Supporting Independent Artists, Creativity and Originality

What is an Independent Artist?

Art has become an essential respite many are embracing to fill their space with reminders to slow down. It not only adds beauty to our intimate surroundings but also reflects our individuality and personal taste. 

While a quick and common route has been to opt for mass-produced artwork, there is a growing trend of consciously taking the time to shop around for independent artists. 

These are artists who view themselves as entrepreneurs and don’t rely on galleries to market their work. Oftentimes they are just a “one man show” wearing many hats and doing everything themselves, usually they run their business completely off of their own website and don’t rely on third party selling platforms either. 

Embrace Creativity and Uniqueness

When you buy art from independent artists, you are not just purchasing a pretty image, rather you are investing in that individual artist and what they stand for. More importantly you are investing in yourself, knowing that you are worth the finest and most unique artwork humanity can afford. These artists have a distinct style and perspective that sets their work apart from mass-produced art. By supporting independent artists, you are encouraging them to continue exploring their creativity and pushing boundaries, therefore furthering the evolution of consciousness. Each piece of art you buy becomes a reflection of your own individuality and taste, making your space truly unique.

Direct Connection with the Artist

One of the most significant advantages of buying art from independent artists is the direct connection you can establish with the artist themselves. Unlike purchasing from a gallery or a store, buying directly from the artist allows you to learn about their personal inspiration, techniques, and stories behind each piece. 

Visionary Artist Matilda Wentzel mentions that she wants to have a relationship with her art collectors and encourages anyone who takes interest in her art to start up a conversation with her around it. She says it’s one of her favorite parts about creating, “Getting to connect with another in a deep and meaningful way, hearing what they have to say. People often open up to me so quickly and share extremely personal things.” The meaningful subject matter that tends to be quite private is something she holds close to her heart and keeps confidential. Her own personal connection and intentions which she brings to her work adds depth and meaning, making it more valuable and cherished.

Artwork helps us to cut to the chase, move past the small talk and dive into profound dialog. The same thing happens inside of your home with your friends and family as they comment on your collection of artwork that easily catches their eye because it’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.

Once you've found a piece you love, reach out to ask questions. Artists love to discuss their work and process. Ask about the inspiration behind the piece, the materials used, and any other details that interest you. 

Building a relationship with an artist can be incredibly rewarding and many artists claim to be great friends with their collectors. It's easy to see how this would happen, as artists feel extremely grateful for your support and you both share in common ground that can be very personal and emotional as art often is.

Texture! Real Texture!

Much of the mass-produced artwork found in our market is devoid of texture, you will never find mass produced sculptural work like what you can find with a little perusing around the internet for independent artists selling their work online. Take Matilda’s piece “Trinity Tree” for example, it is covered in texture that was all hand sculpted and like nothing else on the market. Even from one artist to the next, we see such a unique individuality that it is impossible for mass corporations to compete with.

Matilda has taken it one step further to even remake old and forgotten mass-produced items she has found at thrift stores, many of which lost their quality years ago, fading in the UV rays of the sunlight or warped and damaged. Matilda’s piece “Reaching for the light” is one of many such examples.

Buying handmade artwork from artists who use high quality materials and who educate you about their materials, ensures that your newly purchased piece of decoration will last for hundreds of years to come and can become a family heirloom passed down to the next generation.

It is more important than ever to start purchasing high quality and long lasting products to ensure the health of our planet and less waste clean up for generations to come.  

Why Purchase Art from an Independent Artist and not from a Gallery?

When purchasing from an art gallery, whether it’s online or a brick and mortar on mainstreet, you are still buying from the middle man and you rarely get to meet the artist. Most gallery owners withhold buyer’s information from the artists in order to keep their customer base from rendezvousing away with the artist, never to return. 

The gallery also keeps 40%-60% of the sale which feeds into the myth of the starving artist. This myth is becoming less and less common as many artists are choosing to leave the traditional gallery scene in order to make a real living online. It is no longer an accolade of status for an artist to have their work shown in a gallery. Instead of it being a sign of success and “You made it as a Real Artist”, it is now closer linked to the artist who wants to hide behind their work and not make a real connection with their collectors or the world at large, which is a real disadvantage to artists with the rise of AI (Artificial intelligence), where anyone can get “non-original” images for the price of “free”. Of course there are always exceptions to this rule as each artist chooses their own unique path for their own unique and personal reasons, there is no wrong way for an artist to pursue their career, it is worth respecting any artist for the simplicity of creating in the first place. 

