Art Matters

ACT ArtMatters!:  How to Scale the Art World One Step at a Time

Eyes tired? Listen to “How to Scale the Art World One Step at a Time”   _________________________________ Building an art business is a lot like a climb up Mount Everest. You plan  your route, gather supplies and assemble a team. You run into boulders and crevices where you least expect them. But that’s par for the course. You celebrate when you make it to base camp. Then you plan the next stage of the ascent.   A group of exceptional artists is on their own quest to scale the art world. They took my challenge to answer three simple questions about their aspirations in 36 words. These artists are already at the foot of the mountain. Some are scaling the first peaks. You can see a distinct pattern of footholds in the themes of their answers: What are you trying to make happen? To make more art that excites me and moves viewers To create more exposure and opportunities to exhibit To make a living from making art Don’t you find it interesting that each goal naturally leads to the next step?   If your art excites you, you will make more of it. You will want to share your excitement through exhibits. You will transmit your excitement to anyone who sees your art. When you excite more people about your work, there is a greater the possibility that they will buy it or tell others about it. That translates into a better life as an artist.   How will you measure success? A large body of quality work that satisfies me and resonates with viewers, buyers and art dealers New connections and invitations to exhibit in galleries Making more art to keep up with shows, sales and commissions Can you see the obvious route from making your best art to getting collectors and making sales?   What’s the first thing you need to do to get started? Get better at what I already make Find new viewers, reconnect with collectors Contact promising venues and art dealers about exhibits Sounds like a simple description for a working artist, doesn’t it? Straightforward – if you know the steps and how to grab the next handhold. Simple isn’t always easy. Straightforward doesn’t always seem obvious.   If you need a boost to scale your own mountain of goals, try these simple exercises to build your stamina: Make art for an average of at least 15 minutes a day. This will remind you why you are doing all those pesky business tasks. It also allows you to easily create enough work to do better than break even. Start your week visualizing what you want to accomplish. Use all of your senses so it seems like a  rehearsal for a movie. You will be more confident when you do each scene. Review your progress at the end of the week. Write down what you accomplished, why you feel good about the results, and what you need to do next week to make more progress. You will be ready for your next actions

Sunday in the Studio

When I traveled to Houston in May with Rich and Stella to go see my Cousins…..I was asked if I could ever recreate a painting that was on my website that had been sold.  We looked at the space where the painting would hang, we measured, we talked colors, style, etc. and I agreed that based on the room design, wall color, and basic style a larger version of this painting (in it’s own style) would look great.  After more discussing and measuring we decided that a 30×40 in Vertical Orientation would look fabulous on the wall above their bed.  I purchsed the canvas within weeks of that trip and it was filed in the studio until other works were finished.  I started this painting several weeks ago, priming the back in an abstract burnt orange.  Again, shows, painting for shows, and commissions were first in line – so this cured in the studio until today.  Today I layed in the figure…first in white, then later in a more committed line of dark…blending, mixing, adding reds, oranges, yellows, navy, black and some of those colors mixed together.  As I sit and look at this painting (typing this in my studio) – streaming NPR “Car Talk” on my ancient laptop in my studio, with the dog sleeping in the corner, the laundry running, I reflect on why I love to paint the female figure.  The lines, the energy, the curves, the pure alive-ness of this painting…it’s coming out really good.  It will travel to Houston in about a month and I’m sure it will be received with happiness.  It is going to one of the most beautiful homes I have ever had the pleasure to visit and stay in.  After delivery I will post actual pictures of the finished project.  Show above is the original that this is based on.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Society of East End Artists Painter show at Crucible

Painters of the Society of East End Artists will be showing works at Crucible Gallery located at Portland Glassblowing Studio – 24 Romasco Lane (After Franklin Art. about 50 yards, on left)   Munjoy Hill Portland, ME  October 1 – 31, 2009 http://www.portlandglassblowing.com/

First Friday Artwalk Opening 10/2 5pm-8pm with Live Jazz- Glass Blowing Demos and some great art!  Hope to see you there, I will have 4 pieces in this show including a Catalina painting, a Cat, a Dog and the old orange Van pictured above.

