How to get the in-come coming?
 

Here's the most basic of all business questions: share some ways I can get an in-come to start coming. I'll tell you what I have done so far:

-Painted portraits for 40 years and become fairly good at it.
-Entered many competitions and won many awards, including recent awards at at the Pastel Society of America
32nd Annual Open Exhibition and Southeastern Pastel Society
2004 International Show
-Shown my work at prestigious juried outdoor shows in my area
-Handed out nicely designed and costly brochures, business cards and flyers
-Taught continuing education art classes and workshops at local arts centers and colleges and universities
-Taught out of my home-studio
-Advertised in the program of the University Performing Arts Center (but only recently, too soon to see what happens with the ad)
-Developed a mailing list of 130 area people who like my work
-Hosted 2 open-studio shows/sales which were well attended
-Run a 'special' at $100 off

Is the problem that I live in central Florida? Or is it the economy? Are most portrait painters having trouble getting commissions these days? My commissions during the past year have all been from one of the few families of means in the area. They've run out of family members for me to paint.

What I haven't done is find a local gallery. I am represented by a gallery in my hometown but have had one commission in 4 years from them.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Your work is very accomplished and I think it's just a matter of choosing a few well-focused marketing activities.

As a first step I would spend time thoroughly reading all the threads in the business and marketing section of this forum. There is a wealth of information there.

Suggestions I found in that section truly launched my business as a portrait artist. In three years I went from never having had a single commission in oils to having a backlog that's usually about a year, at prices that make me happy, and with lots of portraits now in my portfolio that have made my clients happy.

What worked best for me was doing private school charity auctions. Check out the forum threads on that topic to see how I and others made it work.

The next thing I would do would be to have a website created for yourself, in lieu of any new flyers or brochures. A website will give you a much broader reach and gives clients the impression of a higher level of professionalism (if the site is well designed).

I don't know what size city Gainesville is or what the economy is like in your area. I would focus on whatever city is closest to you that is big enough and wealthy enough to have a few Mercedes Benz dealerships. The people who buy those cars (high income, stable, conservative) are also often the same ones who buy our product. You don't have to live in whatever city you want to market in.

Getting good work (which you already have) in front a large number of the people who have enough money to buy it -- that's the key.

Any advertising you do needs to be targeted to the top income groups, and it needs to be repeated often in order for it to work. A one time ad in the local newspaper won't work. A twelve time ad in the Junior League newsletter might.

I have not found that entering competitions or winning awards got the attention of any of my clients. Those competitions were mostly viewed by other artists and would be useful if you wanted to focus on getting students for your workshops, but not necessarily for attracting portrait clients.

Good luck!

Great suggestions, thanks!
 

Michele, you've given me some great suggestions! Thanks so much.

Melanie Peter

Hi Melanie,
 

First, I'd like to tell you how much I like that portrait!!

Second, listen to Michelle she knows what she is talking about.

I paint only children, and I don't advertise at all..well, very little.

I am not backlogged by a year, but I ALWAYS have something on the easel and as soon as I think I am at the end of the pile the phone rings. I think this works for me because I planted myself in the middle of the Jr. League. If you can get a commission by a Jr. League mother that loves your work, you can rest assured that it will mushroom!

Good luck.

Reality check
 

Hi Mary,

Thanks for the Junior League idea. I'm getting a sinking feeling and a reality check from yours and many other posts in the business/marketing section that children's portraits are the stock and staple of portraiture-as-income. Although I've done a thousand portraits of children (literally), I didn't recognize it as being the bulk of my market. What a whack in the side of the head! I'm not that fond of painting children. Maybe I've done one too many children's portraits.

This has been a problem my entire creative life: I keep changing!!! I'm trying to leave "cute" and "pretty" paintings behind and make portraits that show something else. I don't know what. But my recent portrait (attached) comes closer than ever. Once I only wanted to paint like Sargent and now I want to paint like Avigdor Arikha.

