Record Your Work
As a “serious artist” it is important to keep good records of your work. Not only is it important to keep a record of your time, cost of materials and other expenses, but it is also important to keep a slide file or digital record of your art work.
Check with your local photo shop to be sure you have the photography equipment that you need for this task of keeping good records of your work. When I wrote this article in 1977, slides were used to record art work.
Plan to take some time setting up items you choose to photograph. Consider the background, light and placement of the object – such as jewelry, pottery, or other craft items. Look for fabric that could be draped – such as felt or velvet. Burlap may give an interesting texture, too.
For paintings and pictures, you will need to find the best way to photograph them without having flash “bounce back”. You may need to hire a professional photographer to do this work for you.
For digital records, the task is easier. Label your works: include size, name, media, date, etc. Then label the disks.
Keep an index of the slides, too.
Storing the slides can be in slide boxes or slide folders. Sheets of slides can be sent to galleries who might want to show your work. Or, you may send them to juried shows or magazines.
Making extra copies of your slides or digital photos is a good idea in case you encounter a situation where someone may misplace or lose what you have entrusted to their care.
Keeping a visual record of your art work may be just as important as creating your work.
Onward!