However, now more than ever, Original, One-of-a-Kind, Hand-Made artwork is becoming increasingly more valuable. It used to be that even mass produced artwork printed on canvases or even patterning for clothing all had to be originally made by an artist somewhere. We could always know that behind every image was a creative mind, now with the rise of AI images there is no way to tell where the work came from. Unfortunately many AI image programs source its content from artists without permission, pooling many different styles from artists around the globe to create a seemingly unique visual when really it is stolen style forms. 

Affordable and Accessible

Contrary to popular belief, buying art from independent artists can be more affordable than purchasing from established galleries. Independent artists often price their artwork more intuitively, making it accessible to a wider audience. Additionally, many independent artists offer various payment options, such as installment plans or discounts for loyal customers, making it easier for art enthusiasts to start or expand their art collection.

Many Artists are moving away from platforms like Instagram, Etsy, and Patreon to using their own websites for selling their work. Selling through a third-party platform often leaves artists with little control over their reach and subjects them to sudden shifts in the platform that may not be to their benefit. Therefore, you can support artists with even the smallest of purchases by buying from their website directly instead of platforms like Saatchi Art or Etsy.  

Supporting Local Economy and Community

When you invest in independent artists, you are not only supporting individual artists but also contributing to the local economy and community. Independent artists are often part of the local art scene, participating in exhibitions, art fairs and farmers markets, community events, and often teaching art to the children, teens and adults that make up our society. By purchasing their artwork, you are helping them sustain their artistic practice and encouraging the growth of the local art community. This support has a ripple effect, benefiting other artists, galleries, and businesses in the area.

Many artists are transparent about the materials and mediums used in creating their work, unlike the mass-produced artwork we see in home goods stores, where who knows where the material is sourced from or what kind of labor industry produced it. 

You can feel good about any purchase you make with an independent artist because you know it supports the continuation of free creative exploration, supports the artist individually and what they stand for. You can choose to support artists who have similar values as yourself and stand for the things you believe in. 

Discover Hidden Gems

Buying art from independent artists allows you to discover hidden gems that may not be as widely recognized in the mainstream art world. Independent artists often bring fresh perspectives and innovative techniques to their work, which can be a refreshing change from the more predictable offerings of mass-produced art. Even Galleries limit what they sell to what they “know will sell”, choosing not to show their artist’s newest bodies of work because they are a business that needs to make sales to survive, so they stick to the tried and true, excluding many other lesser known art forms and styles. Furthermore, It’s quite common for galleries to limit their artist’s creativity by telling their artists to create more of the same. 

By exploring the world of independent artists, you may stumble upon a piece of art that resonates with you on a deeper level than you knew possible, and may it soon enrich your soul by becoming a cherished part of your collection.

The Benefit of Buying One-of-a-Kind Original Artwork over the Mass-Produced

Unlike looking at an image or reproduction, no piece of artwork will ever look as good as it does in-person in its original form as the artist intended, uncropped, and finished with the gloss, matte, glittery, or metallic choice of the artist. 

Beyond the look alone is what lies deeper, the artist's intentions translate to you though original artwork like nothing else. By owning a piece of original artwork you get to enjoy it every day, that daily contact with the work puts you in a place where you are able to benefit from the prayer-like vision held by the creator at the time. This can happen with reproductions but happens even more significantly with original works. It’s as if you can feel the presence of the artist with every brushstroke and the paint itself has soaked up the energy of the artist or the environment it was painted in. 

For instance, Matilda Wentzel has painted Live at music concerts where the energy of dancers reaches a climactic high as all around her easel the movement embodies extreme excitement. Or the musicians themselves infuse their muse into the canvas with a rush of emotions. In fact, since Matilda Wentzel’s husband is a musician, almost all of her work has been created while Live music is being played nearby! 

Or perhaps the environment holds a more calm and blissful energetic claim as many of her nature themed artwork does. Many times Matilda finds herself painting out by the river in the sunshine listening to the rushing waters and bird songs, no doubt her canvas soaks in these joys as well. All this translates through the painting to its new owner as it is displayed proudly in their homes, being integrated into daily life!

What’s in it for You?

Buying art is a rewarding experience, it really is all about you! Realize your choices go beyond mere decoration. It allows you to embrace creativity, establish a personal connection with the artist, support the local economy, and discover unique and meaningful interpretations of the work from your own psyche. So, the next time you are looking to add a new piece to your art collection, consider buying from an independent artist like Matilda Wentzel and be a part of the vibrant, new, and ever evolving, diverse world of art.

Finally, remember to support the artists you love beyond just purchasing their work. Share their art on social media, leave positive reviews, and recommend them to others Word-of-Mouth often the most essential form of marketing independent artists rely on.