AANE art show over

[Sophist]

If you can send them to me as jpegs in an email, I can alter the size and upload them for you, if you like.

Bear with me, 'cause my mind is terrible at this so-called simple stuff.

Does that mean you'd put it/them on Photobucket (place you put my avatar)-and then somehow (?) that allows image(s) to be displayed here, through/at Gestalt Gallery thread ? I can retain copyright to my own stuff even if it's posted online (know Gestalt is cool with that, but what about Photobucket ?), I hope.

Now that Gestalt has its own image upload, we don't have to do Photobucket. You can send them to me in an email, I can resize them if they need it, and then they'll just upload from my hard drive onto Gestalt. And you would retain 100% copyright.

Or you can do that yourself, although if you don't have a program to resize the pictures if they're too large then I can help with that. If you like, I can also put a copyright symbol and your nickname on the picture itself, for a little more added protection.

[Belfast]

I never exhibited (well, apart from the compulsory display for A level) or wanted to sell or give anything away (but recently have to partner's parents because I still get to see the work).

I have no problem selling or giving away and I've actually painted most things that I've done for other people as gifts, but I've never seen it as an expression of anything.

Just to address this point-
Have great difficulty selling or giving away my artwork. Part of issue is if I like it enough then I want to keep it. If I don't like it much, then I'm glad to be rid of it, yet feel I can't-because the person to whom I'd give it (or try to sell it to) would be getting "lesser" quality (and not want the picture).

Am attached to things I've made, but I also have no other way to (potentially) make money, drawing is my only special skill.

Were I to decide ahead of time that I were making something for a particular person, I'd either like it too much (and not want to part with it) or I'd do a shoddy job (not intentionally-because on some level I knew it wasn't for me to keep). Have to make things & let them sit around for awhile, until hopefully I get bored of them & can bear to give/sell a few.

Then the whole issue of selling (deciding on a price between me & some imaginary other person with money) makes me crazy, in its own right. Hard to find a mutually agreeable amount-in part due to my low opinion of art as commodity & in part due to my insecurity, I can't imagine my works being "worth" a decent amount of money. Yet, on other hand, I labored over these drawings for many hours with much physical & emotional effort, making financial trade seem unsatisfying, insufficient compensation. These conflicts puts me in tough position for trying to publicize & market my art...

[Belfast]

I was wondering if you could say certain things you have already thought of, to those people who ask you questions about your art.

The good thing about art is that the observer is free to make up their own mind about it?

I don't know, something like that but less blunt?

Maybe you could right a description card to go along with your work and leave it at that?

It just seems that saying "it's up to you (observer of art) to figure out some meaning in this" has become a stereotype in itself. I say that NOT as criticism of your suggestion-only that I feel the "public" demands (wants, needs, craves, hungers for) more than that. As if that were part of the unspoken "deal" (that I'm supposed to provide "backstory" or "insight") for their time, interest, attention or money.

About a website: I will ask GA, he found a host that sold him some web space and he has his own domain name. It is a blog and he stores his work there, too. He modified a WordPress theme to make the main page on his site. WordPress is a good place to go to get ideas.

I don't much about WordPress other than that I've bookmarked the blog of someone with ASD there. Given that I want to post images, is "wordpress" appropriate ? Am I being too literal ? The possibilities (for where & how to pick a place to post my pictures) overwhelm me. Am unsure about how to troubleshoot, figure out which sort (or "location") of site would work best for me.

[Belfast]

Now that Gestalt has its own image upload, we don't have to do Photobucket. You can send them to me in an email, I can resize them if they need it, and then they'll just upload from my hard drive onto Gestalt. And you would retain 100% copyright.

Or you can do that yourself, although if you don't have a program to resize the pictures if they're too large then I can help with that. If you like, I can also put a copyright symbol and your nickname on the picture itself, for a little more added protection.

Pardon my incessant peppering you with questions.
Is my avatar still on PhotoBucket ? Is it safe there ? Does it need to stay there (as I've nowhere to post it on my own) in order for me to have it as my image on both Gestalt & WP ?

Haven't image alteration programs-or if I do, am wholly unaware of them or how to use. Will try to attach some files in email to you tonight, and we'll see what happens.

I understand how you feel, Belfast. I doubt I can explain the feeling any more clearly than you have, but I certainly recognize the feelings you describe. The attention which is garnered is acutely uncomfortable.

Thanks for saying so. Can't surmount my problems-but appreciate credit given for ability to be articulate as to what the problems are.

[Sophist]

I never exhibited (well, apart from the compulsory display for A level) or wanted to sell or give anything away (but recently have to partner's parents because I still get to see the work).

