Google is celebrating the 110th birthday of artist Rene Magritte by incorporating some of Magritte’s masterpieces together into one Google logo. Ever so often, Google does a “doodle,” a decoration they add to their logo for fun. Over the years doodles have become one of the most beloved parts of Google.

This is the first time that Google has done a doodle for Magritte, but they have done others for artists such as Marc Chagall, Leonardo DaVinci, Pablo Picasso, Diego Velazquez, and Andy Warhol, along with doodles for holidays, past-times, and newsworthy events.

Google doodles started out as the creations of 30-year-old Google Webmaster Dennis Hwang, but they have now grown and are developed by a team of artists. Dennis Hwang designed his first logo for Google in honor of Bastille Day, July 14, 2000, at the request of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and has been designing the specialty logos ever since. Since Dennis began celebrating and marking worldwide events and holidays with his doodles in 2000, his work has been seen by millions and reached cult status, with fans waiting with bated breath to see his next creation, and even websites and blogs devoted to his work.

Google has also recently released iGoogle Artist Themes, where you can customize their iGoogle homepage with themes from famous artists and designers including Jeff Koons, Dale Chihuly, Vera Wang, and Gustavo Rosa. Now you add the work of world-class artists and innovators to your homepage, all for free. But the most popular Google homepage? The plain, white, classic-vanilla version.

We just received new work by Fran Nicholson- you can see her adorable, sculpture portraits of dogs can be seen in our Artists section. Her whimsical pieces are lighthearted and bring a smile to our gallery guests. One of her “Bobbles” went home with a collector within two hours of its arrival!

Fran Nicholson, “News Travels Fast,” Bronze edition of 25

Bronze sculpture, and especially sculpture in editions, call for careful consideration before purchasing. In this Internet-friendly generation we see troubling issues of copyright infringement and outright copying and counterfeiting of bronze work. Jane Dedecker and Gary Price are two of the most well known artists whose work has been copied thousands of times over and cast in mixed metals and other substances “posing” as bronze.

As a collector, there are many things that you can do to safeguard yourself from purchasing a counterfeit piece. Below I have listed a few guidelines, but if you ever question a piece of art, always speak with a reputable dealer before purchasing. Give me a call!

Guidelines to avoid counterfeit sculpture

• Make sure the piece is signed with the artist’s name, the date of the creation, and the edition number.
• Ask the seller about the biography of the artist and other works by the artist. Where are they from?
• Get a fine art evaluation for each piece that you purchase, and certificate of authenticity if available.
• Watch out for: antique stores, liquidation stores, bulk “big box” stores, and garden centers for fakes.

If you are an artists wishing to protect your work, here is a helpful hint:

Register each of your original designs with the US Copyright Office. It’s only $45 per piece, or per series. You will fill out a two page form, which you can down load at the copyright office web site. They will also need a few photos of the work.

The direct link to the Visual Arts registration form is: http://www.copyright.gov/forms/formva.pdf

Three dimensional works add a unique perspective to you home and variety to your art collection. The art of casting and foundry work is an incredible process. I am happy to describe the many-leveled process to any collector, anytime. Stop by the gallery for your own personal tutorial.

Shawna Moore’s encaustic work at Gallery MAR

Don’t consider your own fine art appraising until it’s too late. In the past few years I’ve seen many clients who have had the misfortune of house fires, floods, and thefts. Always ask your gallery for a fine art evaluation and receipt with every purchase you make, and keep all of these documents in a safe, fire-proof place. Send copies to your insurance company, and take photos of your works and document in which home your pieces are placed.

Local gallerista and Parkite Melissa Soltesz owns Soltesz Fine Art Consulting, a Fine Art Appraisal business in Park City. In our state, we have very few qualified fine art appraisers. I highly recommend Soltesz’s services to my clients and friends.

A message from Soltesz: “We all share a love of art and have spent years and/or even a lifetime building our art collection, however we frequently overlook its protection until something terrible happens.  Enlisting the services of Soltesz Fine Art Consulting will ensure that you have a qualified appraiser value your collection.   With an appraisal for insurance coverage your artwork will be protected in the event of a disaster and your mind set at ease.”

