Being in California for two weeks for my art showings, I came across this interesting article on the current state of art in the "Golden State." It was written by Steven Winn and published a few days ago in the San Francisco Chronicle. In short, the outlook here for the arts appears to be a bit bleak as the arts compete against 5000 TV channels, X-Boxes, and other such diversions.
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THE ARTS MATTER - AND SO DOES DRAWING CROWDS
by Steven Winn
The arts are essential, everyone seems to agree. Seventy percent of Californians say artists make for a better community. The state mandates the arts as a "core subject" in public schools. San Francisco arts organizations, with an aggregate budget of $350 million, attract more patrons in a year here than all sporting events do. So why is it getting harder and harder to pay the bills?
"Crisis" may be too easy a word to throw around, when it comes to the perennially dicey business of arts funding, but things are at a pretty bad pass now. The once vibrant California Arts Council has all but disappeared during the state's fiscal free fall. Very few public schools can actually afford to meet the state arts-education mandate. Shrinking city and county arts budgets around the country mirror the problems. While federal funding has held its own, the Bush-era National Endowment for the Arts has become centrist and highly risk-aversive in its grants.
Corporate, foundation and individual giving, meanwhile, has not recovered from the dot-com portfolio meltdown and merger mania that followed. Who knows if the stock market-driven bounties of the late '90s will ever return? The recent crash-and-burn of Alberto W. Vilar, a munificent donor to New York's Metropolitan Opera, Chicago's Lyric Opera and others, is an extreme but emblematic sign of the times. Unable to meet his pledges, the fallen tech- stock titan was arrested on fraud charges last week for filching $5 million from a client. That story must have induced a few shivers and nervous sideways glances in arts boardrooms around the country. It's not only the will and wherewithal to give that can erode arts funding. Social needs, priorities and sensibilities change. A museum or new theater that was exciting to build and open isn't necessarily as thrilling to fund five years later, when it's up and running. A tsunami hits in Indonesia and commands attention and checkbooks around the world. Foundations decide to deploy their dollars differently, beaching organizations that lived on their largesse. Columbia University recently announced that its National Arts Journalism Program has been able to find no other means of life-support after the Pew Charitable Trusts pulled the financial plug a few years back. The highly regarded program, which fostered meaningful coverage of the arts in the media, is shutting down.
Last week, in an early morning forum at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, a group of fretting Bay Area arts administrators gathered to discuss their collective plight. The meeting's title, "Why Business Should Be Concerned About Arts & Culture in the Bay Area..." posed a wishful, unfinished thesis. The ellipses, at the end of the line, captured an air of what-next uncertainty. Should business be concerned?
A controversial Rand Research in the Arts study, commissioned by the Wallace Foundation and published earlier this year, touched off the latest onset of anxiety. According to the study, "Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts," the oft-touted social and economic and social fruits of the arts (more jobs, bigger tax revenues, higher test scores for arts-enriched children) may not be so solidly provable after all. Previous research on the subject, says the study's authors, lacks "empirical rigor as well as a comprehensive theoretical explanation for the claimed benefits." Better to focus on the "intrinsic," ostensibly personal value of the arts (aesthetic pleasure, captivation, enchantment), the Rand report proposes. From there, the study's somewhat fuzzy argument continues, the arts foster a continuum of "instrumental" assets, from empathy and cognitive growth to the creation of social bonds and the expression of communal meanings. The Rand authors go on to recommend early and sustained exposure to arts experiences as the best means to ensure the flow from intrinsic (personal) to instrumental (social) benefits.
Arts advocates who have had been selling the arts as a direct economic and social boon to their communities blanched and restated their views. Conservative commentators seized on the report's findings that seem to question art's social utility, and sneered at the feel-good, all-art-is- wonderful thesis. Dressed up in 21st century buzz-words and catch-phrases, "Gifts of the Muse" does raise an important, ancient question: What good, besides pleasure and diversion, do the arts demonstrably do? Plato, as one of the forum's panelists reminded the audience, said they didn't do much. Aristotle countered that the arts important teach universal truths. The 19th century critic Matthew Arnold, in his magisterial "Culture and Anarchy," maintained that great works of art instill the "desire to remove human error, clear human confusion and diminish human misery."
Inspiring as such notions may be, most of the forum's participants had bottom lines, financial strategies and lobbying efforts on their minds. There was a lot of talk about "making the case" for the arts to funders. "We have to make it so simple that even a Congressman can understand it," half-joked Robert Lynch, president and CEO of the lobbying group Americans for the Arts.
Barry Hessenius, executive director of Alonzo King's Lines Ballet and former director of the California Arts Council, proved to be the most provocative member of the panel. "We've made great cases," he said. "What we lack is political muscle." Hessenius challenged his colleagues to work for arts-friendly candidates. You could almost feel the air go out of the room. For beleaguered administrators who are busy struggling to pay their vendors and put bodies in seats, the idea of leafleting for the right kind of city council member or mayor sounded too daunting to contemplate, especially at 9 o'clock in the morning. Hessenius had one more unsettling thought. "We're overbuilt in the arts," he said. "We haven't done what we need to downsize and streamline" and deal with the "oversupply" of arts organizations.
That sort of Darwinian, survival-of-the-fittest thinking may have alarmed some people. But it's healthy to have it out in the air. The culture is constantly evolving, under the pressures of changing demographics, audience behavior, seductive new technologies and the nature of making and consuming art. No organization, no artist can afford to assume that anything that's working today will do so tomorrow.
In his audacious, imbalanced new book, "Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter," Steven Johnson explores the cognitive merits of everything from video games to "The Sopranos" to "The Apprentice." You don't have to buy everything he says to feel the traction of Johnson's argument. Increasingly, people have compelling reasons to stay home - to get lost in the virtual space of their Xbox instead of an art museum, to sort out the politics of "The West Wing" instead of a G.B. Shaw play.
Research studies won't matter a bit, no matter what they conclude, if the arts can't win this battle. If nobody comes to see and hear the work, all the self-scrutiny in the world won't matter. It's getting the bodies in the seats and through the museum turnstiles that counts. One way or another, those bodies will figure out for themselves what they're doing there and whether they want to come back.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Tom Voorhees - A One-of-a Kind Sketch Artist
[Walnut Creek, CA] As I get ready for my first major show of the year and my first show ever in California, I am thinking about some of the artists I have left behind up in Leavenworth. One of the great bonuses of being a full time artist is the friendship and help of other artists you meet along the way. And Leavenworth has proven to be a treasure trove for me in that regard. Occasionally, I will write about some of my artist friends.
Today, I want to tell you about a sketch artist named Tom Voorhees. Tom is an interesting character, to say the least. He is in his late 50's or 60's and has been an artist for many, many years. He has all the money he needs and his requirements for life are quite simple. Outside of art, he has been a teacher and occasionally still fulfills that role. I recently took a sketching class from him at McDee's Art Center in Wenatchee, and I can highly recommend Tom as a teacher. He lives a bit of a vagabond life, traveling all over the country, but loves spending the warmer months in Leavenworth, where he shows his art every weekend.
He and I have had many interesting discussions about life and art. He is by nature a liberal Democrat while I would term myself a moderate Republican. As you can imagine, this has led to many spirited debates, although we agree on things more than we disagree. He is also a voracious reader and we talk about books all the time. He also is a rebel against technology, which means that doesn't own a computer or a cell phone or any of the other devices that I find indispensable.
Lately, we have been discussing his art and his new approach toward creating art. Tom does beautiful pencil and pen sketches of people and places, as well as the occasional abstraction. His work is excellent and has been well received. Over the years, he estimates that he has sold over 60,000 prints of his work as well as countless originals. His works have appeared in galleries and retails stores across the country.
This year, he made a momentous decision: he will no longer create prints of his works. This means that if you buy one of his originals, especially the newer ones, you are buying the only copy in existence.
Think about that...buying the only copy of an original artwork. I like the idea and have already purchased one. It came already matted and ready to frame...all for the low price of $22. I plan to buy more when I find my way back to Leavenworth.
Tom's work is very good, and his goal for the remainder of his life is to be remembered as a good artist, long after he is gone. I admire that goal and perhaps long for the very same thing myself, although I still have a hard time believing sometimes that I am an artist and definitely have a long way to go.
If you are in Leavenworth sometimes in the next few months, stop by and see Tom's work and if you are so inclined, invest a couple of bucks in his one-of-a-kind works.
Today, I want to tell you about a sketch artist named Tom Voorhees. Tom is an interesting character, to say the least. He is in his late 50's or 60's and has been an artist for many, many years. He has all the money he needs and his requirements for life are quite simple. Outside of art, he has been a teacher and occasionally still fulfills that role. I recently took a sketching class from him at McDee's Art Center in Wenatchee, and I can highly recommend Tom as a teacher. He lives a bit of a vagabond life, traveling all over the country, but loves spending the warmer months in Leavenworth, where he shows his art every weekend.
He and I have had many interesting discussions about life and art. He is by nature a liberal Democrat while I would term myself a moderate Republican. As you can imagine, this has led to many spirited debates, although we agree on things more than we disagree. He is also a voracious reader and we talk about books all the time. He also is a rebel against technology, which means that doesn't own a computer or a cell phone or any of the other devices that I find indispensable.
Lately, we have been discussing his art and his new approach toward creating art. Tom does beautiful pencil and pen sketches of people and places, as well as the occasional abstraction. His work is excellent and has been well received. Over the years, he estimates that he has sold over 60,000 prints of his work as well as countless originals. His works have appeared in galleries and retails stores across the country.
This year, he made a momentous decision: he will no longer create prints of his works. This means that if you buy one of his originals, especially the newer ones, you are buying the only copy in existence.
Think about that...buying the only copy of an original artwork. I like the idea and have already purchased one. It came already matted and ready to frame...all for the low price of $22. I plan to buy more when I find my way back to Leavenworth.
Tom's work is very good, and his goal for the remainder of his life is to be remembered as a good artist, long after he is gone. I admire that goal and perhaps long for the very same thing myself, although I still have a hard time believing sometimes that I am an artist and definitely have a long way to go.
If you are in Leavenworth sometimes in the next few months, stop by and see Tom's work and if you are so inclined, invest a couple of bucks in his one-of-a-kind works.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Podcasting and the Arts
In two days, I will be in the San Francisco Bay Area, and while I am cruising the Northern California freeways, I will be listening to San Francisco radio station KYCY-AM, the first station in the nation to devote all of their programming to podcasts.
What is podcasting, you ask? Podcasting emerged last year as an online phenomenon, allowing amateurs to distribute audio programming over the Web. Listeners can subscribe to certain programs, download them and play them later on digital music players such as Apple Computer's iPod. The station plans to select programming based on listeners' interests and daily feedback and evolve to 24-hour programming.
All of a sudden, podcasting is becoming a huge phenonmena. ABC News and NBC News each plunged into the world of podcasting last week with plans to offer TV newscasts as on-demand audio programs over the Web. National Public Radio also offers some of its shows in podcast format.
