6 February 2021 http://www.painters-online.co.ukLETTERS, EMAILS AND COMMENTS
STAR LETTER
Embracing and accepting the diff erence
I am new to The Artist and enjoyed the interview with Paul Riley in the
November 2019 issue. I was really pleased that he discussed the idea that
having to have a ‘style’ might be a commercial pressure as it makes the
artist easier to label and market. He expressed it perfectly by saying ‘as
individuals we are in a constant state of fl ux’.
I am an amateur artist and relatively inexperienced in all media but
I’m still learning – and I hope I always will be. But as humans we fear
change and when we fi nd something we’re good at it is uncomfortable
to step outside that comfort zone, in all walks of life, let alone when
you’re worried about getting paid. However, I think there is a bravery and,
almost, a naivety that keeps art fresh when we do have the
ability to switch media and ‘styles’, even just for fun!
Tricia Gladstone, by emailVIEWS
YOUR Email [email protected] or write to The Editor,
The Artist, 63/65 High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BD
Please note we may have to edit letters for reasons of space
This month’s star letter writer
will receive a Sennelier portable
watercolour palette, worth £29.95.Dealing with online scams
I can sympathise with William Mather
(You write, January 2020 issue) as I too
received a similar email via my website
and, while at fi rst it seemed a normal
inquiry, I was suspicious.
I looked for the sender on Facebook
and found someone of that name who
appeared to be a practising artist in
the US, as originally described. When I
replied to him asking ‘are you the same
person?’ a simple ‘yes’ was returned,
with no further information. Again,
odd. The story about a special weddinganniversary for the wife was there in
the narrative and while the English
was not perfect, I would not hold that
against someone. This just rang alarm
bells. There was an urgency about
the inquiry – they wanted this or that
painting, or anything really. Why, if it is
such an important occasion, were they
shopping overseas for a bulk item? A
New Jersey address was given, which I
was invited to look up on Google maps- would that be normal practice?
I politely advised the ‘prospective
buyer’ that the shipping costs to the
USA were hefty and also that (at that
time) there were serious issues about
fl ights going from the UK; as his
request was so urgent, I encouraged
him to support a local artist.
Did I feel I was losing a sale? No. I
reckon if it looks like a duck and quacks
like a duck...it’s a duck and, in this case,
one that was dead in the water.
I fully understand how William was
taken in. Our work is online, available
to view by all and therefore for sale to
anyone who wants to buy. Thank you,
William, for being humble enough to
share your story.
Carol Moore,by email
Scam-spotting tips
After reading William Mather’s letter
in last month’s issue and having been
the target of an attempted scam, I
thought I’d share the few giveaways
that I always look out for when I
receive online enquiries about my
work.- The salutation, for instance
‘greetings’. My full name is on my
website so why not use my Christian
name or surname. - Poor grammar.
- Requests for pictures of work,
prices, sizes etc. – all this information
is on my website with my artwork. - They ask if I accept checks (sic).
- No sign-off name after ‘Regards’.
Perhaps it’s about time we artists
fought back. If we shared the email
addresses of those who try to scam
us, we could all reply and, in doing
so, fi ll up their in-boxes!
Margaret Percival, by email
Andy McCaff reyMitsey, acrylic, 8¾ 11¾ in (22 30cm)
Painting as a hobby
I started painting and drawing about ten
years ago, learning from magazines and
YouTube. More recently I have uploaded
some of my art to my PaintersOnline gallery
https://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/
andymac and to Instagram (andymaccer).
When I was asked by a colleague to
paint a portrait of his dog Mitsey I said I’d
have a go but would only charge for the
frame as I don’t yet consider my work to be
good enough to charge for. I learnt how
to design a painting and use acrylics from
reading both The Artist and Leisure
Painter magazines, so thank you for the
advice and tips!
Andy McCaff rey,by emailTurn to page 28 to discover how
Kate Priestman creates her pet
portraits in charcoal. You can
also follow Paul Talbot-Greaves’
advice on how to paint successful
pet portraits in acrylics in our
December 2020 issue. To purchase
single copy back issues and to
subscribe to The Artist, go to
http://www.painters-online.co.uk/
store Ed.Subscribe at http://www.painters-online.co.uk or telephone 01580 763673
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