Heart@Work Online                                         

By Ginger Cook

In the United States and UK the term most used for resale royalties is Art licensing. Basically this is a billion dollar a year business, and one of which most artists are sadly ignorant. The idea is that once the original art has been sold, the artist has the option of letting that image be resold on different products.A license we are all familiar with is of course the limited edition print or open edition posters.

The artist normally get a small percentage (10%) of the wholesale of the artwork being sold. This would be considered one license. Now if that same image is re-licensed to a Puzzle company, that would be considered a second license. Mary Englebrite has over 6000 licenses for her art work, and is reported to net over one hundred fifty million dollars a year.

Art can be licensed for thousands of products, from paper gift bags, clock, plates, rugs, wallpaper, and note cards. The subjects are vast and can be very rewarding.

This is a wonderful way for artists to make a spectacular living. Large companies like Felix Rosenstiels of the UK and Canadian Art Prints, have their own licensing firm for outside products in addition to their the fine art prints. Artist have the option of participating in the licensing program for the secondary art market. Most are thrilled to do so.

There are international licensing shows around the world like Surtex every year in New York where artists and their agents display the newest work for manufactures. The top artists in the industry according to License Magazine are making well into the million dollar a year salaries for their work. It is very possible for an artist to easily earn the living equivalent to a doctor or attorney with a competent licensing agent and some talented art work.

I would also add that no sports figure can make the kind of money I have described for decade after decade, yet most people think that artists must destined to reside at the bottom of the income heap. No, Art Licensing and how artist get their work on these products, should be shouted from the roof tops, which is why I have taken the time to share this incite in to the market with you.

Hi, my name is Ginger Cook, long time professional artist and artist liaison for the Art Channel TV. My medium is acrylics on canvass and I am considered an expert in this medium. I am probably best known for an original technique of building a medley of vibrant colors and varies layers of textual media. I incorporate an intertwining of strokes of thick impasto with softly layered translucent washes. My street scenes often include the use of natural stucco and the combination of multiple layers of different media thus presenting the viewer with three dimensional work.

The Academy of Fine Art foundation was a sponsor of for several years at Art Expo in New York. I was nominated best artist of the year and awarded 2003 Presidential Order of Merit in recognition of significant contributions to the betterment of humanity through art.

I received national recognition in 1997 by winning four first place awards and overall Grand Prize winner of Liquitex “Paint a Difference” competition. A collection of my art was subsequently exhibited by Liquitex at the National Academy of Design in New York City. The following year Utrecht paint choose my endorsement of their paint as a Master Acrylics Artist, with a full page ad in Artist Magazine.

My work is published by Felix Rosenstiels of the United Kingdom,and is sold world wide in galleries and retail stores. I look forward to the scheduled release of a two hour DVD on painting through the art channel TV in the near future. I currently paint from my studios in Houston www.gingercookstudios.com