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20×30 palette knife, oil on canvas www.alisonvernon.com

Matt LeBlanc is an abstract artist on a mission. Having lost his sister to a battle with cancer, Matt knows firsthand how devastating the disease can be on the individual and the family. So when his art began to sell, he decided to take a stand against cancer and founded the Matt LeBlanc Art For Life Campaign.

Through his campaign, he has raised nearly $11,000 with a goal to reach $25,000-which is a remarkable feat considering he prices each designated painting for just $150.

Today we’ve caught up with Matt to discuss the ins and out of marketing one’s art and reaching success.

Alyice: How long have you been a mixed media artist and how did you get started?

Matt: I was painting when I was very young but never did anything for years until my wife started buying art online. When the first couple pieces arrived, I told her I could do this kind of stuff and she laughed at me. That’s all it took.

One night while she was at work, I went out and purchased all the necessary materials and painted what I consider the first original Matt LeBlanc. Then I took a picture of the painting and placed it in an eBay template.

When she arrived home, I showed it to her and said, “I found a great painting. We should buy it.” She responded by saying that it was a good idea. So I pulled out the piece and she thought I had bought it already.

When I told her that I was going to get into art again and start selling my work, she again laughed at the idea. She’s not laughing now.

Alyice: What’s been your greatest success as an artist?

Matt: I think my ability to go in to people’s homes and design a piece of art for their living space has been my greatest success so far as an artist. My clients are always surprised and amazed that I offer this service. Yet, 75% of my clients have a wall to fill and that can’t be done without checking out their living space.

My clients don’t purchase art because they are collectors but because they want to fill a hole in their space. They want to make their room better by adding a piece of art.

Alyice: How do you go about the process of designing the right piece of art for your client’s living space?

Matt: I usually request pictures or go on site to view their current living situation or settings. We then discuss colors and style.

I get my clients to choose their favorite paintings from my portfolio and then I recommend the appropriate size. Once we agree on a design, I provide a mockup of the painting they like based on the picture of their room. This helps them visualize the final product. Once I get the go ahead, I paint it and show it to them upon completion.

I never ask someone to buy a piece that they don’t like, as they will have it for a long time. I can always find another buyer. Simple as that!!

Alyice: What has been your greatest difficulty and how did you overcome it?

Matt: To be completely honest, I have not encountered many great difficulties over the course of my art career. I had a few bumps in the road but that’s normal. And those bumps are what makes me who I am today.

I think the only difficulty I had in the past few years is trying to make sure that keep a balance in my life. That I balance everything I do. I have a very crazy life. I work full time as a Marketing Director in an advertising agency. It’s a high pace environment that can require long hours at time. I have a wife and two very demanding kids that need my attention when I come home. And then there’s my art career.

I have anywhere between three to ten people in my home studio on a weekly basis. I constantly go in my clients’ homes to deliver paintings or to offer consultation for custom orders. And I spend a lot of time updating my site, blogging, posting things in social media, building online relationships, preparing paintings for shipping, and the list goes on and on. Then I need time to create my artwork.

The difficulty has been to find the happy balance in this crazy life of mine.

Alyice: For those who have a hard time understanding the art form, can you explain what abstract art is?

Matt: By definition, abstract art is basically a different perspective of objects and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality. Every artist has obviously different ways to create art. Techniques, feelings, emotions & experience all play a role in the finished product.

Painting abstract for me is just plain fun. I really feed off colors, emotions and music. I’m not a type of artist who will take a walk and get instantly inspired by something I see. For me, it’s more the mood I’m in and the emotions I feel when I’m in front of the canvas.

I think a lot about colors, shapes and forms. Those items are at the basis of all my artwork. Abstract is seeing objects in a different perspective and I really enjoy hearing what my clients actually see in my work. The answers are very different from a person to the other.

Alyice: In your opinion, what makes a strong piece of abstract art?

Matt: A strong piece of abstract art should challenge your emotions. The choice of colors is an important part of the process. I always aim for color harmony.

Color harmony basically creates balance and engages the viewer by creating a sense of order. I like things that flow together and not things that shocked the viewer. For some people, the most important issue in art is that it expresses or stirs emotions.

