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Careers: Arts/gallery portfolio

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Expert: - 7/11/2009


Question
I am an amateur painter who has received encouragement from a professional to exhibit my work publicly. I want to put together a portfolio for galleries. Another artist that I ran into at a coffee shop told me that there is a very good way to do this, creating a "book" with photos and a CD. He mentioned Macintosh but I am not sure what he meant as he left before we finished the conversation. He advised that it is not a good idea to email a gallery with a link to a website, because they may receive hundreds of such emails. He mentioned Macintosh having some sort of "book," but he never finished his explanation. Can you fill in the missing info he might have intended? Basically, what I am looking for is the optimum way of presenting my semi-realistic oil paintings to galleries. Also, what is your opinion of including, for gallery consideration, a short descriptive statement about each work? Thank you!

Answer
Hey David,

So many options exist if you want to create a professionally printed book. I think what your coffee shop artist might have been talking about was using iPhoto on your mac to create a book that you can then order. Here's a link that I hope will be helpful:
http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/print-products.html

Now, you don't have to use iPhoto, you can use a plethora of many websites such as
blurb.com
scrapbook.com (this one might be a little girly, but you can do some fun, creative stuff with uploaded photos)
kodakgallery.com
snapfish.com
even walmart.com in the photo section has photo books you can order

I'm sure if you google the topic, you can come up with more websites.

You'll need to get some quality photos of your work, of course. If you have (and know how to use) Photoshop, Illustrator, or similar programs, you can layout your own portfolio book. You can buy portfolios of different sizes where you can insert quality printouts of your work or you can have a book bound at your nearest print shop. Shops normally offer a variety of different types of binding at different prices. These days, you have so much to choose from!

In terms of adding a short descriptive statement, that's totally up to you. If you feel you want to add that, stay consistent and keep it short, sweet, and clear. Don't forget, the most important information is your name and contact information!

Hope this helps get you started!
Best wishes,
Gianina

Careers: Arts

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Gianina L.

Expertise

I can answer questions concerning most traditional mediums such as acrylics, watercolor, colored pencils, collage/cut paper, graphite, charcoal, and pen and ink. I also have strong, advanced knowledge of Photoshop, Powerpoint and Publisher; and beginner to immediate level knowledge in Illustrator, Freehand, After Effects, and Flash. In addition, I can cover miscellaneous subjects such as portfolio preparation, applying to art schools, art school study skills, color theory, basic design and drawing principles, basic animation techniques, working on personal art styles and exploring new artistic techniques. Topics such as the detailed legal aspects of art, web programming and Flash action scripting do not fall under my area of expertise.

Experience

Experience in the Area
I graduated summa cum laude with a double BFA in Illustration and Computer Art (specializing in 2-dimensional animation) from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where as a student, I happily tutored fellow peers in all aspects of art and created numerous illustrations for the school newspaper. For the past several years, I have been illustrating seminar books, designing numerous graphics, and creating short animation sequences for use in video. In addition, I work as a private tutor and am co-director / co-owner of a company that focuses on and promotes the local music industry. I assist with all the day-to-day operations of this company as well as manage all art direction and design.

Education/Credentials
Savannah College of Art and Design
BFA Computer Art, Illustration
Summa Cum Laude
Dean's List, GPA 4.0

Awards and Honors
Induction into Alpha Pi Beta honor society for art and design, 2002
Outstanding Achievement in Computer Art, 2002
Outstanding Student for the academic year 2001-2002
Awarded "Most Dependable" for District, the student newspaper, 2002
Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities, May 2001
Better Business Bureau Honesty in Advertising Essay Competition, Merit Award, November 1998
Mary Renee Whelan Scholarship, Savannah College of Art and Design

Exhibitions and Festivals:
Embodiement; Myths in Animal Form, www.postpicasso.com, December 10 - January 10, 2005
SCAD Alumni Show, Stardust Café, Orlando, FL; December 2004
Finalist, International Juried Online Symbolist Art Show, www.dracoblu.com, May 2004 - April 2005
Finalist, International Juried Online Symbolist Art Show, www.dracoblu.com, May 2003 - April 2004
Senior Showcase, SCAD Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, GA; May 2002
2D or not 2D, SCAD Trustees Theatre, Savannah, GA; April 2002
Small Works, SCAD Exhibit A Gallery, Savannah, GA; November 7 - December 31, 2001; art was purchased
Magnanimata Animation Festival, May 1999

Publications
Quoted briefly in Animation World Magazine, "Predicting the Future of Futurama" (April 1999) and "Ed, Edd, n Eddy: A Unique Approach" (June 1999)

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