Selling Art Archives – Emma Cownie

Posted on June 2, 2024June 2, 2024 by emma cownie — 19 Comments

How artists (and bloggers) can survive the “google apocalypse”

The Rise of AI

We all want to be seen. I want people to see my work. I also want people to see the process behind that work (have you listened to my recent radio interview yet?) I also want to maybe inspire and/or encourage people to undertake their own creative journey. There are bumps in the road, however. Making a living in the creative industries is difficult and uncertain at the best of times.

I recently wrote about how Generative AI was scraping/stealing artists’ copyrighted without permission or recompense. Its not clear how the rise of AI will change things. It has already been disruptive for many of those in the media industry. The protective tools such as “Glaze” are only short-term fixes, if you can get them to work. But that disruption may also create opportunities for some – its hard to tell.

Many people aren’t very interested in AI but wonder why they can’t get speak to a human in customer services but only an online bot.

Walled Gardens

As an artist who sells much of their work directly, I am reliant on the internet to get my work “out there” to as many people as possible. For many years I have used social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Pinterest in addition to my own website (with blog) as well as a mailing list. I have posted my work on a handful of online Galleries, Artfinder,in particular. To be honest, I don’t know what works.

I used to assume that everything did a bit of something. Lately its become apparent that some are doing very little indeed. A couple of years ago my instagram posts used to regularly get over a thousand likes, these days I am lucky to get over two hundred. I have pretty much given up on Twitter/X now from lack of engagement. I am wondering whether Facebook is worth the effort too. Since the arrival of TikTok in 2026, the short form video has been given priority by “the algoritim”. Not great news for camera-shy artists, like me.

What is apparent, is that social media sites are like walled gardens, where leaving is discouraged. Posts with external links are downgraded by the site and search algorithims. Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta. These walled gardens can and do change their rules for who get seen and who doesn’t.

A rather dated illustration of “Walled gardens”

“Enshitification” (Or – Its all going to Hell in a hardcart)

This is something that what Cory Doctorow calls the “Enshitification” of the internet. He points out that “Once upon a time, Facebook and Twitter showed you stuff from your friends and followers; now you get a torrent of things that the platform’s algorithms think might increase your “engagement”. Doctorow says “First,” he writes, “they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves.” You do this by offering “free” services (Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram), or loss-making reduced prices (Amazon). Then once you’ve got them locked in, you turn them into a captive market for your real customers – advertisers and vendors. And once you’ve got them locked in then you’re in a seller’s market – and have a licence to print money.

Twitter/X and Facebook have made it harder and hard to post and see external links to websites and publications. Many users have left the site. Opinions and comments used to be reinforced by reptutable publications. Partly as a result of this policy many online publications that people used to link to in their twitter posts have seen a big drop in traffic.

The Death of Google

The rise of AI is another threat to the stablility of online ecosystem. The death of Google has been predicted for many years now (at least since 2018). Google dominates internet search results so much that for many people it is the internet. These days, however, your Google search is likely to be swamped in link-farms, clickbait, long-form articles with thousands of words that ultimately say nothing, those weird ads about cars/fridges/hots tubs being “practically given away”. In fact, tons and tons of ads.

AI Overviews

In order to try and weed out some of the spammy stuff, Google recently introduced something called AI Overviews. maybe you have noticed it. Maybe not. The tech company unleashed a makeover of its search engine in mid-May that frequently provides AI-generated summaries on top of search results – it used to use Wikipedia for its summary with a list of links below. That was uncontroversial.

Google’s new AI Overviews saves you the effort of clicking on links by using generative AI to provide summaries of the search results. So if you want to know how to make cheese stick on your pizza – it will save you the bother of clicking on a receipe site. Google want to be the search and answer engine. However, when someone asked Google to suggest what to do if cheese is not sticking to pizza, it claimed that its AI suggested adding non-toxic glue to it! This was based on an 11-year-old comment from a forum site called Reddit that has recently done a deal to allow AI to train on content.

AI can’t tell fact from fiction, or from jokes or sarcasm. This is causing big problems for AI – a response to a advise on depression included “Jump of the Golden Gate Bridge”!

AI’s Advice on identifying edible wild mushooms was worryingly vague, emphasising looking for those with solid white flesh — which many potentially deadly puffball mimics also have. It has been said that “pharmaceutical companies aren’t allowed to release drugs that are harmful. Nor are car companies. But so far, tech companies have largely been allowed to do what they like Google is now making “more than a dozen technical improvements” to its artificial intelligence systems! It is important that Google maintains user trust. Other browsers are available. I have started to use one called Brave, there is also DuckDuckGo, Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

Google Zero – what does it mean for the artist blogger?

