Recently I had an online conversation with a writer friend about Patrons; finding someone, a group of people or an organization/foundation that believes in you enough to help finance your day to day needs and help further you career along in some way (like through contacts, etc.) so that you can focus on your art. It’s understandably a tough sell, especially in this economy and perhaps especially in this town of Fresno, CA. I’d hate to think that I have to leave Fresno to find a way to make a real living as a visual artist, but it is undeniably difficult.
One of the chief problems exists between finding the time to generate the necessary livable income of a human living in 2009 and then still having the time to purposely grow as an artist - evolve and continue your work to it’s next incarnation. It’s a double edged sword. People know of my art and expect me to keep producing an improved progression, as do I. But to be able to do this while also spending the time to do all your own marketing/publicity and still finding time to make the money necessary to live is a struggle. Now I’m not naive. I know that everyone has this challenge of balance in some form or another. And I don’t seek to make a case for my situation necessarily being any different than everyone else’s struggle. But to make my situation work, I have to focus on what my options might actually be.
Currently, I have work being reviewed by galleries in Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA, hoping that someone will consider me as an artist worthy of representing. This means that they would exhibit/book/promote and sell my work to not only their client base but to a wider audience than I’m not possibly capable of reaching on my own. I will continue to work on sending materials to other galleries and in other cities (including Los Angeles) both through regular mail and through online submissions.
I have also worked on grant opportunities, which as other artists in the Central Valley will tell you, are not that promising. I’ve sought the guidance of others and hope that this is a workable area of assistance in seeking available financial help.
And in the meantime, I seek out opportunities for other sources of income. This is where the challenge is at it’s most conflicting balance. I decided early on (and on the strong recommendation of others) that in order for my continued growth in my artistic endeavor, that I would agree to projects that would support my art career in their similarity to my goals, income reality, and again carefully consider the weight of time this would take away from what is supposed to be my main focus - working in studio on my art. The challenge is to not offend good intentioned people who offer things that would unfortunately end up taking a large portion of my time, to the detriment of my growth in studio. I look for things that would enhance my career, not take me away from it and in a direction that would lead me into a whole other area of distraction. I am well aware that this sounds not only picky but not grateful for any help offered to me. But after so many years of people telling me that my art is good and I need to further my development by putting my focus where it needs to be instead of spending too much time in the promotion side of the career, (which I must admit is awfully easy to do), I realize that the truth is in this message. The only way I am going to progress in my art and recognition of it and especially in the sales of it, is if I go back to basics and put my efforts into the studio work. I’ve had professional consultants tell me my work is ready for gallery representation and to reach a larger and even international market, but I need to get back in the serious work of evolving my art. The promotion and marketing of my art is equally important, but as I’ve been told, should not be MY main focus of time. Therein lies the rub. It’s that vicious cycle of needing money to fund the professional help I should have, but not taking my time away from in studio. So how can this work?
Good question. I don’t know that I have the immediate answer. And I know many artists in the same boat.
But I thought in the interest of focus, I should follow the intelligent design of many people who have made it in a variety of creative pursuits - and that is to PUT IT OUT THERE! I’m saying it. If I can be so bold as to have a wish list (or even a Christmas wish list) it would be this:
1. Patron(s) who believe in my work and want to fund my future as a visual artist.
2. Galleries willing to represent me and my work to further my career.
3. That my furry baby Camilla lives the longest and happiest of days with her cancer. (Okay this last one is not art related, but it’s an emotional one for me as she has been my best supporter over the last 17+ years.)
The developing of my art, I know that’s up to me. I promise to continue to feed my mind and soul while keeping up the in studio work ethic, so that my art will always evolve and remain authentic to my life value.
Now . . . Back to work I go!
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My painting "Flamenco" is the 2008 Rogue Muse. 
