Yesterday a friend gave me one of the most unusual books I’ve ever read. It’s called “Inside the Painter’s Studio” by Joe Fig. I can’t put it down !

Joe Fig is a Brooklyn based artist who creates miniature dioramas based on the day-to-day lives of professional painters. Ten years ago he began interviewing and photographing top New York painters in their studios. This book collects 24 amazing artist interviews and intimate photos of their work spaces.

Some of the artists are practically household names such as Ross Bleckner, Chuck Close, Eric Fischl, April Gornick, and Philip Pearlstein. Many others are highly successful, but new to me. It’s been a wonderful revelation with every interview to go online and research each artist’s work.

In every interview he asked the same series of 18 questions. These questions cover fascinating territory such as how do they organize their studios? Do they live where they work? What’s their daily routine? What music do they listen to? What paints and tools do they use? Do they use assistants? How do they come up with titles?

These interviews make you feel like you’ve sat down for a very personal chat right in the artist’s studio. What a rare glimpse into their daily working lives.

What is most apparent is they all work every day, in a highly focused way. You might think the higher profile artists would be out doing more glamorous things all the time. But art doesn’t get made by itself. Many mention they tend to work long days and must force themselves to go out into the world.

Most of them spend the first few hours of the day dealing with the business issues, email and phone calls. Then they get to work painting. This is the same routine I’ve always maintained as well. Once the business stuff is taken care of, I can shift focus and go into the painting mode without any nagging “to do’s”.

The most surprising thing to me was the fact that most do not have assistant around them all the time. They simply have someone come in occasionally to clean up, stretch canvas and pack shipments.

Being an artist, no matter how successful or famous, is ultimately about being alone in honest conversation with your canvas.

One of my passions is to read biographies especially about great artists. Learning about the attitudes, approaches and ideas of artists who created influential art, both past and present, is always insightful and inspiring.

I recently finished reading the 650 page Pulitzer Prize winning “de Kooning - An American Master” by Mark Stevens.  Brilliantly written, this book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in how an artist thinks. It’s one of those books I want to read again.

De Kooning was indeed a tortured soul who lived a long twisted life of struggle and pain. But he managed to transmute that pain into beautifully powerful works of art by persistently facing the canvas every single day no matter what others thought of him or his work. That dedicated discipline eventually made him one of the masters of 20th century art. Truly inspiring.

To be honest, there really aren’t many great artist biographies out there. How can anyone really know and write about what goes on in the mind of an artist. Most of the work is done alone. The conversation takes place with the canvas or other materials. The energy of the artist’s thoughts are transferred to the artwork. And it’s the artwork itself most books focus on.

The de Kooning book left me hungry for more. I just started reading “Matisse - The Life” by Hilary Spurling which was the winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year in 2005. It’s a good book also, but not one of those you “just can’t put down” as the de Kooning book was.

Here’s a quote I found striking from Matisse’s writings of about 1902, which is just as relevant today. It’s about the role of the artist and what it means to have truly original ideas.

“What you have to do is look at what you wish to express long enough and with enough attention to discover an aspect of it that has never been seen or described by anyone before. There is something unexplored in everything, because we have grown used to letting our eyes be conditioned by the memory of what others have thought before us about whatever we are looking at……………..  That is the way in which you will become original.“

It struck me this idea could be applied to any endeavor really - artist, architect, scientist, teacher, parent, blog writer etc …….. What would happen if everyone tried to approach everything with fresh, inquisitive eyes that didn’t feed into other people’s expectations? If nothing else, new ways of seeing would fundamentally renew and alter our approach to being and doing.

A radical idea perhaps ……………….. After all how many true “originals” can the world absorb? Food for thought……………….

During these unsettling times, it’s challenging to make it through a day without being bombarded with negative, gloomy news. For artists it can be even more challenging.

