Detail from "The Path of Diligence"
Throughout the year a couple of people, a handful... have asked me questions about "making it in the art world". I will say this: I have yet to "make it" in the art world. I am however perfectly HAPPY making art in my world. Being a freelance artist is hard and getting more complicated I am realizing. You see- if you have a goal AS I DO....which is to create your own personal body of work to show in a gallery when it is all said and done then what your most valuable asset is- is TIME. You need time to create, you need supplies to create with. You also must remember that really minor detail- paying your rent, bills and eating. So herein lies the conundrum. You must drum up business constantly to make the money to fund not just your art projects but your basic existence.
Oh if we lived in an age of art patrons! Wishful thinking, but I digress. Here is some advice I had to dish out this year and maybe it will serve you in some way, form or fashion.
1. Be Diligent. Just like the painting is titled. Being an artist means being a busy bee. Worker bee. You're only getting the nectar if you work, work, work. I'm proud of my paintings and they took a lot of work. Each bold bright color was about 2-3 layers of color. This takes time. Also, to clear up a common misconception- I DO NOT USE STENCILS. Those are handpainted with brushes turned at just the right angle and swooped where they needed to swoop and curved where they needed to curve. I don't use circle stencils or any magic tool but a brush. If you use the right brush it will yield the right results. My work is done in acrylic- another question I get asked. These are not digital.
2. Ugh, be Social. I'm a bit of a hermit at heart but I hate to break the news to you- art can be a very social world and unless you're just damn lucky you'll have to go out in it and socialize. Ask questions, meet people, find out who's selling and where. Also, if you're not hitting up your artists friends shows- they won't be hitting up yours. Connect with people on social networks, put yourself out there. People won't know you're an artist unless you show them- repeatedly. It's a ruthless game where people are keeping score unfortunately. But if you love art and are inspired by it- then hit up those art shows and have fun. That's what it's really about anyway...and it's also part of my next piece of advice....
3. Research. What galleries or venues are showing work that is in your scope/ genre, etc? I know that Contemporary Art galleries are where I want to see my work. I know that comic book conventions are not where my work fits in. Pop into quite a few venues and see what they are showing and the level of art they are showing. You will need to aspire to this.
Then go back to piece of advice number 1 and get all diligent in your studio. 2012 for me was the year to HONE MY CRAFT. Chances are you haven't found your style yet and that takes time, years sometimes...but stay diligent and you will yield results. Also ask yourself very honestly- is this up to my standards? Can I put this out into the world and feel absolutely sure it is a good representation of me? All it takes is one half thrown together painting you zipped off for a charity auction on the quick to make people think of you as THAT artist- messy, not very good but very eager to show something, somewhere. Don't be that artist, go out and shine when you are absolutely ready to.
I hope this has helped in some way. Like I said, I haven't "made it", I'm just struggling but I have become absolutely comfortable with my materials, tools and ideas. I am diligent and work hard, I do my research and balance all that with being social. I make sure my work is up to the standards of where I want to show it. But my best advice is the simplest JUST DO IT even if you don't know what the hell you're doing. There's action or stagnation and you'd opt for the first I'm sure. If success is measured in JOY then I guess I'm successful because getting to do what I love is pure joy. Sometimes what you're chasing is not really the money, fame and whatever hooey the world holds so highly. Sometimes it is just pure happiness being able to do what you love and survive. Go out and JUST DO IT! : )
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