Has the recession affected business?

[Linda Nelson]

Hi All,

I am curious to know if/how the recession and the threat of war has affected our field of commissioned portraits.

Consumer spending is supposed to be at its lowest in 10 years - have you noticed this includes our clients' spending as well?

Thanks for sharing your opinion and experiences.

Linda

[Michele Rushworth]

Our product is a luxury (not really needed) and luxuries are often the first thing to be cut from household budgets, even if those householders are multi-millionaires.

[Linda Nelson]

Hi Michele,

As I am not full time, and certainly don't have the years of business to gauge the market, it's nice to get others' opinions of what they're seeing. Thanks.

As we are a luxury item, it would seem that we would be affected. But being the optimist, I was also thinking that

1.) since the housing market is thundering along, perhaps those items that fill the house would still be in demand.

2.) as our disposable income is going less to "risky things" (politically speaking) such as trips overseas, and with the threat of war we may take more time to cherish and celebrate our family, that that also could boost interest.

I can definitely overthink things, and so hope that those with years of history to compare against could give their impressions.

Thanks again, Michele.

Linda

[Stanka Kordic]

Hi Linda,

I've had a mixed reaction. Although I've had a recent cancellation due to the economy, in its place (it seems) I got a new commission. Lately, I've been happy to discover people that have a wonderfully sentimental attitude towards owning a portrait. They also seem to clue in on the fact that it is paint on canvas, a work of art that is collectible and meant to be cherished.

My cancellations (2 since 9/11) have been really affluent families, who saw the portrait as another 'thing' to add to their collections and therefore not necessary. (Of course, my own deduction).

I have also raised my prices substantially to no ill effect, so that's a good sign. Yippee.

Overall, I think we should all continue our craft. It's necessary now, more than ever.

All the best.

[Linda Nelson]

Thanks so much for sharing what you've experienced

"...what the world needs now is love, sweet love...". Yes the economy is tough, but in tough times we appreciate the important things, and that's where our talents can be of help.

I am about to invest my own life and savings A LOT in making this a fulltime endeavor, and it's hard to sleep at night with my on-the-verge-of-crazed fear battling with my excitement of it all. So your comments are such a helpful insight. I'm sure all regions and situations are different, but I'm banking that the market for our work is still out there. And if it's there but harder to find, well one can still make it work if they know that going in...

Thanks again

Linda

[Linda Nelson]

And your work is beautiful Stanka. You have a great web site. The music is a great touch.

[Stanka Kordic]

Linda,

Another rambling thought... I feel that the benefit we creative people have over the rest of the world is the ability to be flexible. So, if portraiture goes through a tough time, there's always some other art form. The key is to remain visionaries, finding beauty everywhere, and reminding people of it by putting it on canvas (or whatever).

Gosh, I stumbled upon a gem show recently, bought some stones, made some jewelry, and actually sold things! I have a fun hobby (that I can do sitting down) that can earn a few bucks. Really funny to me.

I think the key is to keep plugging away intuitively, and not to overthink the future. A higher power put us on this path, he/she will let us know if we need to change it.

My humble opinion.

And thanks for the compliments. I really appreciate your kindness.

[Mari DeRuntz]

It is a leap of faith - have courage!

To supplement your income, you could open your studio in the mornings and offer "life session" where you collect, say, $10-15 per artist per session. If you get 8 artists and have the models work 3 hours for 3 consecutive Saturdays, for instance, you can look at a $270 profit, give or take. Have the artists commit to the sessions by paying for all three on the first Saturday.

I paint at 3 local sessions just like this, at different studios. As an artist, the resource is incredible, but it also serves the artist hosting the sessions.

And small things like that can help you sleep better at night.

[Linda Nelson]

Thanks for the positive encouragement and the great idea - that seems like something very do-able!

Linda

P.S. great quote I read yesterday -

Most teachers would say to go to school to get your degree to have something to fall back on. Aside from being a huge lie, it also creates a very high level of mediocrity, because nobody who really believes that is going to bother to take the leap of faith that is required to be a serious artist. -Ellis Marsalis (father of Winton and Branford)

[Rebecca Willoughby]

Linda,

I started doing a similar thing that Mari is talking about and ended up with a complete art school where I teach drawing, watercolor and colored pencil. I now have over forty students that pay $50 a month and I only teach a couple of days a week.

It keeps the bills paid has really increased my name recognition in the community and leaves me three days a week to work on my commissions. I also do a workshop once a month for those people who can't make the commitment to a weekly class. My next one will be Feb. 22 and I have 8 people signed up. They pay $50 per person for 5-6 hours of instruction.

I live in a pretty small town in south Louisiana so if any place would be affected by the economy it would be us! And yet my phone keeps ringing with new people wanting to take classes.

I also plan on doing six week long summer art camps for kids. It is just February and one of my 6 weeks is almost full! Parents spend a lot of money on dance, piano, and gymnastics. There are a lot of kids who are "art kids".

Oh well, I have rambled on about this long enough. If anybody has any questions feel free to email me!

Rebecca