Red Dot Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Many of you know that I love art history and deeply enjoy reading about the artists who made that history. Earlier in the year I had a number of you reach out to me and recommend that I pick up Ninth Street Women, a new book that tells the story of five women who were fundamental in shaping Abstract Expressionism, but who have been neglected by art history.

I was hesitant at first because I've already read and learned so much about this period, but as the recommendations kept coming in I finally decided I better see why this book was receiving so much attention. I picked up a copy and am so glad I did. Ninth Street Women opened up a whole new understanding of the period for me. 

In this episode of RedDotPodcast, I'm joined by the author of Ninth Street Women, Mary Gabriel. In the book Mary tells the fascinating story of Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler. Mary's book is captivating - epic in its story, intimate in its details. In our discussion, Mary tells how she came to write the book, and gives an introduction to the story of the struggles and triumphs of these five amazing women.

Pick up your copy of Ninth Street Women on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller.

Sculptor Paige Bradley draws inspiration from relationships and an inner dialog about the human form. Bradley now works out of a studio in Stanford, Connecticut, but in the past she's maintained studios in New York City, and in her hometown of Carmel, California.

Bradley's work has been featured in galleries across the United States, and her sculpture is in collections around the world.

In my interview with Bradley, she shares insights about her life-long journey to express her vision and overcome the challenges that face artists as they strive to build a career.

When I asked Paige if there was ever any question about whether or not she would pursue her art as her profession, she says there never was.

"I didn't allow the question to even come in." she says. "There were days where it was dark, and I didn't know how I would pay bills, and it seemed hopeless and scary, and I was sleepless . . . but within 48 hours, usually, an angel would walk in to my studio and buy a sculpture from me. It just felt like the universe always sent me a signal that I was on the right track."

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In this week's episode we'll explore how the laws of supply and demand effect the art market and art pricing. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list at reddotblog.com to receive announcements of future podcasts.

On Monday I shared a blog post about how to best display your artwork. In today's podcast I respond to comments and answer questions that were left relating to how artist's can best display their art at shows, festivals and open studio tours. It's tempting to display too much work, and in this episode I talk about how to overcome this temptation.

I take questions from RedDotBlog readers this week about how galleries feel about you showing in other galleries in the area, expanding your exposure, and I take a question from an artist whose work generates a lot of interest but few sales. I give my insights and opinions on these questions and others in this weeks "Ask me Anything" session.

Be sure and check out our Mentorship program. Registration for the mentorship closes on July 7th. Go to mentorship.artbusinessacademy.net/

I talk with Massachusetts artist Mara Levin, and Bay Area artist Naomi  VanDoren about how they've navigated the challenges of taking criticism from spouses or close friends. We discuss the importance of developing self-confidence and perspective when criticism, whether solicited or not, undercuts your confidence in your work.

Many artists wonder if marketing art on Facebook is a viable strategy. Oregon artist Robert MacGinnis, who describes himself as "old school" was reluctant to join Facebook when a collector encouraged him to join in 2015, but he quickly discovered that Facebook was an extremely effective way for him to sell his work and connect with collectors. Facebook sales now account for over 50% of MacGinnis' annual sales. In this episode, you'll hear the artist's simple approach to Facebook marketing.

View MacGinnis' work on his website at www.macginnisstudio.blogspot.com

Red Dot readers direct the discussion in this week's podcast by asking questions about the art business. In the session, Jason answers questions about approaching galleries, Nigerian scammers targeting artists, galleries that don't operate as well as an artist wishes they would, and much more.

In this week's episode, Jason shares events that lead up to a significant sale and lessons learned in the process. It's easy to give up on your marketing efforts when they don't seem to be working, but persistence can make all the difference.

An interview with Franny Moyle, Author of Turner, the Extraordinary Life and Momentous Times of JMW Turner. I picked up Franny's biography on Turner earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this important artist's life. Turner is one of the United Kingdom's greatest artists, and is, perhaps its best known, but I didn't know much about his life and I found Franny's biography fascinating and enlightening. Franny Moyle joins me for the interview from her home in England.