Hello all. Some have been wondering where I have been. I had a chance to go to Maui for several days for a unbelievably good (cheap) price. I will blog about Maui as I get back to "normal." Today, I'm still trying to get back on Texas time and experiencing my first real case of jet lag.  By the way, if you're a landscape painter, you have GOT to go to Maui.  Even an artistically challenged layman such as myself managed to get some great photographs.  It's pretty difficult to take a bad landscape photo in Maui.

Reading a recent newsletter that came through my inbox from Robert Genn, I noticed the subject dealt with the question of the Internet. The reader asked, "is the Internet the new 'Wild, Wild West,' with rampant lawlessness and a new century gold rush? Or is it a speck on the sleeve of history?"  Here are a few of my thoughts:

We do need to minimize the effect of the big players who would attempt to exercise control over this technological medium. Fortunately the Internet itself makes such neutralizing control easier for the small guy to achieve. Gone are the days when a gallery, agent or other player can exercise too much control over an artist. Today's painters can reach patrons worldwide via technology if necessary. This allows the Artist/Gallery relationship to be built upon a foundation of mutual respect, trust and teamwork rather than control, greed, suspicion or a number of other negative factors that unfortunately creep into some (not all!) relationships. If one is wary of overhype and utilizes the medium with realistic expectations, realizing that marketing is still about forging personal connections with other people, then the Internet truly smashes boundaries and aids in relationship building.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic