"other side of the coin"

[dilida]

I hate being outspoken, but here goes:

How many here are, very aware of what buyers will think, like, want to give you money, while they are creating thier art work? I mean to pose this as the other side of the issue to the previous question. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, I just want to know what ya'll think. It's very important to me that people want to buy my work. For me, it means they like it, they connect with it. The fact that I have an ability that brings me so much pleasure, and seems to bring others pleasure enough that they want to take a little bit of me home with them is just astounding! I did a lot of work, I didn't get paid for, and I will always create something, even when no one wants to buy it, but when someone WANTS to give me money I'm floored. My husband worked hard for years as the sole supporter so I could be a stay at home mom, now is my chance to "pay" him back, I really want to make money at this and I DO consider what people have already bought, and what they might continue to buy. Two of the last pieces that sold, the comments from the buyers were, "they had never made an expensive art purchase before, and they decided MY work would be the first purchase". The second guy said he "could finally justify spending that kind of money for art". These weren't rich people, they are working people, like me. My peers, I guess, it's quite an honor, and I will continue to try to connect with them.

Ok, 'nuff said, please don't let me kill my own thread, is there anyone out there that can identify with this feeling? If not, ok, I'm kinda used to that, I just can't believe I'm alone in this.

feelin' my oats,
lisa

[evaldart]

Lisa, I'm sure its fair to say that most artists who earn their livings at it are influenced by their selling history, some more than others, but thats just good busuness. At the same time though you must disregard such histories to continue getting better - your buyers and patrons only know where you have been and not where you are going, so their value is very limited when it comes to the decisions about the direction your work should take. They are all out there to be surprised and amazed by you, and you need to surprise and amaze yourself.
I have always been the most satisfied by the work that I felt would be the most impossible to sell (and I have been right). But this work fires me up and makes the others pieces, the ones that pay the health insurance, come so easy. But you never know, sometimes I feel like I'm investing, that one day someone will see the value in all those monsters - which are my largest and most ambitious work - and I'll get paid in full for it all. But if it ain't money in the bank, it has already paid me other riches far better. So I cant lose.

[suburbanartists]

Evil sums it up pretty well for me. Anyway the only things i could guess what most people around here like are things that look like they came from Pottery Barn. Not really my gig at all so i guess that makes it easy for me to not be enticed to go down that path.

But then if you've found something that you really love to do and making people happy is you greatest joy than why not make what your people want.

Do you feel the need to be a groundbreaking artist?

You have to look at yourself and figure out who you really are and what it is that drives you.

There is no right or wrong path if its one that makes you happy and keeps you inspired.

[dilida]

Evald, thanks so much for your response, I appreciate it. I guess I sounded like a money whore, I'm not. I just felt I was being honest in saying I care a great deal about people buying my work. I don't want to work in a convience store or at a computer. I have to make money, we live paycheck to paycheck. Thus making money with art seems the only way to go. I stretch and work on improving my art all the time. I realize that you never know where your work will take you, I love that part, and I know the things art teaches you about yourself. I live those things everyday with art, not just mine, with others' as well. I don't see art as something just for me, I see it as a way to share with non-artists, to connect with people, and if they want to give me money for what I did, GREAT! I will continue to pursue that. I expected just a few reponses, but not to this degree of "nope not me" from the others on this forum. It's so strange, but enlightening, how differently I think, than the majority of posters here. There isn't the common thread I thought there would be when I joined this forum. But that's the way the world turns. I find that inspiring, I will continue merrily on my way, Thanks again for reponse.


Suburb-
I'm not sure what you mean by evil, unless you are referring to the love of money, which I do think is evil, no good comes from it. Good comes from being honest. I know who I am, and I've placed myself and my art in God's hands. He knows where I'm going, I just enjoy the ride. I'm entirely grateful that I can make some money doing what I love. I thought there would be more posters on this forum who felt the same way.

Gotta go to work now, have a good day,
lisa

[GlennT]

Lisa: If I dare speak for suburba's post, I believe he meant to write eval as an abreviation for evaldart and mispelled it consciously or not.

[suburbanartists]

Thanks GlennT, yes i meant Evaldart, not sure if spelling was a subconscious mistake.

And "around here" meant where i live, not this forum.
(Just to be clear as i guess this too could be confused.)

