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
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"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
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