Comparing Artist Websites

As well as being a painter, I'm also a website designer. Here's a bit of info I answered to an artist friend recently about how to deal with websites as an artist:

Mary, Hi!

I need to get a website and don’t know much about them. I know you design websites so could you help educate me? How much do they cost to have someone do them? Is there a maintenance fee? I know there are ones you can get for free, but are they professional enough? Can I add new paintings by myself once it is designed? I am not too computer savvy—can I do it myself? --J.S.

Answer:

Yes, all of us artists need websites -- mine is useful to have samples of my work to show potential customers and galleries. But be aware that most artists never really sell from their sites -- people seem to need to see your work in person before they buy. For most of us, websites are marketing tools rather than sales tools. I've had my customers review my website and come back to me and ask me to do a painting of their daughter based on poses they saw there. I also had a book publisher find me and include me in one of their art books. But I've never actually sold a painting online.

Most artists don't have the money to have sites professionally designed. But even without professional designers, there are still endless possibilities. Mostly, they opt for one of three things:

1. 'Free' sites. You get the good with the bad. A totally free site is one where you don't own the site -- the hosting company does, so you cannot have a myname.com URL -- you basically have their hostingname/myname.com as the URL, which makes you one of thousands of artists they represent, making this ultra competitive, with many artists who sell for cheaper than you. Even if they claim to have wonderful search capabilities, your site ends up being impossible to find in terms of google searches. And if you pay $0 for this kind of site, there are always 'premier' artists who pay something to the hosting company, which places these artists at the top of the pack in the hosting company's client searches. Many of the free sites often only let you display three or so paintings, and don't give you many pages. And free sites don't make sales. Beware of claims -- many free sites are actually free to start, but require a monthly fee.
   
2. Managed artist fee-based sites. The deterrents here are the same as the free sites, but you are able to have many paintings rather than just a couple. Not a bad way to go, but make sure you are allowed to get your own URL, (A domain name usually costs about $10 per year) and compare the real costs.
3. Your own standalone site. You get your own URL (again, about $10 per year), and you can have as many pages as you want, depending on how your site is hosted. You can get a site that comes with a template and that you can adjust and edit yourself, or have someone create it for you, where you can't go in and edit it yourself. Many artists would rather go in and do it themselves, so I'd recommend template sites.

--Mary Hubley
www.webhubdesign.com

Beach Stroll

Beach Stroll is my newest painting, sofa-size (24" x 48" oil on canvas).

Strolling along the shoreline is rejuvenating, walking for miles at the sandy edge of the world. I often bend over to study an especially attractive piece of seaglass or moonshell, rubbing off the sand, and placing it in my pocket for later.

St. Augustine has a long sandy coastline. We can drive on the beach here, but I prefer to walk and muse and enjoy the breeze against my face. The weather here is heavenly this time of year, and I am compelled to be out in it. Just getting my feet wet, moving ahead slowly, watching the birds, and enjoying just being alive.

Red Sailboat Painting

Painting of Sailboats

I love sailboats. In this area of the world, there's lots of water, lots of hidden coves, and lots of sailboats to explore the incredible environment.

There is such serenity to find out on the water. It can be overwhelming sometimes -- too much sky, too much water, too much air to breathe. It's a lot to take in.

Sitting on the deck of a boat is a great way to enjoy the wild places. And when the sun gets too hot, you can jump off the side and get wet. When the sun gets too intense, you can go inside and make a sandwich.

The best times on a sailboat? Early evening, when the day cools off a bit, and you can sit and watch the dolphins swim by and play in the waters that have become still and glassy.

This painting is a new piece that celebrates the life of a sailboat .

"Red Sailboat" is available for sale at Fairfax Gallery, Ponte Vedra, FL. 904-285-1121. $720.

Sand Play

Here's a new small oil painting I created -- a small girl playing on the beach in my home town, St. Augustine, Florida.

