[On Painting] On Collecting

[Duane]

When a painting finds its way into the home of a collector it becomes part of a story. It is the story of paths crossing, of a painting having a serindipitous encounter with someone who was ready, at a specific moment in their life, to feel some connection to what the artist, at a specific moment in his life, felt the need to paint. Over the past twenty-five years my work has become a part of many such stories and I've had the great pleasure of meeting, in person or online, some of the people who have purchased my work. Some are experienced collectors while others are new to buying original work. They come from all over the world and have interesting and wonderfully varied backgrounds. Indeed, one of the untold benefits of being a painter is that my paths cross with so many different kinds of people, from documentary filmakers to Marines. While it is often the case that we are often, in essence, strangers to one another we also share a kind of secret-- an affinity for some unique sliver of the world manifested in paint.


I thought it would be interesting to have my collectors gather under one roof so that they could meet one another and display their collections. To this end I made a social networking site that is a bit like Facebook or My Space except that it is dedicated to collectors of my work. On this site you get your own page where you can display your collection, start your own blog, make comments, and see all the pages created my other collectors. On the main community page you can get an overview of what is happening among other members. It is called Keiser Collectors. It is semi-private in that the main page is open to the public to view but the individual pages can be seen by members only. Anyone who owns one of my paintings is free to join and get a personal page. I'll need to approve each person who signs up so as to protect my collectors from spam and would-be advertisers, but the sign-up process is quick, easy and free.

Check it out: www.keisercollectors.com

There is a sign-up box in the upper right. Once you sign-up you'll get an email that says your membership is pending approval. I'll approve it asap, in which case you'll get another email that directs you to your page where you can get started. I recommend reading the FAQ or "Getting Started" forums to get an overview of the site but generally it is fairly easy to figure things out.

Don't hesitate to email me if you have questions or problems.

And speaking of collectors, here are a couple of links to the web site and blog of two collectors of mine. Over several years they have not only amassed wonderful collections of art (from a wide variety of painters) but have also become enthusiastic and dedicated advocates for their artists-- for which I, for one, am eternally grateful. Here are their links:

Skating at the Edge of Infinity

The Gregory Peterson Collection

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Posted By Duane to On Painting at 7/27/2008 10:24:00 AM