Artist Member Lisa Garness Mallory takes some interesting photographs, but she pushes it further by etching pretty patterns of lines right on top of them. We recently sat down with Lisa to get a little more insight into her “cutting …
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Artist Interview: Lisa Garness Mallory
Artist Member Lisa Garness Mallory takes some interesting photographs, but she pushes it further by etching pretty patterns of lines right on top of them. We recently sat down with Lisa to get a little more insight into her “cutting edge” artwork.
"And Now Orange Lillies" by Lisa Garness Mallory
Artwork Network:
What made you choose flowers as your main subject matter?
Lisa Garness Mallory:
I’m a nature artist/photographer. Three years ago I developed a technique of etching by hand with different size needles, directly onto my photography. I take photos of anything nature related. But I’ve always been drawn to photographing flowers, especially orchids. Their shapes resemble part of a woman’s anatomy that is the source of life. So for now, much of my work includes this beautiful, multi-shaped flower.
As an artist I love the colors of all flowers. It’s like looking at living, growing paint palettes. I’m amazed at how delicate they are, but strong and sturdy in many ways.
Etching flowers is detailed and time consuming. There are many different lines, shapes, shadows and highlights to decide where and how I want to etch each photo. I’ve never felt the need to first create a sketched version. I begin, and I let my heart and imagination take over until the piece is completed.
Artwork Network:
How did you get started as an artist?
Lisa Garness Mallory:
I truly feel I was born to be an artist. I knew at an early age that becoming an artist would be my life long journey. Both of my parents had artistic talent. My mother was an oil and acrylic painter, and my father designed and made sterling silver jewelry. I received a tremendous amount of encouragement from them to pursue my art career.
Artwork Network:
Can you explain a little bit about your process?
Lisa Garness Mallory:
My process takes many hours and sometimes 2 weeks to complete one large piece. Creating new patterns and textures, has been both exciting and challenging. It takes an abundance of determination, love of the work, and patience.
I have a tremendous love and respect for nature. In my etched nature photography I enhance the colors, light, shadows and textures that appear in and around the subjects I’m photographing. The viewers will sometimes see that before I etch a photo, I will manipulate the photo to look like eye catching paintings or pastels.
Artwork Network:
Where have you been exhibiting your artwork?
Lisa Garness Mallory:
Since 2008 my art has been in many local Colorado art shows and exhibitions.
In 2011 one etched photo was juried into the “32nd International “Peace” Exhibition” at the Nagasaki Art Museum in Nagasaki Japan. Only 5 artists from Colorado had work in this exhibit.
Two etched photos were judged into the “19th Annual International Festival “Five Elements/One World” at the Los Angeles California Municipal Art Gallery. Only 10 artists from Colorado had work in this exhibit.
Artwork Network:
Anything else you’d like to add?
Lisa Garness Mallory:
In 2010 I became sick with a life threatening illness called Graves’ Disease. It is a hyperthyroid illness. I continue to recover, but the future of my health is unknown at this time. Half of the reason I fought to live was to continue my journey as an artist. My work is unique and “cutting edge.” I’m determined to survive so that my work will continue to evolve for the future.
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Jona’s Friday Favorite
"Ode to Winter" by Mardie Driftmier
Bid adieu to Fall and say hello to our old friend Winter. Here in Denver, we are past the silent wonderment of our first snowflakes and well into the sound of plow trucks. But Mardie Driftmier’s “Ode to Winter”, is a perfect reminder of the beauty of this season. Keep the season alive all year long with this (billowy cold) breath of fresh air, yours for $2,240. Happy Holidays, and enjoy your winter-time adventures (or your warm fire)!
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How to Write an Artist Statement
You want your art to speak for itself, but viewers will often have questions. The point of an artist statement is to answer questions for the viewer when you are not around.
Consider the Facts
An artist statement is the basic introduction to your artwork. When starting to write an artist statement, first consider these five questions:
1. Why this subject matter?
2. What does it signify?
3. How did you create it?
4. What is it made out of?
5. What does it mean to you?
Remember Less is More
Don’t overload the reader with a whole manifesto about your work. A good artist statement should be no more than 2-3 paragraphs long.
Keep it Personal
Don’t use flowery, complex language and text-book terms. Keep it accessible and conversational, as if you were actually talking to the viewer. Don’t write about yourself from the third person – keep it in your perspective, using the pronoun “I”. A good artist statement should be from you, so avoid adding quotes about your art from critics or curators. This is not the place for testimonials!
