In 2008, artist Damien Hirst made a bold and unprecedented move in the contemporary art world. Rather than working through his established network of dealers and galleries, he chose to sell a large body of new work directly to collectors through a two-day auction at Sotheby’s. The sale, titled Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, generated more than $200 million and saw 223 works change hands. This event marked a significant moment in the evolution of the art market. It demonstrated that a well-known artist could step outside the traditional gallery system and connect directly with collectors, bypassing the conventional structure…
Author: Blair
Many people assume that being an artist is simple: create the work, and somehow a gallery or collector will magically appear and take care of the rest. While that may be true for a small number of artists, it certainly isn’t the reality for most. There are many of us who are just as entrepreneurial as we are creative. At university, although I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, many of my courses were rooted in business—micro and macroeconomics, finance, information technology, and related fields. Being deeply immersed in both the artistic and business worlds has had a profound impact…
When I begin creating artwork, my first priority is eliminating distractions. Whether it’s my phone or anything else that might pull my attention away, I make a point of working in a clean, quiet space—one that’s free of anything that could interrupt the process. This usually means setting aside several uninterrupted hours where I can focus solely on painting. I find this especially important when working on gestural or abstract expressionist pieces, where momentum and intuition play a critical role. When I create abstract work, sometimes I begin with a clear direction in mind, and other times I start with…
When I first began painting, oil was my medium of choice. I was immediately drawn to its slower drying time, which allowed me to work deliberately—blending, adjusting, and refining passages over several days before the paint set. Even now, there are many qualities of oil paint that I continue to prefer over acrylic. This may sound amusing to some, but I genuinely enjoy the smell of oil paint as well; it feels inseparable from the tradition and ritual of painting itself. Oil paint, derived primarily from natural linseed oil, possesses characteristics that truly set it apart. As it dries, oil…
The true value of original art is often overlooked. Consider the average home in a major U.S. city. While prices vary from place to place, it’s fair to say that a well-appointed single-family home in most major metropolitan areas can easily exceed $1 million in value. The same can be said for automobiles—many Americans own vehicles worth $100,000 or more. These are impressive assets, yet in everyday life they have become remarkably commonplace. Living in Miami, on the course of a single day’s drive, I can easily pass a dozen Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Bentleys—each valued well into the six…
As a self-represented artist, I often find myself thinking about new ways to make an impact in the art market. Much of this revolves around visibility—finding creative ways to reach new collectors and building meaningful relationships with people who are deeply immersed in the art world. With so many artists competing for attention online, standing out has become essential. Today, it’s no longer enough to simply exist as an artist; you have to differentiate yourself in a way that is memorable and authentic. Some artists achieve this directly through provocative or unconventional artworks—bold gestures that capture immediate attention. While I…
Sometimes, in the middle of a painting—whether abstract or figurative—I’ll make a brushstroke or a mark that wasn’t anticipated or planned. In those moments, I often choose to let small discrepancies remain. An eye meant to be brown might appear blue because of a single, impulsive stroke. What began as an accident quietly becomes part of the work’s identity. This happens more often than one might think. It can be something as subtle as a stray brush bristle embedded in the paint or a slight imbalance that wasn’t corrected. Although these details were never intentional, I’ve found they can add…
Pricing artwork as a self-represented artist is often a gray area—one that many artists struggle to navigate. Ultimately, however, pricing comes down to supply and demand. The greater the demand for your work, the higher the price you can realistically command. Your typical collector base also plays a significant role in determining appropriate price points. If your clientele is generally lower-income, or if your work is primarily sold at art fairs and events where collectors expect work to fall within a familiar price range, positioning yourself as a dramatic outlier may not be effective. In those cases, aligning your prices…
For many decades, particularly before the rise of the Internet, artists were largely at the mercy of galleries. Without representation by a major blue-chip gallery in New York, London, or Paris, recognition in the art world—and even notice from serious collectors—was often out of reach. Today, however, the landscape is shifting in favor of the artist. Modern technology and direct communication have empowered artists to connect with collectors, patrons, and institutions independently. No longer must we rely solely on galleries, whose primary focus is often financial: many openly discourage unsolicited submissions, leaving emerging artists with few opportunities to be seen.…
In 2025, I began working on a new series of figurative paintings centered on the female form. I’m not certain how many works the series will ultimately include, or how long I will continue exploring this approach, but I have always enjoyed working across multiple styles and I’m pleased with the direction these new pieces are taking. The original concept was to render the figures in a minimalist manner, using a black outline reminiscent of line-and-wash watercolor paintings, though executed on a much larger scale. My initial plan was to complete the works in oil, beginning with a base layer…