http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistApril 2021 61
CASE STUDY Lucy Marks
Q Any tips for artists who would
like to sell online or launch a virtual
exhibition?
A To any artists out there thinking about
going online, I’d say ‘do it’. Like it or not,
we are in a digital age. And we are a
creative bunch who are good at moving
with the times.Q Anything else you’d like to add?
A Whilst the virtual experience will not
replace galleries and gallery shows, I do
think it’s important for an artist to have
an online presence in today’s world.
And if you work with a good website
developer, it can come pretty close to
giving a flavour of the experience. It’s
like an old-fashioned business card – you
need a place for people to be able to see
your work and potentially buy.https://www.lucymarks.co.ukQ How did you get the idea to launch
your first online solo exhibition?
A My online exhibition, Quiet, Beauty &
Space, showcases a group of paintings
inspired by local National Trust sites.
During the first lockdown in 2020, I started
to think about putting the whole show
online without looking for any face-to-
face exhibition. I was not going to let a
global pandemic stop me painting or offer
my work to be seen!Q Why did you make the decision to go
online?
A The decision to go exclusively online
was driven out of the need to get my work
seen and to give my viewers an insight
into my process. It is amazing how the
world really turned digital in 2020. Now,
my website and social media are a way for
me to share artwork with a new and much
bigger audience.Q How did you choose a body of works
for the exhibition?
A I put together a story that reflectedNext month: Talking/writing about
your workwhat I had achieved before, during and after
lockdown. I wanted to show a number of
beautiful locations in East and West Sussex
through a mix of oil and watercolour works.
They picked themselves. Q How did you go about creating the
exhibition?
A I realised that putting on an online
exhibition, creating a quality catalogue and
accepting sales online required a different
skillset to mine. And it takes time, too. As an
artist, it was sensible to focus on what I do
best – paint – and look to others who deliver
online experiences every day. The public is
very sophisticated today and expectations
are high for online viewing.
I contacted Parker Harris, who made the
whole process of creating an online show
straightforward. It was a great experience
and the end product is wonderful. The
exhibition definitely has a feeling of me, my
personal style and art process within it and
that’s thanks to Parker Harris taking time
to listen to what I wanted and helping me
technically achieve that vision.