Cosimo is thrilled to announce that our founder and CEO, John Sewell, has been shortlisted for the 2024 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards and recognised in the Creative Entrepreneur of the Year category sponsored by TikTok.

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, often referred to as the “Grammys of Entrepreneurship,” celebrates the achievements of the UK’s most dynamic and innovative businesses. Each year, the awards receive thousands of applications, underscoring the competitive nature and high standard of the competition. 

 

This year’s shortlist showcases a combined turnover of nearly £2.9 billion and employs approximately 20,000 people, highlighting these businesses’ critical role in driving economic growth and innovation.

 

Cosimo, based in Birmingham, has been recognised for its outstanding contributions to the creative sector and art industry – helping their community of 1,000+ artists to sell their work online.

 

John Sewell, Cosimo’s founder said, “Im very proud to have made the shortlist for this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the category of Creative Entrepreneur, and it’s a particular honour to be flying the flag for the Midlands region. It’s a testament not only to the work of the whole Cosimo team, but also to our wonderful community of artists and art lovers who make what we do so worthwhile. I can’t wait for the ceremony in November, to celebrate alongside the other incredible founders and businesses who have also made the final.”

 

Previous winners of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards include the founders of BrewDog, MyEnergi, Zilch, Grenade, and ClearScore, who have gone on to become household names.

 

It is with thanks to national and regional sponsors Allica Bank, Airwallex, Basket, Caudwell Children, de Novo Solutions, GiftRound, GS Verde Group, GS1 UK, Home Grown, JF Growth Menzies, Quidos, Randal Charitable Foundation, ScoreApp, TikTok, UBS Wealth Management and Vestd that the Great British Entrepreneur Awards has been able to celebrate the very best of Great British entrepreneurs for 12 years.

 

The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, 18th November, at London’s prestigious Grosvenor House, where winners for each category in each region will be announced. This event is the largest entrepreneurial celebration in the UK, providing a platform for businesses to connect, celebrate, and champion the spirit of entrepreneurship.

 

Francesca James, Founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, stated, “The calibre of entries this year is truly outstanding. These entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy, and their stories are a testament to the incredible resilience and creativity of the UK’s business community. We are thrilled to recognise their achievements and support their continued growth.”

 

Allica Bank, the headline sponsor for this year’s awards, shares this commitment to fostering entrepreneurial success. “It has been a real honour to sponsor this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Hearing the inspiring stories from the incredible businesses that these awards champion really brings to life the important contribution that British entrepreneurs make to our economy” says Conrad Ford, Chief Product & Strategy Officer at Allica Bank.

 

To learn more about the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, visit www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.

In today’s digital age, a well-designed website is essential for artists to showcase their work, build their brand, and connect with potential buyers and art world professionals.

This guide will walk you through the key elements of creating a compelling artist website that effectively promotes your work.

Personal Information: Introducing Yourself

Your artist website should prominently feature personal information that helps visitors connect with you, including:

• A professional headshot or portrait that puts a face to your name
• An engaging artist statement or biography that delves into your creative journey, influences, and artistic philosophy
• Easily accessible links to your social media profiles
• Ensure that your contact information is readily available on every page.
• Design and Layout: Simplicity and Elegance

Opt for a clean, minimalist layout that puts your artwork at the forefront. Consider the following:

• Choose a colour scheme and font that complement your artwork without overwhelming it
• Use high-quality images of your work optimized for web viewing
• Organize your navigation menu in a logical, intuitive manner
• Ensure that your website is responsive and mobile-friendly

Presenting Your Artwork: A Virtual Gallery

Your website should serve as a comprehensive portfolio, with each piece of art having its own dedicated page featuring:

• A clear, descriptive title
• High-quality images showcasing the artwork from multiple angles
• Detailed information about the piece, including dimensions, medium, techniques used, and any relevant conceptual or thematic background
• The provenance of the piece, such as its exhibition history, inclusion in permanent collections, or any awards or recognition it has received
• Consider organizing your works by collection, theme, or chronology.

Sold Artwork: A Testament to Your Success

Include sold pieces in your online portfolio to demonstrate your success and accomplishments to art world professionals and potential buyers. It provides a holistic view of your artistic journey and helps establish your credibility.

The Power of a Well-Crafted CV

A comprehensive artist CV is a valuable addition to your website. To maximize its impact:

• Include high-quality images of your work alongside relevant entries
• Link specific artworks in your portfolio to their corresponding exhibitions or awards

Simplifying the Process with Imprimo

Platforms like Imprimo can help simplify the website creation process by providing customizable templates and automating features like linking artworks to exhibitions listed in your CV.

Protecting Your Artwork Online

Take steps to protect your intellectual property:

• Limit the resolution of your artwork images to 640 x 640 pixels or lower
• Disable right-click saving on your website
• Clearly state the available uses of your artwork

Navigating Online Art Sales

Instead of building an e-commerce solution directly into your website, consider partnering with platforms like Cosimo that specialize in helping artists sell their work while protecting them from scammers and simplifying logistics like shipping.

Conclusion

Creating a compelling artist website is crucial for promoting your work, building your brand, and connecting with art world professionals and potential buyers. By focusing on clear personal information, a clean design, detailed artwork presentations, and a well-crafted CV, you can create a virtual gallery that showcases your artistic vision.

Leveraging tools like Imprimo can streamline the website creation process while partnering with platforms like Cosimo can simplify online art sales and protect your interests. With a well-optimized artist website and strategic partnerships, you’ll be well-equipped to establish a strong online presence and achieve success in the art world.

Your CV is crucial for showcasing your professional experience and artistic achievements as a visual artist. It’s necessary for grant applications, exhibitions, commissions, residencies, and more. Your CV is often the first impression art professionals will have of you and your work, so it’s essential to make it stand out.

 

A well-crafted artist CV can open doors to new opportunities and help you establish yourself in the art world. It demonstrates your credibility and commitment to your practice and allows others to understand your background and accomplishments quickly. A strong CV can be the difference between being selected for an opportunity or being passed over.

 

Creating and maintaining a compelling artist CV can be challenging. It’s a lengthy document that must be updated regularly and kept consistent across different platforms and formats. As a visual artist, your CV needs to convey your experience through text and showcase your artwork in a way that captures attention.

 

Best practices for building a strong artist CV:

 

• Keep it organized and easy to read: Use clear headings, bullet points, and a consistent format. 
• Prioritize your most significant accomplishments: Highlight your most impressive exhibitions, awards, and publications at the top of each section. 
• Include high-quality images of your work: Showcase your best pieces alongside your CV. 
• Provide context for your achievements: Briefly describe the significance of your exhibitions, residencies, or awards. 
• Keep it up to date: Regularly review and update your CV with your latest accomplishments and projects.

 

Tools like Imprimo, an all-in-one art-management platform, can simplify the process of creating and maintaining your CV by offering features that streamline the organization and presentation of your information.

Meanwhile, on Cosimo, you can create a clean and easy-to-view portfolio to help generate and manage your sales safely and securely.

However, regardless of the tools you use, following these best practices will help you create a compelling CV that effectively showcases your artistic journey and achievements.

Remember, a detailed and credible CV is crucial for establishing yourself as a professional artist, so take the time to build a strong one that highlights your unique experiences and accomplishments. By presenting a well-crafted CV, you’ll be better positioned to seize new opportunities and make a lasting impression on the art world.

This blog was written by our artist, Becca Moody

Finding My Artistic Voice…

 

I’m Becca Moody and I’m a Birmingham-based painter.

I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past few years working on finding my voice as an artist. Here are a few things I’ve learned….

I think being inspired by your own work and processes is the most important thing when it comes to creativity. Knowing who you are as an artist and what your style is (at least, what your style is right now) might not always be easy to put a finger on.

But the more you create, the clearer the threads that tie each piece together will be. For me, I’m obsessed with cloudy sunset skies, colourful landscapes, detailed flowers and unconventional colour schemes. These things often come up in my work. These things and the way I specifically do them are what make my paintings mine.

Another aspect of my identity as an artist is being a proud Brummie. More recently I’ve been experimenting with recreating some of our most iconic buildings and natural formations in my own style. From the Birmingham Library and Selfridges to the Lickey Hills, taking this new direction has helped me really cement what makes my artwork unique to me.

With all my paintings, it tends to come back to colour. I find it hard to stick to the palette I see in front of me. No matter how subdued I try to make a piece, those pesky pinks, greens and yellows always creep in.

All the colour in the world, and more 

The artists that influenced me while I was studying art probably played a big part in developing my love for colour. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been inspired by pieces with big, bold colours and layers of detail that make it hard to tear your eyes away.

For me, Claude Monet is the king of colour. As an impressionist painter, Monet focused on the light and colour that makes up what we see. Despite what we might all instinctively think, water isn’t just blue and lilypads aren’t just green. Monet shows us the pinks, lavenders, oranges and reds that hide within nature and only make themselves visible when you’re truly paying attention.

What inspires me about Monet’s art is that it looks beyond the subject. Yes, a typical Monet painting might depict lily pads on a pond or haystacks against a snowy skyline, but there’s so much more to see than just these things.

Monet doesn’t try to make you forget that you’re looking at a painting either. Look closely and you can see every single brush stroke. A Monet painting is a celebration of the process of painting itself. I can’t get enough of it.

Learning the basics and discovering what works for you 

I studied art at school, taking GCSE and A-Level, and I’m surprised the joy of painting wasn’t totally sucked out of me by the time I left sixth form. Looming deadlines and the never-ending stress of creating an art portfolio that makes sense, ticks the examiner’s boxes and is actually nice to look at… it was a lot.

Having the right teacher to guide me during this time was a huge part of my journey into becoming an artist. My art teacher, Tony Metcalfe, is an artist whose work focuses on brooding nature scenes and interpretations of the human form. It’s not just that he taught me how to mix oil paints and wash brushes properly (which are things you definitely need to know). Metcalfe is as passionate about his work as he was about instilling that passion in his students.

You could show him a piece you weren’t happy with and within seconds he could tell you what specifically was holding it back. Maybe the perspective was a bit skewed or it needed a bright contrasting colour to bring out the shadows. Having this kind of guidance meant I couldn’t go wrong with my work. If something wasn’t working, I learned how to fix it. Nothing ever went in the bin.

Art was my favourite subject at school, but it was still full of stress and deadlines and self doubt. Leaving education behind and developing my practice in my own time instead has helped me really find my groove.

Entering the big, wide (scary) world as an independent artist 

After going on to complete a philosophy degree and spending a lot of time reviewing live comedy, the pandemic came along and halted any more post-grad job interviews and freelancing opportunities.

I ended up working at my local supermarket and just trying to make it through. I think naturally, in times of struggle, painting becomes my outlet. During the summer of 2020, whenever I wasn’t working, I was painting. I decided to branch out into selling prints of my paintings online, which helped me start to view myself as an artist and not just someone who likes to paint stuff.

I’m 24 now and work full-time as a Copywriter, fitting in painting whenever the inspiration comes. I’ve learned not to force anything. Absorbing the works of modern-day colour-work pros like Paul Kenton and Grant Haffner keeps me inspired and reminds me of why I do what I do.

And sharing my work online and getting positive feedback is really satisfying too. When you feel like your work has made a connection with someone else, that feeling is really great.

I’ve recently had my painting of the Birmingham Library featured in the Birmingham Art Book, which has been a huge honour. I think this marks a new chapter for me. I’m confident with who I am as a person and as an artist. I’m open to where life takes me and I’ll be carrying my paint brushes with me each step of the way too.

We finally have a podcast! The ‘Exhibition 101’ podcast will be where we uncover the best and the worst about the art world, throwing out the bad and amplifying the good.

Today’s guest is Zoë Goetzmann – founder of The Artist Workspace Gallery (AWS), writer, podcaster, and ultimate all-around art fanatic!

Zoë’s gallery is hosting an amazing pop-up exhibition in Stoke Newington next week – which you can find out more about here.

In our chat, we managed to cover pretty much every big topic in the art world, from commission fees to NFTs, tech, curation, and more…

And if you want, you can enjoy the whole podcast recording here!

Or, if you’re in a rush, check out the transcript below to see what goes is Zöe’s art world Room 101 and what she loves most about art…

…

So, the first question that I have is, what was the first-ever artwork that you remember that blew your mind? And you were just, like, stood in front of it and you went, wow, this is really cool? 

So, I have three answers to this question … divided [up] between [three] different stages of my life.

The earliest, I’d say would be artworks by Jackson Pollock. In my life, I was the child that would make like scribbles [and doodle constantly].

One night [when I was a small child] I [took a crayon and] drew all over my wall, and I do remember it looked like a Jackson Pollock. So maybe his work was the [intrinsic] influence and/or inspiration. And [I remember] the excuse [for deciding to doodle on the wall] was me – thinking – “I don’t have paper in my room, and so, I’ll draw on my wall with crayon.” And my parents left it up because [I think they thought] “Oh, it looks so cool!” And I think probably it looked like a Jackson Pollock because it was just [comprised of] these giant scribbles. I’d say that’s probably like the earliest…

When I was in high school — this has to do again with [the] tradition versus modern art [debacle] and turning ‘against the mode’ – I did this project for a class called, ‘AP US History’ where you could do a presentation about any subject in American History. I decided to a project on Georgia O’Keefe’s work — understanding of society’s departure from the more traditional, institutional world of the Beaux-Arts artistic school to the idea and concept of Modernism.

But, in general, I was really interested in her work, and I feel like a lot of the paintings I did in high school — especially [for this other class called] Independent Art, which had echoes of how she works on immense canvases and the colours [that] she uses, and the scale of [her work, in general] …

I think she’s definitely a key artist if you want to go back in Art History, for me.

I also really love Abstract Art. I gravitate towards artists like Gerhard Richter, more specifically. I love [his use of] colour. I love the scale and, most notably, his use of experimental revolutionary techniques (revolutionized by those specific artists during the ‘80’s and 90’s).

Any of his paintings, I think, just have that ‘Wow factor!”

I also appreciate and adore the work produced by Abstract Expressionist female artists who’ve always been so overshadowed by their male counterparts.

Because in my mind I always think: “You can know Jackson Pollock, but do you know Lee Krasner?”

I often feel that she produced work that was better than [her husband], honestly. You [also] have Helen Frankenthaler… I can just name all the artists … Joan Mitchell was the other one that I really love.

And again, it’s the colours, it’s the technique, it’s the [that I appreciate and value so much]. I think any work that has either an abstract expressionist or figurative quality – are two factors that I tend to really gravitate towards the most.

And what’s the most recent one, the most recent thing you’ve seen where you were mind blown away?

This question is also hard! They’re fun to think about…

The Anicka Yi installation at the Tate Modern [was one exhibition that I loved]. She did this Jellyfish installation at the Tate Modern … It’s kind of a perfect piece to talk about because, when I was looking at it, not only were they these huge and just beautiful creations, but of how technology was interacting with the space. [You just couldn’t ignore that feeling or perhaps maybe even intrusion].

Her work just took up an immense amount of space, and you’re very much aware of the work [and its presence]: how the artwork integrates into the space. How it’s taking up the space, and you’re very much aware of the relationship between technology and the viewers.

And I also really liked it just was a conversation starter.

It was a piece of art that brought people together – because maybe it’s also just my own observational skills that I’ve ingrained in myself as a writer – it was just fun watching families take their kids. There were so many children just like underneath [watching these giant mechanisms pass by].

That’s one of the great things about the Tate.