I like to keep those emotions positive. I’m a really positive person to begin with so my art really reflects my personality. A lot of artists try to shock viewers by playing with colors to break the traditional harmony. I really have a hard time with those techniques. To me, art should be pleasing and comforting. If you don’t have a color harmony, it will create chaos. And who wants more chaos in their lives?

Alyice: In your blog, you talk about artists creating a brand for their art. Many artists think of branding in terms of characters they create or landscapes they paint or some other very distinct characteristic. How would one go about creating a brand with a form of art that technically has no distinct look or feel?

Matt: You don’t create a brand around products. You create a brand around an entity. Apple and Nike are strong brands. They have many products. Artists have to figure out what they stand for and what kind of image they want to broadcast to their audience. It can be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be that difficult.

A good start would be to look at yourself and figure out how you want the public to see you. Are you a fun artist? Are you a serious artist? Are you extremely professional or more a free spirit artist? Are you very organized? Is you work high end? Low end? These are all questions that will help you create attributes about yourself.

The Apple brand personality is about lifestyle; imagination; liberty regained; innovation; passion; hopes, dreams and aspirations; and power-to-the-people through technology. How would you describe yourself as an artist? If you can list those 5-6 powerful words that describe your artistic self, then you’re on your way to create your very own brand.

Alyice: So you believe that branding goes beyond the art one paints and stretches into one’s marketing materials. Correct? How would one carry their brand into their marketing materials?

Matt: Once you have that brand personality figured out then you just need to create a look and feel (the pretty pictures) that reflects those powerful words.

Apple’s material is so sleek, fresh and innovative which all reflects their brand personality. Take those brand words to any good graphic designer and they can build you collateral that will reflect your brand personality.

Alyice: It’s always easier to create art than it is to create marketing materials. Any tips on choosing a logo, font, or color scheme so that it becomes an extension of one’s art?

Matt: I had a few businesses over the years and something I’ve learned very early is to focus on what you do and hire help on things you shouldn’t do. I don’t know many mix-media artists who are also graphic artists. If you’re an artist, stick to your job. Invest money (yes your hard earned cash) into 3 things; photography, graphic artist services, and a good web designer.

Don’t have any money to invest? Find people that like your art and make some exchange. I have three clients that are professional photographers, four clients that are graphic artists, and a couple that are web designers. I’ve designed my own material but had professional photography done and got a web designer to put my site together.

Alyice: What types of marketing materials should beginning artists use to promote their work and how cost effective are they?

Matt: The most important asset for an artist these days is a website. I’m always shocked to discover artists who don’t have their own presence online. These artists have the tendency to join all the “art sites” available to them but they don’t have their own website (or blog). To me that creates a lack of focus. They spend all their time trying to manage all those different sites and paying all those fees and not giving enough attention to their business.

I always suggest that if you bother trying something out, give it a good three months and then decide if it’s worth it for you and your business (yes, your art is a business).

The second most important thing is the social marketing. Social sites are free, very easy to use and extremely powerful if used properly. Surprisingly enough, artists don’t use them properly. Artists tend to use social sites as one-way communication. I’m following artists on Twitter and all they do is post their latest work. It gets annoying. One-way communication doesn’t give me any reason to follow them; unless I’m really looking to buy one of their artwork.

Social sites are about forming relationships and providing relevant content. Work on those relationships by interacting with others. Your followers will go to you when they are ready to buy and they will talk about your art to their friends-thus giving you new leads and new relationships.

In the end, artists need to focus on providing a good blend of relevant content. Write small blog posts and tips and post them in between new art posts. This will elevate the artist’s status and make the artist seen as a professional in his/her field. Remember, people always want to deal with professionals.

To learn more, stop by Matt’s website or check out the Art For Life campaign.

Three of my paintings have been accepted into the Women's Caucus for Arts "Illustrated Women" exhibit which opens next week.

The exhibit opens on August 4 at the NACUL Center Gallery in Amherst. Please stop by if you're in the area.

Jackie

A scant few oak leaves had just begun to color. The oaks grew along the edge of a Sierra trail in a place that would have been awkward to set up to paint. I photographed them for later work in the studio, framing the scene with the camera as I intended to paint it. It was horizontal with a great deal of the dusty greens of late summer/early fall and the yellow leave in the lower left hand area, in a text book example of one of the perfect focal point locations. However, I did not like the first painting effort following that plan. There were large amounts of dark areas, with the eye drawn to the bright leaves and staying there.

