I always have the most interesting conversations with my fellow artists because it always provokes further thought.

Today was about “quality” and “respectable” galleries and venues. Do you think that just because someone doesn’t follow another’s rules that their work lacks quality or respectability?

I wonder if it is better to be told that an artist needs to meet “standards” or if one should “make” those standards. Isn’t it better to be wanted for who you are rather than be dictated to?

I come from a very strict background on one hand, but a very free-flowing mindscape on another. My father was a stronghand, he had certain expectations that had to be met, he had certain values that he wouldn’t tolerate being compromised. But one thing he always told me was to set my own rules. I didn’t really understand what he meant, because he wasn’t a real good demonstration of this ideal, but I understand now, some years after his death, that was his heart and soul talking to me, and if he could do it over again, he would. My years in the military taught me structure, taught me order, and what it was like to be confined. Now, I have been out of the military longer than in it (I retired in 97), and I am understanding more and more of what it means to make my own rules. I am understanding that the value of social pressure can be used for good, but it is also very detrimental. While it isn’t quite “Lord of the Flies” here in Kelowna, there is tremendous social pressure to conform, to only do certain things, to be friends with only certain people yadda yadda yadda. I never bought in to that sort of thing, and here is where my realization lies. Social conformity suffocates creativity.

My mother had the type of attitude that as long as it didn’t hurt anyone, anything goes, pretty much. She was/is so open minded it was irritating. But that was her gift, and one that still bugs me today for I can not consider one side of the argument without acknowledging, even grudgingly, the other. All points of view are valid, it is just choosing which one you want to adopt and fits in with your life. Just because “I” make certain decisions, or ask certain questions, doesn’t mean that YOUR decisions or actions are wrong.

In January of this year, I turned my studio into a cooperative venture with three other artists. This is going so very well, beyond my most imaginative dreams. With less time at the RCA, I have noticed a reduction in my requirement to “conform”. Odd, isn’t it. But it is a public building, it is an institution with its own rules and regulations. By reducing the exposure to these sorts of structure, I feel my mind has become much more freer – “slipped the surly bonds” of social conformity so some extent, and now certainly working on the remainder. Lately I’ve had trouble painting larger works – mostly I have been doing 5×7s, 6×8ss, you know, that sort of thing, and I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Well, I was growing, that’s what the problem was. Growth is seldom easy and mostly painful and confusing.

Below is an excerpt from an email to a friend of mine, where I am discussing what is going on in terms of art making, and attitude:

“and it is from our conversation that I think I have it figured out, just a little – and why I am doing the sculpture now, and doing sculptured drawings, and why the paper needs to be so big. I need the room, to shape and transform the space. ….. Anyway, that is what has been going around in my brain – I’ve been so used to conflict, and working from conflict, that the process of creating from a space of peace is/was foreign. It is like I am learning a new language.”

Art is really a process that illuminates what is going on within, if we pay attention. For me, the process of working with clay, adding, subtracting, being malleable, and then solidifying over time, finally to firing, is a parable for social conformity. Now I am working with stone, carving out, revealing the subject within, chipping away the rigid boundaries – I’m seeing a parallel of a path to independence and maturity….

Regarding respectability, I don’t think there is a correct answer, right for everyone. I only know the questions and comments I make to myself: By being told what standards you will adhere to, the walls of a box are created, and then you inhabit that box. That’s someone else’s box. By defining what standards you adhere to, you become known for a certain thing – is respectability all that it is cracked up to be? Does quality require respectability? Do you want to be respectable, or do you want to be alive and carefree and happy? Do you want people to want you for who you are or how you toe the line. The first is freedom and bliss and shooting for the stars, the second is chains and handcuffs and stormy clouds. At least in my world.

For my art, I will take care of the quality and respectability will take care of itself.

And when is it about the artist, the locality, the artwork, or the economy?

Hard questions.

I Just Have a Big Mouth

In the last six months or so, I have had so many people come up to me (mostly other artists) and say what a terrific job I am doing in marketing. Marketing?! What marketing? I just have a big mouth, that’s all.

If I am doing something, I say so. If I am involved with other groups, I say so. If I am involved in your group, it is because I believe in it, and/or I am proud of it. I wouldn’t be hanging out with you if you didn’t have something positive to offer the community. I wouldn’t be hanging out with you if I didn’t have something positive to offer YOU! These days it seems it is really hard to get people involved in outside artist activities… So be happy that anyone is involved in your project, whether it is me, or Joe the Plummer! Be happy that I’m blabbing (or blogging) about it! You should be too, why aren’t you?

Some people have done their blasting of their work through the charities, and their donations. Very commendable, but when do you draw the line and say, “okay you guys, you’re bleeding me dry?” Some people have done their blasting of their work through galleries, or through exhibitions, or through their activities or their organizations they belong to (ie Rotary, Red Hats or __Fill_in_the_Blank__). That is great! What you are doing is utilizing the greatest asset that we have at our disposal, that of cooperation and community!

Is it marketing? Sure. Any time you open your mouth to say what you are doing, you are marketing. For example, even when I am not marketing my art, if I am doing a unrelated activity, I am still marketing my art, because I am known as an artist. The art is seldom separated from the artist, how can it be, really, when you think about it. The art is a reflection of what is inside of you, you are a walking advertisement for your work. So walk tall!

Three Main Groups of Artists

The way I see it is that you have three main groups of artists.

