Why Because?

A LinkedIn member and visual Artist, Jessi Campbell, Posted an honest question and quote that, I thought, took fortitude to articulate. Here is her discussion starter.

"What happened within the art world that made it seem as though everything needs to be explained?

I ask because I was attending the local first Thursday events in my city and found it to be a little blah, fake and full of fluff. I'm not saying that having an explanation is bad, not at all, after all a full concept behind a painting is great. I just feel like people expect there to be some crazy, unusual meaning and purpose behind everything that is created. And in some cases I think these explanations for certain art are there because without an explanation it isn't art.

I just think a person should be able to get something out it without needing an explanation.”

Jessie’s post is new discussion thread on Visual Artists and their Advocates, a networking group started by Art Marketing Consultant, Allyson Stanfield. Here is my response.

Jessi, that’s a powerfully honest question. I think these kinds of trends and attitudes are result of the emphasis and value many third party art marketers put on art that makes a provocative statement. I think it has caused artists, in general, to fall into a defensive attitude of “My art counts too and I’m going articulately argue until you believe it does.” I’ve got no statistics to back this up but I’ll make an educated guess that a majority of people, who collect art, do so because they like something.” I’m separating out collectors who are purchasing art for investment purposes and require a broker of art explain to them why it’s important to have a work by a certain artist; similar to diversifying your 401K. Pure, simple motivations often are considered invalid and sometimes ridiculed by “Madison Avenue” right on down to “art event, next door” venues.

I think the condescension of third party art marketers is an art sales strategy. If you don’t love some flavor of the month as an art collector, you are not sophisticated, cultured or educated. Who wouldn’t feel bad about that kind of encounter?

I’ve had many venues that ask for vision statements for each individual work. Some works I create have definite meaning and personal importance behind there conception and execution. Some works I’ve painted, I did so just because the subject or idea was fun and make me feel good. Sometimes its admiration of an aspect of the subject I paint.

When I run into the requirement of vision statements for individual works or bodies of work, I try to think about and then articulate my personal attraction to the subject. I mean I took the time and energy to paint the work so I had to have some reason. I admit having to embellish my purpose when my gut thoughts are, “Geeze, I don’t know. Painting it was just darn fun.”

I know I’m guilty of whipping up some heady titles for my artwork because I read in some art marketing book that exhibition juries will pick pieces with clever names. So I’m never surprised when people who attend my fine art events feel obligated to articulate intellectual meaning behind their appreciation of a painting. After all I’ve socked them with some hokey bloviating title. I almost feel like apologizing to them and saying,”Aaaah! Forget about it. I wanted to really name this piece ‘Man the warm summer sun feels so good. It just makes that water sparkle, like…, well it’s just totally awesome. This day, this nature God created is just pretty.’ I gave it the nerdy title you see on the wall card because I thought it would give me a better chance of getting accepted into this show.”

 If I had your fortitude, Jessie, I’d submit my next vision statement required for a submission reading. “Just because, because!”

Now try not to laugh when you read the title of my new painting.

Help, I'm Drowning in Cyber Pool. I Need Time to Smell the Rose Jam

I’ve studied with and have become a friend of my mentor, portrait artist Carol Stone over these past 20 years. She has a favorite quip. “No one can appreciate or benefit from the passion of your creativity if it stacks up under your bed.” Artists have been given a passion for creative expression. Expression requires another to express to. In a Biblical parable, Jesus said no one who has a light should put it under a bushel.

Most artists struggle with how to bring the very personal light of their creative work out into the light of day so others can share in it. The emotional, physical, spiritual and monetary expense sheet tallies a huge risk. With a struggling economy, venues to bring our creative work to others vanish and the artist is left to redirect some of that creative resource to uncharted, inventive ways of getting our creative work out of our work space and into the lives and experience of others.

Artists often spend a lot of time alone. Social media can hold a common modern danger of resistance to real human interaction. Everyone in society has to take inventory of routines and habits, to assess if any one thing is engulfing how we function. If we don’t we can find some innocently disguised “one thing” diminishing the quality and balance of our life.

We are constantly checking voice mail, text communications, email, blog feedback and social networks on top of all the other basic requirements of work that pays the bills and puts food on the table. Every working person has to make a choice to limit some of all this or be consumed. We have to tell ourselves; yes I will miss some real or perceived opportunity and live a reasonable life because life on this earth is too short.

I made a choice, years ago that I would not let my work become more important than my relationship with God, my spouse & children or my personal health. The result is I’m not a mover and shaker in the fine art or computer graphics communities. But my important relationships are in good shape and my creative work also is not stacking up under my bed.

Art Splash, a succes! Thank you God.

Art Splash went well this weekend. I sold one original, which usually makes or breaks a show for me; as well as quite a few unmated prints and note cards.

Ballet Between Sun Showers, painting in question, oh well.

