heaton Cooper. ‘No one will insure pictures with glass, or not at a viable price, so it’s better to spend the money on packing materials. You shouldn’t have problems if you use the right packaging.’ However, Parcel Monkey will find you a shipper who carries and insurces glazed items, says Cath Friend GCF. ‘You should specify that the item is glazed, as some shippers won’t take

ART BUSINESS TODAY

Some couriers are happy to ship glazed items, but won’t insure them, while others won’t ship them at all. Some are okay with acrylic glazing

glass, and they’ll find you someone who will. You can also insure glazed artwork. We’ve never had any breakages.’ ‘Insurance cover through our various couriers is limited,’ explains Anne Braithwaite, ‘But we insure the gallery with Besso Limited, the Guild insurers, and they cover us for artwork sent to customers. This means that we don’t need to consider insurance each time we send out items, as we have blanket cover which we renew each year.’ The Paintbox also insures with

Besso Limited, says Keith MarshallWalker. ‘Their special gallery insurance covers items that we send to customers. If we have a very unusual shipment I just pick up the phone and call Mike Collinson at Besso to check we are covered.’ ‘APC Overnight and all international couriers insure packages for loss and damage, though you’re not covered if the glass breaks,’ says Alister Colley. ‘We once made a claim against UPS and received full compensation as they finally agreed that they had been negligent.’ ‘Royal Mail and Parcelforce are bad at paying out,’ says John Brandler, Brandler Galleries. ‘There are too many escape clauses. They try to get out of paying by saying things like the client didn’t keep all the wrapping or they need proof that the item wasn’t damaged to begin with. They just refer you to their complaints department and say they’ll get back to you in 28 days. They don’t really care. But we use them for low cost items because their service is cheap and easy to use.’■

August 2014 39

The art of good business Print advertising works for me Advertising in two local print directories works well, mainly because their distribution is targeted towards precisely the sort of people I want to reach. The Carshalton Beeches Directory (20,000 distribution) and The Wallington Directory (15,000 distribution) are both published by surreydirectories.com, a local business, though I’m sure comparable publications exist in other areas. People definitely keep these little booklets, which are printed every few months. They often tear out the page with my ad on and bring it into the shop, sometimes months after the ad appeared. I take a half-page colour ad in each one, for which I have a standard template and just change the theme. The focus might be on children, memorabilia or multi-aperture mounts. Just the other day a gentleman came in with an ad in his pocket showing how I frame medals, and he wanted his own presented in the same way. David Wilkie GCF, Eagle Gallery

Don’t confuse promotions with sales Don’t assume that because discounting works for big retailers, it’s the way to go for every supplier of a specialist bespoke service, or retailer of high-quality merchandise. In other words, don’t confuse the word ‘promotion’ with ‘sale’. A promotion is a series of activities designed to highlight the benefits of a product or service. If your promotional activities are sufficiently strong, you many not need to cut your prices. Many retailers use cutting prices as their default position when business needs a push, but this lazy thinking not only erodes margins, it can ulitimately destroy your brand. In today’s complex retail environment, which includes infinite choice, specific items can easily be overlooked by customers. So promote certain products and services with eye-catching displays, slide shows, creatively made samples, images on staff T-shirts or whatever works for you. Tie the products you want to promote in with seasonal promotions and local events too. Jurek Leon Terrific Trading

Professional videos bring in business There’s always a video on the homepage of my website, which definitely generates business. Those showing how we frame sports shirts seem to be particularly effective. We use a professional film maker; anyone can shoot a video on their phone, but a professionally made film conveys quality and attention to detail. Our products are visual items, so our promotional activity must be visually appealing. Our videos include a proper soundtrack and split screens. The cost should be around £500, which is well A video showing how Ian Kenny Framing & Gallery cut mounts using worth it. Videos shouldn’t be longer than three minutes, or you lose their Wizard computerised mountcutter people’s attention, and we introduce a new one every couple of months. You have to be very careful about copyright if your film includes a soundtrack. You might think that the public aren’t interested in the technical details of how a frame is made, but the type of people we want to attract are interested. They are looking for well carfted items that look good and last well. Ian Kenny GCF, Ian Kenny Framing & Gallery

40 August 2014

ART BUSINESS TODAY

ART

There are numerous online marketplaces for art and crafts, and their commission rates are enticingly low. But how easy is it for artists to sell through these sites? Annabelle Ruston finds out

This page. Sheffield City View by printmaker James Green (above) is a best-seller on Folksy, while Coloured Pattern Gym Shoes by Olga Berlet can be printed on a range of products by Red Bubble. Seen here is a tote bag Opposite page. Man and Labrador on the Beach at Newhaven, East Sussex was a featured image on Red Bubble

Global gallery n the old days the first thing artists did when starting to sell their work commercially was put their portfolio under their arm and visit some galleries. If that went well, they contacted a few of the big art publishers with a view to getting their work reproduced as limited editions. While bricks and mortar galleries still play a vital role in most artists’ careers, the industry has fragmented. There are now myriad routes to market, and if artists work these successfully they are more likely to be taken on by desirable galleries.

42 August 2014

Online marketplaces are different from online galleries in that artists handle their own sales and marketing. There’s no gallery owner taking charge of admin and financials for you, or offering advice, and it’s up to each artist to decide which works to upload, how to price them and how to promote them. It’s easy to upload your artwork, but much harder to ensure that your work is seen, let alone to actually make a sale. The 50 per cent commission typically retained by a bricks and mortar gallery might seem

unfavourable when compared to the 3.5 per cent taken by Etsy, for example. However, galleries incur substantial marketing costs and they work hard to make sales, whereas online marketplaces leave the business side of things up to the artist. Brisk sales are far more likely in a gallery than an online marketplace, and the value of each sale will probably be higher. It’s unlikely that a gallery would hold an exhibition and not sell a single picture, whereas artwork can remain unsold on sites such as Etsy for many months. Many artists do very well selling via ART BUSINESS TODAY

ART

virtual marketplaces, however. The important questions are what types of products sell, in what volumes and price brackets, and how do successful artists promote their work? Online marketplaces fall into two main categories: those that reproduce artists’ work on a range of products, so artists just upload hi res JPGs, and those through which artists sell their work as finished products, then despatch it themselves. Getting noticed There are more than 13,000 active shops on Folksy, offering more than 150,000 items for sale each day. Type ‘buy poster’ into Red Bubble and there’s a choice of more than 5000 images. Etsy is currently offering more than seven million items for sale. The numbers are huge, so the question is how to make your artwork stand out. Inevitably, online marketplaces work best for artists who devote time, effort and expertise to getting their work noticed. Artists need to actively drive traffic to the site through social media activity, blogging, e-shots and

ART BUSINESS TODAY

reciprocal links. They must develop their online following and work at building relationships through Pinterest, Flickr, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more if they want to make a success of selling through online marketplaces. The more bloggers and journalists who write about your work, and the more gift guides who mention it, the higher up each site’s search results your work will appear. If your work is an ‘editor’s pick’ on a marketplace it will receive prominent exposure, which is likely to translate into sales.

