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Dancingearth: Those are beautiful. If those are representative of your work, you should do quite well.
Thanks Catman. I have a ways to go before I feel I could sell them but they are getting better. This teacher has been awesome--I''ve made progress. Starting to feel that getting a studio is becoming a higher priority. This weekend I'm going to look at houses in ABQ/Rio Rancho since my housemate is not responding to my requests to clean up the garage so I can get my wheel in there. I've asked for the last time. Never been much for nagging and I'm not comfortable moving his stuff for him. Now that I'm feeling more settled in the job and my living space, I have more energy to decide if I really want to commute in order to buy a place. I do like the location where I'm living just can't afford to not do a houseshare and other than a few minor things and not clearing a space in the garage, he's easy to live with (a musician :-) I fall asleep to live acoustic guitar or violin music. Lovely.
Have you decided where you are moving? I haven't had much time to keep up on CD.
just wondering how the job situation is out there? any art jobs around?
what are you doing for work now?
Just asking 'cause we are gonna come out there and look around after our house sells here.
thanks,
iriegirl
just wondering how the job situation is out there? any art jobs around?
what are you doing for work now?
Just asking 'cause we are gonna come out there and look around after our house sells here.
thanks,
iriegirl
Hi Iriegirl, I work at a media company that offered me the job in 1995 -- I'm one of the few people who moved here for a job and not because I wanted to live in Santa Fe even though I grew to love New Mexico. Now twice. So I don't know what it is like looking for a job here. If I had to look for a job it would be in ABQ not Santa Fe. People seem to find all kinds of ways to be able to live here. One co-worker moved here without a job and got the job he has because he worked for a temp agency. I would start there. Good luck! If I hear of anything, I'll let you know.
If you want to really find out where the good art towns are located just buy
a few issues of American Art Collector magazine. Usually the only town to be featured in New Mexico is Santa Fe and very rarely Taos. There are many artsy towns in New Mexico but not all that many great or accomplished artists in those towns. I will say that the artsy types here in New Mexico tend to be the "free spirit" type of individuals but many of them have no training in art at all so the quality tends to suffer much like other towns in America.
It is a great place to live and do art but not such a great place to sell art.
This state relies mostly on tourists and as fuel prices keep going up this
seems to have a impact on sales here. Also there are not many really good
art schools here in this state. The really good towns that come to mind
are Scottsdale, Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, NYC, Boston area, and
many others. Also I always found Charleston to be a great art town as well.
There are to many to mention but I have found that New Mexico certainly
is not the only mecca for a artist to create and survive.
Dancingearth,
Hi! Thanks for the reply! I'm thinking of coming out there and seeing how each place 'feels' and staying for a little while. It's why we bought a travel trailer a few years ago, it was a plan then, and now we might really be able to do it.
So glad you are doing well and happy there! a lot sunnier? !
designer, thanks for all the good advice too. I will check out that mag, have seen it before. There are a lot of great places to live and do art, but not to sell it, and thats kinda what I'm looking for. (as are we all.)
so thanks for that info.
Our area relies on tourism too., but I don't think it will be hurt because most tourists come down in the summer and are only from nyc.
I know the really good art towns are those you mentioned, but its so hard for me to think of getting a foot in the door at this stage of my life,and because they're such big cities.
I will keep everyone posted as to what happens with us, thanks for taking the time to write!
Believe in your work first and most importantly. Focus on what you are trying to convey to yourself and to the world and don't worry too much about your potential market...at least not in the beginning. Make and smash a thousand pots before you consider yourself comfortable with being a potter, so to speak. If the creative fire burns within you and you find a relevant means to express it then the market may eventually find you. Perhaps it won't. Truest art is an expression of the soul and spirit in the final analysis. Sure, we all want to make a living at what we love to do...create...but reality can be cruel. There are almost certainly many potentially magnificent talents that never find an appropriate/workable avenue of artisitc expression or secure a market for their efforts. That's life. There are no sure things in it. Nevertheless, I wish you every success. May your vision light your path.
