why/ how should I write an artist statement?

Why?First and foremost an artist statement will help you to clarify your own ideas about your work of art and help others who are viewing your artwork to understand your ideas and methodology, these viewers could turn into potential buyers, the more knowledgeable and the more a buyer knows about an artwork the more persuadable someone will be to buy. Writing a statement can further help when applying for competitions, exhibitions and projects, it ensures that your work is not misunderstood when art is interpreted differently by each individual.How?An artist statement should be short, straight forward and straight to the point, the viewer does not necessarily want to read an entire paragraph and should grab the audience’s attention from the first sentence.The first thing that needs to be done is to introduce your name, title of your work, materials and date completede.g. Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers, 1875, oil on canvasAfter this there are a few things that need to be considered:·        What is your intended audience? For example, for the general public who do not know your work, consider the tone to be informative but not analytic, try and keep the tone light·        Tense- always work in first person, write as if you were there talking to the person directly·        Why did you make your chosen artwork? What is the message that you are trying to get across to a viewing audience?·        Why did you choose the materials you chose? Does it have any significance to the meaning?·        If you are a new artist, maybe include a short biography, only a sentence or two consisting of key points- major accomplishments/ key plans/ philosophyIn general, your statement should be honest, an extension of yourself and your artwork in your own words, avoid repeating yourself where possible and keep the overall statement entertaining.