New 2024 Series! Grace of GOD, Mighty Jungle, Walks With Crows, Excess Baggage, RELEASE Project
March 25th, 2024
In this blog I am just revealing how I find AI useful in the world of an artist. I am not taking sides of it's worth or demise of any woks of art, merely showing how AI can be useful to an artist in an unintrusive way to other artists.
I don't feel AI is a problem as long as it does not infringe on art from others. Instead, I look at the AI technology a means in which an artist can expand and add depth to their creations not only from the imagination of the mind by prompting the individual images but also enhancing photography or digital art i have created with yet other tech applications such as photoshop.
To me, AI is no different from Photoshop filters or any other post processing software's out there on the market. I mean realistically Photoshop changes thing via filters and those filters are manipulated further by stretching or adding layers or additional filters on top of others to achieve the end result of a new image. Ai apps do the same the only difference when using your own work is that you tell it verbally by text prompts the changes. choose a filter and layer them or simply choose to tell AI directly in one fail swoop what you want it to do as the filters do and you have a new image. I really don't see the hoo ha about it all. it's just a faster workflow process cutting out the extra time to create layers, it does it all at once saving the artist time.
pixels.com/featured/cherry-swirl-lesa-fine.html
Clearly i am totally against stealing copyrighted images. i do run every image i make against the google image search to see if they are even remotely close to others creation, if nothing comes up I feel i'm pretty safe, i mean after all we have all been directed by someone somewhere to run your images through the google image search to see if our own derived works are out there on others sites being illegally used right? I've done it for years.
i don't believe we should steal others artwork my any means. I do however choose if asking for a style when using AI that I add many artists styles to create an image. for example, I will text prompt the art piece i want to see and then decide the style i would like it in and add at least 7 various artists to create my own style for that image. It's really no different than a painter choosing to revise the Starry Night or Mona Lisa in their own personalized style. Every painter, or art creative has favorite artists and styles, they are drawn to the artist's work and therefore will create art that is similar in traits to those artists. What is the difference is free handing something that is similar to an artists style or telling AI to do it for you. Again, I really don't see the hoo ha about it.
And though I have read several negative comments ranting and raving about the "so called" or "self-appointed artist" using blah blah blah to create an image with AI and blatantly stating they are stealing art from other artists, I really don't see that when using it. If using several artists, it's not stealing anyone's styles, instead the AI program is enhancing a completely new style by combining several artists. That is of course unless to tell it to recreate the works Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci, even then it will not be an exact duplicate, but it would render a close second to the piece.
I think some artists and not all are merely intimidated by the program nothing more. Perhaps they have never tried using it and really don't understand just how it works. It is very much tiral and error when writing prompts there is a lot to direct the program to do, the tone of colors, the objects used in the image, the background, the style, specific actions the objects are doing, and then adding the artists you would like to use or not even choosing an artist style and allowing AI to have complete freedom to choose a style based on the text prompts it has been given. It's like using a basic coding, you have to tell Ai what and how to do it and to what extent to do it. It's not just "blah blah blah" and you get this great work of art that can be sold on the open market. It is all in how the creator chooses to use it. Im sure if only onw artist is chosen somewhere down the line it will use an actual image from that specific artist and created something very similar to the image they created, but then again, I stand behind saying it will not be exact there will be many differenced which AI will render from it.
So on to the topic as an example.....Disney's Mickey and Minie Mouse older images have become public domain. They are copyrighted by Disney for a certain term and then release as public domain. To me using ai is no different than that in a sense. You are creating from other creations and slapping your name on the changed you've made to that original image. to me there's no difference.