Being active on the marketplaces’ own forums, and writing articles for them, also helps drive traffic to your work. You need to make regular changes to your shop, upload new work, comment on other people’s work and generally join in with the marketplace’s community if you want your work to be prominent. You need to stay on top of ways of increasing sales. Small changes to your listing can make a big difference. For example, an item marked at £30 with free UK shipping may sell, whereas something priced at £20 plus £10 shipping may not. Continually assess how your products are categorised, described and priced. Buyers are often wary of making purchases from artists with no track record, so when you start it can be advisable to make a few small purchases from other sellers on your chosen marketplace, in order to generate positive feedback. Similarly, if you have a shop on a marketplace, make sure that it looks appealing. Seek feedback from other artists and advice on design. Your shop should reflect the design and

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ART ➺ branding that’s seen throughout your online, print and physical marketing material. Photographs must be good quality. Artist Molly Spilane offers advice on tagging items you sell through Etsy, ‘Tags are the main way that customers find you through searches, and they allow fellow Etsians to find and recommend your products too. Make sure your tags are up to par. Use descriptive colours, sizes, and even several words to describe the same thing (artwork, print, poster and picture, for example). Don’t forget to add common misspellings, and if you run out of ideas, your name, shop name and location are good fillers. If you sell jewelry don’t forget that USA spells jewelry ‘jewelry’, while the rest of the world spells it ‘jewellery’, so include both in your tags.’ Printmaker Sally Fryer has been selling through Folksy and Etsy for a year, but is finding that it takes time to build up an audience. ‘There’s an awful lot of art for sale on both Folksy and Etsy and it’s hard to get people to look at your pages. You might be

You might be producing the most brilliant art, but unless it comes up on the first page of a search, no one is going to see it

producing the most brilliant art, but unless it comes up on the first page of a search, no one is going to see it. You have to drive traffic by being active on Twitter and Facebook. You can’t just upload images and expect them to sell.’ Saatchi Art is based in the USA, but many British artists upload their work to the site, and buyers can opt to just see work from Western European artists. Annette Mackinnon sells through

the site, ‘It’s good exposure to be on Saatchi Art as the site is absolutely massive. Lots of people view my work but there’s an enormous amount of competition for sales. I have sold through it, but mostly prints. People want to see originals before they buy. Being on Saatchi Art is another way of getting your name out there and driving traffic to your website and into your gallery. It’s all about building relationships; the more people see your name, the more confident they will feel to buy from you.’ Thousands of artists make their work available through redbubble.com. The company has a base price that they charge for printing artists’ images on products, then artists control how much they want to earn on each sale. Red Bubble handles all logistics and printing, artists just supply hi res images, which are then printed onto items from iPod cases to canvas prints. Online marketplaces can be as much about publicity as sales. Artist Molly Spilane, for example, was discovered by the Walker Art Center

Online art and craft marketplaces

Listed here are sites that sell work to UK buyers and represent UK-based artists Artfire.com US-based art and craft marketplace. Clearly states which sellers ship overseas Etsy.com high-profile US art and craft marketplace. Many sellers ship to the UK and prices can be shown in pounds sterling Folksy.com marketplace for British designers, makers and artists Imagekind.com fine art marketplace based in the US, with worldwide shipping Redbubble.com artists and designers’ images are printed on a range of products and shipped worldwide. US-based business Saatchiart.com US-based fine art marketplace Society6.com artists and designers’ images are printed on a range of products and shipped worldwide. USbased business Zazzle.co.uk artists and designers’ images are printed on a range of products and shipped worldwide. US business with a UK website and despatch operation 44 August 2014

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Opposite page. Shanti is an open edition print by Kristina Laurendi Havens, who makes regular sales on Etsy This page, from left. Queen of Kitties by Sophia Watts was a featured product on Etsy; For Those About to Rock is an iPhone case by DinoMike, available through Red Bubble; and Gainsbarre by Melanie Blanchard is available on products including Tshirts and cushions via Red Bubble

in Minneapolis thanks to her Etsy shop. ‘They saw my work on Etsy and though they didn’t buy anything they invited me to take part in an exhibition. But that, in turn, led to the museum placing a large wholesaler order. You never know who’s going to get in touch. What sells? High ticket items are hard to sell through online marketplaces. Etsy makes around £40million worth of sales each month, but the average sale value is £12. Similarly, the average order value on Folksy is £18. Artists who report brisk sales on Red Bubble are often selling inexpensive cards, stickers, small prints and T-shirts. Video game artist User reports selling 200 items in five months through Red Bubble, many of them manipulated versions of computer game characters and logos. Graphic artist MJ Fouldes reports regular greeting card sales, and points out that while some images sell well, his more bizarre images don’t sell at all. MalvadophD has made more than 1000 sales in two years. Photographic collective Art Beat and Soul view Red Bubble as a good place to gain exposure, test new products and sell low-value items such as stickers and T-shirts. ‘It’s hard to get found by site searches only,’ confirm the group, ‘As usual with online marketplaces having a following outside Red Bubble is key.’ Photographer Steve St Amand’s work has been viewed 16,500 times on Red Bubble, but he’s only sold three ART BUSINESS TODAY

greeting cards. Photographer Jane McDougall’s work has been viewed 260,000 times and she has sold 145 items, mainly T-shirts and mounted prints. Art marketing guru Helen Aldous, founder of Artonomy, says that the fierce competition on online marketplaces drives prices down. ‘If you have to lower prices in order to make sales on a particular site, you have to match these prices elsewhere. If you have a mid- to high-end pricing policy, art and craft marketplaces may not be for you and you should instead focus on driving traffic to your own website. Having said that, many of these sites have a great community spirit and are a good way to showcase your work.’ Niche products have a good chance of selling, since they come up when people type the appropriate words into the search box. Your chosen niche has to be fashionable or desirable, of course. Francesca Ffiorentini has sold 160 products in six months through Red Bubble, mainly T-shirts and stickers, but a couple of prints as well. The artists says she has done no

marketing, but her work features designs from popular TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Sherlock and Parks and Recreation, which come up when people search for those titles on the site. Graphic designer Randoms reports a flurry of sales on Red Bubble after one of his images was picked by the editors to appear on the site’s homepage. There are artists who earn a good living through online marketplaces, but it takes a lot of hard work, combined with undeniable talent and competitive pricing. You’ve got to be dedicated, tenacious and good at promoting your work. In the words of artist Kristina Laurendi Havens, ‘I regularly sell originals and prints, and take orders for portraits, thanks to my Etsy shop. However, I’ve put in a lot of leg work over the last three years building a blog, a Facebook fanpage, writing articles for Etsy, submitting my work to major blogs etc. It’s a lot of work for an artist, but it can be done.’ The last word goes to artist Chris Zielski, ‘If you were a musician, would you try to make a living just selling through iTunes? You’d probably prefer a mix of CDs, concerts, individual song downloads, posters and T-shirts. The same goes for artists. You need a variety of income streams. These should have synergy and work together to generate a wide customer base. I wouldn’t advise trying to sell through online marketplaces alone. They should be part of an artist’s marketing mix.’ ■ August 2014 45

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Putting on a show An ‘all guns blazing’ marketing strategy and planning ahead these are two of the key ingredients of a successful exhibition, according to JAN BAKER, owner of The Frame Gallery in Hampshire. Here, Jan shares her trade secrets as she describes putting on a show of work by wildlife artist PIP McGARRY

15 TO 18 MONTHS BEFORE If The Frame Gallery is promoting an artist, we don’t simply offer a warm glass of wine and a small ad in the local paper; it’s five-star service all the way. We offer a complete marketing package – advertising, PR, design and social media – and we like to start planning 15 to18 months in advance. This is the time to decide on budgets, artists and how many shows we’ll hold. We earmark dates while considering each artist and the nature of their work, mixing up themes to keep each event fresh and exciting. In the case of wildlife artist Pip McGarry, exhibitions are planned around his schedule. ‘Having worked with The Frame Gallery for many years now, exhibitions have settled into a pattern and usually take place at a similar time every year,’ explains Pip. ‘This ties in with my frequent safari trips to Africa and means I have plenty of new subjects for each show.’ For Pip, finding a gallery he can work cohesively with is crucial, ‘What I love about working with Jan is that we share the same outlook. She invests time and energy into promoting my work and has a very professional approach. The endorsement of a good gallery is a huge benefit for any artist.’ I first met Pip at a Fine Art Trade Guild branch event at Marwell Wildlife Park several years ago. I watched him create a painting and 46 August 2014

Some of the marketing material for the show

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knew at once that I wanted to sell his work. 12 MONTHS BEFORE Artists should now be sure of the theme of the work they will be including in the exhibition. Pip’s show will run for two weeks; we used to let exhibitions run for a month, but that’s too long to dedicate the ground floor of the gallery to one artist’s work. (We always show a range of other work in the upstairs rooms, and we make an effort to tell visitors this.) Once we know this theme we can start to plan the event and kick-start our marketing. The artist’s chosen theme can be central to our promotion, for example, if the theme is the seaside and seascapes, we might reflect this with a window display or by serving fish and chips at the opening. We'll meet with our marketing team to brainstorm ideas, agree the budget and plan our promotional activity. One of the first things to discuss is whether to host a private view, an open day, or both. We have loyal customers who regularly buy Pip’s

