Sorry, but I have to disagree with George Bernard Shaw's comment, "When you know the artist you think less of the art." For more than 30 years now, virtually all the people who have purchased my art have been people I actually got to know. And even though some folks see me as arrogant, it is my focus, perseverance, commitment, and total dedication to my creative manifestation experience, plus my twisted sense of humor, that attracts those people into my life. I keep thinking one day it may go beyond this, but it hasn't yet.

Many years ago, as a very straightened student at Columbia University in New York City, I lived in a gloomy, one room, 'affordable' apartment. Across the street was the Tepper Auction Gallery. One Saturday I stopped in and found a soot-blackened landscape by someone named Thomas Griffin that no one apparently wanted to bid on. I would like to say it spoke to me, but I suspect it was more the ornate frame which promised some relief from the depressing ambience of that room. Knowing absolutely nothing about art at the time, I spent my last $25 and ate spaghetti for a month. I cleaned it as best I could using saliva (an age-old trick) and today, fifty years later, remounted and professionally restored, it hangs beside my bed where (aside from my wife) it is the first and last thing I see every day. Quite simply, it daily gives me enormous pleasure. Now that I am producing my own landscapes, I have no idea exactly 'why' people buy them, but my hope is that they too will give daily pleasure. As a footnote, it turned out that Thomas Bailey Griffin was a member of the so-called Hudson River School (mid-19th C); when I Googled his name a few years ago his least expensive available canvas was priced at $2,000.

I think the quote by Andy Warhol is right on the money: "Success is what sells art." Also, I would add, my own. It helps when a customer falls in love with the artist. That seems to work good too.

At one of my openings a woman visitor showed up and asked interesting and meaningful questions and we had a great conversation about art. The dealer left us soon after we started talking. When the woman left, the art dealer made a comment that this woman was not a "buyer". I replied that she was nevertheless a very informed appreciator of art. The dealer said - yes, but that doesn't count. I kept my thought - it counted to me.

At this stage of my art career, I do want people to know me. I have sold a number of works from my home/studio. People who have a pleasant experience in an artist's studio often will tell others. I try to think of my personal art history. In reading about artists of the past, it's always informative to hear stories of studio visits and personal encounters with those artists. People who get to know an artist, matter. When an artist talks about their work, the intent and how the work was created, that matters also. In this age of technology, personal contact with an artist is very important. Just think of all the publications about Picasso written by peole who actually met him.

One of my favorite reasons for someone buying one of my paintings was "it looks like a place I'd like to visit".

This may not apply to paintings, but when I do calligraphy, it is sometimes almost like telling fortunes. When I do a name and meaning of a name, people are often given insight into their identity. For boys I embellish the name with a little tractor, for girls, a Sumi-e rose. When I do scripture calligraphy, the Holy Spirit gives me recollection of particular verses that meet a need. Such as healing. As for landscapes, I have a loose and free one that is very fun of a farmer's market which I made 100 copies of and sold a couple, gave away probably 75 or so, and people loved it because it had a little Amish girl we know in it, one of "our own" from our neighborhood. I feel that freezing a moment in time of our own people, in a loose and free manner that is not attainable with the camera, is invaluable. People crave the original, and yet the personal. I feel my work fills this niche. I am somewhat of an entertainer, but aren't we all as artists? In the depression of the 1930's in USA, there were many films made that were very lavish. Again this is art. My dad would pay a dime and sit through several movies by hunching down in his seat and staying for the next movie. What these movies did was transport people from the mundane to the glorious. Isn't this what people are looking for? In their offices, in their cubicles (our cubicles, I myself am an office worker, with my own office), we need that transportation, that mini-vacation, as we gaze upon paradise or some other picture that for a moment relieves of the present. For some of us, being in the present is not good. Some of us would desire to be elsewhere, and that is what much of art does for us.

I think it is interesting that very few people brought up the notion that personal connections and conversations with an artist motivate sales on some level. I, like J.Bruce Wilcox, agree to disagree with Shaw's remark that knowing an artist leads to thinking less of the art. I am a gregarious person who likes to have all sorts of conversations with people who stop to look at my art--sometimes they are completely unrelated but spur from something that an observer notices or decides to comment on. While a power seller type of artist might say that meandering conversations could distract from the persons' interest in purchasing, I think these human interactions cultivate the kind of interest that leads to sales. In an often anxious world, in a hustle and bustle time, I believe many people are thankful that another person would stop to have a little meaningful conversation. Many of my most loyal patrons began as these types of scenarios-- and not necessarily with a clinched sale at that moment. While many people reported that others fell in love with their work or related to some motif within, I put great importance on the artist and his/her ability or willingness to relate to the rest of the world. Interesting people are interesting.

