Amateur Versus Professional Art

[Poppy Lou 0]

I am an amateur artist. A few weeks back I, and another member of an art class I attend, set up a website to enable artists to display their work and hopefully received help and advice - or just general comments. The site caters for amateur and professional adults and there's also a gallery for kids.We've had loads of imput fron the kids and amateur adults but what a pain the professionals have proved to be. The only ones who have contributed so far are those we know personally, others ( without exception ) haven't even bothered to reply emails.So what's it all about? You would think they'd be happy to have somewhere to advertise their work but then maybe they don't like mixing with us amateurs. Too elitist perhaps? I'm not talking here about top professionals but those who live locally and sell their work as a way of earning a living.We also have a gallery near by which is run by volunteers and is supposed to be open for everyone and with equal opportunites for all. What a farce, there are rules for a select few of these professionals and another set for everyone else.So what it amounts to is this, these few get loads of space to display their work and then what's left is divided between the majority. Our amateurs therefore have little or no chance of becoming professional.Seems to me that it's a great pity that the professionals don't feel able to share their knowledge and experience. They must have been where we are at some time.I wonder if it's the same the world over, this divide. Or is it just one set of people who perhaps see themselves as above all overs?

[Blacklaser 0]

Well I guess from my personal point of view as an amateur artist, if they are professionals already it may well be that they don't need to expose their work. If you work graphics for 8 to 10 hours a day and make a decent living off of that you might not need/want to spend the time to get your work further exposed. Even artists need a break sometime.Can you post the website url? I'd be very interested in it.

Edited March 29, 2006 by Blacklaser (see edit history)

[Tyssen 0]

but what a pain the professionals have proved to be. The only ones who have contributed so far are those we know personally, others ( without exception ) haven't even bothered to reply emails.

Why is not replying to emails being a pain? Maybe they're too busy.

[Blacklaser 0]

Why is not replying to emails being a pain? Maybe they're too busy.

Exactly, also I can't see why a professional woul bother going through the trouble of having their work exposed on a as of now completely unknown site which creates virtually 0 exposure.

[Poppy Lou 0]

Exactly, also I can't see why a professional woul bother going through the trouble of having their work exposed on a as of now completely unknown site which creates virtually 0 exposure.

I think you are being quite presumtious in assuming the site is completely unknown and creates virtually "0" exposure. How do you come to these incorrect conclusions. Just for your information, in the three weeks since the site has been running there have been over 750 hits and approx 150 paintings posted. It is also linked to a number of other similar sites. Surely if only one painting was sold it would be worth spending a couple of minutes answering an email.

Well I guess from my personal point of view as an amateur artist, if they are professionals already it may well be that they don't need to expose their work. If you work graphics for 8 to 10 hours a day and make a decent living off of that you might not need/want to spend the time to get your work further exposed. Even artists need a break sometime.
Can you post the website url? I'd be very interested in it.

Sure, the site address is https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/

[Tyssen 0]

Don't take this the wrong way but your site itself doesn't look very 'professional'. Maybe these professional artists think it would actually be damaging to their reputation to be associated with something they don't view as being very professional. I'm not saying that's the reason why they're not contacting you but it has to be considered as a possibility.

[jlhaslip 4]

Drop this 'Catch Phrase' from the site.

" for wannabe artists - by wannabe artists "

Someone who considers themselves 'professional' would view this as an insult.

[Mich 0]

Visited your site and would agree with jlhaslip on the phrase. I feel you might narrow the width of the table which is "1158" on your home/opening page. Perhaps using the 98% you have used on later pages would work better so that one doesn't have to scroll sideways to read your description of the site. Your links page has the same problem. I tried it and it looks much better. The font could be bold as well. It seems to fade some into the background. Just suggestions.

 

Would it be forward of me to try to collaborate with your artists for use of some of their art pieces in my web sets? I have done work with others that I feel has turned out well. Check out my work at My Graphics Webpage

Edited March 30, 2006 by Mich (see edit history)

[Poppy Lou 0]

Visited your site and would agree with jlhaslip on the phrase. I feel you might narrow the width of the table which is "1158" on your home/opening page. Perhaps using the 98% you have used on later pages would work better so that one doesn't have to scroll sideways to read your description of the site. Your links page has the same problem. I tried it and it looks much better. The font could be bold as well. It seems to fade some into the background. Just suggestions.

 

Would it be forward of me to try to collaborate with your artists for use of some of their art pieces in my web sets? I have done work with others that I feel has turned out well. Check out my work at My Graphics Webpage

 

I'm new to web design, no training or anything - just straight from my head. Thought I'd done OK for a first attempt, didn't expect it to be professional looking but then I'm not a professional. But I tried my hardest.

As I'm learning, I'm changing things as I go on, in fact I'm working on the home page right now trying to correct the very things you suggest. The I'll look at the links page. I tell you I'm really green, I didn't think about screen resolutions. I'm also having problems with tables so please bear with me.

Your site is excellent, I hope I get to that level some day. I have no problems at all with you collaborating with the artists involved in the site - just send emails to the address on the site and I'll forward them on. Thanks for your constructive comments, I was a bit unhappy last night after reading last comments, I felt they were a bit harsh.

[Mich 0]

I'm new to web design, no training or anything - just straight from my head. Thought I'd done OK for a first attempt, didn't expect it to be professional looking but then I'm not a professional. But I tried my hardest.

As I'm learning, I'm changing things as I go on, in fact I'm working on the home page right now trying to correct the very things you suggest. The I'll look at the links page. I tell you I'm really green, I didn't think about screen resolutions. I'm also having problems with tables so please bear with me.