ART BUSINESS TODAY

work and we like them to feel part of something exclusive and special, so we’ll host a private view and champagne reception on a Friday evening. This often ends with a small group going to dinner with the artist (we’re lucky to have a fabulous Italian restaurant next door). Around 500 people will be invited to the private view, all of them people who have either bought prints or paintings of Pip’s, or who have shown an interest in doing so. Everyone on our database, about 2000 contacts, will be invited to the open day on Saturday. We are keen that the Friday night event should have a very exclusive feel. At this stage we meet with the artist to discuss framing. As professional framers ourselves, we want each piece to be framed to the highest standards. We advise the artist on framing in line with guidelines set by the Fine Art Trade Guild, using a style which complements their work. It’s our job to ensure each painting is suitably framed in a way that will appeal to potential buyers. For example, Pip’s paintings of lions and tigers look best

framed in gold, while snow leopards are complemented by silver frames. We sometimes carry out framing on behalf of our artists, but as Pip’s brother is a framer, we don’t frame his work. FOUR TO SIX MONTHS BEFORE It is critical to start promoting the event at this time. Taking into consideration the lead times for target publications, like Hampshire Life, we send out press releases. Having selected the appropriate titles to advertise with, we brief our designer, who sets about creating advertisements. I know my strengths and weaknesses, and writing press releases is not something I enjoy, so I outsource this task to a local marketing agency. They also handle social media. An advantage of outsourcing this job is that marketing and PR agencies have their own press contacts, which they work hard to keep up to date. The key to writing an effective press release is to stick to short paragraphs,

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ART ➺ each of which will stand up on its own if the editor only wants to use a short ‘sound bite’. Otherwise, just think what you would want to know about the exhibition, and write as if you were talking to a customer. Pip is always involved with the marketing plan. His input helps us to focus on achieving press coverage in our target publications. ‘A good artist,’ says Pip, ‘will have a wide range of skills in their armoury; the key elements being an awareness of marketing and good inter-personal skills.’ Pip is flexible and always willing to help with promotion, like writing a guest blog for Wanderlust magazine, or providing feedback on ad design. One of the most important tasks is choosing the lead painting for marketing purposes. Pip selects a number of pieces to be used for advertising, editorial, invitations, the exhibition brochure, html email campaigns, the website, blogs and social media. ‘It’s important to choose the right pieces,’ explains Pip, ‘sometimes an image in an advert or exhibition brochure sells the painting before we even open.’ When we host an exhibition at The Frame Gallery, we buy a selection of new stock - gifts and homewares - that complement the artist’s work. In the

Jan Baker and Pip McGarry at the private view

case of Pip, we’ll continue the African wildlife theme with etched glassware by Michael Virden and unique sculptures. This goes a long way towards creating a theme and ambiance for visitors to the gallery. We also sell prints and card featuring Pip’s work, so there’s something at every price point. At Pip’s show prices will start with cards at £3 and glasses with safari scenes etched onto them at £11.50. On the night, Pip is happy to sign the back of a print, and include a personal message, which really helps with sales. On three occasions we’ve sold £60 prints to people who have saved up, then come back later and bought an original painting of Pip’s for a fourfigure sum. TWO MONTHS BEFORE With the lead paintings chosen, our designer gets to work on the invitation, exhibition brochure and email campaigns. Plenty of time is available to approve the design, then get material printed and posted to the mailing list – there’s no sense in rushing things. We keep a record of post and email addresses so people can be contacted in different ways. With an html email invitation you have the added benefit of seeing who opens it. A personal follow-up email or phone

call might then secure their attendance. Around this time we’ll start to dripfeed details of the event via social media, though you have to get the balance right. Updates mustn’t be too ‘in your face’ or people will lose interest. We make them varied and just regular enough to keep the event firmly on the radar. Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are a great way of sharing advertising or editorial coverage. Association with certain magazines and websites gives the event kudos. We take part in some Twitter networking sessions like the weekly #hampshirehour. It’s a great way to connect with local people and businesses, and if you can add a bit of personality to your tweets, that’s even better. ONE MONTH BEFORE How the gallery looks on the opening night is very important, so we order flowers from our local florist a month in advance. As well as looking the part, we like everyone to have a good time, so we order in plenty of bubbly and canapés to keep guests fed and watered. The evening should be relaxed and sociable - the perfect atmosphere for buying art. We employ waiters from the pub over the road for the private view, so

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our staff can focus on selling. I’ve employed a young girl to stand by the door with a clipboard and capture contact details on the open day. This won’t be necessary at the private view as nearly everyone will be known to us, but we will have a visitors book and will encourage anyone we don’t know to include their details. We will have African music playing on the night, and now’s the time to organise this too. I will also book a professional photographer, as good photos help ensure that your exhibition is given prominent editorial space. Invitations, email campaigns and exhibition brochures are sent out; adverts start appearing and Facebook promotion is ramped up. Invitations are sent in the post and via email. We include an A5 brochure with the invitation, which features illustrations of about ten paintings. Things start to get really exciting about now, with enquiries coming through as a result of advertising and social media activity. We even sell a painting (or two) at this point. ONE WEEK TO GO Private views or open days take place on Friday or Saturday, so by the middle of the week we've hung the paintings, added the price tags and tweaked the artist's profile. Prices are always clearly displayed alongside paintings and in the A5 brochure that we give away on the night and post to our mailing list. This is a personal preference of mine; I hate visiting galleries where you have to enquire about prices. In the run-up to Pip’s opening there's a huge buzz all week; the phone is constantly ringing. The real highlight for me is the first time I see his work in the flesh, having previously only seen photographs via email. It’s always an incredible moment and the excitement and anticipation for the event builds from there. As you’d expect, there’s a lot going on for Pip too: ‘This is a busy few days for me with varnishing, pricing and transporting the paintings to the gallery.’ Pip will also photograph and make a record of each piece. ‘The most exciting part,’ continues Pip, ‘is going over to the gallery with a load of paintings and seeing all the people coming in and admiring them’. ART BUSINESS TODAY

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ART ➺ We send a reminder email about two days before the event.

A magazine ad for the exhibition and, below, images from the private view

LAUNCH DAY The paintings are hung, the fridge is bulging with champagne, and the smell of oil paint lingers in the air. The activity and excitement make all the hard work and preparation feel worthwhile. You have to be versatile on the day; there may be last minute changes or issues to deal with. As a gallery owner you have to have a good eye for what works in your space, so even at the eleventh hour there may be final tweaks to ensure everything is perfect. Pip’s exhibitions always open in June and usually the weather is warm and sunny. Tables, chairs and balloons are set-up outside; we even roll out the red carpet! There will be four of us focusing on selling on the night. My partner helps, along with a full-time member of staff and our book-keeper comes and helps with wrapping, taking money and ensuring the gallery looks tidy. TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE ARTIST ARRIVES . . . There’s just enough time to rush upstairs, put on a posh frock and apply some lippy. It feels like you’re about to go on stage! It’s my job to work the room and do justice to the artist’s hard work. Artists can get understandably stressed about the private view, as this is when they reveal their new work for the first time, which can leave them feeling vulnerable. As a gallery owner you have to be understanding and provide support and reassurance. This is the time to work as a team. 3, 2, 1 . . . WE HAVE LIFT OFF! The gallery is buzzing with excited chatter and everyone wants five minutes with the artist. We introduce potential buyers and keep conversations flowing. Glasses are topped up and canapés are refreshed. There’s a lot going on and you have to keep focused; it may feel like a party but we’re here to do a job. After all the hard work and months of preparation there’s a feeling of elation once the first painting of the night is sold. This is why we do what we do! It’s my job to manage who talks to Pip and for how long. Everyone wants to tell him their wildlife story and