I personally will continue to utilize the program as it has created some amazing images for me and made my images have more depth and creative process i would otherwise not me able to do on my own. I consider myself an artist, whatever programs I use to create the images I do. The naysayers are free to express their opinion, i will respect their viewpoint, however I do not have nor share the same viewpoint. To each his own. I will continue to create, sell, share and enjoy the creative art AI affords me and my collectors. If I create something that has infringed on another artists works, it is nor was never my intent and i did so without knowledge of any infringement. Sites repeatedly sell prints and products showing celebrity on them, most of those selling Im sure have no authorization to do so, there probably isn't any agreements that they can use the likeness etc, still it's sold. I feel quite sure every site doesn't request a copy of the agreement on everyone who as an artist lends the idea they have the authorization to sell the likeness, it's happening every day.
I'm sure I will receive a take down cease and desist letter.
And I also want to point out in comparison, some artists take cut outs of art from various places and create collages of many various art clips to add words to and create collages, where is the hoo-ha on that? The works which people enjoy is the visual out come of a compilation of many works of aer, you don't see people creating all this uprising and negative action towards that, there are many developed similiar images created of famous works with very little changes to them and no negative uprising. I say this embrace the new technology and use it in the way you like but please do not be so negative to others for embracing it just because you haven't' taken the time to invest in the research in using it correctly. Ai can be a great use to everyone not just artists as long as there is sensible control over it. Educate yourself on it and then place an opinion. Use it as a controlled tool, don't' use it, doesn't matter. I will continue to uphold my right to do so.
Please do check out my galleries on FAA and Pixels as well as on FB, X, Instagram, Threads and numerous other posting sites and social media avenues. You will find interesting and unique images and animations there. Maybe once seeing that it will inspire you to move forward in your own personal creations and see that AI can also be a useful tool to your work as well. Im not looking for response or rebuttal here. Nor will I typically respond to anything negative. I respect your opinion when i see it posted and normally will not respond as general rule. You have your opinions and I have mine, let's leave it at that. Use it, don't use it. really matters naught to me.
March 14th, 2018
Ok so the man of the house has chosen a personal space all for himself in the home. It may even be an outdoor shed or the garage. Whatever space you have it probably could use a bit of manly art right? If you want your buds to drink a beer or hang with the tv there’s probably going to be times where you may need a conversation piece to fill the lull time. What better way to add that opportunity than art? Not just any art but fun art.
If you are a designer, home stylist, decorator or staging professional, not everyone is into flowers and your client may not be a woman. There again your lady clients might be looking for something that interests them that may not be considered typical girly girly images. If either is the case.....Here are a few suggestions from my galleries.
If your client loves Cars,
Try Grouping three of the same image in different colors.....a creative way to bring color into the room and create a healthy grouping on a larger wall space,
For more classic car images you might enjoy our ‘Hit The Open Road Video’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oab6VNvig9c (Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoy the video)
Or try an old school feel with vintage type prints, an old Parking Meter could add that needed pop of color or Billiard Balls in the game room, a rusty gas pump print.
Here is one I’m about to do in my fathers bathroom. We recently had to replace the floor in his bathroom, we decided to replace the cabinet and fixtures as well. The fixtures I lucked up and found in some of his repair boxes were old style white Porceline with the letters “H” and “C” for hot and cold on the tops. That had my mind on the trail of the vintage look as a theme, then popped in my head the thought of using plumbing pipe to do towel racks and a toilet paper holder, I may even put a shelf using the same pipe to keep reading materials and toiletries there.
The next thing I found when cleaning out the medicine cabinet were old twist bottom style razors he probably used in the 50’s or maybe a bit later but they were to be thrown away until I said “no way those are really cool old razors, let me make a shadow box out of them for the wall”, a few head shakes and many giggles at my idea later the thought was well accepted.
