Monday, 17 February 2014
New Abstract Painting 2014.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Monday, 16 December 2013
Closed for the Festive Season...Merry Xmas to all my readers.
... 4 days till I stop work for the festive season, its time to reflect on art sales and progress over the last few months...as a full time artist, chasing art fairs has not been a successful venture, nor holding group exhibitions. For me ,simple online gallery sales, commissions via normal/real-time gallery representation , has provided consistent income streams. Linkedin/Facebook/Twitter have collectively provided 1/3 of sales / commissions. Seems that a good on-line presence has been the key to survival and having 'affordable art.' Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers.
Friday, 13 December 2013
Layers of Sand.....history...Christmas Time !
Every year I dread the run up to Christmas, not because I dislike the actual celebration or concept, but it always triggers my worst memories or events that were negative in concept or outcome....
Its the overall ambience I guess....as Christmas makes one reflective...on the what if and if only...but then hindsight is a wonderful thing , post a cataclysmic shift in one's life....
I still firmly believe that life has so many variables and controlling influences that we have no knowledge of or control over...no matter how strong our resolve can seem to be...besides when someone else has the element of surprise , one is extremely vulnerable to outcome....how to avoid this...??
The last few months have seen me make a go of my art as my primary income source , without crutching on my teaching degrees and qualifications....yes, money has come in...slow at first, but increasing up until today...not enough to match my previous earnings...but what a sense of relief everyday to start my own work free of others judgement/ criticism and being ambushed !! That's the answer, to avoid those wolves bearing gifts, don't associate with them... I will never trust systems that embody secretive agendas or use the ambush method to prey on one's sensibilities... how easy to lose faith in leadership systems that disregard basic human dignity within the work place....
Everyday I wake up and don't have that burden or nagging / niggling feeling that I'm going to be smite from my comfort zone in some unexpected attack on my performance...or find myself in a situation that is beyond one's own control, by factors that will intentionally seek to make one's life as uncomfortable as possible....being self employed removes the stress of the unknown factors in daily routine...save being bombed by a black bird walking to my studio, my life outcomes have firmly been passed back to me....and that is worth all the money in the world. Art is a wonderful occupation...but it has to sell consistently to be practised as a primary income stream. I will be placing new work at higher price levels in the Whitham Gallery in January...so will see how that works out...do I think I would ever go back to teaching full time...never...I distrust ''systems'' now...and that is sad, as in the past I've worked within some excellent transparent management systems that worked effectively, because there was transparency and honesty...
The last two years have made me realise that there are people in this world who see 'systems' as ladders for their own good and power plays. Sad , but true.....
So, back to layers of meaning and depth....I see every Christmas as another layer of sand poured over me...burying those awful events and memories for the next 365 days...till they somehow re-expose themselves in their ritual rising......I guess they are my ghosts of Christmas past and will always be all my regrets coming back to remind me that ultimately outcome is never predictable, and sometimes awful people are unavoidable in the journey of life.
Merry Christmas.
Its the overall ambience I guess....as Christmas makes one reflective...on the what if and if only...but then hindsight is a wonderful thing , post a cataclysmic shift in one's life....
I still firmly believe that life has so many variables and controlling influences that we have no knowledge of or control over...no matter how strong our resolve can seem to be...besides when someone else has the element of surprise , one is extremely vulnerable to outcome....how to avoid this...??
The last few months have seen me make a go of my art as my primary income source , without crutching on my teaching degrees and qualifications....yes, money has come in...slow at first, but increasing up until today...not enough to match my previous earnings...but what a sense of relief everyday to start my own work free of others judgement/ criticism and being ambushed !! That's the answer, to avoid those wolves bearing gifts, don't associate with them... I will never trust systems that embody secretive agendas or use the ambush method to prey on one's sensibilities... how easy to lose faith in leadership systems that disregard basic human dignity within the work place....
Everyday I wake up and don't have that burden or nagging / niggling feeling that I'm going to be smite from my comfort zone in some unexpected attack on my performance...or find myself in a situation that is beyond one's own control, by factors that will intentionally seek to make one's life as uncomfortable as possible....being self employed removes the stress of the unknown factors in daily routine...save being bombed by a black bird walking to my studio, my life outcomes have firmly been passed back to me....and that is worth all the money in the world. Art is a wonderful occupation...but it has to sell consistently to be practised as a primary income stream. I will be placing new work at higher price levels in the Whitham Gallery in January...so will see how that works out...do I think I would ever go back to teaching full time...never...I distrust ''systems'' now...and that is sad, as in the past I've worked within some excellent transparent management systems that worked effectively, because there was transparency and honesty...
The last two years have made me realise that there are people in this world who see 'systems' as ladders for their own good and power plays. Sad , but true.....
So, back to layers of meaning and depth....I see every Christmas as another layer of sand poured over me...burying those awful events and memories for the next 365 days...till they somehow re-expose themselves in their ritual rising......I guess they are my ghosts of Christmas past and will always be all my regrets coming back to remind me that ultimately outcome is never predictable, and sometimes awful people are unavoidable in the journey of life.
Merry Christmas.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Sales Today...6 works WOW !!
Great day today...and it is a Friday..I sold 6 paintings...with each client buying 2 !! New record for me...
Now I can take Saturday off to go treasure hunting.....
One of my sales today.....long may it continue...
Now I can take Saturday off to go treasure hunting.....
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Bits and Bobs...
http://vimeo.com/79179138
enjoyed this clip...inspiring...been a busy week with meetings, exhibitions and working to produce stock....
Off to the Gallery this morning to restock sales area and add more work in the run up to xmas....
One commission this week plus work sold , all helps and some solid networking for the future...
The last few weeks have had me pondering volume verse fewer works with more time spent on them...not sure of the answer, as works taking weeks to complete have often stood for a year before being sold, and daily works sometimes move in 2 weeks and less?? Also subject matter seems complete pot luck..I see no thread in theme or genre...but just random sells . with no link to theme...so painting only one genre not the answer to regular sales as I have sold abstract through to very commercial xmas themes...and then trees? So not decided on only following one type or strain of depiction...will have to ponder this further..next week I will start with seascapes again, as my stocks in this area are low...
enjoyed this clip...inspiring...been a busy week with meetings, exhibitions and working to produce stock....
Off to the Gallery this morning to restock sales area and add more work in the run up to xmas....
One commission this week plus work sold , all helps and some solid networking for the future...
The last few weeks have had me pondering volume verse fewer works with more time spent on them...not sure of the answer, as works taking weeks to complete have often stood for a year before being sold, and daily works sometimes move in 2 weeks and less?? Also subject matter seems complete pot luck..I see no thread in theme or genre...but just random sells . with no link to theme...so painting only one genre not the answer to regular sales as I have sold abstract through to very commercial xmas themes...and then trees? So not decided on only following one type or strain of depiction...will have to ponder this further..next week I will start with seascapes again, as my stocks in this area are low...
Friday, 29 November 2013
Staincliffe...a few sold..Gallery Sales.
Sold one medium size painting last night and some smaller Snowy Landscapes. And one of my tree paintings at the main Gallery. Also one new commission lined up.
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