Wet-into-wet March 23, 2012 Greetings! You might paint wet-into-wet for several reasons. Lubrication is one of them. Just as an engine runs better with a bit of oil on its parts, so does a painting. Indeed, oil painting works its wonders because the oil medium is slippery and slow to dry and thus passages can be more easily blended, gradated, softened, even removed. Titian, one of oil's earliest technicians and first masters, declared it to be the greatest discovery in all of art. Another reason to paint wet-into-wet is the compounding of techniques. Even if you're habituated to fast drying acrylics, this doesn't mean you have to be victimized by their limitations. Popular slow-drying acrylics invite the use of lots of paint and permit all kinds of painterly outrageousness in realism and abstraction alike. A rewarding technique is to really "grease up" (put on an overall layer of slow-drying medium as surface lubricant). In acrylic, you might try using Golden Open Medium as imprimatura. No, I'm not on Golden's payroll. The lubricant layer can be clear or variously tinted and put on with a rag, brush or any number of other tools. After this, your colours slip and slide and mingle with abandon. While requiring above average skill in handling, they can add painterly efficiency, happy accidents, sly gradations and arresting effects. Acrylic painters in particular need not give drying time a second thought. Even the slowest drying acrylics can be force-dried in hours or less. I find the most fun can be had with the yin and yang between wet and dry. When impasto areas dry they are easily scumbled (generally lighter, brighter colours dry brushed over the slubs and bumps of darker zones). Then, after further drying and further grease-up, it's back to wet-into-wet for fresh new passages.     Perhaps the greatest reason to work wet-into-wet is to achieve a professional look. You might have noticed that the oils, acrylics and watercolours we really love to look at were at one time really wet ones. Further, many pros prefer a fresh look that belies the effort they've put into their work. By encouraging more fluid, cursive and longer flourishes, the professional's prowess is revealed. After that, little dry strokes are not as much fun anymore.  Best regards, Robert PS: "The thicker you paint, the more it flows." (John Singer Sargent)  Esoterica: Lack of freshness and flow in a painting can often be traced to miserliness on the palette. Sargent advocated, "No small dabs of colour--you want plenty of paint to paint with." Working on a pre-lubed surface with gobs of unsullied paint, Sargent moved in an efficient order: "If you begin with the middle-tone and work up from it toward the darks so that you deal last with your highest lights and darkest darks, you avoid false accents." With wet-into-wet you stand a better chance of maintaining a harmonious whole. Oh, and by the way, too many wet-into-wet strokes and you get "mud, mud, glorious mud."  Current Clickback: "Your own website" looks at how to create your own website. Your comments will be appreciated. Read this letter online and share your experience of painting wet-into-wet. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com Back by popular demand! One great big fat FREE book!! Yep, a totally free copy of Robert's most celebrated book, The Twice-Weekly LETTERS--960 pages--mailed post-free anywhere in the world, simply by signing up for a Premium Listing before March 31, 2012. If you have work you think the world should see, please check us out. While our listings are mini-websites in themselves, we are particularly good at sending volumes of visitors to websites you may already have. Our service costs $100 per year and we do all the set up, including changing work, etc, as you see fit. If you are thinking about it, please feel free to drop Robert a note. He'll be happy to pass along an opinion as to your work's suitableness. The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to The Painter's Keys website. Subscribe Free! Your name and email address will be kept safe. To Unsubscribe or Change Your Email Address, please click Safe Unsubscribe or Update Profile/Email Address links found at the bottom of this email. (c) Copyright 2012 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writingrgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

