Living the Life of an Artist

Coming off a weekend of NH Open Doors where I was set up at the Gallery at Well Sweep in Hillsborough, my mind is full of ideas and plans to further develop my skills as a successful artist and business woman. Defining oneself seems to be part of the on-going journey of life. Every time I come up with titles and start getting comfortable saying, “This is who I am,” other thoughts creep in telling me not quite. Artists not only have to come up with titles for what they do, but we also need to come up with ways to highlight our work for selling purposes. We are artists and sales people and the mentality that goes with needing to be both often feels totally at odds with one another.

The most successful artists are the ones who are great sales people. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good the art is, it’s about the art of salesmanship. To these people, the wheeling and dealing is part of their art. Then there are those of us who find putting ourselves out in front of people and selling foreign to our psyches. For us, this doesn’t come natural. I love to talk about my art, but to feel like I am pushing myself on a potential customer doesn’t feel right.

I AM AN ARTIST! I want others to love what I do and want to buy. I spend hours thinking and planning and reading tips on how to approach people, how to sell, what to say, etc. One tip that sticks the most right now is “Art does not sell itself.” So, what can I do to set myself apart from others? What will make my work appealing and different? What words will make people notice me? (Even making that last question makes me feel a little funny. I want people to notice my work. However, people have to notice me first through ads and websites and word of mouth.)

Today I am musing over my photography. I am labeled a photographer, yet I don’t feel like I’m just a photographer because I don’t do weddings and those kinds of services. I was calling myself a Fine Art Photographer because my work is more in the artistic realms. Wait a minute! That makes me a PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST. Hmmm, maybe I could experiment with that badge for awhile…

We often have discussions on the differences between being a craftsperson, artisan, and artist. Some of my work can fit in the category of Fine Art, like the charcoal landscape drawings and large photo prints. Some of my work leans more towards crafts, such as the cards. All is important to me as an artist and so much of the business of being this artist is learning what will sell where and to whom. It’s an on-going dilemma even for people who have been doing this for years.

It’s even harder for those of us who work in multiple mediums.

Living the Life of an Artist: Using People’s Images in Art

The subject of asking permission came up with regards to using people’s pictures as artwork. There was quite a discussion on a blog that I read. In my own work, I do not deal with people unless I am taking photographs for the newspaper and then I ask permission of subjects and parents if they are children. To me, it’s a question of ethics and just feels wrong to take pictures of someone without getting their permission, especially if you are looking to sell those pictures.

This morning, as I was journaling, I began seeing famous paintings and pictures of people in my mind. Did the artist or photographer have permission for every one? Of course, when someone, a model, sits for a picture, then permission is then given, but what of all those images snapped of people on the street or in less than pleasant situations; images that get printed in newspapers and magazines? Does journalism follow different rules from artists? How much depends on the situation?

Reading Jason’s blog left me feeling that this subject is mostly a question of ethics. Yes, in this country, there could be legal ramifications if permission isn’t granted, but there seems to be much gray area. My initial reactions are that it is wrong to even TAKE someone’s picture without their permission.

Because of these issues, I don’t do much with people shots from an artist standpoint. I have many pictures of the grandchildren and others that are amazing photos and yet, the thought of matting these with intent to sell seems wrong. I would not want pictures hanging on my wall of people I do not know, so why would I expect others to purchase photos that I have?

Pictures done by artists and photographers come to my mind along with the question of when is it exploiting someone’s picture and what is art. Nudity in art books is considered art, whereas in magazines, it is pornography.  The models in magazines are giving permission for their images to be used, but the intent is very different from those who pose for painters or the sake of art. This was really brought to my attention when I worked at Barnes & Noble. I used to laugh to myself to see magazines wrapped up in cellophane and yet anyone could go to the art section and open big picture books to view nude women. ART. The eye of the artist.

Oh, my, the light bulb went off! It is ethics, but it is also how the artist SEES!!! The artist isn’t seeing the outside identity of the person being photographed or painted. Something is seen beyond that. The “model” is just a vehicle to capture an image, a memory, an expression. THAT’s the art! Not so much the person, but what the person is conveying in the moment. It is something that comes from within the artist and the vehicle for its release is in the model or image.

