Back in the 90’s there was a popular idea, “do what you love – the money will follow.” That seemed plausible, and for many of us in the world of art, this has become a reality. Many painters are sitting on lucrative art careers either through well placed portrait commissions, print reproductions or popular workshops with an accredited institution. However, in the world of Occupy Art, 1% vs. 99%, I, like many of you, fall into the latter: the 99%.
As my brief bio states, I began to paint at age 41 with no prior instruction or education in painting. I knew I wanted to paint, and around my 41st birthday, I began. The rest as they say, is (almost) history.
Most of us were not full time students when we began our careers. Nor were we married to, or partnered with an established painter whose career was already doing well, and in turn, might ‘introduce’ us to the best galleries, invitational shows and teaching institutions, thereby eliminating much of what the majority of painters go through early in their careers. Many of us didn’t come with a Trust nor were we independently wealthy. In other words, we created the space we needed to paint because it wasn’t put before us. We found ways to work at learning to paint with unique and different challenges. None of these ways should ever be discounted or diminished.
My own instruction consisted of a 5-day workshop about once per year, and in the remaining 51 weeks, I painted when and where I could around a marriage and children ages 3 and 5. I also worked out of the home part time to help sustain our family. In 1999, I began to paint full time and saw great progress in my work.
This is probably how most of the women in the OPA memberships worked at their art career and certainly, some men. Many men who have taken my workshops did so upon retirement because they now had the energy and time to paint. It takes courage and tenacity to do so.
In 2006, my family broke apart as I divorced my husband. I could have remained married to a man who was leading a life outside our relationship, but I didn’t close my eyes to that fact to be safe and insulated. My career had to be put on hold to stabilize my sons and my own sense of well-being.
Starbucks?!
I was determined to keep painting, but lost my health insurance in the divorce. I learned if I worked 20 hours per week at Starbucks, I could provide full health benefits for my sons and myself. I was the oldest person working there for some time. I was 53 when I began. In total, I worked there, part time for over 4 years.
While my work during 2006-2010 wasn’t my best, I kept painting and learning to paint. I began to work on a book that is now ready for print; I continually developed my workshops, and was affirmed I am a good teacher; I practiced painting as much as I could within the parameters of my new family situation. I was completely on my own, but it didn’t stop me.
At the end of 2008, the financial world collapsed. All of us have been impacted by this fact. Like you, my sales have fallen off. Traditional art galleries 30+ years in the business are at an all time low in sales and clients. Some galleries closed their doors from the strain. More web based galleries and art exhibitions are popping up.
In addition, many painters who would normally travel to a workshop and spend money on tuition, lodging, food, and transportation are just not as eager now, or able to do so. Many on-line workshops are available to purchase so painters can stay home and hang on to the money they legitimately need in these tough times. I don’t hold this against them. We all need to adjust.
What now?
This article is to generate ideas and input for all of us. I already mentioned one way I found health insurance. Here’s how I’m paying for my tax prep this year.
I have artwork in a posh Victorian inn in northern California. I gave the owner a painting that I created with her signature logo wine showcased in a still life arrangement. She loved the painting, I gave it to her, and in return, she gave me two nights free to stay at said posh inn worth the value of the painting.
Bartering. It’s an old concept and has its place. The logo wine painting is and was the most appealing of all my paintings to the owner. She didn’t have money to pay for the picture outright, but she did have something else: gift certificates for any room in her upscale inn. I parlayed that into a trade for my tax prep. I gave one of the two certificates to the CPA preparing my taxes.
I have other examples that are seeing me through this crunch time. Part-time work, volunteer work, etc. Both have me in the community and being with people. These create opportunities, or, that’s how I choose to see them.
I know there are other creative ways you have put in place to work through this difficult economy. Please, let’s hear what you are doing that might help our OPA members transition through these lean times to keep painting.
Archives for March 2012
Landscape Art
Plein air landscape painting has become popular and it’s what I’ve been practicing for about thirty years and so have amassed a great deal of experience by painting landscapes and seascapes all over the world. Usually I use oils but in Europe the choice is acrylics mostly due to airline security. Acrylics are water based and therefore not flamable.
