What is a Creative Commons LIcense?

All artwork on this site is copyrighted by Lynne Baur. However, I give permission for you to use it for personal, noncommercial uses with proper attribution.

That means, yes, you MAY use it as a screensaver on your computer or phone, or even print a notecard on your printer at home, as long as you tell your friends who painted that fabulous stuff! I want my work to be out there in the world for everyone to enjoy, but I do make my living this way. If you like my work, please help me stay in the business of creating it by spreading the word to your friends, family and coworkers. 🙂

Here’s how to do the attribution: “This artwork by Lynne Baur is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Image based on a work at https://www.dragonflyspiritstudio.com.”

More about copying and copyright, for those who still have questions . . .

Can you copy my paintings or work from my photos?

If I provide an image (painting or photo) as part of a lesson, paint-along or other instructional materials, you absolutely have permission to copy it and share your copy with friends on social media (or in person). That’s what it’s there for! (I do appreciate it if you tell people it’s from one of my lessons.)

What about other work, from my galleries or blog posts where I’m talking about the creation of my own work?

There is a long-standing tradition in the arts of copying the work of other artists as a way to learn. This is perfectly legal, and you do not have to ask permission to make the copy (unless it’s in a museum or gallery, where there may be rules about when and how you can copy). However, using a copy of another person’s work for any commercial purpose (selling it or using it to promote yourself or a business) is a legal no-no, unless you have written permission from the copyright holder. Displaying or sharing an image on social media is more of a gray area, legally. But, for the sake of good relations with other artists, it’s wise to ask about that artist’s preferences first, if possible. And, if you do share an image of a copy of another artist’s work, it’s a good idea to clearly label it as a copy made for your own education.

Be particularly careful about this with photos. Yes, there are those “free” photo sites, but not all of the images are free for all uses. Many are free for non-commercial use only. “Commercial” use is anything you stand to gain from, so it includes things besides just selling the painting, like using it to promote yourself. Take a moment to read whether the photographer is making the image free for commercial use. Photographers often spend as much time searching for the right location, waiting for just the right weather and lighting, and setting up a shot as we do painting a painting. Please, respect photographers as fellow artists and don’t trample on their intellectual property rights.

You should not enter copies of other artists’ work (mine or anyone else’s) in shows or sales. Most shows/sales have rules against this, and it indicates disregard for the intellectual property and hard work of other artists, so it harms your relationships with other artists. It’s not worth it! Besides, we want to hear what YOU have to say with YOUR art!