What is it like to be an artist during a pandemic? I obviously can only speak for myself, although I am in touch with a lot of fellow artists, through social media of course, so I am seeing what some of them are doing to cope.
Being an introvert, I am not minding the isolation brought on by the pandemic. We are lucky to be in a comfortable house, and to have no worries about where our next meal is coming from. We are lucky to have a lot of space around us to safely take walks and be outside. My partner and I get along incredibly well, and often joke about the fact that we have never had a real argument, even though we have been together for almost 17 years. Our children are all healthy and have kept their jobs during all this, although in modified form for most of them. So we are truly lucky, and very grateful. But I realize that not everyone is so lucky, and that is starting to show in the way many people act on social media. People are becoming more thin-skinned and less tolerant of those who disagree with them, and are “unfriending” people left and right. Others seem to be spending their time looking for ways to mock, insult or pick fights, usually with strangers, just because they have differing views.
These are sad times indeed. Governments have started to react to the looming psychological crisis by advertising a lot of mental health tips, strategies and resources, letting people know they are not alone in feeling bad.
I am also lucky to have art. I know I mentioned last week that I haven’t been able to do the usual art shows and that sales have been slow, that future shows are still “up in the air”, and of course that is disappointing. But the extra time this has provided has allowed me to expand my knowledge and hopefully my abilities. I have always enjoyed learning, so this is all good. I don’t want to sound like it doesn’t occasionally get me down, but I am in no position to complain. I have used the extra time to connect with new artists through social media, to learn to paint in oils and in pastels, to set up a website with an online store, to set up a Facebook Business Page, a blog, an email subscriber list, a weekly newsletter, an Instagram account, a LinkedIn account, a Square payment account, and am currently working on setting up a Pinterest Business account. I have learned about goals, insights, traffic, engagement, reach, SEO, campaigns, sign-ups, pop-ups and audiences. In the process, I also learned that the only way to make money on the Internet seems to be by selling courses that teach others how to make money on the Internet! I have entered four international art competitions and was selected for three of them. I have joined Artists in Canada and now offer some merchandise with my artwork on it on ArtofWhere. I have learned to use a wonderful tool (Airtable) to keep all of this information organised! I attended a four day online conference on Realism last fall, and today will be starting a three day conference on Watercolor. I have joined another local artist group and through them I am showing in a lawyer’s office. I have learned to write artist bios and artist statements that don’t sound pretentious, at least I hope they don’t. I have read, or at least started to read, dozens of books on art including composition, geometry in art, drawing, color theory, philosophy, techniques, principles, etc., and was recently gifted an incredible set of books on Picasso. So this gifted time has been good for me, and I have learned a lot. I know other artists who feel the same, but I also see a lot of them, especially those who rely on their craft for income, getting more and more desperate as time moves on and sales dry up. Understandably, buying art is seen by a lot of people as a luxury that they can not afford at this time. While many artists are introverts and may actually be happy with being more isolated, using the time to experiment and grow, many others are frustrated, depressed, and are really missing the social aspect of art shows and fairs. I have seen several pieces of art created recently that reflect the anxiety they feel. I haven’t felt the need to express myself this way yet…. While I totally understand that uncertainty for the future keeps many people from spending money on art right now, I think that most people, myself included, don’t realise how important art is in their life. We are surrounded by art, but we have been taught from a young age that you can’t make a living through art, so you had better get a “real” career. This is sad but true, and unless you become a famous artist, which is unfortunately not always because of talent, but rather through clever marketing or sheer luck, you likely can’t make a living through art, because most people just can’t justify spending what your art is worth, especially if you price it based on a reasonable hourly wage. Thankfully I make art for my own pleasure, and of course the pleasure of others, but I do feel badly for young artists trying to make a living out of it. Music is the same. Unless you are famous, you can’t rely on it to pay the bills. That is why so many artists become teachers. I just did the reverse!
