I hope the first week of The 10 Steps of an Emerging Art Collector gave you a glimpse through the door of your own art possibilities. This week will will take the next step -

Appreciate Art is becoming fully aware of art. You already are to some extent just by virtue of reading this. But we'll take it up a notch by developing better observation skills and personal opinion thorough an over exposure to art.

In order to Appreciate Art you've got to be exposed to artwork. And a lot of it. And different kinds. By viewing a lot of good art you will subconsciously start to register patterns, movement, value, color, composition and content. And continue to absorb the intricacies of the profession.

Which is sometimes easier said than done since it's not your full time job to look at art. But, the internet is our friend and will aid in Advancing our Art Understanding. It's a way of having the art world come to you. Here are a few more ways and places to look at large groupings of art. Did I mention the internet is our friend?

Art Competitions - Watch for winners of art competitions. An art contest will show lots of different artists and their styles in one place. The winners for these events are usually the best in contemporary artwork. It helps to see what the art galleries and artist peers think of the work. These contests are held annually so that every year you can expect to them. 

Sometimes they're a little tricky to find so I've listed a couple. They tend to keep up many of the winners work until the following year.

•  Art Renewal Center's"International ARC Salon"
This one is my favorite, so many wonderful paintings!
•  Greenhouse Gallery's "Salon International"
This is one that I've won awards in, in the past.
•  Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Finalists
Entered but didn't make in into the show

Education Packets - This is an compilation that a museum does for teachers as a resource for their students. Not every museum offers them and not all are as good as the school I am an alumni of. This is an excellent way to go through art because it has a little art history, artist perspective, discussion points, images, and activities. You can take this as far as you want to.

•  Walter Wick  Explore the world of make believe
Games, Gizmos, and Toys in the Attic
•  Windows on a Hidden World 
Japanese Woodblocks Prints
•  Masterworks of Victorian Art 
Collection

Art Publications - These are a little different than the magazines that you find at Barnes & Noble. Their focus is a little less commercial and some incorporate poetry.

•  Art Wall  International Contemporary Art Mag
*  Modern & Contemporary Art   Paintings, Prints  
•  O & S  Art, Poetry, Interviews, Reviews

Art Galleries - It is a tough economic time for galleries but there are still thousands of them with many great artists. Here are a few to look through. The first 2 are from the West Coast and the last is from the East Coast.

•  John Pence Gallery  Contemporary Painters
•  Wendt Gallery  4 Genres of Painters
•  Winkleman Gallery Contemporary Artistis

I did warn you in the beginning that it was an over exposure to art. There is no getting around the idea of becoming an emerging collector without looking at a lot of art. Hopefully, you are having fun in the process of learning. And I hope I've made this process a little simpler with the addition of the links. Enjoy exploring all the creative expression this week. 

Date Night Idea: Pick up some great Chinese food takeout. Bring a laptop to the couch (or the park.) Sit together going through the links I've provided and talk about the art with an eye toward the art principles that I've listed above.


Share how it's going.

Wired magazine (which I think is fabulous) has an article, Under Pressure by Jonah Lehrer about stress. Lehrer introduces Robert Sapolsky who did fieldwork in Nairobi with a "hypothesis that the stress involved in being at the bottom of the baboon hierarchy led to health problems." He deduced being status-less led to stress manifest in being more sickly, skittish, skinny and sex starved. That was 1978. 

Since then "Sapolsky's speculation has become scientifice fact." - "Chroinic stress.... is an extrememly dangerous condition. And not just for baboons; People are as vulnerable to its effects as those low-ranking male apes." Stress doesn't cause diseases but it sure doesn't help them. (You should read the article for the particulars but don't get side tracked right now. Stay focused, we're talking about art.)

Have you ever been stressed out viewing art? Didn't think so.
Have you ever noticed a rowdy crowd in a gallery? Don't think so. They're pretty much a mellow group.
Any screaming matches in a museum? No. It's quite like there - low voice, low motion, low lights - you could nap there. 
Has anyone ever had a heart attack buying art? Personally I would at some of those prices but those who buy it usually can afford it. It's not a forced by for them. 
How many times have you heard someone say they "love" a piece of art they purchased? Well, you have to know people who buy art but it happens all the time.

