ARTISTS AND HIGH GALLERY COST

Galleries typically take a 50% commission on the sale of artwork, photos, mono types, etc.,
and anywhere from 33.3% to 40%.   Artists who feels that they are "starving" it's difficult to imagine how it could possibly make sense to "give away" half of your sale price.

       The cost of classes, paint and time that goes into creating a single painting is not considered by most buyers. 
    I can paint a painting three times before I get it right and that's the way it is for all artists. This is the trial and error process to creating what we feel acceptable in a painting, and this is what the public does not see what happens in the studio. The cost of paint, canvas, brush, classes, schooling, mediums and the time is never considered into creating art.

       Most artist study and read more then they paint and we have to paint everyday to maintain and master our medium.  If and artist paints several mediums, its more hours in the studio.
      As artists, are perfectionist and our name is on that painting and a must to get it right if its going to be in a gallery and if not, the gallery will not accept our work. 

       The Value of any piece of art is comprised to two components
     One part is the value of the art is created in the studio and creativity to produce, the second part is the value and effort with creativity that goes into marketing and promoting the art. 
           Getting into galleries takes preparation and work and maintaining the gallery relationship. There are also cost involved in getting  art into the gallery, this is also taken into account when calculating the visibility of selling through galleries. 
  
      A high end gallery will take more money as they will market good artists and the artist must be qualified to display in that gallery to reassure demand for their work in sales.  When the gallery closes and goes under, that is another issue for artist getting their artwork returned or receiving payment from the sale of a painting.  It's a lot more legal cost to getting your money or artwork back.

    As artists, we need to market, do our own bookwork, commissions, paint, work galleries, blog, sell in galleries, we sell on line, keep up with new works, more schooling and up to date on mediums and their use,  image our work for online galleries.  and the list goes on... We also teach art classes to help pay for supplies when sales are slow.

 ........An artist life is always busy......

  

ARTISTS HISTORY WITH PAINTING AT 75 AND BEYOND

Michelangelo 1475-1564

“The urge to create beauty, and a drive that cannot be laid to rest"

From as early as the Renaissance, artists such as Michelangelo, Titian and Donatello worked well into their eighties.   In the 19th and 20th-century artists like Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Norman Rockwell continued this Model. 

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright worked until he was 92, and the projects he’s most famous for (Falling water, The Guggenheim Museum, Johnson Wax Headquarters) were all created after the age of 67.

Painter and potter Georgia O’Keeffe worked in the age of 99, and illustrator Al Hirschfeld created his drawings to the end of his life when he was months from turning 100 years old.

       I have no intentions of retiring from my job as a painter as that is my passion. I started at the age of 18 years old.  My teacher Tony Nelson continues to teach private art classes to this day at the age of 94 and she has no plans to quit anytime soon.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright 1867-1959

Clearly, artists are not immune to the effects of aging. Their work doesn’t experience the natural decline we see in the sports and music curves. Creative people are committed to their artistic growth, and that growth, if it lasts, brings new thoughts, new ideas and new meanings of expression.

The difference in our comparisons is that artists do not, for the most part, rely on their physical bodies to communicate Art.

..........AN ARTIST IS NOT JUST SOME PERSON WHO MESSES WITH PAINT AND BRUSHES; AN ARTIST IS SOMEBODY WHO DOES EMOTIONAL WORK…........  Seth Godin

Georgia O'Keeff  1887-1986

Artists who remain fully engaged with their art reach higher and higher toward, yet, unrealized possibilities.

The only way to continually grow as creators we need to stay on track.  If an artist at any point settles on his laurels or falls into his or her comfort zone, then we see their talent/creativity curve flatten out.  We never really know exactly how far we can go with our art, and that’s what makes the trip exciting, prodding us to stay on course.  

 Architect Frank Lloyd Wright worked until he was 92, and the projects he’s most famous for (Falling water, The Guggenheim Museum, Johnson Wax Headquarters) were all created after the age of 67.

THE CREATION OF ADAM   (Michelangelo)

Titian 1490-1576

SACRED AND PROFANE LOVE  (Titian) painted 1514

Claud Monet 1840-1926

CLIFF WALK AT POURVILLE ( Monet)

  (Georgia  O'Keeffe)

SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM ( Frank Lloyd Wright)

FALLINGWATER IN FAYETTE CO PENNSYLIVANIA ( Frank Lloyd Wright)

NORMAN ROCKWELL 1894-1978

PABLO PICASSO 1881-1973

CREATIVITY BEYOND THE BRUSH

......Creativity beyond the brush started out with my passion at a young age, taking classes after school and investing in what I have loved for many years there after.  

      Investing in what I love and sticking to it.

I have been an artist for 44 years and have no plans of retiring from the brush anytime soon. I just keep learning as I'm never too old to learn more brush techniques and the use of new mediums out there.

      I have enjoyed trying out other creative venues, but I found out that painting was my true love and so I just focused on that with taking more classes to better myself.