Some day, soon I hope, art shows and fairs will be opening again. Make a point to seek them out and visit them, talk to the artists, and when you see piece of art or craft that calls out to you, whether it is pottery, leather, wood, textile or a painting, appreciate the person behind it and the years of effort that went it to it, not just the minutes or hours that it took to create it, but also the months and years of study, research and practice that made it possible.
Be grateful for the joy it brings you and will continue to bring you, and be happy that you can help the artist to continue to create more.
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After the distraction of last week’s unplanned non-art topic, I realised that there was one more step to my painting process that I forgot to talk about! And that is: what happens to the art that I produce, or, how do people acquire my art?
With the current pandemic and lockdown, it’s actually pretty natural that I would have forgotten that part, because, to paraphrase Jerry Lee Lewis, there isn’t a whole lotta sellin’ goin’ on! Normally, I would be painting with an art show in mind. I am part of three local artist groups, and in the last few years, each group would normally have one or two shows a year. The Lennoxville Art Group would usually hold its big annual show in June at the community center, and another smaller winter show at the library. The Ayer’s Cliff group would have the occasional show at the fairgrounds or at the village school, and I have participated in other local shows in Bury, Bromptonville, etc. I joined a larger artist group in Sherbrooke that usually has several shows a year, but hasn’t had one since I joined last summer, although they do have a website and a few visibility projects going. I also would normally be spending part of the winter in Florida, where I have been given a permanent exhibition space in our complex’s clubhouse. Last spring, I was accepted to a weekend art festival in Lyster, Quebec, which would have been my first festival outside my local area. But of course none of all that has happened since last March, and although organisers are hoping to operate shows this summer, others are in standby mode, waiting to see which way things are going….. Thankfully I was able to display and sell a few ACEOs at a local café last fall, but it is currently closed for the winter. I was also honored to have a few small pieces commissioned in the last year, two of which I am working on right now, so there have been a few sales this year. Enough anyway to get some new art supplies! In normal circumstances, each art show would generate at least one or two in-person sales. I also have greeting cards made of some of my paintings, and I usually offer those for sale also, as not everyone can or wants to buy an original painting, but this allows them to still enjoy the image for only a few dollars. Days at an art show, which include setting up and taking down, can be long and tiring, but I really enjoy getting to meet the person who will “adopt” my artwork, and of course record their name and details for my records. Since the pandemic began, I have moved all marketing efforts to building my online presence. This includes my website, where I offer cards and ACEOs for sale, as these can be easily mailed to collectors. Although I do have a link to my online portfolio, I have not included my full sized paintings for sale on my website, as I feel, perhaps wrongly, that paintings really need to be seen in person, and shipping anything with glass is both difficult and expensive, not to mention the risk of damage to the art. I have sold a couple of small paintings online to a collector who just fell in love with them, and these were shipped without mat or frame, but not everyone wants to or knows how to mat and frame a watercolor, and some paintings are just too large to be mailed without risking damage. That is one of the reasons I have been doing some waxed watercolors lately; because the surface is waxed and the paper is fixed to a rigid support, they are less subject to damage. I also have made some works available as prints, directly from a Print-on-Demand shop located in Montreal and called Art-Of-Where. Of course in person visits are out of the question at the moment, at least until the current lockdown is lifted and studio visits can once again be conducted safely. So my artwork hangs on every available wall in my home, and the excess accumulates in my studio, mostly unmatted and unframed, waiting for days to come when we once again are able to visit art shows in person. I hope to see you at one of them, or perhaps even in my studio, very soon!
Today’s topic is not about art. So if that is what you came here for, I’m sorry to disappoint, but please come back next week.