But, now something new in the world of podcasts...alternate museum tour tapes done by amateurs and art professionals. For instance, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, you can rent a tape for $5 and listen to informative talks about painter Jackson Pollock while you walk around the museum viewing his paintings.
Or, you can also download, for free, an audio discussion of Pollock's works by David Gilbert, a professor of communication at Marymount Manhattan College, done with a group of his students, in which they discuss the works with a distinctly collegiate blend of irony, pop music and heavy breathing. It is one of the newest adaptations in the world of podcasting...museum tours with a different point of view.
Specifically, these museum guides are an outgrowth of a recent podcasting trend called "sound seeing," in which people record narrations of their travels, such as walking on the beach, or wandering through the French Quarter, and upload them onto the Internet for others to enjoy. In that spirit, the creators of the unauthorized guides to the Modern have also invited anyone interested to submit his or her own tour for inclusion on the project's Web site, mod.blogs.com/art_mobs. (Instructions are on the Web site.)
In the museum world, where the popularity of audio tours has grown tremendously over the last decade, the use of commercial MP3 players seems to be catching on. Officials at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis have discussed putting their new audio guide material on the Web for downloading to portable players. Last year, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo lent viewers iPods to use as audio guides for one exhibition, and Apple Computer has helped the Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley of France do the same thing, using the sonorous voice of the actor Michael Lonsdale.
But the rise of podcasting is now enabling museumgoers not simply to enjoy audio guides on a sleeker-looking device but also to concoct their own guides and tours. A New York art Web site, woostercollective.com, recently made a sound-seeing tour of the Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum, which the Web site's creators made in hushed tones while wandering through the show, sometimes quoting from the museum's official audio guide, which they listened to as they chatted.
There are other examples of podcasting being used in museum walking tours. In any case, it would be fun to listen to them, in addition to the ones that are available at the museums. I recall how much I enjoyed listening to the narratives provided at the Musee D'Orsay in Paris as I walked around looking at the works of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Whistler, Degas and the other famous painters whose works hang in that wonderful museum. Perhaps next time, I will take a podcast to get a different point of view.
What is podcasting, you ask? Podcasting emerged last year as an online phenomenon, allowing amateurs to distribute audio programming over the Web. Listeners can subscribe to certain programs, download them and play them later on digital music players such as Apple Computer's iPod. The station plans to select programming based on listeners' interests and daily feedback and evolve to 24-hour programming.
All of a sudden, podcasting is becoming a huge phenonmena. ABC News and NBC News each plunged into the world of podcasting last week with plans to offer TV newscasts as on-demand audio programs over the Web. National Public Radio also offers some of its shows in podcast format.
But, now something new in the world of podcasts...alternate museum tour tapes done by amateurs and art professionals. For instance, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, you can rent a tape for $5 and listen to informative talks about painter Jackson Pollock while you walk around the museum viewing his paintings.
Or, you can also download, for free, an audio discussion of Pollock's works by David Gilbert, a professor of communication at Marymount Manhattan College, done with a group of his students, in which they discuss the works with a distinctly collegiate blend of irony, pop music and heavy breathing. It is one of the newest adaptations in the world of podcasting...museum tours with a different point of view.
Specifically, these museum guides are an outgrowth of a recent podcasting trend called "sound seeing," in which people record narrations of their travels, such as walking on the beach, or wandering through the French Quarter, and upload them onto the Internet for others to enjoy. In that spirit, the creators of the unauthorized guides to the Modern have also invited anyone interested to submit his or her own tour for inclusion on the project's Web site, mod.blogs.com/art_mobs. (Instructions are on the Web site.)
In the museum world, where the popularity of audio tours has grown tremendously over the last decade, the use of commercial MP3 players seems to be catching on. Officials at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis have discussed putting their new audio guide material on the Web for downloading to portable players. Last year, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo lent viewers iPods to use as audio guides for one exhibition, and Apple Computer has helped the Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley of France do the same thing, using the sonorous voice of the actor Michael Lonsdale.
But the rise of podcasting is now enabling museumgoers not simply to enjoy audio guides on a sleeker-looking device but also to concoct their own guides and tours. A New York art Web site, woostercollective.com, recently made a sound-seeing tour of the Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum, which the Web site's creators made in hushed tones while wandering through the show, sometimes quoting from the museum's official audio guide, which they listened to as they chatted.
There are other examples of podcasting being used in museum walking tours. In any case, it would be fun to listen to them, in addition to the ones that are available at the museums. I recall how much I enjoyed listening to the narratives provided at the Musee D'Orsay in Paris as I walked around looking at the works of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Whistler, Degas and the other famous painters whose works hang in that wonderful museum. Perhaps next time, I will take a podcast to get a different point of view.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Special Sale in Leavenworth This Weekend
If you are going to be in the Leavenworth area this weekend, be sure and stop and see me in my tent at Art-in-the-Park. For this weekend only, I am selling original 11x14 prints of some of my works, double matted in matching colors, framed in lovely large frames for just $75 each. Basically, I am selling the matted images and giving the frame away for free!!
I am not overstocked on these prints, but I have way too many glass-type frames and I want to lower my inventory. If you are in my tent, you will see that I have switched mostly to showing framed canvas prints, which require no glass. That has left me with a fair amount of glass-style frames and I just want to lower my inventory. Some of my best works are included with the frames, so be sure and stop by, if you can.
And I will also have some autographed copies of the new book, "Northwest Artists" on sale.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!!
I am not overstocked on these prints, but I have way too many glass-type frames and I want to lower my inventory. If you are in my tent, you will see that I have switched mostly to showing framed canvas prints, which require no glass. That has left me with a fair amount of glass-style frames and I just want to lower my inventory. Some of my best works are included with the frames, so be sure and stop by, if you can.
And I will also have some autographed copies of the new book, "Northwest Artists" on sale.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Getting Ready for California
Sorry I have been truant about writing my art blog. Frankly, I have been so immersed in producing fine art that I haven't had time to write about it. I cancelled my appearance this last weekend in Leavenworth to get into what I call "Production" mode...that is producing enough work to get me through two large shows in California.
When I leave for the Golden State, I leave my printers behind me so I have to make sure I have enough canvas and paper prints of my work to get me through these shows. The problem is, of course, that I don't know what will be my big sellers, especially in my new works. I have a fair idea about the works I carried with me last year, but the new ones are still an unknown quantity.
Doing new shows (at least new for me) is always a fun, but apprehensive experience. You don't know what to expect; ie where your booth is going to be located, how much wall space I have (inside and outside wall space vs inside only if the tents are placed exactly side-by-side), weather, wind, weird rules and regulations, etc. It always works out, of course, but it is still a nervous time.
I am looking forward to meeting new artists and seeing old California friends and relatives. I will be staying with my "soul sister" Paula Miller and her husband Hardy in Walnut Creek, then move over to Oakland to stay with my brother Dave. And I will have five days between shows to relax and perhaps enjoy some time away from art. Maybe I will hop on a BART train and spend a day or two in San Francisco.
After the Novato show, I will head back on a long Monday drive to Ephrata to get ready for another show in Leavenworth. If I do really well in California, I may have to take that weekend off to produce more works for my next series of shows. July is going to be a very busy month for me.
However, I am getting ahead of myself a little bit. I still have this upcoming Memorial Day four day weekend in Leavenworth which was very good for me last year. And the weather looks like it is going to be in the 80's for all four days. So, if you are spending the holiday in Leavenworth area, please stop by and say hello.
When I leave for the Golden State, I leave my printers behind me so I have to make sure I have enough canvas and paper prints of my work to get me through these shows. The problem is, of course, that I don't know what will be my big sellers, especially in my new works. I have a fair idea about the works I carried with me last year, but the new ones are still an unknown quantity.
Doing new shows (at least new for me) is always a fun, but apprehensive experience. You don't know what to expect; ie where your booth is going to be located, how much wall space I have (inside and outside wall space vs inside only if the tents are placed exactly side-by-side), weather, wind, weird rules and regulations, etc. It always works out, of course, but it is still a nervous time.
I am looking forward to meeting new artists and seeing old California friends and relatives. I will be staying with my "soul sister" Paula Miller and her husband Hardy in Walnut Creek, then move over to Oakland to stay with my brother Dave. And I will have five days between shows to relax and perhaps enjoy some time away from art. Maybe I will hop on a BART train and spend a day or two in San Francisco.
After the Novato show, I will head back on a long Monday drive to Ephrata to get ready for another show in Leavenworth. If I do really well in California, I may have to take that weekend off to produce more works for my next series of shows. July is going to be a very busy month for me.
However, I am getting ahead of myself a little bit. I still have this upcoming Memorial Day four day weekend in Leavenworth which was very good for me last year. And the weather looks like it is going to be in the 80's for all four days. So, if you are spending the holiday in Leavenworth area, please stop by and say hello.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
More on Doug Miller
In my last post, I mentioned my artist friend Doug Miller in conjunction with the forthcoming book, "Northwest Artists." I decided to tell you more about Doug and his work as he is an internationally known artist and deserving of your attention.
Doug has been a full time artist for the last 28 years. His work is known worldwide and many of his originals go for several thousand dollars. He has received many awards for his work, some of which are listed on his website. Doug's media is oil painting and while I don't like to classify anyone else's work, I guess you would have to call many of his paintings "Photo Realism". Many of his works are very detailed and take up to 30 days to complete. Lately, he has also been using a more Impressionist style in some of his new paintings, with beautiful results.
Most of Doug's subjects are what he likes to call, "Paintings of the American Outback." He uses mountains, deserts and most every other kind of natural landscape you can think of as his subject matter. Each of his paintings is a genuine work of love that is obvious when you look at them. No one could paint is such vived detail without loving what he was doing.
I have known Doug for many years as we lived in the same town. We would play tennis together on several occasions. It was he who started me down my current path with good, constructive criticism on some of my early works. He taught me about the importance of light and color. And he was there with helpful advise when I decided to become a full time artist and join the art show circuit.
Doug and his wife Barb now live in Wenatchee, WA as Barb got a full time job with the Wenatchee schools. In the last month, Doug took a major step and opened his own gallery in Leavenworth, WA, about 18 miles west of Wenatchee. For those who are not familiar with Leavenworth, it is designed as a Bavarian village and sits among the tall mountain peaks of the eastern Cascade Mountains.
Besides being a popular tourist destination, it is a mecca for art of all kinds including music, paintings, photographs, pottery and other art forms. Doug and I have spent many weekends there at their Art-in-the-Park festival. His new gallery is quite lovely and well laid out. There, one can buy originals and beautiful Giclee prints of his work done on canvas and paper. I expect he will do well there. I hope you get a chance to visit him and see his amazing work.
If you can't make it to his gallery, you can visit his website to see and buy many of his works online. To visit, go to:
http://www.dougmillerart.com
Doug has been a full time artist for the last 28 years. His work is known worldwide and many of his originals go for several thousand dollars. He has received many awards for his work, some of which are listed on his website. Doug's media is oil painting and while I don't like to classify anyone else's work, I guess you would have to call many of his paintings "Photo Realism". Many of his works are very detailed and take up to 30 days to complete. Lately, he has also been using a more Impressionist style in some of his new paintings, with beautiful results.
