Bernhard Mueller 02 Sep 2009

You are so right. There are only about 5 per cent good artists displaying their work on AW. And then the comments are alike, in the same proportion. I am going to leave this AW soon because they changed my login name without authorization and notification. When I claimed it, they changed it back. But after 2 hours the wrong version was set again. I cannot accept such an unprofessional handling.

Maggie Bernet 02 Sep 2009

Hi Bernhard Müller,

thank you, yes it is time to move on. I am having a similar problem you have with AW changing things, anyway, I don't want to waste my energy with it anymore.

Like I said, all the artists that have left comments are great artists and do wonderful work, the rest is "KITSCH".

Take care, MB

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 02 Sep 2009

Hi Maggie.

First off, let me say your whole portfolio is outstanding. I have been here on ArtWanted since since 2001 and I have seen this site go from a few thousand members to over a half a million artists and members. I have seen everything that can go wrong here but I have seen many good things happen here too. I am guilty of not getting around to many of my fellow artists here to leave comments as of late. I think that a lot of the blame lies on how the economy is affecting many of us, me included. I see you are in the medical field. God bless you if all is well with you. But many of the artists here are just not in the mood for leaving comments like they used to.

The discussion boards here used to be much more active then it is now. This used to be the place for hanging out and just having a good time and learning from each other, Many of the old members "left for the coast" a long time ago. There were some members that would log on with another alias and cause all kinds of problems. This was not handled in a timely manner and with that said, a lot of good artists are gone or don't post here anymore or maintain a portfolio.

I, for one, have spread myself very thin. I have my "western art" and my "graphic arts" posted on 12 to 15 other art sites, plus I have my personal website and we have our store/gallery website. I am on major "overload" as are many of the other artists here. Many of those sites also have the same issues that you see here. ArtWanted is not alone. It is awful hard to have your art get any notoriety among the other 555,000 artist's work, let alone all the millions and millions of pieces of art that are posted on the world wide web. Please remember, in hard times, buyers shut down, especially when it comes to laying down their hard cash for a piece of art.

I will step up and apologize for many of us here for just being too busy or not having the time to respond. It is not that we don't care, its just a sign of the times in the art world.

I will say that I have had several clients and buyers find me here on ArtWanted. Good luck to you Maggie whether you go or you decide to stay.

BTW, I am also sorry that since I have not left a comment on your work that you consider my art as well as other great artist work here as "KITSCH."

Denny Karchner

ArtWanted.com Staff 02 Sep 2009

Maggie - Sorry to hear that you were expecting more feedback on your artwork from our members and were disappointed.

Last month (August) we had over 35,000 comments made on our members artwork, which is a very large amount of user feedback. However, with over a half-million images on our site, there will be lots of artwork that will not get any comments on it. We always encourage our website visitors and artists to give feedback to the artists on our site. You may also want to try posting your artwork to our "Critiques" message board area, where people often comment on that artwork.

Bernhard - As for your username, we have just e-mailed you with a solution you should be quite happy with. We look forward to your response.

marlene burns 03 Sep 2009

maggie, i hear ya! i am following you, hon, so let me know where you are off to next! in all honesty, i jumped right in and posted a query to the staff in the correct section, about the amount of people who use this site for stashing photos( as at snapfish and photobucket.) my question was answered...i never checked back until months later when i was alerted by another professional artist saying that i might be upset by the response....i checked in, only to discover that some agreed with me, had no solutions ( though my question was to the staff) and others attacked and critiqued my work with a vengeance. i found the whole dynamic to be quite interesting....sad, but ultimately amusing. maggie, this place is just a microcosm of real life...and real life is werid! just keep sharing your talent and get so busy that you don't have time for the nonsense. figure out what is good about this site...and clearly, there is enough, concentrate on what you like about it, ignore what you don't and don't let it upset you. all the best, dear lady. m