Be Specific
Readers will not grasp vague, generalized concepts. For example, you should not make statements like, “My art reflects my views on the beauty in our world.” What is it about the world that you find beautiful? This is your opportunity to express your point of view, not gush about your general feelings about the world around you. Every artist and their mom can say how they feel, but let the reader know why your art has meaning and holds value.
Don’t Instruct
Your artist statement is not an instruction manual. Never tell the viewer what they should be thinking or feeling. Instead of saying “Viewers will see my happiness in the brush strokes,” say “I express my happiness in the brush strokes”. The viewer should have the option to agree or disagree with you!
Make it Interesting
Your first sentence should hook the viewer, pique their curiosity enough to continue reading. While you should answer some basic questions about the work, your statement should also invite more questions. Give them too little, not too much.
Revisit Your Statement
As you grow as an artist, so should your artist statement. Different bodies of work will have different ideas and concepts behind them. You may want to create a general artist statement, and then supplement that with a statement specific to each show.
Consider rewriting your statement if it:
- Contains vague terms and ideas
- Lacks confidence (Look for sentences like “I tried…” and “I wanted to express…”)
- Doesn’t answer any of the viewer’s questions
- Compares your art to a famous artist (you are your own artist, let the critics make the comparison)
- Too Biographical (Does it contain details about your life or education not directly relation to why or how you create art?)
An artist statement is required for exhibition with Artwork Network. If you are struggling, we are happy to offer feedback (and grammatical edits) to your rough draft!
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Jessica’s Friday Favorite
"Stone Study" by Phyllis Rider
As much as I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I find myself eager to relax and unwind – grasping on to whatever peaceful moments I can find. Searching through our inventory, I have more than once stopped to lose myself in the sweet simplicity of Phyllis Rider’s “Stone Study”. A zen garden? Quivering pebbles in the water? Whatever these playful white lines are up to – they’ve ensnared those cucumber green stones, and my attention, too. Perfectly suited for a masculine or a feminine environment, every day will be like a relaxing day at the spa with your new “Stone Study”. Just $500 – you may want to snag it’s brother, a matching “Stone Study Shadows”, too.
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Artist Interview: Aaron Bible
From the "Entropy" series by Aaron Bible
Artwork Network staff member and photographer Aaron Bible embraces film and digital mediums in his artwork. Earlier this year, Bible sat down with Lindsay Cash of UnderwriteArt.com to share his new series and his thoughts about mixing old and new methods.
Here’s a snippet:
Aaron Bible:
“I would like to be as photographically “pure” as possible, but there are always compromises because technology is always evolving—the philosophical debate regarding this inevitably exhausts itself at some point. For example, now we use less toxic chemistry than they used in the early 1900′s or we make sure we have better ventilation, because we have a different perspective and new knowledge at this point in time. Ultimately, the modernist sensibilities take back over when looking at the final product: Are we looking at a true art object, one that is more beautiful than the subject itself? Is it lasting and unique, one that satisfies the intentions of the maker?”
Find the full interview here, and explore the “Entropy” series on Artwork Network!
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How to Select Artwork for Exhibition
Exhibit of work by Jessica Loving at Artwork Network.
Written by Sara Chojnacki, Artwork Network’s Artist Coordinator.
Develop a theme
The first step to creating a cohesive body of work is to develop a theme. What message are you trying to send? What do you want your audience to take away from your show? You should not exhibit your work simply for the sake of exhibiting. Your artwork is your voice, let an exhibit say something about who you are.
Give Yourself Time
You may be excited to show off your new work as soon as possible, but keep in mind that galleries need time to plan and schedule shows. Normally, artists will be scheduled anywhere from 6 months to a year ahead of time. Make sure you get your proposal in with plenty of time for the gallery to prepare for your show. Even if you are in the process of creating a new body of work, you can still propose the idea with pictures of works in progress. As long as there is a clear understanding of where the show is headed, your proposal will be accepted.
Develop, Develop, Develop
You’ve chosen your pieces, now take a step back and look at what you’ve got. Ask yourself critical questions about the body of work. Do the pieces work well together? Is there something missing? Is there too much? Asking these questions will help you figure out what needs to change before your work is ready to show. Revisit pieces if necessary, rework details, ask for advice. It is easy to pull ten pieces together and call it a day, but your artistic vision is always changing, so your exhibits should too.
It’s All in the Details
Once you’ve set up the time and place for your exhibit, it’s important to double check that all your pieces are ready to shine! Make sure everything is framed properly, wired correctly, and that you have every piece labeled. For Artwork Network, we need an inventory form filled out for our records, and it’s always easier if you fill that out before you drop off work. Last, but not least, make sure all of your pieces are photographed. This is necessary for marketing your show in the best way possible.