Soltesz has worked in the art industry for thirteen years, here in Park City and in New York City, has a BA degree in art, and completed the Certificate Program for Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Arts at the University of California in Irvine. UC Irvineʼs program is the only one on the west coast affiliated with the esteemed American Society of Appraisers.

Call the gallery for more information, or contact Melissa Soltesz directly at 435-901-0961 or at solteszfineart@yahoo.com.

Kirk Tatom “The Wake of Day II,” Oil

It is my belief that collectors naturally gravitate towards, and should only buy, what they truly love. That said, there are always great buys and steals in the emerging art market on both local and national levels. As well, there are many investment opportunities in the high-end contemporary sector, but most of those are out of the average collector’s reach and beyond their art educations. As there is a continued demand for both contemporary and historically important works, fine art can now be treated as an alternate asset class and a way to diversify wealth. If you can afford to research the markets and buy and sell with the appropriate tides, by all means forge ahead!

For those of us with a little less dough to invest in stratospherically-priced contemporary art, there are other ways invest. The Mei Moses Annual Art Index shows that art delivered an annual compounded return of 12.06 percent between 1953 and 2003. The indexes are based on databases of more than 12,000 artworks bought and sold at auction more than once. These indexes are then compared to the S&P 500, government bonds, and gold to decipher relative performance. My advice? Start small, set annual amounts for art investment, and talk to galleries about their top emerging artists. If you start your collection in 2008 with a $1500 investment, and you invest 25% more in your art collection each year for 20 years, in 2028 you will have a $37,500 art collection. Match that to return of the Mei Moses index and you’ll have a $42,022 art collection!

Another art investment idea that fascinates me is the art hedge fund. Both the Fine Art Fund (FAF) and the Art Trading Fund (ATF) are based on the idea that private collectors don’t rely on credit (and thus are not affected by the credit crunch). The FAF and the ATF have differing ideas of where and when to invest, with the ATF (born in 2007) trading on average every 4 months. Investors in both hedge funds aren’t necessarily art lovers; they just know a good fund when they see one. The ATF website says that they use, “an objective investment process the Fund essentially monetizes the substantial margins of a gallery and art dealing business - without the high fixed cost base of either - and passes that ‘alpha’ on to the end investor. The investment managers add additional value through asset allocation and via a synthetic hedge that provides downside protection.” They primarily focus on living young, upcoming artists’ works for quick sell back. Charles Saatchi, the British advertising magnate, art collector, and gallery owner is an adviser.

Another obvious connection of hedge funds to the art world: many of the hedge fund managers like Steven Cohen of SAC Capital (and owner of a tiger shark in formaldehyde, a work by the artist Damien Hirst) and Citadel Investment Group’s Kenneth Griffin, are among the top art collectors in the world. According to a 2007 article in Financial Week, a survey last year by consulting firm Prince & Associates, which polled almost 300 hedge fund managers with a median net worth of more than $60 million, found the average manger spent nearly $4 million on fine art in 2005. So are these funds an example on conflict of interest? For another take on the investment in fine art and fine art hedge funds, take a look at this article in Portfolio Magazine. Like every investment opportunity, there are two sides to the story.

Aaron Memmott, “Main Street Glow” 18″ x 24″ Oil

Thank you to our artists all over the nation for inspiring us and enriching our lives.

Some favorite American artists to celebrate in August include Andy Warhol (whose birthday is August 6),  Mary Cassatt, Currier & Ives, Georgia O’Keefe, William Johnson, Thomas Eakins, Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, Frederic Remington, M. L. Mastai, August Macke, Diego Velazquez, Arshile Gorky, Jean Dubuffet, Jean Honore Fragdnard, Norman Rockwell, Philip Evergood, Charles Alston, and Winslow Homer, just to name a few!

Here is a list of more American artists in varying styles: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/nationalities/American.html.

Do you have a favorite American artist, one you’re appreciating this month? Gallery MAR has added two new American artists to the gallery this week: Aaron Memmott and Kirk Tatom. Introduce yourself to their work today.

Kirk Tatom, “Southern View Cambria” 16″ x 19.5″ Oil

Today I had the good fortune to be on KPCW’s This Green Earth broadcast. For those of you who tuned in, I promised to post some of the topics I covered and give you helpful links.  As well, I will be Randy Barton’s guest on his week-day show, this Thursday the 3rd at 6:30 pm, so listen in. Thanks again to Chris and Katie for bringing me on air. Have any suggestions or favorite painting tips? Let’s hear it!

