I want to thank one of my new subscribers for suggesting the topic of this week’s blog. I appreciate it very much! Networking has been extremely valuable to me as an artist, I certainly would not be doing what I am doing without the help of a lot of people, some close, and some that I have never, and will likely never, meet in person. I have joined several local art groups and have gained friendship, support and knowledge from them all. I have also joined many online groups and have and continue to receive numerous tips and encouragement from them also. Other people come with their own sets of knowledge and experience, and learning from them can save you countless time, frustration and in many cases, money! And it's not one way! They will also learn from you! Locally, I have been lucky to find two groups of artists who meet to paint once a week (or at least they did before covid shut that down!) In addition to the painting discipline created by having regular meetings, it is wonderful to see how other artists work, what tools they use, or where they get their inspiration or reference material. You can bounce ideas off other group members. Some groups will do regular “critiques” of member’s works. Groups can often negotiate discounts with local art supply or framing shops. Groups will sometimes also organize exhibitions which are invaluable in getting your work in front of people and force you to "up your game". Some groups get together to draw with live models and share the cost! Others organize workshops and offer discounted registration fees to group members. Although art groups are likely to be easier to find in larger cities, even the small town near where I live has an artist group! Ask around, perhaps at an art supply store, if they are aware of any groups in your town. Maybe there is one at your Community Center. Google it! Facebook could also be a place to look for art groups, both locally or globally! Search for “‘your town’ art group”, or “‘your town’ painting group” or drawing group, and see what you find. Some groups might specialize in a medium or style, like urban sketching or plein air painting for example, while others may be more general. Try to join groups where the other members are better artists than you. It will be intimidating of course, but you will learn to push yourself to get better! Remember no one, them included, was born knowing how to paint! If you can’t find a group to match what you are looking for, why not create one! Put up some colorful flyers at a place where you think like minded people would see them, or use Meetup.com and see what happens! Contact your town office to see what support they could offer you and your group (space for painting, advertising, etc). The value you will get from a group is well worth the time and effort to create one! For global networking, there are numerous Associations and Societies for professional "career" artists, but for the rest of us, I would certainly recommend using Facebook Groups. There are hundreds of art groups, from ultra specialised to general. Again, use search terms to help narrow down the choices to match what you are looking for. I belong to several groups including some about watercolor, some about reference photographs, some about sketching, some about specialised techniques such as waxing watercolors, etc. Some are regional and some are worldwide. Some of these groups are small, but some have thousands of members. It really depends on what you are looking for. Many groups are private, meaning you have to ask to join; most will have you answer a few simple “qualifying” questions. In most cases, the group moderators do this not to be exclusive, but to avoid just anyone joining their group then spamming it with undesirable content. It happens. A lot! In any case, take the time to read what the group description is, how many members it has, and how many posts it has in an average day, to see if that fits what you are looking for. Once you have joined a group, take a look around to confirm it is what you expected. If not, you can always leave! Most groups have rules, so follow them if you don’t want to get kicked out. You may want to lay low and observe for a while, to get a feel for the group dynamics. Again, be prepared to be floored by some of the artwork group members may share. Remember, you want some of the members to be better than you are so you can learn. Participate! Ask questions! Share! You never know where it will take you! Again, thank you to my new subscriber for suggesting this topic! If you have a suggestion, write it in the comments below, message me or send me an email! I love doing this for you!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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