This is a checklist things you need to think about when putting on your own art show. If you take the time to prepare up front your show will come across as slick, well organized and professional, which in turn gives potential buyers of your art confidence.

Getting your artwork ready for the showPhotograph your art work. Once it gets purchased then you might never see it again!
Frame your artwork if required. Allow plenty of time for your picture framer to do a quality job.
Make sure all your artworks are suitable for hanging or display with strings and D-rings attached.
Wrap your artworks up ready for transportation. Buy bubble wrap in bulk lots from a packaging wholesaler or supplier. Don’t buy small rolls from your office supplier. or you will pay too much.
Blankets are a cheap alternative but not as neat.
Arrange a truck, hatchback or station wagon to transport your works.
Certificates of Authenticity. Make one for each artwork. Have a special rubber stamp made up to use with the certificate. It looks great and buyers love them.
Sponsorship

• Consider bringing in other businesses to sponsor your exhibition.
• Feature them prominently on your exhibition catalogue.
• Ask businesses to sponsor lucky door prizes.
• Make sure you mention the sponsors clearly for each prize draw they sponsor.
• You may even be able to get sponsorship for catering.
• Arrange goodie bags for each exhibition attendee containing sponsor leaflets, any freebies and your business card.

Recording the event

• Arrange a photographer
• Arrange a video camera operator
• Contact press photographers and ask them to come along

Hanging your exhibition

• Measure the exhibition space and plan how you will hang you artworks.
• Does the space need themeing or decorating in some way to give it extra pizazz?
• Make sure you have hanging equipment suitable for the space you will be displaying in. You may need to investigate the space closely to figure out how you will hang the works if it’s not a gallery with built in rails.
• In some spaces without obvious wall hanging opportunities you may have to hire in stands from an exhibition hire company.
• When you deliver your artworks to the venue, lean them against the wall directly underneath where you will be hanging them, so you can get a feel for the layout and your hanging assistants will get a better idea of what they are doing.

Formalities

• Create a ‘running order’ for the show, which details the timing of events on the opening night. Distribute it to everyone involved in the show.
• Invite a VIP person to open the show for you.
• Brief your VIP with things they might like to mention.
• Appoint an MC who will introduce both the VIP, yourself and any other speeches or exhibition events.
• Prepare a speech. People will want to hear from you the great artist!
• Announce any prize draws at least twice during the night.
• What are your show opening and closing times. Decide up front how log the show will go for.

The Entertainment

• What nibblies will you provide?
• What drinks will you provide? Remember to provide both alcoholic and soft drinks. 
• Hire in professional caterers if you haven’t got time to do it yourself.
• Hire professional wait staff or get some friends in to assist with serving.
• Do you need musicians, a DJ or at least someone to change a carefully chosen CD once in a while?

Sales

• Create lables for every artwork containing the title, price, medium and size.
• Try and have artworks priced in various ranges, so that everyone has an opportunity to buy something.
• Get some red stickers for artworks sold on the night.
• Try and have some artworks that are hanging but have been presold before the opening night with red dots on them. It gives people confidence and encourages them to buy.
• Appoint sales assistants and let them know how to process sales
• Set up a system for receipting. This could be as simple as a carbon copy receipt book.
• Keep details of all prices handy for your sales assistant.
• Have a till or cash tin and keep it secure
• Provide credit card processing facilities if you can. People are more likely to impulse buy if they can whack it in their credit card. If you are serious about this business then you should arrange a merchant account with a bank so you can process credit cards.
• Be prepared to provide shipping and packaging costs. Some people will not buy unless they know these things up front. Your freight company should be able to provide a table. Estimate packaging weight and size for each artwork before the exhibition so you can quote quickly.
• When someone seems interested in buying, don’t be afraid to ask for the sale. “Would you like to take this artwork home with you tonight?”
• If a person wants to negotiate, state your price with confidence and then shut up! Let the buyer make the next move and then lead the sale to a conclusion. “How would you like to pay for that?”

Things not to do

• Don’t underestimate the amount of time it will take to hang your exhibition.
• Don’t be a diva. If things aren’t going right, negotiate gently. Just because many legendary artists were quite temperamental doesn’t mean you have to be.
• In your speech, if you stuff up and miss some important things you wanted to say don’t let everyone know by fluffing around. Nobody knows what you are about to say other than you and any stuff ups you make will probably go unnoticed anyway.
• Don’t get drunk. It’s easy to do as you will be running on adrenalin and people will keep serving you drinks as you are the most important person there.
• Don’t ignore people or be shy. It’s your party. People want to know and meet you.
• Don’t get caught up talking to one person. You need to circulate. Pay special attention to potential buyers and VIP’s though.
• Don’t get depressed if people are not buying your artworks on the night. People sometimes have to think about an expensive purchase. Follow up any leads after the show.
• Don’t make artworks that can only be sold as a set. People are contrary and will often just want one.
• Don’t fluff around when people ask you the price of an artwork. Know your prices. State them clearly with conviction. Your confidence will tell the potential buyer that your artwork is worth what you are asking.
• Don’t forget to thank everyone who was personally involved in helping to put on your show.