Painting Precautions

Always ventilate your area well, and wear a mask if you are particularly sensitive to chemicals. Avoid these if you’re sensitive: Chrome paints, Zinc paints, Cadmiums, Cobalt, Petroleum, Thalo colors, and preservatives. You can request a Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) from almost all manufacturers (like Utrecht, Crayola, etc.) to check out what’s in your products.

“Green” painting practices

All- natural encaustics, made of beeswax and tree resin (just make sure to use low temps and do not use a direct flame on the wax); egg tempura, casein (milk-based), and water mediums (watercolors). For sculpture, there are quite a few fun options such a recycled materials, clay, wood, stone, and more.  Use baby oil or vegetable oil for cleaning your brushes and hands from varnishes and other painting chemicals. Make your own oil paints using natural pigments and linseed oil. Buy good quality, reusable products vs. disposable items.

Recipe for non-toxic Finger paints

courtesy of www.care2.com

1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soap flakes melted with 1/2 cup
boiling water
Juice dyes (see below)

Make your own soap flakes by grating a bar of homemade hand soap (available at your health food store) until you have 1/3 of a cup of soap flakes. Combine the cornstarch, water, and melted soap in a bowl. Stir to blend. Let the mixture set until it has become thick. Divide into separate bowls and stir in juice dyes for color. Have fun and get messy!

www.NaturalPigments.com - articles, insights, and products to help you make your own paints.

www.RobPettit.com - provocative artist using cell phones to create art and discussion. This is why I’ve had the same cell for nearly 5 years.

Quite a lot has been written about the worth of art. There are whole books devoted to the matter (and a personal favorite? The Worth of Art by Judith Benhamou- it’s a great gift). But as “valuable” as the diamond studded skull “For the Love of God” by Damian Hirst may be, I don’t want it in my house. It makes me a little sick to look at it. Instead,  I want to surround myself with beautiful things, with pieces I adore and art that has meaning to me. There is a quality that I look for in fine art, and it must pass that test in order to be worthy of space in my home.

Only you can decide what that quality is you are looking for. You have to be discerning and educate yourself about what is out there. One of the best parts of working in a gallery is discovering each and every person’s definition of their own qualifications and desires for fine art. Tastes are subjective! John Keats described art in terms of its most important value, quality: “A thing of beauty if a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; and it will never pass into nothingness.”

Your pieces of art will last lifetimes if you curate a collection of beauty, as defined by you alone. The market is up, the market is down. No matter how the economy stands, surround yourself with the things that you love and you make the best possible investment: an investment in yourself.

Below are a few new selections of photos of the gallery for those collectors, artists, and friends who are out-of-state. We have been busy with locals and other gallery owners stopping by each day. And we’ve sure kept our delivery men hard at work: each day new work arrives and it is like Christmas opening each package, discovering beautiful paintings and sculpture.

Since I have been so busy unwrapping packages, now is a great time to write about the packaging and shipping of fine art. In my experience, collectors often have multiple homes and want their fine art to grace more than one home. Sometimes this means moving artwork from one state to another, or even overseas. Each piece of artwork requires special handling and consideration, but there are a few guidelines to follow.

Always use at least one strong layer of bubble wrap around each piece. For heavier or more fragile items, up to 4 layers would not be unheard of, with an under layer of paper or cloth. If you are using cardboard boxes, package the item inside with multiple layers of more bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts between the piece and the box. After securing the box with tape, give the box a shake. Do the items inside shift around? Do you hear peanuts settling? Time to re-open the box and stuff it tighter!

I always suggest using recyclable materials: better for the environment and more cost-effective. Biodegradable Cornstarch Peanuts can be found at www.ULine.com as well as other packaging websites. Cardboard boxes can usually be re-used three time before they’re recycled. More and more retailers are recognizing the need to cater to their “green” consumers, so seek out those options whenever possible. Most recycling centers (Park City’s included) will both accept and give away packaging materials. Try the “re-use” route before you buy new!

If you need more information or are shipping oversize items, you can always call Gallery MAR for more information and resources. There are also several national shipping companies who do both the crating and freighting of items. Safe and happy shipping to you, but remember… always get your shipment insured!