First Day

Starting all over again at E’Studios - It’s his first day on a make-believe island, the second of ten, at the onset of his fourteenth year winning the Gates Prize, sending himself off to his imaginary printmaking world in Emeralda Region. This requires an introduction so he writes another one. 514 Words. es091216. ©2009 Bill Ritchie. Full Text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com

Fourth Place

Meeting up in a changed world - The “third place” was popular in the last century to describe a place between work and home, like a stop at the tavern or coffee shop to see friends, gossip or maybe do a little business. There is a fourth place today in cyberspace, as artists go virtual. 1231 Words. es091201. ©2009 Bill Ritchie. Full text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com

Millionaire Printmaker

When I opened my eyes to prints I was looking at time - He liked to say, “When I opened my eyes to art, I was looking at prints.” This was his mantra for over 40 years. The author may have thought prints were the carriers for fine art, art’s time-and-space vehicles, but printmaking is in fact a time-based art. 1145 Words. es090912 ©2009 Bill Ritchie Full text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com

Erica Williams

After all that she did for me - A telephone call inspires an artist, who had his heyday in the ‘80s, recalls some things that the caller did for him as an art dealer back then. He recalls highlights of his short, happy career, and how her help brought about creative acts and made money. 1017 Words. es090714. ©2009 Bill Ritchie. Full text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com

Intern Task

Ideas for a Web Design Intern - With an opportunity to gain the assistance of an intern, the taskmaster notes some ideas to serve as guidelines for the intern period of 12 weeks. His goal is to use the Internet as part of an online course that bridges art history and new technologies. 611 Words. es090614. ©2009 Bill Ritchie. Full text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com

Meta Soap

A soap opera for the age of digital reproduction - There’s an essay he would like to write to enter for today during his day stay on the island of Electronic Studios and Art Galleries—but his time is up, used up in a review of Chapter 7 of his novel, “Hunt for the Emeralda Treasure,” a meta-daytime drama. 1111 Words. ©2009 Bill Ritchie. es090604. Full text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com

Selling Sequel

The art of selling prints - Twenty years ago he wrote “The Art of Selling Art,” based on his experience selling his own creations. It was an education, and his textbooks were many, their advice skewed toward commercial gain. His book was personalized. Now he wants to write a sequel. 1354 Words. ©2009 Bill Ritchie es090525. Full text by email request: ritchie@emeralda.com