- Aphorisms for Artists
Aphorisms for Artists: 100 Ways Toward Better Art
by Walter Darby Bannard. New York: Allworth Press 2024.
From Amazon.com: “Why do young artists struggle to find their voices? Walter Darby Bannard, a renowned teacher, critic, and internationally exhibited painter, contemplated that question for more than two decades . . . Bannard set down his
thoughts in a short book . . . It is at once a volume of practical art-making wisdom and an engaging piece of personal philosophy, both wry and readable.” Some Aphorism examples: “Paint, don’t think” and “This is what I say when I see a student sitting passively in front of unfinished work. Painting is action: paint, look, paint again, look again. If you are not in the thick of it, go have lunch.”
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Continue reading → - Art and Fear
Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Souvenir Press Ltd., revised 2024
Explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way.
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Continue reading → - Business and Legal Forms for Fine Artists
Business and Legal Forms for Fine Artists by Tad Crawford. New York: Allworth Press, revised 2014
Contains ready-to-use forms with detailed instructions, including artist-gallery agreements, and contracts for sales, commissions, and limited editions. Includes a CD-ROM to print out the various forms.
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Continue reading → - Get the Picture
Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art
Fiends Who Taught Me How to See
by Bianca Bosker, New York: Viking, 2024
“ . . . Bianca Bosker’s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world—and
couldn’t look away. Intrigued by artists who hyperventilate around their favorite colors
and art fiends who max out credit cards to show hunks of metal they think can change the
world, Bosker grew fixated on understanding why art matters and how she—or any of
us—could engage with it more deeply. Bosker throws herself into the nerve center of art
and the people who live for it: gallerists, collectors, curators, and, of course, artists
themselves—the kind who work multiple jobs to afford their studios while scrabbling to
get eyes on their art . . . she discovers not only the inner workings of the art-canonization
machine but also a more expansive way of living. . . Probing everything from cave paintings
to Instagram, and from the science of sight to the importance of beauty as it examines art’s
role in our culture, our economy, and our hearts.”
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Continue reading → - Guide to Getting Arts Grants
Guide to Getting Arts Grants by Ellen Liberatori. New York: Allworth Press, 2006
Provides artists (and arts groups) with information on facts and skills needed for grants applications in the arts, including formulating budgets, mastering the intricacies of the application process, online resources and application opportunities, insights into understanding the selection and review process, and more.
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Continue reading → - How to Survive & Prosper as an Artist
How to Survive & Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling Your Soul by Caroll Michels. New York: Allworth Press, revised 2018.
Written for fine artists ready to launch their careers as well as experienced artists eager to relaunch their careers. “Michels explodes the romantic notion of the starving artist.” —The New York Times
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Continue reading → - Legal Guide for the Visual Artist
Legal Guide for the Visual Artist by M.J. Bogatin and Tad Crawford. New York: Allworth Press, revised 2022.
Covers copyright, contracts, sales, taxation, estate planning, and many other legal issues of importance to artists and their work. The new edition includes a discussion of new media and electronic rights.
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Continue reading → - Licensing Art & Design
Licensing Art & Design by Caryn R. Leland. New York: Allworth Press, revised 1995
Contains advice on how to license creative images with information on protecting ideas using copyrights, patents, and trademarks; maximizing royalties; finding manufacturers and distributors; and licensing in cyberspace. Includes a model licensing agreement.
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Continue reading → - Licensing Photography
Licensing Photography by Richard Weisgrau and Victor S. Perlman. New York: Allworth Press, 2006
Written by a photographer and intellectual property attorney. Provides advice on writing licensing agreements, prices the value of licenses, and how to successfully negotiate fees.
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Continue reading → - The Artist-Gallery Partnership
The Artist-Gallery Partnership: A Practical Guide to Consigning Art
by Tad Crawford and Susan Mello. New York: Allworth Press, revised 2008.
Provides guidelines for sound business negotiations and resolving disputes. Includes a chapter on consignment legislation, and the texts of the art consignment laws enacted in more than 31 states.
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Continue reading → - The Artist’s Complete Health and Safety Guide
The Artist’s Complete Health and Safety Guide by Monona Rossol. New York: Allworth Press. Revised 2019
Everything you need to know about safe and unsafe art materials, and comply with the United States and Canadian right-to-know laws.
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Continue reading → - The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing
The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing: How to Find Funds and Write Foolproof Proposals for the Visual, Literary, and Performing Artist
by Gigi Rosenberg. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2010.
Empowers artists with the tools they need to find and win funding. Includes time-tested strategies, anecdotes from dozens of funded artists, and tips from grants officers and fundraising specialists. Covers every aspect of writing a winning grant application including how to research funding, build a team of support, and overcome psychological roadblocks.
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Continue reading → - The Artist’s Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions
The Artist’s Guide to Public Art by Lynn Basa, Mary Jane Jacob, and Barbara T. Hoffman. New York: Allworth Press. Second Edition, 2019
Presents information on how to find, apply for, compete for, and win a public art commission. Includes interviews with artists and arts administrators experienced in the public art field. The new edition shows artists how to cut through the red tape and win commissions that are rewarding both financially and artistically.
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Continue reading → - The Painted Word
The Painted Word
by Tom Wolfe. St. Martin’s Press, reissued 2024.
A controversial book filled with many humorous pages of ridicule about the modern art world, including an attack on “art speak,” the nauseating language used by critics and artists alike. Wolfe smugly suggests that in today’s world, visual art only exists to illustrate the text! Pretentious prose has become a norm in art world communication. Although artists vehemently criticize this style of writing, unfortunately, many believe that their work will not be taken seriously unless they imitate what they despise. Wolfe investigates what has become of Modern Art and examines the control that art critics have over the art world at large.
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