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discuss their safari, and he’s very patient and charming. I have to tactfully say, ‘Excuse me Pip, please could you tell this lady and gentleman a little more about the tiger painting . . .’ Then I have to quickly add, ‘Where did you go on safari? How fascinating . . .’ The customer might tell me that they were in Botswana, in which case I can direct them towards a relevant print, or the glassware from there which is made from re-cycled Coke bottles. AFTER THE LAUNCH There’s no rest for the wicked! The next day we’re up bright and early ready to open our doors once again. Pip will be present on the Saturday after the private view, so a wider range of people will have the opportunity to ‘meet the artist’, enjoy a coffee (ordered from the Italian restaurant next door) and browse the gallery. While the first two days of an exhibition are extremely busy, the hard work doesn’t stop there. There’s continuous promotion via Facebook and Twitter, and everyone who comes into the gallery will be introduced to his work. There’ll be press coverage to gather and share on our blog, plus the constant re-jigging of paintings once another is sold. The last day of the exhibition will be a Saturday, and Pip will be in the gallery on that day, available to meet customers. A few days prior to this we send out an email reminding people that the show is about to close and this is their last chance to meet the artist and see the work. Towards the end of the exhibition we’ll negotiate with the artist to keep a small number of paintings for around six weeks. In Pip’s case there aren’t many to take down, but after the fever of the last few weeks it’s a sad moment when the remaining few leave the gallery. We keep the artist updated with what’s been sold or who’s interested in buying, and always pay them within two weeks of a sale. After a successful exhibition there’s a great sense achievement that our collective hard work has paid off. To see so many people through our doors receiving as much pleasure from the paintings as us is always a joy. It’s time to give ourselves a pat on the back, before we do it all over again. ■ theframe-gallery.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY

Business tips for

Artists

Get out there and show your work at fairs You’ve got to get out there and meet customers. Listen to feedback and re-assure interested parties that you are a professional who sells high quality artwork. I sell originals through galleries and my website, but I sell prints myself at art and craft fairs. I have a regular spot at a weekly craft fair in Monmouthshire, which is quite a commitment, and I take stands at other fairs on an ad hoc basis. People who buy prints very often go on to buy originals. Once they know you personally and have developed a rapport with your work, they feel comfortable about going to the next level. Fairs only work positively if your stand looks professional, of course. I don’t believe an artist can hide behind a website or galleries; you have to meet customers yourself as well. Denise di Battista denisedibattista.com

My work sells at open studio events

pen studios are hard work, but they are effective. This year I’ve invited eight other artists to show their work at my studio, so there are three artists and six craftspeople. There’s a sculpture trail in the garden too. Marketing is particularly timeconsuming. We printed 5000 leaflets, had a massive banner made, sent press releases and emailed all our customers. We provide refreshments throughout the day and we have to be on site and ready to greet customers at all times. Sales are generally good at open studio events. People like being invited to your private space and there’s a sense that buying direct from the artist is good value. It’s a good way to develop bonds with customers. Verity Darby veritydarby.com

Build relationships with customers Gather business cards and contact details wherever possible and remember to ask about people’s interests too. I keep detailed records about the subjects and styles that customers collect, then I get in touch when I have something I think they may like. You need to build relationships with customers over time, so they are confident to buy from you.

Matthew Grayson, candle-web.co.uk/mgfa

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A diverse and extensive range of niche products and services is the key to the success of JOHN and PAT TURNER’s business, Angmering Framing & Stitches. People drive for miles in search of a particular shade of ribbon, or seeking expert advice on a knotty knitting problem, and once in the shop they are enticed by the Aladdin’s Cave of specialist products

Driven by diversification ngmering Framing & Stitches’ impressive 1200 square foot shopfloor is packed with craft supplies, haberdashery, greeting cards and gifts. 72 types of needle are available, along with 4500 reels of ribbon, and there’s a display of 2000 picture frame mouldings. There’s also a selection of limited edition prints, gift wrap, a photocopying service and even a dry cleaning concession. ‘Cross-over business is everything for us,’ explains John Turner. ‘People who wouldn’t dream of setting foot in a picture frame shop come in here to buy craft supplies and notice that we offer framing too. The photocopier is at the back of the shop so customers walk past cards and gift wrap on the way. People who wear suits and tailored clothes tend to have disposable income, so they buy other things when coming in to drop off their dry cleaning.’

Factfile The business occupies a 2400 square foot building, about half of which is 52 August 2014

retail space, while the rest is given over to the framing workshop, offices and storage. Though it takes up less display space, framing accounts for 50 per cent of turnover. John runs the framing side of the business, along with one almost-fulltime framer, while Pat runs the shop and ensures that there are always two members of staff on the shopfloor. The couple opened their first shop in 1997, expanding to the current site in 2000. This followed a short stint in retail at the Body Shop for John, and a longer career in the army. Pat previously ran an international haulage company and worked in a merchant bank in the City. Angmering Framing & Stitches is on a busy through-route along the coast, so it’s easily spotted, though not many people walk past. Parking is available, though, in common with many retailers, John and Pat wish it was more plentiful. ‘People travel miles to visit us and they know where we are. We don’t rely on passing trade.’ The village itself isn’t a tourist

destination, but as it is on the south coast it’s surrounded by holiday lets and campsites. ‘People come here to buy haberdashery and wool so they can sew and knit while sitting by their caravan,’ says John. ‘Some people shop with us each year, some spot the shop while driving past, and others find us via the internet.’ A Hobbycraft superstore has opened a mile and a half away and Dunelm has opened a large local outlet, which includes a small haberdashery range and ready-made frames. ‘Of course both these massive stores have had a negative impact on our business,’ says John, ‘But Hobbycraft do send customers to us. We sell lots of lines that they don’t, as a large proportion of their shop is now dedicated to baking. People go there to buy ready-made frames, then find that the size isn’t right, or they want a highly specialist product. Now that we are facing direct competition from these two retail giants, it’s more important than ever that we focus on customer service, expertise and a fantastic product range. These big ART BUSINESS TODAY

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Opposite page: Some of the 2000 mouldings on offer and, inset, John Turner This page: The shopfront with parking immediately outside

stores tend to have a high staff turnover, so it’s hard for them to offer expert advice, and as their sales staff aren’t involved in the buying process they don’t have in-depth product knowledge. Ultimately, as we own our business, we care more about it than employees of a big conglomerate, and this shines through our dealings with customers.’ Marketing Loyal repeat customers are the backbone of the business. John and Pat ran a radio advertisement that was broadcast to a wide local catchment area for ten years, then they switched to another station for a further four years. This is the only advertising the

business does. The website works well, as the business sells so many hard-to-source niche products. If, for example, someone in or near Sussex wants to browse a range of Kreinik Blending Filaments, their digital search will swiftly lead them to Angmering Framing & Stiches. John and Pat don’t sell online, as their customers want to see and touch the products, and they enjoy browsing. ‘Pat and her staff know their products inside out,’ explains John. ‘Their knowledge and the quality of their advice and recommendations is one of the main reasons that our customers keep coming back. They don’t want to buy online, they want

to come here and discuss their requirements with Pat.’ A craft club used to meet once a month at the shop, but there’s no longer sufficient space. Club members used to make purchases, but it’s more profitable to use the space to stock products. John presents talks about framing to embroidery groups, which definitely brings in business, though these sessions don’t take place at the shop. It’s not shop policy to hold regular sales, special offers or give discounts. If a customer buys a whole reel of ribbon they receive a 15 per cent discount, as measuring and cutting ribbon is time-consuming. John and Pat don’t believe that discounts would attract customers, as their strengths are customer service, expertise and product range, not rock-bottom prices. Products and services Card making is the biggest craft

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supply sector, with a wide range of blank cards, punches, stamps, decorative colours and accessories available. There’s also beads, decoupage supplies, sewing kits, children’s craft supplies and model making kits. On the needlework side, there’s a wide range of kits from sought-after brands such as Anchor, DMC, Heritage, Lanarte, Derwentwater and Dimensions. Customers can find patchwork and quilting supplies, felting wool and felt, threads, latchhook kits

and an extensive range of knitting wool and patterns. The section of the shop dedicated to ribbon, lace and haberdashery is an Aladdin’s cave of enticing products. Greeting cards occupy a whole aisle, plus several spinners. Every type of card buyer is catered for, from those interested in humorous images to art cards. ‘We sourced our first cards at Spring Fair International,’ says John. ‘We now subscribe to the relevant greeting card trade magazines and card publishers approach us.’ Limited editions from DeMontfort and Collier & Dobson are displayed, but represent a small percentage of turnover. ‘We don’t nurture collectors. If we sell two prints a day we’re

pleased. Our core customer is more interested in sewing and making than in buying art.’ John and Pat don’t offer a printing service, which is one of the few opportunities to diversify that they haven’t embraced. ‘I’m a bit of a technophobe,’ admits John. ‘I’m not really interested in printing and learning how to use Photoshop. If customers frequently asked about printing of course we’d look into it, but they don’t.’ Nor do they sell art materials. ‘We wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole,’ confirms John. ‘If you sell art materials you’ve got to do it properly, which entails a significant investment of time, space and capital. Selling just a few lines is pointless as you won’t develop loyal customers that way. You need enthusiasts who are seeking niche products.’ Framing The extensive display of mouldings and huge range of mountboard quickly shows customers that the business is serious about framing. It’s made clear at every opportunity that conservation framing materials and techniques are used as standard. Customers who bring hand-stitched artwork into Angmering Framing & Stitches know that it’s going to be looked after and that all framing is reversible. To quote the marketing material: ‘Selling haberdashery means that we are spoilt for choice when selecting the correct materials to use when preparing fabric art for framing.