So I need to try to make a living without painting children, if that's even possible. Or if it is possible, I want to paint children without the cute-ness that is their most obvious trait. (Would anyone buy them?) Maybe this should move to a different discussion thread -maybe one on creativity issues... I continue to get my issues fused together. What to paint, how to paint, whether to paint figures or landscapes, how commercial to become? Unfortunately, I don't think I have a choice about the commercial part. Well, anyway, thanks to everyone for the marketing reality check! I appreciate so much your willingness to share ideas and your helpfulness.

Melanie Peter

To see Arikha go to http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/ar...a/artwork.html

Hi Melaine,

Your pastels are beautiful and thanks for posting them.

I just wanted to add a couple of ideas to Michele's excellent suggestions. It's possible that you are in a pricing dilemma, either underpriced (meaning that people think you must not be very good) or overpriced (meaning that you are in competition with more established artists). If you are priced high then you compete with oil painters. For some reason... and we all know how unfair this is... works on paper are seen as somehow "inferior" to oil painting. I don't know the answer to this problem.

You may be in an area of the country where people are not asking themselves whom to chose as an artist but instead asking why have a portrait painted at all. Selling the idea of portraiture is an additional task.

Websites are terrific for giving prospective clients an idea of what your style is all about and what your prices are like, but I think most of my commissions come about when people actually see my work hanging someplace. I don't think advertising is as important as this factor.

People are extremely literal when it comes to portraiture. If they see your painting of a child they'll wonder whether you can paint, say, a man. You need to have samples of just about everything, especially if you are aiming for corportate commissions.

I try to do at least one thing a day to advance my commissions, whether it's making a call, writing a letter, following up on a lead, etc. (I hate doing this.) This is in addtion to time spent doing paperwork and other business matters.

And lastly, I think that you are on the right track by not creating only portraits. I think painting other subjects and following your heart makes a person a better artist.

Let us know how it's going...!

Linda, thank you for that "light-bulb" moment! I looked over the last twenty commissions I've had and lo and behold, seventeen of them were from situations where people had actually seen my work somewhere. Hmmm.... perhaps I'll need to rethink my marketing plan for the rest of the year!

Change is good
 

Hi Melanie,

Oh, don't look at changing as a problem! This is the wonderful thing about being creative, exploring new and interesting things, whether they be subjects, medium or technique.

What about focusing more on painting older children? They're usually not so 'cutesy'. Teenagers don't usually want that cuteness, at least mine doesn't!

I think it's interesting that most people, from my experience anyway, would have a portrait commissioned of their child before they would commission one of themselves. I think there are a lot of reasons for this, but those are the facts, around here at least. Parents are more willing to spend money on commissioning a heirloom portrait of their children, children that grow up so fast they want to capture a certain time in their life. I'm not saying people don't commission other kinds of portraits, it's just what I see a lot of. Being a parent, it's easier to spend money on my kids than it is on myself. (Hmm, I'm sure there's some kind of psychoanalytic puzzle there :sunnysmil .)

Linda had a very good point, clients will hire you to paint what you're already painting and what they see in your portfolio.

Linda, I'm curious about the things you do to advance your commissions. What other things do you do? Gosh, I wish I had an idea about how to make that stuff more fun.

Joan

When I have anything to do that isn't really much fun, I set a timer for, oh, 30 minutes (or whatever) and then I do the task until the timer rings. This is probably a sign of compulsive neurosis of some sort or another.

I have a shelf of black notebooks labelled with titles like "Potiential Clients" and "Marketing Ideas". I like things on looseleaf paper so I can rearrange my notes physically. Whenever people seem more than mildly interested in having a portrait painted I get their name and put it in my "Potential Clients" book. I follow up with either a letter, notice of price hike, or (rarely) a phone call. Following up is very important.

Similarily, when I get a brilliant marketing idea, I put it on a piece of paper and put it in my Marketing book.

