Showing posts with label evolving as an artist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evolving as an artist. Show all posts
Monday, June 15, 2015
Monday, June 15th 2015
WoW. It's been awhile since I've posted, yes? It happens. Life. The list of things to do gets so long that something falls off it...right off the edge. ________________B
L
O
G
See?
So. What's been going on? Well. Lets see.
More ranch fencing, gardening projects, 3 colds, 1 round of anti-botics, a vacation, some family happenings, a couple of new calves, rain, rain, and more rain, home improvements, a new building for horses, ah. Horseback riding lessons. The highlight of every week. I remembered something I had forgotten from when I was much younger.
I am completely happy when I am on the back of a horse. Completely and totally.
I am very happy in the presence of most any living being, really. I love to sculpt them, true. But that act is once removed from being with them, interacting with them. I love when my cat is in my lap and she's purring and I can look at her fuzzy face and see each single hair on her nose. It's a wonder.
In church on Sunday the sermon was about (among other things) presenting ourselves one way but behaving another. The number of sermons we've had for these last months about drawing the circle wider have been many but as our guest pastor pointed out, then on Monday we tend to fall back into old ways of being divisionary, exclusionary, because we believe we know what is right and those who agree with us are wise and those who don't are fools...obviously. That the opposite of Love is not Hate, it's Fear.
I think we listen to that fear through the voice in our heads. Everyone has that voice inside their heads. It's funny to me that when we're listening to it, or speaking from it we say, I say, "I'm just thinking." This is the chattering voice. It's shrill sometimes, it's self-righteous sometimes, or jealous, or well...it's giving voice to many variations of fear. It really isn't thinking. Bad enough it is when contained in our heads. Much worse if words make it audible to others, if actions make it felt.
I'm not out among others very often. I stay home and there's a lot to do at our little ranch even if I'm not sculpting. But that voice, my own inside my head, causes a lot of trouble for me just in the company of myself. Much of the time it's full of itself and thinks fame is "the ticket" to what will make it feel good. I know that isn't true. The wish for that comes from fear. Fear of being unimportant.
Part of my (at least) one prayer to God every day is to make me the type of person he created me to be.
Little's Voice says "What is it? I WANNA BE A BIG IMPORTANT ___________!!" (fill in the blank)...Little doesn't much care what goes in the blank...Little has Middle Child Syndrome...but not in a good way.
"Listen Little," (yes, I give this part of me a good talking to on a regular basis) I say, "I love you and you are an important part of me but Shut Up." and then I pray. If Little chatters while I'm praying I'll never get to Amen...so hopefully Little does shut up.
"Lord Jesus, I want to do what you would have me do- what ever is my soul's work. How can I learn what that is? How do I know if I do that already?" Mostly what I want to know is this. Am I on the right track?
When do I get in trouble? When do I get off track? When I don't listen to God and I listen to that trouble maker in my head. It says things like "I don't deserve to be treated like that." "I don't want to do that today." "I want to do that." "I wish __________." "I need _________." "I hate it when ________."
Shut up. Shut UP. SHUT UP!!
"Make a list every day."
"Give each your full attention."
"You will know what to do and when it is time to do it."
"That's it."
He never chatters. I love that.
My wish for you today:
Monday, September 29, 2014
Fearless Creating
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| Almond Blossoms by Niki Hilsabeck |
As you can probably guess from some of my other articles, I have a passion for reading about the connections between psychology and creativity.Doesn't it sound like a really helpful to us artists book? What is your most helpful to you book for keeping motivated and inspired?
One of the books I picked up (early on, as a beginning artist) was Fearless Creating by Eric Maisel. It’s a book I’ve hung on to over the years because it contains useful theories, inspiring quotes, and thought-provoking exercises that help me renew my focus on creativity.
Fearless Creating takes readers through the entire creative process, from the conception and nurturing of an idea to the completion and publication or display of the finished product. Throughout the book, Maisel references the stories of creative people through the ages, both famous and not well-known, sharing the struggles and joys of their artistic careers.