Most of Doug's subjects are what he likes to call, "Paintings of the American Outback." He uses mountains, deserts and most every other kind of natural landscape you can think of as his subject matter. Each of his paintings is a genuine work of love that is obvious when you look at them. No one could paint is such vived detail without loving what he was doing.
I have known Doug for many years as we lived in the same town. We would play tennis together on several occasions. It was he who started me down my current path with good, constructive criticism on some of my early works. He taught me about the importance of light and color. And he was there with helpful advise when I decided to become a full time artist and join the art show circuit.
Doug and his wife Barb now live in Wenatchee, WA as Barb got a full time job with the Wenatchee schools. In the last month, Doug took a major step and opened his own gallery in Leavenworth, WA, about 18 miles west of Wenatchee. For those who are not familiar with Leavenworth, it is designed as a Bavarian village and sits among the tall mountain peaks of the eastern Cascade Mountains.
Besides being a popular tourist destination, it is a mecca for art of all kinds including music, paintings, photographs, pottery and other art forms. Doug and I have spent many weekends there at their Art-in-the-Park festival. His new gallery is quite lovely and well laid out. There, one can buy originals and beautiful Giclee prints of his work done on canvas and paper. I expect he will do well there. I hope you get a chance to visit him and see his amazing work.
If you can't make it to his gallery, you can visit his website to see and buy many of his works online. To visit, go to:
http://www.dougmillerart.com
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
New Book Features Northwest Artists
In eight days, a new coffee-table book will be released for sale entitled, "Northwest Artists." It is being released initially at the Ellensburg National Art Show. The 224 page book features nearly 200 of the Northwest's most notable artists. For some reason, the editor of the book decided to include me in the group. Five of my works are featured, along with a biographical blurb about me.
Of course, I am honored to be included. In fact, I am a little knocked out by the whole experience. I was able to help select the works to be included and to edit the text about me. Among the other local artists included is Doug Miller, a former Ephrata resident who now lives in Wenatchee. This also gives me pause to be included in the same book as Doug as he is a great artist and one of my heroes (and mentor, I might add).
On the evening of 19th, many of the artists in the book will be in Ellensburg to attend the formal artist's reception for the show. About 30 of the artists in the book are in the show and the others are coming just to autograph books, myself included.
Last week, a proof of the book sold for $700 at The Fred Oldfield Heritage Center Museum in Puyallup, Washington. I am not sure what the selling price of the regular book is, but I know it won't be that high.
Many of the artists will be autographing books for each other at Ellensburg. I should have some autographed copies for sale at all my shows after the 19th. I should also mention that the reception in Ellensburg is open to the public and many of the artists will be there to autograph copies.
Of course, I am honored to be included. In fact, I am a little knocked out by the whole experience. I was able to help select the works to be included and to edit the text about me. Among the other local artists included is Doug Miller, a former Ephrata resident who now lives in Wenatchee. This also gives me pause to be included in the same book as Doug as he is a great artist and one of my heroes (and mentor, I might add).
On the evening of 19th, many of the artists in the book will be in Ellensburg to attend the formal artist's reception for the show. About 30 of the artists in the book are in the show and the others are coming just to autograph books, myself included.
Last week, a proof of the book sold for $700 at The Fred Oldfield Heritage Center Museum in Puyallup, Washington. I am not sure what the selling price of the regular book is, but I know it won't be that high.
Many of the artists will be autographing books for each other at Ellensburg. I should have some autographed copies for sale at all my shows after the 19th. I should also mention that the reception in Ellensburg is open to the public and many of the artists will be there to autograph copies.
Monday, May 09, 2005
San Francisco Dreaming
In four weeks, I will be doing my first of four shows this year in the San Francisco Bay Area...two in June and two in September. Last October, I spent some time in San Francisco and the Napa Valley taking some pictures that I hoped to turn into artworks. At that time, I was only wishfully thinking about doing some shows there in 2005.
After a lot of hard work, I was accepted to do these four shows. By that time, I had already begun work on San Francisco subjects. I was told by those in the know that Northern Californians like to purchase artworks that depict their local area. With that in mind, I have completed five new works featuring San Francisco.
My first painting of the five is also my particular favorite, probably because it took so much blood, sweat and tears to complete. It is simply called, "The Bay Bridge." If you know the San Francisco Bay Area, you know that my picture actually only shows 1/2 of the Bay Bridge, the part that runs from Treasure Island in the middle of the bay across to the city itself.
The foreground depicts Treasure Island and the bridge as it leaves the island. The middle ground is the bridge itself, while the background is the San Francisco skyline. The sky shows the fog creeping in from the Pacific Ocean and and blue sky above that. If you have ever spent any time in SF, you know this blue-sky-over-fog scene is repeated many times during the year.
If you look at all my pictures from San Francisco, you will notice some similarities in the sky. I decided to unify all my San Francisco pictures with the same brush strokes in the sky, although the skies are all different shades of blue. I wanted to have this unifying sky theme throughout all the exterior scenes of my San Francisco work.
If you are familiar with my work, you will also notice that these San Francisco paintings are a different style than I have ever presented before. I am always experimenting with new techniques and this one came together after a lot of experimentations. There were actually 14 different versions of The Bay Bridge before I settled on this particular technique.
Being in San Francisco again after so many years absense was a journey of memory and love. You see, I spent most of my childhood in San Francisco and the Bay Area. In some ways, I was nervous about going there again as sometimes memories are best left as memories.
But that wasn't the case here. I loved being there again and it was as wonderful as I remember it. The City is a very special place and my works reflect my love for it. There will be more SF pictures coming out in the future. But for now, to see my current San Francisco works, go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/sf_gallery.htm
After a lot of hard work, I was accepted to do these four shows. By that time, I had already begun work on San Francisco subjects. I was told by those in the know that Northern Californians like to purchase artworks that depict their local area. With that in mind, I have completed five new works featuring San Francisco.
My first painting of the five is also my particular favorite, probably because it took so much blood, sweat and tears to complete. It is simply called, "The Bay Bridge." If you know the San Francisco Bay Area, you know that my picture actually only shows 1/2 of the Bay Bridge, the part that runs from Treasure Island in the middle of the bay across to the city itself.
The foreground depicts Treasure Island and the bridge as it leaves the island. The middle ground is the bridge itself, while the background is the San Francisco skyline. The sky shows the fog creeping in from the Pacific Ocean and and blue sky above that. If you have ever spent any time in SF, you know this blue-sky-over-fog scene is repeated many times during the year.
If you look at all my pictures from San Francisco, you will notice some similarities in the sky. I decided to unify all my San Francisco pictures with the same brush strokes in the sky, although the skies are all different shades of blue. I wanted to have this unifying sky theme throughout all the exterior scenes of my San Francisco work.
If you are familiar with my work, you will also notice that these San Francisco paintings are a different style than I have ever presented before. I am always experimenting with new techniques and this one came together after a lot of experimentations. There were actually 14 different versions of The Bay Bridge before I settled on this particular technique.
Being in San Francisco again after so many years absense was a journey of memory and love. You see, I spent most of my childhood in San Francisco and the Bay Area. In some ways, I was nervous about going there again as sometimes memories are best left as memories.
But that wasn't the case here. I loved being there again and it was as wonderful as I remember it. The City is a very special place and my works reflect my love for it. There will be more SF pictures coming out in the future. But for now, to see my current San Francisco works, go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/sf_gallery.htm
Thursday, May 05, 2005
A New, Fiery Painting
Once again, I am off today for another art show...once again in Leavenworth. It's Apple Blossom Festival in the Northwest, although the activity is centered in eastern Chelan County.
Last year, I set up my tent in Wenatchee in the main festival grounds. It was crowded, but very few were interested in art.
Meanwhile, 20 miles up Highway 2 in Leavenworth, the artists at Art-in-the-Park did much better as the more affluent festival goers made their way up Highway 2 to Leavenworth. It was an easy decision for me to chose Leavenworth this year rather than Wenatchee.
Another new work I will be showing in festivals this year is a work I call "The Lost Road, Part 2." I like this one very much as I used a new brush stroke technique that really brought out the life of the autumn colors in the roadside bushes. It almost has a fire-like quality as the red and orange leaves look like they are burning. Much of this is attributable to the new technique, which is not really all that visible in the web site image, unfortunately.
I call it the The Lost Road - Part 2 because I already have a painting called Part 1. The lost road comes from the fact that there are several small dirt roads in and around the Tumwater Canyon, just west of Leavenworth. Many of them are abandoned and overgrown, although the road in Part 2 is not. And yes...there will probably be a part 3 and part 4 in the future.
The Autumn of 2004 was very spectacular in some places, including the Tumwater Canyon area, all the way up to Lake Wenatchee. Autumn colors are very conducive to my own love of colors that is so evident in my art.
Just so you know, I have no wireless Internet connection in Leavenworth, so there will be no blog entry for the next few days. To view the new work, go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/lost_road_part_2.htm
Last year, I set up my tent in Wenatchee in the main festival grounds. It was crowded, but very few were interested in art.
Meanwhile, 20 miles up Highway 2 in Leavenworth, the artists at Art-in-the-Park did much better as the more affluent festival goers made their way up Highway 2 to Leavenworth. It was an easy decision for me to chose Leavenworth this year rather than Wenatchee.
Another new work I will be showing in festivals this year is a work I call "The Lost Road, Part 2." I like this one very much as I used a new brush stroke technique that really brought out the life of the autumn colors in the roadside bushes. It almost has a fire-like quality as the red and orange leaves look like they are burning. Much of this is attributable to the new technique, which is not really all that visible in the web site image, unfortunately.
I call it the The Lost Road - Part 2 because I already have a painting called Part 1. The lost road comes from the fact that there are several small dirt roads in and around the Tumwater Canyon, just west of Leavenworth. Many of them are abandoned and overgrown, although the road in Part 2 is not. And yes...there will probably be a part 3 and part 4 in the future.
The Autumn of 2004 was very spectacular in some places, including the Tumwater Canyon area, all the way up to Lake Wenatchee. Autumn colors are very conducive to my own love of colors that is so evident in my art.
Just so you know, I have no wireless Internet connection in Leavenworth, so there will be no blog entry for the next few days. To view the new work, go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/lost_road_part_2.htm
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Revisiting Italy...Again
This week, I was honored by Wedge Mountain Winery of Leavenworth by being named the "Artist of the Month" for May. The winery has put me and a couple of my works on their website along with a link to my website. I appreciate the honor very much.
It all came about last weekend when the winery's owner, Charlie McKee, came by my tent at last week's Leavenworth Art-in-the-Park. He fell in love with some of my paintings that feature Italian scenes. Charlie has been going to Italy since 1955 and did much of his wine making training in Northern Italy's Piedmonte district. This also happens to be the same area where Susan and I live when we go to Italy.
So Charlie and I had shared some great memories of the wine growing areas of Piedmonte and some of the small towns like Alba, Barolo, and Barbaresco, to name a few.