I have all sorts of books to arrange my ideas. I'm sure many of you have mangaged to put all this on your computers but so far I haven't done this.

More good ideas, thanks
 

Linda, Michelle and Joan,
Thank you, thank you for your various perspectives. I have a tendency to think in black and white, and forget all the options in between. It's good to be reminded to look harder. Joan, it's a great thought that older children wouldn't want to look "cute." Linda, your notebook idea is great. One of my difficulties is that I don't know exactly how to get organized in a way that works for me. I have tried all sorts of methods, and found a few that work. I use ACT! for contacts but when they're out of sight they're out of mind. But the notebooks sound like my kind of order. Loose leaf paper that I can rearrange. Separate notebooks to function for different areas of the business. And yes, I need to figure out my pricing. I've been charging $400 for a pastel head/shoulders vignette in my previous town, and only had a few commissions. I don't have any commissions here, but then no-one in my area knows I exist yet.
_Melanie

Notebooks
 

Linda,

I like your notebook idea. I tend to use spiral notebooks for everything, but I'm limited because I can't rearrange. The binder is a great idea because I could move things around, or mainly add. I did recently buy a 3 ring binder and I have it divided into sections, mostly they're regarding techniques, framing, etc. And so far the sections are almost 100% full of pages from this forum that I've printed out.

Melanie,

It sounds like you need to let people know you're there and a portrait artist! I've always had the idea (when I get good enough) to put up a portrait in the local little cafe frequented by moms, or in the local hair salon for kids. (It's walls are currently full of photographs and they're the same photographs that have been there for 10 years!)

There are a lot of posts about marketing ideas on this forum, I'm sure you've read them since you're searching for marketing ideas. Good luck! Let us know how your marketing strategies go.

Joan

Hello Melanie,

Your work is stunning.

My suggestion (to add to all the great ones others have mentioned) is to perhaps steer away from the idea that children are cute. For me, I find them exceedingly more interesting than MOST adults because they are honest, they are wise, and much more authentic than adults give them credit for. I try to see them without the filter that parents like to color them with.

The flip side is that you won't appeal to MOST people this way. You will fit in a different kind of market that will present itself to you in time. Parents like to think of their children as adorable (and they are) instead of deep(which can come across as sad). But, I have found that sticking to my guns has brought me clients that believe in what I do, and do not second guess my vision. I'm so grateful for that!

What worked for me was the website, and charity auctions. Shows, awards did nothing and just stressed me out so now I avoid them at all costs.

Just my humble opinion. Best of luck :)

Regards,
Stanka

Color, light and paint!
 

Hi Stanka
I visited your website the other day and thought WOW, this is about color, light and paint. You're right, children are very deep and you've got that in your paintings. I like your use of the term 'alternative,' and I'm glad to hear you have found clients because it gives me hope. Deep does come across as sad, and I can't count the times I've heard about how sad my portraits are. I can't tell you how many sittlers I've had that insist on smiling (usually forced) or parents who continue to urge their children to smile even though I hand out a essay on "why not a smile?" Nothing wrong with a smile, except that it's most often a posed or forced one, and rarely a 'deep' one from the heart.

I'm not sure about competitions. Probably most are a waste of time/money. The ones that get big publicity are good. I think potential clients lack confidence in their own judgement. They read my resume and feel safer that someone else thinks my work is good. I had a 5-page feature in Pastel Journal last year from winning their Pastel 100 competition. Showing them the magazine seems to help.

I talk as if I have gotten commissions with the resume and magazine. Nope, not yet. I'll be showing in two juried outdoor festivals next month. I'll let you know if the resume or magazine get me any commissions.
_Melanie

Judgement
 

Melanie,

With this statement, I think you have discovered what your problem may be. This is what I mean: Yes, I agree, most people lack the judgement, the 'artists's eye' or experience, or whatever you want to call it, to know when a portrait is very good. I think most people can tell what they like and all, but I think there is an element of uncertainty and as you put it so well, lack of confidence about choosing art. So, what do they use as a meausure of what is good and what is excellent? When they have no other way of measuring, they'll use price.

