Bill O'Neil = Design and Art Blog

Abstract Nightmare

2009-10-20T17:49:00.008-05:00

My latest creation — part cubism, part nightmare. And it all made sense earlier today. Get the mouse pad.

Pop Culture Abstract Painting

2009-10-19T13:43:00.008-05:00

I originally painted the Batman and Robin infused "Eeek" in 2000 which measured 36 x 18. The painting eventually ended up with a close friend. After a few years I decided to create another more massive and epic version of Eeek (60 x 30).

The new abstract painting took a few months — the big canvas just fueled my obsession to add more small details, pictograms, hidden riddles. I wanted to create different experiences up close and far away. And "Eeek 2" ended up being a hit in some of my gallery shows, even visitors at my home wanted to pose in front of it for photos...

Well it recently sold to couple in Sacramento, and based the photo from them it definitely looks cool in the new digs.

Retro Modern Abstracts show at Cafe Lulu

2009-04-19T18:44:00.011-05:00

I'm setting up tonight for a show of some of my retro modern abstract prints at Cafe Lulu in Bayview. Here's a peek at some new pieces.

Finding Cubist Painting Inspirations

2009-04-12T12:13:00.016-05:00

I've been thinking about painting, but doing other things instead. I'm really not procrastinating, I just haven't built up the inspiration critical mass yet. I do have a showing coming up at Cafe Lulu really soon though, although I think I'm going to do some kind of print show.

Anyhow this weekend instead of painting, I dug out my old Nikon CoolPix 995 digital camera, and even though I have "better" cameras it's really more fun using this one. I recently picked up a new wide angle lens for the camera and was anxious to experiment with it. So I did a little photo field-trip with the family at the Milwaukee Mitchell Park Domes. I think about half the people there also had camera, and as I imagined us all desperately hoping to get a unique and memorable shot it filled me with futility, and sucked the originality and joy from my idea. We strolled around anyhow. Amateur photographers jostling out of each other's way.

Personally I like the desert world the most, I don't know that I even fully understand why. It just makes me feel at ease. Nearing the end of the desert dome we parked ourselves in the little gazebo, and I abstractly started pointing my camera in different directions snapping random shots when I realized there was some amazing stuff above the gazebo roof. A massive cactus that had a wonderfully organic cubist feel. I guess it was a reminder to myself to be observant and aware.

Modern Art Painting: Mysterious Island

2009-01-03T13:09:00.009-06:00

Abstract painting "Mysterious Island", acrylic on gallery canvas, 24" x 24", 2009.

New Painting: Germs #4

2009-01-03T12:04:00.009-06:00

One of my more recent abstract paintings called Germs #4. Acrylic on canvas, 12" x 24", 2008. It's a flashback on my first Germs graffiti abstract paintings series in 2000, but with a fusion of some new elements.

Painting at the ArtBar

2008-12-07T09:31:00.006-06:00

I did the "Open Canvas" live painting show at ArtBar in Riverwest on Sunday, and did some improv with a little cubist and graffiti fusion. Thanks for everyone that came out!

Robot Invasion

2008-08-10T17:52:00.011-05:00

A Chicago Tribune article spotlighted robots as a design trend and featured my Vintage Robot Mousepad among some other mechanical man items.

Designer Shoes

2008-08-08T14:35:00.011-05:00

I recently launched about a dozen shoe designs with Zazzle and Keds. They feature my retro-mod and graffiti stylings. You can check the full line out here: http://www.zazzle.com/billoneil

Graffiti inspiration in the Agency

2008-05-29T15:42:00.006-05:00

The savvy creatives at Digitas opened up a new office in Texas, and asked me for a super-sized print of my painting Eeek! 2 for their lobby. I wonder which came first, the wall color or my painting? You can see the painting on my online gallery.

Painting: Cubist Madonna with Child

2008-03-07T23:44:00.002-06:00

I've always had a passion for cubist paintings, and I've been exploring it a little. I like surprising myself with new paintings.

