Mary Richmond Design

An Artist Date

Every now and then I am reminded why I became an artist. Especially these days, when my energy seems better spent elsewhere and art seems so, well, superficial when I look at all the drivel that is floating around out there on the internet in the name of art and it is hard to remember when and why I felt so passionate about art.

I was really sick this past weekend and ended up watching a DVD I had ordered from Netflix a long time ago. It was a film I had added to my queue months ago and then forgotten so when it showed up I wasn't even sure what it was. I put it in and was instantly transfixed. If you are an artist, if you love nature, if you love poetry, run and find "Rivers and Tides." It was the first real artist date I've enjoyed in months. I loved, loved, loved this litte film.

Andy Goldsworthy has a way of seeing the world that just makes my heart sing. He looks at nature and dares play with her in such a living, breathing way. And I love that his work is so impermanent, that its impermance is part of its profound beauty. He lives on a farm in Scotland and of course does not have a website....

You can see bits and peices of this film on YouTube or rent it or buy it. I tried to embed a video here but that seems more than my sick and fevered mind can deal with today. Anyway, it's easy enough to find by heading over there and putting in the name.....

Have yourself a treat!

The Artist's Dilemma

Eventually most artists have to come to grips with this dilemma....what to do with the results of all that creative output?

Do we throw it out? Give it away? Sell it? Dream of being in the Louvre?

Most of us probably become artists because we simply love the act of creating. We don't become artists because we love business, self promotion or marketing.

Many artists have embraced marketing their work in this time of power marketing for just about anything but not so long ago this was so frowned upon that other artists laughed at or belittled their efforts as blatant self aggrandizements. It was considered soul sucking and bad for one's art to self promote the results of one's creative passion.

As I wander through cyber space I find myself getting depressed looking at other artists websites and blogs and reading about their efforts to sell their work. Some seem to be doing quite well, many are still struggling no matter what they try to do. And honestly, it all seems a little pleading and desperate.

I have sold a lot of art work without ever being represented by a gallery. I hate gallery shows and I hate openings. I don't like seeing work framed for idolization. I know that sounds funny coming from someone who makes pictures--aren't they supposed to be framed and enjoyed? Sure, but the whole effort to make them museum quality, archive safe, etc. makes me laugh. It's art, folks, not a fossil. Most of our work will be enjoyed for a while and tossed when the buyer wants a change. You can imagine your work being hoarded by collectors but that actually occurs so rarely it is barely statistically relevant. And do you know what many collectors do with work they think is really valuable? They store it in vaults so it won't get damaged. I bet most artists aren't thinking their work should end up in a vault where no one can enjoy it.

What do we really want as artists? I've been following Alyson Stanfield and her ArtBizBlog for about a year now and think she offers very good advice. In fact, it was through her questions and information about goal setting that I decided to close my shop and look for other work. No matter how hard I tried, i couldn't get up much enthusiasm for that much self-promotion.

Should artists get day jobs and let their creative work happen randomly and for fun? For the last year I have been talking to and interviewing artists to find out how many actually make a living from their art. I'm not talking about making some money, I'm talking about making at least $50,000 after expenses. So far I have yet to meet one. I read about some on the internet and in magazines, maybe. They never discuss what they actually make and since most are doing workshops, lectures and other activities I'm guessing they are not making enough strictly through sales of their art work. Perhaps a few are, but the average artist in this country makes less than $8000 a year according to IRS reports.

The cost of being an artist keeps going up and up. There are supplies, studio space, framing and computer gear. There's a camera and an easel or whatever your media demands. Let's say a gallery sells your piece for $20,000, an unlikely price for most of us but a price some artists receive. You may realize $10,000 from that sale. You must pay your framing costs, which can be significant, as well as the cost of painting it (time, studio and energy costs, materials, etc.) plus shipping. In many cases you will also pay for your own travel to and from the gallery, the cost of promotional postcards, etc. and even the cost of the refreshments for the opening (which is becoming more and more common) Let's say you get to keep $5000. The government will tax you on that, to the tune of about 40% including social security and medicare taxes. We're now down to about $2800. Not a lot compared to that $20,000 price tag, is it?

What about those doing art shows? The costs of doing shows includes all the equipment (tent, shelves, display walls, etc.), bags, paper for wrapping, cards, etc., travel, framing, clear wraps or shrink wrapping, matting, etc. Maybe and artist sells prints and cards so add the expense of that inventory as well. I know lots of artists who do these shows and very few who actually end up with a reasonable profit by the end of the season.

