Is your framer still in business?

I'm writing this post because several notable fine art picture framing businesses and associated manufacturing plants have recently closed or entered administration due to high business rates, rising material costs, and economic pressures.

This post covers

• why framers are going out of business and closing
• how to protect your interests as an artist
• how to find a decent framer for artwork

A bit of a shocker

My tulip wood frames from Picture Frames of Shaftesbury

I was casually looking through my Memories on my personal FB account  yesterday - and the above pic came up in the context of an exhibition I was submitting artwork to in September - 12 years ago in 2014.

I idly put the name of the people "Picture Frames of Shaftesbury" who did an excellent job of my online ordered frames into Google - and nothing came up. Which I thought was a bit weird.

So I kept looking - and came across the announcement that they had closed down in 2025 and been dissolved (following voluntary liquidation) on 17 June 2026.

Being an accountant by profession, I went to Companies House and read the winding up documents and it was a very sad tale.

Then today I asked Google "framers going out of business" and they came straight back with yet more names and the reasons why

Google identified General Industry Pressures i.e. 

Independent framers across the UK report that escalating business rates, minimum order thresholds for materials, and the cost-of-living crisis are making traditional high-street shops unsustainable.

plus highlighted...

Recent Picture Framer Closures

• Picture Frames of Shaftesbury permanently closed in July 2025, resulting in six redundancies and the formal dissolution of the company on June 17, 2026.

The sudden closure left clients without their regular framing service and displaced local staff.

• Darbyshire Ltd: Closed on May 8, 2026, after 34 years of operating as a prominent fine art framer for major artists and galleries.
• Alec Drew Picture Frames Limited: This was a long-running specialist fine art framing business on Chelsea Green in London that closed and went into administration in June 2026 after 50 years in business.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Darbyshire Ltd (@darbyshireltd)

""Well that's all folks" After 50 years Alec Drew Picture Frames has closed"

Some like this chap have retired. Although his business had disappeared.

An extract from the Statement of Administrator's Proposal (i.e. the people who wind up the business under the Insolvency Act)

The Company is a long-established bespoke picture-framing business specialising in high quality custom framing, including conservation and museum-standard framing services. The Company built a reputation within the fine-art and framing sector for specialist craftsmanship, and its customer base spanned private individuals, collectors, artists and others seeking premium framing services.

Chelsea has experienced changes in recent decades, including rising property prices, changing retail patterns and increasing numbers of properties held as investment assets rather than occupied full-time residences. It is believed that these factors have contributed to reduced footfall for the business.

In addition, changing preferences toward digital photography and digital art display may have reduced the long-term demand for traditional picture-framing services compared with previous generations.

Macro-economic factors including uncertainty, inflation and pressure on household incomes can result in customers postponing non-essential purchases such as custom framing. Ever increasing costs for staffing, utilities and raw materials has resulted in tighter margins.

My recommendation

HEADS UP - HMRC Self Assessment: Payment on Account due 31 July

I find that tax is a matter that few artists become expert on as they are starting out - or sometimes at any point of their careers!

This is a HEADS UP for British artists! If you are 

• EITHER: self-employed as an artist 
• OR are employed AND earn more than £1,000 from your art, 

then you have a tax payment coming up! 

The deadline for your second payment on account is 31 July each year

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) requires individuals to make advance payments towards their next tax bill if you are self-employed or have untaxed income. (HMRC - Payments on Account)

How do "payments on account" work?

Payments on account based on your estimated tax bill and are 

• advance payments towards your next Self Assessment tax bill (including Class 4 National Insurance if you’re self-employed).
• split into two equal instalments due each year on 
• 31 January (final payment for previous year plus payment on account for current tax year) and 
• 31 July 
• Each payment is worth 50% of your previous year's total tax bill

So if you completed and submitted your HMRC Self Assessment Form by 31st January this year, then you know how much you paid in tax and hence how much you have to pay (ie half of less years' bill)

How payments on account are calculated

• Payments on account are calculated based on your estimated earnings (usually the amount you earned the previous year). Each payment is usually half of the tax you owed the previous year.
• If you actually earn more than estimated, you may still have tax to pay on top of your payments on account. This is known as a ‘balancing payment’.
• If you earn less than estimated, you may be able to claim a tax refund. (HMRC - Payments on Account)

Am I automatically exempt?

However, you are automatically exempt if either of the following apply:

• Your last Self Assessment tax bill was £1,000 or less
• 80% or more of your total tax is already deducted at source (e.g. through PAYE on an employment income)

If your income has dropped, then you can apply to reduce these payments via 

• your HMRC Online Account 
• or by submitting form SA303 to HM Revenue and Customs

How to pay HMRC

They spent a lot of money developing the HMRC app
- and they're rather keen you should use it

TIP Speaking personally, the only way I ever make a tax payment is via a device which allows me to print off the payment details and create a PDF for my tax files.

