The community of the World Artist Network is formed by a diverse network of emerging and established artists, art appreciators, curators, students, teachers, galleries, collectors and more. WAN Blog is the perfect space to share your thoughts on exhibits you have visited, artists you admire, new techniques or media you are experimenting with, openings, news... anything and everything that brings the art world together.
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A few weeks have passed since the Marin Art Festival , and I have to admit, this one wore me out! It wasn't the festival itself, since set-up was relatively easy. It was the mental strain of preparation, and that difficult switch to the "selling" side of art that did it. The show wasn't a resounding success. It wasn't a failure either. Like most shows I've done this year, it was so-so. Marin puts on a gorgeous art festival. The quality of work was high, the food was very good, and the live music and entertainment was engaging. Attendance could have been better, but people were buying. Unfortunately, When you pay $1,000 just for the booth space, it's difficult to break even. Despite the cost, I'll continue to do fine art festivals when I'm able. They are worth... (589 more chars)
Time is whipping by me as I prepare for the Marin Art Festival , June 21-22. If you want to attend the most beautiful art festival in the country next weekend, print this free admission ticket to save yourself $10 per person. There are paintings to finish, prints to make, and giclees to stretch. My list is always a mile long preparing for these shows, but I have the hang of it now. The trick is to do what is absolutely needed first. If the rest doesn’t get done, it will be ready for the next show! I’m going to post a few I completed last month, since they never graced the pages of my blog. New paintings are in the works, and I’m so excited to finally feel the gates of possibility opening up once more. 30x40" Quincy Jones, a commission. A few more of the conti... (110 more chars)
So much has happened since my last blog. It’s been a nail-biting month, where I dealt with some very difficult decisions.My leap back into the workforce was short lived. I was hired as a bar manager for a new restaurant, and given the task to stock a full bar, create a cocktail menu, staff and train within 12 days. We were only open 9 days when the whole restaurant went belly up. It was the most hectic, ridiculous few weeks of my life. This experience taught me one important lesson: I belong in the studio! Within those few weeks, I lost out on a gallery show in San Francisco because I didn’t have time to drop off the work, and was inundated with 14 commissions. I’m still trying to catch up. There’s nothing like a cosmic kick-in-the-butt to put you in the right dire... (1163 more chars)
On May 19th I visited the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It was not only an informative experience (I work at a tile and stone workshop with architects and designers) but an interesting insight into the strife between art and functionality. When creating a piece of art, usually some planning goes into the choice of colors, the balance of lines and the angles of perspective and light. When creating a piece that will be part of someone’s home not only as a visual asset but as a functional object as well, some different challenges arise. These are the kind of places where trends explode, and observing them one can find certain similarities between art and decorative art trends. Take a look at some of Amy Helfand works: ... (717 more chars)
For the last 3 years, I’ve been working full-time as an artist. It’s been an amazing journey. This has been a dream of mine since I can remember, maybe not a conscious one, but when I’m creating, it’s the only time I feel truly whole. It’s always been that way; like I’m doing what I was meant to do in this life-there’s no question. Getting here is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Anyone who’s been in my shoes can tell you how risky this life is. There’s no salary, no benefits, no security, no unemployment to collect. I put relationships, savings, credit, my heart, sanity and ego on the line. I can honestly say I’ve given it my all. I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to give it a go, and proud I took tha... (2174 more chars)
