Mark E Shellshear.

 Dear Artists and friends, I just wanted to take a few moments to thank you all for the great support that you have given me this past year, allowing me into your lives and studios, hopefully some have been helped and encouraged as you navigate this Art Business we are in. 2016 is upon us and it is time for us all to write out our goals for next and begin to plan the life we want. Over early breakfast this morning with a dear friend he asked me to say on e word for next year and what I wanted to bring to that year, to my own life and to those Artists and friends who read what I write and hear what I say. My word for next year is " value". I want to add value to my own life and to all those who read my posts and to all those I come into contact with in the Gallery and my talks. Value, because when we bring value to the market place the market place responds to that, that is what you get paid for, the value you bring into play. We can bring value into ...

Anticipating 2016? What's the difference between Picasso and Henry Ford? Besides the obvious, one built cars and one painted paintings. Very little? Both were driven to change there worlds. …...Ford, built cars for masses and built the v8 engine, when they said it couldn't be done. …...Picasso took traditional Art and turned it on its head, started Cubism and then took apart Art and redesigned it and changed the Art world forever. Both made a fortune. Both are remembered. Both believed in their abilities to change the world around them. Both believed the impossible was possible, …...Ford, the v8 motor. …...Picasso, the New Art as he imagined it. Both were convinced they were right. Both because of that attitude, did not consider failure a proposition worth considering. …...Henry Ford really did believe he was “Henry Ford,” the automotive genius, the designer of the mass production of cars. …...Picasso really did believe that he was...

I have not been able post for over a week because of the problems that we are facing here with internet coverage, hopefully these issues will be sorted out in the near future. I have been reflecting about this past year as we prepare for our last exhibition, thinking about what a year it has been while running Galeria de las Islas. I thought I would share some thoughts about what I have learned over the last twelve months in this particular business and how that may also relate to your Art Business. To start, this Gallery has had a very good year of growth in 2015, it has been excellent and we have achieved all the goals I had set for the year. Next year we need to do more and to do it even better. Things I have learned this year. 1. Do not let your business type control what you do. We are an Art Gallery and Art Galleries are expected to do things a certain way? Don't. Think outside the box. Be innovative, do things differently, just becaus...