There is a pastel portrait artist here in Houston who starts her head and shoulders pastel portraits at . . . . hold on, I'll check her prices . . . . $3,200 for a 16"x20" pastel. That being said, even though I'm quoting you prices from a big metropolitan area, your prices just may be too low to attract the kind of clientele you're looking for. Your work is beautiful, BTW.

hope this helps,
Joan

On a couple of thoughts:

I recently bought a software program after trying it out from www.workingartist.com . It's a software management program for artists. It is mainly geared toward the painter who paints works for galleries, inventory for sale, etc, and I am just now learning to adapt it to commission work. One of the things it does emphasize is the organization and management of contacts and potential clients. You can download a free trial disk to see if it might work for you.

And I do agree with the perceived problem of clients not having confidence in their own judgement - but it's a perception we can change. I absolutely think that one of the most important jobs we have is client education. Several years ago I began developing a Comparative Pricing notebook. Once people can see a context within which to evaluate your work and prices, they are extremely capable of making decisions.

Stanka's ( HI! We've missed you!) point is very significant. Don't show portfolio work if that's not what you want to paint. Show what you do want to paint. I have had students say:"Shouldn't I paint little barefoot girls in white dresses? Isn't that what people want?"

Well, sure, some people do. But the important question is : "Is this what you want to paint? " If so, go for it! If not, keep painting what you want, but keep in the forefront of your mind:

Whatever you paint , paint it well. You can only do your best.

Hi Joan and Chris,
Agh-h-h. I could tear my hair out over pricing. I still have NO official price list. Every now and then I try to come up with a price list. I email it to artist-friends and friends in general to get opinions. They range from not high enough to start out lower and go up as work increases. Years ago I got some advice from old Mr. Sanders who once had owned a drug store in Oklahoma City. He's long gone now but his advice left a mark. He said he had put some ladies compacts on the counter at $1.00 and they had been therer for a year. So on a lark he marked them up to $2.99 and they all sold within a month. He said people believe they get what they pay for.

Although I know this is true, I keep thinking if I can't get commissions for $400 why would doubling or tripling the price get commissions? But according to Mr. Sanders, it's exactly what I should do. My arduous years and years of work, study, training, devotion, should pay at least what I would make as a plumber. I have to keep giving myself this pep-talk again and again.

Chris, a Comparative Pricing notebook is a great idea! Not only for the clients but most importantly for my own perspective. And I'll check out the software. I tend to do better with physical notebooks, paper and ink. But the software might help me track better. I can print out the pages and put them in the notebook.

_Melanie

P.S. Another of my serious (sad?) portraits. A free-bee, but mayber there are people who would commission one like it.

Mac discrimination
 

Hi Chris,
Well, darn. I'm up against Mac discrimination again. Working Artist software is only for PCs. They should realize that lots of artists are loyal Mac users from having to work in advertising jobs. They'd make more money if they had a Mac version.
_Melanie

This painting is absolutely gorgeous. If you're offering these at $400 that's exactly why you're not getting commissions. Offer them at $2,000 (at least) and do some serious marketing to the right audience in the nearest city with some wealth. Let us know in six months how long your backlog is. I'm really not joking. This is what you need to do.

Melanie, Melanie, Yes, raise those prices!!! Your years of experience alone warrants this, not to mention the quality of your work.

Holy smokes, I can on and on about that darned "sad" issue. Do people think we only have 2 emotions?? I actually have to have a debriefing session with potential clients to let them know my thoughts on this matter. If they don't understand how NOT smiling DOES NOT mean they are depressed, well...I'm not your gal. Of course, this comes after doing several happy portraits with no soul. Like you said, the person has to be naturally as they are, not forced.

