Ask An Artist

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19
Many artists will read magazines about Art and one of the most popular is Artists and Illustrators Magazine. Steve Pill has been working there for many years, most of that time as editor. Laura and Peter (both on their best behaviour - since they both write for A and I) discuss with Steve the value of magazines, how they can help inspire and educate and also how they can be a part of your artistic output if, like Laura and Peter you end up writing for one!

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19
Most artists will at some time be commissioned to do a piece of work, a particular view, a specific size, a portrait of a loved-one or something to commemorate an event. The kind of artist or craftsperson that you are will determine both how likely this is to happen and also how you might need to approach this situation. Peter is a portrait painter, most of his work is commissioned and he has a very clear process of dealing with these transactions. Laura is a landscape printmaker working in editions and most of her work is bought off the wall, but has done a few commissions of particular places... This episode of Ask an Artist explores the benefits and pitfalls you need to consider in tackling commissions.

This episode was recorded before the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19
Copyright is a proper minefield! There to protect intellectual property, it is misunderstood by the majority of people who seek its protection and by the majority of people who contravene its rules. Sal Shuel spent some of her working life in the rôle of 'expert witness' in court cases over issues of copyright. Her background was in photographic picture libraries at a time when copyright law was being revised and her straight forward approach to what is and isn't permissible was massively helpful to photographers who had had their work used inappropriately. Copyright law is the same in the art world as it is for photographers and Sal's knowledge is likely to deliver a few surprises to many listeners!

Laura and Peter are both professional artists, paying the bills by making art. At this hugely difficult time they discuss how the situation is affecting them and what measures they are taking to ensure that when things get back to something closer to normality that they will be able to resume their work with as little lasting damage as possible.
Don't expect advice on the virus itself, Laura and Peter are as much in the dark about that as the rest of you, but their plans and their problems may help you to see that you are not alone.

In another of their popular Listener Questions episodes Peter and Laura discuss how to wrap paintings and works on paper to send them to customers, wether you should, if asked, trim your work to have a different amount of border and if you should take up art as a second career?