Mark E Shellshear.

I was asked why I never talk about drawing or painting and giving tips on these areas. I do get people who ask me to comment on their art work and to critique it for them. I am just like all dealers I go with my gut on what I think the Gallery I am working with at the time can sell. Most work I see is of a high standard, both what comes into the Gallery and what I see on the internet and I need to get what I think is the best fit for the market I am in at the time. It does not mean one is better than another it is just what fits at this particular moment in time. I very seldom comment on a painting as there are egos involved and I do not want to discourage or hurt anybody and I do not want to tell artists what to paint or how to paint. I believe there are already far more qualified people out there teaching and talking about those things, I will leave that to them. My concern is for Artists and their Art Business and their personal development. Far to many very skilled...

Friends if you have been in the Art Business, trying to sell your Art work and have been selling for 5 years or less. Then the price you put on your paintings or how much you think your painting is really worth is not as important as getting paintings onto peoples walls. So many starting Artists have put the cart before the horse, their prime objective should be to get people, strangers, to buy their paintings and hang them on their walls, not achieve high prices, if you are successful that will come. Make your prices so people will want to buy and you will become popular. I am not saying to give them away but I am saying make them very competitive. Unfortunately family and friends and Artist friends, though trying to be kind and concerned for your well being and career, can sometimes be a big hindrance to your future. Yes, if you are good, your paintings are worth good money, but if no one is buying them because you are unknown, then you must listen to the market ...

I was asked when talking to a group of Artists and Crafts people, about what I thought about Artist block. I asked how many had experienced it or were experiencing it and I was also quite amazed at how many Artists said they were going through it, some saying for years. I must admit that during my years of painting full time I never suffered from Artist block to any major degree, mine was more like I didn't feel like painting, so I found excuse to do other stuff, maybe I was just being lazy, probably closer to the truth. It is true that there are days when you do not feel like painting and I believe that is quite normal, in every type of work there can be those days but you just push on and work, or in our case paint. Artist block is real for many and I remember a wonderful woman painter who suffered from this and was able to get through it and build a successful Art career. She was a very spiritual woman, not organised religion or any religion in particular, but she h...

“Quick question? Do any of you ever get the feeling that maybe, you're just following a silly childhood dream of doing art professionally? I ask, not out of insult anyone but because I have reached a point with my art where I wonder if it'll ever amount to anything and if I'm being entirely realistic in trying to do Art professionally?” If you believe that you are a good Artist and have what it takes to make it in the Art World, then this is not a question you should be asking until you have been painting 20years. I read so often about Artists who have been painting for a short period of time begin to question if they are in the right profession? Art is a marathon not a sprint, it will take you at least 10 years to get to a place where you are selling well and making money, this is not a quick process. Unfortunately there are no short cuts. Firstly, if you are unknown, then you are unknown. And if you are unknown it does not matter how much you and your Arti...

I read this statement a few days ago and it really grabbed me and I pondered its meaning as I thought about my life and the life of many of the Artists that I know. I thought about all the difficulties that Artists face, the self doubt ever nagging at their heals and then all the noise out there, everyone trying to get heard and have an opinion on what the Artist should do or shouldn't do. We all complain about the problems we face in this Artists Life and that is life. The difficult people we have to deal with, people who will not listen or see what they really should do and of coarse the “ what about me” people that seem to be always there? I realise this, that it is the Artist Life, the opportunity that Artists have been given, that is so great a “Gift” and the crap around the gift is the wrapping. Do not let the wrapping stop you from seeing the wonderful gift that you have been given, your individual, peculiar, random, outrageous, serious, creative, caring a...

I have been asked my opinion on this subject by a few people now so I thought I would comment about it and see what you all think? It is something that has concerned me as I scroll through all the Artist groups. Artists are always posting their painting and say things like, “Its not quite finished, but be honest and tell me what you think?” I always wonder what they are really looking for here? Is there a difference between being honest, being nice or being politically correct? I agree that no body needs to be criticized or berated for doing a painting, good or bad, hateful words have no place in this debate. But how does it help the Artist if everyone says how wonderful it is, how talented they are, when really at best the work is just student work and at worst, just not a good painting? Yes, when this does happen maybe the best thing to do is to keep silent, no comment is also a comment. I was friends with a Gallery curator who looked after a Gallery in a reasonab...

Forgive me for indulging myself a little with this post, but sometimes I just feel that I have to say something, I do get very frustrated how “we” in the Art Business, indulge ourselves when really it is the customer, visitor and collector we should be more concerned about, rather than “me”. Let me know your thoughts? I try and get to as many openings as I can, this is a very big city with a very vibrant art community and I like to see what others are doing and to learn what I need to do or what not to do. This night was a what not to do. I hope this will help Artists and if any Galleries are reading this, who are about to have openings, this is what not to do. To start with I want to be very open about this, I want to sell paintings, my artists expect it and the Principles who engage my services expect it, so lets get started. I arrived at the advertised time, three openings in one Gallery, I was looking forward to one show as the Artist is a young woman...

I get the opportunity to go to lots of openings and I must admit that it does sometimes become a little bit of “here we go again.” I am always looking for something different, something that will make go wow, but it very seldom happens, sadly I sometimes rate the opening on the quality of the wine because I have seen the paintings before over and over again, yes I do become a little cynical. I have observed that artists and Gallery owners are very conservative, we always approach exhibitions the same, like there are rules about how an exhibition needs to be hung, all paintings straight, either all tops the same or bottoms, but very seldom do we hang to challenge or even push the edges hard. Now I am not saying that I am not guilty of doing the same all the time, hanging the same way we always have and really being quite proud of seeing the Gallery beautiful and symmetrical, everything perfectly hung. So I decided to break out of the norm and do something that has never bee...