 

I think it’s funny and interesting, as well, in that space, because it’s not the upstairs bit where it’s all actual ‘art’ galleries… 

 

I think people kind of forget that it’s art that they’re looking at when they go in the turbine hall. 

 

So, they react maybe a bit less sceptically than they would do otherwise. 

 

But I think that’s the other thing that I pick up there is that I similarly love shows where it’s immersive. 

 

The one I always go back to is when I went to The Met, and it was about an exhibition about China and the west and how the two cultures that collided over the years. 

 

And you walk around, and it was just like you felt that you were in a film set or something. There was music, there were different lights. It wasn’t just white walls with art, which has its place, but it was just this whole kind of experience. I love that kind of thing as well… 

 

So, to change tack slightly… We’ve kind of gone through your story, so people know how you got here, but what would you say to someone or to yourself if you were at the start now, going, ‘I want to work in art, but I don’t know how to go about it’ – what would be your key tips for someone in that position?

Okay, this is so weird because I’m still figuring out!

I think everyone is!

I had an artist say, like, “When you have an idea,” she said, “You just kind of go for it and you know that’s going to happen. You do whatever you can to make it happen.” That’s very much how I’ve [always] been.

I think the quote we have on our site — which also speaks to why I chose the word ‘space’ [in the title of my business] as it speaks to my own personal motto and how I’ve conducted myself in both the art [and fashion worlds] honestly.

“And it goes: If you can’t find a space in your desired industry, sometimes it’s necessary to make your own or create your own.”

 The motto also aligns with why I value and love Create! Magazine (the art magazine I write for) and what its editor and team  — who I also admire — have sort of [passed along] to me as well.

But it makes sense. Yeah. Because it is true.

I think you have to make your own opportunities [when you decide to work in the arts]. You have to make your own opportunities if some [of them] don’t exist [or present themselves to you]. And social media can help with that a lot…

Yeah, definitely. I think that was where I came from as well. 

 

It was like: I wanted to create this [specific] kind of gallery. I was thinking about buying some art, and I was like, “I can’t find anywhere that I feel like it’s for me – even online.” 

 

So, I [said to myself]: “if this might work for me, maybe it would work for someone else as well.”

 

Now, this is my favourite question!

 

So, you know the concept of Room 101, the room where all the worst things in the world are… If you could take one thing in the art world and throw it into an art world Room 101, what would it be and why? 

Okay, this is also hard because I don’t want to alienate people [on both sides of the art world]. So, from a business standpoint, it’s difficult to pick [and/or choose to from].

Well: 1) I guess would be [the] barriers … and [creating] spaces, as we said [and discussed before], where different people can exist, [where] people can make their own opportunities, they can create projects that resonate with [their own interests, personal and creative sensibilities].

So, the next question, I suppose, what would you want more of to fix that exact issue or what do you want more of in the out world generally? 

I would re-evaluate the gallery system, as a whole [entity and concept]. You don’t have to throw it [or the system] away completely because I think they’re key nodes of influence. You have barriers and gatekeepers [in the art world].

Gatekeepers control all different aspects [of the art world]. There are gatekeepers within the NFT world as well.  The art world goes beyond the ‘traditional’ landscape of the art world – i.e. auction houses, commercial galleries, ‘what is considered art’ – or gatekeeping the other artists from entering into their circles.

I would start by re-evaluating the gallery system as it stands: how they work with artists,  how a gallerist manages their working relationships with artists – whether it transforms into more of a partnership – it depends how involved you are.

As a gallerist, you often feel like ‘the mother,’ you feel a need to have to foster these artists, their careers, which I would like to do.

It’s the relationship with artists [that gallerists need to concern themselves with] the services they can provide… there’s also an additional value switch between gallerists, and clients that you need to concern yourself with as well.

And maybe you don’t even need or want to do that all of that, and that’s fine. I always do more than expected anyway because that’s just who I am [as a person]. I want to give support to artists in any way that I can. But – like I mentioned before – there is a value switch – [that you need to account for which – I’m also realizing.