But the icing on the cake was yet to come, the last and final piece to the puzzle to this ongoing theme was “hey I have some really nice 1929 Patent art of razors, brushes and razor strops that would go great with all this, let’s finish it off with those”
Not only will it be masculine but with style and vintage class. Not to mention saving a few pieces of the past that would have otherwise been trashed and forgotten. Now we will have a vintage themed bathroom that everyone can be entertained by and have interesting things to ponder on when in the room. And of course they will see my artwork in there, so it’s like free marketing space. Lol
When it all is finished and we have the new shower installed I will post an update with everything in place. I know it will be one of my most favorite redecorating projects just for the sentimental found objects alone. I can remember my dad shaving with those razors as a kid, twisting the bottoms to open them to replace the double edged razor blades. I was fascinated watching him shave standing in the doorway and being reminded not to touch the razors and especially the blades. So those really do hold a special meaning.
Just a couple of ideas to hopefully spark your imagination when dealing with the more masculine or vintage styles for men or women. I personally would love this style in my bathroom as well but I love vintage relics and repurposing found items into useful or artful items. When designing it’s the unusual or unique things that create the most impact, not the expensive. It just takes a bit of creativity much like art.
Until next post, keep those creative juices flowing, find useful ways to add art to your life.
Visit and FOLLOW my Pinterest Boards you find interesting, for example..“Staging Man Caves and He Sheds” for more unique and creative images to use as well as product pins from others that will create the perfect space for the men folk in your life!
https://www.pinterest.com/lesafine/staging-man-caves-and-he-sheds/
I recently started creating short videos on YouTube, our channel link there is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgL-Za75bftVKO1GloLO-gw
There is a short video there with classic cars, HIT THE OOEN ROAD you can view by visiting this link... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oab6VNvig9c
Please SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL and SHARE with those you think might share an interest in our work! We love word of mouth and interconnected friends and businesses!
Art makes a difference. be original, be you!
Lesa
March 11th, 2018
When choosing art for staging and interior decorating projects it’s difficult enough when going through an artists multiple galleries for just the right piece. As an artist you can make it easier for your potential buyers to set up color galleries that group color themes and make it easier for them to choose art work that will fit well with their current projects.
Time is valuable and something that is not replaceable. I want to make it easy for my collectors and future collectors to browse my images with ease and save them effort in possibly choosing my art images for those clients. I like to provide value to the collector and this is one way I can add value to their browsing and shopping experience with me.
Video promotions also save time when presenting your art to the masses and social media sites. This saves the viewer time in clicking continually to see additional images and figuring out multiple sites and their way around those sites if they aren’t already familiar. Each site has its own navigation methods and each one is uniquely different most of the time. Keep in mind art reaches out to all ages and levels of technology savvy viewers. The simpler you can make your viewers experience, the longer they are likely to view your page and enjoy your work.
These are my latest videos posted to my new channel on YouTube. I hope you will visit and subscribe to the new channel, like if you enjoyed and feel free to leave any feedback you may have we are always open to hearing critique from our viewers as it only helps us make better presentations in the future. We welcome all viewers to the nest and hope you will find your visit entertaining and enjoyable.
SOUTHERN BLUES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMW2RF2nomA
GREEN WITH ENVY
https://youtu.be/NNS6ILtwj3I
SEEING RED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOnbaAub4IM
Visit email us with inquiries or questions, add your email by saying SUBSCRIBE In the body of the email to be added to our list and enjoy new releases and promotional discount codes given throughout the year. We always give immediate discounts to staging and interior decorating professionals and are always looking to collaborate with others who enjoy art.
EMAIL: THREECROWARTS@GMAIL.COM
To purchase art:
http://lesa-fine.pixels.com
Http://Lesa-fine.artistwebsites.com
Https://pinterest.com/lesafine
Https://Facebook.com/threecrowarts
Https://Twitter.com/3CrowArts
Https://Instagram.com/3CrowArts
Https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LesaFine
Https://Vero.com/lesafine
Blog
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/lesa-fine.html?tab=blog
YouTube channel link
https://www.youtube.com/c/LesaFine
March 8th, 2018
Promoting your work outside of the FAA site is crucial. One way to get the word to clients is by making videos showcasing your work. I opted to do short videos in time limits of 3 minutes or less normally. I read somewhere the average attention span of the consumer is 3 minutes on average, so unless your footage is riveting you are probably going to lose them within the first 3.5 minutes.
