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| "Window on Pine Island" 16x20 wrap canvas; oil |
He was right. It still didn’t stop me from losing money
when the tech bubble burst; my mutual funds were heavily invested in
technology. And it didn’t stop me from losing money when my AOL stock tanked.
His advice did teach me a valuable lesson: Don’t put all your eggs in one
basket. They just might break and you'll lose everything!
That philosophy works for artists, too. We must diversify our portfolios and adapt to market changes. A recent visit to some art galleries and
consignment stores underscored the need to stay abreast of the changing tastes
of a younger upscale market; one that is being pinched by the current economic
climate.
I saw smaller artworks, smaller canvases, and artwork
being applied to craft items: Magnets, plates, glasses, boxes were plentiful; and
more jewelry is being made. Tourists who must fly back home are looking for
gift items that will tuck easily into a suitcase.
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| "Hey, Coconut Mon" 18x24 mixed media on canvas |
Artists must adapt and make these “bread and butter” items in order to bring needed cash into their resource bank. Recycled items were numerous: Palm fronds elaborately painted with shiny enamel to look like fish, jewelry made with seeds and natural items, Paper Mache sculpture, etc.
Online, I saw an Indonesian artist creating wonderful artwork on Styrofoam cups, probably for lack of money or supplies. Extraordinary skill and talent cannot be kept down, even by money.
I force myself to paint “pretty little things” when what
I’d really like to paint is serious, controversial paintings with possible
political overtones; but who buys that? Still, if we paint what we love,
eventually someone else will love it, too; or so I’ve been told.
I don’t know about you, but when I get discouraged, I’m
less creative. When I try to “make myself” create, I come up against a wall.
When I stay positive and stay busy, I’m more likely to come up with more ideas
than I can use. Don’t give up. Adapt, change and find new avenues for your
artwork and your creativity.
Featured
Artist:
Dorina Costras from Bacau, Romania. Exquisite, original drawings and paintings may be found on Facebook or at the RedBubble link below.
Dorina Costras from Bacau, Romania. Exquisite, original drawings and paintings may be found on Facebook or at the RedBubble link below.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/doreen01/works/9139709-the-sun-the-moon-and-the-truth
PLUS
Stan Propenko Part 3, Drawing of the Head, Sideview
Hi Carole - you've reminded me why I create greeting cards! You have to be down to rock bottom to be unable to afford a greeting card! I look upon them as 'art for all', which is a concept very dear to my heart!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, and from the looks of it, you seem to have a steady stream of buyers. How long have you been at this? I get so discouraged, sometimes, I'm ready to throw in the towel!
DeleteHi Carol - don't throw in the towel (I know you won't!).
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time for a slight change of direction to re-motivate you?
I started selling cards 2 yrs 8 months ago and yes, sales have gradually improved, though greeting cards earn me mere pennies so you need to sell a lot!
I'm actually veering off in a slightly different direction, doing a surface pattern design course, because selling a bag or a mug on Zazzle earns a lot more that selling a card, but still fits with my 'art for all' concept.
I hope you won't be offended if I say that some of your bird and flower paintings would look good on mousepads or mugs . . . but be warened, there is also a lot of tedious work involved in selling through print-on-demand stores.
Yes, I've thought a lot about that. In fact, my blog on 8/24 talks about different papers, etc. and I put one of my drawings on a tray using decal paper. I'm seriously thinking of doing that. Thanks, dear friend!
ReplyDelete