You want to provide those services. You also want to make sure that you sustain yourself -because – you are running a brand and a business at the end of the day.

And again, like with the fashion world, it’s so easy to use the word brand because everything’s commercial and you’re dealing with commodities, even though fashion can be art (and it probably is and should be considered as art). It’s just a different mentality, to answer your question, but I think that’s how I would make it [the art world] better.

I agree, to be honest. The reason I want to get answers to that question is that I think there’s a lot that needs to change. 

 

But I think that’s something I’m particularly interested in as well is how we can switch up the gallery model and how we can help artists, help people trying to help artists on both sides. I think there’s a lot of work to be done.

Zoë’s exhibition, ‘To Me, To You’ by The Artist Workspace Gallery, will be open for a private view | 3rd February 2022 6-9pm.
Then from the 3rd-6th February 2022 (9 am – 6 pm)
Location: 147, Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0NY

For more details and information about the artists involved, visit the AWS Gallery Instagram.

Cosimo Art Returns and Refunds Policy

 

We want you to be happy with your purchase, and we offer a 2-day money-back guarantee on all items sold on Cosimo. If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any of the following reasons, you can return it for a full refund:

 

• The artwork was damaged in transit.
• The artwork was significantly not as described.
• The artwork was counterfeit or fraudulent.
• The artwork did not turn up at all.

 

To return an item, please contact us within 2 days of the expected delivery date. We will provide you with a return shipping label and instructions on how to return the item to the artist.

 

The item must be returned in its original condition, with all original packaging and materials. The item must also be unused and undamaged.

 

If the item is not returned in its original condition, we may not be able to offer a full refund.

 

Other Returns

 

If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any other reason, you will need to contact the artist directly to arrange a return. Cosimo will not be able to help with these types of returns.

 

Return Shipping

 

In some cases, buyers may be liable to cover the costs of return shipping. We will send them the label for the shipping to return the item to the artist.

 

Refunds

 

Once the artist has received the returned item, or after 2 days of being meant to receive it back, we will process the refund for the full price of the artwork. The refund will be issued to the same payment method that you used to make the purchase.

 

Contact Us

 

If you have any questions about our returns policy, please contact us. We are happy to help!

Additional Information

 

• You can only return items that have been purchased directly from Cosimo.art.
• Items that have been purchased from a third-party seller are not eligible for a refund.
• You can only return items that have been shipped to the address that you provided when you made your purchase.
• You cannot return items that have been damaged in transit.
• You cannot return items that have been lost or stolen.
• You cannot return items that have been purchased with a gift card.

 

How to Return an Item

 

To return an item, please follow these steps:

 

1. Contact us within 2 days of the expected delivery date.
2. Provide us with your order number and the reason for your return.
3. We will provide you with a return shipping label and instructions on how to return the item to the artist.
4. Pack the item in accordance with the Seller’s instructions and take photographs of the packed item as proof of compliance.
5. Return the item to the address that we provide via the appropriate courier.
6. Once the artist has confirmed they have received the returned item, or after 2 days of being meant to receive it back, we will process the refund, provided that the artist is content that the artwork has been returned undamaged and in the same condition as it was when it was shipped.
7. The refund will be issued to the same payment method that you used to make the purchase.

 

Dispute Resolution

 

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the return process, you may contact Cosimo customer support for assistance. Cosimo will review the situation and make a final decision.

 

Additional Terms and Conditions

 

• Buyers may be responsible for the cost of shipping the item back to the artist.
• Buyers are responsible for the risk of loss or damage to the item during shipping.
• Cosimo is not responsible for any loss or damage to the item during shipping.
• Cosimo reserves the right to refuse any return for any reason.

 

Changes to the Returns Policy

 

Cosimo reserves the right to change our Returns Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting on the Cosimo website. It is your responsibility to check both the site terms and conditions, and the returns policy, regularly for changes. Your continued use of the Cosimo website after any changes to these policies will constitute your acceptance of those changes.