When we live in Italy, we live in a house on a hill about two miles outside of the small town of Canale. It is surrounded by vineyards. One day, while on a walk on a road through the vineyards, we came upon a small cluster of houses, only about 300 yards from our house. I saw instantly that this scene would make a great painting and photographed it immediately.
This winter, I finally sat down to create the painting. It struck me all at once that this scene, as I envisioned it, would be somewhat reminiscent of some of the country scenes painted by one of my favorite Impressionists, Camille Pissarro. I have always loved his work, especially his country landscapes.
While his colors are more muted than mine, I created this new painting, titled, "Canale - A Country Road," with Pissarro works in mind. Now that it is done, I have to say it is my favorite of the new works I created this winter.
Sometimes, when I create something new, it usually has to grow on me for a while before I include it in my public collection. Some works I really don't like and they never grow on me. Only my wife ever sees these works. But I fell in love with this work long before I finished it.
Although it appeared for the first time publicly at my show last weekend, it garnered a lot of attention and I even sold one print of the work. If you would like to see it, either come to one of my shows...or view it on my website at:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/canale_country_road.htm
It all came about last weekend when the winery's owner, Charlie McKee, came by my tent at last week's Leavenworth Art-in-the-Park. He fell in love with some of my paintings that feature Italian scenes. Charlie has been going to Italy since 1955 and did much of his wine making training in Northern Italy's Piedmonte district. This also happens to be the same area where Susan and I live when we go to Italy.
So Charlie and I had shared some great memories of the wine growing areas of Piedmonte and some of the small towns like Alba, Barolo, and Barbaresco, to name a few.
When we live in Italy, we live in a house on a hill about two miles outside of the small town of Canale. It is surrounded by vineyards. One day, while on a walk on a road through the vineyards, we came upon a small cluster of houses, only about 300 yards from our house. I saw instantly that this scene would make a great painting and photographed it immediately.
This winter, I finally sat down to create the painting. It struck me all at once that this scene, as I envisioned it, would be somewhat reminiscent of some of the country scenes painted by one of my favorite Impressionists, Camille Pissarro. I have always loved his work, especially his country landscapes.
While his colors are more muted than mine, I created this new painting, titled, "Canale - A Country Road," with Pissarro works in mind. Now that it is done, I have to say it is my favorite of the new works I created this winter.
Sometimes, when I create something new, it usually has to grow on me for a while before I include it in my public collection. Some works I really don't like and they never grow on me. Only my wife ever sees these works. But I fell in love with this work long before I finished it.
Although it appeared for the first time publicly at my show last weekend, it garnered a lot of attention and I even sold one print of the work. If you would like to see it, either come to one of my shows...or view it on my website at:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/canale_country_road.htm
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
The Days and Weeks of a Full Time Artist - Part 4
The ultimate aim of most artists is to be in a prestigious gallery, such as those found in the Chelsea district of New York City, where they hope their works will become famous and sell for thousands of dollars. It is a good dream, but most artists have a long road to travel before that happens, if ever.
Galleries can be good, but they can also be bad. Why? Because some are run well and some are run badly...just like any other business. It is the effort that the gallery makes that will sell or not sell your work. Of course, the quality of your art, at least in the public's eye is important. But the gallery must put in a lot of effort for you to be successful. In many cases, the public needs to be told what is good and what is not. And it is the job of the gallery to help make that happen.
Many artists spend many hours sending prints of their works to galleries, hoping to get in. Few do. It is somewhat similar to a writer who creates the perfect American novel, only to be rejected by every publisher. As I wrote yesterday, today's writers have some good self-publishing alternatives. However, an artist has no alternative to these rejections other than to go on the road or open his or her own gallery. But I am ahead of myself.
Although I am early in my full time art career, I made a conscious decision to market my own work via the Internet and art shows. After much research, I decided that I would let the galleries come to me if they were interested. And that is exactly what has happened. I was approached by different galleries to display my work and took advantage of most every opportunity to do so.
Some of my work has been sold by galleries, but not enough to make a living at it. But, I wasn't counting on that. I am just doing everything I can to become more well known. And that is working for me. While my works have not been shown in any major gallery yet, I know that day is coming as I do more and more prestigious shows.
And as I become more well known and my works start selling even better than they are now, I will pick and choose my galleries much more closely.
Someday, like my artist friend whom I mentioned in the previous post, I may just open up my own gallery. While that day is far off, it is a good dream to have. If you decide you ever want to do that, you must think strongly about the old real estate adage..."Location, location, location." It is vital that your gallery be someplace where there are art buyers. Usually that means a big city.
I live in a small town in the middle of Washington State. It is about the last place I would ever open a gallery, unless it were an extension of my studio and guests would come by invitation. My town is not an artist's colony by any means, and the majority of our tourists are fishermen and campers. To open a gallery here would not be a wise use of my funds.
Only an artist's colony, or a tourist-based town, or a large city would suffice for my own gallery...in other words, a place where there are large numbers of art buyers.
You need to take one other item into consideration. To open a gallery is to commit a large block of your time to running it...time that takes you away from the shows where your art really gets to be in front of the public. The good news about that is that you don't have to apply to juried art shows any more and worry about rejections.
The bottom line for a beginning full time artist is to do the art shows and let the galleries come to you. Believe me, they will come if you are good.
I will have more on the days and weeks of a full time artist throughout the year. I hope it has been informative and helpful so far. Any and all questions are gladly answered.
Galleries can be good, but they can also be bad. Why? Because some are run well and some are run badly...just like any other business. It is the effort that the gallery makes that will sell or not sell your work. Of course, the quality of your art, at least in the public's eye is important. But the gallery must put in a lot of effort for you to be successful. In many cases, the public needs to be told what is good and what is not. And it is the job of the gallery to help make that happen.
Many artists spend many hours sending prints of their works to galleries, hoping to get in. Few do. It is somewhat similar to a writer who creates the perfect American novel, only to be rejected by every publisher. As I wrote yesterday, today's writers have some good self-publishing alternatives. However, an artist has no alternative to these rejections other than to go on the road or open his or her own gallery. But I am ahead of myself.
Although I am early in my full time art career, I made a conscious decision to market my own work via the Internet and art shows. After much research, I decided that I would let the galleries come to me if they were interested. And that is exactly what has happened. I was approached by different galleries to display my work and took advantage of most every opportunity to do so.
Some of my work has been sold by galleries, but not enough to make a living at it. But, I wasn't counting on that. I am just doing everything I can to become more well known. And that is working for me. While my works have not been shown in any major gallery yet, I know that day is coming as I do more and more prestigious shows.
And as I become more well known and my works start selling even better than they are now, I will pick and choose my galleries much more closely.
Someday, like my artist friend whom I mentioned in the previous post, I may just open up my own gallery. While that day is far off, it is a good dream to have. If you decide you ever want to do that, you must think strongly about the old real estate adage..."Location, location, location." It is vital that your gallery be someplace where there are art buyers. Usually that means a big city.
I live in a small town in the middle of Washington State. It is about the last place I would ever open a gallery, unless it were an extension of my studio and guests would come by invitation. My town is not an artist's colony by any means, and the majority of our tourists are fishermen and campers. To open a gallery here would not be a wise use of my funds.
Only an artist's colony, or a tourist-based town, or a large city would suffice for my own gallery...in other words, a place where there are large numbers of art buyers.
You need to take one other item into consideration. To open a gallery is to commit a large block of your time to running it...time that takes you away from the shows where your art really gets to be in front of the public. The good news about that is that you don't have to apply to juried art shows any more and worry about rejections.
The bottom line for a beginning full time artist is to do the art shows and let the galleries come to you. Believe me, they will come if you are good.
I will have more on the days and weeks of a full time artist throughout the year. I hope it has been informative and helpful so far. Any and all questions are gladly answered.
Monday, May 02, 2005
How to be Your Own Publisher
First of all, I am back from my first art show of the year, and today, Monday, my exhaustion knows no bounds. It takes a lot of energy and hard work to not only do the show, but to do your own setup on Friday and takedown on Sunday. Needless to say I am out of shape.
The show went pretty much as expected. It was a slow weekend in Leavenworth as the tourist season hasn't really started yet. Traffic was low, but I did sell some of my works, including prints of some of the new ones.
As I said in my last blog, this show was a good tuneup for when the real season starts. I learned a lot about my setup and will make some changes for next week. The best part was seeing many of my artist friends after a six month layoff. I think we were all glad to see each other and be out in the sunshine again.
Now, about being your publisher.
Perhaps some of you are writers and have tried to submit your works to regular publishing houses. Like most writers, you probably have a pile of rejection slips. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
Perhaps you should consider being your own publisher. In the old days, this was called the "Vanity Press" and was expensive. It was also difficult for authors to get their self-published books into stores and many writers wound up with cases of their unsold books gathering dust in their attic or garage.
Today, self publishing is becoming more respectable, profitable, and less expensive than in previous years. And with the rise of the Internet, these self-publishing print houses are offering better ways to market these kind of books. Vanity press houses can make your books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other on-line bookstores.
It is amazing how this world of self publishing has changed. The New York Times recently published a great article on today's self-publishing market. If you are a writer and want to be published, I suggest you read it right away.
The show went pretty much as expected. It was a slow weekend in Leavenworth as the tourist season hasn't really started yet. Traffic was low, but I did sell some of my works, including prints of some of the new ones.
As I said in my last blog, this show was a good tuneup for when the real season starts. I learned a lot about my setup and will make some changes for next week. The best part was seeing many of my artist friends after a six month layoff. I think we were all glad to see each other and be out in the sunshine again.
Now, about being your publisher.
Perhaps some of you are writers and have tried to submit your works to regular publishing houses. Like most writers, you probably have a pile of rejection slips. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
Perhaps you should consider being your own publisher. In the old days, this was called the "Vanity Press" and was expensive. It was also difficult for authors to get their self-published books into stores and many writers wound up with cases of their unsold books gathering dust in their attic or garage.
Today, self publishing is becoming more respectable, profitable, and less expensive than in previous years. And with the rise of the Internet, these self-publishing print houses are offering better ways to market these kind of books. Vanity press houses can make your books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other on-line bookstores.
It is amazing how this world of self publishing has changed. The New York Times recently published a great article on today's self-publishing market. If you are a writer and want to be published, I suggest you read it right away.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
On the Road Again
I interrupt my series on "The Days and Weeks of a Full Time Artist," to tell you that tomorrow officially begins the 6 month art show season. In a few hours, I will be leaving home and heading for my travel trailer in Leavenworth. For the first five weekends of this year's season, I will be doing the Art-in-the-Park show in that beautiful city in the Cascade Mountains.
While far being on of the busiest shows on my schedule this year, Leavenworth offers an excellent place to "tune up" my displays and presentations. Plus it gives me a chance to live in a beautiful mountain environment and see old friends again.
I learned much last year from my artist friends in Leavenworth as I broke into the business. You couldn't image a more friendlier and helpful group of people. They were very important to my success as they gave me invaluable tips and advice on my new life style. While I won't be doing as many shows there I as I did last year, I will be opening and closing my year there as the last three weeks of the season will also be there. In addition, I also have a couple of open dates between other shows that I will probably spend in Leavenworth during the summer.