jerry carlin 03 Sep 2009

Maggie doesn't want to play any more? Picking up your marbles and going home? I can't even find your site so you must have already done so! The shame is we never even met! I would be in the 5% who are not conservative and I might not join their "group" either! When I look at other's art and even get to know them a bit, I never ask what their political persuation may be, nor their sexual orientation if they are young enough to have one!), what groups they belong to or what they had for breakfast. I am mostly a metal artist and what I make is too heavy to post so I am limited to the surrounding area. I use this site to send the locals to so they can realize that I am not a trailor fabricator, that I have an eye and can design and build what they need. HOWEVER I am learning a great deal from this site! I have never painted yet took up the brush 2 months ago and am having a great deal of fun with it and I get encouragement from LOTS of folks on this site! I have had over 600 'hits' in a single day! although the average is 200. Many have left comments and I get long and nice e-mails from them that you never see. Some have become friends and we share life's loves and grief's. I would welcome many to my home and, if I cleaned up a bit, I am sure I could visit theirs. So, I am a learning artist as far as paint goes, and here is a good place for me. If I ever became famous I would still be here where it started. I don't write essays in the comment section, but clearly DO from time to time in this message board. I LOOK at the painting/photo and if I can say something positive, maybe something insightful, I do, and if it's a flower I have seen a million times before, I skip it. I read the cartoons every day, always laugh, and seldom leave a comment, but always appretiate them. I admire and am envious of the really skilled artist on this site and am honored that they would share their work with me and even allow me to comment! Sorry I missed you Maggie, but we make our life better and the world better one step at a time, in small increments, and we never, never do this by quiting! Now I'll show you one of my 1st paintings!

Chris Aleman 03 Sep 2009

I'm not sure if I am wasting my time by posting to this or not (probably am) as Maggie seems to have "flamed-and-ran", but I do have a little time to kill...

@Maggie...good luck in your search for a more "interactive" and "quality-focused" group of art drones...it's a BIG internet out there, and there are lots of sites out there to choose from...but one of AW more redeeming features IS it's community, AND it's diversity. Don't know who peed on your cheerios, but it is pretty immature to call 95% of the artists here snobs, then in the same breath label us as "KITSCH'ish"...WTH?

For the record, I am a professional, what I do pays my bills, feeds me, and funds all my "eccentricities", so when I tell people that I spend 90% of my time at work, I literally mean that I sometimes live, eat, and sleep at my job.(and no it's not a job...it's a very demanding career).

I don't really have the luxury to sit around ALL the time(only sometimes) and kill time socializing with the all the people on the various sites I belong to, and as much as I'd like to, when I have to deal with business, everything else is set aside(if you only knew how many times I would sit down and try and grab something to eat to only have to come back to it hours latter!)

I will go out on a limb and say that alot of us here are in the same boat, regardless of what art-form they practice, especially nowadays with money being tight everywhere.

All I can say is that if you think that the rest of this community is bringing down your image, affecting how you do what you do because you are losing sleep at night worrying that a "potential" client might see someones great treatise on fingerpainting, then it might perhaps mean that you are anal-retentive, narcisistic, and probably need to get out of the house more.

Linda Eades Blackburn 03 Sep 2009

Well.... I see she left.......

I did not realize that my membership required me to comment on others' work.

I do stop by from time to time... Participate on the boards as I have the time and choose to do so. I am not here for the benefit of others, but to promote MY work. I find it hard to understand that some who come here feel that members should have an obligation to comment on others work. I pay for my membership, but even if I did not, I don't believe that has ever been a condition of membership on this site.

I do enjoy getting honest feedback on my work, but I certainly don't upload work here for that purpose. How sad that some must be so insecure to need pats on the back from strangers to feel that their work is ?????? what? Good? Worthy? Appreciated?

If you are new to art, or a student.... trying something different, whatever, it's great to have a place like this to get feedback, tips, instruction, whatever. And everyone loves to have their work admired and complimented..... but that's a gift. It's not required and should not be expected

Chris Aleman 03 Sep 2009

Ohhh...I almost forgot this tried and true remedy for episodes of self-pity!

Grab someone's underwear(any will do, but preferably your own)...put them on your head...light them on fire and run around in circles screaming!

Guaranteed to get you all the attention you could ever want!!!

(now THATS A FLAME!)

William Hiel 11 Sep 2009

I make it a point to reply, as well as checkout a Member's work, and comment if I find anything intesesting. On the Member who has taken the time to comment on My artwork. It's the cool thing to do. Paint Away! :)

Linda Eades Blackburn 11 Sep 2009

I agree that it IS a cool thing to do. I am sure that everyone enjoys feedback on their art. And when I have the time it can be very enjoyable to browse through the work of others and add your thoughts to their work....... but it should not be expected of members.

There is enough stress in every day life without add more. How much fun would it be to check out new art work and comment if it were required........ or if members were made to feel guilty when they don't do this?

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