Local artist Emma Martin was struggling to find a supportive creative community online. Her response was to launch Art-Mantic, a new digital network where artists and art lovers can share ideas and support each other. But this is not about selling their artwork, as she explained to us in an interview.
What is Art-Mantic?
Art-Mantic is an art blog consisting of filmed conversations and written articles that is designed to help you get to know its contributing artists. It is a free platform that aims to creak open the studio doors and give you insights into the thoughts and processes behind the work, providing a network or peer group for artists and a useful source of information for artists and viewers alike.
Art-Mantic is not about selling artwork. Should you wish to contact the artists directly or view their work, you can do so via the contributor page which has links to everyone involved.
Why did you set it up?
As an artist myself I was finding it difficult to find the kind of nutritious content I wanted on social media. There seemed to be lots of marketing and sales based posts, and lots of long podcasts, but not very much in between. I felt there was a gap so I began to think about how I could fill it.
How do people get involved?
The first step is to visit our website. From there you can follow the social media channels by clicking the buttons at the top of the page. As a new project, it really helps if people like, share, follow, and subscribe.
For artists who might want to get involved, you can find more information on the submissions page. In the coming months we will be looking to run art competitions with some amazing prizes, including 1:1 tutorials or coaching with some of our contributors. Working with creative people means new ideas are always being generated, so many more things will emerge as the project develops. For anyone wishing to support the work, a "Buy me a Coffee" link is available at the bottom of each page.
What do you hope it will achieve?
I hope it will form the basis of a strong art community. It is already apparent that, although I am talking to people from all sorts of different disciplines and backgrounds, what shines through most is a mutual understanding of what it is to live a creative life.
Artists are stronger when they work together. There is room for everyone. By removing the smokescreen that often surrounds the selling of work, and getting into authentic conversation about the process and motivating factors behind the work, we increase our understanding of artists, art practice, and the importance of the art we buy.
Can you tell us something about your own art practice?
I have been a working artist for over a decade. I hold a BA hons and an MA in Fine Art. I like to make small scale, figurative artworks in either egg tempera or acrylic that are based around unconcluded narrative or personal myth. Examples can be found via a link on the contributor page.
You can watch Emma talking about Art-Mantic to Dutch artist Helen Roeten here:
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