 However, I once again, had another interesting conversation with a booth attendee during the show. He asked me how I had the nerve to put a price of nearly $1,000 dollars on a painting that was on display. I have gotten similar questions in these 20 years of marketing my work. Usually the question is framed in a less blunt inquiry, pardon the pun. I explained my materials for the piece came to $350 which included a professional grade cotton duck canvas, wholesale custom framing (1/3 the price of retail framing using the same quality molding) and the art fair venue takes 30% of the selling price. For me to receive $300 above those expenses requires me to sell the piece at $950. This was how I calculated price the artwork. This price ignores the ever growing cost of the professional grade oil paints, the show fee to participate and what I pay my aged 20 nothing brute squad to help me set up my booth. If I also included this price, as a responsible business person would, the price would be well over $1,000 which is far more than what the market will bear.

This particular artwork he referred to took me approximately 100 working hours to paint; a very conservative estimate. This rounds down time and also does not include time taken to photograph the subjects and produce my photo references and basic layout. That would bring working hours closer to 120 working hours. The $300 received for my working hours and creative ability is less than what most people would hope to receive as financial compensation for services rendered but an artist has to be cognizant of what the market will bear. I told my both attendee that I did understand why $950 would still produce sticker shock for someone shopping for a luxury item during a brutal economy. His response was $950 is above what anyone can bear in this brutal economy.

I don’t think posting a description of my itemized expenses would go over well with those running the art fair venue or those attending my exhibition booth. I have never seen such an item in any artist’s exhibition. In the past, galleries I have had my work in had a problem with my transfer of ownership – artists receipt document I affix to the back of my artwork that itemizes artist’s percent, consignee’s percent and cost of materials of the total purchase price. I include it because it is hard copy documentation, for tax purposes, of what I actually receive as income within the purchase price of the piece. The gallery curators did not like the broadcasting to the purchaser that they were receiving 30% to 50% of the purchase price. It makes perfect sense because only a truly uninformed purchaser would not understand that a retail establishment needs to cover their overhead and make a profit.

I do understand the dilemma of what an artist considers fair compensation for talent and ability versus what the market will bear. There does come a point when working in a sweat shop in a third world country would provide a better bottom line than what artists are compensated for their creative work. I’m always faced with the harsh reality that if I had continued to work as a closer for a popular fast food restaurant as I had done for 10 years of my 35 year work experience, my family’s financial outlook would be profoundly healthier.

I’m woefully resistant to stop painting. If my sales at least covered my expenses and I broke even, I could justify to myself that I’m, at least paying for sincerely loved hobby. I’m, however, confronted with the reality that at age 53, as my husband and I quickly approach our retirement years, my passion for painting puts us at risk of not having enough money to live independently. My husband has been supportive of my painting ability. I fear we are now at the point where painting, even at an amature level is financially irresponsible. The best way to celebrate his support in the past is to cease the activity professionally and once again get a real job. I'm not sure I would be able to work part time and still produce enough original work to continue selling at art fair venues.

I have been doing some research about other ways to market artwork. Feedback from other artists who have tried venues such as Etsy and other internet selling sites did not produce sales. One option may be to join the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce and participate in their monthly networking opportunities. Almost all of my portrait commissions I've received in the past two years came from recommendations from Tualatin Chamber Coordinator, Linda Moholt. Because of my volunteer work with Tualatin Studio Tour, which the chamber helped sponsor, Linda has continued to pass on my contact information even though I'm not officially a member. I know if God wants me to continue create art, He will show me how to responsibly continue in the future. I have 2 more art shows that I've committed to this year and 2 portrait commissions to complete. In 2012, my plan is to cut back my art show schedule even further than I have this year. I also continue scan the Craigslist, jobs section looking for part time work in computer graphics. Despite the extremely difficult of the past three years, God has provided the blessing of enough sales to bring me close to breaking even. I think that is remarkable given the reality that most of us are struggling to keep above water. I certainly do miss that fruitful bottom line of my years at Burger King and providing child care. There is no dismissing the blessings of good and honest hard work.

Can't Keep the Artist down on the farm unless she's Plein Air Painting Impasto

I owe such a debt of enjoyment to much to my artist friends and teachers Carol Stone and Millie Van Sickle.

Millie introduced me to painting with a pallet knife. It has helped me to approach creating art with a contemporary feel because it prevented me from relying on the tendency to tighten the work into a traditional rendering. Whenever I have a sable brush in my hand my years of classical painting just seem to take over. I blend shape and model like you would expect a traditional portrait artist to do. It’s an enjoyable challenge to use the design, composition and spatial training in my contemporary paintings to make a pleasing image.

God has been gracious to help me come up with work, more excepted in the way people in the Portland area decorate their living spaces in a contemporary style.

I do love the gift of classical portraiture that Carol taught me over these 20 years.  I have been so blessed with the opportunity to paint some portrait commissions, last year and this year. I’ve been able to take the hand of my old friend, portrait painting and have some good times.  I do find the expressiveness and techniques of contemporary painting spilling over into my portrait work. When you experience the spontaneity of pallet knife, it’s a little difficult to keep the artist within the limitations of a classical purist approach. As my good friend Susan Wells often say’s, “It’s kind of like herding cats.”