I paint lots of children playing on the beach -- they remind me of days gone by, when I would spend hours digging, running, and just wallowing in the sand and salt water.

Oblivious of anyone else or the hours spent just doing nothing, children have the ability to create new worlds and adventure from seashells, sand castles, and water buckets. Hopefully we all have such stunning memories of childhood.

The original of this painting, Sandplay, 6 x 6 oil on canvas, is currently available through Fairfax Gallery in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Florida Light

Hot Day at Dock, 20 x 16 Oil on Canvas

The sunlight. It reminds me of Southern France, where the impressionists of the 1800s lived and worked. It's bright there and here, allowing many more aspects to be explored in its the depth and brightness than in the North.

The light is so different here than in Philadelphia, where I grew up. It's hard to define -- brighter, more vibrant, humid, ... In the North, colors were softer, muted. The difference in light and color can't be defined as the color names -- all places have aspects of as pure cerulean, ultramarine, and cadmium. I've used the same color palatte all over the world.

My latest painting shows the light in the heat. It's misty and cool at the same time. The light is more of a feeling than a color. I can't remember ever feeling this way growing up -- this is an afternoon that is specific to North Florida. Hot-cool, bright-misty, lonely-serene.

What Recession? Sotheby's and Christie's are Selling Art Again

Beach Boy, 12 x 12 oil on Canvas


This week's art headlines scream, "Confidence has surged back into the art market faster than predicted, and although contemporary values were hit hard by the credit crunch, auctioneers are confident that this week's sales will cement the recovery."

Wow! Finally after months and months of no confidence! Last week, a world auction record was set of $104.3 million was for a Giacometti statue. And the ArtTactic research group said the contemporary art market had returned to levels last seen in the autumn of 2007. Sotheby's and Christie's was already seeing sharply higher numbers six months ago, indicating that at that time, wealthy collectors were over their financial crisis.

So, what's that mean to us artists who don't sell works through Sotheby's and Christies? And what about smaller collectors who may not yet have managed to crawl beyond their own personal financial speedbumps? Are they buying anything but a small print here and there?

Could be. While I don't have any hard and fast numbers, the galleries with which I work seem to be a bit busier with real buying customers. I've noticed better sales lately of my own work. Rather than just settling for smaller paintings, my collectors are beginning to purchase some of my larger, more expensive work.

Could be it's spring. Or that people just need a lift. Or it could be a sign of good things to come.

Painting Children: Lessons from Joan Walsh Anglund

In The Sand 2, 6 x 6 oil on canvas
by Mary Hubley

I remember reading in an article years ago about how difficult it is to follow a child long enough to draw him. In the article, which profiled one of my favorite childhood illustrators, Joan Walsh Anglund, she said that it was difficult for her to capture a child's features because they move too quickly. You can't get a child to pose. Before you even draw your first line, the child has moved on as fast as a rolling wave. Joan said that that's why she never drew childrens' actual facial features -- thus, her trademark emerged as children with just a couple of eyes, no nose or mouth.

From A Friend is Someone
Who Likes You,
by Joan Walsh Anglund

My style is much different from Joan's, as I often include facial features (although I love my paintings where the child is turned or has her head down). I guess my point is that artists who do the same subject matter face similar challenges, whether illustrating children for books or selling our paintings of children in galleries -- children as subjects just don't lend themselves to long plein air work lasting all afternoon.

Children on the Beach

I'm always amazed at the reaction little ones have when they experience the ocean for the first time. The little ones take it as if it's just another amazing day of many amazing days. Their short lives have brought treasure troves of new experiences and new awesome places.

The beach may be scary for some at first, but for this little one, she tiptoed into the edge of the water in the protective grasp of her mum. She giggled and stomped her feet and splashed in the shallow waves.


Tiptoe, 12 x 12 oil on canvas
by Mary Hubley

Best of U.S. Oil Artists

Here's another painting, called Summer Shade, that's being featured in Kennedy Publishing's new Best of America - Oil Artists book. The paintings in the book, as well as all of my best works, are places that I've been and people that I've seen. They combine my memory of 'being there' with all of the senses of actually having been there - the woodsy smell of the air, the heat of the day, and the background sounds of birds singing and kids laughing.



In Summer Shade, I found a group of kids in the area trying to keep cool on a hot August day. St. Augustine has lots of big live oak trees that meander forever through the woods. While most kids would rather sit at home and play video games, this group seemed to love to get together and spend time outside. Climb trees, jump in the watering hole, explore the woods. This was a quiet, hot day, but satisfying for this boy as he watched others settle in and explore the branches.

Check a larger size of this pictuere in the online version of the new book: Best of America Oil Artists Volume II

Best of America - Oil Artists

Waterboy, 20 x 24 oil on canvas


This is one of my paintings being featured in Kennedy Publishing's new book, "Best of America - Oil Artists". My work was chosen as one of 200 oil artists around the country to be featured in the book. I'm on a 2-page spread that showcases several of my paintings.

It's such a boost to have been chosen to be part of this book and be given the designation as one of the top 200 oil artists in the U.S. The other artists in the book are top-notch artists, all of whom have an overwhelmingly beautiful body of work. It's a real delight to be featured as part of this incredible talent.

Check out the artists in the book here: Best of Oil

What's That in the Water?

Wading in the water -- that's where to get the best stuff! I love to walk the beach -- it's been a lot colder now, and don't see too many people who want to walk and beachcomb as it's cooling off. But there's still lots of wonderful stuff to find in the shallows. Some of my best subjects come from just down the end of my street, which is the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Here's a new one!

Painting Through a Slump

I'm painting like crazy again! You never know when you're going to hit a dead wall. Other things in life start to take over, and before you know it, it's weeks since you touched your last paintbrush.

I've just gone through a dry spell. One where I did paint every week, but without much enthusiasm. I've been involved elsewhere, and I've been a bit lazy.

I look on these times not with frustration, but with a sense of rest. I take rests occasionally from my work. And it's OK. I don't mind at all. It gives me a time out. A respite from having to push. I allow myself this.

Then, as quickly as the desire to paint has left me, it comes again. This time, I was inspired by a recent trip to Savannah. The galleries there are wonderful, and the owners of many of the galleries were the painters displayed, and many were there at their galleries, so I could talk to them. We went on a ghost tour, played by the river walk, and ate glorious Southern food.

The paintings there reminded me there was world-class art around. And I am once again painting. I've become more interested in children again, and people playing at the beach. That's where my energies are going, at least for now.

Beach at the Inlet

Beach at the Inlet, 30" x 40" oil by Mary Hubley

I've been painting large paintings lately -- all of the beach. This painting is of a place at the very bottom of Anastasia Island, where you can walk south on the ocean side beach, down under the bridge at the A1A inlet, and up north along the river side. You know you've left the ocean because there are no longer lots of waves. We've seen manatee here, and lots of sea turtles swimming by. It's magic. The locals go here, but the vacationers seem to like the bustle of the ocean beach rather than a little hidden part of the Florida shore.

Paintings for a Reality Series

National Park, 4 x 5 foot original acrylic on canvas by Mary Hubley

This abstract painting is a departure from my regular work. I usually focus on impressionistic views of wild places and people. This was inspired by a wilderness scene, with mountains, trees, and fields. But realism ends with the red, black and blocks of color.

This painting is being featured as the living room backdrop for Wife Swap's 100th episode, which premiered in March 2009. I've done Wife Swap before -- in 2007, when I showed my work in Mystic Gifts, which was featured in the show. Click here to see what the paintings look like in the 2009 episode as well as the 2007 episode.

Sunset at the Beach

Sunset at the Beach, 48" x 28" orignial oil on canvas by Mary Hubley

Low tide at the beach in St. Augustine, Florida. This is the time the locals come out and take their evening walks, enjoying the night air as it turns shades of gold, pink, and deep purple.