Above: Sliding panels allow multiple mouldings to be displayed

Opposite page: The ribbon and haberdashery departments

From left: the impressive selection of embroidery threads; readymade frames; card making supplies; a selection of greeting cards

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Most needlework is laced with crochet cotton over an archival support. We NEVER use any form of adhesive, staples or other ‘quick fix’ methods.’ John actively promotes the benefits of specialist glass to customers too. John has a Valiani computerised mountcutter, which he says is fabulous. ‘Once you’ve learnt how to use it, it’s easy to operate. I don’t do much fancy cutting, no little butterflies or flowers in the corners; if I showed examples of these in the shop, I’m sure they would sell, but you can’t do everything. I cut lots of

ART BUSINESS TODAY

multiaperture mounts, which is profitable since you charge per aperture. I wouldn’t attempt to cut triple mounts with several apertures including an oval if I didn’t have a CMC, or mounts with 50 apertures for cigarette cards, but this type of work is straightforward with a CMC. I use the embossing head to create embossed lines very often, which looks smart on

multi-aperture mounts, as it brings all the windows together visually.’ John sells a good range of readymade frames; aluminium frames are bought-in, though John makes the rest himself (unless a supplier is offering a particularly favourable deal). Many of the ready-made frames include multi-aperture mounts. ‘Our USP is simple really,’ emphasises John. ‘As it says on our website, with the selection of products on display and the accumulated experience and knowledge of the owners and staff, there simply is not another shop like this to be found anywhere. We’re not a chain store, we’re unique, and our customers value that.’ ■ angmeringframing.com

August 2014 55

A FRAMING

Pete Bingham’s

gony Send your framing problems to: pete-bingham@hotmail.co.uk

Some time ago I saw you demonstrate how to achieve a fascinating finish on bare wood mouldings that resembles very old walnut. I believe you applied a grey powder at the end which gave a lovely dusty finish. Would it be possible for you to run through the technique please? Joe Dunne, North Yorkshire I think that must have been at a Guild branch event at Leeming Bar, as it is

rather too long a technique for me to have shown it at the Spring Fair. The moulding that I tend to use for this particular finish is a commonly available reverse pattern, about 6065mm wide and normally made from pine. Pine is desirable for this finish on account of its smooth hardish surface, although recently I have noticed that it’s prone to twisting if not seasoned properly, or kiln dried. Knots are an unfortunate feature of this timber, but because it is used as a

base for hand finishing in this instance, this is not a major problem. The first job is to mitre and assemble the frame, as this stippled finish is best applied when the frame has already been made. Filling and sanding wayward mitres and making good any other imperfections is therefore done before the finish is applied, giving the definitive ‘unmitred’ appearance that makes hand-finished frames so unique. The first coat of finish is the base

CREATING AN AGED WALNUT FINISH Applying a coat of Antique Brown over the base coat of Sand Gold

A layer of Clay Red is applied at a stronger dilution

Liberon’s Black Bison waxes are good quality and are available in a wide choice of colours

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and foundation for the entire effect and is therefore the most important. The colour I am using here is called Sand Gold and is from my Everest range. The paint is applied generously all over the frame. Whilst still wet, a brush is used to create a stippled texture by bouncing the bristles along the moulding. When the stippling is complete, it is a good idea to clear out the troughs in the profile. I use a piece of 9mm dowelling for this job, sharpened and then rounded off. Allow this coat to dry, or, as you may have seen at my many demonstrations at the NEC, use a hot air gun to speed up the process. This is nowhere near as important in a workshop environment as it is when surrounded by a few dozen onlookers at the Spring Fair, as some other job can usually be found to fill the 15-20 minutes required for the paint to dry naturally. The next coat is a diluted wash of Antique Brown – typically a mix of six parts paint to four parts water – applied all over the frame. This is again stippled with a brush, but this time use a damp cloth to remove excess liquid from the brush at regular intervals, so the paint is not just spread around. This part of the process may take a little longer than the others, as it is important that the random pattern is not allowed to run. When you are satisfied with the mottled effect, allow the paint to dry. The next stage is another stipple,

but this time with a significantly stronger dilution, about three parts paint to one part water. Stipple as before, but you probably won’t need to wipe the brush with this strength of colour. Now repeat the previous stage, but this time with Clay Red. Then apply a further coat of Black, but at a weaker dilution due to the strength of colour. Drying times between these coats are negligible and, in hot weather, may not be necessary at all. When the frame is thoroughly dry, apply a coat of finishing wax. I use Liberon’s Black Bison range as it is good quality and there’s an impressive choice of colours. Two colours are usable on this finish: Dark Oak provides a suitably sombre tone, or, for a slightly warmer feel, Victorian Mahogany. I also apply their black patinating wax towards the end of the process. After applying the wax, allow about ten minutes for the solvents to evaporate and then give the frame a gentle wipe with a soft cloth to remove any excess wax. Now take a wad of 00 gauge steel wool and rub the frame all over, being particularly enthusiastic on the highlights, so that hints of the base colour show through. This process has two purposes: to provide the highlights and to initiate the burnishing process. When a suitably deep gloss has evolved, finish the burnishing with a soft cloth. The resulting finish, if the wax has been applied correctly, should be a very

high gloss. If any further emphasis of the profile is needed, black patinating wax can be applied to the grooves and lines of the profile. Do your best to rub it off, as this will subtly emphasise the shape of the moulding. To apply the ‘dust’ that you referred to in your question, you will need some rottenstone, which is powdered pumice or lava rock. Dip a medium sized dry brush into the powder and gently tap it against another brush tail, whilst moving slowly round the frame, allowing the powder to fall gently onto the frame. Blow away the excess and wipe the highlights with the soft cloth – the rottenstone will adhere to the wax in the nooks and crannies and give the appearance of a few hundred years of dust. Happy finishing. I know you hand finish nearly all the frames you produce, but is there any pre-finished moulding that you wouldn’t like to be without? Joe Dunne, North Yorkshire Yes. Flat gold slip. If they stopped making that I’d be devastated. I use it along with my own hand-made slips, on mounts and as spacers, as well as under frames. I have a hundred uses for this product. Marvellous stuff. ■ Pete Bingham GCF owns Wright & Layton and the Northern Framing School, Sheffield, as well as the Everest range of decorative paints

Below: Rottenstone is the secret to the aged dusty finish Right: The finished frame