[suburbanartists]

Lisa
Here is an Idea which i'm sure you won't like but WTH. I know who I am, and I've placed myself and my art in God's hands. He knows where I'm going, I just enjoy the rideIf you really want to open your mind and experience why don't you take Yourself and your Art and put them in your OWN hands. Hiding behind God or anyone / anything else is limiting and suppressing. Letting him chauffer you around so you can sit back and enjoy the ride doesn't sound very inspirational to me.

This isn't an attack on God just my perception of what you wrote.

[dilida]

I'm not hiding behind anyone or thing, I had a feeling speaking spirtitually might be misunderstood because people are so different. And please, forgive my misunderstanding of the word "evil", I have to re-type almost everything I write. I'm not very good with words, putting my life in God's hands is very liberating, taking it all in my own hands is stifling, besides, I don't have a problem with the art I want to create, I'm inspired, exicted, and eager. I just wanted to know if there were others who do consider what people might want, I was just considering the other side of your original post.

Lisa

[Bentiron]

For more years then I want to remember I made art that people wanted to buy then I had a family and a real job as my wife called it. Then came injury and liberation to make my art. What moved me and I was free and it showed in my art and that was what moved people to want my art which is what inspired me. I see so many young artists making art that sells rather then what is their vision and it looks like it. If you are making what sells and are happy with that then maybe that is all the vision you need and more power to you but I sure wasn't moved and happy with that. I needed more and now I have it. I have a lot of sculpture for the dogs to hike their legs on but hey I like it and it moves me, it is an expression of my inner most being. That is what counts and their are folks out there who will buy it.

[dondougan]

Hi Lisa,

Are the two sides of the coin really all that different?

I make art for myself, but for me the whole point of 'making' is to find out what I can say. And talking to oneself is rather boring unless one has multiple personalities. < grin >

My marketing skills suck, and I currently have over 200 sculptures that have never been exhibited in a physical site (though many of them are shown on my website and various other websites), they are all physically packed-away. But I try to exhibit several times a year (solo exhibits whenever possible), but I'd much rather spend the time in the studio 'making' things which hopefully are 'elegantly expressive' statements <<BIG GRIN >> to share with other folks -- and I am constantly aware of how the pieces can be perceived. I want to make each one as though it will be a gift for my best friend.

When you get right down to it, I don't think I can divide your coin -- they are just different aspects of the same thing. In their first class I ask my new 3D Design students to imagine a room where everything is pitch black and devoid of light, and then to imagine one where every surface is incandescent light. One cannot 'see' form in either situation, it is only when both light and shadow are present does form reveal itself. To meaningfully experience either aspect is to experience them in a relationship with each other -- they cannot be perceived apart, though I grant you the balance often tilts one way more than the other!

My two cents, anyway.

Don

www.dondougan.com

[dilida]

Don, I'm not really sure there are two sides either, the first question seemed so pointed as to sculpting only for ones self, that it made me wonder about not sculpting for just yourself, and it felt more like what art is and does for me. I like what you said about approaching it like it was a gift for a friend, that's what I want to share, that's the feeling I want people to come away with. Not that everyone who buys has that feeling, who really knows why people buy what they do. It is something I consider though. And when all I get is just a sincere, "I really like your work", that's just as heart-warming.

Evald, I've been thinking about what you said about the ones being impossible to sell firing you up the most, those must be the most personal, and I can see NOT wanting to sell something of yourself for just money. Art is more than making a living, it's just really nice when people who don't have ability to do art, but they love it so much anyway, they will share hard earned money for it.

And yes, it does cross my mind from time to time, how nice it would be to do just what you wanted, and you alone, and I should ty to do that more often I suppose, I just don't want to live in fantasy land.

Thanks for the thoughts guys,
lisa

[suburbanartists]

Lisa: your question is really geared more for "marketers", or gallery owners, or other promoters. I think you'll find throughout history that most artists are concerned with creating their own visions while their "promoters" are the ones that try to guide / push them to make things that are saleable. Now there are a lot of us that don't have these "guidence councilers" so it is up to us to decide which hats we will wear and i think that was covered very well in the original post (who scuplts for themselves). If you reread them, you should see that they have already answered your question by revealing their own thought processes.

[dilida]

Suburbanartist,

No, I don't think what I'm trying to say has to do with marketing, at all. But I appreciate your resopnse, and I will re-read the other posts. I really do have a hard time expressing what I'm trying to say. On the other hand this conversation, both of them, has clarified some things in my mind, so thanks for starting the whole chain of thought.

lisa