In talking to other artists and reading Blogs online, I repeatedly hear the anguish and self-doubt. As most people focus on merely coping with their lives, art and culture becomes the first thing to be deemed unnecessary. Many professional artists are faced with few sales plus the added pressure of having the galleries which represent them closing altogether. As a result many artists are so disillusioned they  are giving up completely. Their tender, creative souls have been crushed.

It is very sad to see this happen. Yet at the same time there are also many artists who thankfully see these times as an opportunity for rebirth and renewal. - a time to go into the studio and get back in touch with their innermost creative selves. - to experiment - to question - to seek and to find themselves anew.

That’s how I’ve chosen to approach these times. Yes, I do have doubts at times. That little voice in my head that says “Why bother?”. But then the other voice booms even louder, “Because it’s who you are and it’s your destiny to create art.”

Usually at this point a third voice enters into my thoughts that says, “Show me a sign I’m on the right path.” Here is where it gets kind of weird and wonderful.

Over the 20 years since I made the decision to make art as my full-time career, I’ve had this little exchange with the “Universe” several times. Each time I do, something shifts and the phone rings, or an opportunity walks through my door. I instantly receive a batch of tangible signs in the form of sales or an invitation to show my work. I’m absolutely not making this up.

2 weeks ago, I was at a bit of a low ebb and that inner conversation came up in my head. Boom !!! Within days, I’d sold 2 paintings and been invited to have a 2-person show in late October.

Yesterday, a friend recommended someone to me and he ended up buying a small series of 8″ x 8″ works on paper mounted on wood. Someone else email this morning and they want a painting from my website. It may be coincidence, but to me it’s definitely a sign.

Red Vibe - series 8" x 8" each (16" x 16" overall) (c) 2007

My theory is that it all comes down to faith. We must all have faith in ourselves. And we must all have faith that when we are on the right path, doors will open. We will receive everything we need.

Keep the faith !!

Wow ! I just can’t believe it’s been 6 whole weeks since I’ve blogged. My most humble apologies to all of you who read this. You know how it it is. Life gets busy, and Blogging is one of those things on the to-do list that always seems like it can wait another day.

The past month has been intense in the studio. Yet when I look around, I almost wonder what I’ve accomplished. Most of my time has been spent doing prep work for my museum show next year. It’s involved going through my sketchbooks and doing small 8″ x 8″ color studies for the larger canvases. Now I’m itching to start painting large again.

This past week was quite fun. I had a studio visit by someone referred to me by our local Arts Council. They ended up buying a large 48″ x 48″ canvases called Green Horizon, which I only finished painting a few months ago. I went to the collector’s home to hang it for them and it looks stunning in their family room with the light shining in through the large window. They told me the painting makes them feel very tranquil.

Green Horizon C-0902, 48" x 48" Copyright 2009

On Wednesday I was invited to an awesome luncheon at the beautiful home of one of my collectors. There were only 8 of us which included the Director of a public museum, 2 museum curators of contemporary art, and other museum staff. Before an exquisite catered lunch we were treated to a tour of this collectors’  museum quality print collection of 10 Warhol Soup Cans,  6 Sol LeWitts, 15 Ad Reinhardts, 2 Jasper Johns, a Robert Motherwell, Roy Lichentstein and Jim Dine  to name only a few. Our jaws were nearly on the floor. There were so many beautiful works that it all went by in a blur.

In the midst of that fabulous iconic blue chip art were two of my paintings. As an artist it was a strange experience. Both very humbling and surreal to be hanging with all these legends of modern art.

Since the 1980’s, the high-end art-world has been gripped my a feverish madness. As the number of millionaires and billionaires grew exponentially in the world economy,  so too did the demand for contemporary art. This created a feeding frenzy which spawned overnight art stars with millions of dollars being thrown at them by frenzied collectors.

By 2008, art had become a silly side-show. Even the current art darling Damien Hirst, who gets many million dollars for cutting cows in half and floating them in formaldehyde, has admitted his art is overpriced.