Google’s summaries are designed to get people authoritative answers to the information they’re looking for as quickly as possible without having to click through a ranked list of website links. This desire for Google to become a search and answer engine is called “Google Zero” by Nilay Patel, editor-in-chief of the Verge Magazine.; when Google Search simply stops sending traffic outside of its search engine to third-party websites. That possibly means my website, or your blog. Independent review sites have been feeling the effects of the changes.

There’s a review website called House Fresh, who review air purifiers that they have personally tested (instead of recycling PR puff from the manufacturers). Since 2023, they have seen their reviews ripped off by bigger websites and web traffic to their own site decimated. The teething problems of Google Overview may see it being ditched by Google. They have a track record of ditching apps that were’t immediately successful – you can read a long list of them here. Remember Google Street View? Gone. Google Hangout? Not Really. Google My Business? Yes. That’s gone too.

What to do?

So whilst Google Overview maybe gone very soon, AI wont be going anywhere soon. Too much money has been spent on it. The big tech companies are desperate to keep ahead in the innovation race. They are also desperate for web-domination, regardless of the collateral damage. Yes, that maybe your amazing following on Youtube, Facebook, TikTok that gradually loses traction.

Artists may follow the latest advice to make reels, or stories (how many daft videos on Instagram reels have I seen of an artist turning around to “reveal” their latest work) and it may work for a while. All these innovations are designed to please the “algorithim”. Not the audience. Certainly not the artist. The goal posts keep moving. Once it was stories we had to make, then reels. What next? It’s exhausting. It’s a bottomless pit that sucks in a lot of your creative energy. I am an artist and I want to paint. Not perform.

The moral of the story is don’t build your house on someone else’s land. I have known this for sometime. Several years ago, Facebook unexpectedly deleted my Emma Cownie Artist page without warning. I set up a new one (two actually, one also to link to my Instagram account) but the follower numbers have never come close to the numbers or engagement of the original page. The waters closed in pretty easily.

I redoubled my efforts with my own website (with this blog) and a mailing list and my website numbers and views have steadily grown. You have to build an audience.

I looked at a blog I wrote in 2019 when I first started my mailing list and most of the suggestions I included (but not necessarily followed) still look good to me. There is a lot of cross over with my blog on this website but its not identical.

I write high-quality, carefully researched content. I write about my new work, sales and the inspiration behind my paintings i.e. the local history of the the places I paint and the process of painting – including technical stuff to do with colour, composition.

I write about the process of creativity.

I also write about the inspiration provided by other artists. I know its a cliche but I am on a “journey” but I am keen to explain what is informing that journey. Why I paint in a certain way and not another? It’s vital to keep supporters/fans engaged to maintain their relationship with you and your business. It’s all about adding value to their lives.

Apocalypse Now?

Not necessarily. So it seems that the best advice is don’t panic. Keep on keeping on and build those ladders over the walls in the walled gardens into your own garden!

Join my Mailing List Here

Find Out More about Issues discussed in this blog

https://emmafcownie.com/2024/04/07/ai-and-artwhat-you-need-to-know/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/11/users-advertisers-we-are-all-trapped-in-the-enshittification-of-the-internet

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/google_ai_summaries_publishers_fears.php?ref=biztoc.com

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/google-makes-fixes-to-ai-generated-search-summaries-after-outlandish-answers-went-viral

https://theconversation.com/eat-a-rock-a-day-put-glue-on-your-pizza-how-googles-ai-is-losing-touch-with-reality-230953

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/31/24168605/google-search-api-leak-openai-media-vergecast

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/30/24168344/google-defends-ai-overviews-search-results

How Google is killing independent sites like ours – https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/

A Google apocalypse is sweeping the US, and its devastating effects are on the way to Ireland – The Irish Times

Posted on May 30, 2021October 8, 2021 by emma cownie — 18 Comments

Selling Art Online

I was delighted to be asked to do an interview with Toby Buckley for the Net Gallery about selling art and marketing. It was published recently on the “Artist N Virtual” section of their site. I thought I would post it here too:-

With successive lockdowns resulting in the closure and cancellation of many of the galleries, markets, festivals and art fairs that artists rely on to make a living, 2020 and 2021 have seen many artists trying their hands at online sales for the first time. To help anyone taking a jump into the online marketplace, we spoke to Swansea- and Donegal-based artist, Emma Cownie, to get some expert advice.