Changing Ocean, Changing Art

Getting My Toes Wet, 18" x 24" original oil on canvas by Mary Hubley


Every once in a while, a person needs to take a walk on the beach, breathe in the salt air, stand at the waters' edge and take in the immensity of the world. The ocean is vast, constantly changing. Such inspiration; every second is recreated into something new. I am overwhelmed by such power. I walk back to sit on the dry sandy dunes, and gaze up at the cumulus formations dancing across the far horizon. I'm lulled by the sun's sweet warmth and the sound of the gentle surf.

I come here when I need new direction. Nature is my great spirit guide. It is the master of change, and always gives me perspective when I am looking for guidance.

Today, I realize I'm achieving the goals I'd set for myself a couple of years ago. I never thought I'd get to this place in my life, and I'm loving it. It hasn't taken me long. But to continue my bliss, I cannot simmer here for too long, because good things go rancid quickly. I'm a traveler in life. Once I reach a destination, I must have a new one to work toward.

So, I listen. The ocean whispers to me -- it says, "dream large." The sky says, "make your creations dance." The breeze and warm sun smile at me. They say, "have great joy. Close your eyes. Enjoy simple pleasures." The immensity and power of the place remind me, "large dreams require much work." I feel refreshed. The world's strength is my own, and I travel on. While I'm still not sure exactly the direction I'll travel just yet, I do know how I'll do it --I'll travel powerfully and create large, dancing joy in my future.

August Shells

August Shells, 22" x 28" original oil on canvas by Mary Hubley


Small treasures that wash up on our beaches are such a incredible opportunity for art. I have always been one of those people who walk down the beach, hunched over, squatting, picking up and discovering new treasures. There's such a magic display of wonder at our feet. I am a beach comber. I swoon at the menagerie of scallop shells with ridged fans, soft pink moonshells with their deep pockets (which sometimes house visiting hermit crabs), bleached white clam shells, and even broken remains of mystery crustaceans. All of these wonderful seashells endeavor to place themselves at my feet, as if they were destined to find a great spot on the beach to hold their daily parade of sandy wonder.

The Scallop

The Scallop, 6 x 6 original oil on canvas by Mary Hubley

My paintings sell well. Lately, it's the seashells, lily pads, frogs, and butterflies. Beach things are especially wanted . . . of course . . . I live at the beach and this is what the galleries here sell. Take a little piece of the beach home.

Just as much as I enjoy the process of brushing the buttery colors onto a canvas, I enjoy living with a painting before showing it. I hang it in my living room for a season. Eventually, I move on. Eventually, my paintings make their way to one of my galleries, and from there, they're whisked away to live with someone else. All my paintings remain with me, though, as part of my life's travels, a memory everlasting.

Beach Shells

Beach Shells, 6 x 6 original oil on canvasby Mary Hubley

Every season in Florida is shelling season. There are shells scattered on the beaches from the north shore to the south shore of every barrier island. Here, there are moonshells and scallops, tiny clams and sea glass. Pink hues and tan stripes. I often go walking on the beach and comb it for wonderful finds to bring home, becoming main characters in my paintings.

Last weekend, my husband and I sat on the beach for a few hours reading books and watching other people enjoy the sand and the water. The children revelled in the sand. I watched kids build sandcastles, decorating them with scallops. One little girl just sat there in the sand, touching it, picking up handfuls gingerly and feeling it sift out between her fingers. Magic.

Sand and shells are great subjects for painting. Living in a beach house, you want to be surrounded by seashells. And your wall art often reflects the love of the beach.

Dragonflies

Dragonfly, 6 x 6 original oil on canvas by Mary Hubley


I go on evening strolls around my home in St. Augustine, Florida with my wonderful husband. We linger as we pass a tiny waterway full of frogs, turtles, and fish. We've been watching the little dragonflies buzzing around the tall grasses recently, an ode to Spring in Florida.