So each weekend we pick a spot to visit. Sometimes we have input from friends or ideas from those who have heard of areas they want to know more about. Sometimes they get added to the list of potential excursions based on something we found on the internet or discovered while doing things around town. Last Sunday we went to Pietsewa Park in hoenix. It used to be called Squaw Peak but was changed. It’s a 20 minute – well not even drive from my house in south Scottsdale along Lincoln Drive. Lincoln cuts through the heart of Paradise Valley, a fairly wealthy part of the valley. We passed by some great resorts, beautiful spacious homes and plenty of venues including Chorros on 56th and Lincoln.

When we got to the park we drove up the road which leads to various parking areas from which one can climb a trail or engage with the desert. This park like others in town – Papago, South Mountain, Echo Canyon (home of Camelback Mountain) are not like other parks – don’t think of green grass, picnic areas under the shade of oak and Maple trees or anything like that. Sure we have those type of parks here with grass and trees and beautiful gardens…but these “mountain preserves” are scattered throughout the region and provide some excellent hiking trails for everyone from novices to serious hikers. Some trails are groomed and some very rustic. Hey this is the desert and the whole idea is to preserve nature as it is. So no imported gardens, etc.

If you are lucky you might see a rattlesnake or scorpion or some other desert native. Keep your distance but they are just as afraid of you.

Sallie and I enjoyed the climb up to the top parking lot at Pietsewa. We stopped for some pictures. Then we headed back down. There were many hikers on the trails, even in the 87 degree weather.

So if you are a hiker and are looking for some great hiking experiences check out the various parks of Phoenix and the other Valley of the Sun municipalities. You wiull really enjoy them and have the opportunity to get right up close and personal to the desert.

For me I find these excursions great for becoming familiar with my new home, bhut also inspirational for ideas for paintings and absorbing the vibe and flavour of the sw.

I now feel ready to get back to the easel and to paint. I miss it. Painting is my life and an integral part of who I am. It feels odd and uncomfortable to not have a paint brush or pallette knife in my hand every day. And the space I am allocating in the house for my studio needs color and furniture and activity. It feels open and hollow. Yet it is an amazing space. Big window Lots of natural light. Great view of the backyard and mountain in the distance.

So look for new work and a new attitude in my painting. All coming soon.

Jeff

I made the decision to leave a relationship and move away from my last 30 years in Canada just 6 weeks ago. But it seems like an eternity. I have decided where I want to go and what I want to do and how I want to get there. I have found a place to live. I have found a studio space to work from. I have told family and friends I am moving. The big move is still weeks away. There is so much I have done to get ready and so much I still need to do.

I feel really good about this decision. Everyone I have spoken to is very supportive. I jutst don’t know what to do with everything I have. Oh the personal stuff like furniture does not matter. Its the momentos, pictures and memories I want to take. And the art. That’s what is important to me. Its my passion – its who I am. So I’m in the process of taking stock of invenmtory and deciding what to take and what to leave with galleries. I am still selling work too so I cannot really pack it yet. It will be a last minute thing.

So for now the art sits on walls, in galleries, in shows and on call. I still have appointments, show openings, and other commitments.

But eventually I need to make some decisions to pack and move the art.

Until then things move forward and so do I.

Jeff

Let’s face it. There is an amazing number of talented people out there and each of us is trying to make their mark and a living creating and selling their art. Sure there are customers for any genre and medium of visual art but at the same time there are countless talented people producing work and trying to get it “out there”.

I seem to get one or two invitations per month from a vanity gallery looking to “sell” my work. Many times it is the same gallery and even the same person contacting me again and again. I usually do not respond but some are a bit sneeky in their approach and so after I ask them for further details the truth comes out. And paying someone to sell your work up front is not a wise investment. There is no incentive for them to promote or sell your work. They get their money, get to keep the door open another day and sometimes they disappear with your art and your money.

Recently an artists wrte on LinkedIn about an incident where a gallery closed its doors taking his money and art. Not a good thing to happen.