That way you then have a precise record of the date and time you made the payment - and how - should there be any dispute

You can pay HMRC via

• Direct Debit
• Approve a payment through your online bank account
• Make an online or telephone bank transfer
• By debit or corporate credit card online
• At your bank or building society
• By cheque through the post
• Pay weekly or monthly
• Through your tax code

REFERENCE

My "Art Business Info for Artists" website

• UK Tax Tips for Artists - Tax Tips for Artists | Art Business Info for Artists

HMRC

• Self Assessment - Includes filing, deadlines, pay and tax records | HMRC


• Paying your tax bill
• Pay your Self Assessment tax bill
• Understand your Self Assessment tax bill
• If you cannot pay your tax bill on time

Does HMRC's "Making Tax Digital" affect you?

Did you know how much you earn does not only affect how much tax you pay? 

In future, it is likely to affect HOW you (1) account for your gross income and (2) pay your tax. 

This is all part of the Making Tax Digital initiative of HMRC. This blog post is all about what's happened recently and what's coming - and whether you need to know more NOW!

I'm going to say upfront, if you are an amateur artist or a professional not earning very much from your art you have nothing to worry about - for the moment.

However those earning MORE than "not earning very much" MUST get to grips with Making Tax Digital soon. Plus note that they are focused on gross income and not net (more about this below)

Digital record-keeping will deliver time-saving benefits for taxpayers (HMRC)

IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I'm going to be developing a "Making Tax Digital page" in the Tax section of my Art Business Info website - alongside the existing UK Tax Tips for Artists to provide artists with links to useful info.

In the meantime, I'll be blogging about it on here for artists who need to get their heads around it.

Of course, as always (here comes the disclaimer), as law and related online content changes all the time,  I am totally unable to warrant that ANY and/or ALL information is complete and/or

• professional and/or
• up to date and/or
• wholly accurate and/or
• all links lead to the most current information (at the time of writing)

UNLESS I am quoting recent HMRC emails (see below) or HMRC websites with a recent date. 

YOU are solely responsible for making sure that you get the proper advice. Personally, I find the HMRC website provides everything most people need to know - but you do need to read it!

Making Tax Digital

As somebody who completes a self-assessment form each year, I received my Getting ready for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax email from HMRC yesterday which very clearly states the timetable for the staged implementation of Making Tax Digital. 

I assume everybody else who makes a self assessment tax return for sole trader income also got the same email. So look in your inbox if you missed it!

What to do about artists who "rip off" or "pass off" your art?

Over the last 20 years of writing this blog I've seen very many examples of artists ripping off other artists (or art societies) - or "passing off" other artists' work as their own - and I've written about this, sometimes at length. (see the reference section at the end)

Yesterday another example was sent to me - which is now "done and dusted" but was drawn to my attention and I thought was worth highlighting to you all. However I thought it might be more useful to put some context around it.

This post is about

• WHAT IS "ripping off" or "passing off" in the context of art - examining definitions of:
• forgery
• imitation
• passing off
• WHAT HAPPENED in the latest example
• TOP TIPS for what to do should artwork being copied happen to you or your friends.

[NOTE: This post has been amended since first published]

Who are artists who "rip-off" or "pass off"?

Does AI mean Open Exhibitions / Art Competitions need to rethink digital entries?

Last week I reshared a post on Facebook (see below) which highlighted how many images are now created using "artificial intelligence" aka AI. 

It occurred to me that ALL those organising open exhibitions and/or art competitions MUST now to factor the proliferation of AI into 

• the calls for entries
• the rules and regulations
• the submission process
• the vetting process
• the judging process
• plus briefings on legal decisions for all those in charge

It simply will NOT be acceptable for all entries to be judged on digital images - only to find that a selected entry is a digital print when it arrives for exhibition.

Below I remind organisers of open exhibitions by art societies and art competitions of things they need to think about

• starting with a very salutary lesson in what happens when you get it wrong - see The AWS Gold Medal Controversy (2008-2010)
• a reminder about normal challenges for organisers in relation to copyright
• some initial thoughts on the implications for art competitions and open exhibitions - by way of a checklist!

The AWS Gold Medal Controversy

Unfortunately, the Gold Medal winning painting in the 2008 exhibition, “Impermanence” by Sheryl Luxenburg has generated a huge volume of controversy. In question are the ownership of the image, the originality of the piece and even the authenticity of the medium. Many have questioned the American Watercolor Society's position on this problem and wondered in their communications to us whether our society is taking these questions seriously. Statement in 2008 by the AWS

Should anybody need reminding - here's the link to my post about the debacle at the American Watercolour Society about an "artwork" which won a Gold Medal . 

Was the gold medal winning painting at the centre of the American Watercolor Society controversy actually painted - or was it a giclee print?

