Promoting or creating art, which is more important?

Being an artist should involve creating art and nothing else, right?
That’s what I always thought as I dreamed about an art career. All I’d need to do was produce the pictures and the buyers would snap them up, such was my talent. Naive I know, but hey, I was young!
Initially I bought the Artist’s Yearbook  which has a list of all the galleries in the UK. After perusing the chapters, I sent out lots of emails. To which I’ve had 2 replies. I quote from the first, “we looked at you work with great interest.” It got me excited... for about 2 seconds until I realised it must be a form letter.
Watching the art market and seeing who’s successful, I realised that ability is not enough. Sometimes I think it’s irrelevant! Realising I’d have to work at the sales thing, I looked for more guidance.
During further searches, I stumbled across a useful website called Art Business.com and a really great article “How not to succeed in the Art World.” The underlying theme? “Networking is the key!” Great, but where, how when? I sometimes feel I’m stumbling blindly through Hampton Court Palace Maze without a map or guide shouting directions which way to turn.
This week I gripped the bull by the horns and The action plan was launched. Application for local art exhibition in, networking meeting in London, Art to printers, Etsy shop opened yesterday. You get the picture! The only thing this artist hasn’t devoted hours to this week is the art!

Abstracts today

I wasn’t able to finish anything last night, too busy working on some abstracts. Hopefully later on today – I’m waiting for masking to dry then I can start the painting.

I’ve linked all my sites together now. All seems to be working nicely, so far... I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that I want to do more fine arts. I’m not going to stop doing caricatures, I don’t think, but I’m getting a real kick out of the abstracts in particular, plus I think my opportunities for general art sales might be more open to fine arts than caricatures. I’m thinking of the Art trail, which, ironically, does not feature my artwork this time, but I’m still hopeful for the future. It’s a bit frustrating, given all the work I’m putting in, that this block will get lots of advertising whilst the block which featured my work was not advertised at all. However, I’m not going to let that get me down, rejection is normal in this business!

I need to look to the exhibition at Stowe, deadline for entries is 15th March. I’ve submitted a piece to the Society for all artists (SAA) I’m also wondering about the Summer exhibition this year. The deadline is soon, but I’m not sure what the enter. The theme is Raw!

Not again!!!!

After a lovely, productive day yesterday it all went a bit “Pete Tong” when the youngest was sick as we were about to sit down for dinner. Today he’s been a limpet but he’s on the mend now. I’m hoping this evening will be better. I spent the time cuddling and trying to get my head around the site optimisation information. My head feels like a sponge, there may be a lot in there but it’s leaking out as rapidly as water does from a real one!!!!!

I’m hoping to get something done this evening, and I’ll post an image later if I do.

Life Drawing again!!!

I’ve finally managed to sort out a life drawing class again, so guess where I spent the evening. It was a bit will I/won’t I due to a parent teacher meeting but I managed to get there. First sketch was so-so but the second looks much better, after an awful lot of correcting!!! I didn’t finish as much as I’d like as I started playing with water. The initial sketching was done using watercolour pencils so the water added a nice painty dimension. The shading isn’t finished but I like the effects so far. The question is whether I continue to work up the original or use it for other works? I’m not sure I’m happy with it enough to post it, maybe when it’s worked up!!!!
I’ve spent most of the day painting, the watercolour is coming on nicely, although I’m not finished yet.
I’ve even managed some sketching, a few figures swimming at the pool and a style – so exciting!!!!

A cartoon for a change

I created this little chap for a bit of fun. Difficult to say where the inspiration came from. I was just looking in the right direction, and inspiration came. I’m just calling him “The man”


It’s been one of those days when I’ve had a sick child, so no drawing done, until now that is.

Valentine’s day card – cartoons of the non icky kind!

Much as I love my hubby, (Hi dear!) we tend not to go all gooey over Valentine’s day cards. This is my Cartoon creation for him today – he loved it! Artistically it’s not my best, and if I were doing it again I’d alter a few minor things but overall, I think it works well. The joke does, at least.

The web frustration continues…but it seems to be all working now, finally!

