Blogging Along

 A lot of people have declared blogs are dead. That’s ok. I have been writing a blog in some form for as long as there have been blogs.

I don’t write it to try and sell products, or to be an influencer. I write it for myself and others who wish to have a glimpse into the life of a painter. I write about whatever is on my mind on Wednesday morning each week.

I think blogging is a great medium for me particularly, as I like to take notes and write a few paragraphs at a time. I have so many interests and notes are perfect. I am old school. I take notes on vertical  index cards. I keep stacks of them on my design table, my office desk, by my bed and in my studio. I write down to do lists on Sunday night for the week ahead. I write ideas down, naturalist notes form my walks in the woods, and color mixing, composing notes on the cards. 

Some of those end up here on the blog. I’ll keep on with blogging. It matters not whether others do as well.

Life is swell for country painters……

Eletism

 I had an interesting conversation with friends last week about elitism of artists. That seems to be a big problem in almost every town.

 There are always little groups of artists who try to shut others out. I saw it as a festival artist years ago, as a gallery artist, and as a paint out artist too. I’ve heard stories from artists in other cities about this elitist attitude.

 I call it believing your own press. I used to have a good friend back in the starting out days, who was a terrific painter. He wanted to make it to the big league. He has distanced himself further and further from his old friends and now considers himself far above us peons. I have other old friends who are just as successful now but they still love their old friends and are still just as kind as ever. 

 Who do you think is happier, deep in their hearts?

 Elitists artists live on the edge of failure, just as the rest of us do. They just can’t admit it to themselves. Many well known artists price themselves out of the market. When hard times hit, they can’t sustain their income, so they become workshop teachers. They become completely dependent on teaching, not by choice but by necessity. I’ll leave the big league to others. 

 Being just a country painter gives me a wonderful life.....

Ethics of Selling

 I’ve been thinking about the way we do or should sell art. It can be a touchy topic. I think there are some unspoken ethics about selling art:

 Don't talk to someone else’s studio guests and try to sell your own art while visiting. I have actually had this happen to me and it is quite awkward and uncomfortable. 

 Don't sell your work in front of competing artists if you can avoid it. Find a more private situation to interact with your patron if possible. 

 Don't try to steal patrons away from artists at exhibit openings. I have seen this countless times at paint outs and exhibits. Some artists will blatantly stand in front of another's work and direct patrons to their work instead. Some will actually cut into conversations between patrons and artists to distract patrons away from the artist's work they were viewing.  Some actually remove sold signs from an artist's wall and place them on their own wall. Some artists go around the gallery and count the number of sales each artist makes. Then they brag to collectors that they sold more than others. Add cold calling to this as well. Do not call other artists' patrons and try to steal collectors. Some artists show up to another artist’s exhibit to hand out their own business cards. 

 Don't bad mouth other artists to potential patrons. The opportunity presents itself quite frequently. Sometimes potential collectors will ask what you think of another artist and their work? Resist the temptation to speak your mind. There are exceptions. If you feel another artist is unethical or about to use an innocent person, it gives you something to consider and there may be a third party you should discuss the situation with and obtain advice. In most circumstances, say nothing. Better to say you don't know much about the artist's work than to insult them. 

 Be helpful. I will often send collectors to an artist who specializes in subjects that don't interest me. You will be appreciated by other artists who will do the same for you. Be generous when you can. 

 Don't bad mouth other artists to galleries. This is a disgraceful habit and yes, I actually know an artist who did this to another, well respected painter. It caused great damage to the innocent artist's relationship with his gallery dealer. 

 Don't be cliquish. I know far too many painters who are like high school cheerleaders. These groups form to promote their own agendas and egos. Exclusivity is clearly part of their goal. The funny thing is that the best painters I know are not a part of this. They are generous, kind and always willing to share.

 Worry about your own plan, not anyone else's. There is room for all kinds of art and everyone can sell their work in an ethical manner. 

 Be kind and thoughtful to your collectors and they will care equally for you. We must overcome the obstacles in our path to success without walking on our competitors' backs. We don't need to abuse other artists to succeed in selling our own work. 

Country artists have to play fair…… www.lindablondheim.com

Reuse

 I like to reuse and recycle my art and marketing materials. I’ve found it to be useful, saves money and resources and is fun.