1. The first group are hobbyists, and they put on an artshow to hopefully make a few sales, show people what they’ve done, have a good time. It’s a pleasure based activity, not one that is really grounded in personal achievement and ambition.
2. The second group are what I call commercial artists, usually full time but not in all cases, who create a specific type of work for a specific type of clientele. Still pleasurable, painstaking, but these artists are in love with what they do, and shows that they have are very targeted towards the needs of these clientele, very much a niche market.
3. The third group of artists are those who are full time artists, but again not in all cases, who create work just because they love to create and are always on the look out for new ways in to their ideas. These artists look at their artworks like they are diamonds, with many facets of expression and interpretation. These artists love to have shows so they can interact with the public and share their discoveries. The artworks do sell, but not usually right away – in my cases, I’ve had works sit for about six years before anyone saw the same potential and excitement that I did.
4. There is another group of artists who show in artist run centres who rely on art marketing by the galleries, and rarely sell, so for that reason, I am not going to include much about them here. Having said that though, there are many artists who combine two or three of these “categories”, simply because they can, and they have that ability.

Buying from an Art Gallery vs Buying from the Artist

Let’s talk about the locality – where the shows are. Are they in a town who supports artists, and who buy a lot of art? Or are they in a town whose residents go to art shows, but rarely buy anything. Are the art shows in a gallery or with other artists? The benefit of being in a gallery is you have the apparent blessing of an establishment stating “this artwork is worthy of purchase.” Am I supportive of galleries? Absolutely. My work is in galleries, why wouldn’t I be supportive of them? Galleries take the guess work out of an art purchase. Galleries have already done the homework in terms of the artist, the artwork and the potential future. In my case, the galleries I am in are in a different place than I am, and I know that my reputation is a strong one, strong enough to carry to be where they are – and I know they sell my work because I receive a nice cheque every now and then. But, having said that, I believe it is a wise and daring client who would be more interested in purchasing the artwork from the artist – these clients have the time to do their own homework, and while they may purchase from a gallery from time to time, they enjoy the pleasure of hunting out new blood. These are the types of clients that I like, as they are explorers themselves. They aren’t afraid to go off the beaten path of the regular gallery route to discover a hidden nugget – they are cultural hikers.

The Economy

The economy has been really tough in the past year and a half on those of us who pay our bills from the results of artwork sales. I mean, really tough. Talk about going in to a black hole of nothingness. So what do you do? Do you complain and sit back and say, it’s the economy…? or do you adapt? For me, I adapt, and I make sure other people consider adapting too – for example: if big works aren’t selling, make small ones. If paints cost a lot of money, learn to use another medium that doesn’t cost a lot. You are creative!! Explore, be inventive, go beyond the apparent barriers, and you will surprise yourself. Make noise – eventually it will turn into song.

Does Artwork Really Sell Online?

Yes, it does. There is no other way to say it. I remember back in 2004 when I was looking for a way to get my work out of Kelowna, and I started to sell on ebay. Sure ebay wasn’t the regular route, but it has never been my path to go the regular route. I was doing very well – my first piece was $900 30×40 oil painting to a fabulous woman in Ontario, and it only increased from there. I remember going to a marketing course “Are you Export Ready”, put on by the Alternator Gallery, the local artist run centre, in 2004 or 2005. I was told at that time I was not export ready, even though I had already sold more than a few thousand in the few months that I was online. I attended the course to learn about exports and regulation, and learned enough to find the rest of the way myself. Anyway, I digress. There was a discussion about where to put artworks for sale, and someone at the back said “you can always sell on ebay!” Everyone laughed as if it was a big joke. I was very hurt by that, as these were people I admired and respected. It is now 2009, and I have five years of online sales, a huge number on my email list and I could not ask for any better clients. These are people who really connected with my work and appreciated it. What more can I ask for?

The point that I am trying to make is that don’t dismiss the oddball ventures. Be courageous. Don’t follow the crowd. Gallery owners troll ebay, because it is a nice snapshot of what is going on in the world. As a result of my sales and exposure on ebay, I was able to move over to Ruby Lane in 2007, which is where I am now. With my start on ebay,  which includes over 700 artworks sold literally around the world, in the past five years, being published in a book about life drawing by University instructor Harold Stone, picked up by a gallery in Hong Kong, and met some tremendously savvy business people in Tom King’s The Business Group, (also on ebay, gold and platinum Power sellers) people whose business is selling online – millions of dollars a year. How better for me to learn than to be with outstanding people? And I am proud to say that I have been able to help them too.

None of this would have happened if I listened and was intimidated by the people I respected and admired, and allowed their behaviour to modify mine. What I did consider was why I respected and admired them, I guarantee you that this has become less.

The Artwork

If you do some artwork and don’t tell anyone about it, that’s all fine as well. Some artwork is very personal. There are a lot of works I have done that no one knows about because quite frankly, I don’t think they’d “get it”. I don’t even “get it” at least not yet, maybe in a few years things will become clear as to why etc. That’s usually how it works, hindsight and all that.

The Last Word

All I can say is that 80 percent of marketing is being strong enough to stand up and say something out loud to many people who may or may not be listening. It doesn’t really matter if they are listening, it matters that you are standing up and saying it.  People are going to remember your name because they either:

• really love your artwork, or
• really hate it, or
• can’t believe that you are telling others about it, or
• because they can’t believe you’re such an unrealistic dreamer.

All of the above are completely acceptable, because they are going to remember your name.