Maisel takes a proactive approach to the concerns and pitfalls many artists face, including creative anxiety, a need for meaning in their art, going against the grain of society, and self-sabotage. The author has extensive experience working with creative patients, and provides exercises to re-route the reader’s thoughts so they can become part of the creative process.
I’ll admit that I didn’t stop and try each exercise as I read (spoiler alert—one of them involves throwing a hot potato) but I did use many of the written exercises, and still refer back to them if I’m having trouble at a particular stage of creating.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the abundance of sidebar quotes from creative personalities of all disciplines. Even when pressed for time, I often find a quick bit of inspiration just by opening Maisel’s book and reading a quote.
Reading through the theories, completing the exercises, and digesting the sidebar quotes, I come away with a sense of creative community. The struggle to bring creative ideas to fruition is often misunderstood by the community at large, so it’s reassuring to read a book that affirms the value of artists and their work.
Fearless Creating encourages artists to embrace their unique qualities. Themes such as “wildness” and “tameness,” “fifteen active qualities of the artist,” and “appropriate clarity” highlight the need to know and express your authentic self as an artist.
The beginning of the book, in which Maisel describes the idea of “Hushing and Holding” an idea, was most useful for me as a visual artist. I used to just throw myself into painting projects without giving ideas much time to develop; hushing and holding gives me the opportunity to be more selective and nurture an idea before I begin a painting.
The author devotes the last chapter to showing and even selling your work, and includes a twenty page appendix with strategies to manage anxiety at the end (this appendix alone makes the book worth hanging on to, in my opinion).
If you spend long hours on your own and could use a quick pep-talk, Maisel’s book is definitely a handy one to keep in the studio.
Fearless Creating is probably not a book you’d want to read in one sitting. However, I would suggest reading it through in chronological order at least once, as the book is designed to help the reader break down and analyze the creative process from beginning to end.
There’s a lot to digest throughout the book, and because it’s psychology-based, you’re more than likely to come away with new ideas about yourself and your work habits—all of which will take time for your brain to process and utilize.
One caveat is that the book can be a bit didactic at times (“you must” and “you will” are phrases that make frequent appearances). Being a free-thinking, creative artist you probably don’t like being told what to do—but then again, who does??
However, if you can accept the occasional forceful language in the spirit of personal growth, you might find yourself returning again and again to Fearless Creating for its wisdom as you grow and change as an artist. Just keep a pencil handy as you read it!
Hope you are enjoying your start to the week this Monday. I know I am.
'Til tomorrow!
~Alex
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Selling Art
Do you know how the BIG gallery market works? Since I will continue to be considered an "emerging artist" for quite some time, perhaps for the rest of my life...this is something Mark and I are still learning.
Today I would like to share with you something I read the other day. It is from a post written by blogger and gallery owner Edward Winkleman. His blog is well worth reading whether you are an artist or a collector. And his gallery? Well. Here is (in part) the write up on their gallery website:
We have participated in art fairs such as The Armory Show, SEVEN, Pulse, ARCO, Art Chicago, NADA, INDEPENDENT, and Moving Image. Gallery artists have exhibited in some of the world’s most important venues and biennials, including the Venice Biennale, the Vienna Kunsthalle, The Art Institute in Chicago, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Singapore Biennale, the Sharjah Biennial, and the Whitney Biennial.Impressive, is all I have to say about that.
One of the artists Winkleman Gallery represents is Shane Hope. Here is one of his 3-D printed artworks:
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| Shane Hope "Computronium-Cloud Copyllution" 2013 |
That Primary Gallery DiscussionIf you are experiencing a growth spurt with gallery representation, I hope you find this useful information. I know I did. Hope you are having a great weekend.Of all the negotiations that an artist has with their dealer, few are as treacherous to navigate as the one concerning the "primary gallery" question. The reason it can be trickier than other issues is because each new potential opportunity to work with another gallery can change the entire landscape. If, for example, you have a primary gallery in City X and then a gallery in City Y wants to work with you, whether the City Y gallery is going to be happy to become your "secondary gallery" will depend on how they feel about both the other gallery and that other city.