Last edited by dracul; 04-03-2008 at 04:33 PM..
Reason: Art: the reason for being
I think it is true that you should be true to yourself with your art but I am
now see that selling high level art is not much different than selling a high
quality product and it takes a lot of research to see what is selling and
what the draw is. I worked for a while in a Santa Fe gallery and my sister
manages a gallery in Santa Fe and I have learned a great deal about the selling of art from being there much of the time. I worked as a professional
illustrator for years and sold a lot of my work in NYC which I usually considered to be the ultimate market here in the states. I also did some
work for clients in Germany. When I retired I didn't care if I ever picked up
a paint brush again but then I got bored. I have sold some of my
paintings but I would consider them to be amatuer. Now I am getting close
to getting my work in Santa Fe, Scottsdale or possibly Denver in some of
the better galleries. In the beginning i was trying to do plein air type loose
paintings but I soon realized that I wasn't as good as most of the others
and I went back to Contemporary realism which is the area for me and now
in the right galleries is a good seller. So I agree you have to do what your heart tells you but temper it with a dose of reality so it will be marketable.
I have gotten to know some of the best artists out here in the wild west
and many of them are now are becoming true capitalists and yuppies
and do seem very concerned about selling a lot of their art. When I was in
art school in the 60's and 70's we all did what our hearts told us to do
but a lot of it was not very marketable but we didn't care. If you are a full
time artist today you probably will care as it costs so much to live even
out here in cheapville. If you live and have your studio in NYC or some other
large metro area you will really care about the salability of your work.
Also now it is popular for the galleries to have openings and many demand
that the artist be there. With airline tickets going up and gas up it is another
issue to consider by being closer to your market. Here in southern NM I would
say our serious markets would be Santa Fe, Scottsdale, and Denver. Ruidoso
is a very small market and one major gallery has recently pulled out. Even Taos didn't seem very good the last time I was up there. I gues it all depends how much you want to charge for your work as to where you will
want to go to market. Good luck
Designer,
I think I'm getting mixed messages from your post. Or maybe that is the message.
You have to be true to your own style of art, but you also have to be concerned with making a living. There's the conundrum.
So , yeah, I do really want to sell my work. and, I too went to art school in the 70's , & you're right , it was all about the art, but now, I have to grow up, and face reality, a bit., cause I'm a dreamer. I don't know any full time artists, it just doesn't pay enough. I have been lucky to have a supportive husband, literally, and now, I'd just like to be able to contribute to our future as well.
So, I think that I will be able to sell out there, hope so.
No offense to anyone posting on this topic but the majority of what I see in "major" galleries is "shtick": formula generic imagery market directed. NOT art at all in the classic sense. Tasteful, non-threatening and pleasant creations seeking willing pocket books. For the most part, I'm seriously unimpressed with most of this pablum pseudo-art that so enchants the yuppies with their fat check books. Pastel sunsets, cowboy sculptures, "nature" scenes...ho hum....boring Art should be more than this superficial fare. It should excite and challenge the mind and spirit. It should evoke deep genuine emotion and perhaps intimidate. Art is brother to philosophy and sister to science. It should always be more than "shtick".
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I've asked for the last time. Never been much for nagging and I'm not comfortable moving his stuff for him. Now that I'm feeling more settled in the job and my living space, I have more energy to decide if I really want to commute in order to buy a place. I do like the location where I'm living just can't afford to not do a houseshare and other than a few minor things and not clearing a space in the garage, he's easy to live with (a musician :-) I fall asleep to live acoustic guitar or violin music. Lovely.
shtick does not equal art
Art should be more than this superficial fare. It should excite and challenge the mind and spirit. It should evoke deep genuine emotion and perhaps intimidate. Art is brother to philosophy and sister to science. It should always be more than "shtick". 