We donate to charity auctions, we hang our work for free in non-profit venues to help out libraries, hospitals, etc. We work for free a lot.

Can an artist survive financially today without a mentor of some sort? Most artists receive support from parents, spouses, friends and others while putting their career together. Some need that support all their lives.

Right now, I'm happy to have a day job that pays my bills. After about 30 years of trying to make it on my own I am actually enjoying making art again. I just don't enjoy selling it or selling myself in that constant "look what I did" sort of way. I have never done art that fits within most people's comfort zones. The money I'm making from my art, which is coming in quite nicely in spite of my day job, will be put into my IRA or travel account. For now I'm done with trying to earn my keep as an artist. I can't help but find pimping my art as somewhat repugnant these days and I suppose as long as I think of it as pimping I'll continue to find it repugnant. Why do I see it this way? I don't know, I just always have.

It's funny but a lot of this came about from searching the internet. Reading other artists statements, stories, resumes and even looking at their work made me realize how homogenous we all really are. Everyone's work looks alarmingly similar to me and a lot of it is pretty mediocre at that. People are self publishing books about art that isn't even represented anywhere and are writing artist statements that all sound alike and that make them sound different than who they are.

We should all have the opportunity to create. We don't all have to be great and truthfully, few of us will be. There's freedom in that. We get to enjoy the process and in the end, isn't that really what all of art is about?

Setting Goals for Our Art

Each of us as artists must decide what we are doing with all our scribbles, brushstrokes and accumulating piles of paper and canvas as time goes on. Some will study to be professional artists, some will continue just for fun and some will be overwhelmed with the accumulation and move on to something else. I actually know a woman who gave up opera singing as her voice began to fade, who then took up photography and got quite good at it but gave that up when she had filled her walls and those of friends and family with photos. She then took up watercolor (which is how I met her, in one of my classes) and did that for a few years, becoming fairly proficient before, you guessed it, quitting that and taking up quilting, which she then did for about 10 years.

Most of us seem to work in similar or related media, becoming proficient enough to have to make a decision about what comes next. Do we try and earn a living? Work another job and do our art on the side? Do we enter shows? Approach galleries? For each artist it is an interesting and personal journey. Looking at the numbers of artists (one of the top two "hobbies" in the country by the way), galleries and art shows there is a huge selection of art and artist venues to choose from.

Add to that all the illustrations, advertising images and photographic and video media available today and we are being barraged with nearly endless streams of visual stimulation.

Artists have many decisions to make if they are hoping to make a living with their art. I've realized over the last few months that thinking about making a living with my art hurts my head. It also hurts my heart a little. I love to make art. I hate to sell my art. And I have always earned at least part, if not all, of my living with my art. So now what?

I realized this morning that one of the goals I wrote down for this year was to become a better artist. Not to be a better seller, but a better artist. As I close my shop I am freeing up my time and energy to do just that.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this time to delve deeper into my work. It gives me the time I need to develop my oil painting and to work from life outdoors. I'm pretty excited. What happens next? What goals will I set for my art?

What goals do you have for your art?

Some Thoughts on Closing Shop and Life as an Artist

Today was a quiet day in the studio. I painted this little chickadee and spent some time packing supplies. It was a busy but contemplative day.

There's a lot to pack. That may be an understatement. (If you know me, stop laughing.) I have shelves full of reference books, supplies, reference pictures and sales records, portfolios and other paper trails. There are boxes of frames, glazes, matting supplies and more all to be packed and that doesn't even begin to include the paintings, tiles and other items I've had for sale. It's sort of scary and not a little overwhelming if I stop to think about it too much.

I have to pack all the cards, prints, tile panels and all the little sculptures and ornaments that are left over, too. Many of those will find new homes but I have to pack them up for now.

Over the next few months I have to move, not only my business but my home and I also have to get out there and distribute the cards, prints and tiles that I have in stock so I continue to have an income. I know that I have a few outlets ready and willing to sell my work but it would be wise to line up a dozen or so more while I can. The season will begin in a month or so, at least in terms of retailers being stocked up so I don't have a lot of time.

There's always so much to do when running a business, whether it's an art business or other. Some of it is just routine, some is fun, and some is somewhat odious. It all takes time away from being in the studio.

I interviewed a young lady today for my young artist article who is quite sure she will make a living as an artist once she's out of school. It was very interesting talking to her, as it has been talking to the others. They are much more self assured than I was when I got out of school. They are quite certain they will not only make a living but a good living and they totally believe they are up to the challenge of marketing and selling their work as well as making the work.