What I've noticed is that most of the work that I do that I'm not partial to, sells first. It's those that I really like that I still own. So I'm thinking that I might have a bad taste in art LOL. On a note about George Bernard Shaw's comment, I believe the meaning is about once you know an artist, or the artist is known, all of their art is worthy due to their reputation. The art then is bought with less thought about the art but because of who the artist is. I buy art that speaks to me, usually the colors or subject, but most of the time it is because of who the artist is.

One should, perhaps, consider what kind of a person G B Shaw was. Apparently, he knew about some things, and not about others--especially the process of EXPERIENCING art, not buying a PRODUCT. It has been my experience, repeatedly, without exception, that people who buy my works demonstrate that they want to make a connection with the artist... And that this connection is an important part of the acquisition process. It seems to give the buyer something additional that is difficult to describe. It is also important to understand that many artists simply don't want to share and talk with buyers. This is the way it is. And if artists are comfortable talking to buyers about their work... that is ENGAGING the buyers... it always seems to add something special to the EXPERIENCE, not only the dialog with the piece, but the process of buying as well. This dialog or added connection with the buyer is impossible to ignore--and in fact adds a certain value for the buyer.

Notes to myself: Last night I went to my regular Thursday night painting workshop to paint from the live model with my artist friends. When I got there late, the others set the model and had begun. I saw the model was nude and reclining. As a rule, nude or reclining is never a problem. The problem was I was not in the mind set to paint a nude or one reclining. I usually bring several sized canvas never knowing what I'll need. This night, due to rushing to get there, I brought one canvas and an inappropriate sized canvas for reclining figure. My choice was either go home or try and use my creativity and come up with a solution. My initial enthusiasm about painting had diminished by the situation I now found myself. But I was determined to not let these factors deter me from painting. All the "good" spots were filled by others except one spot way on the side. If I chose this angle I would be faced with a strong forshortening problem to figure out. Also the light was coming from the same direction with limited shadows on the form. I happen to like to paint with strong light and dark areas. Faced with no other options, I placed myself there and started to think of how I could make the best of a bad situation (in my mind at least). The interesting thing that took place was I had to start to think about what to do and how to create something interesting. If I had arrived there early and had the right canvas size, I would have placed myself in front and ended possibly with a mediocre painting. As a result of having to leave my "comfort zone" I created what turned out to be a very interesting painting. One good enough to exhibit. Since all these factors forced me into an unfamiliar place, I also had nothing to lose. I chose to play with color. I didn't settle on normal flesh tones that might have developed had I had a better placement. I keyed all my colors away from reds and went into more greens and yellows for flesh tones. The results were better than I could have hoped. Being a regular reader of the Painters Key I notice submissions on enthusiasim, and ways to keep your spark and interest. I had forgotten one important aspect of paint. Routine. I had fallen into a routine and my work shows the lackluster results. I had fallen into a rut of doing the same ole same ole. The lesson for me is don't always take the same road. If it feels good, maybe you should make it a little uncomfortable, be a little off balance. I had a wonderful painting teacher who once told me if you're feeling dull and stuck in your painting, get into a deliberate mess and try and work yourself out of it. Use the wrong color, put too much paint down too soon, change brush size. The mind is forced to rethink everything you usually do and the creative process along with your training will pull you through as it did for me last night at my regular painting session with my friends.

Whether we sell or not, the important thing as artists is to keep on doing what we love.

I agree with Eleanor Blair, It's empathy, karma, and also encouraging the art market that artists benefit from as they collect art. If we don't believe that collecting art is a good thing, there is something wrong with the big picture (pun not intended).

Three men went out into the forest. One took a gun. Another took a camera. The third took only a bag containing his lunch. When they returned, the first one came home with antlers in hand. The second returned with a slew of photographs- birds, streams and all sorts of wilderness images. The third man returned with only a crumpled lunch bag, and I asked him, "Why did you even go into the forest?" "Why?" he said. "Well, because it is there, of course. And it is still there for me to visit another day." " That is why I paint! " I said. " We don't need trophies on top of our blessings, do we!?" The man smiled at me and strolled away.