Your site is excellent, I hope I get to that level some day. I have no problems at all with you collaborating with the artists involved in the site - just send emails to the address on the site and I'll forward them on. Thanks for your constructive comments, I was a bit unhappy last night after reading last comments, I felt they were a bit harsh.

Thanks for the compliment about my site. Hey, you did a better job at your first site attempt than I did on my first one. And my site was only one page. So don't let opinions get you down. Just you keep plugging along. If others can't bear with you, let them choose not to. I caught some harsh ones about my site just recently.

 

I find that using percentages works better with tables because not everybody is using the same resolution and the table will resize to fit whatever they are using. However, I have been told that tables are passe'. Oh well, they work for me. I am self taught, as well. I try to design things for the beginning site builder who probably doesn't understand all the sophisticated htmling on the net today.

 

I will be in touch with you in the future about using art from your site.

[Poppy Lou 0]

I'm new to web design, no training or anything - just straight from my head. Thought I'd done OK for a first attempt, didn't expect it to be professional looking but then I'm not a professional. But I tried my hardest.As I'm learning, I'm changing things as I go on, in fact I'm working on the home page right now trying to correct the very things you suggest. The I'll look at the links page. I tell you I'm really green, I didn't think about screen resolutions. I'm also having problems with tables so please bear with me.
Your site is excellent, I hope I get to that level some day. I have no problems at all with you collaborating with the artists involved in the site - just send emails to the address on the site and I'll forward them on. Thanks for your constructive comments, I was a bit unhappy last night after reading last comments, I felt they were a bit harsh.

I find somre people would rather be critical than helpful. Ok they might have a skill they're proud of but if that were me, I'd much rather encourage and share than sit back and be smug and arrogant. I hope when they need help with something they don't get a negative response.
There's something positive come out of being unprofessional though, it's spurred me on to try to completely rebuild the site. So wish me luck.
Look forward to hearing from you, can't wait to see which ones you choose.

[Tyssen 0]

I find somre people would rather be critical than helpful. Ok they might have a skill they're proud of but if that were me, I'd much rather encourage and share than sit back and be smug and arrogant.

You need to take a step back! For starters, this is posted in the Vent and you were complaining about professional artists, not asking for constructive criticism of your website or how to make it better.

The only 'negative' comment you've received in this thread is me calling your site unprofessional. That's not harsh, that's the truth. Being harsh would have been using derogatory terms. 'Unprofessional' isn't derogatory, cos it's the truth, and you've admitted as much.

So for you to 'sit back' and then bandy about labels like 'smug' and 'arrogant' is, quite frankly, downright rude.

If this had been in a different forum, you would've gotten a different response, but you never asked for comments about your website or advice on how to make it better. I was merely giving a reason as to the situation you were talking about in your first post.

I hope when they need help with something they don't get a negative response.

Not only rude, but immature too.

[Poppy Lou 0]

You need to take a step back! For starters, this is posted in the Vent and you were complaining about professional artists, not asking for constructive criticism of your website or how to make it better.

 

The only 'negative' comment you've received in this thread is me calling your site unprofessional. That's not harsh, that's the truth. Being harsh would have been using derogatory terms. 'Unprofessional' isn't derogatory, cos it's the truth, and you've admitted as much.

 

So for you to 'sit back' and then bandy about labels like 'smug' and 'arrogant' is, quite frankly, downright rude.

 

If this had been in a different forum, you would've gotten a different response, but you never asked for comments about your website or advice on how to make it better. I was merely giving a reason as to the situation you were talking about in your first post.

Not only rude, but immature too.

 

I think this has got a little bit out of hand and I apologise for that. You are completely correct in saying I wasn't asking for advice etc., it just kind of evolved.

I also think I didn't explain the situation clearly from the beginning, When I speak of these "professional artists", I'm not actually taliking about real pros. These are people already in other employment and have sold some of their work. They are not dependent on their art to survive. So really they are no different from us amateurs other than they have set thenselves apart and formed a group which has become quite powerful in that they seem to be "runnning the show". It pains me to say it but we are as guilty for letting them getting away with it. It's difficult to really explain what things are like but there's a lot of anger about what's going on and Ijust wanted to get it off my chest.

 

I did take the comment "unprofessional" the wrong way, I applied it to me as a person and not the website - guess that's just an indication of what I'm feeling right now.

 

So what more can I say but I'm sorry for obviously upsetting you.

 

I think this has got a little bit out of hand and I apologise for that. You are completely correct in saying I wasn't asking for advice etc., it just kind of evolved.

I also think I didn't explain the situation clearly from the beginning, When I speak of these "professional artists", I'm not actually taliking about real pros. These are people already in other employment and have sold some of their work. They are not dependent on their art to survive. So really they are no different from us amateurs other than they have set thenselves apart and formed a group which has become quite powerful in that they seem to be "runnning the show". It pains me to say it but we are as guilty for letting them getting away with it. It's difficult to really explain what things are like but there's a lot of anger about what's going on and Ijust wanted to get it off my chest.

 

I did take the comment "unprofessional" the wrong way, I applied it to me as a person and not the website - guess that's just an indication of what I'm feeling right now.

 

So what more can I say but I'm sorry for obviously upsetting you.

 

Oh and I forgot to say thanks for motivating me into trying to make the site look better .

[Tyssen 0]

Oh and I forgot to say thanks for motivating me into trying to make the site look better .

No problem. As I meant when I said 'Don't take this the wrong way...' I wasn't meaning to be critical but rather trying to find an explanation to a situation that I obviously didn't/don't have enough background about.

[Goosestaf 0]

I'm an artist.I have not chosen to be.I Just am.I'm not proffesional,BUTneither am i an amateurWhos has the right to dictate such titles. . . . Like i said. . . . . u r an artist. . . .do what u want to express urself, and dont let ANYONE tell yuou otherwise