Two days ago, a transported my travel trailer up to the same place where I had it last year. Through one of my artist friends, I was fortunate to find a local resident who has several acres out on Icicle Road who let me put my trailer on his property and charges me a very nominal rent. It is a beautiful wooded spot well off the main road and backed up against the mountains...very quiet and peaceful. I do enjoy my time up there so much.
My son Eric is promising to come over this weekend for a day during the show and stay with me. Also Susan is coming up Sunday afternoon to help me break down and spend the night up in the mountains before we both head back home early Monday morning.
As for writing my two blogs, I will continue to do so, but posting them on the Net and sending out the e-mail to regular subscribers may prove to be a problem as I need an Internet connection. I do try to stay in hotels with a wireless Internet connection, but I am not always lucky. My place in Leavenworth does not have any kind of Internet connection, so when I am there for three or four days, you may not hear from me. But I will keep writing while I am there and get them on the Net when I can.
If you would like to see my art show schedule, it is posted on my web site. It is not complete yet as I haven't been officially accepted yet for several shows and I don't post them until I have the official acceptance letter in hand. So, you need to keep checking back occasionally.
It is going to be a busier year for me as I travel to four different states to display and sell my art. In many ways, I consider it a success already as, so far, I have been accepted into 6 major shows with, hopefully, more acceptances coming.
I hope sometime during the next six months that you can come to one of my shows and say hello.
While far being on of the busiest shows on my schedule this year, Leavenworth offers an excellent place to "tune up" my displays and presentations. Plus it gives me a chance to live in a beautiful mountain environment and see old friends again.
I learned much last year from my artist friends in Leavenworth as I broke into the business. You couldn't image a more friendlier and helpful group of people. They were very important to my success as they gave me invaluable tips and advice on my new life style. While I won't be doing as many shows there I as I did last year, I will be opening and closing my year there as the last three weeks of the season will also be there. In addition, I also have a couple of open dates between other shows that I will probably spend in Leavenworth during the summer.
Two days ago, a transported my travel trailer up to the same place where I had it last year. Through one of my artist friends, I was fortunate to find a local resident who has several acres out on Icicle Road who let me put my trailer on his property and charges me a very nominal rent. It is a beautiful wooded spot well off the main road and backed up against the mountains...very quiet and peaceful. I do enjoy my time up there so much.
My son Eric is promising to come over this weekend for a day during the show and stay with me. Also Susan is coming up Sunday afternoon to help me break down and spend the night up in the mountains before we both head back home early Monday morning.
As for writing my two blogs, I will continue to do so, but posting them on the Net and sending out the e-mail to regular subscribers may prove to be a problem as I need an Internet connection. I do try to stay in hotels with a wireless Internet connection, but I am not always lucky. My place in Leavenworth does not have any kind of Internet connection, so when I am there for three or four days, you may not hear from me. But I will keep writing while I am there and get them on the Net when I can.
If you would like to see my art show schedule, it is posted on my web site. It is not complete yet as I haven't been officially accepted yet for several shows and I don't post them until I have the official acceptance letter in hand. So, you need to keep checking back occasionally.
It is going to be a busier year for me as I travel to four different states to display and sell my art. In many ways, I consider it a success already as, so far, I have been accepted into 6 major shows with, hopefully, more acceptances coming.
I hope sometime during the next six months that you can come to one of my shows and say hello.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The Days and Weeks of a Full Time Artist - Part 3
When I started writing this series on becoming a full time artist, I didn't actually intend it to be a primer for artists who are thinking about making a living from it. It just sort of took on a life of its own as I began writing it. And I am glad it turned out this way as it may be helpful for someone thinking about making this kind of life change.
In reading the last two installments, my wife Susan said asked me if I was worried about people thinking that I was whining. If you are thinking that, banish that thought from your mind. I have never been happier in my life than I am now, helped along, I'm sure, because I am experiencing some success. It is a good life for me and I can't envision doing anything else. And I think the previous 58 years have prepared me well for what I hope is the last career in my life.
There are a lot of insecurities in play as you wonder if your work will be accepted by the public and if you can make a living at it. But, most of us live with insecurities these days.
But let's get back to art shows and jurying. To be accepted for an art show, you and your work must be accepted by a panel of jurors. In the bigger shows, that panel changes every year. And each show is unique in its requirements. And each requires some thought on your part on how to enter. You just sort of learn as you go on this. Even smaller shows will require you to submit samples of your work before you are accepted.
Most shows require a long lead time for entry. For instance, the Edmonds Art Festival, held in mid-June, requires all entries to be in by January 7. The Boise Art Festival in September has and entry deadline of March 31. All shows require at least 2-7 months.
As mentioned above, each show has different requirements. Many shows, especially the bigger, more prestigious shows, require slides of your work for jurying...anywhere from 4-8 slides. And the quality of your slides is very important. Some will accept photographs, while others are now accepting digital prints on a CD.
Almost all shows require one photo or slide of your display tent. This could be a problem for a new artist who hasn't even purchased a tent yet. But, without this picture, you might as well not enter. For my first year, I set up a tent in my front yard, complete with artworks displayed inside. It seemed to have worked. During my first year, my display underwent many changes, and at the end of the year, I took several pictures of it for next year's entry.
Jurying can be very frustrating and depressing, and it can be very uplifting. It is something you have to do every year, even for shows that you were accepted for the previous year. That also makes it a little terrifying as you are asking people you will never see or know to make a judgment on your work and, in a sense, on your life. And you have to do it over and over again.
You also have to learn not to take the rejections personally, even though your first reaction is one of depression, followed by anger. Jurors are human beings with their own stengths and flaws. One friend who has been accepted by a major show for five straight years, has now been rejected two years in a row for the same show. Go figure.
This year alone, I was rejected by one of the most insignificant shows imaginable in a small town, but was accepted by one of the most prestigious shows on the west coast as well as several other major shows. But, I was also rejected by a good show here in Washington, two years in a row. It is hard to figure why, especially as the judges see the exact same artworks.
But, while you can't take it personally, is still affects your income and your life. Not all shows are equal, so if you are accepted in smaller shows but rejected for larger shows, your income will suffer. Last year, I did a major show where I sold 48 pieces of my work in two days. The next week, I did a smaller show and sold only five pieces in four days.
A good friend of mine has been a full time artist for over 25 years. His work is excellent and sells very well. He has participated in many major shows over the years and done very well. But he has finally tired of the insecurities that come with depending on jurors year after year. He finally opened his own gallery this year and it has started out well.
In the next installment, I will talk about galleries, both your own and those owned by others. Is that a good way to go if you are an artist?
In reading the last two installments, my wife Susan said asked me if I was worried about people thinking that I was whining. If you are thinking that, banish that thought from your mind. I have never been happier in my life than I am now, helped along, I'm sure, because I am experiencing some success. It is a good life for me and I can't envision doing anything else. And I think the previous 58 years have prepared me well for what I hope is the last career in my life.
There are a lot of insecurities in play as you wonder if your work will be accepted by the public and if you can make a living at it. But, most of us live with insecurities these days.
But let's get back to art shows and jurying. To be accepted for an art show, you and your work must be accepted by a panel of jurors. In the bigger shows, that panel changes every year. And each show is unique in its requirements. And each requires some thought on your part on how to enter. You just sort of learn as you go on this. Even smaller shows will require you to submit samples of your work before you are accepted.
Most shows require a long lead time for entry. For instance, the Edmonds Art Festival, held in mid-June, requires all entries to be in by January 7. The Boise Art Festival in September has and entry deadline of March 31. All shows require at least 2-7 months.
As mentioned above, each show has different requirements. Many shows, especially the bigger, more prestigious shows, require slides of your work for jurying...anywhere from 4-8 slides. And the quality of your slides is very important. Some will accept photographs, while others are now accepting digital prints on a CD.
Almost all shows require one photo or slide of your display tent. This could be a problem for a new artist who hasn't even purchased a tent yet. But, without this picture, you might as well not enter. For my first year, I set up a tent in my front yard, complete with artworks displayed inside. It seemed to have worked. During my first year, my display underwent many changes, and at the end of the year, I took several pictures of it for next year's entry.
Jurying can be very frustrating and depressing, and it can be very uplifting. It is something you have to do every year, even for shows that you were accepted for the previous year. That also makes it a little terrifying as you are asking people you will never see or know to make a judgment on your work and, in a sense, on your life. And you have to do it over and over again.
You also have to learn not to take the rejections personally, even though your first reaction is one of depression, followed by anger. Jurors are human beings with their own stengths and flaws. One friend who has been accepted by a major show for five straight years, has now been rejected two years in a row for the same show. Go figure.
This year alone, I was rejected by one of the most insignificant shows imaginable in a small town, but was accepted by one of the most prestigious shows on the west coast as well as several other major shows. But, I was also rejected by a good show here in Washington, two years in a row. It is hard to figure why, especially as the judges see the exact same artworks.
But, while you can't take it personally, is still affects your income and your life. Not all shows are equal, so if you are accepted in smaller shows but rejected for larger shows, your income will suffer. Last year, I did a major show where I sold 48 pieces of my work in two days. The next week, I did a smaller show and sold only five pieces in four days.
A good friend of mine has been a full time artist for over 25 years. His work is excellent and sells very well. He has participated in many major shows over the years and done very well. But he has finally tired of the insecurities that come with depending on jurors year after year. He finally opened his own gallery this year and it has started out well.
In the next installment, I will talk about galleries, both your own and those owned by others. Is that a good way to go if you are an artist?
Sunday, April 24, 2005
The Days and Weeks of a Full Time Artist - Part 2
Ok. You have made the decision to become a full time artist. Let's go for it!! The first thing you have to learn is the very hard truth that about 10% of your time will be used in creating new art. The remaining 90% will be spent running your art business.
Surprised? You shouldn't be. Selling any kind of product requires being in business, which requires you to spend part of your time being a business person. The books have to be maintained, sales tax has to be collected and paid, licenses must be obtained, reports have to be filled out for state and federal agencies, profit and loss statements must constantly be monitored to see if your head is above water...well you get the idea. When starting out, you really need a written business plan, at least for yourself, that outlines all of these details just so you don't forget them.
Then comes the sales and marketing part. Deciding how your art is going to be sold, who to sell it to, how and when to sell it, how to market yourself and get your name out there and how to collect names of customers who buy your art for possible future sales. All these and much more require a marketing plan to be written and updated, again, again for your own needs. You should also read some books on how to promote yourself.
Then there is the technical part that ties into marketing. I'll just focus on 2D art for this part as it is what I know best. Besides creating the art, you need to think about making reprints of the originals, frames for both the originals and various size reprints, cutting mats for paper reprints, backing boards, plastic bags, wiring frames for hanging, protective sprays, stretching canvas for originals and canvas reprints, and more.
See what I mean? 10% creating...90% running a business. Even my short experiences as a full time artist has proven this to be true. It is so wonderful when that 10% time comes along. There is nothing better than shutting out the world and creating something new.