Black patinating wax provides a nice shiny finish

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FRAMING

Green framing Mira Bishop, Oliver Brothers, USA, frames posters featuring Nikola Tesla As well as being aesthetically pleasing, frames can enhance an artwork’s message. Last year I visited the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, Serbia, where I bought two commemorative posters. Tesla was a scientist, environmentalist and humanitarian, best known for his work in the field of electronic science, who dreamt of providing the world with free

electricity from sustainable sources. Trained as an architect, I have been in the design field my entire life. Seven years ago I joined Oliver Brothers, the oldest fine art restoration firm in the United States, which is owned by my husband Greg and his partner Peter Tysver. My responsibilities include picture frame design and the implementation of conservation framing methods. My goal was to create a frame that would satisfy my visual design criteria, as well as honour Tesla’s legacy of innovation, his passion for giving back to mankind and his respect for the earth’s resources. I wanted to combine the Tesla posters with the right frame to make a statement about ecological responsibility in my industry, a subject I am passionate about. Visual considerations and

environmental sustainability were equally important in selecting an appropriate moulding. I carefully considered options from our ecocertified and green framing selections. The Oliver Brothers’ frame collection consists of many ecologically responsible materials, including mouldings made from repurposed metal sidings, sustainably grown woods, urban-salvaged woods and reclaimed barn woods. The moulding I chose is from Urban Ashes (urbanashes.com), a Detroit-based picture-frame maker that embraces social consciousness. This company uses materials salvaged from deconstructed and demolished homes and they employ a disadvantaged work force. Each stick of moulding is handpicked for its character. Each piece contains a distinct narrative; every

Reclaimed, upcycled, salvaged, repurposed and sustainable are buzzwords in the gift and homewares industries at the moment. Artifacts made from reused materials are right on-trend, and framers are embracing this zeitgeist too. Here, five frame makers explain that relaimed materials also have character and beauty

The Tesla frame by Mira Bishop (left) and a frame by Marco Merlini

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wood knot or old nail hole contributes to the story and reminds us to honour the history of the city and neighbourhood, as well as the lives of the people who lived there. The Tesla frame is made from a simple flat moulding brought to life by imperfections and irregularities in the wood. While occasional wood knots add excitement, waves in the wood grain vary in strength, creating slight discolorations. This unique pattern contributes to the character of each frame. The story behind the repurposed moulding, its originality, and the way it aesthetically complemented the posters was the solution I was looking for. The frame catalogue name is GI Detroit De-Nailed VG (Vertical Grain) Two-Tone. The wood was salvaged in south east Michigan and was hand finished with the application of milk paint and petroleum-free linseed clear oil. The moulding is 1.75” (4.44 cm) wide and the outside depth is 1.125” (2.8 cm). Black painted sides add depth and make the finished product stand out. This colour contrast

ART BUSINESS TODAY

typically work well with poster framing. Most of the time we see framed artwork from a side angle and the two contrasting tones draw attention. The monochromatic sepia posters, ranging from light to dark brown, work well with the natural wood colour. Black mountboard separates the frame and the images, preventing the two from blending into one visual experience. Experimenting with mountboard width, I came to the conclusion that a 4” (10.3cm) black mount in each direction would let the viewer see the 18x26” (46x66cm) images best. A thinner mount used with monochromatic images can make the artwork less visible and contributes towards a cluttered feel. Bainbridge 8-ply Alpharag mountboard in ebony provides depth and balances the shape and size of the moulding. The black bevel leads the eye into the image, without distraction. The correct balance of values (frame and mount width) brings the viewer’s eye to the centre of the posters.

The emotional importance of these posters is much greater than their retail value. It was important to me to use a high level of protection and conservation framing techniques. Therefore the posters are attached with Lineco strips to a 2-ply cotton museum substrate. With many glazing products on the market today, we can choose between various levels of protection and qualities of visual experience. Protection against UV light, moisture and atmospheric pollution are important, as is reducing glare. The Tesla posters are framed with Tru Vue’s museum glass. The glazing is almost invisible, partly thanks to the dark sepia colours in the image and the matt finish of the poster. The final product is visually pleasing and promotes eco-friendly picture framing and environmental responsibility. With this example, I would like to inspire others in pursuing the many green options increasingly available to the picture framing industry. oliverbrothersframes.com

August 2014 59

➺

FRAMING ➺ Hope Elletson GCF, pictureframes.co.uk, used old pallets to frame artwork by Julia Whatley There are lots of old wooden pallets lying round the business park where we are based, and it occurred to me that they could be upcycled and made into frames. As a business we are passionate about environmental sustainability, and I knew that several of our artists would be enthusiastic about the idea too. We have a joinery workshop equipped with special saws, biscuit joiners and routers, so we can work with all sorts of raw and recycled materials, but the pallets were straightforward to handle and precise carpentry skills weren’t required. Each of the pallet frames is made from eight lengths of wood. In effect, there’s a top frame made from four pieces, which is laid over a slightly slimmer lower frame. The fact that the lower frame is slimmer creates a rebate to hold the glass and artwork in place. The joins in the top frame are in different places from the joins in the lower frame, which provides strength. The frames are joined with tons of PVA glue and nails. We used a nail gun with nails of precisely the right length, which were applied from the back. Once the glue was dry, the frames were finished with two coats of white paint, before being distressed with a belt sander. The artist handembellished some of the frames, but most were left in their original state. The framed pictures by Julia Whatley are sold through Talisman London, a leading decorative antiques and furniture supplier. pictureframes.co.uk York-based furniture maker Marco Merlini uses sustainably sourced timber to make frames and mirrors Every product we make is handmade in the UK from sustainably sourced timber, often from fallen and deceased trees. Using reclaimed timber is not just an eco-friendly choice; this wood is often hundreds of years old so has lots of character and a beautiful grain because trees were allowed to grow naturally in the past, rather than straight and fast. The grain is therefore denser and marks, holes and cuts from 60 August 2014

the timber’s past add to its character. The triple frame seen here is made from old pallets. I try to combine different types of wood, so each frame includes varying textures and shades. Pallets from Canada and the USA are often made from oak, while those from Asia are made from amazing timber, some of which, sadly, is illegally logged. I combine pallets from different countries in each frame. When working with old timber I want to retain the character and age, so it’s important not to sand and plane it too much. My aim is to keep the deep ingrained dirt, but gently sand away splinters and surface dirt. My frames are glued and pinned together with the aid of a nail gun. So far this year I have planted 60 trees here in Yorkshire via eforest.co.uk. The cost is about £5, but each tree will make a big difference. I plant trees in my customer’s name when I complete a job. merlini.co.uk Heidi at Rusticana Interiors makes frames, coat hooks and home accessories from reclaimed wood I work part-time in a reclamation yard

so I have access to lots of interesting timber. I have a friend with a large van who goes to France buying wood from demolished barns and buildings, which he sells to me. French barn oak is a beautiful material, it’s often 600 years old with a wonderful patina of age, but it’s often just disregarded and burnt. The animals in the barns rubbed against the wood leaving fascintating patterns, and the ammonia from the animals gives the wood a lovely dark rich hue. If there’s paint on the wood I often leave it, otherwise I just polish it with clear beeswax. I don’t sand timber, as you remove too much pattern that way, I just scrub surface dirt away with a fibral pad. Old timber is often caked with layers of dirt, so cleaning it is hard work. If there’s any sign of woodworm I treat the wood with boron-based woodworm killer. I try to let the beauty of the wood speak for itself, I do as little to it as possible. I’ve got a range of tools and equipment in my workshop, but the ones I use most are my mitre saw, chop saw, skill saw, router, drill with cleaning attachment and biscuit jointer. Plus masses of elbow grease; when I get home I look like I’ve been ART BUSINESS TODAY

FRAMING

up a chimney all day, so working with old timber isn’t a glamorous job, but it’s extremely rewarding. rusticreclaimedwoodengifts hampshire.co.uk Whiskey Barrel Frames uses oak barrel staves to make curved frames, says owner Lesley Penny Whiskey barrels are beautiful, whether you like the oak left rustic to tell its story, or you prefer it smoothed down to reveal the gorgeous grain. Frames made from this wood are fab with panoramic shots or images of people, and they work in both landscape and portrait format, convex or concave. Each frame is truly unique. If not recycled to make frames, this wonderful timber is discarded by the trade. In 2006 a government sponsored survey identified thousands of disused barrels at Scotland’s distilleries, and a challenge was set to

