There amidst the gallery listings in the weekend edition of The Globe and Mail was a particularly striking ad for a new Helen Lucas show, "Spring Greeting." But unlike all the other gallery ads on the page, this one contained no "real world" address, only a virtual address.

helenlucas.com is run by Carole McDowell, a former gallery owner and director and Lucas' longtime rep.

A Compuserve member for the past five years, McDowell has kindly offered to share with us some information on how she and Lucas made the transition from gallery walls the www gallery.

CB: I see that you used to run real-world art galleries. Do you consider helenlucas.com to be a virtual art gallery?

CMcD: Yes, I have been in the art business for a number of years and decided to retire from the commercial scene of seven days a week and try something new. I really represent Helen Lucas exclusively and deal with my customer base, of 30 years.

My clients still call me to re-do their offices, homes, find birthday and anniversary gifts, etc. I have found work for my client's spaces in England, Florida, California and so on. This allows me to do some travelling and meet new people. At 65 this keeps me as busy as I want to be. Thank God I am blessed with lots of energy and curiosity which makes life still soooo interesting.

Now, regarding Helen's studio: it was during the recession in the early to mid 90's that I convinced Helen this new way of doing business was worth a try. Her work has always been an easy sell. She is well established and it is my job to advertise, promote and organize exhibitions for her.

Her studio is a wonderful venue for viewing work. And most people are thrilled to come to the artist's studio, meet the artist and see their work. I make sure they never feel intimidated as many do when visiting a gallery downtown. I serve coffee have a space for the kids to play and make the visit an adventure. Long answer to your first question.

CB: How many people are truly comfortable with the notion of buying art over the web? Do you feel the experience of viewing a painting is seriously compromised by the Internet? Let's face it, it does put another level of mediation between the art and the work. Can you expand a bit on this?

CMcD: For the use of the web site, I had my misgivings but sold a piece to Calgary within two months and paid for the initial site. For Helen's work the Internet has been great. She is so well known that people understand the quality of her work and do not hesitate to purchase from the site. Now after the initial contact I may send photos of other work available and we take it from there. I really think that the previous level of exposure is important and unfortunately most artist have not had this experience. I started the site five years ago and change the images about once a year.

CB: I see you've included a number of poetic passages on Helen's site, plus a paragraph of your own. An artist's statement if you will. A number of painters have recently told me that the ability to articulate their vision is as important as the work itself, if not even more important. Do you feel this is true?

CMcD: Being able to articulate about the work is very important. People will invariably ask the artist why this or that and they must be able to explain their reasons and emotions when it comes to the work.

CB: I figure it costs at least $50 a month to run such a website, simply for hosting. Is this a worthwhile expense for new artists, or would you limit this approach to established artists such as Lucas?

CMcD: The upkeep cost for the site are substantial and for now I feel it is only worthwhile for established artist. Helen's work is in the $1,200 to $12,000 price range. If I were buying a major piece I would want to have some knowledge of the artist's credentials. For lesser-known artists, I see it only as a form of decorative sales for people who are buying to match the sofa. God forbid. I always tell young artists that the first few years must be dedicated to getting out there and getting exposure, and I give them a list of ways to do this. I know it may sound a little corny, but I love my business and it always gives me such pleasure to take an unknown artist and develop a clientele for them. That's the fun side of what I do and I have done that for a number of young artists, in the past. It was easier when I had a gallery.

Discussion Do you have a question for Carole McDowell?

Thanks to the artist for permission to use some of the small images. To see them a little larger, please visit: The Helen Lucas website