 I use old post cards that are leftover invites to past dated parties to make bookmarks and paper flowers. I cut the flower shapes out of the images. Because the cards are thick paper and glossy, the flowers are really pretty. They are easy to Stitch edging on too with crochet thread.

 I use scrap mat board to make my tea bag paintings. I use everything in the tea bags except the tea and the tiny staple. I put the used tea in the garden. I also make little art pins from 2x2 inch mat board. They are fun to wear. I cover them with clear packing tape and put a little metal pin back on them. 

 I use old pieces of craft paper from my table tops in the studio to wrap framed paintings before shipping them. I use shredded papers from the mail to fill the shipping boxes and I save all bubble wrap that comes in shipping boxes. I reuse it to ship paintings. 

 

Saving resources is good for Country painters......

Expertise

Expertise means something. If I could have a dollar every time I hear someone say

”I can do that” in front of someone’s painting, I would be well off financially indeed. Good painting looks easy and effortless.

Any expert in any field makes the work look easy. If you watch house building shows on TV it looks easy. Now try it yourself! Through the digital world, we think we have become experts at everything. 

 Fine art takes a big hit on this issue because anyone can buy paint and brushes and suddenly become a painter. They don’t have to go through the arduous lengthy and expensive process of obtaining art degrees like I did. 

 My point is that to be an expert in any field, you must be well trained, with years of practice. There are very few masters in any field. I would never think of myself as a master painter, though I’ve painted for over 60 years, with art degrees. I am but a student of the game. Calling yourself a master painter is the highest form of hubris, though I see artists do that all the time. Most master painters think of themselves as mere students. Experts in all fields are in rarified air. 

 Life is humbling for country painters......

 

Paths for Artists

 There are several paths to success for artists. Many don't understand that there are multiple choices. 

Path 1

I started out with the typical after art school path. I patiently built my credentials, met the right people, did competitive shows, joined all of the right national organizations, became a listed artist, showed in invitational museum exhibits, and so forth. My goal was to become a regionally known artist first, then hopefully on to a national level artist.  The ladder was tall and there were many who tried to climb over. 

I woke up one day with an epiphany. I was tired of the stress, the politics, the oneupmanship, the expectations of others, the fear of failure and fear of marginalization. I knew many unhappy painters who were sick of that path as well, but who were afraid to leave it. I also knew painters who thrived in that competitive, cutthroat environment. 

 Path 2

The Non competitive painter. I switched to this path, after my epiphany. I came to the realization that I didn't have to live in the world of being the best known or best painter. In fact I could be a nobody and love my job. I am quite successful as a non competitive painter and a country bumpkin.  I don't do national shows. I don't enter contests, I rarely go to art openings, I don't do paint outs and I don't hang out with the so called "art elite" anymore. The cool people I know are kind, authentic, and wonderful! Most of them have not set foot in an art  gallery. They are farmers, business people and lovers of the natural world. 

 Path 3

The commission artist. This is a good path for those who like a steady reliable way to make money. It takes time to build up a following and patience to deal with a demanding clientele. Marketing is very specific for this niche, but not always. Some commission artists are lucky right away and build steady clients. Word of mouth is a good tool for commission artists. 

 Path 4

Now the online business model for artists is becoming viable. We no longer have to depend on galleries, festivals or live events to sell art. I know artists who only market and sell online. They are savvy at social marketing and get their work out in front of huge audiences, having no real art credentials, because their followers don't care about their training. There are lots of sub paths to an art career, including retirees who decide to be artists and unfortunately undercharge for their work because they don't need to make money.  The paths meander here and there, but there is a path for all of us, both in elite and low places. 

 

Country painters follow the path that makes them happy…..

 

Have Fun

 Have fun with art. I have learned this valuable insight as I have aged. I spent many years worrying about being taken seriously as a painter. I didn’t realize that fun makes me a better painter. 

 

About two years ago I started doing paintings on tea bags, archival paper, and mini art card paintings at my design table. I have had a lot of fun, and they are wonderful regular practice. I started making hand made paper about a year ago, using it for a variety of projects, including embossed note cards. It has all been a wonderful addition to my job as a landscape artist.