In general, it's not to any gallery's advantage to be secondary gallery for any of their artists and it's often to their great advantage to be the primary gallery for all their artists. It's to most artists' benefit to have a primary gallery for some situations and not at all for others. Further, a gallery powerful enough to work out primary gallery status for most of their artists is usually one well worth working with.
So what do we mean by "primary gallery" or "secondary gallery" in this context? We've discussed this before, but an email from an artist struggling with these issues suggests we could flesh out the issues a bit more. I've changed some details to protect the artist's anonymity:I recently graduated and I was picked up by a gallery soon after in City Q. I wanted to get some clarification about other galleries working with other galleries. Is this a common thing? I am not familiar with this and I have been asking anyone with answers about this. I am allowed to get representation in another gallery in another state, however, I was told that I needed to tell that other gallery they need to split their half of the commission with my gallery. Ex: from the 50%, one gallery gets 30% and the other gets 20%. This was not told to me at the beginning. One, I do not feel comfortable in this position and I don't think it is my duty to do this as the artist. Two, if my gallery is the one to start the relationship, then they can discuss their terms. I have been told it is a rare situation and rarely works out.Also, are galleries allowed to take a % from every exhibition I participate in? on works that aren't consigned to them? I am a new, young emerging artist and I feel I am being taken advantage of. I feel I am in a situation I don't know how to go about it. If you have any advice/input it would really be helpful.OK, so let's begin with a frank discussion about why a gallery might insist on this. (And, from what is provided here, I would conclude that this artist is NOT being taken advantage of, but is not being communicated with effectively.)
In the gallery system the term "primary gallery" means an artist's main gallery, or #1 in the pecking order. This is the gallery that maintains his/her master archive, does much of the communications promoting their career (i.e., with institutions planning exhibitions), will work to raise the money to produce most of the work in situations where that's part of the artist's practice, and generally resides in a high-profile market, meaning they get the kind of traffic/critical attention for the artist that other galleries in other locations just can't. In return they may stipulate terms for representation by which their investment in building the markets for their artists is returned to them through commission on sales in other galleries. The thinking here includes the notion that the other galleries (usually in smaller cities) can only command the prices for the work by this artist because of the primary gallery's reputation and hard work in building their market.
Such terms of representation vary widely (including percentages, duration, geographical extent, etc.). Even within most galleries, they are highly negotiable (i.e., Artist G, who is internationally renown and sells work in the 6-digit range, may be able to insist on terms that Artist T, who is fresh out of school and still building a market cannot [nor should, IMHO]).
A "secondary gallery" is any other gallery (within certain geographical restrictions usually, but not necessarily) that an artist who has a primary gallery works with too. You can have many, many secondary galleries, but within any geographical area, you have only one primary gallery. Of course, no gallery would volunteer to be a secondary gallery for their artists, but it's often a small price to pay for the prestige and/or income to be had by working with an artist who already has a strong market built up by another dealer.
Personally, I feel the real "victim" (OK, so it's not truly that dramatic usually) in such situations is the secondary gallery dealer, not the artist, who will still make their 50% of any sale. But I do realize that until all the terms are established, it can be highly uncomfortable for any artist wishing to have other galleries in addition to their primary gallery, so I empathize with this artist.
Having said that, however, discussing---in depth---how any gallery you're considering signing up with works with other galleries is Representation 101. All the anxiety expressed by the artist above can be eliminated through a simple conversation before the fact. Questions I suggest you ask if your potential new (potentially primary) gallery doesn't offer such information upfront include:Question 4 is your real tool here to alleviate any frustration/anxiety. Make the galleries duke it out (they will compromise to your benefit usually). Just be aware up front what your first gallery expects before agreeing to representation. The devil truly lurks in the details of this issue. Personalities, grudges, greed...they can all come into play when dealers talk to each other. If you, as the artist, understand the terms up front though, you don't have to suffer through any of that. Nor should you have to. You may need to make some tough decisions at times, but no one can spare you from those, so....