Signs your exhibit needs some work:
- There is no strong concept behind the work.
- There is no cohesiveness in your pieces. Look at common areas such as style, theme, and color.
- You do not have a marketing strategy for your show.
- Pieces are not properly wired, framed, or photographed.
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Sara’s Friday Favorite
"Tea Pots" by Phil Bender
This week’s Friday Favorite is brought to you by Sara Chojnacki, the Artist Coordinator at Artwork Network.
Christmas is coming, and I’m on the hunt for the perfect gifts! I hear people say all the time that, “less is more”. Well, I say more is more! Phil Bender’s creative installations are perfect for the shopper looking for the biggest bang for your buck. He takes multiples of an everyday object and turns it into a great conversation starter. He has a piece for every room of your house, including the laundry room! I’m partial to Bender’s Tea Pot piece for $200. I was going to buy my Mom just one teapot, but why would I when I could get TWELVE! You’d better snag this great deal before I do…
Find it here.
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Color of the Month: Grape
HGTV’s has marked this December as the month of “Grape”. Heralded as an unexpected, but perfectly suited, color for this wintery season, you’ll no doubt find it the center of posh Holiday parties everywhere. Some, however, are falling so in love with the power of purple, they’re opting to keep it up year round.
But how do you decorate with purple? HGTV’s Assistant Editor, Kayla Kitts, suggests, “Pair grape with tan and chocolate hues for a warm, luxurious look…” Need a little more inspiration?
Check out my Pinterest collection, “Grape Expectations”. A combination of just a little to a whole lot of color, you’ll also find the perfect artwork to get you started, of course.
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How to Price Artwork
Written by Sara Chojnacki, Artwork Network’s Artist Coordinator.
How much should you charge for your artwork? Here are some key points to help price your work.
Find your base price
To get an accurate base price, you must consider materials and time. How much paint/graphite/wood did it take to create the piece of art? The larger the piece, the more materials will be used. The more expensive the materials, the more expensive the piece needs to be to break even on these costs.
Next, consider what your time is worth. While we would all like to say our time is worth $100 per hour, it is important to be realistic. Choose an hourly wage that you think reflects your time and worth. Calculate how much time was spent creating the piece and add this to your materials cost.
Compare
If you’ve never sold a piece before, it would not be wise to price your piece at millions of dollars and compare it to a Picasso or Matisse. Do some research on the artists in your area. Look at artists that are at the same level as you, with art that is comparable in areas like size and materials. An artist with more experience and art sales will have higher priced art than that of the beginner artist. Before a customer buys, they will do the same research to compare pieces and prices.
Be Consistent
All of the art you create should be priced based on a structure that relates to the rest of your pieces and their prices. In other words, your newest creation should not be $2,000 more than your last piece, just because you value it more. Regardless of where you are in your art career, be prepared to adjust your prices regularly with market demands. As you sell more art, you should increase your prices with demand. If you haven’t sold any art in several months, you may need to consider lowering prices.
Objectively view your art
As an artist, you invest yourself in the pieces you create. To properly price your artwork, you need to emotionally remove yourself from the piece. It is not always easy, but necessary in order to fairly price your pieces for potential buyers.
Putting special prices on pieces just because they mean more to you is not relevant to a buyer. They do not want to spend money on your emotional attachment that means nothing to them. If the piece is that close to you, consider keeping in your private collection. (The price of milk does not fluctuate wildly because the farmer had a special connection to the cow.)
Signs your pricing system needs to change:
- Customers are interested, but never purchase (your prices are too high)
- Your pieces are priced higher than artists with comparable art
- Your pricing is all across the board
- The demand for your artwork outweighs how much artwork you can create
- You can’t explain your pricing systems to clients
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Lucas’ Friday Favorite
"Jazz on Mars" by Rod Grier
This week’s Friday Favorite is brought to you by Lucas Boyd, the Artist Development Manager at Artwork Network.
If there is a form of music that oozes liquid heat suitable for the “red planet”, it would certainly be Jazz. If there is an artist who can depict a cool session on an inhospitable world it would be Rod Grier. Rod’s love of Jazz Music serves as an inspiration for “Jazz on Mars” convincing me that Mars would be a great venue for legends like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, or Dave Brubeck. Now, you can own works by Rod Grier and help the homeless. Own this piece of history for $650, with prints starting at $200.