Yes, sometimes the artist is taking the photo or painting the picture of a particular person to do a commissioned portrait. Many times, however, the public will never know the real identity of that person. Names are not often used. Blue Boy, Girl with the Pearl Earring, Woman in Red, American Gothic, etc. Artists see things on a different level. They are capturing an image, a feeling of what the pose, the scene, the expression is portraying to them. They use a visual (model or photograph) to ignite the spark of creativity.

This made me think about a few of my pictures of people that I have thought about using, those that can be considered art. Of course, if I put those pictures out for sale, it wouldn’t be because of WHO that person is, but because of the expression, of what the total picture says, of the ARTistry of the photo. It’s the way that image is captured that takes it from a plain photograph to a work of art. A photographer may take a hundred photos and only get two or three that can be really seen as art.

This self inflection of how I view people in art has taken me to a new realm. No, I am not going to be a people photographer, but if, every so often, I get a special picture, then perhaps it will be okay to use it, to take it into the world of art. It will definitely be with permission, though.

Living the Life of an Artist

Sometimes I feel like a failure. Here I am again getting ready for another show--- Hillsborough Area Artisans’ Spring Into Summer Faire--- and once more I am questioning pricing. I try to work a formula, but I still question. I want to be fair to customers and I need to be fair to myself.

Others I talk to go through the same dilemmas so I am not alone. I want my work to sell, but I also need to make a profit. I’m not looking to make big bucks, but I also want to be seen as a professional. I want to be consistent and, of course, I want people to like me and love my work. I want people to love my work enough to buy it.
 

     I love what I do and I’m proud of my art work whether it’s Fine Art Photography or Exquisite Charcoal Landscape Drawings.

Yesterday I received a phone call from my dentist’s receptionist. “Bonnie is gone.” What? I was in shock and the more Darlene spoke, the more tears fell. Bonnie and I had a lot in common; single post- menopausal women, musicians (she played cello and I, Native American flute,) and artists (she did water colors and I, charcoal landscape drawing, poetry, and photography.) I loved our twice a year conversations and now there is an empty place in my heart.

“We have to clean our garages,” Darlene said that Bonnie told her two days before, “because if something happens to us, ‘they’ will bring in a dumpster. Two days after Bonnie’s passing, a big dumpster was in the yard.”

I’ve often thought this very thing as my family hasn’t always been interested in my work and art. I know that much of the stuff that brings me such joy will be trash to others. The years of my life, the heartaches and joys and accomplishments recorded on the pages of my journals will not hold anyone else’s attention. Some of my “unusual” art pieces won’t be of any use. The “someday” project bits lying in wait will certainly make it into a dumpster or burn pile. Books, works in progress, and supplies will also be tossed.

I don’t want to push my beliefs and passions onto those unwilling to enjoy this part of the journey. I can accept that family does not share my interests. They are busy with their own and that’s okay. There are those out there who have bought books or pictures and those who like reading my poems and articles. I always figured that if one person gets something out of one of my pictures or if I touch the heart of another, then I have done my job.

This does not mean that I am giving up. I love what I do and the joy bubbles over. I am excited about my endeavors and every day is an adventure. I experiment with mediums. I explore ways to share my findings. This is Passion, and the drive makes me dance (at least on the inside.) I will continue to do my work with the realization that most of it will probably disappear in time. I will keep on taking pictures and drawing. I’ll write poetry and let my emotions carry my fingers across the keyboard. I’ll play my flutes and watch the birds. My heart is full of joy.

Today I am once more thinking about my art work, photography, and what gets me stuck. I want to do it all myself right down to the finish work of mounting, matting, and framing. I have questions in my mind and haven’t the courage to ask strangers for advice.

This last week I was accepted as a juried member by the Hillsboro Area Artisans and it is imperative that my work be “professional.” The exhibit at the library came down and in looking at the backing on the frames, I am not pleased with the work I did… and I’m not sure how to correct it.

Where do I go from here? Who do I ask? At the moment, I do not know any of my fellow artisans to approach them. After all, I am supposed to be professional. Shouldn’t I already know how to do this stuff?

At one point, I considered just doing the finish work cheaply. However, I realized that my original art would be seen as cheap, too. At this stage in my life work, I have to move forward and really be the professional that my years of experience dictate.

Ideally, I’d like to get into conversations about foam board, backing, glues, and mats. I’d like to visit a framing place and have someone show me what is done. I also figure that the more I talk about what I want, the more likely someone will come along who can help me with my dilemmas.