Since early last summer, I have been listening to a person doing live videos about art on Facebook. It started out as a daily thing, but now, after over 290 days, it is only on weekdays. It was originally intended as a way to help out artists during the pandemic, but it soon became quite clear that the real reason was to make this guy’s company better known and to help him keep the company going and to save his employees’ jobs. Which is fine, and he openly has said this many times. I have learned an awful lot from him and from the scores of very talented artists that he has on every day. I have even attended a four day art conference they organised last fall, and am signed up for another one coming up shortly. In fact, I don’t think this blog would exist if it wasn’t for him. Where I have a problem, and where I stopped listening every day, is when he repeatedly says that we have to “keep our head in the game” (meaning on art), and “stop doom scrolling”, which I, perhaps wrongly, have interpreted as “ignore the bad things that are happening around you”. To give you an idea of what I mean, I looked at his January 7 post (the day after the attack in Washington), and his only mention of the event was to explain that he had decided to cancel yesterday’s (Jan 6) broadcast because there was no point in having a broadcast as everyone would be watching the reporting on TV!!! He even said someone “he admires” had told him years ago that “you can never compete with Santa Claus”. Yes, he said that, the day after the attempted coup by a sitting president’s mob …. Now I appreciate the generous sharing of art instruction and the work that goes into preparing these daily artist interviews. I understand that it is a business and that they have their needs and goals. I understand that he feels that his role is to give people something else to think about. But is it wrong of me to expect a bit more “let’s talk about this” from a person who has such a large following? Instead, we get “let’s talk about something else”. And no one listening disagreed, at least not openly. That is the main reason why I no longer follow him regularly. Although the artistic instruction his guests offer is precious, I don’t feel comfortable with this “all’s well with the world as long as we keep ignoring what’s wrong with it” attitude. Like as artists we shouldn’t concern ourselves with current events! I can accept that people tune in to his show to hear about art and not to get a news bulletin. But isn’t there a point when what is happening in his own backyard becomes important or troubling enough to set aside a few minutes to talk about it? Is he so afraid of offending anyone (i.e. losing customers) by taking a side that he prefers to just look away and pretend nothing is happening? As the saying goes, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem…. Thankfully, another artist that I follow and who does weekly art talks on Facebook live, took this week’s time to talk about the difficulty he would have, when the pandemic is over and we can do things in person again, to interact with many of his artist friends, who he still respects as artists, but who have become victims of the conspiracy theories phenomenon. Most of the realtime comments were supportive of his decision to talk about this, but there was one viewer who said, in so many words, “let’s talk about something else”. Several people, including me, disagreed with this commenter. It is not by ignoring things, especially things this serious, that they will go away. Of course I am horrified by what happened in Washington last week. But I am even more horrified by the reasons behind it and the reactions of too many people. By the comparisons to the riots of the summer by BLM supporters, who actually were fighting for a valid cause, not some made-up baseless unproven debunked claims of massive voter fraud and stolen elections. I am sad at seeing so many people fall for that garbage, as they fell -- twice!! -- for the sad excuse for a human being that promised to Make America Great Again. I am saddened by the breakdown of one of the world’s most admired countries, and by the self-serving individuals in office who claim to be there for the people but who are really there for their own advancement. I will never understand how they could not see what he was, or how they did see it, but thought it was still right to vote him in, and to continue to support him and encourage his lies by not calling them out. How did they think it would end? And worse, given the chance to condemn their failed leader’s actions through impeachment, too many still chose to support him and his lies, wrapping themselves in procedural arguments, refusing to see reality even though they themselves witnessed it first hand, and were put in harm’s way during the failed coup. Sadly, I predicted a long time ago that the only way the deep divide in the US would end would be a Civil War. And this was before QAnon added their vile ingredients to the poison soup. I hope I was wrong, but am afraid I am right. It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of so much division and hate. But, to paraphrase the Dalai Lama, if you think that as an individual you are too small and insignificant to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito! There may be no point arguing with conspiracy theorists, but we can try sympathy and understanding. Stay kind in your discussions and encourage kindness in others. Every little bit helps. I wish my southern neighbors a safe and speedy recovery. It will not be easy to restore trust to so many who have been lied to for so long. That’s it for now. Next week I will find an easier, but certainly not more important, subject to talk about. Be well, be kind, be part of the solution. P.S. If you are curious about how QAnon works and how they could make so many people believe so many lies, there is a very interesting explanation at https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5 But be warned, it is quite discouraging.