In the next effort I went to a vertical composition, using only one third of the leafy area I had originally painted. Now I had something I like and hung on to for quite a while before offering it for sale. Even though vibrant yellows are much more centered, the image isn't static, as it's predecessor was. I've given some thought to why this painting works. I think two things give it a sense movement. The first is the physical composition, the second is in the context, the choice of detail of subject matter.

Flow is implied in two ways. While there are many interesting negative shapes to keep the eye moving, the circular sweep of leaves and twigs is particularly effective in that regard. Color patterns also flow around the painting in circular pattern, with traces of yellows in the largely dark green and red-brown areas, and bits of green lingering in the yellow leaves at the right. Secondly a few leaves can remind us of the circular sweep of time. Many paintings place us in a season, as a picture blazing with red and gold leaves would do, as an orchard full of blossom would do, or as bare tree limbs reaching the sky do. By showing the beginnings of transition from summer to fall, this one taps into the continual change brought by the passage of time.

15 to 18 pieces is what they wanted and between the present and when I first learned of that information, I lost track. A few of the paintings that I was doing were no longer good enough I felt to display in public for all to see. So, they will be available for sale on here as soon as I get myself together. I was ripping my hair out trying to remember the names of paintings and the sizes and the mediums and whether they were framed with glass or an acrylic panel or nothing at all. I could no longer think. I am trying to price all of my pieces so they sell because I need the room. And I guess I need the money. Winter is quickly approaching even though it is currently 95 degrees out. The other guy I am showing with... can find him here: http://www.paintingsbymandeville.com/index.html has his stuff priced twice the amount of which I do... and they are giclee nonetheless. I hope it doesn't make him angry. But, then again, I can tell he is more meticulous than I am-spending much more quality time than I do. I am somewhat narcoleptic so I am always falling asleep or just plain lazy. I cannot be that way anymore but even though I might have an entire day to piddle around in the studio or the wood shop, I find it hard to do anything when I have to work the graveyard shift. I don't want to get dirty.

I have currently entered this as one of the entries in the Light Space and Time Abstract competition for the August Juried Competion. The winners of the competition will have a lot of wonderful perks including the featuring of their artwork in the Light Space and Time Gallery for the month of September.

This painting is currently for sale as well.

Art is a very sensory experience . . . so much so, that some artists even seem to convey smells, tastes, and textures through their images alone. I think you’ll agree that Jelaine Faunce is one such artist.

Jelaine graduated from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas with a BA in Art. Now, she works meticulously to create exquisite oil paintings that you can almost taste. . . and for the past few years Jelaine’s subjects have been objects that make her feel good, creative, alive and happy: things like detailed tea cups, frosted cupcakes, lustrous coins, and sweet sugar cubes.

Her style is inspired by chiaroscuro, so she strives for as much contrast between shadow and light as possible. This contrast, paired with her luminous colors and reflections, is what makes her work stand out.

Jelaine’s oil painting process is quite time consuming and meticulous. She paints in very fine layers, sometimes up to 20 in her final pieces. Her goal is to eliminate all brushstrokes. A fan brush and a steady hand create the “deliciously creamy” surface on all her images.

These highly realistic paintings always have simple compositions and subject matter, and yet, although simplicity is at their core, her subjects are never boring.

Sometimes Jelaine even injects subtle humor, like in the image below titled “Choosing One over the Other”. Not only can I not decide between the cake and gift, but I can’t decide which of Jelaine’s paintings is the most captivating overall.

Currently, Jelaine is starting to shift into a new vein of work that is more personal, and will be launching a new website within the next month. I encourage you to take a peek at her blog, then watch for some exciting changes in the near future.

Living in Alaska for 16 years, you become very aware of the wildlife. I painted this after a day of hiking in Denali National park. The mountain in the background is Mt.McKinnley. The reddish-orange flowers are typical of the tundra up there. On this particular day we saw 5 of these rams. That coupled with the magnificense of the terrain was very inspiring.