If you look at an art career as a business then you do need to market yourself and part of marketing means advertising and selling yourself – developing new client bases and opportunities to expose your art to potential customers. I definitely look at my art career as a business. I create a marketing plan. Develop goals and objectives. And I create action plans to make things happen. They don’t always work out as planned and things have a habit of changing so onbe needs to be flexible and adapt a plan to changing market conditions or new opportunities.

Marketing yourself also means spending money on literature/support materials, entry fees to shows, advertising in trade publications, etc.

I know some artists take the approach that a pure art career is one where you do  not market yourself but leave that to the gallery that represents you. In some instances where an artist has gallery representation that is solid and prosperous that is a diligent course to take. But reality is most artists need to market themselves to many diverse areas – galleries, customers, consultants, designers, etc….guess it all depends on the career path you choose to take.

The pure art path calls for you to be represented by galleries where you sell original work – no reproductions or limited edition prints. This path calls for no license agreements, or other means of sharing your work with a broader audience then those who can afford an original work of art. You start locally building a network and interest in your work and then through exhibitions and gallery representation build a larger audience and gain more fame and recognition for your work.

But there is another career path. In this world an artist can sell work through gallery representation. But also form license agreements to help expose their work to new markets and build a following for their original art. Selling work at ahows gets you face to face with your customers and find out what they like or don’t like about your work. And this path opens up opportunities to sell work for commercial customers like hospitality and hotels that may require multiple copies of one image…or original work for public areas.

It’s all a matter of what you think is right for you.

In any path chosen there will be those looking to make money on your talent. That’s just human nature. And it is a choice where to spend your hard earned money. From my expeience – paying up front for any one to either represent you, whether gallery or rep is not worth the investment. Nor is renting a space to have an exhibit – have not tried that myself – but I believe itis not worth the line item on a resume ezpecially if the space rented has a reputation that is not huighly thought of in the industry.

It is always better to pay your dues and put the time into your art career….and to make good connections and build solid relationships as I have tried to do over the years. In the end it is those relationships that will sustain and help you build a solid career path.

I’m still working at it and it changes every day. But I know I am on the right path. And I owe any success I have to the galleries and customers that support me and my art. To them I always owe a big thanks and immense gratitude.

Have a great day

Jeff

OK the holidays have come and gone and it’s been great having my mom visiting from Florida. It’s also been nice taking some time off to be with her and also to give Sallie time to have company around during the day. But enough time sitting around, watching movies, eating…I am antsy to get back to work and hang out in my studio. I am eager to get back to the easel. I am eager to see what 2012 has in store for me.

The year is already starting off well – even started just before the end of 2011 – I was fortunte to get an email request on December 30th from a fine art licensee to provide them with images of my work for them to reproduce and market. Cool opportunity but one that requires some thought and decision making. The proposal was made. I got the email and read it when I returned from set up of my new solo show at The Accelerator Centre which opens tomorrow. So I called them upon reviewing the contents of the email. I much prefer that personal contact for something like this…it’s just not an email exchange thing to me. That personbal touch makes a lot of difference.

We chatted for a while and discussed terms and opportunities. Lots of potential….lots of exposure for positive marketing of my brand and images – but the financial side of it required some further study. With the show going up and the holidays winding down, my mom visiting..it just seemed best to not be hasty and think it all over for a few days.

Now a few days later I took some time to think things over. Financially at first glance it does not sound like a great deal. But is money the biggest factor (although it is business and I have to make a living). Its got to be a combination of financial and marketing potential. Having a company promoting the work does put more eyes out there looking for potential projects. And this company has multiple showrooms and representatives out there promoting my work. They have been around for many years and they do have some impressive clients.

On the other hand it does seem that the licensee and their clients are making good money while me as the artist gets a very small piece of the pie.

Then I think right now I have none of that pie….so a small slice is certainly better then none. And I am always creating new work and that means if new opportunities to license my work there are other images I can license out….so why not.

OK I guess I made my decision to do it. Now let’s see what happens.

Wish me luck.

Jeff

I was thinking it might be time to get back to the studio but before I do I wanted to reflect on the year that has been and get mentally prepared for the year to come.