It's the end of a long and busy day. I'm sitting at my computer after painting in my studio. I came to the Painter's Key to relax and read what others are doing and read some art related comments which I enjoy. I re-read the George Bernard Shaw statement again "When you know the artist, you think less of the art" and it struck me he may be right. I've found that when I view a painting or read a book or see a movie and enjoy them emmensely, later, if I happen to see a TV interview with the author, artist or movie maker, I'm a bit disappointed in them and so the work I enjoyed. I still love the work but I think less of it now. I think this stems from my building in our mind an image of these people as greater than...and elevating them to something of a star status. When I meet them (in person or thru the media) I tend to see them as ordinary people and this takes the mystery and wonder out of the process. I'd like to think the person who created that work of art must be on a higher plain. Must be a thinker who leads a dedicated life of fabricating work that make us stand in awe when we see it. Seeing the "real" person deflates that image a bit for me and shows me the artist has clay feet and puts their pants on one leg at a time as do the rest of us. So Shaw's comment has to relate to this theory in some way I think. I have no doubt that DaVinci, Michelangelo, David and all the other artists whom I hold in high regard would disappoint me if I were to actually meet them. The same is probably true with any "great" person. In private they more than likely kicked their dog, had bad table manners, passed gas, mistreated their kids or beat their spouse or some such thing. In short, they are us with warts and all. We see them as persons with faults, problems difficulties just like us. They are made of the same stuff. In my heart I would like to think they are dedicated, hard working, able to create great work and in so doing they are above the rest of us. They rose up and presented the world with something of great beauty or made a profound statement or conquered some personal feat with their art. I think believing this make me want to aspire to the same greatness. I want to walk in the same shoes and create work that moves the world. Put my stamp on it so to speak. We need heros to look up to. Alas today there are none. Today science and technology shoot huge holes in the belief I once held. The idols and heros we see today are a far cry from those of the past. Or as Shaw intimates, is it because we've never met them and don't know them that they remain great and wonderous? The true mystery is in the not knowing.

Couple of things.... People buy art for as many reasons as we artists create art. I think people when there's a connection. They may connect on the same wire or by different wires; either way the electricity comes through. As for the Shaw quote, I had a completely different interpretation! I can see both sides of the coin, and I think my sales increase when they know me. Personally, I've probably made more sales to my clients from my other non-art business than strangers. My interpretation of "When you know the artist you think less of the art" involves percentages. If you don't know the artist, you buy solely on the piece. When you know the artist, you may buy 75% because of the art and 25% because the artist may strike a chord with you. It can work to one's disadvantage that if they don't like your rude inconsiderate self, it can turn a sale away. Probably has more effect in an art festival-type atmosphere. Just my 2 cents. Although the moment I try to predict sales, I am continuously proven wrong. Thanks Robert for stirring up discussions!! www.tracywall.wordpress.com

I read Nick Rotante's letter with great interest. I'll never forget when a neighbour said to me, "I was so disappointed, (when the actor) who played John Luc Picard, on Star Trek, was interviewed on television, I thought he'd be a lot smarter!" Lost all the mystery.

Thanks Marj Vetter for your comment. Regarding "why people buy?" The more important issue for me is that they buy. This may sound trite but the "why" can never be calculated. The reasons are as varied as the amount of purchasers. No doubt when you make a sale your heart, mind and spirit soar, not to mention your purse. But I feel little time should be spent on the "why". If you want to increase the "why", paint sentimental things, things that don't threaten, calm, serene, bland. Your chances of selling will increase. Of course this does not mean paint badly without thought or purpose. You still have to apply yourself and use all your talent. I decided long ago, after leaving several galleries, that painting this way only made me want to quit and go into another profession entirely. I found that the reason I paint is to satisfy a need to express myself. Not express what the gallery owners want or the public wants. If they want other things than I paint, let them paint their own pictures. The reasons (which are unimportant) people buy your art is because they see something (though unexplainable) that they don't see in any one else's art. You made a connection by being true to yourself and found a kindred spirit who was willing to part with their hard earned money to have your painting adorn their walls. Be thankful. If you could ask a thousand people why they buy and they gave you a thousand reasons and you had the ability to paint their requests, there is still no guarantee they would buy it. So why waste the time. Use your time and energy to paint your heart and there will be a buyer out there looking for your work.

Painting is a strange business. (J. M. W. Turner) Also one of my favorite quotes to overhear, "It looks like a place I'd like to visit". (Unknown buyer) I personally have to disagree with Shaw's remark that knowing an artist leads to thinking less of the art. I am an outgoing person and I lock myself away for days at a time with just Shamy My faithful Golden Retriever to keep me company. So when I’m doing an open studio or a show opening I love to hear what people really think, it amazes me what different things people interpret in my paintings and how things as straightforward as a landscape have the ability to affect us all so profoundly different. I have found that many people buy after the second or third time they meet me and have the chance to share their feelings about my art and art in the more general since. I not only love painting, but I love paintings. I love contemplating and debating them, it gives me a thrill akin to the actual creation of them, and this thrill is what I hope buyers take home with them and share with their family and friends. All the best, Michael Orwick www.michaelorwick.com http://michaelorwick.blogspot.com/