 

Every bit of fun art I do, adds to my experience as an artist and gives more depth to my learning journey.

 

Art is fun for country painters…… 

Career Choices

There are two basic paths with offshoot variations, to a career as a painter. I chose path one as a young painter out of art school. Art school teaches you nothing about business. In fact they steer you toward building prestige and elitism for artists.

 I spent the first part of my career entering competitions, getting to be listed with auction houses, Who’s Who, etc. I worked very hard to be one of the known Florida artists. I did museum shows, art center shows, building my resume, bio, and statement. Later, I did all the big Florida Paint Outs. I consulted on all of them, and I was the project manager for the Epcot Artists in the Garden paint out for 10 years. I belonged to all the southern plein air organizations, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, of which there were many at the time. Path one is climbing the ladder.

 About ten years ago, I began to despise all of path one. It takes a lot of pointless energy to walk on path one. You do it because you have the false sense that it is the only legitimate path and that you will be marginalized without it. I woke up one day and said I’m done!

 I stopped doing paint outs, stopped doing shows where you must pay to play. I only do invitational exhibits now. I stopped caring about building resumes, bios, statements. No one has asked me for one in 10 years. 

 Path two is very different. It is cozy and very kind. I no longer compete with other artists. Instead, I began to learn to cheer for their successes. I began to make friends with my collectors instead of the artsy-fartsy community. I didn’t need to run around hoping to be seen with the cool people. I began to put my energy into my paintings instead, spending my precious time learning how to paint. 

 Perhaps I have become marginalized by the art community for stepping away, but I’m a better painter now and I have a lot more friends, both artists and collectors. All the paths we take, make us what we are. I wouldn’t change any of it.

 Life is wonderful for country painters.....

 

READ MORE

Thinking Too Much

 Sometimes thinking too much is dangerous. I have spent a lifetime of thinking about the business of being a painter. I spent years trying to figure out how to sell, how to market successfully and worrying about being marginalized by not hanging around the right galleries, museums and arty people.

 

 I spent years building up my teaching business, running all over the place teaching workshops, teaching locally and coaching students online. Writing tutorials and so forth.  I've been asked many times to write books about painting, plein air painting, and marketing. I even seriously made the effort to sit down and write a painting book but I got too distracted by it and gave up.  I just couldn't settle down to it long enough. My best writing has been on blogs because I think in an adventurous sense. I like to write a few paragraphs and be done. As an ADD artist, that's about all of the attention span I possess as a writer.

 

 After all of this busyness, I find that I like to spend my time painting and hanging around my studio and my nature trail now. I've spent a lot of years acquiring information and learning to paint and I'm far from through acquiring knowledge. In fact I am just getting to the stage where I can study in earnest.

 

 I won't make the mistake of wringing my hands and saying why did I spend all of those years doing all of those busy things? I can accept the fact that they were important at the time and I actually cared about being a known painter then. I've been very lucky to have a good career and to be known to the people who support me in so many ways. I've learned that they are really the only people who I should care about pleasing with my work other than myself. I have learned the art of study and passion for my work as an artist. I'm excited every time I step up to the easel and see that new canvas. The masterpiece painting is just around the corner for me every time. I trust that I will do it someday.

 

 

 Once I began to give up the clubs, organizations, the competitive world of juried competitions and shows, the teaching, I began to have time to focus on the fields and trees, the cattle, rivers and marshes that I love to paint. I stopped worrying about what other painters were doing, what they were painting and where my next collector would come from. I trusted that they would arrive, and they do. I still believe in serious marketing, which I do regularly, but my approach is more focused and toward others who love the same subjects I do.

 Life is good when you are a country painter………

 

Paper Making Growth

 My paper making growth continues. Today I made a batch of 12 pages, 5x7. That is the size of my usual batch. I filled the blender with old papers and newsprint and a bit of white latex paint, making a nice light grey. I did 6 sheets that color and then added a bit of orange dye, which turned the pulp to a tan color. After two more sheets, I added more orange dye to make a warm tan. At the last two pages I added cherry red dye to make a brick colored paper. Nice! The grey of the pulp neutralized all the colors, making them more subtle. I am learning as I go. 

Life is fun for country paper makers….