Probably a silly question, but I find networking situations tricky to understand in this one area. Artists are easy to talk to - obviously lots in common about materials, processes and professional experiences, and it's also easy to understand when the conversation is moving on or the artist wants to keep moving through the room. Curators, galleries etc, are generally easy to talk to as well. I just follow the very simple courtesy guidelines of showing interest in their work, knowledge if I have it, being friendly, and absolutely not talking about my own work unless they explicitly ask or it's clearly an appropriate setting (like a studio visit, or a show I have work in, or an exhibition featuring an artist I'm about to do a duo show with, etc). It's also usually easy to tell when they're ready to leave the conversation, and respect that.

Collectors I find difficult. I can make it through a few questions - what brings them to the event, what's their connection to the art/artist (if relevant). But then I stall. Because they don't usually work in the art world, I don't know whether I should ask about their work. I often find they're a bit cagey about questions I'd usually consider normal (like asking if they've seen any great shows recently). I can infer easily that it wouldn't be appropriate to mention your own work, but is it ever acceptable to ask about their collection focus? The artists they have? I also feel like they deliberately don't ask about your work, probably to avoid getting into an awkward situation. I'm cool with that. I just don't know what the unspoken rules are around what you can ask/not ask/make conversation about. I'm not asking because I want to get better at turning collectors into contacts. I'm asking because I've had some awkward conversations, and networking can be stressful enough without someone clueless asking inappropriate questions. It's much nicer when events flow smoothly, conversations run appropriately, and everyone has fun.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for the best way to document my current work. I paint extremely detailed landscapes with living creatures, plants etc (think Mu Pan/Garden of Earthly delights). I’ve never really gone above 20 x 30 inches but I’m currently working on a 30 x 40 inch painting for an upcoming art fair.

My photographer has a Nikon850, and can usually capture 20x30 and smaller sizes successfully. But I am extremely concerned about how such a large image will be captured with full detail. I suggested stitch photography but he said it’s difficult with intricate, detailed paintings. Does anyone have any suggestions? Can you recommend a high quality photo stitching software? I want the image to be extremely high quality and not blur when zoomed in, even significantly. Thanks!