I begin by finding a site, something that I can visualize as a painting, select a focus, the remainder of the painting will be painted in relationship to the focus so as to direct the viewer to the focus or center of interest. Then I loosely arrange in my mind the elements on the painting surface, the composition.
Next I begin the painting by loosely painting in the major shapes in a linear fashion. Then I begin the masses by painting in a large known quantity, usually the sky, painting from back to front, background to foreground, thin in the shadows, thick in the light and leaving details for the last stages.
To elaborate on this process, watch the video below as I identify my location and demonstrate some of the techniques I refer to above.
//www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=05Kkf-xu1bk
Style vs. Technique
The term “style” with reference to how an artist paints is often misunderstood. I’d say it’s similar to an individual’s handwriting – an illustration of the personality of the individual, very often expressed unconsciously.
An individual style, while part of the artist’s being, can contain a multitude of technical approaches and variations. Thus, technique is the systematic procedure by which the style is conveyed.
We all come into this world as human babies, yet with us, we carry the subconscious skills and memory of a million lifetimes. Parents often believe that they guide and direct their children – perhaps they do. Yet so often children display an aptitude, which is totally foreign to the abilities and ideals of the parents. Inherent subconscious abilities mingle with the new enforced dogma of pre-schooling to mold individual style or character of youth. Then, of course, there is the astrological approach. If you are a Virgo, the chances are you will become a more gentle and precise person than your brother or sister, who is a Sagittarian or Leo. These will often all but challenge life, and are more subjective, possibly less affected by the external world.
In the art world, the Sag or Leo will marvel at the patience and dedication of the Virgo, while the latter is impressed with the out of space creative ability of the former.
Essentially, all this is just words. As individuals, we have become what we have become, for better or for worse. There is little we can do about this, but we can make good use of it.
Conversely, we can discuss technique in art. Here we energize our mental faculty. We can take a shot at any technique out there. It is what each one likes, or perhaps more correctly finds easiest. One’s choice of subject matter is often governed by individual ability. For example, if one has a natural aptitude for realistic drawing, then portraits drawn or painted will be appealing.
The choice of watercolors or oils is often considered. This is definitely a technical choice. Watercolors demand a fluidity and accuracy. Then again, often the most successful watercolor is an accident.
Of oil painting, I often hear that folks like the freedom of scratching the paint off, or simply painting over the initial effort. Actually, I personally don’t buy this concept, it is just plain too messy. A good oil generally starts off clean and simply stated. It requires time to harden and is then completed.
At this point, let us revise. Style is what we are. Technique is a mental playground, it can go anywhere.
So, here is a technical suggestion. On the understanding that we love the joy of transparent watercolor on white paper, yet we are equally infatuated with the loading of impasto oils. Why not combined these two?
Loading watercolors doesn’t work too well. One tends to get a very dark image. I used to do this as a child, but this system is very extravagant and, needless to say, expensive. Adding white to those gorgeous transparent watercolors is a disaster. You might as well just buy gouache colors. But hang on; one of the greatest joys of painting is to portray life as clean and transparent. So stay with watercolors, no white pigment.
Here is the technical suggestion I spoke of earlier. Let us get back to oils. Generally, oil pigments are stipulated as transparent or opaque. For this exercise, transparent colors should be selected. No white paint or opaque colors should be on your palette. Dilute your oils with medium, and paint a very thin layer as you draw. Once you have covered the canvas, stop, and let your work dry. This may take a day or two. After both you and your painting have had a good rest, you are ready to convert your efforts to an oil impasto. Now there is no point in totally covering your transparent lay in. It was good, keep it. There is a technique known as scumbling. Using your oil pigments with as little medium as possible, or none at all, drag your new color over the transparent underlay. A course canvas texture tends to make this easier. The idea being that the visual blend of the scumble color only partly covering your transparencies will yield a vibrant effect. This effect carries twice the emotional and visual excitement of any stirred up blend of color.
So style and technique intermingle. The style is what you are born to do, the technique is what you choose to do!