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Your own website March 20, 2012 Greetings! Just recently Leah Markham joined our staff of consultants at the Painter's Keys. A professional website designer who has built dozens of websites for artists, she will be improving the worldwide visibility of artists on our Premium Listing pages. This is where, for $100 per year, we build a special page for artists. Currently accessed by thousands of Painter's Keys visitors, we are looking to build further search engine traffic. From the day in 1999 I first looked at the Internet, I've realized what a game changer the medium is. Artists need either a Premium Listing or a stand-alone website--or both. A web presence is a must for marketing yourself, securing and empowering dealers and, for some, the growing convention of direct sales. For a once-only fee of $100, Leah has come up with a useful tool to make your stand-alone website happen. "More and more artists are tackling website design without proper instruction," says Leah. "Often they become frustrated and give up using their website altogether because they don't know how to use it to attract visitors. They find it difficult to update, or it lacks the features they really need. I've undertaken to clearly show everything artists need from start to finish in one comprehensive package." Leah has made a 7-hour video (divided into short segments) that walks artists through an easy to follow step-by-step instruction showing how to: Set up your own website in a system that is easy to use and has all the tools needed. Engage with your collectors through email marketing. Sell online using PayPal or Google Checkout. Set up Facebook/Twitter and show how these tools can be used to grow your collector base. Incorporate a blog into your website and how it can be used. Photograph your work and edit images using Photoshop Elements. Incorporate social sharing buttons to encourage people to tell others about you and your work. Optimize pages for search engines to attract more visitors. Utilize website statistics to see who is visiting your website and how that is helpful. Tie it all together to promote your work. While the quality of your art is the greatest determiner of success, Leah's online video tutorial will show you how to effectively guide people to your work. You can check out Leah's offer here.  Best regards, Robert PS: "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,  And waste its sweetness on the desert air." (Thomas Gray)  Esoterica: Our webmaster Yuri Akuney and other trusted advisors have looked at Leah's material and found it to be clear, thorough and effective. I found it to be a no-frills, straight-up demonstration of hands-on information. There's a learning curve, but it's not daunting. For those who want to inexpensively become a player on the world art stage, Leah's selected and free tools are the best we have yet seen. The reason for an online tutorial video is the changing nature of technology, applications and software. Unlike receiving a disc in the mail, Leah regularly updates the info so you stay ahead of the pack. Current Clickback: "Protecting your paintings" looks at how we can protect the surface our paintings. Your comments will be appreciated. Read this letter online and tell us what you think about creating your own website. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com Back by popular demand! One great big fat FREE book!! Yep, a totally free copy of Robert's most celebrated book, The Twice-Weekly LETTERS--960 pages--mailed post-free anywhere in the world, simply by signing up for a Premium Listing before March 31, 2012. If you have work you think the world should see, please check us out. While our listings are mini-websites in themselves, we are particularly good at sending volumes of visitors to websites you may already have. Our service costs $100 per year and we do all the set up, including changing work, etc, as you see fit. If you are thinking about it, please feel free to drop Robert a note. He'll be happy to pass along an opinion as to your work's suitableness. The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to The Painter's Keys website. Subscribe Free! Your name and email address will be kept safe. To Unsubscribe or Change Your Email Address, please click Safe Unsubscribe or Update Profile/Email Address links found at the bottom of this email. (c) Copyright 2012 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writingrgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

