Artist Handbook

The features

11 reasons to join the platform

Free

free to join, free to leave, no contract, no monthly subscription

Probably the most important feature for you: The Blue Neon is entirely free to use for an artist - free to join, free to leave, no contract, no monthly subscription.
The platform simply takes a 20% commission on each sale (UK-based artists and UK delivery only). So if at any moment, you feel like the gallery is no longer the place that suits your needs, you can opt out with a simple email.
I value artistic creation, believe that long term commitment should be based on trust and genuinely don’t want to trap you anyhow.

Fair commission

80% sales commission for you (on the whole order), no hidden fees

I consider artists to be pillars of our civilisation.
Getting 80% of the proceeds of your sale seems to me like a normal amount for an online gallery and the least I could do to support my initial statement.
This low fee - compared to other platforms - is also partly explained by the ‘wheel of art’ selection process which is based on chance: at each connection on the website, 10 artworks are picked up randomly from our curated catalogue.
I therefore cannot promote an artist directly, by pushing their works on the front-page for instance and hence forgo the classic sales techniques.

Non-exclusive

you can market your work anywhere else

No algorithm

to decipher, to coax and to feed constantly in order to stay visible

High visitor engagement

thanks to a slow looking feature and a limited number of artworks on display

Contemporary UK artists only

no galleries or intermediates

Curated collection

a qualitative and accessible collection for all interests and budgets

Equal chance

10 artworks displayed at each connection, randomly selected from my catalogue

Personalised description

next to your artwork, illustrative or not: a statement, a quote, a poem...

As an artist, you are familiar with the traditional presentation of your artwork in a gallery/exhibition. I do this a bit differently here.
On an 'artwork page', apart from the basic and necessary information, such as medium, title, dimensions and price, I favour an unusual description. I would like the visitor to discover the work with an open mind and often the tag influences their judgment and viewing.
So why not proposing an alternative approach by offering a statement, a poem, a quote, an anecdote…This is by no means a mandatory requirement and if your preference lean towards a more classic description, fell free to do so; it can even be a mix of both.
You also have an 'artist page' that gathers all your artworks and proposes your biography, so for someone interested there is always a way to know more about your creative process and your background.

No social media

my 'slow looking' positioning embraces a different culture of marketing

Another significant aspect of the strategy: I decided to forgo the major social media as marketing techniques.
While advocating a ‘reclaim your attention’ vision, this would have been highly hypocritical to use the very tools that deprive us of our time and alter our brain chemistry.
Apart from the well-known criticisms and to sustain my point solely from a company perspective, I was rather reluctant on deciphering their algorithms, on being forced to create content regularly to stay in the race, on worrying about the number of followers and likes...
Relying on more traditional techniques, on words of mouth and on articles on the blog constitute my main channels of communication for now.
I have exhaustively assessed the risk and the difficulty to proceed like that and opted to stay true to my values by focusing on a more wholesome approach for the visitors and the artists.

Forced diversity

each selection displays a well balanced mix of mediums

I implemented a forced diversity on the platform.
Each selection displays a mix of mediums: painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, mixed-media and print. It prevents the visitor from falling into a creative echo chamber designed by a biased algorithm or to choose the same category when browsing an online gallery, out of boredom or facility.
The Blue Neon mimics a brick&mortar visit to a museum by sparking one’s curiosity, as one should expect the unexpected and even welcome it.
You will find only one filter: the price.

An hybrid art platform

at the intersection of...

...a gallery & marketplace

It means that there is an application process - which isn’t the case for a marketplace - but I curate artists rather than their artworks specifically.

Once I have approved an artist, I then fully trust them to select the best artworks to be displayed on the platform.

Nevertheless, while still onboarding more artists than a traditional gallery, in order to keep the catalogue attractive and concise, I limit the number of artworks that can be exhibited by one artist to 10.

This creative constraint provides a sense of fairness among all the artists.

...art & meditation

I am a firm believer that, aside from the minimalist component of this place, developing a slow looking feature is the best way to provide an environment where a visitor can immerse themselves and fully connect with an artwork.

And that being irrespective of their knowledge, background or style/medium preferences.

I consider a viewing successful when they leave the session with more questions than answers; to that extent that might even be applied to assess the quality of an artwork.

Discovering diverse creative works is a positive way for visitors to reclaim their attention.

Your handbook

a guide through the process

Who and what?

- I welcome all contemporary artists, from amateurs to emerging and established ones.
You simply need to be based in the UK and eager to take part in this slow looking, minimalist online gallery.

- I welcome visual art from these mediums: painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, mixed-media and print.
(no videos, NFTs, digital and AI-generated artworks)

- I welcome all styles: abstract, figurative, surrealist…

- In order to keep The Blue Neon accessible while still presenting valuable creations, the maximum price for an artwork is set at £10,000.
There is a filter (the only one available on the platform) for visitors to adjust the selection according to their preference and/or budget.

- The Blue Neon is also a non-exclusive gallery, you can market your work anywhere else, I won’t be jealous; as long as the availability status of each of your artwork is up-to-date.
On the other hand, as I only collaborate with artists, if you are already represented by a gallery, please make sure the contract you signed allows you to exhibit yourself directly on here.

Curation process

- Send an email to blue@theblueneon.com with object ‘Application – your name’ and include the following info:
*your artist name and your phone number (if possible)
*photos of your original artwork(s) you would like to see exhibited
*all the necessary information for each artwork, such as medium, title, dimension (in cm), weight (in kg) and price or price range
*all the material you deem relevant to support your application; the more, the better: a short presentation, your website or social media, your experience, a general statement…

- The in-house curation team will then review your work(s) and contact you within a week to inform you of their decision.
Note that the criteria are at their discretion, based on their artistic line and an unfavourable feedback reflects neither the quality of your work, nor your status as an artist.

- I assure you that all applications are seen and reviewed.

- I may also contact an artist directly based on a recommendation or following a visit to an exhibition or a fair.
If you have already received an email from me reaching out to you, the curation process is as below:
*send an email to blue@theblueneon.com with object ‘Application – your name’
*simply include your name and a photo of the artwork(s) you would like to see exhibited

Your profile

- Once approved, I send you an email containing the next steps of the process and all the info I require in order to create your profile.
This includes, among others, the need for:
*your legal info (name, ID, address, bank account number)
*high-quality photos of all the artworks you would like to exhibit in The Blue Neon (if different from the one you already sent)
*the material you would like to see on your profile page and artist page

- On your profile page, where all your artworks are displayed at once, you have the possibility to add a biography that presents you as an artist, what inspires you, your experience, past/current/future exhibitions…
I would recommend to keep things classic so visitors get to learn more about you in a straightforward manner.

- On each of your artwork page though, apart from the standard info: title, medium, dimensions/weight and year, your are encouraged to include something less conventional like a quote, a statement (non-political) or a poem; relevant to the artwork or not.
The idea is to stand out from the conservative presentation of an artwork as done in a gallery/museum and to forge an emotional connection with the visitor.

- I create and maintain your profile page as well as each of your artwork page on your behalf.
Contact me if you need to update your profile, add/remove an artwork/photo or modify a price.

- Note that you can only upload a maximum of 10 artworks (preferably no series) with 5 photos for each (no video).

Your artworks

- Your artworks should be original ones and of your own creation.

- The maximum number of artworks you can upload is set to 10 (preferably no series).
This cap is to ensure equality among artists so everyone stands the same chance of seeing one of their artwork being picked up and displayed on the wheel of art.

- Each artwork page can accommodate up to 5 photos (no video).
This is your call to decide which ones to present: different angles, close-ups, back of the canvas…

- Mention if the artwork is sold framed or not.
I suggest to show photos of your artwork both framed and unframed (that one will be the main photo, as displayed on the wheel of art).

- I encourage you to add an unusual written description (non-political) next to each artwork, as a way to stand out.
It could take the form of a statement, a short story, a poem…

- Each artwork of the catalogue has the exact same chance of being shown.
A fair process based on chance: no algorithm, no specific promotion, no nepotism.

- Please ensure that all the artworks you present are available for sale.
Should it no longer be the case, send me an en email so I can update the status or remove it from the catalogue.
You are free to remove or add an artwork at any time.

Shipping

- Your are informed by email when one of your artwork sparks interest (a visitor clicking on the ‘purchase artwork’ button on an artwork page).
You then have 5 days to acknowledge the interest and an extra 5 days to start the shipping process (selecting the courrier, packaging the artwork, building the crate etc etc).

- Monitor your emails regularly in order to ensure a smooth transaction and create a climate of trust with the buyer.

- Include in the package, all provided by you:
*the invoice
*the certificate of authenticity
*anything else you consider relevant (thank you note, business card…)

- You are responsible for the costs of packaging & shipping, please bear that in mind when setting the sale price.

- Select a premium carrier and follow closely the packing recommendations.
I strongly advice you to insure your work in case of any damage during the shipping process.**

- Share with me the tracking number of the parcel, so I can be kept up to date on the shipping and paid you accordingly once delivered to the buyer.

**The Blue Neon cannot be held responsible for any issue arising at that time.

Payment

- You will be paid by wire transfer 14 days after reception of the artwork by the buyer.

- You get 80% of the final sale price (shipping costs included).
I value your work and hence try to propose the fairest commission in the market.

- If you haven’t been paid after 14 days, send me an email with object ‘Payment – your name’.

Taxes

- Given The Blue Neon company is not registered for VAT (yet), I unfortunately cannot accept artists who are VAT registered.

- The platform operates within the UK only and therefore custom tax is not applicable.

- The price displayed on each artwork page reflects the true amount payable by the customer, no hidden fees or taxes.

Social media

- While I decided not to advertise on any major social media, you are free to do so.

- Your artist page, as well as each of your artwork page, has a dedicated URL for you to share as you please.

- You will nonetheless see empty accounts from The Blue Neon on some social media, as it is sometimes the only way for me to contact some of you.

Any questions?

- For more details, you can check the General Terms of Use here.

- If you can’t find the answers to your question(s), feel free to contact me via email at blue@theblueneon.com

Our roadmap (together)

what the future holds for us

New medium

Artists & The Blue Neon

why and how to exhibit your work