See below for links to posts in September 2008 about the AWS Gold medal controversy - in reverse order of posting

The Power List 100 | Art Review

ArtReview's Power 100 is an annual ranking of the most powerful people in Art and is always worth a look. 

The top five in the 2023 Power 100 listing by ArtReview

Similarly it's always worth a read of what ArtReview are saying about what "they" have noticed has changed - see Gauging spheres of influence and schools of thought is about more than momentary fads - with "They" being their secret global panel of c.40 people who are spread around the globe.

The Power 100 list is where, every year, ArtReview exposes, enlists and accounts for the workings of international contemporary art. Not in the usual sense in which ArtReview does this (critical analysis and general commentary about the artworks that are put forward into the world), but rather in terms of the more general infrastructure of the artworld. Why is certain art being made or seen? How is it seen? (And the reversed version of those two questions.) Who decides what is seen? And what, more generally, is the relationship between making and seeing? It’s an attempt to illuminate some of the professionalised artworld’s obscured corners and track its shifts and changes over the past 12 months.

The general themes coming through strongly are as follows:

• change is happening
• an adjustment of the places which influence
• art has a purpose with artists as activists
• an increase in the number of artists who are outside the European–North American axis of influence
• establishment figures regain prominence - as the world recovers from the Pandemic - and remain focused on the luxury / high stakes art market
• gallerists on the list tend to be associated with multiple outlets/locations

I have to confess I haven't got a clue about most of the names. How about you?

CHECKLISTS For Remembering Respected Artists

The last two posts I've written have both been about prominent artists and illustrators who are recently deceased. I learned a lot while writing them. As a result, I've developed this post which covers:

• Basic principles for remembering an artist
• Memberships of Art Societies
• Obituaries and Tributes
• Retrospective Exhibitions / Websites

It comments on what happens as artists get older / reach the end of their lives and includes some short checklists of things to think about if you are an artist, an art gallery or an art society and want to remember a respected artist.

Plus a reference to a free resource I've developed for all those artists whose end is nearer than their beginning.

CHECKLIST: Basic Principles for Remembering an Artist

• If an artist is respected, then celebrate their memory. 
• Have your facts and statements written in advance if possible - for tailoring and editing only. That's what all the news platforms do.
• The artist may have died but their artwork has not. It can continue to sell and generate income - but only if you are organised!
• Think about how the legacy can continue before rather than after death!

See The Art Legacy on my website Art Business Info. for Artists

GOOD PRACTICE: Obituary Pages and Legacy Sites

From the Obituaries Page on the Royal Society of British Artists website

I noted while compiling my recent blog posts that some long established art societies have now established Obituary Pages on their websites. 

It struck me that this recognised that prominent artists who have made a significant contribution to a society are NOT just those artists from history that art societies like to write about when boasting about their pedigree. They are also artists from the present.

So, by way of example, take a look at:

• Royal Society of British Artists - Obituaries Page - although interestingly this is not readily accessible via the main menu - which puzzled me.
• Pastel Society - Obituaries - accessible from the main menu - but via news rather than via members section.
• New English Art Club - List of All Past Members - This lists the artists in alphabetical order and provides a link to
• where you can see their art
• the tribute article about them

NEAC FAQs Page includes a question about past members

How you categorise lists can be a challenge. 

• Do you do it by surname - and hence are fair to all? 
• Do you group by decade of election to membership? Making it more accessible for those knowing the age of the artist....
• Do you highlight those more prominent? 
• Do you highlight past officers and those who worked hard for an art society?

There's no right answer - but it is worth giving some thought to. I'd argue there's scope for creating a database approach that allows people to search - although I doubt this will be a priority for any working member. Maybe a project for an enthusiastic and relevant skilled supporter?

CHECKLIST: Memberships of Art Societies

One of the critical things to do is to respect achievements through membership of art societies / groups 

• in the death announcement
• by the art society / art group

The thing is that these days people are getting very much older and more infirm before they die. Continuing memberships can therefore be seen as something that is marginal to their life or an expensive indulgence. Which means some artists may not be members when they die - even if they have been past members. Hence those producing obituaries of members may rule them out as no longer relevant....

GOOD PRACTICE: Create ways for members to remain members

The LinkedIn Services Page - for Artists, Art Societies and Art Teachers

I've just created a Linked In Services Page associated with my Linked In Profile. 

• It's not yet finished as I think need to do more 
• plus it could do with a few reviews from people who've experienced my writing, teaching, talks etc

I'm very much still feeling my way around this aspect of LinkedIn and hence this is by far from a comprehensive expert commentary on the topic!

However it got me thinking about how artists can use LinkedIn to develop their career paths and business income.

Why I developed a Service Page on LinkedIn

I have to say

• I'm happy to say I provide services 
• BUT I'm not into aggressive marketing 
• because all current activities must be fitted in around 
• the exercise I need to do on a daily basis to keep the arthritis from getting worse and 
• yet more surgery for those joints which have already failed 
• plus I'm now semi-retired (and 68!) and slowing down following my initial early retirement and heavy duty blogging / website development career about art.

However I'm not averse to taking on clients - both organisations and individuals - with new assignments. (see my Would you like me to help page on Art Business Info for Artists - which explains how it works and provides a form for contacting me)

Katherine Tyrrell - some media examples on my NEW Services Page on Linked In

BELOW I'm going to discuss and comment on

• What is a LinkedIn Service Page? - which is mainly a commentary on me trying to find my way about!
  

PLUS what are the benefits for

• Artists on Linked In
• Art Societies on Linked In
• Art Teachers on Linked In

and later this week I'll highlight MORE about:

• Some Do's and Don'ts about Linked in - or how to make the most of it!

What is a LinkedIn Service Page?

I can do no better at the moment than highlight what the website tells us about the service page. As I said I'm still finding my way around and opening a new tab for each useful looking page and then trying to work out how they relate to one another

This is the link to 

• the Services Page - information
• Create a LinkedIn Page - note it's about a business not a person (it's a bit the same as the way Facebook works)
• Get started as a service provider on LinkedIn

Service providers can create a Service Page on LinkedIn. Service Pages are free dedicated landing pages that showcase services and businesses, and operate on a request and proposal model. Potential clients can contact providers for free, regardless of connection degree.

In general, the steps to work with a service provider on LinkedIn are:

• A potential client searches for a provider on LinkedIn or through the Services Marketplace. When the client clicks on a provider, they're directed to the provider’s Service Page.
• The client submits a project request (request for proposal) to a provider.
• The provider responds with a proposal to express interest in the project. Your response time average from the past 180 days will be displayed on your Service Page if you respond to inquiries within 24 hours, and your response rate average will be displayed if you respond to at least 80% of inquiries.
• Once the client receives a desirable proposal, the client and provider agree on the terms of the project and the provider completes the work.
• Payment for project completion happens through the service provider’s preferred process, outside of LinkedIn.com.
• The provider can invite the client to write a review.

These are links to the tasks involved

• Create a LinkedIn Service Page
• Access your LinkedIn Service Page admin view
• Add media to a LinkedIn Service Page
• Link your Service Page and LinkedIn Page

plus maybe you're in the market for a service from somebody else

• Get started shopping for services on LinkedIn

So this is my LinkedIn Page BEFORE THE SERVICE PAGE

The red line highlights the offer - to showcase services

This is my LinkedIn Page BEFORE THE SERVICE PAGE.

It invites you to click on the link to see the Service Page - however while signed in I can only see the Admin version - and I want to see the version that other people see!

Artists on Linked In

You may be surprised to know that there are lots of artists on Linked In.

Artist of the Year Gallery: Artwork for Sale

This year the Artist of the Year team at Storyvault Films Ltd (SF) have developed the offering to artists past, present and future by creating a website which enables pod artists to sell their artwork.

It has some good points - and some significant weaknesses on the finance side - but nothing which cannot be addressed. Better sooner rather than later.

Artist of the Year Gallery Website - Home Page

What's on the Gallery Website

You can see:

• the artists - Artists are listed in order of their appearance on our programmes, most recent first. However not all artists are participating - partly because this is a new initiative and partly because some artists will have existing arrangements for selling their art which they won't want to compromise.
• the artworks - are produced by artists who have participated in the programmes - but not all artworks have been produced for the programmes. 
• The How It Works explanation
• Terms and Conditions (very important) - The Terms and Conditions need to be accessible via a PDF printable document for Artists to file - for the record - which they are not at present.

It's an interesting proposition because one of the things many artists struggle with is selling their artwork online - which is much less straightforward to do properly than people might think.

Consequently, just as any artist has to who is trading online and distance selling artwork has to do, this SF ecommerce operation MUST comply with all the rules and regulations around

• trading law and regulations 
• e commerce law and regulations 
  
• VAT on Art

(Note: These links go the relevant pages of my Art Business Info for Artists website)

BUT IF they're doing everything properly (see below), this site could be a BIG saving in time and effort for an artist in terms of mastering all the ins and outs of online distance selling of artwork! 

I haven't checked the site out thoroughly for ALL the aspects in detail but I assume they've done the wise thing and had 

• an expert ecommerce lawyer advising on what they must do and cannot do - and 
• an expert ecommerce adviser telling them what's the best approach for an operation like this.
• a VAT expert checking to make sure they got all the VAT aspects right.

However on a quick review, I ended up feeling a bit like "a party pooper" as I have reservations about whether SF have been wise in the approach they have adopted to 

• robust and secure monetary transactions / payment processing
• money laundering regulations for art galleries / dealers / agents
• VAT liability, transactions and associated documentation

At the end you can see how it works. 

Immediately below is a summary of the financial weaknesses I spotted which I think need addressing.

