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There are a lot of good artists on the Forum that provide very good information. It is a give and take situation. I would think the artists with the most experience and information would not want to pay since they have so much to offer. Consequently, you may loose some of the best artists on the Forum because they are the ones that should be paid instead of having to pay.
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I'll take a shot here and go on the slight possibility that I may be considered to be one of those "best artists."
As a dues paying member of the main SOG sight I would be exempt from additional membership fees since I already pay to be linked to the mother ship.
I became active on the forum, at Cynthia's suggestion, when I asked her about listing my SVA classes on the SOG bulletin board. She said I could also list them here, on the forum, as well. The rest, as they say, is history.
I really enjoy participating here and have made many great friends. I have posted what I believe to be a lot of valuable information. Check my profile and set a spell. I have on numerous occasions be told that my words have been printed out, scoured and devoured
Some here have responded very well to me and at there bequest I have led a few workshops outside of NYC. This has always happened serendipitously and the results have been in varying degrees of worthwhile according to those that chose to participate.
Once someone has requested I lead a workshop they choose to organize, I have publicized it here figuring that there are others here that would be interested as well. I do this because I want to insure that the workshop takes place to best serve the interests of my sponsors, teaching them a better way to paint.
So I offer a good deal of insightful info on the forum and I sometimes follow it with an obligatory commercial promoting myself as a teacher. I have been told that there are some participants here that may object to this, thinking I should merely just serve up free advice, critiques and reveal all of the knowledge I have labored so diligently to amass because that's a nice unselfish artist thing to do. How horrible of me to consider my best interests and not the best interests of others who would like to compete in the same marketplace as I do!
Since we're debating the issue of ponying up money here I figured I'd throw in my two cents worth. There are basically three groups of people here on the forum. Those that provide and those that take and those who do a little of both.
Cynthia who is running this site wants to be reimbursed for her expenses so that the site is less of a financial burden to her. I think this is totally justified. The question this raises for me is if people are paying money here why shouldn't those who contribute content be compensated as well?
What about the moderators? Why should they donate untold hours editing and policing each and every thread for free? In particular I would think that Steven Sweeney should be paid in the six figures for the yeoman's job he does. How many hours per day does he selflessly offer critique advice? Can we arrive at a fair price per word compensation fee?
What about me? Can I get a free banner ad over there on the left hand side hawking my May workshop in the Raleigh/Durhan North Carolina area? That way I can keep my posts
free of my self promotional references which some may possibly object to.
Since I am a provider of significant content here maybe I could be reimbursed for my expenses: my valuable time, the wear and tear on my old Mac and my electric bills not to mention the snack I'm contemplating while I peck away.?
My contributions here are quite noteworthy. Why, if not for me everyone would be using cadmium colors in the flesh, cleaning their brushes with solvents and using only one light source in their reference photography. Those of you directly benefiting by my suggestions might consider sending money, jewelry, stocks and bonds directly to my estate in Tahiti. Fortunately I don't charge extra for the humor, dry with a twist.
The bottom line is that there are many things involved here and that sometimes when Pandora's box is opened we don't know what may appear.
Just one man's opinion.