ART:

• How long does it take you to make a painting?

This is the most asked question, but it’s a hard one to answer because I’ve never “timed” myself and because I never work on one thing, straight through, at a time. Many of my paintings have sat for many days, weeks, even months, getting worked and reworked, and most of the time I am working on 5-15 things at a time— employing what I call “bouncing,” which means I move from piece to piece throughout a work session.

• We’d like to commission a painting; how do we do that?

Commissions are something I love to create— it is a really special thing to make a piece of art just for you or your loved one. The first thing to do is to contact me so that we can set up a time to talk about what you are looking for. It’s helpful to know which paintings of mine you’ve seen and like, what motifs and colors you want and what size space you are looking to fill. I can then give you ideas and suggestions for a truly personal piece.

Getting on my calendar requires 50% down; the remainder is due at pick up/shipping.

COPYRIGHT GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS:

ON DERIVATIVE WORK:

It is important that you realize the world of working artists is smaller and more connected than you might think.

When students/artists have posted work that is either a copy or replica of my style/designs as their own, it is most often another artist who sees it and alerts me. Artists take copyright issues very seriously, and when you put yourself out there with something that really belongs to another artist, you are opening yourself up for scrutiny that hurts your own reputation and integrity as an artist in a community of artists. I, and many working artists, are not shy about confronting those who copy our work and present it as their own and these emails are difficult to receive.

So, it will be to your own benefit that the work you share is truly your own. If your goal is to make your own way as a working artist, think carefully about what you post, sell and teach and make sure that it is your own. In my experience, if you are asking yourself whether the work you’ve made is your own, there is a strong chance that it might not be.

If you find yourself unable to create work that doesn’t look like another artist’s work, this means you are still practicing and practicing is a good thing! It’s how we learn about our materials and what we love and are good at. But if you are practicing by copying other artists, this is not work to exhibit and sell. More time and practice spent in your studio will eventually guide you toward work that is uniquely your own!

• Can I sell/exhibit original art work or replicas of original art work that I made in one of your online classes?

I would prefer that you not sell or exhibit work you’ve made in one of my classes (online or in-person), unless it is very different than mine. I strongly oppose the sale or exhibiting of replicas of my demos because the designs are mine and not your own. This is copying and copying is practice.

• Why would you teach something if you don’t want people to make it?

That’s a good question! Teaching Artists teach a wide variety of techniques and procedures, but of course they teach it in their style. My intention in teaching my students is always to help them understand materials and techniques so that they may add to their own arsenal of knowledge and experience in the journey to developing their own style. Learning a technique from an artist is not permission to copy them.

• Can I post what I make in your courses to social media?

If you would like to post work you’ve made in one of my classes to social media, that is fine with me, as long as it is finished work, not process photos. Please mark it as “inspired by the work of Dar James, made in the online course…. etc.” and tag me. IG: @indarsworld FB: Dar James

• People really love the work I made in your class and want me to teach them how to do it; is that OK?

No, I am not OK with anyone taking my classes or courses and teaching them to others. Exceptions are to your children if you are doing the class together. This is taking instruction that is my intellectual property and using it as your own, which is not ok, but it’s also unfair to other students who have paid for the class. It’s also not ok to share your user name and log in with others; art and teaching are my livelihood, please do the right thing.

• Can I share a video of me creating art from one of your lessons?

No, not if you are covering steps from a lesson that I’ve created and that others have paid for.