Top artists, galleries and collectors began chasing the money on a grand scale. It all became a shallow exercise in greed. To get collectors’ attention, artists needed to shock. And once an artist succeeded in gaining public attention, the global marketplace demanded mass production.

It’s always astonished me for example, that an artist such as Jeff Koons never touches a painting. He employs a creative staff of 50 assistants who literally paint by number his massive paintings. All Jeff Koons does is supply an abstract doodle he’s done on his laptop by appropriating found imagery online, and they do the rest. I doubt his assistants get too many of the several million dollars he sells these paintings for.

All this self-important posturing about what was relevant in the arts has been like the emperor’s new clothes. There really hasn’t been much substance there. The whole notion of art as a vehicle for lifting the human spirit has been lost. To use another metaphor, some of our most sought-after artists have sold their souls to the devil in return for fame and fortune.

Although 99% of artists in the world do not command astronomical prices, it’s the top artists who set the trends and the dealers who are gatekeepers to an artist’s career. Every artist is measured against the current standard of what is considered “good art”. When “good art” means painting a Black Virgin Mary in elephant dung,  such as Chris Ofili did to win England’s prestigious Turner Prize, all artists have a problem.

So to me, this global economic contraction may actually be a good thing in the long run. Perhaps artists and the art world will take a moment of critical self-reflection. Without the hype to sustain them, the shallow will disappear from sight. This will make room for real talent to shine again because truly good art will always be in demand.

An article in this morning’s Toronto Globe & Mail newspaper, made me chuckle.

It quoted choreographer, Liz Lerman from www.CommunityArts.net who wrote her proposal to solve some of our economic problems. She suggests a job swap, putting corporate executives to work as artists while the artists run Wall Street.

Here are the advantage of her tongue in cheek plan :

1. Artists work ridiculous hours for no pay. And most artists will keep working until they get it right.
2. Artists do not need fancy offices. In fact they usually work in the worst part of town.
3. Artists do not need financial incentives. They do the work because they love it.
4. Artists don’t expect to get paid when they do a bad job.
5. Artist know how to keep a very tight budget and make a little go a long way.

I would add a few here myself:

1. Artists are good at starting a project with a vision and a plan.
2. Artists are good at observing results and learning from their mistakes.
3. Artists don’t ask for government bailouts for more than they need.
4. Artists are extremely grateful to their supporters. It makes them work harder.

Well after much editing and fine-tuning, my E-Book for professional artists is finally launched  !!!!!!

Stand out in a Crowd with Dazzling Photos

It’s being published online by SmArtist. In it I share step-by step instructions and tips for artists to put their best foot forward through their portfolios and websites. 

Click This Link Below For More Information & Purchase Details

Stand out in a Crowd with Dazzling Photos

Three extra reports provide even more information!

Special Report #1: Your Guide to Digital Image Formats

Special Report #2: How to Organize Digital Image Art Files

Special Report #3: How to Archive Digital Images of your Art

Tomorrow, I’m leaving for another quick trip down to Dallas for pre-exhibition meetings at  Alan Barnes Fine Art. There are a lot of details to go over during the 2 days I’m there.

One of the first things we need to do is finalize the pricing for my art. The exhibition will feature 37 small to mid-size paintings, plus 1 large 6-foot piece. Many of these paintings were shown at my Toronto exhibit this past August - September.

Generally speaking prices for art in Canada are dramatically lower than the US.  We only have 35 million people vs 350 million in the US for one thing. This means much fewer people to buy art in Canada. Another factor is that Canada is geographically twice the size of the US. With the exception of our 3 large cities Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, people are spread far and wide. It all boils down to supply and demand.

Often, after a Canadian artist begins to show in the US, their prices naturally rise with increased demand. Because it’s important to keep prices consistent in every venue to develop long-term collectors these artists may get dropped by their Canadian galleries. Even in the worst possible recession, Canadian galleries find it difficult to compete with the power of the American marketplace .