ART BUSINESS TODAY

find uses for these old oak casks. Our parent company, Fintray Fine Framing, was already using reclaimed timber to make frames and they responded to this challenge and started making frames out of barrel staves. The design is now trademarked and it’s illegal to copy our frames. We aim to display the natural wood to its full potential. The staves are shaped and cleaned and rust marks from the hoops are removed where possible. The ends of the staves are often black from years of sitting on the ground and paint residues may be

visible, if paint was used as a sealant or an identification mark by the distillery. A cooper can tell the age and usage of the barrel by the layers of paint, and we retain this for its character and as an indicator of the barrel’s provenance. The insides of the barrels are often charred to let the spirit permeate, which helps give each whiskey its distinctive taste; this charcoal has to be removed to leave a stable base of oak for the frame, but it leaves a variable colour and pattern. whiskeybarrelframes.com ■

A selection of frames from Rusticana Interiors, above, and two whiskey barrel frames, one convex and one concave

August 2014 61

Trade secrets Where to buy the best curved needles

There are two types of ‘chud removal tool’ that framers can make

prefer to use a curved needle when lightly sewing a textile to a donor fabric. These are much easier to manoeuvre than straight needles and you can make smaller stitches. I’ve got four curved needles in different sizes. I sew with stranded cotton from Anchor or DMC, but I use just one of the six strands. One strand is quite adequate, particularly as you want this to break rather than the textile if pressure is put on the framed item. I buy curved needles from the shop at Forge Mill Needle Museum. Visit forgemill.org.uk and go to the ‘shop’ tab, which is hidden at the bottom of the page. There’s a good choice of needles available. Mal Reynolds GCF Adv, Harlequin Frames

hen we have to reach into a frame to remove small debris, we make a ‘chud removal tool’. (Chud is American slang for a speck of dust under the glass). These are made from mountboard and we have them in various lengths, depending on how far into the frame we need to reach, but the average size that is kept on our workbench is about 25cm long. There are two kinds of chud remover. If the mount is fabric covered and we are not using coated glass, we wrap masking tape around the mountboard, adhesive side out, and secure it with a bit more tape (adhesive side in). Often one can tap the piece of debris with the end of the tool and remove it. The other kind is also made from mountboard, but we attach a piece of Kimwipe to it with cellophane tape. Kimwipes are lintless laboratory wipes we buy from a scientific supply company. They are durable, will not shred when damp (unlike

most tissues) and best of all, being lintless they leave no mess. They work well if we are using coated glazing as they don’t leave any marks on the glazing or scratch acrylic. Rob Markoff, Artrageous, USA

Removable tape really is magic Removable cellophane tape is very useful when decorating the cut bevels of mounts. I apply it to the mountboard before cutting out the aperature, and burnish it a little with my fingernail, but not too heavily, in case it damages the surface of the board when removed. The tape is then cut by the blade of the mountcutter, so fits very snugly above the bevel. Once you’ve decorated your bevel and the paint is completely dry, you can just peel away the tape. You still need to apply colour carefully, as paint will try to seep into any gap, and, with this in mind, it’s best to paint from the back of the aperture. Jenny Isaacson GCF, Topmount Framing

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CMC revolution This is the second of a two-part article that charts the 40 year rise of Valiani to become a leading manufacturer of Computerised Mount Cutters (CMC). The first article covered 1975-1985; a time during which Franco Valiani’s successful business manufacturing precision parts for the railway industry supported the switch to the manufacture of mount cutters. Valiani, unknown in the framing industry, built its reputation from scratch with the the CMS pneumatic machine. Gradually, a reputation for reliability, precision and the engineering quality of the product, established the foundations of what is today an outstanding manufacturer of CMCs. Franco, ever the visionary and with an excellent background in research and development, quickly realised the potential of a fully computerised mount cutter - aptly named Project CMC. At the beginning of 1990 the project was 65% complete but Franco Valiani mothballed it as he believed the CMC would be large and expensive with limited market potential, and he felt that the framing industry was not ready for it. Had he followed through Valiani would have produced a CMC in the early 1990s. The decision proved to be a mistake as other manufacturers beat Valiani to manufacture the first CMC. Valiani produced the K2 electronic mount cutter in 1996; a large and expensive machine. Despite its cost the K2 was a considerable success which sold worldwide. The major breakthrough was the introduction of the Future machine in 1999. This used the same basics as the K2, but was a simpler, lighter, single head, machine designed to be economical and meet the requirements of a wide range of companies. Priced at nearly half as much as the K2, the Future was in much demand. It was followed in 2002 by its younger sister the Supreme. Cost savings were achieved by reducing the motor speeds, thereby saving on electronics. The Supreme remains, perhaps, the best value CMC produced by Valiani. This visionary concept led to the production of the MatPro pneumatic in 2003, one of the best-selling Valiani CMCs. Through extensive research came two important innovations. First, the use of air to operate the clamps which hold the board in position when cutting. This idea is still used today and has been further developed to produce vacuum tables. This method provides significant flexibility in cutting to the edges of the board, thereby reducing wastage.

Second, and more importantly, the development of the cutting head. This head was the forerunner of the Interchangeable Head System that won the Fine Art Trade Guild's prestigious Innovation award in 2008. The head used compressed air for two important functions (a third being the ability to automatically set the depth of cut). Firstly, air was used to push a rubber roller onto the mount board; the aim was to support the blade and present a completely flat area of board to the blade when cutting. Second, air was used to insert and push the blade through the mount board to the depth set on the depth gauge prior to cutting. The MatPro pneumatic was the first of its kind and represented a basic and affordable semi-production mount cutting option. Users were quickly able to cut differing corners and multi-openings (as long as they were all rectangular); a superb entry level mount cutter. The MatPro pneumatic formed the basis, in 2005, of the MatPro CMC, the world’s most affordable CMC. Using much of the technology from the pneumatic machine and by introducing the necessary electronics, Valiani was able to produce a quality CMC for less than £10,000. The MatPro was an instant success worldwide. The most significant technological advances since the introduction of this machine came in 2007 with the awardwinning Interchangeable Head System, which enabled users to take advantage of Valiani’s eight heads, including the MatStylus pen head, thereby offering unprecedented levels of design and cutting versatility. Other innovations include the vacuum bed, which is an option on some Valiani CMCs, updated software, the V-Studio and duel-station machines. Valiani’s new generation CMCs, the Libra and the stylish, upgraded and heavy-duty Ultra, are based on extensive customer feedback and continued investment in research and development. Franco Valiani’s vision of building a successful CMC manufacturing company has been achieved. Its future as a family business is secured, with Franco’s son, Nico, and daughter Giada continuing the family traditions. Managing Director, Nico Valiani, comments, ‘We are proud of our family business and look forward to another 40 years of development and innovation, producing the very best machinery for our industry’.

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BUSINESSES FOR SALE

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT

Picture framing business in the heart of nonrth London’s creative community. £28,000 o.n.o. Av profit £28,000 pa - one person working/4-day week. Owner relocating. http://www.pictureframingbusinessfor sale.co.uk, bec.b@mac.com

Framing equipment for sale: Euro underpinner; Morsø with five sets of blades; Keencut Rondo oval mountcutter; Rotatrim board cutter with self sharpening blade; Eltamex underpinner (needs attention); C&H Advantage 48” mountcutter. One lot, £1500. Contact 07921 588543. South Bucks area. Buyer collects

PRINTS & ORIGINALS Claire Newell 'Nature in Pencil' - wildlife and pet artist and nature photographer. Original detailed pencil drawings and giclée prints. Commissions undertaken. For information, please email; claire@natureinpencil.co.uk or tel; 01980 622523 www.natureinpencil.co.uk

Anne Corless Fine Art

Subscribe to our weekly promotion For saving up to 50% off Top brands of consumables, machines and serving Subscribe to: sales@ukframingsupplies.com www.ukframingsupplies.com

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

Limited Edition Prints available to the trade

No gimmicks or novelty P[LTZ Q\Z[ [OL ÄULZ[ Giclée Fine Art Printing

Artist working in different genres of fine art including animal art, botanical art, portraiture and figurative art. annecorless.com