Emma’s distinctive oil paintings have featured in exhibitions around the UK and are even available from lifestyle giants John Lewis, but she doesn’t rely on these outlets to get her work out there. Spending “at least 50%” of her day marketing, Emma mastered the art of online art sales long before lockdown, selling over 200 pieces, originals and prints (many of which went directly to collectors) in 2018 alone.

Primarily selling work through her own online gallery, Emma has also sold work via online sales platforms like Artfinder and Singulart.

TNG: How did you come to settle on your current sales methods?

Emma Cownie (EC): My original sales methods came from the idea of being a “creative entrepreneur” which meant involving collectors and followers in the creation of my work. I did this mainly via blogs which described the creative process, from initial thoughts, going to actual locations, images created, then the painting process, right through to descriptions of the art when placed online. This allowed followers of my work to have an emotional stake in my work, to be part of its creation.

I have retained collectors from this formative period. It has always been important to bring followers with me on a creative journey, so that they are part of the process, buying one’s work, encouraging me as an artist via comments, likes and support. They are part of the process… Art is not created in a vacuum, and shouldn’t be sold in one either. This is especially true when the places I paint, as landscape paintings, have personal attachment to followers and collectors also. In fact, they often purchase work of places close to their heart. I like to blog about work and my inspirations even today. Art can be remote sometimes so I feel it should instead gather people in.

TNG: How can an artist make the most of social media to boost their sales?

EC: Social media is essential to boosting sales, to the uploading of new work and to the celebration of new sales. It keeps collectors and followers up to date on your artistic journey and lets them share in your success and development. An artist’s promotion is often done by people on social media who like your work. It is important to engage with other artists too, supporting each other via shares, comments and likes.

Most sales are a product of a network of social interactions with supporters and it is important to keep busy online. The more one interacts, the more one’s work seems to become visible which in turn helps sales… I also use social media to engage with followers about my work and it’s creation, and this helps too.

TNG: What is the first thing you’d recommend to someone who is trying to get their online art sales off the ground?

EC: Be yourself. By that I mean, collectors are looking for original work, art they have not seen before. They are not looking for derivative work. Novelty and originality are strong selling points. So it is important to develop a style of painting that is distinctively your own.

TNG: You have written that positivity is a key factor in selling art online. Why do you think celebrating success is so important in online sales?

EC: When I post an image of a painting when it has sold, it invariably gets more likes and comments than when posted originally. Collectors and fans like to know an artist is succeeding. Collectors like reassurance about your qualities as an artist and that they are buying a quality piece that will keep its inherent value (obviously the value may also increase through time). They also like to see an artist developing and to be part of that journey in some way. Buying their work makes them intrinsic to that development.

Sales also confirm a collector’s taste in spotting talent, that it is just not them who sees an artist’s talent.

TNG: What should an artist include in their bio to make themselves appeal more to potential buyers?

EC: Collectors like to know if an artist has exhibited in “brick and mortar” galleries too and whether you have work in private collections around the world. I have found that a bio should contain pertinent personal information too. In my case, I started painting in a more concentrated manner following a car crash and painting helped me through the post-traumatic consequences of the crash. Painting helps me in my daily life. Some find this inspiring and it helps them understand where I am coming from.

I also mention my own inspirations and how they shape my work and my style of painting. This also gives them insight into where I am coming from in terms of art history.

TNG: How important are high-quality artwork images, and how would you recommend creating these?

EC: It is essential to upload high-quality artwork images. It is important that the images are as accurate as possible in representing the work. Collectors are relying on this when purchasing art online and remotely… I usually photograph on a greyish, overcast day too.

I get frustrated by artists who clearly have used a flash on their camera to photograph work as it can be seen in the bleaching out of the colours on one side of the painting… If you’re not using natural light, then artificially light a painting from both sides simultaneously. If an artist does not take their work seriously enough to photograph properly it sends out a negative message to collectors.

TNG: What’s more important when pricing works – a wide range of prices to appeal to all wallets or a consistent price that emphasises the value of the work?

EC: Both. My first slogan was ‘Quality Art At Affordable Prices’ which had a range of prices from £30 to £900. As my work has sold over the last 8 years, my prices have incrementally risen. My most expensive painting is £2500, as I still want more people to feel that they can buy art, that it is not an elitist activity, everyone can and should own art as it is so uplifting and adds such value to one’s life. It is a gift that keeps giving.

