Friday, May 31, 2013

Distort-Ted WIP 3

I am still working my way along the line of glass objects.  I am having lots of fun distorting things that are inside or behind the glass bottles and vases. I think the orange bottle I am painting at the moment will be the most fun to do. Look either side of the bottle at its base for the clue as to what will be distorted in this one.


Have you guessed?

I love how the light reflects the colour of the glass onto surrounding objects. The vase to the left of the bottle I am currently painting glows with orange. I'm looking forward to painting the Ted to the right of the blue bottle for the same reason too.

Ona

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Distort-Ted WIP 2

I loved reading all your guesses about the number of Ted's you thought might be in the painting. Thank you for e mailing them to me. As you can see by today's update there is definitely one Ted. I'm going to keep you in suspense a while longer though for the finished number of Ted's. Most people who e mailed seemed to think there were three but a few thought there were more. I wonder who will be correct.


I am now working my way along painting the different glass objects some of which are orange, others are blue and a couple are clear. I'm pleased with how it's going so far. Glass is certainly fun to paint.

Ona

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Distort-Ted WIP 1

 After a couple of weeks break from painting it was fun to pick up the brushes again. Several of my friends have been painting glass objects recently and it got me thinking about a possible Ted painting... I just love the distorted shapes that can occur when you look at things through different shaped glass objects so I had great fun thinking of different ways I could distort my little Teds or the objects around them.

The painting is still in it's very early stages. I wanted a rich dark background to really set off the glass bottles but also wanted to continue the theme of distortion in the background too so I decided to add in subtle lines and shapes rather similar to those you sometimes see through glass. In some lighting conditions they are hardly visible but in others they are more clearly seen.


Can you work out how many Teds there will be in my painting?

Ona

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

May's Tip of the Month.... beware of Art scammers!

I had a 'very nice chatty enquiry' by e mail this morning asking if my painting 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, We Love You' was still available for sale.

The name of the sender seemed familar  and my suspicions were confirmed when I googled the name Betty Hammond but just in case it was a legit enquiry from someone with the same name I replied that it had sold a year or two ago at the CWA exhibition but that limited edition prints of the painting were available. I was interested to see  what the reply would be.  Almost immediately I then received a second e mail.

I have decided to share the e mail with you all as I hope, that by me doing so, it might help raise awareness and stop someone from being duped by scams such as this.

This is the e mail I received.... I have highlighted in italics the key areas which everyone should be very wary of if they receive an enquiry and will explain why these should be red flags to you below.

" Dear Ona,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I'm interested in a Limited edition print matted and framed.(1) 

Unfortunately, I'm on my way to France on an official trip (2) (I'm a marketing Executive) and won't be back for another two weeks.

If you'd like to know, I'm relocating to South Africa soon (2) and I'm trying to gather some good stuff for my new abode.

However, I'll have to notify my shipper (3) who's helping me move my stuff to get set for the pick up of the piece from your place as I MIGHT be delayed depending on how things goes.

In the mean time, kindly get back to me with your contact address and phone# so I can get a check prepared and have it mailed out to you right away. (4)

Betty Hammond"
  
Scams like this are the most common scams that hit artists. They presume we are eager for a sale, and move quickly, if we let them.
 

So What are the red flag warnings you should look for in an enquiry?
  • The buyer chooses the most expensive option and one that is awkward/costly to ship (1)
  • The buyer is in one location, the art is going to another location, and the money comes from a third location (2)
  • The buyer selects their own shipping company or private shipper (3)
  • There is a sense of urgency and the buyer wants to move quickly. They also issue you a cheque, money order or bank draft from a bank you've never heard of before (4)
The scammer finds an artist's website or other on line marketing site. They will typically pick artwork which is priced highly and/or one that is heavy or awkward to ship. They then pose as a buyer, asking to purchase the work. 

They will offer to take care of the shipping themselves, though their own shipping company or private shipper. 

