Place for Commerce

[Patrick Brennan]

Is it just me or is there a certin amount of comercial intrests starting to move in to the site . Are we begining to loose the primary intent to gather people together for the purpous of painting. Should the self intrests of the more profesionl members be catered for elsewhere.

[Plein Eire Administrator]

Thanks for your input on this topic.

I didn't want comment before others had had the chance to voice their own opinions.

Plein Eire is for anyone interested in painting outdoors in Ireland. Naturally, the site benefits greatly from the input of professionals who 'raise the bar' for all of us and whose experience and skill benefits everyone else. For their sake especially and for all those who aspire to join them, everyone is encouraged to post well-taken photos of artwork etc. as who knows when a buyer or a gallery may be looking on? Nevertheless, galleries and businesses are not currently allowed membership nor may members display prices on their artwork, although anyone with a separate website may include a link on their profile page and should include a Plein Eire badge to reciprocate.

As site policy, if exhibitions, workshops and events are considered relevant and beneficial to members they may be posted. Perhaps an exhibition has some plein air work or a watercolour workshop may be helpful whether it is outdoors or in the studio. So, inevitably, there are borderline cases and in these grey areas discretion is used. Plein air enthusiasts who post their own artwork and contribute regularly will have more latitude than a member who doesn't. Likewise, in wintertime a broader interpretation may be made when there is less outdoor painting going on.

You are right, as members of the site, to be vigilant about someone taking advantage, even though it may sometimes take a couple of days before anything is done about it. It is only by expressing a view that an acceptable policy can evolve.

Incidentally, to keep the site free to use (there are running costs), without the support of members' subscriptions or donations, there will be some advertising restricted to appropriate areas.

Finally, a minor point, but this should properly be a Forum thread, rather than a Blog post, as it is worth referring to and adding to it in the future and so it can be archived with discussions of a similar theme.

[Patrick Brennan]

Thanks Alison, I to have asperations and hope one day to be in that happy place with my art, but is there not a place and time  for self promotion. I agree with you that there should be seperat section for this activity. I only made this coment after coming home from a night shift and the first thing i had noticed was amount of promitional materal there was, I have noticed that one in particular is no longer there.

[Alison Fox]

Agree with you but it's a tricky one as a lot of the ordinary members would have professional ambitions. But maybe events should be moderated to group events with a different section for expositions n courses. If the site is to be used as promotion maybe it should be restricted to members activities based here keeping within the ethos of pleineire painting in Ireland.