Do you have a thriving portfolio but aren’t sure where to put it? Consider starting your own online art gallery. The Internet is one of the easiest resources to access for most people and can get you started on promoting your work at the mere click of a button. Considering the delicate and time-consuming nature of glasswork, an online art gallery is a useful resource to provide high-quality photos, contact information and live auction houses. When it comes to sculpture and glassblowing, the convenience of showcasing your work in an online space cannot be understated. Let’s take a look at different forms of sculpture in the United States and how artists go about selling their craft.
History Of Glassblowing
This ancient technique of manipulating and sculpting glass has been around for hundreds of years. The invention of glassblowing coincided with the creation of the Roman Empire all the way back in 1st century B.C., widely considered by historians to be one of the biggest influences in spreading this form of sculpture around the world. Some countries have even attempted to maintain their cultures’ ancient traditions even in modern times. Thanks to advanced technology, some forms of glassblowing have fallen out of favor to make way for more efficient and safe methods of creating brilliant works of art.
Techniques Of Glassblowing
Blown glass sculpture later spread as a form of art study throughout the West — what is known as the ‘studio glass movement’ began in the early 1960’s when Harvey Littleton, a ceramics professor, and Dominick Labino, a chemist and engineer, held their workshops at the famous Toledo Museum Of Art. There they experimented with melting glass in small furnaces and creating beautiful blown glass art creations. The two most significant methods of glassblowing are free-blowing and mold-blowing — transforming raw materials into glass takes place at nearly 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, with some using small puffs of air to sculpt and others using advanced tools. The most popular form of glass used today is glass enriched with lime, though pure silica (also known as fused quartz) is still common.
Famous Glassblowers And Sculptors
Some of the most well-known and coveted artists today make their living in blown glass sculptures. Karen LaMonte is an American artist famous for her life-size sculptures in ceramic, bronze and cast glass. Albert Paley is an artist who has been active for over 40 years at his studio in Rochestor, the very first metal sculptor to receive the lauded Institute Honors awarded by the American Institute of Architects. This is considered the board’s highest award to a non-architect. When it comes to the International Studio Glass Movement, Ann Wolff remained at the center of attention until the late 1960’s. While success is defined differently for every artist, one of the pillars of a successful brand is getting your work out for everybody to see.
Creating An Online Art Gallery
Presenting your craft means putting your best foot forward in a competitive and crowded marketplace, online or in-person. Studies have shown over 70% of art collectors purchasing some form of art online. A quality online art gallery should have professional photography that showcases the very best work you have to offer. An easy layout and simple pages will make navigation easy for both buyers and browsers, with complicated animations running the risk of slow loading times. When a page taking more than four seconds to load can turn off a potential buyer entirely, you want every tool available in your arsenal.