Chris made a great point about NOT catering to what we painters are 'supposed' to paint . Do what you feel strongly about and the clients will eventually come. It took me a long time to have a steady flow of work. Frankly, it doesn't necessarily come locally. A website would do wonders for you to extend your reach, advertise your many accomplishments and most importantly, to connect to the right type of clients.

Chris, What have I been doing? Practicing yoga in between writing a treatise on "To Smile or Not to Smile. That is the Question" Nothing like a button pusher question to get me back here in a fury

Melanie, Thanks for your kind words about the work. Don't give up!!

Melanie,

I am probably not the one that should be replying here, but I really admire your work. It is so sensitive, human and honest.

It is, as I know, really difficult to survive doing figurative work these days.The only option that pops up, it seems is portraiture. Perhaps it is my personality, but I could not get beyond allowing the client control over my work. I did NOT care if the client liked my picture, I had to like it. I did and occasionally still do get a decent buck for a portrait, but the final straw came during a commission but a very prominent and wealthy Newport couple. They swore up and down that they would sit, that I had complete control over the portrait, that they would stay out of it decision wise.

After, I had spent a fair amount of money and time on the project, the client told me he wanted to pick the pictures I would paint from and that there would be no sittings. I had to finish the paintings, but I had ceased to care about them. They were professional, that's it. Ironically, since the gentleman was wearing a tuxedo, the pose he picked, made him look just like a waiter.

I do not like smiling portraits as well, whether they are children or adults and won't do them.

Promoting yourself as a portrait painter can be time consuming and as you found out very expensive. I don't know about your area, but the portrait market can be quite saturated. The portrait painters I know here in the Northeast are complaining of lack of commissions, no backlogs, some of whom are very good and well known.

I have concentrated on my own work and though the finances can be dicey, I am expressing my own point of view. My work has started to be noticed and it is some pretty flossy homes and I don't sell it cheap.

There are painters who are well suited to the business, really love it, are good at it and apparently do quite well. You have to decide if you really, really love it because it is something you have to devote a great deal of time and energy developing.

I just though I would present the other side of the coin.

My apologies for this long letter
 

Hello Sharon,
I just got electricity back after hurricane Jeanne. We spent days this weekend hauling fallen trees out of yards. Thanks so much for talking about your experiences and talking about how the business of portrait painting isn't for everyone. It's true. I think the business of art in general isn't for everyone. The fact that I passionatley love painting the figure and do it well does not mean that I passionately love painting commissioned portraits. I don't. I get a mild wave of nausea thinking about it. That gut feeling is certainly something to consider. But I'm up against a wall financially with little skill other than the one I have been honing for 40 years (drawing and painting.)

Here's a quote from a book I bought yesterday called The Undressed Art by Peter Steinhart. "I am consoled by the idea that failing to make a living at art has a long and honorable tradition. Even more than that I am consoled by thought that there is a great deal of human genius that is not rewarded materially, or at least not in porportion to its contribution to the general well-being. Parenting isn't. Nor is compassion."

Do you know Robert Genn's newsletters? (http://www.painterskeys.com)
Here is my letter which I wrote to him last week about income. He needed to cut it but here it is in entirety. You can see that I'm really feeling down about the problem.
_Melanie

-----------------
"I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart." - e e cummings

"Basically, I no longer work for anything but the sensation I have while working." - Albert Giacometti

Dear Robert,
I've been painting for 40 years. I work hard to excel, I study art, artists, art history. I only wish that palette systems, creativity issues, materials, techniques, subject matter, style, or productivity were my only concerns. They are my favorite and beloved concerns, but the one called "making a living" supercedes the rest and spoils the fun. All these years later and I still haven't figured out how to make a living. I'm not alone- many books have been written about it and I probably have read them all.

