Preparing your listing on the LRAA Website
Creating a personal webpage might seem daunting, but the good news is that much of the hard work has already been done for you by the Lakes Region Art Association. We've made it easier than ever for you to showcase your art to a wider audience.
As a Gallery Artist with the LRAA, you’re entitled to a **free** webpage where you can display your artwork and connect with potential buyers and admirers. All you need to do is choose the pieces you want to feature, along with the corresponding information—such as titles, descriptions, and prices—and share them with the webmaster. It’s that simple!
To make the process even smoother, I’ve created an easy step-by-step guide to help you organize everything and get your webpage up and running. Take advantage of this great opportunity to present your art to the world!
Recommendation to help you stay organized:
We have built a few worksheets to help you pull the needed information together. We recommend you place a folder on your desktop, name it “My LRAA Webpage,” and when you download a worksheet, direct the download to this folder.
Step by Step Guide
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An Artist Bio tells the world who you are, what you do, what you've done, and what you've accomplished.
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Each artist can have up to four different categories or genres listed on your webpage. You can break your page up by medium (oils, acrylics, pastels, etc), by genre (landscapes, seascapes, flowers, animals, b&w, etc) or any other category you desire..
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If you have digital copies of your art, great! If not, we can help you get then digitized. More on that later.
When selecting your art there are a few things to keep in mind.
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Each piece of art your want included needs to be accompanied by a little information for the viewer. To help you with this we have created a tool (form) to bring it all together.
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We need two images of you. One image is a headshot for the "Directory Page" and the other can be any candid shot of you doing what you like to do most. The headshot will give the viewer a way to easily identify you when they enter the gallery or website. The candid shot shows them the more intimate/personality of the artist.
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This is an optional piece of information your can add now, add/change later, or totally ignore. The Artist Statement is a way for the creator to explain the feeling or sentiment to a body of work. It can also be used to explain why a specific collection of your art was chosen.
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Once you have completed the steps above, and you have assembled the information you want on your site, this section will tell you how to get it off your desk and onto mine.
Learn More
Artist Bio
Most people are not comfortable writing about themselves, and yet it is the best way for your collectors to start developing a relationship with an artist. Here are a few bullet points on how to write an engaging bio for yourself.
When creating your bio, write it in the “third person” - make it sound like you were interviewed for a publication article
Needs to be clear, concise, factual and a summary
Written in 3rd person
No more than 300 words - It is best if the viewer can read the bio in less than 60 second
Structure
Introduce yourself
What medium you work with
Background information
Education / credentials if pertinent
Best Nuggets of your professional achievements
It is very important to included all the positives you can without fabricating experiences or accomplishments. You are trying to present yourself as a professional and build a trust relationship.
When you have your Artist Bio tweaked the way you want to, have someone else critique it. Make sure it is someone you know, trust, and who knows you. Once you have addressed any suggestions from this person, save the file in a location set aside for your webpage documents.
Additional Polish
As an option, open your bio and copy the text. Go to Grammerly.com, paste your text into the window. The application will show you syntax issues you can correct. Once done I recommend selecting the “AI Generator” and asking it to “improve it.”
Descriptors
Just above the Artist Bio are four to six words that define you and your interests. These nouns paint a quick picture of you, your interests and are meant to entice the reader to dig deeper.
What are your Descriptors?
Note: To ensure your information is saved correctly, please follow these steps: When you click the link below, the form will open on your computer. Be sure to *save* the form to your device before entering any information. If you begin filling it out without saving first, you may lose your data.
Segmenting your art
Segmenting an artist’s webpage into different categories of art provides clarity and a better user experience, making it easier for visitors to navigate and find specific works that appeal to them. By organizing art by medium, style, or theme, artists can showcase the breadth of their portfolio, highlight distinct artistic approaches, and attract a broader audience. It also aids in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) optimization, increasing the chance of reaching niche audiences. Ultimately, segmentation makes the website more professional, structured, and user-friendly, which can lead to higher engagement and sales.
Suggested categories/segmentation:
Oils
Watercolor
Acrylics
Pastels
Graphite
Drawing
Colored Pencil
Landscapes
Seascapes
Flowers
Animals
Wildlife
Nature
Selecting Your Art
When choosing which pieces of art to display on your webpage, it's important to think beyond just the subject matter. For example, if you're creating a “Bird” category, avoid focusing solely on one species—like egrets or herons. Instead, include a variety of birds to keep the category diverse and engaging. Alternatively, if all your images feature the same species, be specific and name the category accordingly, like “Egrets.”
The same idea applies to color. If you have a “Landscapes” section, avoid showcasing only autumn scenes full of vibrant reds and oranges. A page filled with similar color tones can make visitors quickly lose interest. Mix it up! Include a range of color palettes—soft blues, warm sunsets, or misty mornings—to hold attention and make each section feel dynamic and varied. Variety in both subject and color will keep your audience intrigued and eager to explore.
Gathering Your Image Information
There are several options available for what information you can include with your art. At the bare minimum, you must include the title of your work. Everything after that is optional.
Figure 4a shows the options I can turn on or off depending on your needs. The adjacent screen shot shows how each option lands under each image.
Your description can be about the physical characteristics of the art or about why you created it and what it means to you. It should be 12-15 words at most.
The Button is always a link. If you do not have a site of your own, or a third-party fulfillment site, I recommend leaving this turned off. If you already have a webpage of your own, it can link to that page or that listing on your website.
Art Submission Worksheet
Figure 4a
Figure 4b
Note: To ensure your information is saved correctly, please follow these steps: When you click the link below, the form will open on your computer. Be sure to *save* the form to your device before entering any information. If you begin filling it out without saving first, you may lose your data.
To list the images you want displayed, download the "Art Submission Worksheet" using the link provided. The form may look overwhelming at first, but you can use only the sections you need. Each page has repeating blocks to help you list the art you want to include on your page.
Click the form button to automatically download the worksheet to your computer. Remember to save the file to a location you will remember. When you open the form, the first section lets you segment your web page into different "categories," and the rest of the worksheet is for listing the individual art pieces you want to display.
Make sure to save your file frequently as you work on it.
Introduce Yourself
When I first spoke of the new website, this was the “item” most artists were concerned about- pictures of themselves. I am requesting two images: a semi-formal head shot and then a candid shot.
The semi-formal (or professional) head shot will appear in the “Our Artist Community” section on the home page. The images there now will come down and be replaced with portrait format headshots of each participating artist.
Linda Murphy had agreed to shoot and process the headshots for the artists and only a couple actually made arrangements. Having professional headshots in the directory will add a professional appearance to the website and the Gallery and lend credibility to the Association as a whole. Please reach out to either Linda Murphy or myself to get a headshot taken if you are participating in this online opportunity.
Linda: lmphotonh@gmail.com / (603) 520-2106
Mike: mmcquade@photopiks.net / (603) 387-0909
The candid image will appear next to your Artist Bio on your personal webpage. This can be any image, though it would be best to have the artist in the image. As Linn Stilwell lamented, she was unable to get a picture of herself in hip-waders standing in the water photographing wildlife, but just think what a great candid shot that would be on Linn’s web page.
If all you have is a print, I can scan it on my flatbed scanner. If the image you have is digital but needs jazzing up, I can handle that as well. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to reflect your happy place.
A Sample of Linda’s talent
Optional
Artist Statement
While the Artist Bio provides background information, such as the artist's journey, education, and achievements, the Artist Statement serves a different purpose. It offers insight into the artist's creative process, inspiration, and the deeper meaning behind their work. The Artist Statement helps viewers connect emotionally and intellectually with the art, providing context and guiding interpretation. Together, the Bio and Statement create a more complete, compelling narrative of the artist and their vision.
When an artist already has an Artist Bio, the Artist Statement should focus on complementing that by diving into the creative process, the philosophy behind their work, and the emotions or ideas they aim to
convey through their art. It should explain the themes or subjects they explore, why they are drawn to them, and how their choice of medium or techniques helps communicate those ideas.
The statement should also give insight into the artist's inspirations—whether it’s nature, personal experiences, social issues, or other influences—and how these shape the visual or emotional impact of the work. While the Bio tells the "who" and "what," the Artist Statement tells the "why" and "how," giving the viewer a deeper understanding and connection to the art. It should be written in clear, engaging language that speaks directly to the audience, helping them interpret the work on a more meaningful level.
Bringing it all together . . .
The Final Steps
The end is in sight. All you need to do now is gather up the art and information and send it over.
Remember to gather all the art and information and send it over. I suggested creating a folder on your computer desktop to keep everything organized. If you followed this recommendation, the files you need to transfer are already there and ready to email. Also, bring copies of your digital artwork into this same folder. If your artwork is not in digital format, make sure to specify that it needs to be digitized on the Art Submission Worksheet. After I review your information, I will reach out to make arrangements to digitize your art for free.
Items you can email:
Artist Bio
Artist Statement (Optional)
Art Submission Worksheet
Items to transfer physically:
Headshot & Candid photo
Digital Art files
Physical transfer means you should copy the items on jump drive or use “WeTransfer” to send them to the webmaster. WeTransfer is a free online service.