Art Matters Tip of the Week

In honor of The International Day of Peace, and finding your courage, this tip comes to you from A.C.T member artist Carole Raschella. She sent birthday cards to Winston Churchill when she was a child. On October 29, 1941, Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. This became one of his most quoted speeches, due to distortions that evolved about what he actually said. The myth is that Churchill stood before the students and said, “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give in. Never give in. Never give in. Never give in.” Then he sat down. In reality, he made a complete speech that included words similar to what are often quoted. Also, some believe he said, “Never give up.” That too is incorrect. Here is what he said: “Almost a year has passed since I came down here at your Head Master’s kind invitation in order to cheer myself and cheer the hearts of a few of my friends by singing some of our own songs. “The ten months that have passed have seen very terrible catastrophic events in the world–ups and downs, misfortunes– but can anyone sitting here this afternoon, this October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what has happened in the time that has passed and for the very great improvement in the position of our country and of our home? “Why, when I was here last time we were quite alone, desperately alone, and we had been so for five or six months. We were poorly armed. We are not so poorly armed today; but then we were very poorly armed. We had the unmeasured menace of the enemy and their air attack still beating upon us, and you yourselves had had experience of this attack; and I expect you are beginning to feel impatient that there has been this long lull with nothing particular turning up! “But we must learn to be equally good at what is short and sharp and what is long and tough. It is generally said that the British are often better at the last. They do not expect to move from crisis to crisis; they do not always expect that each day will bring up some noble chance of war; but when they very slowly make up their minds that the thing has to be done and the job put through and finished, then, even if it takes months – if it takes years – they do it. “Another lesson I think we may take, just throwing our minds back to our meeting here ten months ago and now, is that appearances are often very deceptive, and as Kipling well says, we must ‘…meet with Triumph and Disaster. And treat those two impostors just the same.’ “You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. “But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period–I am addressing myself to the School–surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson: “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. “We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated. “Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer. “You sang here a verse of a School Song: you sang that extra verse written in my honor, which I was very greatly complimented by and which you have repeated today. But there is one word in it I want to alter – I wanted to do so last year, but I did not venture to. It is the line: ‘Not less we praise in darker days.’ “I have obtained the Head Master’s permission to alter darker to sterner. ‘Not less we praise in sterner days.’ “Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days–the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.” You came this far. Don’t stop now! ___________________________________________________

NCRS Regional Corvette Meet

 

 

 

Rich and I became NCRS members sometime in 2009, this is an amazing group of Corvette owners from New England (which is the chapter we belong to.)  This past weekend I rented a booth at the Regional Show on both Friday and Saturday…Rich (love him) set it up for me Thursday Night while I was still in Maine.  We both worked the show and the booth and although the turnout was potentionally off by about 33% (we heard).  This is the first true event that I have attended…having participated in Vettes for Pets and Corvette Day (rained – turnout was slim) in the past.  This show was packed with people who owned Corvettes from NCRS Chapters all over the US and Canada.  I met people from California, LA, Arizona, Alabama, etc. etc.  They loved the art (which is good) and my car weighed less toting it all home – a sure sign that the economy is coming back (when people are starting to buy art again.) 

The event opened my eyes to a few things I would like to do the next time the regional meet is in our area.  Great Show.

Art Matters

A bird’s eye view makes it easier to see where your business is moving and where it is blocked. You can plan alternative flight paths to reach your destination. But a plan without action is just a plan. And action without alternatives and flexibility can drain your energy.

By the time you land, the path may already have changed. New obstacles show up that you weren’t expecting. Obstacles are like that. They rarely give you warning. A lot of artists were doing well driving their businesses along routes they knew. Then the economy hit the brakes.

New opportunities will appear if you are alert and use all of your creative senses. Watch the traffic around you to see where business is moving. Sniff out connections with people who like the art you create. Listen to art world insiders who have their fingers on the pulse of collectors. Reach out to people who could use a little help. Get a taste of success by going to events like charity auctions, where something always sells. Pay attention to your intuition about alternative routes.

“Nielson Media Research tells us that Americans love reality shows where contestants are put into high pressure situations and challenged to ‘win’ by using every bit of intelligence, cunning and resourcefulness they can muster. Why not view your own problems the same way? … Why not use all your smarts, imagination and creativity to turn the tables?”
Alex Green “How to Make your Problems Easier to Deal With”

You are the star in your own reality show. How are you adjusting to the current economy? What are you doing to improve your marketing? How are you overcoming new obstacles?

Trying to get creative

I’ve tried just about everything for pricetages for my artwork, and they always end up falling off or not looking right…and I end up frustrated and scratch my head wondering how I can make my display look better (including price tags.)  So last night I cut out some card stock note cards and I’m seeing if I can make a hanging pricetag for the art.  It’s a work in process and I still need some raffia and maybe a really cool pen…but I think I will make it happen. I’m trying this out for the first time at the Corvette Show next week.  I’ll let you know how it works!

NCRS Regional Corvette Meet September 17-19

Rich and I are going to be working the Corvette Regionals for NCRS….Rich as a Volunteer and a Junior Judge, and I’m tagging along to have some art on display for Friday and Saturday (18th and 19th.)  We have worked other Corvette Events together, sadly, this one the dog can’t come so she will have a doggysitter while we are there.

The meet is at:

Address

Courtyard Marlborough
75 Felton St.
Marlborough, MA 01752
United States (USA)

I’m thinking my booth will be set up from 9am-5pm Friday and Saturday although it might be until 6pm on Saturday.  I will be premiering new Corvette Cards, some Limited Edition Prints, and Original Corvette artwork. I have an indoor vending space, so I think it will be great. I’m spending a portion of this coming weekend getting ready for this show.

Other choice for Corvette Cover Card

Corvette Cover Card Pieces

So the pieces cover card was a brainchild between Rich and I where I did use a piece of the painting on the “first” cover card..we thought “what if” and I mocked up a second one with all pieces of what I felt were the best parts of the paintings. So, I’ve ordered proofs from my printer and will soon see which one wins. Both set’s of cards will include a full sized card of each of the five images.

Corvette Cover Card – First proposed cover

As with most of my cards the images on the front come inside the package in full size and then one cover card. I am trying something new with these corvette cards and trying to decide between this cover and the next one that I will post. I think the second one will win.