Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Plagiary or search for inspiration?

I can check the statistics on my website and blog. It is interesting to see from which parts of the world people are interested in my paintings.
Most viewers come from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, U.K., Brazil and the United States. Last year I've been visited by inhabitants of 68 countries worldwide.
Not bad. The visitors can be overall divided in art-lovers, art-students and artists.
Besides the countries, I can also see from which town people come.
I noticed that there are regular visitors. Even visitors who visit me on a daily basis.
I've had a few plagiary cases on my work in the past, so I'm more cautious on this.

I'm happy when art-lovers discover my work through the internet. They can see if there's a gallery in their neighbourhood where they can see my art for real or check if there will be an exhibition soon.
It's great to be an inspiration to art-students. It's a compliment when students see me/my art as a role model.
It's nice to be of inspiration to other artists. Artistic recognition is important to every artist.
It's not nice when someone who tries to be an artist/calls himself an artist, and in the meantime he/she tries to steal someone else's style/composition etc... and even tries to sell the pieces.
Some people say it's a compliment when people try to copy your art. Yes and no.
Yes it's a compliment if someone appreciates your art so much that he/she would have wanted to be the creator of it.
But if someones tries to earn his/her living with your style... you will think different about it!

My art is protected with copyright. I won a big case 3 years ago. Also I discovered a few wannabee artists who tried to copy some of my paintings and tried to sell it on the internet.
Fortunately the copies were bad extracts of the originals. But nevertheless, it's not nice to see someone tries to earn money with your creations.
If it was only to hang it on their own walls, I wouldn't care.

My advise to artists on the hunt for new ideas: experiment..... experiment.... experiment.... paint as much as you can, and develop your own style this way!
You will feel so much better having your own style, rather than stealing it from someone else. Creation from the heart is the only true one!

In the meantime I keep on developing. My art evolves because I've got this drive, an unstoppable urge to paint and keep on amazing myself and hopefully others too!

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