Friday, August 15, 2014
How Artists Work
After all, if I wrote a wonderful book I wouldn't want some silly blogger to take a bunch of material from it and publish it on the internet.
But the premise is good for what we should talk about today - so looking to see if I could find out some information on the web about this subject, I have found that Mason Currey did some publishing on this very topic for the online magazine, Slate back in 2013 (yes, that long ago).
One post title is "Are Starving Artists Better Artists" and it wasn't what I expected.
He talks about several artists who literally didn't eat much in the way of food because that was their preference and they believed helped with their creativity.
He makes the point that thinking too much about anything other than what you're creating - in this case, food - is just one more distraction an artist can do without.
He also has a post about alcohol consumption and artists ...and this just made me laugh (a lot). Here's why. :)
So check out this self-portrait of Francis Bacon:
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| Francis Bacon Self Portrait 1969
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According to Currey, Bacon "drank tremendous quantities of alcohol during his long nights out on the town, but he always woke at the first light of day and painted for several hours, usually finishing around noon. Even the occasional hangover was, in Bacon’s mind, a boon. “I often like working with a hangover,” he said, “because my mind is crackling with energy and I can think very clearly.”
I have got to think that Bacon had one whale of a hangover when he painted that self portrait.
Poor thing.
Well. We will explore this subject some more tomorrow (not alcohol consumption...but how artist work).
I hope your Friday fun does not find you feeling like the painting above in the morning.
'Til tomorrow!
~Alex
Thursday, August 14, 2014
MORE Traits and Habits of Successful Artists
"BE CREATIVE"
I'm not sure how helpful stating the obvious is.
Under this heading the guest writer on this particular site goes on to explain that he means "be prolific"...as in - have enough work to be able to respond readily to opportunities for exhibits and so on. This was not written by an artist, by the way.
I only want to point out here that working too hard to be prolific can smash creativity into little tiny pieces (at least in my case).
One goal this particular artist has - is to create what most speaks to her. Which sounds cliché. Sorry.
Let me try again. What do I mean by creating something that most speaks to me?
I mean, I love animals, sure. Lots of people do...however - beyond that I want to communicate (something) ABOUT a particular animal I create.
So I sculpt horses with reeaaally looong legs in sometimes very unusual colors.
Sorta surreal, but young horses have really long legs, right?
That's what lots of people see when they look at my work. And that's fine.
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| "Itchy!" bronze sculpture by Alex Alvis |
My "style" if you will, is to create sculpture that incorporates unusual elements into them.
My goal is to elegantly state how special they are as a species and as individuals.
So these unusual and surprising elements will describe the spirit of the animal and/or its place in the world.
The long legs and wonderful colors are describing that the youth and vibrancy and spirit of horses extend far beyond their physical form.
These are intentional surreal elements...yet truly how I imagined the sculptures.
Same with the Blue Moon Series of animals. There may not be the element of elongated form, but for describing the animal's place in this world, the sculptures have a blue moon (surreal element communicating to the viewer) incorporated into the sculpture itself.
To emphasize that THIS is an animal you won't see very often because it is an endangered species animal.
I could just sculpt a horse and endangered species animals realistically or in some consistent "style"...but I want to communicate something beyond style and beyond form.
And certainly - Generating Art Output for the sake of generating art is not going to result in fresh and original art from me.
In fact, the thought "I MUST HAVE _______ AMOUNT OF ART and sculpt, sculpt, sculpt...." can create this very bad thing I call STRESS.
And, I don't know about you - but certain types of stress will squash my ability to create art that is fresh and vibrant and communicative and thought/emotion inducing.
So. Here's a tip.
Make your environment one that FOSTERS your creativity.
This is going to mean different things for different people. Of course.
It is great fun to look back at other artists and what they did to feather their creative nest. In fact I've got a new book I have been reading called Daily Rituals How Artists Work by Mason Currey.
So we'll peek at that a bit tomorrow...after all tomorrow is Friday and Friday should be extra fun :)
'Til then - have a stress-free art filled day.
~Alex
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Traits & Habits of Successful Artists
I would say, yes ....and no. There are "no new thoughts" Bryon Katie would say. She talks with people all over the world and they all say different versions of the same things...thoughts that limit their lives. Are you having thoughts that limit your life?
Stop it. Examine those thoughts and know they are lies, they are fear, they will separate you from whatever may be able to help you...be it energy, or other people, and even but most especially the power you yourself have.
You are an artist. Do what comes next.
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Hummingbird l
©Lori McNee
5 x 7″ Oil, Charcoal, Encaustic on Bhutan Paper |
Do race car drivers not race cars? Will a computer programmer work in a veterinary clinic? Does a horse trainer work in a corporation sitting in a cubicle all day in Manhattan?
Over the next few days I will give you some tips from other artists that I find really meaningful to me. I hope that you will enjoy them too.
Today's tips are from Lori McNee, a professional oil painter who specializes in still life and landscape painting.
5 Common Traits of Successful Artists:
- Art is the core of their lives. These artists wake up and go to sleep thinking about art. They carve out time in their day making art or marketing it. (In fact, for these artists, there seems to be no clear distinction between the creativity of making and marketing.) If they have a full-time job, it is secondary in their minds to art and mostly a means to and end. Their real job is being an artist.
- Successful artists understand how business works in the art world. Successful artists understand the entrepreneurial aspects of making a living as an artist. When they encounter something new or unusual on the business side, they investigate and learn to do it or delegate the task. They know the value of relationships and network in person and through social media.