Gallery Show at the Intercontinental Hotel in Milwaukee

2008-01-08T08:59:00.002-06:00

I've been running a show in the main gallery at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, featuring ten of my paintings. The show will be running until mid/late January 2008. The hotel also features some cool upscale restaurants and cocktail lounges including Kil@wat, Clear, and Zen Den. You can view some pictures from this show and previous shows at billoneil.com

iPhone as a Magic 8 Ball?

2008-01-08T08:56:00.000-06:00

My iPhone has been randomly deleting contacts from itself. I wonder if it's trying to tell me something. Like the subconscious mind communicating through dreams. Speaking of dreams, I recently had a vivid one where I was flying alot, actually it was more like controlled floating. But I think it's a good omen.

An artists take on Artflock.com

2007-09-20T16:26:00.000-05:00

Artflock is an online gallery for artists and art buyers. They are UK based but don't let that scare you. The site is primarily made for a UK audience but it also has a growing number of international and US artists and buyers. The site is professional looking, and feels like a place you feel comfortable purchasing from. The artwork selection is varied from amateur to professional work but there are some fantastic artists like Pete Nawara (I'd really love to do a collaborative work with him).

The site launched in May 2007, and even though the site is relatively new it has attracted a strong and wide selection of artwork. To date paintings and jewelry have been the biggest sellers, but being a young site that could be open to evolution.

The home page features top rated artwork by visitors and a promotion for a spotlighted artist. I think it's nice but I'd like to see the promoted artist rotate out a bit more frequently. Also the top rated art doesn't change enough for repeat visitors - I might reduce the size of this and offer up other featured artwork.

My wishlist for this site would be a better way to search - maybe a parametric search widget or something else. I also wish the site was a little more US friendly (I really hate converting inches to cm manually). I love the color green, but personally I like a neutrally colored site so the art pops off the page more. The site also feels a little too quiet and serene - there's some action in the blog, but I'd love to get the skinny on the UK art scene, hot emerging artists, competitions, art raves or other events, maybe drum up more community interaction like Etsy. I really think sites like this can use their voice to help drive buzz and awareness around emerging artists. Overall I'd like this site to feel more like an event or a scene rather than a catalog - kind of like Threadless.com. And I think that kind of stuff is on Artflock's radar.

Like any of these sites, browse around a little and make sure it's a good fit for you. But I think ArtFlock is definitely one to start getting involved in.

An Artists Perspective on Selling Art Online

2007-09-19T09:18:00.000-05:00

I get a few questions every day asking about tips for selling art online. I'm flattered that people think I've got it all figured out. I've put together this recap of my experiences and take on the online artist scene for fellow artists to navigate some of the choices they have.

Even though there are many sites listed here it isn't a complete list, and this is only from my experience as an illustrator and painter. Photographers or artists in different disciplines might have different experiences and suggestions. So please feel free to chime in with your experiences.

Enough with the disclaimers....

ArtistRising.com
I started with ArtistRising a few years ago when I found out that you can get your work published on Art.com and their other related sites. I've sold a few pieces since then. Obviously if you think about the customers going to Art.com, the market is for posters - it doesn't really attract art collectors. So it's not for every artist. I think photographers might have a better shot here. ArtistRising is also going through a great deal of transition and turmoil. There's a lot of angry and jaded artists and photographers on their forums. So I'd wait until the dust settles here.

Imagekind.com
Imagekind is a great way to get nice giclee or canvas prints of your work made. And if you sell work through Imagekind you can get a piece of the action on the print and the framing. Sounds like a sweet deal. And I have had a few sales here but mostly from current fans of my work that I directed there. I think there's way too much content there to get much exposure now. In my experience, it feels like a community of artists looking at and commenting on each others work, but few customers. I think the website needs to be redesigned to surface more new work, and do a better job of providing exposure. They also need to drop the traditional art posters or move it to another site it's just a mess of options that cannibalize traffic to their artists. If you're lucky enough to get featured on the home page you have a chance to be successful. The homepage featured work is selected by a curator which is nice, but I think this should also be a paid placement scenario where an artist could pay $1 or something and get one work featured for a day. It would help the artist, and create more revenue for Imagekind. Imagekind has several different subscription models - there may be more success at the Premium levels, but I'd be more likely to try this if Imagekind was showing any glimmer of creating business for me in the first place. My big problem is that they seem to be operating like they still only have 100 artist contributors, they have grown to thousands and haven't evolved the web site or the business model enough. Right now I just use Imagekind for producing prints that I sell at shows in the real world. I really do like Imagekind, but I think they're grown too big to be a adaptive for the artist community.

