Considering the time of year,
 this question from Eva, a student at the Academy of Art, San Francisco, CA, seems very timely. She asks:


"Do you suggest that we find a job after graduation or set up our own studio directly?"







 Of course, there are always unusual circumstances, but I think getting a job related to your field of study gives you great experience that will ultimately channel into your art or craft. I use the term "related to your field of study" quite loosely.

Anything 
that is remotely connected to your interests and skills seems better than an unrelated job.







Here I am sitting at a "kitchen table"

as my work bench. This grainy black &

white photo was from a 1977 newspaper


article  from The Charleston Gazette

Photo Credit: Lou Raines 


After my graduation, I supported myself for years
 doing jewelry repair.  Then I had a job for about 8 years working for a plating firm repairing anything that came in the door from sugar bowls and creamers to elevator rails.
The experiences increased my skills and confidence. I learned problem solving, metalsmithing skills, a hands-on…

A question from Pei Sze, student at Academy of Art, San Francisco: "If we put our works on consignment and it gets damaged, who is usually responsible for the damage?"



The ANSWER is in your consignment contract. BEFORE SENDING WORK or delivering work to a gallery or store, ALWAYS discuss the consignment contract. The Professional Guidelines has a Consignment Contractthat will help negotiate this and other issues before there is a problem.

In the Professional Guidelines Consignment Contract look in:

Section 8. Loss or Damage.

"The gallery shall be strictly liable for loss or damage to any consigned artwork from the date of delivery to the gallery until the artwork is returned to the artist or delivered to a purchaser. In the event of loss or damage that cannot be restored, the artist shall receive the same amount as if the artwork had been sold at the retail price. 

If restoration is suggested or pursued by the gallery, the artist shall…

Last week, Andy Cooperman and I gave a presentation with Q & A for an audience of students and emerging artists. Co-sponsored by the Academy of Art San Francisco and the S.F. Metal Arts Guild, the event drew an the audience of close to 100.  

Part Two of this program with Harriete Estel Berman and Andy Cooperman is now on You-Tube .

youMy only disappointment was that we didn't have time to answer all the questions (including a list submitted by students).

Therefore, I plan to answer some of those questions through ASK Harriete over the next few weeks.

Here is one question that always comes forward:

"As a young artist, what is the first step to get my artworks shown in a gallery?" - Eva

Some parts of the answer have been answered in four articles under the heading, SUBMITTING WORK to GALLERIES and RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS written by Don Friedlich, Andy Cooperman and myself, Harriete Estel Berman.

Galleries: Are They Right…

I was reading an article about "Pinterest's Ben Silbermann to 'Treps: Make Something Beautiful" on Entrepreneur.com. Though the article lists three pieces of advice for entrepreneurs, it struck a cord in me. A resounding echo that could be solid advice for artists and makers. Each one builds on the other.



Below is my short version for finding success:

Follow Your Own Path. Close the books on technique. Invest in play and experimentation to find your own path. This is a solitary, lonely activity. Many books and studies of cognitive thinking demonstrate that it takes around 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert.Become an expert in your own work.

Be Resilient. Overnight success and instant fame are fairy tale fantasies. Invest time and commitment into following your own path. Everyone, yes, everyone is rejected and discouraged along the way. Learn from your mistakes, analyze failures and successes. I don't care whether you can only work one hour a day on your own work. One hour a day is seven hours a week. 30 hours in a month, and  360 hours a year. This is enough time to make one fabulous artwork a year.

Surround Yourself with Positive Energy.Ignore the naysayers. Ignore…

Are you looking for direction on your  path to success?

Where do you want your work to go? What insights would you like to gain from my 30+ years of experience?  

Is your work consistent with your marketing? Are you images good enough to get you free publicity? Are your short term and long term goals an effective compass for success?

On April 28 & 29th, I will be teaching a professional development workshop at Revere Academy as part of their Masters

Symposium in San Francisco, CA.

Prepare for Success

April 28 - 29, 2012



 …

In struggling through my taxes (along with everyone else this time of year), the number crunching reminded me of the 1099 "red flag" that probably triggered my tax audit in 2010.  Don't let this happen to you!



