Who's Calling Whom a Professional?

 I received a 'call for artists' this week that said it was for artists of all levels, and it asked the artists to categorize themselves as student, emerging or professionals.

It gave definitions, which were similar to the ones from CARFAC which for a professional are: 

• 1-earns a living through art making;
• I earn much of my living from teaching and selling art, but I could not support myself with it, in any style to which I could get accustomed to. 
• 2-or possesses a diploma in an area considered to be within the domain of the fine arts;
• I have very little formal fine art training from a place of 'higher learning', just lots of classes, and experience. 
• 3-or teaches art in a school of art or applied art;
• I teach (and have an Artist Educators certificate), but not in an 'Art School', applied or otherwise.
• 4-or whose work is often seen by the public or is frequently or regularly exhibited;
• I do exhibit, and my work is definitely seen by the public.
• 5-or is recognized as an artist by consensus of opinion among professional artists.
• The last criteria is tricky, frankly I've never asked the art community for a consensus of their opinion, and I couldn't ask most of my art friends, since they are in the same position I'm in, I'd have to find 'professionals' to ask!
• By this definition I will never be a professional artist. Yet in spite of all of this I do consider myself to be one because;

I get paid for what I do. 

I continually try to better myself, and to learn as much as I can about art, and the business of art. 

I'm very active in the art community, some times too active, when it interferes with the making of art!

I keep regular studio hours, inspiration comes from the work, not work from the inspiration. 

I actively market my work on Facebook, Instagram, mail chimp, and my blog etc

I have a business license, a business bank account, and pay business taxes. 

Most importantly I THINK I am a professional, although this made my imposter syndrome kick in briefly lol. 

Really, isn't it where you are in your heart, head and effort that should matter? 

I'm sure the organizers of the show were trying to keep the competition fair for all levels, but I resist being labeled. 

What do you think?

Work in progress

First step for a commissioned work. 

• 
  

Robin

Artist, teacher 

Compositional plan

The next one is underway, compositional plan done notan drying.

Portrait bride and groom signed, sealed, and delivered!

The charcoal bride and groom portrait has passed muster, been signed, sealed with fixative and delivered to the framer. The client wants a small calla lily, and the date of the wedding drawn on the mat, and then we're done!
It's always a good feeling when you know that your work has made someone happy.
Catherine, Rose and I have a show booked for September in the Central Library in London, and I feel like I have nothing to hang :( So today I've been working on getting some canvases ready for projects that want to get out of my head and into the real world. I do have two more commissions to do before I can have too much 'me time', but I need to be ready to leap into action as soon as possible.
Recently I've been going back over some old work and deciding if I'm going to keep it, give it away, or re-work/gesso over it. Any thing that is more than 3 years old goes through the gauntlet. It's a tough thing to do, but if I didn't do it periodically I'd be buried in old 'stuff'. Not to say that I don't keep favourites, but after three years, they become part of 'the collection of the artist'.

Charcoal bride and groom portrait almost done

Close, very close. I'm just waiting for the client to look at it, and tell me if there are any glaring inaccuracies.

portrait stages - charcoal

The groom has been roughed in. As you can see the bride is at a much further stage and is approaching completion. You may also note that I've used the pose from one photo, and faces from two others. Awww the advantages of art over photography! Oh I know that wonderful things can be done with photo shop....but this is so much more fun. Chuckle.

Belmont Art in the Park 2010

Busy, Busy, Busy. Both the joy and the curse of show season is how busy a person can get if they (I'm) not careful.

Joy, in that it's great to have so many opportunities to choose from. Curse, in that it's easy to over do.

Last weekend was a classic example of over do. In my own defense, one of the 3 shows had been re-scheduled. I really didn't book to do 3 in one weekend. Lucky for me I have a great and supportive family so Dear Hubby did the dog show, Mom helped at the First Friday, and I did my street portraits in Port. Lest you think I'm complaining, let me assure you that hectic though it was, it was a blast!

This weekend is the Belmont Art in The Park. Belmont Community park -201 Ceasar Rd- is a lovely spot. It's a popular place for wedding photos, in fact a wedding party is coming in right after we pack up to have their photos taken there.

The list of artists keeps getting longer and more interesting. I'm sure you'll love it!

Bev and Howard here is the early stage portrait. It's funny how putting it on the computer screen lets me see what needs fixing. I just keep chiseling away at it.

Charcoal Childrens Portrait Finished

The Portrait has passed muster, and will be picked up tomorrow. I'm back to work on the monarda painting, and on good weather days getting a start on gardening.

The last few days have been more than a little wet, and my garden is under water, so no gardening for me, lately.

Last year I started a butterfly garden, but by the time I was able to plant it, the stuff I wanted to transplant was up too far, so that has been taken care of now, yeah!

Most of the plants in my garden serve to either feed or provide habitat for either birds or butterfly's. Of course there are a few plants that are there simply because I love them, and my garden wouldn't feel complete without them, hosta, roses, and peony's to name a few, but even these are pollen/nectar sources.

The highlight is my pond, the fish and frogs call it home and the birds line up to use the bathing stones, all part of providing habitat.

childrens portrait in charcoal

I'm at a stage now where I have to put the portrait away for a few days, so that I can look at it with fresh eyes. I could keep on noodling away at it, but I'm better of to let it rest. It's terribly easy to ruin a portrait at this point, with paint you can gesso out and re-paint any tragedy. Charcoal isn't so forgiving.