So, in my most scientific of methods I have concluded art is
1) a health investment for lowering stress and
2) a social investment for elevating status.
There ya go. Science Magazine will be calling me up any moment for my profound conclusions.

Here's 5 ways to reduce stress with art- 

       • go to museums and mingle among the masters
       • go to galleries, art openings, art fairs and enjoy
       • surround yourself with art of all kinds
       • buy art that particularly moves you
       • create some art (oh, I take that back, I've been known to 
           throw a paintbrush in frustrated stress before)
       • talk about art you admire with others

So don't be a baboon. Get some stress reducing, health inducing art attitude.

If buying art is something you've wanted to do but didn't know how then this blog series - The 10 Steps of an Emerging Art Collector - is for you. The process is bitesized (a small but wise course of action) so it will develop growth without the growing pains. There are also other benefits that developing an art attitude help that have to do with a baboon, but I digress, that is for another post. 

In the art world there is a term "emerging artist". It refers to someone who is in the early stages of their career or someone who has caught the eye of an art critic or gallery owner but hasn't yet established a solid reputation as an artist.

Logically, it would seem that by definition an "emerging art collector" is someone in the early stages of their art collecting or someone who has an eye for art but hasn't yet established a solid reputation as a collector.

Just as there is training and processes for the emerging artist to follow I have created 
                 The 10 Steps of an Emerging Art Collector 
for those who have never ventured to think they could buy art let alone become a "collector". 

So EVERY FRIDAY CHECK IN FOR THE NEXT STEP. Okay, I am only yelling so that I can remind myself to post every Friday. 
Let the journey begin.

                      ____________________________

Sometime our discomfort in certain circumstances result from unknown surroundings or the unfamiliar synergy of the situation. No one likes to be in a conversation where there's a need for clarification, don't understand the discussion or actions have to be measured to avoid missteps. This can be avoided if you

        Advance Your Art         
           Understanding

The first step in becoming an emerging art collector is to advance your own art understanding. Art speak is not complicated and usually some basic vocabulary, terminology and principles will increase your knowledge quickly. Surprisingly enough this can start at home through self-directed education. I'll point you in the right directions. There are 

             4 things you can do this weekend -

The Greenwich Workshop carries art originals as well as reproductions. They specialize in fine art prints and on their website they have a thorough FAQ section that will inform you in some of the terminology and definitions. 
Read these sections first -

What are Greenwich Workshop 
Fine Art Reproduction Techniques?
and
What are  Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Definitions?

They are further down on their page - click on the link

Go to my old blog (click here) for some art talk there.
Check back here for vocabulary I'll be adding as well.

Write down what you learn. Questions you have. Artists and artwork that you find interesting. Websites you visit and like. Maybe even sketch a little artwork of your own. Keep this the duration of the 10 weeks to record your emerging tastes.

I subscribe to about 4 art magazines and then I periodically pick up others. You don't need to get that crazy. Just pick one. You can go to a bookstore or order online. One I like and recommend is American Art Collector. Art Instruction delivered to your door and computer (they offer an online version in the subscription.) click image

You might come across things you just don't quite get. Feel free to post a question in the comments or email me. I'll find the answer for you and either email or make a post for everyone's benefit. 

DATE NIGHT TIP: Go to Barnes & Noble. Check out art magazines, buy one and have cheesecake from the Starbucks Cafe. About $20 total for two.

You are on your way. Have fun with your fist steps. More next Friday.

I know it's still July and I'm letting you know that October is National Arts & Humanities Month but I have a purpose. It's only 10 Fridays until October. Ten Fridays! (I know, see how close it is.) That doesn't give us much time.

I know every year when October rolls around you have been in a quandary as to how you are going to celebrate National Arts & Humanities Month. (I know, me too.) Well, actually I didn't even know it existed. But this year is going to be different for all of us.

We are going to get ourselves ready for National Arts & Humanities Month with a 10 step process. (Get it 10 Fridays?) And you could actually use some of these Friday steps for great go-out-together evenings. And when October rolls around you won't be riddled with all that guilt that you've felt every year:)

Check back tomorrow for your first step into the Arts.

Went to the Crayola Store in Kansas City, Mo. I love this Store! Look at all that color. Who doesn't like a crayon? Oh, and that's cousin Joan doing a demo.