Today, our co-op gallery (Corner Gallery, Ukiah) started an online forum exploring ideas for salesmanship, and selling art in our gallery, and upping sales in general.I plan on posting some good ideas we come across here on artid as well.If you are a member of artid, you are probably a little more savvy than many brick-and-mortar gallery artists when it comes to social networking, but, who knows? you might like some of the ideas for talking to potential customers. I have already received some interesting one-on-one sales techniques from one of our members who worked in sales in the San Francisco area for a railroad! These guys were not goofing around when they approached potential clients, and I was impressed on what he wrote. (I'll post his letter, later, with his permission.)
Also, as a note to artid, I am suggesting to any of our gallery members who don't have a website, (yeah, I know unbelievable these days!) that they open a gallery here, on artid and take advantage of this innovative place!
Later, gators
Susan

24×30 Palette knife, oil on canvas. www.alisonvernon.com

Have you ever seen an art blog on the very popular Blogspot.com that uses more space than the standard template they give you? Many times, it’s because the artist has added a third column.

I managed to update my blog recently to a three column site, and here’s how I did it:

(NOTE: The following information works best with the Minima template, which is the one I am using and I believe to be one of the most popular.)

Go to your blogger dashboard and select the "Design" tab, then the "Edit HTML" tab.

Click on "Download Full Template" to save a backup of your current template. Select all the text inside the HTML Edit text box, then copy and paste it into Notepad, or some similar text editor.

Save this file as MyBlogOld.txt. This ensures you have the original HTML if you don’t like the result or make a mistake when editing your template.

Now, save the same file again as MyBlogNew.txt. This is the file you will work with from here on.

All you will need to do at this point is make small edits to specific lines in the HTML code before copying and pasting it back to your blog. I copied the entire file back into the blog template after each change so I could see my progress, but that is optional.

Do a search for the following bit of code in MyBlogNew.txt:
#outer-wrapper {
width: 660px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:$startSide;
font: $bodyfont;
}

Change the line highlighted in red to this:
width: 950px;

This will increase the width of your blog’s layout to nearly 1000 pixels (although 950 pixels is about the widest you should go to allow for different browsers).

Search for this section of code:
#sidebar-wrapper {
width: 220px;
float: $endSide;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

Change the line highlighted in red to this:
width: 250px

This will make your sidebar just a bit wider. Of course, you can make it thinner too, if you’d like, or leave it the same width as before. I just think 250 pixels is a good width.

Find and copy this whole section from your file (this is the section we modified in the previous step):

#sidebar-wrapper {
width: 250px;
float: $endSide;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

Then, paste this section below the original. Now you should have two identical blocks of code. Each block of code represent one sidebar.

In the new section of code that you just created, change this line:
#sidebar-wrapper {
to say this instead:
#new-sidebar-wrapper {

This is because each sidebar must have it’s own unique name.

To get the new sidebar to appear on the left, change this line:
float: $endSide;
to say this:
float: $startSide;

When I previewed my blog I found that the post section was too close to the new column. To fix this I added this line of code here:
margin-right: 50px;
underneath this line:
float: $startSide; line.

You can also add left or right margins to your right-hand column or your main section.

The main section code is as follows:
#main-wrapper {
width: 410px;
float: $startSide;
word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

You can try changing the width of the main section to something like this, if you’d like:
width: 450px;
I decided to leave mine as is.

Now here’s the really nifty bit—you can actually add gadgets to this new column!

Find the following piece of code :
< id="’content-wrapper’">

< id="’crosscol-wrapper’" style="’text-align:center’">
< class="’crosscol’" id="’crosscol’">
< id="’Image1′" locked="’false’" title="”" type="’Image’/">
< id="’CustomSearch1′" locked="’false’" title="’Search" type="’CustomSearch’/">
<>

!—New lines here
< id="’main-wrapper’">
< class="’main’" id="’main’" showaddelement="’no’">
< id="’Blog1′" locked="’true’" title="’Blog" type="’Blog’/">
< /b:section>

And insert the new piece of code where I have indicated in red above.

When you are finished editing the template code, save your text file, then copy and paste the entire contents to your HTML code box on your blog. Click preview to see how it looks before saving.

Once you are happy with your results, save your changes. Go to the "Page Elements" tab and you should see three columns as shown below.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not put large javascript-type gadgets in the left hand column. This column loads before the rest of the blog, which means it can take a lot longer to load the bit that counts—your posts! Simple links or text are OK.)

