Single mothers are everywhere. They are from every race, every religion and every nationality. They are so common that no one gives them a second thought. Single moms come from every financial strata. But their challenges are the same and their desire to nurture and protect their children are the same. The discrimination they face is the same.

Single mom artists face another series of challenges. The main challenge is how they can use their artistic skills to bring home additional money. What can you create to stretch that ridiculous child support check? How can you pay for luxuries when you can barely afford the necessities? How do you break out of this rut?

You do it with Self made money. When you, as an artist, decide to take control of your life, you are taking the first step in getting control of your finances. Self made money is power. It is the power to help yourself, your children and to make the right choices. It is the power to gain control over your situation and in doing so, provide a role model for your children. 



Self made money is also a key to avoiding bad relationships. It gives you, a single mom, the power to walk away or not get involved in the first place. Creating and marketing a tangible art product easily occupies late nights, early mornings and weekends and focuses your attention on what matters. And what matters is a good life for you and your children. Children adapt and adjust to new life situations far better than their adult counterparts. Single mom artists who enlist and encourage the help of their children in creating their art products form a bond that encourages the nurturing and healing process. It becomes a unified goal with benefits for everyone. Your children will welcome the chance to be a part of that goal and you are teaching them incredibly valuable life skills along the way.

As an artistic mom, you have a huge advantage over artists who hesitate in selling their art product. A single mother always needs money and any possible hesitation in creating or selling your art vanishes in your desire to improve the lives of you and your children. Gone is any hesitancy of wondering if you can do it, or what constitutes art or if you are talented enough. You don't care what other artists may think! If you can pick up a paintbrush or pull out a sewing machine, you can create to sell. And you can move smoothly into your new role because protecting and helping your children is a powerful motivator.

It's a fact, that need creates motivation and with motivation comes opportunities. The single mom artist has everything that many other artists do not have. You have the motivation, the need, the perseverance and the necessary dedication in abundance. You don't have the luxury of deciding that the effort of creating and marketing your art is not worth it. Giving up is not a choice when there are children involved. You are familiar with deadlines and juggling a number of hats. You can find an hour or two in each day to pursue your art or craft product and the marketing of it because finding and making time is your specialty. You can do this whether you hold down one job or two. Whether you have one child or five. Whether you get child support or no. You do not have the luxury of a convenient excuse for giving up.

Self made money with your art/craft product is power for the single mom artist. And when you have created and experienced that power, you will have the tools to climb out of the rut. And in doing so, the whole world for you and your children will change for the better.

www.ArtCareerExperts.com

Labels: art, art career experts, art marketing, artist, m theresa brown, self made money, single mom artist

A while back I was in Jerry's just looking to see if there was anything new that I couldn't live without and there was this guy looking at acrylic mediums and he looked kind of lost. So I sort of made friendly sounds and we started talking. Later I found out that he had been agonizing over his purchases for a couple of hours and the staff was sort of losing patience with him, which I understood after about a half hour of conversation.

He started by asking how to get rid of the bumps on the canvas. Bumps? Yeah, bumps, the roughness of the fabric weave. So I explained to him that we called that "tooth" and that you sort of didn't always want to “get rid” of it but that you could use a gel medium or any other textural medium. I also told him that he could consider a different support instead of canvas.

Then he asked about varnish so I told him about that.

Meanwhile, throughout all this, he was alluding to this fantastic painting he was going to paint and how he had this really great idea but he wasn't going to tell me his idea. I guess from the way he acted that he was afraid I would steal his idea and sell the painting for some outrageous fortune. I don't need his idea. I have more ideas than I have time to paint. Besides, one thing I've learned in all these years is that most ideas come to more than one person and even then different people have different ways of executing the idea. He ended up telling me his idea and I was not overwhelmed. Anyway, on with the story.

Then he asked about brushes and while we were talking about brushes he started acting nervous about how much money he was spending and asked what was the least he could buy and do his painting. About now I was beginning to be a little less patient but I'm still game so I told him that all he really needed was paint and a surface to paint on, he could apply paint with his fingers or a rag or a stick or almost anything and the surface could be an old cereal carton or a piece of old barn wood or a broken shovel or a million other surfaces – just clean it and prep it with Gesso and apply paint.

Finally we got to the part of the conversation that this blog entry is really about - the man confided to me that he had never painted before (I had kind of guessed this) but that he had been laid off and had this idea for a painting and had decided to do the painting and sell it and that way he might not even have to look for a new job. I did manage to keep a straight face. I did manage to keep my mouth from dropping open. However, this is also about the time I said a very polite and pleasant "good luck" and walked away.

