Finding Time to Work

I have a day job. I have to do something to pay the bills, and I'm thankful to have the job I have. But lately, in addition to my day job, it seems that I've made a million other commitments to do other things as well. The result? No time or energy to paint, no new paintings. And I'm really ticked off at myself because three people have asked me for my portfolio in the last couple of months, and I have nothing new to show!

I'm in conflict. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

This happened once before, and my solution then was to institute Sacred Saturdays. I put everyone on notice that I was not available to do anything on Saturdays because I would be in the studio. It worked beautifully. People just automatically started inviting me to do stuff on other days, and I felt good about claiming my own time.

So it's high time for me to bring back the Sacred Days, but this time I'm going even further. I'm putting my friends and family on notice: Saturdays and Thursday nights are now both sacred. Come summer, Saturday mornings will once again be devoted to plein-air painting and Thursday evenings to studio work.

This is it. I have to get serious and put my studio time first, just like it was a "real" job... which it is!!!

How do you handle time conflicts?

Art and Climate Change

I'm thinking about doing a project, and I'm looking for artists who make art that addresses the issues of climate change and global warming. I'm interested in all kinds of art -- two- and three-dimensional, traditional to conceptual. If you know anyone who might fit the bill, please let me know. Thanks!

Competitions Worth the Fees

Skimming through Facebook the other day, I came across an artist complaining about the high cost of entering competitions. Like many artists I've heard, he felt that art competitions are scams--a way for the organizers to "rake in the cash." Having been the organizer behind many such competitions, I want to assure you that most competitions don't make money and really aren't organized for that purpose. Quite often, they barely break even.

This may come as a surprise to some artists, but competitions actually cost the organizers quite a lot of money to run. There's the cost of advertising the competition to artists. There's the cost of paying the judges, maybe even flying them in, putting them up in a hotel, and feeding them for a few days. There's the cash awards. If there's an exhibition with an opening, there's usually promotion fees, invitations, caterers, valets, and more to pay. If there's an online component, there's a web designer who'll want to paid for his or her services. The list goes on and on. And the organizers are committing themselves to paying for all of these items before they've ever collected a single entry fee!

Now that you've seen the flip side of competitions, you may be thinking that a $10 entry fee is actually quite reasonable. But what about those competitions with big $25, $50, or even higher fees? Well, the organizers often use the entry fees to communicate a message. A $10 fee says all artists--pros and amateurs alike--are welcome. Higher fees are often used to let artists know that the contest is for professionals only. And there are a variety of valid reasons why organizers might want to limit the participants in this way.

When all is said and done, a competition is an invaluable chance to see how your work stacks up to your peers' work. If you get accepted into a show, it's a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure. If you win an award, you walk away with some cash in your pocket and a huge bonus to add to your resume. And if you're really lucky, you might even find a new gallery representative or land some other major coup. So how much is that worth to you?

The Finished Project

Look - it's art as furniture. I needed a headboard so I created one by painting, and I'm much happier with this second attempt than my first try. I used acrylics and beads. Finding objects around the house that I could use for stamping was the most fun part!

Art in the 21st Century

Despite my near addiction to PBS channels, I have somehow managed to miss most episodes of their great series, Art:21 Art in the 21st Century. The good news, I just found out, is that the entire series is available through Netflix. You can even watch episodes instantly on your computer screen. (They also have Simon Schama's excellent series, The Power of Art, another fav.)

If you go for Episode 1, you'll get to hear photographer Sally Mann make this fantastic statement about art: If it doesn't have ambiguity, don't bother.

New Respect

As of yesterday, I have a new respect for all you non-representational artists out there. It's a lot harder than it looks to design and create a truly interesting, engaging painting out of pure imagination. I learned this by trying to do it myself. On a very large canvas. I'm now heading to the art supply store (in a snow storm, no less!) to buy a very large jar of gesso and a few more tubes of paint. My next attempt will be much simpler.

New Book

Looking for some solid advice on developing yourself as an artist? My friend Sam Adoquei has just published a new book called How Successful Artists Study. Sam is a fantastic painter and teacher, with a long and successful career in both areas. His book is full of insightful, thought-provoking advice for artists of all levels on how to move forward as professional artists. Some of the topics he covers include the stages of artistic development, finding a mentor, drawing, color, style, taste, and so much more. It's also loaded with dozens of wonderful paintings by Sam and many other contemporary and historical masters. I recommend adding this book to your art library by contacting Sam directly through his website (http://www.samadoquei.com/books.php) or ordering from Amazon.