Times have definitely changed. Although I think it's great that young artists are so self assured and ready to conquer the world I am fascinated to hear their thought process. They are not only up to the marketing but they are very aware of how to create a body of marketable work. None of them comes right out and says this, of course, but as they talk it is clear that they don't consider doing work that can't be sold.

Some of that selling will be in the form of winning grants and residencies and some will be straight on gallery sales but it's all work being done with a target audience in mind, even if they don't express that outwardly. What a strange world we have created. Several of these young artists believe they are creating work from their heart but all they talk about is how it can and will support them. It is obvious they have a soulful approach to their work. It's also obvious they don't waste time on work that won't go anywhere but their own closets or basements.

They have a plan....which is more than most of my generation had when we graduated from art school. This is a good thing, I guess. And I wonder what the art will end up looking and feeling like if it's consumer driven. Creating art that museums, grant bestowers and residency juries will look favorably upon is a different sort of consumerism but it still fits the definition.

What do you think?

A Studio Painting Day

I've been having a great time painting in oils over the last few days. I haven't a clue what I'm doing, really. I don't know how to use mediums, how to mix big enough quantities of paint, how to mush it all around the way I want so I'm just experimenting. I have enough background with basic color mixing and composition to fake my way through much of the process but I have much to learn. This photo shows three of the paintings I've been working on over the last few days. The one of the two gulls is an older pastel from a while back.

I still can't get a really good shot of this 12 x 12" painting. The colors are really rich and there's so much shine off it I just can't get it right. It started as a pure abstract but ended up with a definite landscape idea happening.

This is the same painting I showed here yesterday. Again, the colors are actually much richer in real life but with the shine factor the picture is coming out much lighter than it really is. The canvas is 18 x 36".

Again, a landscape theme appearing although it's not based on any particular place. It's all in my head (my head's a busy place ;-)

I have this idea that these may find a home in a health care situation and I want them to be sort of amorphous, without a particular place or meaning so that the viewer can find their own in it. This one sort of leads you over the hill....to what? To where? Something to contemplate....

This piece is the beginning of a piece commissioned by a client. It is 18 x 36" and is being done as a special request. Again, the colors aren't really showing up here but I think you can get the idea.

I will be having an open house in my studio on April 15 and hope to have about 30 new paintings to show. At least I've gotten a start. I was thinking these weren't the best paintings I've ever done but then I reminded myself they are only #4 and #5 oil paintings I've done since heaven knows when.....(a really, really long time ago.....)so I can probably cut myself a break. At least I'm painting!

On Paper, Paints and Pencils

One of my favorite things to do when I go to New York or Boston is go to the big art stores like Pearl Paint. I first discovered Pearl Paint about 30 years ago when I first moved to New York as a young artist. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

If you've been to Canal Street in lower Manhattan you know you can buy just about anything there. Today the streets are full of all sorts of imported wares spilling out from tiny storefronts. Back in the late 70's and early 80's the shops were more utilitarian and the spill out reflected that. My husband loved to look through boxes of tools and gadgets while I was drooling over the sight of the Pearl Paint banner. 7, count 'em, 7 stories of art supplies. Wow! I never knew where to begin. Paper? Paints? Pastels? Brushes? Pencils?

This trip was no different. One of the best parts of this big store was all the unique papers, the hard to find paints, pencils, etc. Years ago I had bought some incredible 300 lb. hand made Indian watercolor paper that I got to hand pick and I was looking forward to getting some more.

Imagine my disappointment when the young man behind the counter just stared at me and said, no, we don't have anything like that.

All they had were the same old papers everyone has. Don't get me wrong, they still have a huge selection of amazing papers. But so do lots of the big stores and catalogues. I was struck by the thought that if it can't be carried in large quantities and packaged for internet or catalogue sales then the stores aren't carrying it.

It's bad enough that big warehouse art stores have closed out the little neighborhood art stores but now they are controlling what we can and cannot buy in an unprecedented way. Sure, they carry the supplies to mix your own paints and sketchbooks of every size and type of paper available. But just try and find a single Wolf carbon pencil. You can buy a package of 4, all different grades of softness, but not 4 of the same softness.....sheesh. The two things I wanted, the hand made watercolor paper and a Wolf pencil were unattainable in a 7 story art store.....What's this world coming to?