..................... I think my advice to anyone, if you find your passion, don't let your life pass and putting off your dream, because the older we get the faster time passes. 
         When you find your passion or dream, stick with it and invest in it because you are investing in yourself and that's what creates who you are, and your passionate soul.  It  also helps get you through tough times. Your passion will never leave you.

......To be a creative can often feel like a choice that is both insane and thrilling in equal measure when I’m in the studio.  My art has been a balance with all kinds of the normal ups and downs of emotional challenges in any normal life.

........What many artist have in common, is an excruciating sensitivity to their surroundings.

........Nature is at our attention and takes a deep hold on us while we observe it quietly and intensely. The artist visually describes the scene through a brush, but the viewer completes it by what is personally meaningful.

          When painting for a show and making sure I have enough art to display for a solo show and not displaying art I displayed at the last show, can be long hours painting in the studio, I depend on putting feeling in everything I create with the brush and painting new works if I have a show back to back.
          I must find a way to live in the uncertain, wild space between what success looks like to others and what success feels like to me.  Choosing a creative career is not something for the weak-willed, the comfort-chasers, the ones who need to know how their life will splay out ahead of them for years and years to come.
          Being an artists since I was 19 years old, I have always worked a full time job, besides going to college.   Art was a luxury passion that was costly with saving extra cash so I could buy my art supplies, and save for classes to better myself.  Once in a while I was lucky to sell a few pieces of art and make a few dollars.   The "little" extra cash and I mean "little" was a way to help pay for my art supplies.
          Taking time to paint was limited even later with being married, working a full time and having a family, but I continued to paint and display my art where ever I could just to get my name out there.

 ...... Most of my art has been created from places I have been and that has  had an impact on my emotions.  The daily life of people in local pubs, public markets, the beach landscape, gardens, landscapes and cityscape's all play a part on my emotions with creativity in the studio.

                   

         I frequently hide the steps that lead to my masterpieces and if a watercolor painting,  I have had to paint it two and three times to get it right.  

 I would rather create the work that inspires me most.  My best kind of art comes from a place of empathy and compassion, from an inherent curiosity around the human experience.

 Highly creative understand curiosity around humanity is what brings me to the art work, the instrument, the canvas, the laptop, the camera, and the drawing board.    

It takes a certain degree of  an empathic view of the world and artists understand that at the core of their work is a desire to move people with their art.   This means they have a high level of respect for whoever will meet  their work.

        Creatives know that their empathy, their compassion is at the heart of their work.

.............All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.
                       Eckhart Tolle

..............Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight
-                      Orhan Pamuk

..............I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious.
                        Andrew Wyeth

...........You cannot find what the poets find in the woods until you take the poet's heart to the woods.
                       John Burrougs

WHEN IS AN ARTIST'S WORK FINISHED?

When is an artist’s work finished? 

Part of being able to know when you're finished is not putting too much pressure on yourself. 

Once my painting has left my studio, I consider it finished. 

    

When the final correction to a manuscript, when the composer writes the last note of a symphony, or when the painter puts the last brushstroke on the canvas.

    My paintings are painted upside down for at least 40% of the time while working on that painting. 

    For some artist it may take years before a work seems ready to leave the studio.

    I paint at least five to six paintings at a time to keep from getting stuck on one painting due to many hours in the studio.

     Having a fresh painting keeps me on the move and never get lost in a painting. 

    Unfinished paintings waiting to dry for the next coat, are hung on the walls in my hallway.

   Starting a painting after I sketch, then apply a thin coat of primer 

for the values. I then let that dry for a couple of hours before I start the next layer.  

 I paint some detail on most of my oil, then I go back and paint the impressionist brush style.

   I love to use bright colors on most of my work.

Some of of my paintings are more on the softer side with natural colors for landscapes.   

Here is the stages of "SIRENS" in image I took from Port Townsend while having a glass and listening the Irish music from this band. They play on Tuesday nights there at the Sirens pub. We became friends when I shared and gave them prints on my next visit. Still friends today and they play at the Global Bean in Silverdale, WA.

        "SIRENS, Port Townsend, WA

        First primer and sketch.

Here is the second coat about a week later, due to drying time.

 Slowly coming together very nice.

Here is the finished Painting and a fun painting to paint.

Sold

Prints available on Fine Art America

Information on my website

MartiGreen.com

CINQUE TERRE

Here is another painting . with displaying images of my progression.

  Oil painting 30x40  1.5 inch sides with mirror painted sides.

Painting available for sale.

Contact me through my website email.

MartiGreen.com 

MOVING BEYOND MY COMFORT ZONE

Comfort Zone

....... You've heard it before. "Move out of your comfort zone" is the familiar phrase spoken by many entrepreneurs. gurus and mentors. I've come to appreciate the sage advice from my instructors, artist friends, viewers. and clients. to move beyond my comfort zone in my artwork.

    I had to get through some fears and concerns about making the move to start painting portraits.....