Social Media - Recommended Images Sizes in 2023

For all those using social media for their art - particularly those who use it for social media marketing - it's absolutely ESSENTIAL to know what are the best images sizes for use on the different platforms. 

It's simply NOT a case of one image fits all!

I always look out for the posts which provide this information on an annual basis and Hootsuite provides one of the best.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read and bookmark/file Hootsuite's 2023 Social Media Image Sizes for All Networks [CHEATSHEET]  by Karin Olafson and Tony Tran - as I will be!

The most recent image size specifications for different social media networks, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.

It provides:

• this quick summary image for different types of format and different platforms 
• PLUS infographics with much more detail for individual platforms.
• AND detailed written information and advice and tips for every type of image possible

Source

As it highlights - and as I have found out from bitter experience over the years - trying to find the "best" image sizes for different uses is very far from easy. As they say.....

It doesn’t help that information about official dimensions and image sizes is harder to find than a civil discussion on politics on Facebook.

The post is comprehensive and provides the following

• Quick social media image sizes
• Instagram image sizes
• Twitter image sizes
• Facebook image sizes
• LinkedIn image sizes
• Pinterest image sizes
• Snapchat image sizes
• YouTube image sizes
• TikTok image sizes
• Why is it important to get social media image sizes right?

Their infographic images for every platform are excellent and provide detailed pixel sizes for every format on every platform.

Plus they provide lots of detailed written information - for each platform - about;

• what size to upload - including recommended sizes and minimum sizes
• what resolution to use
• maximum file sizes
• how different platforms will resize your image 
• what image size will display
• PLUS lots of additional tips for making your social media marketing more effective.

It's very much one of those articles which is worth printing off and pinning up next to your desk - or at the very least bookmarking for reference.

One cautionary note

Following the advent of AI, I'd caution it's even more important than it has been in the past to only post images of your artwork at a size you are comfortable with.

Plus ALWAYS keep the original of your image at its original size and filed away as a record of your art-marking. That way if you ever want to get into a "discussion" with somebody who has nabbed your image and used it for their own benefit outside the fair use / fair dealing copyright conventions then you have a basis for disputing that it was their image in the first place. 

For more about what to do in the event of copyright infringement - see my page What to do about Copyright Infringement - for Artists on my website Art Business Info for Artists

__________________________________________

NOTE: Hootsuite is a social media management platform which has been around for a long time in social media times. It was created by Ryan Holmes in 2008 and is based in Vancouver. It's commonly used to manage social media messages to multiple social media platforms. It's no surprise to me that it is now regarded as an industry leader and is used by 25 million customers! 

Hootsuite provides a suite of social media tools is built to simplify your marketing, accelerate your sales, and streamline your customer service

Tax Tips for UK Artists - a Zoom Talk

Two weeks ago I delivered a Zoom Talk to recent art graduates about "Tax Tips for UK Artists" - and walked them through the process of starting out with their tax affairs with the HMRC and what they needed to do. 

You can find out what the Talk covers below.

Any art society or group of artists who'd like to me to deliver a Zoom Talk can get in touch with me via the Contact Form at the end of my 'Would You Like Me to Help Page' on Art Business Info for Artists. 

As well as preparing the Talk, I've also been updating the pages on my Art Business Info for Artists website about

• UK Tax Tips for Artists
• UK: Self-Assessment Video Tips

Both of these contain much of what I cover in the Talk - plus HMRC Videos explaining specific aspects of importance.

Tax Tips for UK Artists - the Zoom Talk

The talk covers

TALK: Introduction to Retirement and Pensions for Artists

If you are a creative living in the Greater Manchester area and want to grow inbusiness confidence, you may be interested in a Zoom Talk I'm giving for the Islington Mill WEAVE Summer School

 

Islington Mill WEAVE Summer School

Islington Mill has an ongoing commitment to artist education and development. 

 

WEAVE is a free business support programme for Greater Manchester based artists, creatives and SMEs. I'm afraid you can't enroll if you're not based in the Greater Manchester area

 

The Summer School has been produced with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Summer School is a 4-day series of workshops and masterclasses, that are free to attend for participants of Islington Mill’s WEAVE programme. New participants are welcome to sign up at the event for free to enjoy our full programme across the week.

The modules have been chosen and developed through conversations with the Islington Mill community and are designed to support creative individuals and organisations. Whether you are a freelance performer yet to fill in your first tax return, a mid-career artist, or maker with an established business, we have classes to support your development and help you grow in confidence.

TALK: Introduction to Retirement and Pensions for Artists

My talk is going to be about one of the aspects most people don't think too seriously about when younger and some sadly don't at all until it's too late.

A career as an artist does not come with a pension plan - you need to think about how you will cope financially when you need to retire. Katherine Tyrrell will talk you through the basics of pensions for artists including why it's absolutely essential to think about later life and pensions from the beginning of a career, paying NI and some of the myths about how to fund yourself in later life and why these can be very risky.