I learned how to do all this from a really informative site which goes into a lot more detail and also explains many other ways to change the look of your blog.

Enjoy!

To read more helpful tips from Karen, check out KarenSteffano.blogspot.com .

I know this may not be a big deal for a lot of you, but to me it is and I would like to share. I entered two of my paintings in the professional art division, at the Stanislaus County Fair in Turlock, Ca.. My entries were Sailing and Old Tree, I was awarded first place on both of them in their division, and the "Old Tree" recrived "Best of Show". This really made my day.

Feel the salt water spray. See the good natured fun. This is one of a series of prints created from original watercolors to celebrate sun, sand, and sparkling blue water under the summer sky. These two boys haven't a care in the world ... and are definitely not thinking school will be starting soon!

In today’s video clip, it’s interesting to see how Jean Pederson adds depth and contrast to her watercolor portrait by simply dropping in some complementary colors. After many more layers of paint, the final result is stunning. Take a look:

If you’re interested, you can get Jean’s full watercolor tutorial at Creative Catalyst.

The Nice Rendition exhibit is 74 pieces of original calligraphy by 60 artists/calligraphers,each interpreting a song lyric by Cheryl Wheeler. Chery's music is playing in the background while Cheryl fans and other visitors take their time carefully looking at each and every piece. The exhibit,s accompanying 159 page full color, hard cover book,Nice Rendition is selling well and so it should. Cheryl gave a concert on the opening night of the conference to a wildly receptive audience of calligraphers many of them hearing her for the first time. She came over to the exhibit later that evening and signed books. It was so refreshing to see so much good energy in one room.

The Faculty Show is stunning as usual,Carl Rohr's "Frankenstein, The Monster Speaks" is standing out literally (19 × 47) as one of the most amazing pieces, made entirely of cut paper on a background of a variety of vintage Italian marbled papers. In direct contrast, Pat Blair's "Pretty Rain"is a calming, glittering study in delicacy.

Both traditional and contemporary and experimental lettering are well represented here as well as techniques from raised gold to walnut ink bleach and metal like this sculpture by Carol DuBoch. As the sun goes down the calligraphers will gather for a dance performance by Lorelei Chang "Ink Passions, DancElight" the luminaries will be lit in the courtyard and the libation consumption will begin. Perfect end to a perfect day.

These two abstracts were meant to be compliments of each other. Primary One and Primary Two, are both 12" squares and painted on gallery wrap canvas. Both are framed individually in natural colored wooden float frames giving them a nice finished look.

Great look hung side by side, over and under, or flanking another piece or a mirror.

Perfect for all the modernists who love clean primary color.

This was from memory when a bunch of my friends and I went snorkeling and scuba diving down off the island of Roatan in the Honduras. It was the year of 2004. I was not working steady, I was waiting to get accepted to college to the program I applied for. So I killed time and signed up for college courses to get my required subjects completed. One of the subjects was based on instructor approval, so since the instructor shared a love of snorkeling and scuba diving the same as myself, he authorized me to be in the class. It was a Coral Reef Biology Class that would transfer as a 4 year bachelor's credit course. We were lectured for 2 weeks previous to departure. Got all the travel arrangements in order. We left the day after New Year's Day in 2004. From Kansas City to Dallas, then connecting to Miami and then connecting to the Honduras.
I stayed in a bungalow at the Half Moon Bay Lodge with was on the furthest tip of Roatan Island in the Honduras. Every morning before we would get out in the ocean to conduct our class studies I would see this local woman. She was always out on the beach in the early morning. Not a stitch of clothing and she would swim in the cove for about a half an hour and then dissappear into the jungle growth that surrounded the inn at which we stayed. That was the only time I would see her and never anywhere else the whole time I stayed in Roatan at the Half Moon Ban Inn.
We came back, compiled and wrote our report on Coral Reef Species that we studied. It was a group report. We all got A's and it was an experience I will never forget. We got to see the "everyday life" of folks that live in the Honduras and it was the rainy season while we were down there.
Now I think about what has happened in the Gulf Of Mexico and it upsets me that what I saw may not be there the way I remembered it.

Monday in Video Tutorials - Sometimes it’s nice to just watch over another artist’s shoulder as they paint. . . Drop in tomorrow to see how Jean Pederson dials up the contrast in a watercolor portrait by adding complimentary colors of blues and greens.