But let's cut to the chase and assume that you know how to run a business and you know all about the technical parts like matting and framing. Now, we need to focus on how and where to sell your works. In other words, sales and marketing.
Boiling it all down to basics, there are three places to sell your works: The Internet, festivals and galleries.
First, the Internet. This takes a bit of work to get up and keep going as you are trying to market both yourself and your art works. So you need to keep it updated all the time with new works, new appearance schedules, articles, and more. You also need a secure way to collect money on the Net when you make a sale. I will just cut to the chase on this one and say while you really need to have an Internet site, it isn't going to do much good until people get to know you and your works. Then it will come in very useful as your fame starts to pick up steam. Just don't leave it until then as web sites take time to put together.
Next comes festivals. This is where you need to concentrate most of your time when starting out and even when you become more well known. Art festivals, and other kinds of festivals occur all year long, but the best ones for an artist are those that run between May and September. And there are hundreds and hundreds of them all over the country.
These are almost all outdoor shows. Be aware that there are different kinds of festivals and shows. There are the pure art shows (like Salem Art Festival, the Richland Allied Arts Sale, and the Shoreline Arts Festival); the art shows mixed with another theme (like art and wine festivals or art and jazz festivals); and art shows that occur in tourist towns (like Leavenworth and Lake Chelan here in Eastern Washington).
Then there are shows that are part of some bigger event like county fairs...the Apple Blossom Festival, Ephrata's Sage and Sun, and the Edmonds Waterfront Festival. Finally, there are the Christmas shows that occur in Nov. and Dec.
My advise to new artists, based on experience, is to stay away from the latter two types. Christmas shows are expensive and people tend not to buy art as gifts for other people as they are not sure if they will like it. I have had sales at Christmas, but it usually comes from relatives and friends who know that the person they are gifting really loves my work.
The other shows like county fairs and town festivals are usually (but not always) pretty bad for artists. Its the mostly the wrong kind of crowd for artists that come to these shows and they are coming mostly for the wrong reasons, as far as you are concerned. They are there for carnival rides, the food and other things not related to art.
Another good reason to stay away is that many of these shows are very expensive to do. Oh yes, I think I forgot to mention that all these shows cost money to be in. Many shows, like Apple Blossom Festival, bring in thousands of people (hence a large show fee), but most of them are not the least bit interested in buying your work
No, the kind of shows that you want are ones that are almost strictly related to art. In others words, the kind of shows where people are coming to primarily look and buy art. The only catch here is that all these shows require jurying. What's that, you say?
I will explain that in the next episode.
Surprised? You shouldn't be. Selling any kind of product requires being in business, which requires you to spend part of your time being a business person. The books have to be maintained, sales tax has to be collected and paid, licenses must be obtained, reports have to be filled out for state and federal agencies, profit and loss statements must constantly be monitored to see if your head is above water...well you get the idea. When starting out, you really need a written business plan, at least for yourself, that outlines all of these details just so you don't forget them.
Then comes the sales and marketing part. Deciding how your art is going to be sold, who to sell it to, how and when to sell it, how to market yourself and get your name out there and how to collect names of customers who buy your art for possible future sales. All these and much more require a marketing plan to be written and updated, again, again for your own needs. You should also read some books on how to promote yourself.
Then there is the technical part that ties into marketing. I'll just focus on 2D art for this part as it is what I know best. Besides creating the art, you need to think about making reprints of the originals, frames for both the originals and various size reprints, cutting mats for paper reprints, backing boards, plastic bags, wiring frames for hanging, protective sprays, stretching canvas for originals and canvas reprints, and more.
See what I mean? 10% creating...90% running a business. Even my short experiences as a full time artist has proven this to be true. It is so wonderful when that 10% time comes along. There is nothing better than shutting out the world and creating something new.
But let's cut to the chase and assume that you know how to run a business and you know all about the technical parts like matting and framing. Now, we need to focus on how and where to sell your works. In other words, sales and marketing.
Boiling it all down to basics, there are three places to sell your works: The Internet, festivals and galleries.
First, the Internet. This takes a bit of work to get up and keep going as you are trying to market both yourself and your art works. So you need to keep it updated all the time with new works, new appearance schedules, articles, and more. You also need a secure way to collect money on the Net when you make a sale. I will just cut to the chase on this one and say while you really need to have an Internet site, it isn't going to do much good until people get to know you and your works. Then it will come in very useful as your fame starts to pick up steam. Just don't leave it until then as web sites take time to put together.
Next comes festivals. This is where you need to concentrate most of your time when starting out and even when you become more well known. Art festivals, and other kinds of festivals occur all year long, but the best ones for an artist are those that run between May and September. And there are hundreds and hundreds of them all over the country.
These are almost all outdoor shows. Be aware that there are different kinds of festivals and shows. There are the pure art shows (like Salem Art Festival, the Richland Allied Arts Sale, and the Shoreline Arts Festival); the art shows mixed with another theme (like art and wine festivals or art and jazz festivals); and art shows that occur in tourist towns (like Leavenworth and Lake Chelan here in Eastern Washington).
Then there are shows that are part of some bigger event like county fairs...the Apple Blossom Festival, Ephrata's Sage and Sun, and the Edmonds Waterfront Festival. Finally, there are the Christmas shows that occur in Nov. and Dec.
My advise to new artists, based on experience, is to stay away from the latter two types. Christmas shows are expensive and people tend not to buy art as gifts for other people as they are not sure if they will like it. I have had sales at Christmas, but it usually comes from relatives and friends who know that the person they are gifting really loves my work.
The other shows like county fairs and town festivals are usually (but not always) pretty bad for artists. Its the mostly the wrong kind of crowd for artists that come to these shows and they are coming mostly for the wrong reasons, as far as you are concerned. They are there for carnival rides, the food and other things not related to art.
Another good reason to stay away is that many of these shows are very expensive to do. Oh yes, I think I forgot to mention that all these shows cost money to be in. Many shows, like Apple Blossom Festival, bring in thousands of people (hence a large show fee), but most of them are not the least bit interested in buying your work
No, the kind of shows that you want are ones that are almost strictly related to art. In others words, the kind of shows where people are coming to primarily look and buy art. The only catch here is that all these shows require jurying. What's that, you say?
I will explain that in the next episode.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
The Days and Weeks of a Full Time Artist
Almost everyone should make an effort to be an artist. Whether it be in photography, painting, sculpture, writing, music, jewelry-making, or just about any other artistic medium you can think of, a person needs a creative outlet. It is so important to expand the limits of our imaginations... to let our minds carry us far beyond our own self-imposed limits.
It doesn't matter if no one ever sees your work. Its only important that you do it. To create works of art that you are proud of, whether you share them or not, is being an artist. It doesn't matter what others think. It is only important what you think and that you are deeply involved in the process to create your art while learning new techniques and coming up with new ideas to take it even further.
That, briefly and probably badly put, is the the definition of an artist. But, there is a difference between being an artist vs. a full time artist. Let me explain.
Suppose after some time spent with your art, you show your works in local shows and you get favorable reviews. Maybe even people want to buy your work. Now, your mind starts to wonder if you are good enough to become a full time artist. Can you afford to quite your day job and go full time?
Most people would not take that step, and probably 99% of them are making the absolutely right decision. It is a difficult life for many reasons, especially economics. But even more so, you are putting your creative soul out there for everyone to see and judge. And that judgment comes only in the form of money. You can't live on compliments.
In my case, the "big" decision was greatly helped along in that I didn't have to quite my job...it quite me. I was part of an economically-motivated layoff that cost me a well-paying job. At age 58, my job prospects were not good, especially living in an isolated rural county with a population smaller than the attendance at a Super Bowl game.
As my work was being well received locally and were selling, I decided to make the jump. Sure, I was a little scared, but I was far more excited than scared. I remember talking to my wife Susan about retirement, while I still had a full time job. She asked me what I would do when I retired. My answer was be an artist, do some writing, and travel.
Of course, that is what I do now. It has taken on a different form than what I envisioned when Susan asked me the question, because I still have to bring in some money. I am not at legal retirement age when it comes to Social Security, IRA's and 401K monies.
The next decision to be made could be very hard for some artists. When you become a full time artist, you have to be willing to part with your art for money. For many fields, like writing or music, this is not an issue. But if you are a traditional paint artist, sculpture, sketch artist, pottery maker, or jewelry maker, you have to be willing sell your originals. Now, that could be difficult for some as so much of your soul goes into every work you create. If you can't do it and you don't have a million or so in the bank, you can't become a full time artist.
Now, the next big decision becomes how does one go about getting started? How does one go about marketing and selling one's artworks? I will save that one for tomorrow.
It doesn't matter if no one ever sees your work. Its only important that you do it. To create works of art that you are proud of, whether you share them or not, is being an artist. It doesn't matter what others think. It is only important what you think and that you are deeply involved in the process to create your art while learning new techniques and coming up with new ideas to take it even further.
That, briefly and probably badly put, is the the definition of an artist. But, there is a difference between being an artist vs. a full time artist. Let me explain.
Suppose after some time spent with your art, you show your works in local shows and you get favorable reviews. Maybe even people want to buy your work. Now, your mind starts to wonder if you are good enough to become a full time artist. Can you afford to quite your day job and go full time?
Most people would not take that step, and probably 99% of them are making the absolutely right decision. It is a difficult life for many reasons, especially economics. But even more so, you are putting your creative soul out there for everyone to see and judge. And that judgment comes only in the form of money. You can't live on compliments.
In my case, the "big" decision was greatly helped along in that I didn't have to quite my job...it quite me. I was part of an economically-motivated layoff that cost me a well-paying job. At age 58, my job prospects were not good, especially living in an isolated rural county with a population smaller than the attendance at a Super Bowl game.
As my work was being well received locally and were selling, I decided to make the jump. Sure, I was a little scared, but I was far more excited than scared. I remember talking to my wife Susan about retirement, while I still had a full time job. She asked me what I would do when I retired. My answer was be an artist, do some writing, and travel.
Of course, that is what I do now. It has taken on a different form than what I envisioned when Susan asked me the question, because I still have to bring in some money. I am not at legal retirement age when it comes to Social Security, IRA's and 401K monies.
The next decision to be made could be very hard for some artists. When you become a full time artist, you have to be willing to part with your art for money. For many fields, like writing or music, this is not an issue. But if you are a traditional paint artist, sculpture, sketch artist, pottery maker, or jewelry maker, you have to be willing sell your originals. Now, that could be difficult for some as so much of your soul goes into every work you create. If you can't do it and you don't have a million or so in the bank, you can't become a full time artist.
Now, the next big decision becomes how does one go about getting started? How does one go about marketing and selling one's artworks? I will save that one for tomorrow.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Hello again...Remember me?
It has been a couple of months since I made an entry in this column...and for that, I apologize. I can give you a some good excuses...and truthful to boot.
