I've applied to a many competitions and magazines, and... am still getting solid rejections all around, including the '21 under 31' by Southwest Art, which, my turning 31 this year means if i wanted to make the cut this was my last year. Collectors, if you're reading this, don't be dissuaded, this is artist life, i'm just giving some skinny on the ropes. I swear to god though, i have no idea how i managed to make this far in my 'career', out of everything i apply for, grants, scholarships, competitions, etc etc, i get the green light on about.. 2% of them and with that it's of little wonder i've managed to get as little exposure as i have. Oh, and out of the 2%, i decline 1% of that because i don't agree to the terms. Awesome. So it's not as though i neglect the business side of being a fine artist, never the less, the answer is clear, i should have become a mad scientist.
Stopped by San Diego Museum to check out Sorolla. Amazing. Stop by if you haven't. I think you have another 5 days to make it.
Focusing solely on creation is hard when you have to survive. It doesn't take very long till you look at your bank statement and go 'oh s***, i need food money'. So.... i'm gonna have to make ends meet. Snacking on fingertips is not an option, i need those.
It's funny i feel great about many aspects of my life which i have changed and grown in ways which have exceeded my own expectations, but my marketing and business are plummeting. I fail that class. Truth be told i have been digging my own grave in alot of ways, starting with, i've been opposed to participating in shows/galleries/etc which request 50% of the total sales of a selected piece of art. I do not agree with this and hence, have been turning down many opportunities which were presented to me, including being in the L.A.Art Show earlier this year which is a pretty big deal. So taking my stand on that has not benefited me. I've spoken to many other artists about this and they've all been ok with it, i guess it's been the norm for awhile, i don't see how. As artists we are submitting ourselves to getting taken advantage of by compromising our worth. Yea, i get it, galleries pay bills, work hard to sell our artwork and have the connections, but as the CREATORS, and dedicating our lives to this craft, you think we've EARNED more then 50%! We also do our own share of marketing, networking etc etc. Being an artist is a business. You may label me a 'self rightous rookie', and you may be right. I'll also mention here that unlike other types of arts, fine artists do not receive royalties if our artwork gets resold or used in promotional campaigns. One go and that's it.
I've started learning Russian. Starting with the alphabet, to reading and writing, pronunciation will take a little longer. Love it though, i'm having a blast. Why russian you may ask; well, my name is russian, i'm named after a WWII russian bomber plane and a song about a girl, anyhow, the language has fascinated me for the longest time so off i go. If you see me and you speak the language, strike up a conversation (simple, remember, this is my first week). Still practicing a little Italian since i got to know so many awesome Italians while traveling through there.
One of my professions is being an art model, i used to do it alot more, but my focus on my own artwork has taken priority so i'm no longer modeling as much. Here are some examples;
Daniel Bilmes
Ryan T.
Vadim Zanginian
Richard B.
I worked on a portrait commission this week for a video game character. I can't post it but it was fun, and hence, my working alittle less on my own stuff.
One more thing, next Saturday i'll be on a radio/tv show! To catch the interview go to this site;
http://tradiov.com/la/videoscategory/artfulundress/
Gotta get crackin. Finish some paintings!