BoundlessGallery.com
There are definitely some artists finding success here - mostly painters from what I've seen so far. I don't think the site is very attractive, it feels clunky working with it, and doesn't represent work especially well. There's also no way to view statistics either. But I do like their homepage paid promotional model so anyone can feature their work for $1. And they seem to have figured out a way to draw customers, and some artists are selling work. So it's worth checking out.

Etsy.com
A great site for crafters or makers of handmade art. The site looks wonderful and everyone on the message boards is really friendly. You can create an attractive storefront or showcase of your work fairly easily. But I don't think their promotional model for new work is great - one day twice a month promotion slots go up for sale and they sell out in about 10 minutes. It's just not a smart way to do business. And I wish you had more control over the store design. But if you're looking for a quick way to make a storefront Etsy might be a good alternative. It will be up to you to promote yourself and drive customers there. You can visit me there at billoneil.etsy.com for an example storefront.

Zazzle.com
Zazzle is a place to sell your work in a variety of formats including posters, t-shirts, mousepads, mug, etc. I know, this site isn't for every artist but some are realizing some success there. Zazzle also suffers from the Imagekind bloated content problem, but they aren't sitting around scratching their heads. I just spoke with Zazzle today and they have some big changes coming that will help segregate amateur from professional artist/designer content, improved storefronts and more. It sounds like they are trying to change the paradigm of the site from soccer-mom making t-shirts, to more professional designs and art being available, or at least giving both of those contributors a better experience. Stay tuned. And check my storefront at http://www.zazzle.com/billoneil.

ArtBreak.com
ArtBreak is the new kid on the block. The site is in beta and allows artists to get exposure and sell their work. Right now I think the focus is to build their selection of artists and artwork. They've already attracted some great artists like Mark Johnson, Andrea Heimer, Ray McDaniel, James Presley, Aaron Brick, and other very talented artists. I'm not sure what the future holds for this site. I'm really hoping ArtBreak can change the online paradigm here. It's small and nimble enough to learn from other web sites mistakes and create a truly innovative space for artists. I think ArtBreak needs to make a choice soon though. I see an opportunity for this site to be the KING of artist communities with content about being a successful artist, artist interviews, tips from gallery curators and owners, a centralized place to find EVERY juried competition and show, hosting artist portfolio sites, and everything else the aspiring or artist looking to grow might be looking for. Alternately, they could also go down the online gallery/commerce road - but I think that growth needs to be sculpted like a bonsai instead of the random organic growth that happens with most web sites. I think in this scenario ArtBreak could be the place where artists could get their big break to get into national galleries, media + press, etc - but this would take alot of handshaking and cocktails in the real world to build those relationships and opportunities for artists. I think there is defintely a sweet spot for ArtBreak to live up to their name and become the American Idol of the online artist communities, so I for one am definitely tuned in and watching them. You can visit me on ArtBreak at http://www.artbreak.com/billoneil .

Matchup.com
Matchup offers everything from paintings to jewelry. After the home page the site looks terrible like it came out of a can. There appears to be some sales, but not sure if they are actually selling, or artists are just pulling out. I don't know enough about them and I can't tell if there's activity behind the scenes. They mention cash awards and competitions. So I'm just waiting and watching.

MyArtSpace.com
Basically mySpace for artists. The site reminds me of Facebook a little. There's a nice gallery features and some type of selling for artists is coming, and they have some juried contests. Seems pretty solid so far. Not sure what the non-artist audience is like though. Stay tuned for more later...