I have found that since making a few videos and posting on various social media sites my sales have improved offline from collectors seeing them. I have also seen a couple of sales coming from the FAA side, although I cannot be sure if videos were the prompt for those sales. I do believe that videos of your work improves your presence on the web and increases your chances of sales ultimately. It is another avenue of marketing and a nice addition to promoting your work one image a a time. This is my latest video below:
February 6th, 2018
If you are interested in entering your work or attending festivals and art fairs this list will be helpful. Link lists festivals and art shows and fairs across the U.S.
Link shows deadlines for entries, beginning and ending dates. You must be a pro member of FestivalNet to view the entry fees, but I just google the festival I’m interested in and follow thru to see their guidelines and fees for entry etc.
https://festivalnet.com/deadlines?month=2&State_local%5B%5D=&dversion=A
SRC="https://festivalnet.com/images/whisperdiscover.jpg"
ALT="FestivalNet - Art Fairs, Craft Shows, Music Festivals"
border="0" width="300" height="250">
December 20th, 2016
I received a write up today.
http://artworkstoday.blogspot.com/2016/12/find-your-style-in-photography-5-can.html
Thanks so much Laura! Love your articles and insight on photography and photographers! Appreciate the nod to my work and your support to myself and other artists!
Lesa
July 18th, 2014
EMAIL: THREECROWARTS@YAHOO.COM
http://3crowarts.com
http://lesa-fine.artistwebsites.com
http://oarttee.com (Wearable Art - search Lesa Fine)
https://twitter.com/3CrowArts
http://https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LesaFine
http://facebook.com/3crowarts
http://www.pinterest.com/lesafine/
http://about.me/lesa_fine
http://jpgmag.com/people/LFine
So 'Like' me, 'Follow Me' send me a 'Tweet' and it's o.k, I'm pretty tough, go ahead and 'pin' me.
Add your email to the list for notification of Discount Code offerings.
Art Prints
June 12th, 2014
To copy and paste information from one point to the other you have to know three things. highlighting the information to copy, how to copy and how to paste.
you highlight by holding the shift key down and then running the mouse over the area you are choosing or by holding the shift key down and using your arrow keys on the keyboard to select what you want to copy, don't let up on the shift key until you have everything you want highlighted, this tells the computer, hey this is what i want to copy
now to actually tell the computer to copy it for you you will hold the ctrl key down and at the same time hit the letter C key that copies things
then you go where ever you want to paste it and click you mouse to set it on the page and then hit the ctrl key and the V key and that is the paste command, it will place whatever you copied there on that page where you want it.
CTRL and C at the same time Copies what ever is highlighted
CTRL and V pastes what you copied
June 12th, 2014
When you are first coming to FAA and joining the promotional threads there is a system to being a part of it all.
You must know how to copy and paste from one page to another or from one thing to another such as getting a link and placing it into an email as well.
First you must highlight what ever you want to copy, a phrase or a link or a word etc etc then
Ctrl and C at the same time will copy whatever you have highlighted hit the ctrl button first and then hit c while you still are holding the ctrl button down
Ctrl and V at the same time will paste the information you have copied to where ever you are taking it. just go where you want it pasted to and anchor your mouse on the page where it's going and hit ctrl and then v while you hold the ctrl key down and guess what, it's going to paste what you copied in there. simple.
You must also master the simple task of having more than one window open at a time, because you have to copy from one while having the other window waiting with your spot to paste the copied information to.