- Successful artists have a strong work ethic. They manage themselves, their creative energy and resources. They balance the time to produce art and to market it. Whatever rhythm of working they choose, they stick to it. Whether these artists enjoy the business tasks or not, they know they must be done and they do them without complaint or resentment.
- Successful artists are resilient. They know that success does not happen overnight – it requires hard work. These artists understand that things don t always work out the way they expect. When they make mistakes, they focus on solutions, not on regrets. They learn from experience and experiment to improve on any success they have.
- Successful artists spend time only with people who are 100% supportive of their art career. They limit their time and emotional involvement with people who are negative especially about art as a career choice. If people close to them have the skills and inclination to be more directly involved in their art career, the artist can produce more and better. Successful artists do not allow unsupportive people to be an obstacle to their plans for success.
'Til then - hope your day is everything you wish for it to be.
~Alex
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Traits of Successful Artists
Sharing secrets to creating art while creating an art
business is the "tag line" on my blog and I am not sure it's quite the right one...because it may not be the clearest way for me to say what the purpose of this blog is.
I mean. Sharing secrets to creating art...taken just at face value...well.
That's pretty straight forward really, isn't it? I mean....the secret to creating art isn't really a secret. Just get into your doggone studio and create it, right?
The rest of the sentence is the clue really to why I'm writing this blog. ..."while creating an art business."
That is really a huge challenge because so much of the time an artist must tend to the business side of their art career and somehow find the TIME to create art. To anyone who thinks being a professional artist is not a full time job (and then some) ...think again.
Go to an art show as an artist and you will find that we are all struggling with the issues we have in the world of being a professional artist. All the artists who participated in Sculpture in the Park had an opportunity to attend a seminar on Friday.
I only had the time to go listen to George Walbye speak about "Making a Connection with Potential New Patrons- learn how to engage the patron and close the sale from the Dynamic Duo of George Walbye and Mark Williams who sold 30 pieces at the 30th Anniversary show!" before it was time to go on to other adventures on Friday.
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| George Walbye. George and “HIGH PLAINS WARRIOR” in Loveland's Benson Sculpture Park |
It was fun to hear George speak for sure. But also, on Saturday, I asked my husband Mark to go listen to George speak with people in real time at the show...just for a little extra education.
George probably was so busy selling his work that he didn't even notice Mark ;) (who happens to be rather tall...) and Mark did figure out some more about George's method by listening to him and watching him with patrons.
Now, you might call that "spying". But I call it "learning". And besides. I have no problems sharing anything I do with anyone else...and I reckon George feels the same way...otherwise he wouldn't have spoken to all of us on Friday.
And we are artists but ALSO we are businessmen and women. But the business side of things can be a struggle because what does learning and creating art teach us about selling it?
If we fail to learn how to sell our work (or get it out into the public somehow) than we will fail to have any wide spread ability to share our unique perspective of this beautiful world with the other humans in it. I think that is sad.
And, incidentally. When I am at a show, even if I speak with a jillion people who aren't interested in buying my work, they are still interested in seeing it (and I am still interested in sharing it) - otherwise they would not have come to the show. So I always try to engage with them somehow...exhausted as I may be at about 3:30 on Saturday.
So, tomorrow I have some great quotes from other artists about the habits and traits of successful artists. So stay tuned :).
'Till tomorrow!
~Alex
Monday, August 11, 2014
Sculpture in the Park
It is a fabulous show and if you are a sculptor and have never been - I encourage you to apply to next year's show. Here is what is written about it on their website:
Heralded as one of the finest outdoor juried exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork in the United States, Sculpture in the Park showcases over 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 170 sculptors from around the world. The event is majestically staged against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and attracts thousands of art lovers and collectors from across the country to Loveland's Benson Sculpture Garden.
The second weekend of August, Benson Sculpture Garden is transformed by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council and their volunteers from a park into a beautiful setting for this outstanding exhibit. Highlights of Sculpture in the Park include Friday night's Patron Party and a two-day silent auction.Huge thanks to everyone who came by to see Mark and me at the show; friends, relatives, patrons, gallery owners, the other artists who were there that we got to know and know better, the fine art services professionals whom we know and appreciate so very much, and all the volunteers who work so hard to make this event such a success year after year!
We have so many wonderful stories of everyone who stopped to look at my sculpture and just had so many great things to say about it!
A very special thank you to Elisabeth, Carl, Linda and Jim.
Here are some photos of the event:
Thursday, August 7, 2014
"Look!" at the Foundry
Tomorrow night is the patron party and I am looking forward to seeing my collectors and meeting my new collectors!
Enjoy these photos and if you want to know what's happening in them and more about the process of turning an original sculpture into bronze, come find me at the show. Mark and I will be in Tent C.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
"Look!" - the making of (Pre-Foundry)
Here is a photo of him in in the beginning stages of sculpting him - I took this from upstairs using zoom on the camera.
And as time went on I did the finishing details in my studio once the clay was dry. In that stage I do a lot of sanding and carving.
Until finally I re-attach the tail and he's ready to be put in front of the mirror.
And then it is time to say goodbye to the original sculpture. I will never see it again as it will be destroyed in the process of turning it into bronze...a heart wrenching thought - especially for the first sculpture an artist takes to the foundry to have this done. But the end result is (hopefully) spectacular and permanent and can be shared with other people because several (in the case of "Look!" only 50 bronzes will be made) bronzes are made from the original and then the mold that was made from the original is destroyed.
Tomorrow is a pictorial of the bronze process and then I hope that any of you who are reading this have met me at the wonderful show Sculpture in the Park in Loveland!
"Til tomorrow!
~Alex
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