I have no problem selling or giving away and I've actually painted most things that I've done for other people as gifts, but I've never seen it as an expression of anything.

Just to address this point-
Have great difficulty selling or giving away my artwork. Part of issue is if I like it enough then I want to keep it. If I don't like it much, then I'm glad to be rid of it, yet feel I can't-because the person to whom I'd give it (or try to sell it to) would be getting "lesser" quality (and not want the picture).

Am attached to things I've made, but I also have no other way to (potentially) make money, drawing is my only special skill.

I have an incredibly hard time selling/giving away anything I've done. I have only ever sold 1 drawing, which I really regret.

I am currently making a drawing for a friend (birthday present) and I will be giving this one away. I decided that when I began making it. I don't think I'll have a hard time with that because I've just expected it. But my other work I am too close to. My art professor loves a sketchbook I've been working on for over 2 years and he recommended when I am done with it that I give it to the chair of the art department, Tom, because he loves collecting art and would really like that work. But I just can't. Especially not that. It's almost like a visual diary. And all my other drawings usually take so much time and effort and work, I can't just easily give them away or sell them.

--It's for this reason I've really latched onto digital photography over this past half year, because I can make and sell as many copies as I like and I will still always have a copy for myself.

Pardon my incessant peppering you with questions.
Is my avatar still on PhotoBucket ? Is it safe there ? Does it need to stay there (as I've nowhere to post it on my own) in order for me to have it as my image on both Gestalt & WP ?

I'm coming across a memory gap here. I know I tried to help you with it, but was it me or another one of the admins (maybe Noc I thought) who had eventually succeeded in uploading the pic for your avatar? I'll check through my photobucket account just to make sure. If it's there, I'll delete it. In any case, if it is there, it would be the same size it is in your avatar and you therefore wouldn't have to worry about proving copyright because you have the original and the larger pic. Someone could come along and always make the picture smaller, but they couldn't make it larger without ruining the clarity; it would get all blurry.

[Sophist]

Ah, I see I do have it. I'll delete it, but I'll save a copy of it in case you want to use it again.

[Belfast]

My art professor loves a sketchbook I've been working on for over 2 years and he recommended when I am done with it that I give it to the chair of the art department, Tom, because he loves collecting art and would really like that work. But I just can't. Especially not that. It's almost like a visual diary. And all my other drawings usually take so much time and effort and work, I can't just easily give them away or sell them.

I've kept paper (offline) journals for 20 years-and those to whom I've shown them say they are art (they include drawings & scrapbook kinds of stuff, too) & should be in a museum (either now or once I'm dead). I've mixed feelings (like, "yeah, cool"-and "no way !") about that notion, too.

I'm coming across a memory gap here. I know I tried to help you with it, but was it me or another one of the admins (maybe Noc I thought) who had eventually succeeded in uploading the pic for your avatar? I'll check through my photobucket account just to make sure. If it's there, I'll delete it. In any case, if it is there, it would be the same size it is in your avatar and you therefore wouldn't have to worry about proving copyright because you have the original and the larger pic. Someone could come along and always make the picture smaller, but they couldn't make it larger without ruining the clarity; it would get all blurry.

Knew Noc had a part in that successful upload, but I don't know how it worked.
Thanks.

Hey there peoples, Sophist made thread for me with some of my drawings:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2260
But I'd like to continue the conversation (as interest deems it) on this thread (which you are now reading). Otherwise, to read any comments I'll have to wait for the images thread page to load-it's easier to keep up with posts here on this one.
First picture is colored pencils on black matt (sp?) board, from 1997. Second one is pen (ink) on white board, from 2007.

Not criticizing, only observing: In new thread of images, I noticed that "printable view" shows no pictures at all. Fortunately, discovered that when I "save as PDF" the (regular version of) page, I do get the entire dimensions of each-despite them having scroll bars (only showing half the picture at a time) while in the thread.

[adhocisadirtyword]

I wrote this on the other thread before I read this one:

Belfast - I know there's difficulty with accepting compliments, but I absolutely love the sense of style in your artwork.

If you could ever bring yourself to do it, I would love to commission a piece for my house (when I buy it).

I know that this would be very difficult for you - so please let me know if/when you might ever be able to do this. When I say commission, the only think I would ask for would be the size (based on how much space I needed to fill - not too big though). The design could be whatever you wanted and felt comfortable with. Unless you want more specifications.

Not sure how to broach this subject.

Mean this honestly though -- not trying to help in irl or giving charity in anyway. Just really dig your style.

[Belfast]

I wrote this on the other thread before I read this one:

Belfast - I know there's difficulty with accepting compliments, but I absolutely love the sense of style in your artwork.