They will often, but not always, say that they will pay you for the shipping and the art. These shipping cost will almost always be much higher than a standard courier. 

The scammer will very quickly send you a cheque, money order or bank draft for the item plus shipping fee. After you have confirmed that you have cashed the payment, they will tell you that they have had some horrible life event and need the money refunded ASAP.  Because the shipping company never picked up the artwork, you refund the sale. 

The scammer receives your cheque and cashes it before your own bank  realizes that the cheque, money order or bank draft from the scammer is a fake and removes the money from your account. You have now lost the money, with very little possible chance of recovering it!

So How do you protect yourself?  

If you are being asked to ship an item, always use a known courier company and choose that company yourself. You can always give the buyer a couple options so they can choose the fee and delivery style that best suits them. But be in control of the shipping.

Request payment via a credit card using an online payment option like Pay Pal which provide both buyers and sellers with added protection. Although paypal will take a percentage of your sale, it is much safer for you. Any legitimate buyer should not mind paying via credit card because it also provides them with insurance if their item doesn't arrive. Do not accept cheques via mail unless you and the buyer are willing to wait until you know the cheque has cleared before shipping the item. This will typically scare away any fake buyers and encourage real ones to pay with a credit card. 

Always conduct yourself professionally and do not be afraid to lose a sale.

The scammer might send out thousands of e mails like the one above.... most of the time it will be noticed for what it is and ignored. They will continue though because it only takes that 1 in a thousand person who doesn't realise and sends them money to make it worth the scammer's effort. Don't be that person. Be aware!

information source credits: http://stopartscams.blogspot.ca/2013/04/scam-email-betty-hammond.html https://sites.google.com/site/bogusartfair/buyer-shipping-scams
and http://www.artquest.com/artquest/scammer-names.html
Thank you all for your valuable information.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

'Collect-Ted' Art Trading Cards Now Available

Do you enjoy my Ted series of watercolours?
 If so, you can now start collecting them. 

Each Trading Card is printed using archival inks on quality fine art paper and is 3.5 by 2.5 inches in size. The photo below shows just a selection of the cards available.


(Please note: some images have been cropped to focus on the bears when dimensions of the original painting do not allow the full image on the trading card).

The trading cards can be purchased in 'Collect-Ted' clear boxed packs of either 10 or 20 assorted cards

A pack of 10 Art Trading Cards is $15.


A pack of 20 Art Trading Cards is  $25.


Prices are in Canadian Dollars and include Free postage to Canada and the US
(There will be an additional $5 shipping charge for orders to the rest of the world)

e mail ona@onak.ca with your order. 
Payment is made via Paypal which accepts most major credit cards.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Merit Award LWS 43rd International Exhibition

I have just found out that my painting 'Re Unite-Ted' has won a Merit Award at the Louisiana Watercolor Society 43rd International Exhibition. Thank you to the juror Cindy Agan.


What an amazing couple of weeks this is turning out to be!

The exhibition is open until the 28th of this month

(1332 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130    504-891-3032     Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am to 5pm and sundays 11am to 2pm)  

 so if you are within travelling distance do go and view all the amazing paintings in the exhibition

Ona

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Donors Award at the TWSA Exhibition

I am honored and thrilled to let you know that my painting 'Bookworm Breakfast' has won The Donors Award in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America 37th National Exhibition.


The exhibition of just over 80 paintings opened this week at the Kenosha Public Museum and runs until August 4th.

Ona

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Having fun with friends!

I have had a wonderful week at the Mckay Gallery. Yesterday Birgit O'Connor, who had just arrived from California for a workshop she is teaching this week, stopped in with Tamar from Studio Six to see us and the paintings. It was a wonderful surprise.


In the photo from left to right ... Tamar, Shirley the president of the society, Birgit and I.  'Incriminate-Ted' is lurking in the background too.

Thank you for visiting the exhibition.