And thirdly and most importantly read the rules to the promotion if they say its a Social Media promotion (SM) then you need to have a social media account already set up prior to even thinking of joining the promotion. If you don't have one, then you are automatically breaking the rules when you participate with out one because, you can't share their images and promote them without one. And most prefer having two accounts such as facebook and twitter or twitter and google+ or pinterest, what ever combination you want or feel comfortable using or already have set up, just as long as there is one or two. The reason for a secondary is because not everyone uses the same social networking sites, so if you use pinterest and I don't want my images posted to pinterest because of one reason or the other, where am I going to gain benefit from your promoting me? I won't so you need a back up SM site for those who may not use the same one as you. Usually twitter and pinterest or twitter and google+ are what I see as the main ones and facebook of course. I have all of them. I don't use all of them on a daily basis, but if i need to i have an account with them.
Usually you have to have a social networking site set up prior to joining the promotion, because now the social media networks are what is helping you get your traffic to your galleries to buy. Not so much the keywords you use on the images anymore to get them to you.
Two You will need to know how to post all the information for yourself and you images for them to promote for you. And you will need to know how to copy and paste to do that. (I put directions on how to copy and paste on down in this thread)
three in order to do number two you are going to have to learn to open multiple windows and go back and forth between them and copy from one window and paste into another, well that or you'll be doing a lot of writing on scratch paper and alot of time wasted typing it all in....your choice.
Im going to use posting to the promo board as an example in this.....and walk you through the process just like you will be doing it.
First you are going to go to the board and do your bit on the promotion, sharing their images and saying kind words about their are that you like etc, you are probably going to like and favorite them to if you are doing a good job as a promoter you are doing all three of these things, it's call good promotional etiquette. Learn it, it will pay off you ten fold by them doing the same for you. Now once you have promoted theirs it's now your turn to give them the information you want promoted so people can start visiting the image you are telling them to promote for you......
Hallaallluujuah it's my turn!!!!
Ok this is how you open multiple pages: You already have one page open because you are here reading this blog. look up at the top of the screen and you will see a little plus sign next to the tab you have open each tab indicates a page you have open and usually has the site name or page name listed there on the tab that's how you know which one to hit to get back and forth between pages you have open. the x will close the tab out if you are through with that page, it's really rather simple.
once you hit the plus sign it will give you a fresh browser page, ok I have another window open now what? You want to use two pages within FAA right? so you want to go to the address bar and open up another FAA window just like you did when you first logged in to the site.
(if you use other browsers other than firefox just look for a plus sign somewhere near the http link line, or you can enter something into your google search box and it should also open up a seperate page for you if you dont see the plus sign anywhere. )
go through the process just like you are logging in. with faa since you are already logged in on one page you don't have to actually put your email address and password into this new page, but you will have to click the "sign in " tab to open your account up in the new page.
guess what ?? >>>>you now have mastered opening multiple pages on the same site.
On one page go to the group and then to the discussion thread where you have joined in on the promotion......go to the comment box and act like you are ready to post a comment in there. in other words anchor your mouse in the box to hold the box there while you go get the information you need to paste in there.
Now go hit the tab where your other page is open, this will be your runner page, this is where you will go to get information to copy and paste that's it you will do nothing else with this page but use it to go and retrieve the information you need to post in the comment box.
go to your gallery and find the image you want them to promote for you and copy the address (http://fineartamerica.com/yourname/your imge title whatever it says) and then hit your original tab that is holding the groups page for you and go to the comment box and paste the link in there.
If you don't know where that link is , it's the http address at the top of the image page you want to promote. just highlight it and use the copy command to get all that is highlighted and you have the direct link for that image. (same thing for the Artistwebsites.com site, you'd do the same thing there, just go to the image you want and copy the address information in the address bar at the top of the page)
now hit your primary page tab where you have the comment box open and paste the link into the box,.
now you need to go find you link for your social network where you have posted their work or "shared to" link. so you need your runner page or secondary page again, hit the tab so you are using your runner page and go to where ever you have that address listed or just simply type it's address if you know it into the comment box.
A good rule is to copy and paste all links you are associated with at the bottom of your bio on the site or any site really. It give people a list of sites they can find you on and also just as important it gives you a central location where the addresses you need to post are readily available for you to copy and use wherever you need to. So having a central location with a lists of your sites is a good thing.