Money does not appear in my mental landscape. It is as invisible and remote to me as one of Jupiter's moons. At my last job, the accountant was amused at having to chase me down to deliver my paycheck. I forget about money being connected with work. I especially forget about it being connected with my art. Even doing commission work, I'm doing it without thought of money. It's always surprising to me that someone actually pays me for art. I do not think of my 40 years of experience as related to say, 40 years of being a plumber or attorney. I think of it more financially related to 40 years of being a monk.

This is high-pressure work with low or no pay. No on the job training, no job description, no one to ask "am I doing this right?", no superior to bear the consequences for difficult decisions. I'm painting as if my livelihood depends on it. (It does) But, in addition to the technical and creative problems, every move I make is heavy with income-significance. Portraits? Landscapes? Outdoor shows? High level competitions? What to paint that is both good and marketable? Teach classes? Workshops? Make a video? Write articles? Get an agent? I have a notebook full of marketing ideas. I get around to them whenever I can.

Today I'm tired. I want to quit and get a nice job with a regular paycheck. However, during each period in my years as artist that I've taken a job, my heart begins aching and emptiness grows. After a year or two I quit; meanwhile my art career has slowed down and my job history has holes in it which make jobs harder to find.

No upbeat conclusion. I'll keep trying until I catch on or pass on, whichever comes first.
_Melanie Peter

A very interesting letter, Melanie. Thanks for posting it here.

If you get a wave of nausea thinking about doing commissioned portraits, I dare say that you shouldn't subject yourself to that. Perhaps teaching would be more lucrative, more steady and far more emotionally rewarding for you. Many students would benefit greatly from a teacher with skills as advanced as yours.

I do enjoy teaching
 

Hi Michelle,
And thanks, I do enjoy teaching. I have a very good education, but not an art degree. I teach at local arts centers and organizations. I do it for fun, to get my name out there and keep in touch with people who love art. But not for money.These classes are more or less volunteer efforts on my part. Arts organizations are typically struggling and pay almost nothing. I doubt I'll be able to make a living teaching. I've been turned down for more than one job because I lack that degree. If I get enough spectacular highlights on my resume, maybe I'll get a real teaching job without having a degree? Or if I become locally well-known, it might be possible to teach privately from my studio. I should have had better sense when I graduated from high school so many years ago, but instead of gettting a degree, I became a single mom--an education of a different sort. It's all ancient history now.
_Melanie

Melanie,

My first mentor, and first husband said you have to take a vow of poverty to become an artist.

I have been struggling for about as long as you have. I am beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel and, no, it is not the train coming the other way.

I found I was not emotionally suited to do portraiture, I felt the same wave and so did Sargent who quit at the age of 50.

I spent a great deal of money promoting my work, models, paints, canvas etc. to do a portfolio; then slides, mailings, exhibits, societies, wardrobe and travel. You have to consider this as well because it takes a while to recoup these expenses.

Another alternative is to find something that pays you the most per hour that you can. We have a Whole Foods here, a natural food grocery store, that will give you medical and 20% off your food bill for 30 hours a week. I was tossing that around until I sold some of my big pastels.

I don't have a degree either but I was able to land a part time job at the Rhode Island School of Design, it is a private school and you don't have to have a degree to teach in one.
I was there for three years.

You severely under price your work. You can sit on it for a cheap price or a high price.

Keep sending out those slides. I was in the same contest you were (honorable mention) but I will not sell my work cheap. Build up a local reputation in Florida. There are some great galleries there, and they seem to like figurative work.
Do the most beautiful, full throttle work you can do. I know it is difficult when you get older when fatigue and worthlessness sets in faster than ever. There were times in the past when I would just sit down on a sidewalk and cry.
Rejections are still hard, I got one last week, but I am starting to get some notice from the art magazines.