I'm hoping that I've caught the mischief I sense in the young girls slightly crooked grin and the confidence of what I perceive to be a slightly quieter soul in the young man. There is a hint of the man he's going to be in the squarish jaw and the direct gaze of those very clear eyes. The girl still has a bit of the infant in the curve of her cheek, but here is nothing babyish about the glint in those eyes.

If Mom or Grandma see any glaring inaccuracies please let me know. I see his hair line is wrong, anything eles?

portrait progress

Building a charcoal portrait is a bit like sculpting in reverse. The added material is very thin but layer by layer it gets built up, forming and shaping an image. Resemblance is built by fractions of millimeters. Humans are so hard wired to read those fractions that not only do we recognize people we know, we recognize people we've only seen once or twice.

The artist learns to look for shapes, not just of major features like eyes and nose, but in the fine shadows of the face.

The joy and trial of charcoal is the ease with which it smudges. I use a piece of tracing paper to cover the sections I'm not working on to keep them clean, the transparency of the tracing paper means I can 'see' the whole piece which helps me to keep things balanced.

I work top to bottom left to right moving a couple of inches at a time. My favourite tool is a smudging squib, which on the semi smooth surface of the illustration board gives me good control in creating those fine shadows.

anatomy of a portrait

The first step is to lay out a map, this is a very basic loose step, in it the most important thing is the measuring. As with any map having things accurately to scale makes for an easier trip.

As the map is refined, the lines disappear and the image starts to replace it.

These early stages are done in graphite. Trying to erase charcoal would be messy and not completely successful, so for the sake of my support (illustration board) I use graphite. Next installment will be the beginning of the charcoal.

monarda/bee balm beginnings

This is the first 'element' of my next painting, you can see the tissue (archival) that I'm painting on, and the glass it's taped to. I tape the tissue to glass while I'm working on it because it's easier to peel the painted tissue off of it, than other surfaces... usually. There have been a few times when I've 'lost' a painting because it didn't want to separate from the glass. I know, I know, crazy lady... but the effect is so worth it!

Next up for this piece will be a humming bird. Hummers love Monarda/bee balm, as do butterflies, and so it is a major player in my pollinator garden.

I've already prepared the support, cradled board-stretched canvas-primed-gesso'ed-gold coated, but, I'll be taking a break from this piece for a week or two, while I do a charcoal portrait commission of two cute kids.

I'm planning on posting it step by step - the commission, unless the client disagrees.

Cardinal Painting, Cardinal triumvirate

The cardinals are a composite of pictures I took during the winter of Cardies at my feeders.
They and the chickadee's are the most loyal customers I have. Well there are the sparrows too, several kinds I must add.
Looking at this painting (another of those 5x15's) on the screen I see a bit of work to be none yet on the bottom cardinal, that's another great reason to post them here, 'cause I see them a bit differently when they're on the screen. The colours etc are true, I just see them a bit more impartially.
I've only had two days in my studio this week. I've worked 5 full days this week and will next also, between Thomas the Tank Engine, (caricatures 8.00, all proceeds to the museum) and filling in for people on Holidays in the plant care business- London Interiorscapes- . I'm just not used to that any more, oh my, how quickly my body forgets.
I've also been framing up some of the little 3x5's that I did in the spring. They seem to sell better that way, but it's very time consuming. The HomesteadHouse milk paint you see, and the polycrylic finish are for the frames, not the paintings... I only use Golden and Liquitex artist supplies. I want my work to last. I will say though that HomesteadHouse is great paint.
The Big New Thing this week, is I finally started up on Facebook. I was concerned that it would just be another time waster, and I limit myself to a max of 1 hour daily to the I-net, but I quickly have come to see why it's so popular!

open Studio

Last night was the first open studio night at the Studio 128 Dyer St Belmont Ont. -644-0893.

This is an opportunity to come and draw. This is a pay as you go class, that you can drop into when ever you have a Thursday night free. It's every Thursday 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call for details, as space is limited she asks that you let her know when you're coming. Then too if it's going to be a night with high attendance, she can plan to have a model, other wise she'll have a still life set up. (I've got to tell you, the set up last night was a real challenge)

The St Thomas show is fast approaching, I'm beginning to feel a bet pressured. My 'showcase' piece (the one's that will be judged) is supposed to be 'in praise of weeds" which is taking far longer that I'd hoped. I've done the particular realism bit I'm working on now, three times, and I'm still not satisfied. Perhaps I'm being too finickity, but hey that's why my work is the way it is. I like to think it's a quality of work that is perhaps just a bit...

The Port Stanley Guild is bringing in Andrea Bird for a workshop in encaustic Nov 29th and 30th the price is $170.00 for non PSAG members.

This workshop is a repeat by popular demand workshop, and space is very limited. If you're interested contact Mary Louise White at -633-2686 or mary_louise_white_atyahoo.ca I'm planning on going. Andrea's stuff is amazing, and the work that the folks who took that last workshop have been doing is too.
Ya gotta keep learning, gotta keep it fresh.
One of these weeks when I've got nothing else going on I'll tell you all about the New York trip, but for now... gotta go paint!