Ok so now that you have copied you social media network address you just hit the intial tab where you comment box is and paste it in the box,
You have completed the process of giving them the link they need to post and also giving them the site where you promoted them.
Congrats if you have mastered this. You will find it is most helpful to you in many ways as you are learning your way around a using your computer to to surf the internet.
June 8th, 2014
Now that I am online and starting the process of self marketing and selling my photographic images and art via the internet, it is an awakening to the time it can consume! If you are new to this process as well then you are probably in current battle with the same monster. Between getting the images chosen, then edited, meta tags placed, keywords chosen, botanical names researched, and sometimes the actual things such as cars backgrounds researched as well. Then you have the added task of it being added to the list to copyright if they aren't, a title chosen if it doesn't already have one, and a description that will reflect the keywords chosen and will flow well and be explanatory enough for the blind is daunting. And that's just the image prep side of things.
So I have what I have to do to the image, once I have time to take new ones........now posting and marketing the art.
Once you have the initial preparations on the image it's time to post and start promoting the piece, it's time to market yourself.
So first you have to figure out your target market, for that piece as well as sometimes marketing the body of work and yourself as an artist on the whole. A piece can be relatively easy, if it's a vintage auto image for example, research the auto first and fill the description with well placed information and keywords and a great title, then start scoping out people to market that particular image to. Who will be interested in this piece?
Collectors, Car Dealers, Race Fans, ? That's a good question, and one I cannot even answer myself, but on down the road with getting it posted at least for anyone to see and direct the extra efforts to those individuals listed previously at the end of the posting in general.
Now if it isn't a auto print, it's a flower for example or an architectural piece for example, then you have to also do all the background research on them and also figure out the market that will be interested in it as a potential collector. Seek out those audiences on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest GooglePlus, and not that I use them at all, but some do Stumbled Upon or Myspace, and any others you may know of or use.
So to the point I go with myself on how do I juggle all these things and still have time for a life outside of the tasks online. A friend suggested I manage it in this way. Have certain days you do things, do those things on those days and nothing else unless you are caught up for that task of the day then perhaps use the extra time to either play catch up on things that need it or go outside and shoot a bit of new work.
So starting Monday I am going to put a plan in place and see if it is not only effective in promoting business but will also take away some of dread of doing things on a daily basis and feeling so utterly and completely overwhelmed each day with it. I love what I'm doing don't get me wrong, but when trying to manage all that goes along with the process, it is quite a daunting task day after day, and can sometimes take away from the joy of doing it.
Mondays Work on Website
Uploading new work to the galleries
SEO updates and anywork I can improve upon there
Refreshing the blog content, updating features into the site, sales that are being offered, Discount codes if any.
Sending out marketing to improve on the email list for future mailings and email events.
Work on press release for any upcoming events, new body or series, sales, that will be posting soon etc.
Tuesdays Edit new work and if caught up get out and shoot new work!
Wednesday Research and meta tag all new work with appropriate keywords
Research local markets for potential showings in their places of business or see if any local fairs coming up locally.
Thursday Post work to all sites I am offering the work for sale FAA, Crated, My website, Society6, OARTEE etc etc.
Friday Start Social Network Marketing process as this is the time when people have the most free time to look and shop!
Let's see so there's Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and About.me and that has now consumed a whole day and
probably part of the evening as well.
Saturday Shoot new work and get ready for the following week ahead and more promoting and marketing.
Sunday Rest and do home chores that Im behind on from the week prior. Oh and dont forget to pay bills and buy groceries because
you know you will be tied to the computer again all next week and you will need to feed your face at some point.
Now to see if I can hang with the plan and if so if it will result in a positive manner to be productive planning week after week.
If any of you who read this blog have any suggestions or you have your own routine down in processing all this information with success,
please feel free to post a comment or tell us all how you are managing it!