I saw the movie "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" last night. There was a scene, that to me was most telling. He was sitting with his mother-in-law and a wealthy patron. The mother-in-law trills to Vermeer, oh it would be such a wonderful painting if you were to paint Meister A. with his family playing music or whatever. At this point Vermeer is studying the light on the lovely young maid's face and you could see that he was choiceless.

My husband said to me, he should have done whatever it was to support his family, however we would never have seen that exquisite painting. What was perhaps a loss for his family, was a gift to humanity.

I don't know if any of this helps.

Melanie-

Your letter was moving and most likely hit home to more here than would admit. Sharon, I admire you for your responses. Sometimes it seems as if we are supposed to put on this air of 'professionalism' and that does not include admitting to the fact we are struggling financially.

In this career we have chosen it is so much more to most of us than a paycheck. If it weren't we'd get other jobs in a hearbeat. I have no idea where I heard it, but it was some older artist advising a younger one..."if you can be anything else other than an artist, then do it."

I struggle with finaincial issues all the time. When I look over the years I realize that my choice to be an artist has hurt my family. If I were to be a teacher or just about anything else it would have benefitted my family much more. I am blessed that I have an understanding and supportive family, but there have been times (like my daughter's accident last year) when I felt the burden of knowing we could be in a better place if it weren't for my drive to paint. Restaurant management was my field during the times I felt I had to earn a regular paycheck. I usually lasted 8 months at a stretch before being so miserable I'd have to quit. Luckily I have not had to do this for 8 years now.

Last month one of my landscapes was accepted into a show that was being judged by a big shot in Washington DC. My mother happens to live in Annaoplis, MD where the show was being held so I shipped the painting to her to deliver. I had re-framed it modestly for the show, but she called to tell me that I should be ashamed of myself and that she would be embarassed to deliver it with that frame - so she had it re-framed and would be waiting for my check to pay for it. I got a lecture from her that if I was going to do this than I should do it right, etc...no excuses. That's a great attitude, but left me feeling like a failure since I couldn't afford a nice frame at the time. Granted, she doesn't know a thing abotu trying to juggle the expenses of an art career - and she has been one of my biggest supporters - but that small thing sent me into a couple of days of questioning my worth. Needless to say, I haven't thanked her for taking it upon herself to reframe the painting - nor have I mailed the check yet! The painting did not win an award or sell so far - so she will just have to wait.

Is there are career more filled with angst than being an artist? More personally fufilling or depressing? Do you think accountants cry over their sucesses and failures? Does a restaurant owner question his self-worth when the meal gets sent back?

I have always felt I was completely selfish in keeping with this career, but that I have no choice if I want to live a life worth living. If momma ain't happy....as the saying goes.

My hat is off to all the single-parent artists out there and to the artists who are the primary bread-winners of their families.

This may not help you at all, but "I feel your pain."

We live in a culture where only a small percentage of people care enough about original art to spend money on it, and the market for realist painting, much less portraiture, is smaller still.

I was in a very expensive home the other day and here is what was on the four walls:
1. Gigantic TV screen and stereo system
2. Gigantic picture window
3. Framed hockey jersey with signatures on it
4. Another Gigantic picture window.

The whole house was like that, only gigantic photographs and framed posters were substitued for the hockey jersey. It's just occured to me that there might be a market for gigantic portraits... .

...or hockey jerseys.

I feel less alone.
 

Hello Sharon, Linda, Kimberly, Michelle, Mary, Joan, Stanka, Chris, (did I forget anyone?) Thanks to everyone for your posts, your helpfulness and sharing. I've loved looking at all your beautiful work. I especially appreciate being able to express my misgivings and fear to those who understand best. Great therapy! I feel less alone.

Linda, re: our hockey jersey big screen tv culture - do you think it's the same in Europe or Australia or New Zealand? Maybe I'd move! Sharon, I didn't know private colleges don't require a degree. I'll have to check around. Michelle, maybe my wave of nausea is just fear and I'd eventually get over it. Well, anyway, thanks again to everyone. I'll keep you posted, as they say, on how getting the income coming goes. What a sentence.