Color can assist in facilitating some very basic human needs. Color can identify and specify necessary objects for survival and/or enjoyment. It can stimulate and work synergistically with all the senses – sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Color can mark territory and manage personal space; symbolize abstract concepts and thoughts; recall another time or space. COlor provides for expressed fantasy and wish-fulfillment. It can create illusions and ambience. Color give us the opportunity to emphasize or camouflage figures or objects; 
enhance self-image and personal esteem; and produce an aesthetic response. Most important, the use and arrangement of color enable us to create beauty and harmony.  It give us an ability to express our personal taste, by doing so, provide us with a sense of accomplishment.  From studio animator to therapist, my goal has always been for art to be an expression which invokes emotion.  This provides a visual experience for the veiwer that promotes storytelling. 

It’s easy to overlook the large role colors play in our daily lives. They influence our mood and decisions, they can attract or repel attention and we designate and organize things based on their hue.  

Art is therapeutic in so many ways and when we bring color to the forefront, life begins.

Earth pigments are naturally occurring minerals, many times - iron oxides, that people have used for thousands of years for natural color. These natural pigments are found in rocks and soils around the world, where different combinations of minerals create vibrant colors that are unique to the region.  Some earth pigments are roasted in order to intensify their color.  Earth pigments include ochers, sienna, and umbers.  I have found that these pigments produce soft, earthy hues that create a uniquely vibrant, natural presence within any piece.  Color..... straight from nature.  

The ochers come from naturally tinted clay containing mineral oxides.  Among the oldest pigments known, ochers have been used for thousands of years for painting, body decoration, ceremonial practices, and the preservation of animals skins.  Available in a range of yellows, golds, and reds.  

Sienna is a form of limonite clay.  The pigment was first used in Italy in prehistoric times. The unique color is derived from ferric oxides.  The name refers to Sienna, Italy, where the pigment was originally extracted.  Today the pigment is found in Tuscany, Sardinia, Corsica, and Germany (in Bavaria, Palatinate and the Harz Mountains).  Sienna comes in a rich, earthy red.  

A clay pigment that contains iron and manganese oxides is known as Umber.  The name is said to be derived from the Latin word umbra (shadow) or from the mountainous Italian region of Umbria, where umber was originally extracted.  Unearthed umbers are harvested from Italy, Ardennes, and the island of Cyprus.  Umber is darker in color than ochers and sienna.  Colors range from cream to brown, depending on the ratio of iron and manganese compounds.  

Mineral pigments are pigments that are created by combining and heating naturally occurring elements. They include ultramarine and spinel pigments.  Historically, ultramarines were derived from the precious stone lapus lazuli.  During the Renaissance, the price of this rare pigment exceeded the cost of gold, and artists often reserved it for the robes of Christ and the Virgin.  Used to by Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Raphael, Europeans called the expensive imported pigment “ultramarine,”  which means “over the sea.”  In 1824, the French Societé d'Encouragement offered a prize of six thousand francs to anyone who could produce a synthetic variety of the pigment.  In 1828, the prize was awarded to Jean Baptiste Guimet who submitted a process he had secretly developed. Today, ultramarine is made by heating soda, clay, and sulfur.  Use ultramarine pigments to create deep blues and violets that are fit for a work of art.  


And finally  there is spinel. The word “spinel” is thought to come from the ancient Greek word for “spark” (spinos).  Spinels are hard, crystalline minerals of volcanic source.  Pure spinels are colorless.  Naturally colorful spinels are extremely rare, and are coveted gemstones.  Color occurs when spinel is combined with mineral impurities inside a volcanco.  The famous Black Prince’s Ruby, which adorns the Imperial State Crown of England, is actually a rare red spinel.  Bold and vivid, the Unearthed spinel colors are created by exchanging certain ions in the minerals by heating and combining them with other minerals.  
Spinel pigments provide vibrant colors with spark.   Available in yellow, orange, green, turquoise, and blue.  

 

Art comes in many different forms, including music, photography, writing, sculpting, sewing, drawing, acting, gardening, painting, cooking, dancing, etc. With all the different types of art, art can mean something unique to everyone! Art excites or inspires a person’s senses, imagination, and creativity. As well, art can help an individual improve his/her physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Therefore, art is important because it allows people to express themselves and have an “outlet.” 

What Is Art Therapy? 


Art therapy is a mental health profession. It combines art and therapy in order to help adults and children heal, communicate, and improve their lives overall. It focuses on the creative process as a way to help people deal with different emotions and situations. Through art, they can work on reducing stress, increasing self-awareness, and communicating messages in a unique, hands-on way. 

It is a set of standards and techniques to try to recognize the hidden messages communicated through art in order to help assess and treat problems, such as issues with relationships, substances, trauma, disabilities, illnesses, and anxiety.  Very often my goals as a therapist will focus on the creative expression in developing the imagination, communication and socialization skills. These are all areas that are being worked on in school, home and other therapies. However, sometimes art can simple be used in a more non-directed way and purely allow an individual to  experience the sensory elements of the materials.     