If you read my technology blog, you know I have been faithful in writing those. I usually put out 5-6 of those per week. But, most of my time these days is spent getting ready for the upcoming art show season, which actually starts one week from today. I create new paintings, print them package them, price them, and get the marketing materials ready. A lot of work, to say the least.
But, another reason I stopped writing was that I didn't like where the old blog was headed. I was trying to write about the world of art in general, just like I do for the tech blog. But, I discovered I didn't really want to do that. I was trying to become a conduit to great art for you, and that isn't my mission.
So after taking some time off to think about it while doing other things, I decided to write what I really wanted to write about in the first place...about art as I see it. I will write about my works, my shows, my experiences on the road, my successes, and even my failures.
I will write about my experiences in the art world...great museums I have visited, other artists and their art that I like (and maybe you will too), great books I've read, and other things that interest me that relate to the world of the arts. I have great stories to tell from my time on the road and all the art I am exposed to.
The bottom line is that I want to write about my world of art... and the way I see the rest of the art world. I am not an art expert and am not qualified to write any long dissertations about what is good and what is not so good art. I am just going to tell you about what I see. Good art is in the eye of the creator and the beholder. And just like I get to make up my mind, you should have the opportunity to do the same.
If all this sounds a bit egotistical, perhaps it is. But, most blogs are about the writers who create them and the world they live in...be it politics, technology, religion, literature, history, or even art. That being the case, it is probably true that most blogs are egotistical.
In reviewing my tech blog, I find that I am really doing the same thing: searching out technologies that are interesting to me, exploring them more, and writing about them in hopes they will be of interest to others. In reading the responses from my readers, it seems to be working.
I hope this will be the case for this blog and that you will enjoy my new approach.
If you read my technology blog, you know I have been faithful in writing those. I usually put out 5-6 of those per week. But, most of my time these days is spent getting ready for the upcoming art show season, which actually starts one week from today. I create new paintings, print them package them, price them, and get the marketing materials ready. A lot of work, to say the least.
But, another reason I stopped writing was that I didn't like where the old blog was headed. I was trying to write about the world of art in general, just like I do for the tech blog. But, I discovered I didn't really want to do that. I was trying to become a conduit to great art for you, and that isn't my mission.
So after taking some time off to think about it while doing other things, I decided to write what I really wanted to write about in the first place...about art as I see it. I will write about my works, my shows, my experiences on the road, my successes, and even my failures.
I will write about my experiences in the art world...great museums I have visited, other artists and their art that I like (and maybe you will too), great books I've read, and other things that interest me that relate to the world of the arts. I have great stories to tell from my time on the road and all the art I am exposed to.
The bottom line is that I want to write about my world of art... and the way I see the rest of the art world. I am not an art expert and am not qualified to write any long dissertations about what is good and what is not so good art. I am just going to tell you about what I see. Good art is in the eye of the creator and the beholder. And just like I get to make up my mind, you should have the opportunity to do the same.
If all this sounds a bit egotistical, perhaps it is. But, most blogs are about the writers who create them and the world they live in...be it politics, technology, religion, literature, history, or even art. That being the case, it is probably true that most blogs are egotistical.
In reviewing my tech blog, I find that I am really doing the same thing: searching out technologies that are interesting to me, exploring them more, and writing about them in hopes they will be of interest to others. In reading the responses from my readers, it seems to be working.
I hope this will be the case for this blog and that you will enjoy my new approach.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
More on the Seattle Art Scene
Its ironic, but I am actually writing this web log about Seattle's art scene while sitting up on Queen Ann Hill in this beautiful city all lit up at night.
Two days ago I wrote about government funding of the arts in Seattle and recommended to you an excellent, thought provoking article in the Seattle Weekly. There was a follow-up article in the same publication with six of the paper's critics weighing in with their ideas to make "the scene" better.
I share them with you now in this short article.
Go to:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0503/050119_arts_toughideas.php
Two days ago I wrote about government funding of the arts in Seattle and recommended to you an excellent, thought provoking article in the Seattle Weekly. There was a follow-up article in the same publication with six of the paper's critics weighing in with their ideas to make "the scene" better.
I share them with you now in this short article.
Go to:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0503/050119_arts_toughideas.php
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Should Government Fund Seattle Arts?
For more years than I remember, there has always been a question of whether any government, be it local, state or federal, should provide funding for the arts. This question always rears its head when some form of art that most people find to be in questionable taste (to put it mildly) is found to be sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federally run program.
In truth, I find that some of the so called "arts programs" paid for with that agency's money have been in extremely bad taste and are not what I would call "art" at all. In truth, the NEA has sponsored many more excellent arts programs than bad ones. And, the money they have to work with, as allocated by Congress, is actually quite miniscule when you look at the big picture.
In Europe, funding for the arts is a matter of course, and the amounts we spend on it here is negligible compared to Europe's. But, in America there has never been any strong national support for arts funding. America is built on private enterprise, and the majority of people here feel that arts should support itself as everything else does. In truth, government money for arts is seen as some sort of welfare program.
I don't want to get hung up here on a discussion of the NEA and federal funding. What I really want to put on the table is local funding for the arts...local here meaning Seattle.
Seattle is the center for art in the Pacific Northwest, as LA and San Francisco are for California. We have our own superior symphony, ballet and opera companies. We also have an excellent major art museum that carries its own marvelous collection plus brings in spectacular traveling exhibitions by some of the most famous painters of all time. The city is also populated with local art galleries as well as having colleges and universities that help train new generations of artists.
Some of the larger arts programs just cannot be self supporting. They require some sort of government and private foundation funding to keep going. It is not cheap to retain over a 100 musicians for the symphony, for instance. And the Seattle Art Museum may not have been able to keep its doors open without the substantial help provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
But what about government or special taxation for the arts programs of Seattle? There is a 2% special hotel/motel tax in Seattle that was put in place to finance the arts here. Well, guess what? Most of that money was hijacked to pay of the debt of the now-demolished Kingdome. Very little finds its way to our arts.
The bottom line is that some arts program do deserve some help while other should simply be allowed to go away for lack of interest. But who makes the cut and who doesn't?
I was recently re-acquainted with these issues, thanks to a well written, informative article in the Seattle Weekly. I would like to share it with you not only to make you aware of the issues discussed here, but to better acquaint you with the art scene in general in Seattle.
To read this excellent article, go to:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0503/050119_arts_toughlove.php
In truth, I find that some of the so called "arts programs" paid for with that agency's money have been in extremely bad taste and are not what I would call "art" at all. In truth, the NEA has sponsored many more excellent arts programs than bad ones. And, the money they have to work with, as allocated by Congress, is actually quite miniscule when you look at the big picture.
In Europe, funding for the arts is a matter of course, and the amounts we spend on it here is negligible compared to Europe's. But, in America there has never been any strong national support for arts funding. America is built on private enterprise, and the majority of people here feel that arts should support itself as everything else does. In truth, government money for arts is seen as some sort of welfare program.
I don't want to get hung up here on a discussion of the NEA and federal funding. What I really want to put on the table is local funding for the arts...local here meaning Seattle.
Seattle is the center for art in the Pacific Northwest, as LA and San Francisco are for California. We have our own superior symphony, ballet and opera companies. We also have an excellent major art museum that carries its own marvelous collection plus brings in spectacular traveling exhibitions by some of the most famous painters of all time. The city is also populated with local art galleries as well as having colleges and universities that help train new generations of artists.
Some of the larger arts programs just cannot be self supporting. They require some sort of government and private foundation funding to keep going. It is not cheap to retain over a 100 musicians for the symphony, for instance. And the Seattle Art Museum may not have been able to keep its doors open without the substantial help provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
But what about government or special taxation for the arts programs of Seattle? There is a 2% special hotel/motel tax in Seattle that was put in place to finance the arts here. Well, guess what? Most of that money was hijacked to pay of the debt of the now-demolished Kingdome. Very little finds its way to our arts.
The bottom line is that some arts program do deserve some help while other should simply be allowed to go away for lack of interest. But who makes the cut and who doesn't?
I was recently re-acquainted with these issues, thanks to a well written, informative article in the Seattle Weekly. I would like to share it with you not only to make you aware of the issues discussed here, but to better acquaint you with the art scene in general in Seattle.
To read this excellent article, go to:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0503/050119_arts_toughlove.php
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Original Picasso Sells at Costco
With the possible exception of Wal-Mart, the last place one would ever think to look for an original Picasso would have to be Costco. But that has changed.
Costco's online store sold an original Pablo Picasso crayon drawing last week for just under $40,000. The work was authenticated by Picasso's daughter and the buyer was provided with all the right documentation. The work was provided to Costco by a Florida dealer.
This is the second original Picasso sold by Costco. Last year, the same dealer provied the retail giant with another drawing that sold for $35,000.
Unlike e-Bay, Costco does not auction off its artworks. It simply puts a price on it and that is what the buyer pays. Coscto has been selling fine arts for some time on its web site. Not counting the occassional Picasso, prices range from $22 to $1,500 for a limited edition lithograph. Their artists include Marc Chagall, Amadeo Modigliani, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque and many others.
As you may know, Costco has a liberal return policy for everything it sells. If a buyer is not completely satisfied, he or she may return the item, without a receipt, and get a full refund. But, does that apply to $40,000 original drawing? Costco says, yes it does.
Some art dealers say they are uneasy about providing stores like Costco with original art works. They feel it would ruin their reputation to do so. Another dealer says the transaction begs the question whether a buyer could get it cheaper at Wal-Mart.
Costco's online store sold an original Pablo Picasso crayon drawing last week for just under $40,000. The work was authenticated by Picasso's daughter and the buyer was provided with all the right documentation. The work was provided to Costco by a Florida dealer.
This is the second original Picasso sold by Costco. Last year, the same dealer provied the retail giant with another drawing that sold for $35,000.
Unlike e-Bay, Costco does not auction off its artworks. It simply puts a price on it and that is what the buyer pays. Coscto has been selling fine arts for some time on its web site. Not counting the occassional Picasso, prices range from $22 to $1,500 for a limited edition lithograph. Their artists include Marc Chagall, Amadeo Modigliani, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque and many others.
As you may know, Costco has a liberal return policy for everything it sells. If a buyer is not completely satisfied, he or she may return the item, without a receipt, and get a full refund. But, does that apply to $40,000 original drawing? Costco says, yes it does.
Some art dealers say they are uneasy about providing stores like Costco with original art works. They feel it would ruin their reputation to do so. Another dealer says the transaction begs the question whether a buyer could get it cheaper at Wal-Mart.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Best Books of 2004
As an avid reader, I always look forward to the annual New York Times list of the top 100 books of the year. It always comes out in December and is usually split evenly between fiction and non-fiction.
It lists the name of the book and a brief summary of its contents. But, you can click on the title to get the in-depth review that was published originally in the times.
This is an excellent source for readers who feel they might have missed some good books throughout the year. Give it a try.
It lists the name of the book and a brief summary of its contents. But, you can click on the title to get the in-depth review that was published originally in the times.
This is an excellent source for readers who feel they might have missed some good books throughout the year. Give it a try.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
New Painting - Along the East Road
I recently completed a new digital painting and have finally got around to putting it up on my web site. It is titled, "Along the East Road."