_Melanie

The first thing I look for in the fancy home decorating magazine, including Architectural Digest, is evidence of art in the homes. I am appalled at how little is displayed in even what is considered the most elegant of domiciles.

Check out European home decor books. Maybe it is better over there.

Classes in your studio
 

Hi Melanie,

I was just reading through your posts and this sentence jumped out at me. This is a great idea for you!

I just started taking a class yesterday from a local artist. She teaches out of her home, she has a room where we paint. I think at one time it was a den in the back of her home, it's just a room off her living room with windows on three sides. It's not a large room but there are 7 students and a model in the room.

The woman teaching the class has been painting portraits for about 30 years, but I had never heard of her. She teaches portraiture and we'll do some still lifes.

She teaches two classes a week in her home. The class is from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a short break for a brown bag lunch. And get this, she's charging $65 a class. I hope this gives you something to think about doing that you might love doing,

Joan

Private lessons
 

Hi Joan,
Yes, thanks for telling me about the classes you're taking. She must be a good teacher. Private lessons from my home --I did that a couple of years ago when I occupied my own home/studio in the town where I grew up and where I was known. It worked out fine. Only problem was that I had to keep my house clean! But I can live with that.

I'm now married and living in a new town where I'm only beginning to be known. Also there is not a room in this house that would work. We're planning to build me a studio that I can teach out of, but that's a distant dream right now. I could rent a studio, but that's a scary thought with hundreds of dollars due each month.

I'm doing a lot to get my work out there. A new gallery in town will hang 2 of my portraits and I'll show in the juried downtown art festival in November. I'll put a sign up sheet out for interested students. Many people at previous outdoor shows have asked if I teach. Last time I taught from my home I charged $120 for 12 hours in 4 three-hour sessions over 4 weeks, with a $5/session model fee paid directly to the model. I had 4 students in the classes. I've never managed to find more than 4 to sign up. But it was great because I didn't have to haul my wagonload of supplies to some classroom, up and down stairs, etc. And I could run to my bookshelf and grab a helpful book to show at an appropriate moment. I like teaching that way (at home) a lot.

There are many artists who want classes but get sticker shock when they hear $10 or $15/hour. They can take classes at local art centers or colleges very cheaply. They get what they pay for, but they don't understand that.

Yes, I think teaching privately will work for me if I can find students around here.
_Melanie

Teaching classes
 

Hi Melanie,

I'm glad you find the idea of teaching at home intriguing, it sounds like you've had success with this already. You might have some kind of 'guest book' or notebook of some sort that you can ask people to sign if they are interested in classes. That way you'll have a record of names and contact information when you do get ready to have a class.

The great thing about the class I just started is that it's a group of women that love to paint, and they've become friends and share stories, etc. I have taken classes at the art school here and yes, they are about half the price, but it's a big classroom full of people I'll never see again after the semester ends. And those teachers aren't very good, they basically walk around the room and give pointers, no demonstrations or anything like that. Getting to know some other people who love to paint is a bonus of the private class and worth some extra cost. I've only been to one class so I can't really judge how good of an instructor the teacher is. It's a chance to paint in a supportive environment, that's what many people are looking for. If you can provide that, it seems like you could get many students.

Oh, another little attraction of this private class is the 'show' they'll have in December. Besides painting models, we'll paint a few still lifes to sell at the show. The friend that introduced me to the teacher said she makes back her class fee from her sales. I guess it's all about marketing!

Hope this helps.

Joan

P.S. You might look around for studio space and just see what the cost really is. I found out here in Houston it goes for about $1 per square foot per month, which isn't unreasonable if it allows you to teach a class and have a nice painting space. Good luck!

Also, thanks for mentioning that link to 'Painter's Keys', I had never seen that before and have enjoyed reading the 'letters'. Any more great inspirational links? I should start a new thread asking for that.