Studio news update

Art portfolio- my work

Dear friends,

I am happy to announce that I will be sending out a link to view my very first studio-digital-exhibition in my next once-a-month-newsletter!

What newsletter you may ask?

Well for a while now I have been using an engine called ‘mailchimp’ to send out news from my studio to a collector’s list that I have build up over the years, thanks to emails I received enquiring about my work via this and other platforms. I try and send only one newsletter – usually from the last week or the first week of a month.  That same newsletter might end up published here as well, but usually a week or so after the original goes out, and sometimes edited.

That gives my trusty collectors the latest news first 😉

You might also notice that sometimes the content/photos published here are the same as on Instagram or Twitter too…but hey, different strokes for different folks…..

I’m learning as I go…which reminds me that I have to learn how to create a ‘landing page’ for my newsletters.  Just a way of trying to keep it simple when balancing studio with professional and personal life. Thanks for your patience.

What I enjoy about the mailchimp newsletters is that since it’s private I often get a response directly from you! and it was in during an email conversation after one newsletter that my collector planted the seed for my very own ‘studio-digital-exhibtion’. – Which I will tell you more about it in the next few weeks

What I like about using this blog is that it serves as an extension of my ‘headquaters.’ Sometimes it is playful, sometimes it is serious or sometimes even short and to the point.  It is a trusted, easy to manage website. From this point I send out my posts to Twitter and Linkedin.

What I like about Instagram is that it host some amazing communities of artists, artlovers, embroiderers, and friends.  It is quick, easy to access while on the go. It is global. Its like a mini website for me.

I do not make use of Facebook.

For now this is how I manage my online prescence until the ‘artworld figures out how to present itself like the VR experiences on Playstation  etc. for example Fortnite 😉 Wouldn’t that be fun??!

so my dear friends, if you’d like to receive my ‘once-a-month-studio-newsletter’, please pop me an email, alternatively I will see you here x

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auntie Virus and Co. re: Art Auction

Art portfolio- my work

Auntie Virus, 460 x 310 mm ink, pastel, board, cotton thread, rubber 2019 Hannalie Taute

Greetings from this ‘stranger in a strange land’ and it seems to just get stranger by the minute!

As you’ve probably heard, a lot of events have been cancelled due to the pandemic we face. I am in the process of producing work for upcoming exhibitions in April, May, July and August, but with uncertainty breathing down our necks we don’t know if these exhibitions will be cancelled or not.

She always wanted to be a bad girl 92 x 64 cm cotton thread and rubber 2018

With that said, Karen Zoid (South African rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, talk show host and patron of the arts) launched an online “Art Auction” on her Facebook page yesterday.

Some of my works (featured here- are included in this ‘online – experiment.)

While I’m not an active Facebook user myself, I am able to send you a link:

You can check out the auction here:

https://www.facebook.com/karenzoidofficial/

The bidding closes today 18 March 2020 at 20h00 – South African time)

The bids started at ZAR19 only! Yes, serious.! Now a lot of people might frown upon this because “what about ‘market price’ and unrealistic bids on the stature of the artist” but this train of thought reminded me about the ‘outsider’ artist Scottie Wilson who

  After receiving recognition for his work in Toronto, he abruptly went to London in 1945 and continued to exhibit his drawings for modest fees  Wilson’s rejection of commercialism was unabated, however, and he continued to sell his work on the street for a minute fraction of the prices the gallery owners were asking. He said of the working-class customers he attracted, “They’re the intellect, you know”

and

“Though conventional art galleries were taking interest in selling Wilson’s work, he wasn’t always fond of parting with his drawings. He would at times rent out vacant store fronts to display his pictures, or hang them in a bus, but not necessarily to sell. Instead, Wilson would charge admission for looking at his work, challenging anyone to find anything else like it in the world.”

Is it a good idea? Who knows. Nothing seems certain anymore.

In the meantime I baked my first bread from scratch yesterday, and that made me feel very happy. Also I will continue to create embroideries and I plan to spend more time in the garden to grow our own food. Should I be teaching my sons the art of survival instead of worrying about the schools that are closing for a longer period?  If push come to shove…should we be prepared to survive like Bear Grylls?

Just asking.

But there are still bills to be paid for now, so the show must go on somehow!

Remember to sleep with your eyes open 2016 (photographer Kleinjan Groenewald)

You snooze you loose, but lets hope its not a sneeze 😉 because this might just be a favorable time to start your art collection. ❤

“Support for the arts — merde! A government-supported artist is an incompetent whore!”
― Robert A. Heinlein, from the book “Stranger in a strange land”

Here is some advice to the art sector from an art website (*):

To help you continue to sell art during this time, here is a list of things you can do to serve collectors as best you can:

    • If you cannot accept shipped artworks at this time, please let us know
  • manage collector expectations about shipping times.

Many artists, patrons and art institutions are personally affected by this crisis.

The world needs art more than ever, so in the meantime, collectors are encouraged to continue supporting the art sector.  It will keep artists going during these challenging times. We’re so grateful for each of you.

Stay safe and well!

*P.S one gallery that is still up and running is .MContemporary in Australia and they are open for viewing….see previous posts or contact them for a full catalogue!