It's been a while since I've written; lately I've been doing a lot of soul searching...trying to figure out what direction I need to focus on in my career going forward...should I focus more on art shows versus internet sales versus retail venues etc?...it seems like there are so many different roads you can take as an artist, especially as a self represented artist. And, after wearing 10 hats, when you're at your most tired, the ever present thought of just handing all the grueling details over to a third person gallery is always looming there in the not so far distance.
Being an artist is a lonely job. You spend 90% of your time working alone...or with the guys at Fed Ex or the art store folks...blah...solitude can be a necessary evil if your art requires it...but...then we crash...and realize that it is absolutely essential that we get out of the studio to seek new inspiration, new artistic visions......absorb it...all types, forms and mediums....and ultimately fan the artistic flame....Introducing new thoughts to ourselves, seeing artists breaking the rules...awe, the courage...it can be very freeing...healing...even if you don't purchase a thing...
In the last couple of months I've dipped my muse into the oh so enlightening artscape of New Mexico which is so far my #1 favorite place to go when I need a good kick in the butt of artistic inspiration. I'll tell you more about that later....
Then last weekend I made a pilgrimage to the 2009 New York Art Expo, looking to find the holy grail of artistic talent.
Now, holy grail it was not...New Mexico still far outweighs the Expo experience, as far as I'm concerned, but there was definitely a lot of art to be seen-a couple of artists that I really admired-and many, many networking possibilities. A few more "cheap, painting mill" stuff out of China than I was expecting but...for the most part...
Has anyone out there tried exhibiting at New York Art Expo? If so, how did it work out?
2 comments:
Your so right about the lonely job. I have been pushing my art for 2 years solid, hold a fulltime job as a Director of Engineering, have to hit the gym or explode in stress, have my grown son in college playing football and living with me(Raised him myself) errands, everthing and in between, I prepare the next art show, paint in little increments of time, marketing my work via internet and local media, it goes on and on. I go to the Ocean, San Francisco or Monterey, CA for inspiration and beauty. I have not gone for months due to work constraints and such. San Francisco has so many various medias of art and endless galleries and of course the MOMA. Museum of Modern Art..
I envy those who have the job of artist fulltime, my inspiration has no time clock but gets lost in everyday activity. To paint a piece from start to finish or in long thought out parts rather than 10 mintue to 1 hour increments would be a dream.
I feel what your saying like it was me saying it..unless your a committed artist, other's do not understand.
Sounds like you have a pretty FULL life, wow but kudos. I must admit, I paint in lieu of the gym these days, the energy can be a godsend when lifting large canvases :)....but I know what you mean, if only there were a perfect median.
I've come to the conclusion that without the inspiration you get from living life there is no inspiration to keep churning away in the studio full time or otherwise...keeping inspiration up after a few years of release is a conscious effort like researching for a novel or a character in a play....I need large chunks of "living" time to get inspired or I start to feel like a machine.
I used to think that you could feel inspired to make art non stop but I don't think you can, not the kind that moves you. I did for a couple of years and now it's about finding balance between life and creating truly inspired art.
I have found that sometimes the best pieces are those that you create the most quickly and spontaneously, without giving it a second thought..........
Thank you for writing :)...I'm jealous of your proximity to the ocean...my dream...someday...
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