So what's the point of this story? Well, if you read my previous blog you know that I strongly believe in respecting anyone who refers to themselves as an artist. Sometimes I have to work hard in order to do that but I try. But there is much to be said for "paying your dues." You know, the shows on TV make it look so easy: you just buy a canvas and copy the style of some major artist and, poof! you have a masterpiece. Yeah. Right. And how many times does someone look at the price of a painting and then acts like we are engaged in highway robbery? So the point of this story is that those of us who have invested years into learning how to produce art are entitled to receive value for that investment. I wish we also received the respect of society at large but I'm not sure that's the way the world turns right now. Anyway, enough of the soapbox for now. I'll keep painting and I hope you do also.

www.valry.com

Labels: acrylic painting, art, artist, Stretched Canvas, Valerie Drake, Valry

Have you ever wondered how your art will survive the ages? I don't mean just the actual pieces of art you've created, but also your "reputation" as a bona-fide artist. I know it crosses my mind from time to time.

Hey, we'd all like to be remembered after we're gone, wouldn't we? Artists have a unique opportunity to leave their "stamp" on the world. Have you ever seen the paintings of the dogs playing poker? Sure you have. Although there are other people "borrowing" that theme today, the originator of that idea was Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. He was born in 1844 in Antwerp, NY, a mere 15 miles from my home where I've lived all my life. The fact is that I had never known that until a couple of years ago when I saw an article in a local newspaper. His work became very popular in the early 1900s.

Although I have seen his "dogs" on calendars, posters and even wall tapestries, I had no clue that he was a northern New York native.
Though most of us have never heard of, or would recognize his name, there's no doubt that we're familiar with his work and he left behind a legacy which will endure for a much longer time to come.

His work is still popular in the print market. Some would say that's a small accomplishment, but is it, really? To leave something behind that endures and takes it's place in history and popular culture is no small feat.

I admit, it doesn't carry the clout of Da Vinci and his Mona Lisa or Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, but Mr. Coolidges' work will carry on, none the less. Will you and I be fortunate enough to reside in posterity's memory?
Maybe we should consider our future impact when we sit down at our easel, chisel that sculpture or write that poem. We certainly don't know where the chips will fall, but I think it's important to do the best work we possibly can because it will be the ultimate record of our existence.
I have an idea,............... how about pigs playing hockey?

www.wilsonbickford.com

Labels: art, art history, artist, artistic legacy, cassius marcellus coolidge, dogs playing poker, Wilson Bickford

I was extended an invitation to donate some art for an auction benefiting the survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Of course I was more than happy to contribute my talents, so I didn't hesitate to accept.

The painting I've created especially for the fundraiser is entitled Boat People. I wanted to create an image that could perhaps provoke a discussion about perceptions regarding the so-called less fortunate, inhabitants of small third world countries. The pain and agony of Haiti's suffering now pull at our heart. But it wasn't long ago that many saw them as "boat people," illegal immigrants ferrying to America for a better life in makeshift boats.
Boat People, mine is a portrait of humanity. Boat People, because regardless of the tragedy du jour, we're all in the same Boat, People.

Perhaps this painting will serve as a small reminder after the ruble has been cleared, and normalcy of life resumed, of our human commonality. Perhaps the money raised will make someone sleep more comfortably and contribute to rebuilding needed housing. Perhaps our combined efforts of community will, inspire others to know that each of us in our own way can make a difference.

TMNK

Labels: art, art auction, artist, cause, fundraiser, Haiti, me nobody knows, mixed media, TMNK

Have you ever seen a Picasso in person? WOW! I saw one recently and was absolutely mesmerized. There is so much about it that you just do not see from books or online representations. For one thing there was SO MUCH texture! Some areas were almost smooth and others had a LOT of impasto. It gave a whole new aspect of depth to the painting. Another thing I noticed was that there were areas of canvas that had NO paint. Now I don't know about you, but I just do not have anywhere near that much confidence. If I have a piece of bare canvas showing through I figure I just have not done it right and I dive right back in there with my brush and muck around and, first thing I know, I have muddy edges. Not Picasso, he just left that little blank spot and didn't mess with it.

Then there was The Goldsmith by Rembrandt that I saw in Chicago. I had seen this work in a book or online or something so I recognized it but it absolutely stunned me. This thing is only a couple of inches tall! And it is absolutely exquisite - the detail, the expression, the pose – intimate and loving and a total story. I have done some miniatures, but I will NEVER achieve such perfection. It was humbling.

I sat in front of a Monet for who knows how long trying to absorb those colors and the shading. It is just totally impossible for any reproduction to accurately reproduce the richness of the original.

O'Keefe is amazing. Did you know that she did not mix her colors on the canvas? She planned it all out ahead of time, what colors and where and then she pre-mixed every shade before she started painting! The Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe has some of her preliminary drawings and I realized how much planning and care she put into her work before she ever got near the canvas. Such discipline!

If you are like me you do not have large, unoccupied chunks of time to visit the museums. A lot of my studying the old masters is done on-line in the middle of sleepless nights. But every time I go to a museum I learn so much about art, so much that I do not think could be learned in any other way.

p.s. - My museum kit now includes: a folding stool that is easy for me to carry (there is not always a seat in front of the painting that I want to spend time absorbing), my camera (with a no-flash option) and a tripod (without a flash there is no way I can hold it steady enough to get the shot), and a sketch pad and pencil for notes and quick sketches - or take-my-time sketches.

Labels: art, artist, Georgia O'Keefe, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Valerie Drake, Valry