Protecting your paintings March 16, 2012 Greetings! Yesterday David Harper of South Carolina wrote, "I've been working with acrylics and have recently switched to oils. I must say the depth of color and blendability make oils a winner. My problem is with the varnishing. The length of time needed before varnishing is so long (unlike acrylic when only a few weeks are necessary). Must oils cure for 6 to 12 months before varnishing? It is important to me to protect them. Any advice?" Thanks, David. Unlike you, I started in oils and switched to acrylics. I loved oils, still do, but begrudged the inconvenience and the drying time. Also, (please keep this quiet) I was paranoid about what I was inhaling. I did have a ploy, however, and your letter reminded me.  I was in the habit of sending my oils out into the world in as little as three or four days. They shipped in wet-boxes where the panels or canvases were separated. In those days, dealers often varnished for you. One day I had an interesting letter from a dealer. He told me that some months before he had sold one "in minutes" and it went to the collector "still wet." The dealer had offered to come by the collector's home in six months and properly varnish the work. Impressed by the dealer's integrity and free follow-up, the collector insisted on buying two more paintings that the dealer just happened to have in the trunk of his car. After that letter, in the name of quality, I put a note in with each delivery: "Please varnish this painting, sold or not, sometime this coming June." Dealers actually thanked me for this note. Like the ten-thousand-mile-free-checkup on a new Mercedes, customers often brought in their paintings and bought another "for the kids." My paintings are guaranteed for life. My life. I welcome people into my studio for a free cleaning and re-varnishing. I'm the best guy to do it. Often I'm able to do it while we chat. When I'm finished I note on the back that I did the cleaning, any repairs made, what varnish I used, and the date. Apart from what some people say, the art business is a people business. Apart from that, people are curious to meet artists, particularly when they're funny looking. People will drive right across a country to see how funny. Best regards, Robert PS: "Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort." (John Ruskin) Esoterica: A drop or two of cobalt driers in the medium is the time-honoured method of speeding up drying in oils. Used sparingly, your paintings won't crack or crumble. Don't use Japan driers--they're too violent. While a lot of great artists don't agree with me, a good shine can be the final touch of quality. An uneven shine interferes with this illusion. Poor priming can be the culprit. Further, earth pigments (the siennas, ochres and umbers) tend to "sink in" more than other pigments and leave dull areas. This can often be corrected with a light spray of retouch varnish (comes in an aerosol can) right after painting. This helps in the drying too. Current Clickback: "Strategic patience" looks at planning for creativity--with patience. Your comments will be appreciated. Read this letter online and tell us about your experience in protecting your paintings. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com Back by popular demand! One great big fat FREE book!! Yep, a totally free copy of Robert's most celebrated book, The Twice-Weekly LETTERS--960 pages--mailed post-free anywhere in the world, simply by signing up for a Premium Listing before March 31, 2012. If you have work you think the world should see, please check us out. While our listings are mini-websites in themselves, we are particularly good at sending volumes of visitors to websites you may already have. Our service costs $100 per year and we do all the set up, including changing work, etc, as you see fit. If you are thinking about it, please feel free to drop Robert a note. He'll be happy to pass along an opinion as to your work's suitableness. The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter David Harper is at ekain2002@yahoo.com  Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to The Painter's Keys website. Subscribe Free! Your name and email address will be kept safe. To Unsubscribe or Change Your Email Address, please click Safe Unsubscribe or Update Profile/Email Address links found at the bottom of this email. (c) Copyright 2012 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writingrgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

“I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  Reinhold Niebuhr

Drawing for Understanding

Drawing for understanding March 9, 2012 Greetings! Drawings can be awkward things. The act of drawing may feel like bending a coat hanger around something. It's safe to say that too much drawing can destroy form and pattern. Fact is, paintings are best made of patches, not lines. But lines themselves are a way to understand those patches and the underlying forms. Beyond this, drawing is a beautiful thing in itself--often more lyrical and sensitive than the final works that follow. While often overburdened with clarity, drawings can also be mysterious, unfinished poems--the drawer explores and the observer completes. The preliminary drawings of two of Canada's top wildlife painters make this case. Glen Loates and Fen Lansdowne both used drawings as vehicles for exploration and understanding. We've put examples at the top of the current clickback. Artists can learn a great deal from these masterful drawings. Observed in the wild, flighty birds in particular train the eye to catch gesture at a glance. Further, the dynamics of wildlife movement and change of position need to be recorded in a few cursory lines. Having watched Fen Lansdowne sketching in the field, it seemed to me there's perhaps no subject that requires a defter eye. It's a matter of seeing life beneath the feathers. Turned on by Loates and Lansdowne, I've been using a three-step system that might also work for you. A couple of coats of grey gesso on stretched canvas give more opacity and remove a bit of annoying tooth. I draw with a regular graphite pencil or a chisel-sharpened 4B (General's Sketching Pencil). That's the first step. The second is to get comfortable. I like to lie down on a chaise lounge or relax in a big chair. Under a good light, this is where I take my time to shade, darken, and introduce gradations and other design elements. I "fix" the drawing (Krylon Crystal Clear, an acrylic coating) so things don't smudge. Thirdly, I put my effort on the studio easel and add acrylic colour to a chosen part. While I'm no Loates or Lansdowne, I have taken advantage of the smartly-tuxedoed Penguins of Patagonia. In all humility, my pinguinos had the decency not to fly away (because they couldn't) and are up for you to look at in the current clickback, too.  Best regards, Robert PS: "Open your eyes and draw. Look, look, look." (George Weymouth)  Esoterica: I can always tell a connoisseur at an art show when I see someone taking their time to look at top-notch drawing. Whether as a stand-alone art form or implied in a work of art, drawing separates the condors from the cuckoos. To be great art, drawing has to be greatly executed. Greatness, as I think I may have said before in these letters, takes time and patience. Getting your pencil around things, you begin to understand. Caressing with line, you begin to feel. Do it often, and you begin to love. "I sometimes think," said Vincent Van Gogh, "there is nothing so delightful as drawing." Current Clickback: "Scapegoat" looks at the popular human capacity for putting the blame onto someone else. Your further blaming will be appreciated. We also include the work of Glen Loates and Fen Lansdowne. Read this letter online and tell us about your experiences with drawing. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com Back by popular demand! One great big fat FREE book!! Yep, a totally free copy of Robert's most celebrated book, The Twice-Weekly LETTERS--960 pages--mailed post-free anywhere in the world, simply by signing up for a Premium Listing before March 31, 2012. If you have work you think the world should see, please check us out. While our listings are mini-websites in themselves, we are particularly good at sending volumes of visitors to websites you may already have. Our service costs $100 per year and we do all the set up, including changing work, etc, as you see fit. If you are thinking about it, please feel free to drop Robert a note. He'll be happy to pass along an opinion as to your work's suitableness. The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com