FolioLink.com
This company is less about community and more about showcasing your work. Depending on how much you're willing to spend, FolioLink can set you up with a really professional looking portfolio web site. You still have to do your own promotion to get the visitors, but your new portfolio site really can showcase your art well. FolioLink really does the best job of bridging that emotional connection to artwork online. I think they really understand that your art is hero of the show, so the web site interface is very minimal. And you can show large images of your work which almost give the impression of being there.

More reviews on these sites soon:

Artflock.com
artmajeur.com
RedBubble.com
Threadless.com
CafePress.com

Personal Wishlist
Wrapping it up, here is my wishlist for online artist sites, or what I would be focusing on if I ran these companies:

1. Give consumers fewer choices. Sounds weird right? Imagine a customer visiting your web site looking for a single piece of art and being given 30,000 to 100,000 items to choose from. It just isn't reasonable. People don't have that much time or patience. I think online sites should break apart and specialize (abstract, realism, whatever) since most buyers are likely specialized in their tastes. Either branch out into mini web-sites or clearly channel people up front so they only are exposed to what is relevant to them.

2. Select what art gets published on the site, or segregate published art better. Since most of the sites are open to submissions from anyone, the quality can be erratic, searching for good work can take a long time. I've personally clicked through page after page of someone's pet and the 57 variations of it with different Photoshop effects they just learned. The ideal solution would be a parametric search for art where visitors can select based on price, style, artist experience, ratings, etc - and dynamically get personalized results. I'm sure art buyers would be thrilled. I can't figure out why anyone isn't doing this yet.

3. Keep the artists interested and involved on the site. This might include a dashboard view of their inventory - the number of visits to their pieces, feedback from visitors, ratings, etc. Content including advice from top selling artists on the site. Solict their involvement in contributing articles, coaching other artists, etc. Or provide account staff to counsel artists on presenting and promoting their work on the site.

4. Provide valued added services. Curator advice on what work of yours they see as marketable and how to fine tune your individuality and persona. Tools and ideas to create buzz and word of mouth. Personalized service.

5. Provide a chance to win. Nearly every artist dreams of making it big. Either be a centralized place to find all the opportunities available for artists such as juried competitions and shows, or create new opportunites for them.

In the end, whichever business can truly make artists successful (more awareness, income, etc) online will be the winner. Like any internet business, being successful isn't about merely replicating what real world business do, but innovating the business and experience online.

Online store for limited edition prints

2007-08-28T10:52:00.001-05:00

http://billoneil.etsy.com

Voyagers

2007-08-25T10:54:00.000-05:00

Science-fiction inspired illustration storyboard. Limited edition prints are available for purchase at Etsy.com

Being somewhere else

2007-08-20T10:58:00.000-05:00

I love doing landscape pieces. I suppose they are personal reflections - daydreaming of being somewhere else. This illustration was inspired by vintage european travel posters of the 1930's and 1940's, and some crazy wilderness wallpaper my grandfather used to have in his bar.

Limited edition prints are available for purchase at Etsy.com

Dreaming of Fairytales

2007-07-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

These whimsical illustrations were inspired by the avant garde Soviet constructionist style of children's books from the 1920's and 1930's --- although this illustration was intended to be more playful and energetic! I remember loving the woodblock prints in children's fairy tales more than the stories themselves – the chaos, subtle hidden elements, the mystery and action. And how every time I would look at them I would find something new. Limited edition prints are available for purchase at Etsy.com

Atomic Age Abstracts

2007-07-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

New series of cocktail lounge inspired designs for Etsy.com

Accidental tourist

2006-04-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

I was working on some desktop wallpaper designs for a new Anheuser-Busch beverage called Peels (www.enjoypeels.com) and this was an accidental design I happened into that I then transformed into a travel poster. Tsukiyama means hilly japanese garden. Limited edition prints are available for purchase at Etsy.com

Cocktail lounge mural

2004-05-29T11:08:00.000-05:00

One of my projects was designing a large mural for a cocktail lounge in a new upscale Louisiana style restaurant. The restaurant was located in factory town in the middle of revitalizing, so I thought it was important to connect with the local working-class heritage of the neighborhood. Limited edition prints are available for purchase at Etsy.com