......"The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears......"Dan Stevens

    Learning a new medium and not knowing your paints, how the paint moves, blends and dries can set you back in your painting skills for several months. When dealing with gallery contracts and commissions, time is very limited and to be taking a risk that could set me back several months in my work, is always a consideration. 

    I have been reading about painting portraits in oil for the last several months while working on other paintings. Taking that challenge to start has been a great move forward. I'm glad to have broken that barrier to a new adventure. I feel I have a long way to go yet, but with me staying focused and pushing my limits will keep me moving in the right direction to be a better painter.

    Images below are the very first portraits I have done. I will always study to improve my work....  

......Be willing to step outside your comfort zone once in a while; take the risk in life that seem worth taking. The ride may not  be as predictable if you'd just planted your feet and stayed put, but it will be a heck of a lot more interesting. Edward Whitacre, Jr.

.... Posting my paintings in stages on Facebook helps the viewer understand the process artists go through getting the painting completed. Posting also inspires the artist with the next stage of the painting and helps motivate the artist with keeping focused in the studio.

I thank each and every one of you for all your support. You all are the reason to push my passion to be better.

This painting is still in the works and much more to do on other art in process. This is a study only..... Thank you for viewing...

You can also follow me on Facebook as Marti Green Artist..

martigreen.com and on "Fine Art America"  marti-green.artistwebsites.com       

Kristin Portrait

Richard Sherman Portrait

from start to finishThis Painting is finished and prints are for sale on Fine Art America       marti-green.artistwebsites.com

    

MARKETING AND ART STRUGGLE

Marketing and Art Struggle

(What if I’m not good enough?)

This is probably the number one fear of any creative professional.  After all, we are not creating necessities but luxuries for the most part.  As much as our art enriches our life and the lives of others, it remains something that we (at least as consumers) could probably live without. 

When money is tight, luxuries such as purchasing books, music, tickets to performances, and artwork are often the first to go.  We are not doctors, teachers, or even farmers–we don’t create or provide a service that people can’t live without. As artists, we are well aware of this fact which only seems to fuel our sense of self-doubt. At times we can’t help but feel well. . . expendable

The cure for self-doubt is surprisingly not success. The world is filled with famous and successful artists, writers, and musicians that are still riddled with depression and feelings of self-doubt.  Unfortunately, for the majority of us, this is not something that ever completely goes away.  Instead we have to find a way to live with this doubt and value the creative process as much as the work itself.

I’m not original enough (someone else is doing it better)

While it may be true that all the great themes in art and literature have already been done before a thousand times over, it’s always possible to bring something entirely new to the process.

Let’s face it, writers and artists have been borrowing from their creative ancestors since there has been a thing called art. Even Shakespeare borrowed almost all of his work from other writers, but in the end, there is little question that he made them distinctively his own.

" Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing." 

~Salvador Dali

 Trying to constantly reinvent the wheel.  Instead use it, we learn from it, model it, and then create our own version of it. Don’t worry about being seen as an imitator.  We have all learned our art from those who have come before us. Embrace it and create a version of it that is true.

People won't take me seriously as an artist

"Art is a hobby and not a real job"

“I’m afraid that my friends and family will be disappointed in me”

The truth is that your career as an artist is only as serious as you take it.  Do you work at it as your “job” or do you only work at it occasionally as your “hobby”?  How much work do you really put into it daily?  If you were your boss, would you pay yourself for the effort that you are currently making?

Having to deal with you friends and family (especially parents) can be particularly tough when it comes to them seeing you as a working artist.  The bottom line however is that they will take you and your art as seriously as they see you taking it.  In other words, if they see you putting in 10-15 hours day after day working not only on your art, but marketing your art as well, they will begin to see you as a “working artist” rather than just their kid who does art.

People will steal my work or my ideas

One of the biggest fears that artists have when I ask about them selling their work online is that they are afraid that people are going to steal their work or their ideas.  While there’s no doubt this does happen, far too many artists are using this as an excuse to stay out of the online marketplace all together.

Yes, people steal ideas all the time.  You do it, I do it, and every artist under the sun has done it at some point.  We look for ideas that speak to us and then we use them to spark our imagination.  We’re not talking about these people, however, we’re talking about the real thieves who simply take stuff off the internet and pass it off as their own.

Although this is certainly a real problem, you also have to realize that these artistic parasites are a very small minority of the online population. 98% of the people looking at your work online have no intent of stealing your work, they are simply enjoying it and maybe, just maybe, they might be interested in buying it.

My work is never as good as I imagined it would be

No artist is ever completely satisfied with their work.  Some pieces you will always like better than others but the pursuit of perfection is only a mirage that keeps you from moving on.

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

At some point, however, you have to let it go and move on.  You have to accept the fact that even the greatest authors, composers, musicians, and artists were still unsatisfied with their masterpieces in some way.  Perfection is an illusion that will eventually consume you if you let it.  Think of each piece that you create as a stepping stone on a much longer journey.  You will never get to the next stage of development as an artist unless you are willing to set that piece aside and move on to the next.

Just let it go,    Live your art.

       “Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.”  ~Salvador Dali