My daughter got bored today and stuck these balloons on the wall using static. I’d just taken them down – only 2 weeks after her party, or is it 3? Yep, it’s 3, never mind. I like balloons and couldn’t resist a picture. Such lovely primary colours.

 

Last night I started a sketch of an eagle  – I’m going to finish it and might create something else new for tomorrow if I get nothing better done today. I’ve created a cartoon figure as well, but he needs a little redrawing and some ink in my pens – time to hit the bottle I think. Of ink I mean, of course!

For now, you have balloons and a Valentine’s day card. What more could you ask for? Did I hear flowers? Hmm we’ll see, if you’re good, VERY good!

Website Frustration

I managed some figure poses today, nothing to get excited about although these two were pretty neat.

I’ve had some live caricaturing requests. One a definite, the other is a general enquiry for a wedding. Not sure it will transpire into any work, but encouraging non the less!

The rest of the day has been sorting out website. Did I say I thought I was nearly there before? Well, I was wrong!!!!!! Now I think I’m nearly there after hours sorting out images and shop structure. It even goes to checkout now. I just can’t figure out if it’s working 100% yet. It comes up with an error page when I try to pay. That might be because it’s the same paypal page, anyway, it’s all very frustrating…

No artwork today!

Oops missed a day, where does the time go!
Yesterday was more of an art promotion than an art creation day. I spent the morning visiting some local traders about the Buckingham Art Trail. We’re hoping to launch at the Stowe exhibition in March – details to follow on both these events. I then worked on the website for more time and I think I’m nearly there with the website redesign. It’s currently located at http://cathyread.co.uk but I’ll direct the other web address to it when I’m fully happy. At the moment there are a couple of glitches which I’m trying to sort out with the webhosting company. Or, more correctly, I’m sitting and waiting for them to fix. I’ve started adding shop items –but that’s going to take a while- and there are some annoying empty pages, which I think I’ve hidden pretty well, but they’re still there! Any comments would be appreciated if people want to go check it out.
After some catching up on the household running type activities I settled down to some abstract work in the evening. Stage one completed today and hopefully, there’ll be some painted pictures to clean up and finish tomorrow.  As I write this section, I have no idea whether I will be posting a picture today or not. It will have to wait, in case I sketch something at the swimming pool or this evening.
No pictures, nothing is dry and I didn’t do anything worthy at the pool.

Image editing nightmares..

Very short post tonight, OK so it’s technically tomorrow. I’ve been website building and becoming mega frustrated with image editing software, especially trying to gain access to pictures held in a remote storage facility. All I want to do is reduce file sizes so I can upload the images and they’ll install quicker. I just can’t seem to do it in batches, which would make me so happy.
I gave up, went to sing at church and have spent the evening on a caricature of John Simm. I was finding ideas for body poses unforthcoming, more frustration, so I looked for inspiration online. I’ll upload the picture tomorrow, or rather, later on today…I need to go to bed.

Finished the caricature at last.

Whoopee, I’ve finally finished THAT commission!!!!! Another gift caricature complete! (Dances around the room cheering!") Now, should I post it before it’s been collected. I might wait on that, doesn’t feel right to post yet.I think in furture I might insist on a deadline, when the client does one. This open ended finish time doesn't galvanise any quick action. Mind you, I've had deadlines that were forgotten about before, so that might not work.

I’ve also completed the interview with Whoople, all done and dusted. Just need to wait to find out when it will be posted. I did a sketch of Martine McCucheon in poor light last night. I thought I’d done brown but it’s purple! I can’t decide whether to go over in brown or continue with the purple theme! I don’t think it’s going to be posted as it is.

Organised chaos!

As I predicted yesterday, today has not been rife with drawing. I’ve painted a little bit and am planning to sketch some boats now.

In the meantime I’m leaving you with this picture of my workplace. I was asked to submit a picture of where I create my art with the interview and thought it would be good to blog it as well.

The work in progress is on the easel. I try to do them in natural light hence stopping for the evening. In case you might be wondering, it is a cast iron sewing machine with a box easel on top. My art materials are stored in the various boxes and bags around it. We’re in the process of organising the house in general and I’m looking at storage options, but it has to look right as it’s in my living room. I also plan to get a studio easel at some point… blah, blah, blah. I’ll post a picture when it’s done. It will be the opposite of changing rooms. Several months to change a really tiny space. I just don’t want to loose my lovely sewing machine.