Fine art photography of London available in limited editions from Mr Smith World Photography. We supply homes and offices internationally. Call now to discuss bespoke collections. info@worldonfilm.com. 01992538899 Indian fine art prints available on canvas and paper in a range of sizes to suit any wall. View our unique collection including Vintage Bollywood film posters online. www.allindiaarts.com Jacqueline Stanhope Fine Art - original oil paintings and limited edition prints at trade prices. International delivery. Free print brochure on request. 0191 384 5343 or www.jacquelinestanhope-fineart.com Original artwork for sale. Private collector is selling paintings/sketches by artists such as Alexander Millar, Peter Smith, Paul Horton, Charlotte Atkinson, Jonathan Truss, Tony Forrest, John Wilson, BAM. For details please email shawemail@sky.com 64 August 2014

If you’re looking for the best reproduction qualityy,, call John on: 01747 852 221 www.salt-of-the-eart www.salt-of-the-earth.biz h.biz FAT TG Accredited Printer

Hardwood wedges for stretched canvases. Over 50% of 19th and 20th century stretched canavases have broken or missing wedges. We manufacture eight different size/thickness combinations of replacement hardwood wedges, £5.50 per set of ten plus £3.50 p & p per order. Try the Studio Selection:10 each, 4 useful sizes, £23.50 post paid and save £2. Tel 01603 743374 with credit/debit card details Morsø mitring machine including two sets of blades, LH supports and waste chute. Still in use here, inspections welcomed. Email for details/photos, art@pictorgallery.co.uk or call 0161 7908008. £495 the lot ART BUSINESS TODAY

To advertise here email sales@fineart.co.uk

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 TRAINING

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 Designline Systems: suppliers of printing equipment and consumables to the fine art and photographic markets. Fully personalised support for all media purchased. Save time, money and achieve optimum results with our free custom ICC profile service. For all enquirers contact Tony: Tel: 01202 679186 | email:tony@designline-systems.co.uk 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.framingsoftware.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 ART BUSINESS TODAY

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 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.pictureframingcourses.co.uk or call Mike on +44 (0)1454 617022

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

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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

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

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Export manager Daniel Simons talks about running D&J Simons, the framing supply business founded by his great-grandfather Davis Simons in 1900 What would Davis Simons be most proud of if he could see the business today? I think he would be astonished by the enormous range of products we sell and what we have achieved. He started making furniture components (which we still sell today), but now we have expanded to over 10,000 product lines, situated in a 70,000 square foot warehouse, and we employ close to 100 people. There are a further 60 people based at our Emafyl plant on another site. My great-grandfather started the company very humbly as a small factory mill here in the East End of London. The company has been in your family for four generations. How does this affect the way it is run? Being a family business brings many advantages. We work as a close knit team and can always rely on each other to get the job done. The business is now run by myself, my cousin Anthony and my brother Robert. We took the reins nearly ten years ago; the elder generation pop in from time to time, and of course we are always delighted to receive their advice. Our fathers and uncles put D&J Simons on the map, inventing the concept of a one-stop-station for all framing supplies, which the company still is today. Tell us about Emafyl, winner of the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1996 My uncle Howard Simons made our family business truly international by creating Emafyl. This was the first company to successfully create a huge variety of picture frame mouldings from extruded polystyrene that cuts and joins like wood, but is priced extremely competitively compared to traditional wood mouldings. Emafyl was launched into every major market in the world and is now used by framers at every level of the industry. D&J Simons has supported the Guild Commended Framer programme and hosted exams since 66 August 2014

DANIEL SIMONS the qualification was launched in 1994. Why do you value GCF? It is essential for framers to have an industry standard qualification that assures customers. We are delighted to provide a fully equipped test and training centre at our head office. What are the advantages of buying from Simons? Our comprehensive product range, from the smallest screws up to the largest computerised mountcutter, along with our competitive pricing. This is a compelling offer when combined with our decades of experience in the industry. We are sole distributor for Valiani, and are proud to sell one of the most advanced computerised mountcutters in the world. We bring the latest trends in mouldings, both wood and polystyrene, to market. In London, we deliver with our own fleet of vans and drivers. We have a UK manufacturing plant making polystyrene mouldings, which allows for extremely advantageous lead times. This year we launch our brand new website, enabling customers to order online. We are also upgrading our stock system so buyers can read realtime stock levels on our site. Have you always worked for Simons? I gained a business degree at university, but my heart was always set on working for the family firm. When I first started I was fascinated to see how creative ideas were turned into products and services, then implemented and integrated. One of

the great advantages of working in a close-knit business is the speed at which this happens; there are no layers of management in a family business, things just get done. When I first joined the business it was very product and price focused. These days we, the ‘new generation’, are focusing on building customer service and confidence to as high a level as possible. What advice would you offer to someone thinking of expanding, or setting up as a framer? Many framers would benefit from branching out. They could concentrate on supplying the interior design market with framed mirrors, or try pulling in new customers with a range of art materials. It’s sensible to attract as many potential customers as possible by offering to fulfil their different needs. The first step towards setting up as a professional framer is to calculate your budget. You need to allow around £5000 to buy machinery and a further £700 to £1000 for materials. We have a comprehensive machinery showroom in London where we offer advice and carry out demonstrations. We have an on-the-road sales team covering every part of the UK and Ireland, who can visit and talk you through the process of setting up an operation. My second bit of advice is that it is essential for framers to acquire the GCF qualification, which gives confidence to customers and gives you the edge over competitors. ■ djsimons.co.uk ART BUSINESS TODAY

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Conservation Framing Annabelle Ruston

Frame Design Annabelle Ruston

Supported by Conservation by Design

A Fine Art Trade Guild publication

AVAILABLE NOW FROM THE GUILD BOOKSHOP DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS

BETTER READ, BETTER BUSINESS 500 Years of Graphic Art Techniques Kristin Anderson. Pbk. 78pp Members £10 £12.50 Art & Copyright Simon Stokes. Pbk. 184pp £23.99 Members £21.99 The Art of Framing Piers & Caroline Feetham. Hbk. 176pp £25 Members £23 Art on Paper, Mounting and Housing Joanna M Kosek. Hbk. 208pp £49.50 Members £44 Articles of Business Vivian Kistler CPF GCF. Pbk. 175pp £20 Members £17.95 Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green Michael Wilcox. Pbk. 200pp. £21 Members £20 Framing Photography Allan R Lamb CPF. Pbk. 96pp £20 Members £19

GUILD PUBLICATIONS

Framing Collectibles Vivian Kistler CPF GCF. Pbk. 96pp Members £15.95 £16.95

Conservation Framing Annabelle Ruston. Pbk. 128pp £12.99 Members £11

How to Identify Prints Bamber Gascoigne. Pbk. 208pp £19.95 Members £17.95

The Art of Mountcutting Lyn Hall GCF Adv. Spiral bound. 80pp £16.50 Members £14.50

I’d Rather be in the Studio Alyson B Stanfield. Pbk. B&W. 279pp £20 Members £19 Practical Printmaking Colin Gale. Full colour throughout. Pbk. 160pp £19.99 Members £18.99 Practical Gilding Peter & Ann MacTaggart. Pbk. B&W illustrations throughout. 74pp £14.95 Members £13.95

Conservation Framing Vivian Kistler CPF GCF. Pbk. 96pp £20.00 Members £19

HOW TO ORDER Ordering Visit fineart.co.uk and order online; call +44 (0)20 7381 6616; or return this coupon Postage & packing p&p will be added to your order. This varies according to how many books are sent

GCF Advanced Accreditation Mount Design & Function Spiral bound. 32pp Members £10 £12.50

Conservation Mounting for Prints & Drawings Manual based on British Museum Practice. Joanna M Kosek. Hbk. 185pp £49.50 Members £44

Frame Design Annabelle Ruston. Pbk. 109pp £12

GCF Advanced Accreditation Textile Framing Spiral bound. 28pp £12.50 Members £10

Members £10

Guild Commended Framer Study Guide Spiral bound. 68pp £15 Members £12 Starting Up a Gallery and Frame Shop Annabelle Ruston. Pbk. 239pp £14.99 Members £12.99

Framing and Presenting Textile Art Annabelle Ruston. Pbk. 160pp £15.99 Members £13.99

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The Artist’s Guide to Selling Work, revised 2nd edition, 2013 Annabelle Ruston. Pbk. 162pp £12.99 Members £11 GCF Advanced Accreditation Conservation Framing Spiral bound. 42pp £25 Members £15

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