This workshop aims to:

• Get you thinking about planning for your retirement and pension planning
• Point you in the direction of relevant reading material
• Help you find places where you can get more advice
• Provide a starting point for discussions with expert advisers

 

Zoom Talks for Summer Schools

I've started getting back to normal post sugery and clearance to start walking again - but it's slow going. 

However one thing that's been very odd is that I've had lots of requests for Zoom Talks and help for individuals in the last few weeks. I was giving a talk last night and this one next week and then another one for a prominent arts organisation in August as part of another summer school.

If you're interested in a Zoom Talk on a variety of art busines topics, read this page on my Art Business Info for Artists website first and then contact me via the form at the bottom of the page.

If you have a Summer School focused on business matters for artists and would like some wider exposure you can always try messaging via my Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/artbusinessforartists

 

Are you Business Savvy about your art career?

Do you know what Business Savvy means?

Are you Business Savvy about your art career?

What's the difference between:

• A good artist who sells their work from time to time - but needs to have a 'proper job" too? and....
• Somebody who has a professional career as an artist and generates enough turnover/income/profit to pay their bills, and their tax bill and contribute to a pension fund?

What are the attributes of those artists who have coped best with all the change experienced in the last 12-15 months?

What changed in the art world in the last year - and is if ever going to be the same again?

These and more questions will be addressed in the Zoom Webinar I'm doing on 24th June (a week tomorrow) about How to be a Business Savvy Botanical Artist

It's targeted at botanical artists, but a lot of the messages are universal and apply to many artists.

This is the latest in the series of BOTANICAL ART TALKS which Julia Trickey has been organising this year. They've been attracting botanical artists from all continents!

• You can find a summary of what it's about on Julia's website - under Talks. 
• Date: the webinar is on Thursday 24th June 2021
• Time: 7pm BST, 2pm EDT and 11am PDT
• Fee: £12.
• Talks are recorded and made available to registrants 24 hours after the live session. They will then be available for 48 hours, making them accessible whatever your time zone!
• BOOK HERE
  

 

Figurative Art Now: how fair are the T&C to artists?

Some of you may have wondered why I have not promoted the Figurative Art Now Exhibition at the Mall Galleries. I have my reasons for not highlighting this art competition - and these are listed below.

I like art competitions to be fair for everybody concerned. I've recently found myself staring at a very difficult situation - which has given rise to a number of concerns about implications for artists. I have raised these (offline) but I'm still not happy that the issues this competition raises for artists are well understood by all those who need to understand. 

I've left it until now so that those who want to enter can. As all my regular readers will know  my art competition mantra is ALWAYS read carefully all the terms and conditions....

I really didn't want to write what I'm about to say - but, on balance, I think it presents an important learning opportunity for all concerned. 

So I'm writing in that context - and with the hope that some of this can be resolved before the exhibition goes online....

After which I may well do a checklist about government law and regulations relating to  ecommerce and trading standards for ONLINE art competitions / open exhibitions for both organisers and artists!!

Bottom line - online exhibitions can be way more complex than exhibitions in a gallery!

Non-involvement of the FBA Societies

Ostensibly this online art competition 'Figurative Art Now' is about the 60th year of the Federation of British Artists BUT having queried this competition, I found that....

• The exhibition was simply announced 
• It was NOT discussed in advance with the Presidents of the Art Societies which make up the Federation of British Artists.
• Which I just find really, really odd. The Societies are the FBA!! 
• How can they not be involved if it supposedly relates to the 60th anniversary?  
• Why aren't the Presidents involved with selection of artwork for the exhibition? 

Obviously life has been very difficult recently with all the disruption caused by the Pandemic - but even so, this just seems very odd to me.

 

Prizes for artwork which selectors have never seen?

Two of the prizes are very odd (a £5,000 prize and a week-long exhibition in one of the galleries) given that the artwork entered will NEVER EVER be seen in person by any of the Selection Panel.

I'm just gobsmacked about this! Seriously? How does that work?

I've been looking at online images of artwork and actual artwork in open exhibitions and art competitions for very many years and I'm certainly very familiar with the fact that 

• There can be digital enhancement of artwork by artists for competitions! It's far from unusual.
  
• Which is WHY all art competitions routinely have the proviso to eliminate any artwork which does not measure up (literally) to the digital image once received - even if it has been pre-selected.
  

 

ONLINE ONLY Exhibition + MAJOR changes in who does what

THIS IS AN ONLINE EXHIBITION ONLY i.e. no artwork will be hung at the Mall Galleries.   