In the field, using the model of “Art as Therapy”, there is a process that allows individuals to experience the creative aspect with little direction. This then allows them to gain insight and open up to their feelings in their own time. However, with the population of Autism, I see the “Art as Therapy” model more about the intrinsic sensory processes and believe that it can benefit the child that needs to “just have fun” with the creative activities. Having fun and engaging in this experience can then ultimately regulate the senses, emotions and behaviors.       

The single most important consideration- at least for me - when selecting surfaces for pastels, is tooth and texture. Tooth refers to the tiny bumps and valleys that you can feel and see. For example,  a smooth paper has little to no tooth. This is vital because unlike other media pastel particles need tooth and texture to attached to or they will fall right off. Tooth is also needed to grip the pigment from the. Without it, you'll find it hard to apply a lot of color.

Paper is generally the best support for pastels, but not one that I choose to use. As long as a surface has sufficient tooth and can survive some rubbing and blending, you will be successful. So once these requirements have been met you can have quite a bit of fun experimenting.

The degree of tooth can also affect certain types of techniques, such as layering, detail work, and blending. The amount of tooth determines how many layers of pastel can be applied. If the tooth is shallow it may be filled by a single layer of pastel and when you try to add another layer on top, there won't be any tooth left for it to grip.

When deciding on the degree of tooth or texture you want for your surface, you should also think about how detailed or textured your finished artwork will be. If you plan on doing precise details with hard lines and edges, you might consider a surface with less tooth. I realize that I contradict this rule but the explanation is simple. I use India and Henna throughout the building of a piece. And yes… I prefer to refer to what I do to “building” rather than “creating”.

If you know you're going to be blending colors, most artist will tell you that from their experiences you should avoid very rough textures because they will inhibit blending. I do not find this to be true.  In fact, in my experience it is merely the softness and quality of your pastels that dictates. Since I make my own, I have complete control.

When it comes to finding the right texture or degree of tooth for your style, just remember to find the right balance. Tooth for the pastels to grip but not so rough that you find you're restricted. And then there is always a way to add texture to paper (or any support) you choose by priming it with gesso mixed with sand, or using something like Golden Pastel Ground. This is useful for artists who like to create their own personal textures. If you're a beginner, don't worry about this. There are plenty of textured products available commercially.

Now I use canvas. Canvas has the required texture to hold pastels so it's a worthy surface, especially if you want to paint larger pieces. You can buy pre-stretched, canvas boards, canvas rolls, or canvas pads. These products are much more expensive than paper, especially if you choose top quality linen. Or…you can do what I do and recycle.  My canvas comes from the discard at the local Office Depot.

Be cautious when buying pre-primed canvas because the tooth of the weave may be reduced by the gesso. This results in a smooth surface not particularly suited to pastels.

I've been using pastels on and off for more than 35 years. The beauty of the medium increases and overwhelms me each time I develop a new technique within a new image.  Along the way, I have strived to learn all I can about all the technical aspects of pastel, as well as the historical.  My driving force was to remain free from any toxic nature due to an auto-immune disorder, followed by being in complete control of the colors.

When I first became interested in pastel making, there wasn't much information available, so I began a long process of trial and error that continues today. Fortunately, my kitchen made pastels have become something I would choose over any other. To date, my palette consists of around 92 colors.


Why make my own?
The strength of pastel as a painting medium is its rich, unsurpassed color. For an artist of any type, color is critical. For me….absolutely essential to my success in my own mind. When I received my first gift set of 100 pastels, I quickly set to work. Within a short period of time, a pattern became noticeable as I burned through my pastels. About a third of the pastels I used very heavily, and they were beginning to disappear. Another third received much less use, and the remaining third I had never used! In speaking to other pastel artists, I found this pattern was common.

So we attack this problem using several strategies. We either buy many sets to build up an impressive and expensive array of colors, or we mix and match different brands, taking advantage of strengths in each manufacturer's palette.

I went in another direction. Why not design my own palette where every stick was a color I would use and enjoy, and the pastels themselves had the qualities I wanted to best express my style of painting? In addition to this, why not be completely organic, natural, green, and healthy?

Much of what I do is very draining to the soul.  It is my profession by choice to help others learn to express their anxieties, fears, and destructive natures. With therapy, I reverse the anxieties to pleasures, fears to joys and destructive to constructive. I do this with art in my practice of Orthomolecular Medicine.

Fo myself, it is a journey that must always be safe and toxin free due to an auto immune disorder.  Being a three time cancer survivor misdiagnosed as a child with Type One Diabetes, I have had a rough go of it all. I am the reason I am a physician.  I am artist sheerly by natural talent.

I have decided to start this blog with the encouragement of creative friends.  I do not find what I do to be of any unique nature but only out of necessity. But....many of you out there have questions and so I have set up a forum for you to ask unencumbered by formalities or rules of a page.  I will do my best to answer them and... my plan is to open up my studio to you by sharing techniques and processes along the way.

So here is to the next posting...fire away with your questions...