It’s always a major risk for a Canadian artist to show internationally, especially in the US. The glamor of a larger audience is alluring, but there are no garantees. Failure means coming back with your tail between your legs, faced with the reality of  re-building Canadian gallery relationships. It’s all very daunting.

Alan Barnes feels my work is seriously under-priced. That’s always exhilirating for an artist to hear. However, with the economy in the tank, it might be a delicate balancing act coming up with “just right” Goldilock pricing. It’s always easy to put prices up, but if you go too high and nothing sells, it can be a career-killer to lower prices later.

This is my first major solo exhibition in the US and I’m naturally a bit nervous. I’m very blessed to be working closely with a gallery director who believes in my work and sees this as a long term relationship. It’s very reassuring to be in such professional hands.

Even though the exhibit officially runs Feb 12 - March 12, Alan Barnes Fine Art will have it up for a month prior for Preview Sales. They are in the process of installing the signage and hanging the paintings this week and will want my input. Alan Barnes has also lined up potential collectors for me to meet.

Here we go !

Yesterday, I received a wonderful surprise email from Alyson Stanfield at ArtBizCoach in Denver, Colorado. For any artist hoping to make a career in this most uncertain business, Alyson is the best professional coach out there. She’s worked in museums and commercial galleries and knows the art world inside out. Her Blog is always a goldmine. Even a veteran like me always finds some little nugget I hadn’t thought of before. I’ve added her Blog to my Blogroll over on the right, so you can check out her posts anytime.

To my delighted astonishment she wrote about me on her ArtBizBlog called “Great Photos of Your Studio”. In it she posted a photo of my studio along with the suggestion to artists to let the public see where the magic happens.

A large part of being successful at anything is about who you associate yourself with. Growth and opportunities come from freely sharing information and ideas. I feel especially privileged to be associated with an amazing network of professionals.

Alyson first came to my attention through SmArtist Telesummit an annual international internet symposium which I signed on for last year as a participant. Alyson Stanfield was one of the 11 panelist / presenters and she spoke about the need for artist to have a Marketing Plan to succeed. She knocked my socks off with her jam-packed session.

This year, through an interesting chain of events, I will be one of the panelist / presenters for SmArtist Telesummit 2009, which begins in about 2 weeks. I’ll be speaking about “Putting Together a Winning Portfolio” and will be sharing the panel with Alyson who is returning for her 3rd year.

If you are an artist and want to move your career forward, there’s still time to sign on. Go now to SmArtist Telesummit 2009. It will be the best investment in yourself you’ll ever make professionally.

On Friday, I decided to take the afternoon off and go get inspired by great art. A friend of mine met me at my studio at 2:30 pm and we drove all the way to another country……….

My Canadian studio to the Detroit Institute of Art = about 5 miles

Detroit - Windsor Border

One of the greatest advantages of living in a border city is being close to world class art, music and culture without all the congestion and expense of living in a big city. The Windsor / Detroit border crossing is the busiest in North America. There are 2 crossings in Windsor, the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor / Detroit Tunnel which runs under the Detroit River. Timing is always tricky. It can take 10 minutes or 2 hours depending on time of day and level of US security alerts. Since 9/11 everything has tightened up considerably. Everyone leaves themselves lots of extra time to get across now.

Ambassador Bridge

On Friday, we crossed through the Tunnel in a jiffy and were at the Detroit Institute of Arts by 3:00 pm.

We primarily went to see the new exhibition “Monet to Dali” - “Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art. What a gorgeous mix of paintings by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cassatt, Seurat, Gaugin, Matisse, Pissarro, Dali, Picasso, Bazille and Tissot to name only a few.

Two of my favorites were by Van Gogh and Monet, neither of which I was familiar with. Both were fairly small landscapes. The confidence in each brushstroke combined with lush, luminous color were breathtaking. These paintings looked so fresh it was hard to believe they’d been painted 100 years ago.