Nevertheless

• Non-refundable submission fees are the same as the submission fees for the open exhibitions - once you discount the fact that the latter also provide for free entry to the REAL exhibition in the Galleries!
• Commission is 35% plus VAT - slightly less for an organisation which is doing an awful  LOT LESS than it normally does for a hung exhibition i.e. 
• No involvement of the Presidents / FBA Societies in the presentation / marketing of the exhibition or artwork 
• no use of the gallery space at all 
• no receipt / handling of artwork to be hung 
• no storage of artwork
  
• no hanging of artwork 
• no manning of a live "on the wall" exhibition 
• no return of artwork unsold 
• no communication with buyers re collection / shipping
• no financial transactions re shipping 
• no arrangements for delivering art (including Customs documentation as appropriate)
• (i.e. putting artwork online is now a routine and expected part of EVERY exhbition held by the FBA at the Mall galleries - NOT an added extra)
  

Artists are next expected to do MUCH MORE than they usually do - BUT this difference from the normal open exhibitions of the FBA Societies is NOT highlighted in the summary on the competition page.

No mention in the summary of the additional costs for artists
(re finance / time / effort of packing and shipping art - potentially anywhere in the world!)

What this means, for starters, is....

Artists have to ORGANISE AND PAY FOR ALL PACKING AND POSTAGE TO BUYERS as stated in the Terms and Conditions TO ANY DESTINATION within 14 days of the sale being confirmed.

4. PRESENTATION 

4.1 All Works must be exhibition-ready as if they were to be exhibited and ready for sale. All work needs to be delivered or shipped to the buyer as advertised. 

5. SHIPPING OF WORKS 

5.1 Artists will be responsible for the delivery of work to the buyer, including the cost of shipping.  All work should be labelled and attached to the works. 

5.2. Work should be despatched within 14 days of confirmation of the sale 

Thus, the artist is liable for the cost of sending the artwork anywhere in the world - in whichever country the buyer lives in - no matter what the cost!  

The buyer does NOT have to pay. No matter what the size or weight of the artwork!!! 

New rules and regulations for Art Business - and Artists

I'm trying to catch up on the amount of change in law and regulations impacting on both artists, art organisations and the art market in the last 18 months.

I'm creating new resource pages for:

• international shipping 
• rules of origin
• export licences
• money laundering regulations for art market participants where a transaction (or series of transactions with the same buyer) exceeds £10,000

Import and export of artwork etc

Since 1st January 2021, 

• I've had LOTS of detailed queries about HOW to import / export art without falling foul of the new regulations
• there has been huge traffic to my Art Business Info for Artists in relation to international shipping and the import or export of art (and other created artworks and/or art material)

As at the beginning of January, there wasn't much to go on in terms of what people needed to do post Brexit - so I held off making changes until the situation improved.

I'm now very slowly slogging my way through the HUGE amount of new documentation from HMRC and various government departments which relates to the import / export of art and art materials post 1st January 2021 i.e. post the UK leaving the EU.

My brain hurts! 

View of the new page on Rules of Origin on At Business Info for Artists

To date:

• I've got one new page up - on "Rules of Origin" 
• in the SHIP ART section of Art Business Info for Artists
• it's a dedicated page under International Art Shipping: How to ship / export art
  to other countries
• I'm working on Export Licences - and when these are required - which will hopefully publish this week.
• these are required in relation to specific types of art over a specific valuation

I've still got to get my head around the Northern Ireland question and the border in the Irish Sea....

Mandatory Money Laundering Regulations for all Art Market Participants

ALERT!!! Plus I know I need to create a NEW page related to Money Laundering Regulations for Artists (and Art Galleries etc.) in the MONEY section. 

This WILL impact on more than a few artists, selling exhibitions, art societies and art galleries because

• The art market is a known target for money laundering and is officially regarded by HMRC as "high risk"
• The EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) was enacted into UK law with effect from 10 January 2020 and anti money laundering compliance has NOT BEEN OPTIONAL since 10th of January 2020
• The new regulations require a LOT of information to be collected and formally recorded and retained in relation to purchasers of artwork valued (as one lot or an accumulation) above the equivalent of £10,000

To be exempt, an artist (or art organisation) must be 

Not trading in or acting as an intermediary involving a “work of art” in a single transaction, or a series of linked transactions of £10,000 or more.

So basically, every time you price and deal in an artwork above £10,000 you (or your agent) 

• MUST register to comply with the Regulations and 
• MUST maintain all appropriate records - which will be open to inspection by those monitoring compliance (think VAT records!)

Art Market Participants (AMPs) which includes any person or organisation dealing in art - have until 10th June 2021 to register to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations (i.e. it was deferred because of the Covid-19 pandemic).

See for example The Art Newspaper's article (updated in March 2021) The art market is 'high risk' for money laundering, so ignore new regulations at your peril

More on this when my new page is published in the near future.

The pages improve with age!

As always with these sort of initiatives my first published page is the best I can do at the time. HOWEVER they always improve over time as:

• I find more information 
• fill the gaps in advice
• make the entire page more related to the art business - while at the same time providing the context for "what an artist needs to know" (or art gallery or art collector!)