It is another of my experimentations with the Impressionist style. It is available only as an 18x24 canvas Giclee print at the present time. Giclee paper prints will follow shortly.
Several people, including my wife, have mistaken the location as being in Europe. My wife thought it was something I had done when we were in the Italian Alps in the area of the Swiss-French border. That areas is replete with towers and castles.
However, the tower in this painting is located just outside of Leavenworth, WA along East Leavenworth Road. During the art season when I was doing shows in Leavenworth, I used to drive by it several times a week on the way back to my lodgings . I had a feeling when autumn came that it would make a spectacular image, if properly composed. I think I was right.
I am enjoying my experiments with Impressionism, although I am still creating works using my usual style, as you will see shortly. You may also see some other paintings done from views along the East Leavenworth Road.
I welcome any comments, as usual.
It is another of my experimentations with the Impressionist style. It is available only as an 18x24 canvas Giclee print at the present time. Giclee paper prints will follow shortly.
Several people, including my wife, have mistaken the location as being in Europe. My wife thought it was something I had done when we were in the Italian Alps in the area of the Swiss-French border. That areas is replete with towers and castles.
However, the tower in this painting is located just outside of Leavenworth, WA along East Leavenworth Road. During the art season when I was doing shows in Leavenworth, I used to drive by it several times a week on the way back to my lodgings . I had a feeling when autumn came that it would make a spectacular image, if properly composed. I think I was right.
I am enjoying my experiments with Impressionism, although I am still creating works using my usual style, as you will see shortly. You may also see some other paintings done from views along the East Leavenworth Road.
I welcome any comments, as usual.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Art and Our Children
I don’t know much about education and our schools. I am the first to admit it. But there are three immutable laws of education that other experts have come up with that I believe to be true. They are:
1. The bigger the school district, the worse the school board
2. The worse the school board, the worse the education that our children receive
3. When money is tight, the first thing usually to be cut is the arts department
Well, I am going to add a fourth rule:
4. When the arts are cut out of school curriculum, our children suffer in ways you can’t imagine.
Recent studies done by the Arts Education Partnership have documented that students with high levels of arts participation outperform "arts-poor" students in virtually every important measure. Why? Because the arts give students new ways to think and problem-solve. It gives them stronger cognitive skills, which are used to master other subjects like reading, writing and mathematics.
In this knowledge-based world, integrating arts into the educational process has never been more important. I invite you to read this very important article recently published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/blogs/Arts%20essential%20to%20learning.htm
Saturday, January 08, 2005
New Eiffel Tower Painting
I have wanted to do a painting of the Eiffel Tower in Paris for some time. On our last trip to Paris, I had captured it on film on an especially beautiful day. Over time, I tried different initial rendering experiments, but was never happy with the results. I didn't like where it was headed, so like most projects that hit me wrong, I put it aside for a while to let my brain work on it in the background.
In October of 2004, after the art tour season ended, I decided to do some experiments using an Impressionistic style. After a few initial failures, I hit upon a technique that I liked. The first one that I completed that I was willing to show was a painting entitled, "Paula's Garden."
It was a radical change from anything that I had ever done before, so like many of my works, I thought about it long and hard before ever showing it. Paula's Garden was first shown at my one man show in Ephrata in December of 2004.
But, while I was thinking about whether to publish Paula's Garden, I decided to see if this new style would work on the Eiffel Tower. It wasn't long before it was clear that this Impressionistic style would work for me on this mighty subject. After some initial experiments, I decided to make it less bold than Paula's Garden, but still hold that Impressionistic look and feel. I also wanted it to have a lot of color as that is what my works are known for.
When the work was nearly completed, I made the decision that the work was to be shown initially only on canvas and that it had to be the largest print I have ever attempted. After putting in the final details, I printed it out on a large 24x36 canvas, then mounted and framed it.
It has been entered in the Columbia Basin Juried Invitational show and, if accepted, will be shown at the MAC gallery in Moses Lake beginning January 29. It will also be shown in another gallery in Vancouver, WA, as soon as final arrangements are completed.
For now, the work only exists in its large canvas form. It is a limited edition print of only 50 copies. There may be a smaller paper Gicglee print done in the future.
The work, entitled simply "Tower," shows the famous structure from the large grassy area known as the "Champ de Mars", or "Mars Fields," so named because Napoleon used to march his troops in the area. Through the legs of the tower, you can see the "Palais de Chaillot," which features a large outdoor balcony for a different view of the tower.
To see the work on my web site, go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/tower.htm
In October of 2004, after the art tour season ended, I decided to do some experiments using an Impressionistic style. After a few initial failures, I hit upon a technique that I liked. The first one that I completed that I was willing to show was a painting entitled, "Paula's Garden."
It was a radical change from anything that I had ever done before, so like many of my works, I thought about it long and hard before ever showing it. Paula's Garden was first shown at my one man show in Ephrata in December of 2004.
But, while I was thinking about whether to publish Paula's Garden, I decided to see if this new style would work on the Eiffel Tower. It wasn't long before it was clear that this Impressionistic style would work for me on this mighty subject. After some initial experiments, I decided to make it less bold than Paula's Garden, but still hold that Impressionistic look and feel. I also wanted it to have a lot of color as that is what my works are known for.
When the work was nearly completed, I made the decision that the work was to be shown initially only on canvas and that it had to be the largest print I have ever attempted. After putting in the final details, I printed it out on a large 24x36 canvas, then mounted and framed it.
It has been entered in the Columbia Basin Juried Invitational show and, if accepted, will be shown at the MAC gallery in Moses Lake beginning January 29. It will also be shown in another gallery in Vancouver, WA, as soon as final arrangements are completed.
For now, the work only exists in its large canvas form. It is a limited edition print of only 50 copies. There may be a smaller paper Gicglee print done in the future.
The work, entitled simply "Tower," shows the famous structure from the large grassy area known as the "Champ de Mars", or "Mars Fields," so named because Napoleon used to march his troops in the area. Through the legs of the tower, you can see the "Palais de Chaillot," which features a large outdoor balcony for a different view of the tower.
To see the work on my web site, go to:
http://www.corkrum.com/jim/tower.htm
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Should I Take This as a Compliment?
I received a call today from one of the galleries that displays my work. And just so my local friends who read this web log know, it is not one that is in Grant County.
They said they had good news and bad news for me. The good news was they sold one of my limited edition large canvas prints, "Fall Fisherman". Needless to say, I was happy about that.
And what was the bad news? It seems one of my other large prints, "My Uncle's Barn", has apparently been stolen. What?
No one is quite sure how the theft occurred. The prints hang in a large, well traveled area near a restaurant entrance, which I always considered a plus. The prints are secured to the wall in such a way that it a takes a special tool to get them off. Or, apparently, a really strong yank when no one is looking will also work. Whatever the case, it's gone now and there is no point in trying to fix blame. And I know that gallery has learned a valuable lesson and will work on their security.
I can't help but think that someone must have really loved my work to take that kind of chance to steal it in a public place. It was not small by any means so they couldn't stick it inside a coat or a purse. It was big!! So, there was ample opportunity for whoever took it to be seen and subsequently arrested. Whoever stole it took a pretty big chance of being caught.
But that brings me back to my question...should I take it as a compliment? Could it be said that someone who takes a big chance to steal a work by a relatively unknown artist may actually love it more than some who might purchase it?
Well, I do know most people who buy my work do so because they like it very much, maybe even love it. And I don't want to put a legitimate buyer on the same level as a thief. I also know that if someone stole the Mona Lisa or some other famous painting, it would be for money, not for love of the artwork. And you sure can't rank my work on the Most Wanted list for art thieves.
Still, I just can't help wondering about the person who stole it. I'm pretty sure they couldn't afford to buy it. But perhaps they loved it so much that they had to take the big chance so they could love it at home. I don't know if that is true, but I would like to think it is. In that case, I hope they will always treasure it while always regretting the fact they stole part of my livelihood. There are always two sides to every theft.
They said they had good news and bad news for me. The good news was they sold one of my limited edition large canvas prints, "Fall Fisherman". Needless to say, I was happy about that.
And what was the bad news? It seems one of my other large prints, "My Uncle's Barn", has apparently been stolen. What?
No one is quite sure how the theft occurred. The prints hang in a large, well traveled area near a restaurant entrance, which I always considered a plus. The prints are secured to the wall in such a way that it a takes a special tool to get them off. Or, apparently, a really strong yank when no one is looking will also work. Whatever the case, it's gone now and there is no point in trying to fix blame. And I know that gallery has learned a valuable lesson and will work on their security.
I can't help but think that someone must have really loved my work to take that kind of chance to steal it in a public place. It was not small by any means so they couldn't stick it inside a coat or a purse. It was big!! So, there was ample opportunity for whoever took it to be seen and subsequently arrested. Whoever stole it took a pretty big chance of being caught.
But that brings me back to my question...should I take it as a compliment? Could it be said that someone who takes a big chance to steal a work by a relatively unknown artist may actually love it more than some who might purchase it?
Well, I do know most people who buy my work do so because they like it very much, maybe even love it. And I don't want to put a legitimate buyer on the same level as a thief. I also know that if someone stole the Mona Lisa or some other famous painting, it would be for money, not for love of the artwork. And you sure can't rank my work on the Most Wanted list for art thieves.
Still, I just can't help wondering about the person who stole it. I'm pretty sure they couldn't afford to buy it. But perhaps they loved it so much that they had to take the big chance so they could love it at home. I don't know if that is true, but I would like to think it is. In that case, I hope they will always treasure it while always regretting the fact they stole part of my livelihood. There are always two sides to every theft.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Irish Artists May Loose Their Tax Free Status
The tax free status given to writers, artists and musicians in Ireland is going to be reviewed by the government. The probable outcome: A minimum tax rate or sliding scale of relief likely to be introduced for top earners.
The review is in response to widespread public anger that millionaires in the music business and other fields have been using relief schemes that allow them, legitimately, to avoid paying any tax on their earnings. Music groups like U2, The Corrs and Westlife, singers including Enya, Van Morrison and Chris de Burgh and shows like Riverdance, are earning millions worldwide, but because they are Irish citizens, they pay no taxes.
The tax free scheme for writers, artists and musicians was introduced more than 30 years ago by Charles Haughey, an arts patron who was then finance minister. The scheme, unique to Ireland, was intended to show how the country valued artistic and creative talent, as well as being of practical help to struggling artists.
The review is in response to widespread public anger that millionaires in the music business and other fields have been using relief schemes that allow them, legitimately, to avoid paying any tax on their earnings. Music groups like U2, The Corrs and Westlife, singers including Enya, Van Morrison and Chris de Burgh and shows like Riverdance, are earning millions worldwide, but because they are Irish citizens, they pay no taxes.
The tax free scheme for writers, artists and musicians was introduced more than 30 years ago by Charles Haughey, an arts patron who was then finance minister. The scheme, unique to Ireland, was intended to show how the country valued artistic and creative talent, as well as being of practical help to struggling artists.
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