This is the fifth and final instalment in my series describing how I create a painting. These are the steps I usually follow for full size paintings, and it may be different from your process if you paint.
This week’s topic is: After the Painting Once the painting is finished --- and that’s a sticking point with artists: “when do you ever know a painting is finished?” --- there are still a few things to do before it is ready for hanging. I will first describe the steps that are common to all media, then those that are particular to each. Common steps If I think the painting is good enough, it will have to be catalogued. I have been using a Canadian website called ArtMoi. It allows me to enter the name of the piece, its dimensions, medium, price, date, etc., and of course pictures of the artwork. It also allows me to publish a small web Portfolio of those I want to share. The first thing I do is take a high resolution photo of the art piece, using lighting that will keep the colors true to life and being careful not to distort the image. The next thing is to find a name, which is not always easy. I then save the image under the painting’s name in a special folder. I will then add it to my online catalogue, and the system will generate a unique ID for it. The painting’s price is based on the size of the piece, and on whether it is framed or not. I will write the details of the painting on the back of it (name, date, ID#, photo credits, etc.). Once the new painting is catalogued, I will announce its “arrival”, first in my weekly newsletter, then on my social media pages. Watercolor Often the watercolor paper will be warped from the watercolor paint. I will flatten it by lightly dampening the back (water on the front would ruin the painting) then pressing the sheet between clean matboards under heavy books. This will take about 24 hours to dry. I will have to decide whether to frame the painting or not. A framed painting will be more expensive and will also take up more room in my studio! So depending on my current stock and future needs, the painting might just be put into a protective plastic sleeve for now, or it might be matted before being put away. For this, I may use some pre-cut mats or I may have to cut my own if the painting is a non-standard size. If I decide to frame it, I can choose from an assortment of frames that I have picked up over the years. This will usually involve choosing and cutting a mat to fit both the painting and the frame. I have all the tools to do this myself, keeping the costs of matting and framing down as much as I can. The watercolor paper has to be mounted to the mat with special acid-free tape. All of the materials I use are acid-free so they will last. Recently I have experimented with waxing watercolors instead of framing them under the traditional mat and glass. The painting is carefully glued to a wooden board, trimmed to the exact size of the board, the surface of the painting is coated with a special wax, then buffed once dry. This protects the watercolor against damage, and also gives a soft sheen and a very contemporary look. However, unlike the traditional mat and glass which can be changed, this is a permanent framing solution that can’t be undone without damaging the painting. I have been using cradle panels, but if glued to a traditional wood panel, it could then be framed like an oil painting. As the details of the painting were written on the back of it and are not visible if framed, I fill out a customised label with the main details and stick it to the back of the frame. Oil A finished oil painting takes 6 months to a year to fully dry, depending on how thickly the paint was applied. The drying is not by evaporation, but by oxidation of the oil in the paint. I don’t yet have any “dry” paintings, but once I do, I will apply a varnish to them. Because I am beginning in oil and my paintings are rather small, I will be using a spray varnish. Liquid varnish is often used, and applied with a brush to the clean dry painting. The goal of the varnish is first to protect the painting against dirt, but also to even out the sheen on the painting, as some colors dry glossier than others. In 100 years or so, the varnish can be removed (along with the 100 years of accumulated dirt) and replaced with new varnish to restore the painting to its original glory. I have decided to use floating frames for my oil paintings, which again have a contemporary rather than classical look, and am lucky enough to have a handy husband to make them for me when the time comes to frame them! Pastels Like watercolor, pastel is fragile and must be framed under glass and usually also a mat. Pastel can flake off the paper, so a fixative spray can be used to reduce that risk, and the mat can be cut with a ‘reverse bevel’ so any fallen pigment can be caught and hidden by the beveled edge. I confess to not having framed any pastels yet, and it frightens me a bit! So that is it for the “post-painting” phase. As you can see, there is much more to painting than meets the eye! I hope you found this series interesting, and as always I welcome your questions, comments and suggestions for future blog topics. |
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