I’m doing a festival *gasp*
May 09, 2012
As in so many things, there is a hierarchy of sorts in the art world, and artists often aspire to climb the ladder in order to achieve critical success. In the meantime, we have to pay the bills. But before I go any further, here is a photo I took of Supermoon while I’ve been in South Carolina.
One way to to pay the bills is to sell at festivals. Many of the artists you see at outdoor festivals are already doing what they want to do – they are making the work that represents who they are as an artist, and are part of an active community that supports one another. A friend grew up in that community, with both of her parents showing very different work from one another. They traded with other artists and craftsmen, enjoyed camaraderie with the people who also traveled and set up booths on weekends, and saw one another regularly, at least in the busy summers when there are many festivals.
I’m going to visit that world in about two months. I entered the Redmond Town Center Arts Festival, half expecting to not get in, half dreading hearing that I would. The main thing that made me decide to give this particular festival a try is that the booth and other basic things you need to show your work are included in the entry fee. And the verdict is….. I got in, and now I have a whole new thing to learn and prepare for. And worry about.
A part of me is a little embarrassed about this. Festival artists don’t get a lot of respect in the art world, even though they work hard, and can be considered sell-outs. But what is selling out? If you are making work that is true to who you are, and is appealing enough to sell to a festival crowd, what compromises are you making, exactly? Does it mean that you aren’t rigorous enough in your thinking? Does it mean that your work is somehow dumb?
I’m sure I’ll get a chance to think more about this all the way through preparation, during the festival, and afterwards. To me this is a chance to brush up on my sales technique and learn to talk to people with a wide range of knowledge and aesthetics. It will also be a good test of my prices, at least at this stage of my career. I’m still learning a new medium, but I’ve gotten comfortable enough with a camera that I’m able to put some more thought into where I want to take this, what I have to say.
Wish me luck. My to-do list is pretty scary. I’ll post it soon – I’m on vacation at the moment and rarely have internet access. (That means I can’t research and buy supplies, which is a little stressful.)
Comments (1) | Tags: business, exhibit, South Carolina | More: Abstracts
Little Treasure
May 01, 2012
The idea of treasure is so beautiful and appealing. Treasure is never bad, it’s always good.
I opened an old box of studio supplies last weekend, and found some etched intaglio plates. The box kind of imploded and took over my small studio while I slowly processed everything. I photographed the plates and a few other things, and as I was wrapping the plates back up I was still wondering what I could do to make the picture better (for example the one above will be in focus). I had the strangest realization – I could take them out later and re-shoot them if I wanted. They aren’t going to melt or fall apart. They are zinc I etched with acid and scratched into – they aren’t going anywhere so long as I don’t lose them. I love their durability, and I’ve always liked the plates much more than I like the prints.
I’ve looked at my old work in the context of what I’m doing now a couple of times, and each time I’ve had a lot to think about. I thought I pretty much understood the echos of loss and impermanence I’ve felt reverberating through my work, but there is more to it than I realized. My plates also gave me a good chance to see how consistent my use of line has been. I don’t know why, but I find that to be comforting.
Something about taking those pictures made me turn the lights up high, and it was nice to get some light, happy images. These pools of white light make my heart sing.
Comments (0) | Tags: Abstracts, Eye Candy, glass | More: Abstracts, Eye Candy, glass
Time to Tap a New Vein
April 28, 2012
It seems as if everyone knows about the boogeyman, Artist’s Block, but it has a simpering weaker twin that might as well be called Artist’s Slump. That’s where I’ve been for maybe a week and a half, so I’ve taken on a few other things to keep me busy and not brooding. Tonight I organized a meal for 85, and it went off pretty seamlessly. A few weeks ago I helped with a more elaborate meal for 100. It’s weird – I was basically the manager with a super great crew both times. That’s not to say that I didn’t do any real work (sorry, managers….) but I had the time clock in my head and knew where everybody was and what they were doing. I also browned 22 pounds of ground beef on my own stove in my own kitchen, and I don’t make meat. Nasty. I have been busy.
I think I’ve played out what I’ve been working on and am regrouping, which means that I am lettings things sit for a little while as new ideas take root and sprout. I still don’t know what I’m going to do next, and have another huge busywork project in my studio today. While I’m stalled I am still taking pictures, but not as many as usual and nothing that is really impressing me. Here is one – I’ve taken the doodle thing as far as it’s going to go, at least for now.
Comments (0) | Tags: Artist's block | More: Abstracts, glass
How to Overcome Artist’s Block Part III
April 24, 2012
This is an inspiring pep talk from the amazing zefrank, the guy that wrote all of those really fun graphics games and tools. If you haven’t checked him out, do so now! He wrote the pep talk for himself, it would seem. But he posted it for the rest of us. It’s not a list of exercises to do but a list of reminders for how to think.
Comments (0) | Tags: Artist's block, Creative Process | More: Tips
Report Card
April 20, 2012
I was reviewing my goals and progress, and I’m surprised at how well things are going. I wanted to show locally, and I can cross that off the list. There is a glasses shop in my town (pop. 11,000) with a gallery at the front. The owner shows local artists, and I took some things there and she hung them on Friday. Local to Woodinville is a pretty mixed bag; there just aren’t a ton of artists here. We have scads of writers, though. (Why is everyone writing erotica under a pseudonym?)
But back to goals, I need to tackle the big one, finding representation. I’m giving myself all of these other goals and projects because I’m procrastinating on the thing that is going to be hardest for me. The updated t0-do list is after the jump. First, here is a photo from the other day. It has a lot going on in it; there is refracted light shining through a subtle but complex film, plus all of the line, and it looks like a rib cage. I do a lot of things that look like torsos – I don’t know why. I’m sure it would sound better if I had some introspective explanation, something very meta, but it’s an impulse I’m not even aware of while I am shooting. They just look like torsos after the fact. I did this with paintings and drawings, too.
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One Thing Leads to Another
April 16, 2012
Its bad for an artist to hop around too much – it’s confusing for an audience to try to take in too many styles or subjects and make sense of it. Heck, even gallery directors don’t know what to make of a portfolio without a very clear unifying theme. So, I feel as if I’m shooting myself in the foot by getting distracted by every new idea, every shiny thing that comes my way. Yet I see that if I am patient enough (not ever easy for me), all of those disparate, crazy ideas circle round and join hands. For example, just yesterday I started taking photos from my studio window. That led me to take a bunch of photos of the woods as they are visible from the house.
This was a side track, something that wasn’t going to go anywhere but was fun to do. But then, the next day, I used the picture in another picture and all of a sudden I have consistency.