We live in a funny time, I think. We have so much that is available to us in unbelievable amounts and variety. But there's no zing to it. There's nothing special. It's all been pre-cut, pre-packaged and set out in cookie cutter fashion for us.

It's interesting because in many ways our culture is thirsty for the acknowledgement of the individual. In a time when everything is becoming more and more homogenized there are still a lot of us out here looking for something unique, something special, something hand made.

Art supplies can be very expensive and as much as I love to support local, small businesses I have found it more and more difficult to buy from my local art dealer. The good one we had in town got driven out of business by A.C Moore. I'm sure A.C Moore has its place on the retail food chain but for the most part their art supplies are sub par and many are not even suitable for children. They are cheap, poorly made and frustrating to use. There is one locally run art supply shop nearby and as much as I would like to support them their prices are more than ridiculous. They sell single sheets of watercolor paper for $10-$15 a sheet! I can buy the same paper for $2 a sheet through a catalogue. Sorry, I'll pay a dollar or so more to support local business but $8-13 more? No way....And of course, the smaller stores can no longer afford to carry unique things like hand made Indian watercolor paper, either. The sad thing is even this local store doesn't carry individual drawing pencils any more and has resorted to packages meant for beginning students. In fact, the whole store seems to be positioning itself to sell to the parents of aspiring art students, not artists themselves.

Where do you get your art supplies?

Back From New York City

My earliest images of New York came from the stories my mother and grandmother told me. My grandfather's work often took him to the big city and there was much family romance about the place and what it could and did symbolize for them. It symbolized success, sophistication, culture and a place where anything, everything was possible. In the end it symbolized separation because my grandmother would not move there and the marriage ended as a result of that decision.

Before that, my mother and her sister got to go to New York City several times a year with their parents, often to Radio City Music Hall, Broadway and many fancy restaurants and shops. The first time I saw the place many years ago I swear I saw their shadows. That's how real my mother's stories made the place. My grandfather worked in the Time Life Building at Rockefeller Center and when I moved to New York City as a fresh, green behind the ears college graduate, I often thought of this man I never met as I walked by what may have been his office.

On this trip we stayed in mid town, but on 9th Avenue, far enough from Radio City Music Hall to be another whole city, really. The friend we were visiting works on the block between 6th Avenue and 43rd Street so we passed the old hall often while we were there.

While there it was my goal to see as much art as possible. My husband and I spent one whole day going to galleries in Chelsea, which some describe as the NEW Soho. Soho itself was new when we lived in NYC in the late 70's and trust me, it was very different than this new incarnation in Chelsea.

There are many, many galleries there. Most are in new spaces, with tall, white sterile walls and unfortunately much of the art seemed sterile as well. I'll write more about specific artists, etc. later.

I had not been to the new MOMA since it reopened so it was a must see on our travels. The picture above gives a good view from one of the walkways above. The new design is spacious and open, light and airy. The art has all been rearranged and reorganized. It's interesting to see the ways art that seemed like an afterthought several years ago has now been placed front and center in a reverential way. It's as if the museum has rethought and reinvented itself, letting time and history rearrange things a bit. It was lots of fun to see old friends and some newer ones, too. There's now space and specific intention for video art, installations and newer visual and auditory manifestations, allowing for a much broader modern art experience.

About 20 years ago I attended a show at the MOMA that was all about design in modern life. It showcased ordinary everyday objects and it was really fun to consider and reflect on such things as phones and furniture as art.

The museum had begun to incorporate such things in its collections but in the new building there is more space and opportunity for a more formal, permanent display than I remember there being before.

I especially love that all the posters and playbills that we grew up with in the 60's and 70's are now ART. They were so not considered ART at the time....I loved the way this little girl just made herself at home as part of this display.

The Guggenheim is getting a facelift. They were having a show of Spanish Art: From El Greco to Picasso. I was sort of lukewarm about seeing this show and was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. The show was presented by subject, not by artist and the curator (or curators) obviously had some fun putting up this show. There would be a display of what at first seemed to be very formal portraits and there in the center would be a Picasso portrait. It was a fun and informative show. If you get a chance, check it out. There's also a wonderful little show there called Family Pictures.

I love the architecture of the Guggenheim. You're allowed to photograph from downstairs but nowhere else in the building so I just have this shot. When you're walking up or down the ramp (I start upstairs and walk down) I love that you can see the art you have just seen as well as that you will see soon. The museum itself is a piece of art. I go there almost every time I'm in the city and have seen many wonderful shows there.