Meetings and Birthdays!

Nothing to post today. I’ve been doing birthday preparations, my middle child just turned 9 and I had a very long but productive meeting about the Buckingham Art for All Art trail. Hopefully will do some sketching later and post tomorrow. Some exciting potential developments but need to be kept on the QT!

House full

It’s the party season again- well in our house, at least. We’re having a sleepover for Siobhan! 3 more children than usual. It’s a bit noisier at home, but so far they seem happy. Draw, what’s that? I might have a sketch later on, when they’re settled. If I do I‘ll post it tomorrow.

No paintings today!

I’ve been working on some abstracts today, and on the commission! Progressing, finally but still spotting “errors” and getting discouraged. Plus I lost a picture of one of the key components. After wasting far too much time looking for it, I decided to print off another one. Why I didn’t do that in the first place is beyond me. I’ll leave you with this picture I took of the fire, my first attempt, I need to learn a bit more about photographing fire. I just loved the curtain effect of the burnt wood at the top. You’ll have to imagine the heat!

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They're all home! Snow fell last night in larger quantities than we've seen for nearly 20 years so the whole transport and education system has fallen apart! Schools closed and Andrew's working from home! Went out for the obligatory play in the snow. Still warm when I returned but Ewan kept complaining he was cold - still stopped a gazillion times to throw snowballs. On returning home we found his wellies were full of snow! The dog's developed a new fashion accessory, "designer snowballs" Hmmm have to copyright that title!

It's snowing!

We don't get much snow here. So when we do, it's an event! Still fiddling with pictures, nothing I really like, yet.
Just got my replacement computer today. A few teething problems as I figure out the new system, but otherwise it's working well!

Merry Christmas

Is it possible to make a Christmas post without sounding cheesy or insincere? Quite simply I wish all the joy and peace of the season to anyone reading this!
Despite all the over indulgence and crass commercialism, I do enjoy Christmas. Certainly the sentiment, and as a believer I think it's important to remember the occasion. Not necessarily with all the usual associations, I'm not a fan of Santa Claus and all the nonsenserelated to that character.

Anyway, Christmas is now over and it's time to refocus my energies on my art, which has been sorely neglected over the last month.

Where did the week go?

This week has been busy with the pre Chrismas events at schools etc. I've been working on a commission, still... but I'm on the actual picture now, second attempt as the first didn't work out as I'd hoped.
I've also been deciding on which pictures should be submitted to the Royal society of British Artist's open exhibition. Not an easy task for a Queen of procrastination like me. The handing in days 11th and 12th December but the exhibition is in March! I should know by the end of next week if I'm successful, here's hoping!

It's dark in here!

Light has been an issue today, or should I say, lack of it. Makes colour matching hit and miss. Regardlss, I'm progressing slowly with the large painting . I feel like I'm painting the "Forth Bridge" but I'll get there. Working on some trees inspired me to do an abstract, tree based in design... procrastination perhaps. Well I did start it when the paint was drying on the "Big picture" I also produced another figure base abstract using one of my life drawing sketches as a basis for the design. I decided to use a syringe to administer the masking fluid, a technique requiring some practice but ultimately satisfying. I also tried a star using the same tecnique but it ended up more like Lisa Simpson's hair grafted with half a four point compass symbol. (If that makes sense) .None of these are dry yet, of course, so no pictures today.

Alan Davies

Today has been far more productive than I was expecting. I've finally made some progress with the Streethockey picture. I managed a caricature of Alan Davies here -spelt his name wrong on piccy- oops.Pleased with the likeness. Andrew was able to guess who it was. I'm a big QI fan and Alan here always makes me laugh!
I had an interesting email about a gallery/studio opportunity but it's going to be too far away. If I was accepted I'd have to rent the studio space. It would take approximately 40 minutes to get there and the same to return. That's too much valuable painting time to waste. Pity, because it is a good option, although I'd need to go through selection first. Need to find..or start... something more local... hmmm....?