I would offer a range of prices based on size of canvas used but have enough small, reasonably priced paintings to get sales going and to boost confidence. It is a great feeling selling art. It motivates you to do the same again.

It is important that prices rise in line with sales, however, and work should be priced accordingly. Make incremental changes every time you sell and prices will keep going up but not in a way that discourages sales.

Art by Emma Cownie

The two artworks below, Suburban Cottage and With a Road Running Through It, were created using a minimal style that Emma has been developing over the last 4 years. We asked Emma to tell us a bit more about each piece.

*Suburban Cottage* by Emma Cownie. Image courtesy of the artist.

Suburban Cottage – “This is an urban minimal oil painting of Sketty, a middle class suburb of Swansea in Wales. “Urban Minimal” was a deliberate attempt to simplify my paintings in a style similar to the American Minimalists. Much of my work has been influenced by American realists and minimalists. Urban minimalist paintings were painted in accordance with my ‘rules’ for composition and painting:

No cars
No People
Bright light. There must be shadows – at diagonals if possible.
Simplified forms – there must be little detail in the final painting. I found this the most challenging ‘rule’ to stick to.

“I wanted to explore the interplay of the geometry of shadows and man-made structures – the tension between the 3D buildings and the 2D shadows, the simplified blocks of colour.”

*With a Road Running Through It* by Emma Cownie. Image courtesy of the artist.

With a Road Running Through It – “I painted a series of paintings of cottages on the island of Goal, off the coast of Donegal, Ireland. I tried to paint in a style similar to that of ‘urban minimal’. These ‘rural minimal’ pieces pared paintings down to the basics. Minimal texture, simple but interesting compositions, strong light and shadows, all intended to create a sense of the still, the quiet, a moment in life that is both now and eternal.”

Article by Toby Buckley.

To learn more about Emma Cownie and her work, be sure to check out her website: https://emmafcownie.com. You can read more of her advice about online art sales in her article on Medium.

Toby Buckley

Read the original article here

Posted on June 18, 2018May 6, 2019 by emma cownie — 37 Comments

Six Hundred Sales!

I can hardly believe it myself! On Tuesday I sold my 600th painting via the online gallery www.artfinder.com. My sales total had been stuck on 599 what seemed like an unbelievably long time – it was a week in fact. I have actually sold more than that either directly or through other online galleries. All of those paintings were unique too. I have never gone in for mass producing generic scenes. I believe that novelty keeps my work “fresh”.

My work may explore certain themes such as the Brecon Beacons, Gower Woodlands, Swansea people, the Gower coast, but each painting is an individual. Each painting is of a real specific place or of real people. Perhaps that shows a failure of imagination on my part, I don’t know.

Although I may have had periods when I have felt a bit “flat”, such as after an exhibition, but so far I never actually run out of inspiration. This is partly due to the world around me constantly inspires me but also, more importantly, because of the unfailing encouragement, inspiration and support provided by my artist husband, James Henry Johnston (known to his friends as Seamas – pronounced “Shay-mas”).

Seamas founded our Art business in the midst of one of the most difficult times of my life. I had developed PTSD after a car accident and this contributed to a breakdown. Painting was an essential part of my recovery (and still is). Not only did he give me crucial emotional support through an incredibly difficult time, (all whilst sitting his Psychology finals) he set up a website and put some of my paintings on an online gallery called Artfinder. To our delight I started selling. Like many artists, I find the marketing side of the business challenging at times. I was terrified that people would be rude about my art and that would then affect my fragile confidence. Happily that has rarely happened.

So in those early days Seamas acted as “shield” and would write all those upbeat posts on Facebook about sales and upcoming exhibitions. He would also work on direct sales, face-to-face and online, negotiating terms with collectors. I have only really come to appreciate the sheer amount of time and effort he has put into promoting my work since I started working as a full-time artist and had to tackle platforms like pinterest and instagram. That term “full-time artist” is a misnomer as it might give you the impression I spend all say in the studio. I spend at least half my time working on social media and marketing.

Artfinder has been a massive part in being able to make that leap and become a full-time artist. Being self-employed is full of ups and downs, it’s very much “feast or famine” so to look back and see 600 sales over 5 years is quite amazing. Long may it continue. I was going to end this by quoting Samuel Butler, Victorian novelist and satirist who said; “Any fool can paint a picture but it takes a wise man to be able to sell it”, but I want to rephrase that with “Any fool can paint a picture but it take a genius to sell it.”

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