In past years, I just included my 1099 revenuewithin my "revenue totals."

Near the end of my audit in 2010, which I survived thanks to appropriately accurate records and having every receipt requested by the auditor, the auditor revealed her hand. After an hour and half of  "inquiries", the I.R.S. iron lady finally asks, "Where is this specific 1099 revenue reported?"  She knew the exact amount of money and person who sent the 1099.



Thank goodness the 1099 was included in my reported revenue, I could show her in my records in about 2 minutes. However, this 1099 wasn't broken out separately on the tax return. Because I didn't list the 1099 revenue as a separate line item, the I.R.S. thought I was hiding income.

Back to last night....

This year all 1099 income is going on the 1099 line in the tax return.

But then, don't forget to subtract that 1099 income reported on a 1099 linefrom your Schedule C total revenue. You don't want to count it twice.

Harriete…

My current project with KICKstarter is a real awakening.It's a roller coaster of a ride on the learning curves of two new worlds -- entering an unfamiliar social networking domain of the Internet's long tail, and the world of documentary video production.

Combined with the unfolding exhibition of Pick Up Your Pencils, Begin, these events and revelations have caught me up a whirlwind of thoughts and impressions.  After a 4+ year odyssey of fabrication, I am reflecting on a post from Chase Jarvis titled "Hit List: 13 Things Crucial For Your Success [In Any Field".  I recommend reading every word.

Chase's #1 tip is "Get $h!+ Done".

For four years, I felt like I was limping along on the pencils. I couldn't work on it every day.  Shows came up that needed new works to be made.  Making work to sell gets in the way. Life gets in the way.  But I'd force myself to work on it every chance I could.…

This week I am teetering on a thin line between a new path of success or the brink of failure. EVERY DAY I vacillate between terrified panic and the steely focus of intense preparation. Let me explain . . . and perhaps you may gain some insights for your own path.



For the past four years I have been working on an installation art piece, Pick Up Your Pencils, Begin. It is a large sculpture (15 feet tall and 28 feet wide) commenting on the impact of standardized testing on our educational system. The issues include the decline of the arts and crafts in our schools due to increased pressures to measure academic performance. Ironically, the mission statement for every school and school district include creativity and problem solving, two skills that the arts can engage. 

This artwork is a voice for the arts in education. However, as an art project, it also taught me a few lessons. Through much of the four years, I have been full of doubt. Would it turn out? Would it hang straight? Would the bars support the weight?  Would my vision even be possible?

 …

 I listen to Charlie Rose every day I often find the speakers inspiring. These are the smartest, hardest working and usually, most articulate people in the world able to bring ideas and introspection to the plain wooden table of Charlie Rose.

Today, I want to share a couple of thoughts that may be  helpful to artists and makers. Of  course, these quotes weren't really about art, or art careers, I have taken their words completely out of context, but their words of wisdom warrant being heard. In fact, I think they should be our mantra.

  The first quote is from an interview with  George Shultz, Former US Secretary of State from Monday, January 24, 2011. I have been savoring this for over a year now. He said, "If you don't have ideas, you don't have a compass." This opinion works for both our art work and for our careers. If we don't have a compass  we don't know what direction we are going. It is very easy to get lost. We need a plan.  We need a one year goal and a five year goal.

Continuing with inspiring…

There is a ton of discussion going on about Pinterest.The opinions are mixed. While Pinterest is a delightfully engaging web site I am very upset by a number of issues surrounding Pinterest. Including but not limited to:

• The fine print under Terms of Use regarding copyright and permission to post images;
• The apparent disregard by pinners for including the artist's name, complete description, photo credit and most important link to the original source.
• Complex issues regarding "ownership" of the images, and more.

My practical advice is at the top of this post highlighted in beige. IF you want more background surrounding Pinterest keep reading. I hope Pinterest takes actions or they are doomed for a red letter P across their chest for irresponsible behavior.



I think that everyone should discontinue posting on Pinterest for now, but do not delete your account. Advice from Tom McCarthy on Crafthaus  is well reasoned. He says: "I made a mistake when I deleted my Pinterest account.  I will be rejoining.  Not to re-establish my boards, I still don't want to pin.  But having an account will allow me…