From Art Matters-Tapping your Inner Strength

“When I hear somebody sigh that life is hard, I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’” – Sydney J. Harris

Life is unpredictable at the best of times. When good things happen to us, a parking ticket is no big deal. We feel like good people. We name our good fortune “luck” or the result of good planning and hard work.

When it is the worst of times, bad things that happen seem to blind-side us. The parking police are out to get us. We feel something is wrong with us, the other guy or “the system.”  We call our troubles bad luck or the result of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
We all come into this life with a reservoir of talents and inner strength. It would be bad news if we only used up what we came in with. The good news is that we can develop both our talents and our character.

It just takes the right approach to develop staying power to increase the good times and resilience to ride out the bad. This month I had the pleasure of meeting an artist who clearly knows this. One of my coaching clients Emily Van Cleve was in town to witness a very good thing – the graduations of her twin sons from Ph.D. programs.
 
During the past 15 years, Emily has worked as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines in the Santa Fe area. Emily has interviewed dozens of artists who earn a living from making art while enjoying rich personal lives. I asked Emily to share with you what she has learned from these successful artists…
 
“Some of these artists began their art careers with ample savings in the bank. Others started on a shoestring. All of them tapped into their inner strength and followed their passions in order to become the successful artists they are today.”
 
Develop good work habits
“Keeping regular studio hours, week after week, is a trait among successful artists. Most of the ones interviewed spend 35 to 45 hours a week creating art and additional hours marketing their work. Studio time is sacred and protected. Spouses, partners, children and friends visit when work is finished for the day.” 
 
Persevere in the face of adversity
“When an artist with two daughters needed to find work outside the home after her divorce, she put her dream of being a full-time artist on hold while she concentrated on supporting her family. She continued to paint whenever she could and to take classes that facilitated her growth and development as an artist. Persistence paid off. Today, she is a successful oil painter who also teaches workshops at several art schools.

Take chances “A veterinarian who has a passion for painting worked up the courage to enter a prestigious juried art show, even though he was a novice in the art world. Acceptance into the show marked the beginning of a series of professional opportunities that gave him the confidence to sell his thriving veterinary practice and launch his career as a full-time artist. He has become an award-winning watercolorist who wakes up before the crack of dawn and is in his studio 30 minutes later.” Start with what you have “Determining that certain tools, pieces of equipment or kinds of studio space are necessary in order to be an artist is a great way to avoid creating art. A former school teacher who fell in love with wood sculpture used crude tools to make his initial pieces because he didn’t have the money to buy first-rate equipment. He honed his skills while using these tools. Over time he was able to buy more sophisticated equipment. Today, his sculpture is in the collections of several museums in the West and Southwest.”   Find Mentors “While the support of family and friends is invaluable, artists benefit tremendously from mentoring relationships with other artists. During almost every interview, there was at least one person who played a pivotal role in the artist’s life. In addition to encouraging their less experienced comrades, mentors offer valuable tips that help make the road to success a little easier.” Emily Van Cleve is an abstract painter from Santa Fe, New Mexico.  You can see her work at www.emilyvancleve.com. You can read more inspiring interviews with artists from the A.C.T. community. Even better, take a few minutes now and write down a least 3 ways that you have developed resilience enough to be celebrating independence this weekend. Then celebrate with the people who helped get you there. ________________________________________________________________ Prefer talking about your art business in person? Get out from behind your computer and meet with artists in your local area who make a living making art. All forms of 2D and 3D fine art, including painters, photographers, sculptors, artists who draw, etc. are welcome. Discuss the business side of art, and get practical advice you can use right away on art marketing on the Internet and on the ground.

Pet Portraits by Lori Rae

Cat Portraits Available-Acrylic on Canvas (Oil add $50.00)

Cat Mug Shots (Face & scruff of the neck) – 8×8 $95; 12×12 $125; 20×20 $300; 24×24 $400; 30×30 $600 .

Cat Portraits – (Full body) – $300 16×20; $400 18×24 (please inquire about larger and smaller sizes.)

Sizes/Prices:
Dog Mug Shot Acrylic: 8×8 $150; 12×12 $200; 20×20 $300
Dog Portraits Acrylic: 16×20 $300; 18×24 $400 (Oil is plus $50.00)

A note from a Cat Portrait commission customer: “Jack’s birthday present of a beautiful painting of our Red was a huge success. We are both quite delighted with how you captured his persona with your depiction of his expression and demeanor . The painting is not only a wonderful painting on its own in terms of how you used color and texture, but it’s very special to us.”
- Karen Sumner

Contact -

Lori Rae Curole
Wet Paint Studios &
Lollipop Art Productions
P.O. Box 250
Portland, ME 04112
207-415-7143
Original Art for Original Minds
www.wetpaintstudios.com
www.lollipopartproductions.com

lorirae@wetpaintstudios.com