Framing your artwork - a summary

This is a summary of my various blog posts about framing artwork - written over the last 15 years. Much of it is perennial advice.

Today I searched my blog for a particular post I wrote about the sort of frames which artists use for contemporary artwork in London Galleries.  Which is when I realised how many posts I'd written about framing!

All about Framing Artwork - a Summary

A frame has four main purposes. It serves to:

• support and protect the artwork
• make it easier to hang
• separates - and connects - the painting from its surroundings
• enhance its presentation - and avoids our attention being distracted from the painting

However that's just the basics - there's a lot more to framing artwork! 

Below is some of what I've written about frames on this blog. Links in the title of the blog post take you that post.

"Symonds Yat - blue green and gold" by Katherine Tyrrell
coloured pencil image 12" x 16"; frame 50cm x 60cm
ivory double mat and framed in American Oak by 'b2'
- with protective film for transport

How to frame your art

• How to mat and frame your artwork (2008) - a summary of my tips about how to mat and frame artwork

Getting ready for an exhibition is always a time when I try to remember all the tips I've ever had from anybody about how artwork should be framed. I thought it might be timely to try and record some of them and this post is a summary of tips for how to mat and frame artwork.

Protecting Frames

• Protecting your frames (2007) - passing on a tip from my framer about how to avoid damage to your frames (see also image at top)

(my framer) always cling films the framed picture so that the frame edges are covered when they are stacked. This provides good protection and helps to prevents marks being made on the frame during the stacking process. It also means I can avoid using cardboard corner protectors which (a) add to the space required and (b) results in exhibitors normally asking for them to be removed prior to stacking if space is limited!

Frames and Style

Five of the series of paintings of Poplars on the Epte by Claude Monet

• The reasons why frames for art change over time (2015)

One of my framers told me a long time ago that the bulk of his business came from replacing frames on artwork. The collectors liked the artwork but the frame simply didn't fit in their home - and it had to go.

 

Frames and Selling Art

SOLD ARTWORK: Types of frames relative to sale price

• Do frames help to sell art? (2015) - this tells you what happened when I went to an annual art exhibition of a prominent art society - and started to count what sort of frame the SOLD artwork had....

Frames and Money Management

Published in "The Artist" 2016

• How to avoid frames eating your profit (2016) - this was about an article I'd written for the Artist Magazine

A frame can make or break a sale. Framing can also cost a lot and eat into your profits. However, with a bit of effort you can achieve good looking framed art while controlling costs and increasing profit.

• Poll Results - Size Matters! () - I asked in a Making A Mark Poll what was the primary reason for the size of your artwork and 125 people responded.

Just under a third are mindful of pragmatic and financial considerations with respect to framing for exhibitions and sales.

• POLL: Exhibition frames: How much do you spend per frame on average? (2011) and How much do you spend on exhibition frames on average? (Poll results) - which revealed diverse practices re. how much artists spend on their frames between the UK and USA. However....

The disinclination to spend any more than around $160 seems to be approximately the same as UK artists disinclination to spend more than £100

Framing and Art Competitions

Frames stacked on the Receiving Day
for the Open Annual Exhibition of an Art Society

• NOT selected by an art competition or open exhibition? (2017) - highlights how framing can be a reason why your artwork gets rejected

Don't be parochial - and don't make personal preferences the deciding factor in framing choices. You are NOT framing for your home - you're framing for an exhibition and (presumably) to sell.

• 20 tips for entering art competitions (2010)

Make sure you can get your work framed correctly. Book your framer well in advance. Do not assume that they can turn around your frames in the time you've allowed. Remember that framers do have holidays! I'll never forget the August that I couldn't find a framer who could dMore about Framingo my framing in time for exhibition deadlines!

 

Framers

the studio of an 18th century German framework gilder

• A list of recommended picture framers (2017) - framers who are recommended by artists who have used them - on the artist's website or blog.

Hanging Picture Frames

• How to hang a picture (2020)
• How to hang a painting - using mirror plates (2015)
• How to hang a picture - using D Rings (2015)
• How to hang a large or heavy picture - using heavy duty hanging hardware (2015)

More about Framing Art

You can find out more about Framing on my Art Business Info for Artists website.

The section on Frame Art includes

• How to frame art
• General tips about framers
• General tips and frames
• What sort of frame design / moulding / wood? - Different styles and types of frames
• Framing for open exhibitions and art competitions (summary) - also see dedicated page
• Framing for gallery exhibitions
• Framing for commissions (summary)
• ​Protecting your frames
• How to store finished artwork

Plus additional pages for

• List of Recommended traditional and online framers - by location (UK and Ireland only at present)
• ​Framing for open exhibitions & art competitions
• VIDEOS: presenting, framing ​and hanging your art​
• Conservation Products
• How to hang a picture