Being an artist is not an easy road to follow. Sure like many businesses it is a struggle to be on your own creating a product people will purchase…but art is such a personal journey – not just for the purchaser of the art – but for the artist as well. For me the work Icreate is an emotional roller coaster. It comes from the core of my being. The colors, textures, etc are all emotional responses to the conversation I have each and every time I step up to the canvas. Sometimes the dialogue is free flowing and other times it is intermittent and static. But in the end I create someting organic and representative of me as a person and as an observer of the world around me.

For the purchaser of art the connection is also a subconscious experience. There needs to be a connection to the artwork. It can be a familiarity to the subject matter, a rememberance of a happy or sad experience they had. Or it can be an emotional connection to the colors or feeling the painting awakes in them.

For many businesses out there the products and services they sell, fill a need, a desire….it can be simply the supply of necessities like food, clothing or shelter. But is art any less a basic necessity? It does nourish the soul and provides an immesurable sense of pleasure so is that any less important. Some people think so…and for many art is not high on their list of important assets/desires.

For me based on these thoughts I do not meaure my success just on how many paintings I have sold for there are few artists making a very gooid income on the sale of art alone. I do better then  most but there are many artists who struggle daily to pay their rent, but food or even have the funds to buy supplies to create their art. Me, I sell my work, I have receive licensing opportunities, shows/exhibition opportunities,  and I have enquiries from all over the world. So in my mind I am successful…sure I could sell more work. I could even have a more recognized gallery represent me…there are always new horizons and opportunities out there.

In 2012 I hope I can reach that next level in my career as an artist. It’s what we all strive to do. And I wish much success to other artists out there tryuing to make a name and success for their work as well. It’s more then a business being an artists. Its a way of life, a passion, a journey…and as I said before not an easy one to pursue. There are many talented people out there. But if you believe in yourself as I do and you can measure success by more then the money you make, you will succeed and prosper. I believe that I have been blessed by the talent I have been given and I love to see the positive energy my work brings to people. I hope I can be blessed with more success and opportunities to sell and show my work and that doors open for me in the future I never dreamed to explore.

Wishing you all a happy new year and a healthy, happy and creative one as well.

Jeff

Every once in a while I need to step back and re-evaluate my career as an artist and review my work. The life of an artist is a passion for me. I love to paint but as with all things life gets in the way sometimes….or at least I let it get in the way. And sometimes I seem to get off the path I have set for myself and then I seem to get lost.

I am blessed with a successful career as compared to many others and I continue to try and put myself “out there”. I market my work, I have  a website; I do the social media thing; I have galleries and representatives; I am starting to license my work; I have a line of limited edition prints; and I am looking for other markets and supporters all the time.

My work is well received and appreciated and I have people always providing favorable comments.

Yet from time to time like other artists visual or other I seem to hit a wall and question what I do. Sure I have a tough skin and can handle rejection (like when I get turned down for a gallery spot or juried show). It’s just that it is all so raw and emotional for me that when something gets me off my game I seem to wonder what it is all for and why I cannot seem to keep it going. It usually takes a day or two and then I get my game on again and get back to it. And it is that ebb and flow that I seem to thrive on yet fear nonetheless.

Perhaps one day I will learn to get used to it but for now it is just a part of the artistic process for me.

Jeff

Thee Valley Ho was renovated in 2005 and now boasts a very retro mid century decor and a laid back funky mix of guests. The furniture is bright, fun and the accomodations impeccable. The food is divine and the grounds are tropical and lush.

While at the Valley Ho I walked into town along E main Street. Its only a block until you hit Goldwater and then the art district of Scottsdale which runs primarily along E Main and Marshal Way. I hit a number of the galleries and looked in the window of many others. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the weekly art walk which is held every Thursday evening as I was flying out Thursday afternoon. Bad timing I guess. Next time.

In any event you can find any style of art you are looking for – sure there is the cowboy art and western style of art you might expect to find here. But there is also an amazing aray of other styles from old masters to modern contemporary. The mix is ecclectic and vast. Some galleries carry a range of works from local and international artists while other specialize in one style or another. And what surprised me the most is the architecture of the galleries. Everything from traditional southwest style to sleek glass and steel buildings you might expect to find along Madison Avenue in New York.

The trip to Scottsdale was an eye opener and I am hooked now. I will be back for sure very soon.