- Will you see yourself as my "primary gallery"? And if so, what does that mean with regards to services you provide and expectations of working with other galleries?
- Do any commissions you expect of secondary galleries expire after a certain period of my working with them?
- Where do these terms apply? Are you my primary gallery only in this city/state/country/continent ?
- How should I discuss this with a gallery in another city that wants to work with me, but doesn't want to pay commission? Should I ask them to talk with you about it?
- Can this be put in writing?
'Til tomorrow -
~Alex
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Travelling the I-80 Trail
Professional artists are almost always working solitary and I don't know there is any better way to be creative. The quiet needed for inspiration to come visit will, much of the time, not be there - if there are distractions of any kind.
Growing up I had nearly perfected the skill of mentally travelling inward just so I could be in a world where inspirations and ideas would visit. I was accused of "being a daydreamer" for that reason, perhaps. Daydreams were a refuge from a childhood that was ...let's just say, something that made me pretty tough. Not hard or unkind or inaccessible to others kind of tough (although others may disagree with this), but inner resolve 'sure of what I must do' kind of tough, 'it doesn't much matter what the "tribe" thinks,' kind of tough.
This is a type of tough an artist needs, I think. So while much of my childhood I will bemoan - it did, if fact, prepare me well, and especially for something like I am doing this week: sharing with anyone what I do to create what I create. I will be at Turpin Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming demonstrating how I sculpt.
For me, it's real personal, not really how I sculpt...but why I create what I create. Especially the horses because "why" I create them is all tied up with my early life...if I could have transformed myself into anything then, it would have been a horse. I would have run far, kicked hard and done it all with all the grace and beauty that a horse possesses. If I had had a horse, I may have saddled up and ridden off into the sunset.
Give me a Black Stallion book. I'm good.
But...this is boring. Enough about me.
I started the project I will be working on enough to make it travel safe.
Until, once in Wyoming and on I-80 Mark said,
"Hmmm. The oil light just came on."
We happened to be close to the famous Buford, Wyoming (population 1 ) town and they had a gas station/convenience store. Mark opened the hood of our lovely rented hatchback to discover an engine covered with oil and no oil cap on the (for lack of what the more technical name might be) thing where you put the oil in :)
Hope you are having a very good weekend. I'll be back writing when I can.
'Til then -
~Alex
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Matisse and Artistic Exploration
While that doesn't conjure up any visions or beauty to me really - I don't like the looks of an old arm chair I guess...but the comfort one provides is pretty nice.
Matisse painted realistically in the first part of his career. Wonderful oil paintings; vibrant still life paintings and others.
I think this is the way all artists start. Learning to create what you see - not what your mind interprets as what you see. It isn't until many years later, usually...that sometimes, the way an artist creates and what their creations look like begins to change into what could be described as "a style" - one that is truly original to that particular artist.
Many times when an artist begins and is popular early in their career, their staunchest supporters; friends, spouses, gallery owners - are resistant to this natural evolution of their artistic style. It is very human to be resistant to change...after all.
Let me share with you a sample of Matisse's early art works and art that we would not have of Matisse's today if his style had never evolved. (These images represent his work over 63 years of creating and is only a sample of all he created in increments of approximately every 5 years),
And just as a side note: that his style changed over the years has not decreased the value of the original works he created, but rather made them an invaluable record of his artistic journey, and thereby invaluable works to the collectors of his works.
These works span the years of approximately 1889 to 1952. Two works are from 1943; the cutout called Fall of Icarus and the painting Tulips and Shellfish on a Dark Background.
A great many of these images came from the Wikiart website. They are doing great things bringing the art world to all of us on the World Wide Web. I hope you will visit their site and check it out. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you showed them some love and sent them some coffee money.
Well - that's all for today. Wishing you an evolutionary day!
'Til tomorrow
~Alex
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