If you could ever bring yourself to do it, I would love to commission a piece for my house (when I buy it).

I know that this would be very difficult for you - so please let me know if/when you might ever be able to do this. When I say commission, the only think I would ask for would be the size (based on how much space I needed to fill - not too big though). The design could be whatever you wanted and felt comfortable with. Unless you want more specifications.

Not sure how to broach this subject.

Mean this honestly though -- not trying to help in irl or giving charity in anyway. Just really dig your style.

No offense or umbrage taken.
Given that this is future thing, I wonder how far off you are imagining-if you need to have a house first, and then request drawing based on that, well (how do I say this politely ?) it strikes me as kinda' imaginary. Am not intending to doubt you, personally-know you're member here in good standing. That's how future stuff is to my mind, if it's not within next week or month-and I apologize if it's obvious to other people (from threads here) that you're within moments of buying a house-guess I don't follow others' storylines very closely.

I could potentially do a piece, but I just don't want to get my hopes up (about doing a project for you) when you aren't "ready" because you have prerequisites in your life that need to happen first. Do you have specifications available ? Almost all the stuff I do is approx. 8" x 11" (inches), though of course multiple pieces (depending on style/phase of piece) could be combined. Also, with framing, that makes piece larger. Would it matter if it was brand new piece, or something I'd made already ? Tell me more, if you've more to tell...

Please pardon my mixed messages, it's just my nature. I love compliments, I'm just utterly unprepared/uncomfortable responding graciously to them. Y'know ? Like I either feel like I'm "hot sh*t" or that I'm "lower than shark sh*t"-rather than somewhere in between-and those extremes distort my reaction ("yes, I am so great !" & "no, I'm terrible !") to compliments.

[adhocisadirtyword]

Working with a real estate agent now. Just trying to clear up a couple of last things on the credit report (previous marriage really ruined my credit), but we're very close to picking out a house. Probably a couple of months. We chose not to renew the lease on our apartment, so I need to buy sooner rather than later since the rent is much more expensive now.

I think I would like something bigger than 8 1/2 X 11 (even with framing), but I really like the idea of combining several 8 1/2 X 11 size items - perhaps 4 of them. I could either spread them out, or keep them together depending on the size and if they all relate to each other. It might be easier, for shipping purposes, to frame them here, but we can discuss that when the time comes.

I understand your reaction to this, so we can take this one step at a time.

I also want to say that I would never plan on commissioning artwork cheaply, so please understand I have the intention and ability to pay fairly. We can discuss later, but I wanted to mention that in case you were unsure about that aspect.

[adhocisadirtyword]

Also - I don't really have any other specifics other than the size. I could "design" a room around a piece of artwork.

If you'd like some ideas, I can provide them, but I'm also very open to just seeing what you come up with and want to do.

I've liked all of your work that I've seen so far.

[Sophist]

Belfast, I wrote this on the other thread but am re-posting here in regards to adhoc's request for a commission piece:

Or, Belfast, if you don't feel like you could give/sell a piece (I know you've mentioned this on the other thread), maybe you'd consider having it scanned like at Kinko's or something and making a limited number of prints and then sell the prints. You could keep the original and sell the limited edition prints.

I have been thinking about this with my own work and think it would be a good compromise between my difficulty in giving/selling my art but actually letting other people have it.

I believe Kinko's costs about $7.95 per square foot for the lowest grade paper and iirc can do up to 36ft in height and width. You might consider adding that into the price if you choose to do it this way.

[Belfast]

(From other thread, with art in it)-

Yeah, I was wondering also as I was uploading these: Because they're so geometric and intricate, do you do these free-hand? Because, while I can draw, I couldn't see myself being able to do such designs so perfectly, free-hand.

Freehand, hand-drawn, and "eyeballing"-estimating symmetry & the like, no straight edge tools nor measuring devices-just my brain "aptitude". I rotate the page throughout process of drawing, there is no "top" or "bottom" to the work-it's all "sides". Have no idea "vision" or mental image of what it'll look like until it's done. It's taken me years to get to this level-first drew these sort of patterns approx. around age 19 (1992).

Which media I work with have changed. Know people like the colored pencils (more often on paper) but I haven't had the tolerance for dealing with those for many years, and have instead been using markers or pen/ink (on matt boards). Dunno' how to spell "mat" when applied to "matting" a piece before framing.

[adhocisadirtyword]

I like both of the ones that Sophist posted, but I really like the pen ink on board one, especially.

Interesting, how people differ in their preferences. I think 10 years ago I would've like the ones with colored pencils more than the ink.

[Sophist]

I think it's spelt "matte"-- I think.

Your ability to do these free-hand is quite impressive, Belfast.