Enjoying some time with my good friend, Lone.  She is an art enthusiast and a director of Arts Etobicoke.  Good to have connections!

Who's Buying Paintings These Days?

All Content Copyright © Michael Chesley Johnson

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012

Who's Buying Paintings These Days?

If you paint a lot, as I do, the paintings eventually start pushing up the rafters. You either have to sell them, give them away, or burn them. I prefer to sell mine, since that fills the bank account so I can make more paintings. But sell them to whom?

I suspect most of my paintings either go to other painters or to my students, or to older people who have always bought paintings and still have the funds to continue to do so. I suspect that the paintings aren't going to twenty-somethings fresh out of college burdened by hefty school loans. I have some other thoughts on the matter, which I will discuss in a future post.

I've put together a little survey I'd love for you to take. Your responses will help me discover who's buying today. The survey is here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LNYJDWB

What Art Dealers Expect From Your Artist Resume: Part 3 - your short biography by Brian Sherwin on 3/1/2012 10:17:43 PM This article is by Brian Sherwin, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Conservative Punk, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Vandalog, COMPANY and Art Fag City. If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 17,000+ subscribers, consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites.  Disclaimer: This author's views are entirely his/her own and may not reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc..You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here. As mentioned in the first two articles of this artist resume advice series -- your artist resume will be 'broken down' by several headings that help to categorize your information. Some art dealers will provide specific guidelines when requesting an artist resume -- others won't. The goal of this series is to give you -- the artist -- some ideas of what art dealers may expect. (Note: A lot of my suggestions are based on conversations I've had with art dealers over the years). In Part 1 I offered advice about the 'Name' header. In Part 2 I offered advice about 'Contact Information'. In the following article I will discuss the 'Short Biography' header. (Note: this is one of the sections that can get 'ugly' fast discussion-wise. If you choose to comment -- keep it civil). Some art dealers will request that you include a short biography within the context of your artist resume. Your short biography should generally be placed under 'Contact Information' -- if it is requested by an art dealer. That said, if the art dealer does not offer specific artist resume guidelines you may have to go with your 'gut' as to how to approach this section. The art dealers I've asked tend to agree that a short biography should be included on your artist resume in some form. Keep in mind that artist resumes tend to be a tad more carefree compared to a resume you would use for the purpose of seeking employment. (Note: That does not mean that typos are acceptable). In other words, art dealers -- at least those I've spoken with -- are not going to automatically throw your artist resume aside just because you included an unexpected header. That said, they may toss it aside if something desired is left out (more on that later). Thus, in this context it does not hurt to include a short biography. However, remember that the idea is to keep your artist resume as brief as possible. As implied earlier, there are different ways to approach the short biography header of your artist resume if you choose to include it (I, for one, think you should include it). I have offered two suggestions below: Suggestion #1: You can break your short biography down into sub-categories. For example, you will want to have a category under Short Biography for Born (include year, city and country), Age (you already listed the year -- you might as well be upfront about your age.), Current Location (city and country)... and so on. This option is rather straight forward -- and maintains the overall structure of the artist resume from one heading to the next. Suggestion #2: You can offer an extremely brief paragraph that includes general biographical information about who you are as an artist. In other words, you will include the same information provided in Suggestion #1 -- but present it in paragraph form along with other information about who you. If you are not 'big' on writing you may want to stick with Suggestion #1. An alternative: Some artists will combine Suggestion #1 with Suggestion #2. In other words, you can list a few categories -- such as Born and Age -- followed by additional biographical information presented within the context of a sentence or two. Remember -- keep it brief. I must stress that most of the art dealers I've spoken with prefer Suggestion #1 simply because it makes for an easy read. It also offers specific information that may help the art dealer decide if you are a good 'fit' for his or her art gallery (Note: This is where this section can get 'ugly' comment-wise... but it must be discussed). Like it or not... some art dealers have specific conditions in mind pertaining to what their clients desire. Point blank, some collectors/clients may only be interested in collecting art created by artists from within a specific age range OR from a specific country. That may not be "fair" depending on your view of it -- but keep in mind that the art dealer knows the collecting habits/traits of his or her clients... and most WILL cater to them without a second thought. The art dealer may not be upfront about these specifics -- especially if it is an open call. That is not to say that he or she is intentionally wasting your time. After all, in researching the art gallery (and you should do a lot of research before submitting an artist resume) you will likely be able to tell if age and country will be a factor in exhibit/representation consideration. Point blank -- if you are 25 years old you may not want to get your hopes up if all of the exhibited/represented artists associated with the art gallery are over 40 years of age. Furthermore, if the majority of the artists associated with the art gallery are originally from China... well... it is probably a good bet that the art dealer prefers artists from China. (Note: I'm not saying that is always the case... but it is what it is). I can hear it now -- "Age (or where the artist is from originally) should have nothing to do with it if the art is great...". On a personal level I agree (and I'm certain that most art dealers would agree as well on a personal level)... as for business -- and remember that most art galleries are a private business -- the art dealer knows his or her clientele better than you. For some art collectors the age of the artist -- or where the artist is from -- is an important factor. That is not to suggest that those art collectors loathe art created by artists outside of those requirements -- but for their art collections... they know what they want AND the art dealer wants to keep his or her gallery doors open. It is best to be upfront about said information from the get-go within the context of your artist resume just incase the art dealer does, for example, consider age and country. After all, the art dealer will likely find out anyway if the information is crucial for his or her client base -- not to mention that he or she (or gallery staff) may toss your artist resume aside if those factors -- missing from your artist resume -- are considered important. I want to stress that I'm not suggesting that all art dealers want to know your age, country and so on for the reasons mentioned above. That said, some do. That is a reality of the gallery world -- and it is a fact that some art collectors seek artists based on age or where the artist is from. Art dealers WILL cater to the preferences of their regular clientele (business is business... and the art dealer has bills to pay) -- thus, if the art gallery collector base is looking for specific requirements based on age and location... you can guarantee that the art dealer will be thinking on those same terms regardless if he or she is upfront about it or not. Again, it is best to be upfront from the get-go. If age and country doesn't matter to the art dealer (or his or her clientele) it won't matter if you list said information -- and if it does matter to the art dealer (and his or her clientele)... he or she WILL find out OR simply toss your artist resume aside if the information is missing. My words may seem harsh... but remember that this is all based on what art dealers have told me over the years. Art collectors will always have preferences... be it style of art, age of artist, whatever… and art dealers -- in general -- will do everything they can to keep regular buyers happy. In addition to the above, I want to stress that I realize that many older artists are extremely wary of ageism within the art world (I'm not fond of it either) -- and that there are younger artists who want to appear older out of concern that they will be viewed as 'too young' by art dealers. Young or old -- writing your artist resume is NOT the time to be concerned about your age. Just be upfront. Refer to what I said above if needed -- and repeat. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier -- you will have an idea of what you may be getting into simply by researching the art gallery in advance... which is something you SHOULD have done before submitting an artist resume in the first place. Next on the artist resume chopping-block... my suggestions for listing Education. Take care, Stay true, Brian Sherwin