I will write more about our time in New York over the next few days. I have so much to think about and consider. I love going away, getting out of my comfort zone for a while. It inspires me so much. Where's your favorite place to see art?

Kelly Sherman Wins the Foster Prize!

A few weeks ago I went to Boston to see the new Institute for Contemporary Art. I wanted to see the new building and the collection there but mostly I wanted to see Kelly Sherman's work that was on exhibit there. Kelly worked for me back when she was in high school and has always been a talented, forward thinking, ambitious young lady. Her work was nominated for the James and Audrey Foster Prize, which is how she became part of the opening exhibit at the ICA. Four artists were chosen out of a final group of 60 or so and that in itself was quite an honor.

Kelly's work is at once whimsical and thoughtful. She made a map of the last years of her parents' marriage by showing the placement of their beds and furniture in the changing blueprints of their home. She put together images of chairs she found on ebay in a video and made simple, poignant lists of words that are real wish lists of children and others. It's all thought provoking and fun, what conceptual art ought to be, in my humble estimation. She's young and just starting out. I look forward to watching her work evolve.

I just found out that it was announced a few days ago that she won the prestigious Foster Prize and the $25,000 grant that went with it! Way to go, Kelly! You can read more about it here and here.

Painting Birds in Oils, Marketing My Tiles

I had time to get out my oils again today and do another small painting. This one is 6 x 12". It's really great to be using oils once again. I love the feel of the brush on the canvas and the color mixing is as much fun as the painting. I decided to stick with a subject I know well while I get comfortable with the medium again. The colors in the photo are off a bit but you can get an overall idea.

Here is a close up to show a bit of the detail. I have a long way to go but I'm not too discouraged. If I can paint every day I hope to keep improving. A new medium always offers unique challenges.

I started a small painting of a whelk shell later today but that one has a lot more work left to do. Hopefully I'll finish that one tomorrow.

Just think, if I paint every day I'll have 365 little oil paintings or fewer larger ones. Realistically, I can probably only paint 4 or 5 days a week but still, that should build up quite an inventory. My goal is to be a better painter this year and I'm hoping daily painting will help that come true.

Since the beginning of the year I have been trying to really focus on being organized in the studio, careful about recording my financial transactions faithfully, painting, writing and doing 5 things a day to help me reach my marketing goals. I have updated my website and am working on updating my portfolio. Recently I began mailing out postcards to architects and designers in the area. I print 8 a day, address them and mail them. It takes about 15 minutes, including the walk to the post office if the weather's good. Today I called a woman in charge of art shows at a local library that has a fabulous gallery and she signed me up for a show in May. Ok, so it's May 2009 but I just did it. Two years will come along sooner than I think. I am waiting to hear from another library gallery in a different town and am preparing my new catalogue showcasing the art I have printed on cards and small prints. Each individual step seems small but it is all starting to add up.

If you haven't read Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles" yet, I highly recommend it. I also recommend "The Secret" DVD which is making not so secret rounds from one person to another. I believe the book has just been published as well. I have been using the advice and principles of both (which are related in all sorts of ways) and am beginning to see results. It's very cool. Do you have any stories to share about setting and reaching your own goals?

Painting a Day Steps up to Oil

Here it is, one of the scariest things I've faced in awhile....a blank canvas.

It's not that I haven't been painting. In fact I paint most days and have been for about 40 years. I earn my living painting. But not in oils. I paint in watercolor, pastels and in underglazes.

Years ago I painted in oils. And I mean years ago. Like in high school. I couldn't afford oils in college so studied watercolor and print making. I took a graduate class about 10 years ago and I used oils then. I think it was the last time. But I've been wanting to get back to oil painting and so today I dug out some canvases I had hanging around, checked my paint supplies, got out my old brushes and began to paint.

I had a vague idea of a landscape, sort of abstract, lots of subdued color....and so I just sort of started to paint.

I forgot how seductive and soft oil paints are, how much fun it is to mix them, the smell of the oil and varnish permeating the air. I got lost in the painting, which was easy to do as it was only 12 inches square....

And here it is, my first oil painting in a long, long time. I hung it on the back wall to dry and smiled all day long. I can't wait to paint again tomorrow! I have lots of small canvases around so will use them up doing pieces like this. Who knows what will come out?

After a morning at the easel it was time to have some tea and settle down to finishing a tile mural I'm working on. It's full of west coast birds for a kitchen in California so I got out my Sibley's and double checked markings, etc. while I worked.

At the end of the day I did a little drawing...all in all, a good studio day.