Tuesday in Art Marketing Tips - Want to add a third column to your art blog? It may be a bit difficult for a novice, but if you’re comfortable digging around in the inner workings of your Blogger blog, then don’t miss Tuesday’s article.

Wednesday in Featured Artists - Jelaine Faunce’s carefully composed, gorgeously detailed oil paintings will leave you wanting more and more. See her work on Wednesday, and don’t forget to submit your own art to be featured as well.

Thursday in Artist Interviews - Alyice Edrich and Matt LeBlanc discuss several ways that you can effectively market yourself as an artist, even if you’ve got a full-time day job. Highly recommended reading.

Friday in Art Opinion - At the end of the week, kick back, relax, and experience a day (or two) in the life of a traveling artist, as John Stillmunks offers up his take on this summer’s Sugar Creek Art Festival in Normal, Illinois.

Last week’s articles on EmptyEasel:

VIDEO: Using Contact Paper for Masks & Stencils

Introducing the “Artists Helping Artists” Internet Radio Show

Saundra Lane Galloway: Finding a Common Thread in Collage

How To Handle Comments on your Art Blog

My “Unconventional” Interview With Chris Guillebeau

Is there something you’d like to share on EE? Send it in!

EmptyEasel is proud to publish reader-submitted articles nearly every week. Please submit your own article here or learn why you might want to.

Abstract photograph of a seashell. Giclée print on paper or canvas.

http://rona-black.artistwebsites.com.

So many people think that they have nothing to say and nothing to share, but I for one feel that everyone has something that they are passionate about when it comes to their art. Artists have been known for being introspective,which at times has also been translated as being moody. They have also often been tagged the stereotype of "a starving artist",much along the same lines as the "starving student", so with these negative things going 'round in their heads, along with rejection of their work,it's no wonder that many often choose not to share what could be very valuable thoughts, ideas, creations,and words.

I have always been a giver, so it is not hard for me to share. Receiving though, has been another story. Receiving can be both good and bad.(at least for me) I think that we are all still students of life in one way or another and are continuing to learn new lessons each day. Giving and receiving are certainly two of them, but since I am titling this blog, " Don't be afraid to share!", I will focus on that! By being afraid, I mean that many artist don't feel that their work is good enough;they fear rejection or what's even worse criticism. ( this may be when receiving becomes bad,or at least hard) This is hogwash. If we give, we are bound to receive one way or another! We will all feel some type of rejection throughout our lives if we are human.It is unavoidable. It can be with your artwork, or in your personal or professional life, but that is still no reason NOT to share! You should look at sharing like you are looking into a mirror. A lot of the time you see what you want to see.If you believe in the old adage that "The eyes are the mirrors to one's soul", then maybe you should look into your own eyes first and then those of others when you feel that you are ready to start sharing.You might just find more compassion and understanding there, than one might lead you to believe an artist could experience or express.. I know that holding back on things that we are passionate about is not a good thing because eventually it's gonna have to come out somewhere. Many fine artists will show this in their works and you should not be afraid to have someone else recognize your fear. It can also be a good thing,and a part of your talent. Think about some of the best artists and what they are noted for or that special something that helps you to recognize their style. If we never shared what went into our artwork with others, how could they truly know? I have developed my own style of art over the years of taking photographs and writing Haiku verse to go along with them. This is one way that I can share what I was feeling or thinking of when the photo was shot! It helps me to express myself as an artist and also as a human spirit. I am able to become more intimate with my critics. I am able to accept their words more readily when I know that they might interpret my photographs more like they were intended. Remember each person will see something else,and maybe even something that's new to you; that you did not see when you created your masterpiece. All of this is valuable info;info that helps us to move forward; grow as a person,and perhaps create even more!

Some artist are afraid to share because they don't want someone else to copy them or pirate their works.In this day and age of high technology, and social-networks, that is most certainly an issue we all have to consider...but would that still stop you from sharing? Maybe it would help you to actually learn more. It might help you learn about watermarking, or protecting or coding your works, or it might cause you to come up with a better solution.

In conclusion, I would like to see your opinions here. What do you think!?(about sharing your work with others, both here on ArtID and elsewhere?) I would love to hear about your own experiences,both good and bad.... and b.t.w. Thanx for sharing~