2015年10月13日星期二

Building a Career for the Long Term

For the Portrait Society of America Conference in Atlanta a couple of years ago, I was invited to participate in a panel on Professionalism, Leadership, and Service. I was asked to speak to “Building a Career for the Long Term.” Now, anyone who saw my tax returns for 2010 would NOT have put me on a short list for advice on professional success, but I guess there are different kinds of success.

For artists, commercial and financial success is only one goal. So, don’t ask me for financial advice, but I am happy to share my thoughts on what have been some guiding principles for an oil painter’s long-term career goals.

My 500 paintings: I’ve been thinking about the 500 paintings I’ll be lucky to make in my life, and focusing on how each oil painting will be part of a body of work that expresses my point of view and values. In other words, I have long been thinking “long term” in terms of my chosen subject matter, and how it will reach an audience today, and I hope, in 50 years. So, to develop your career long term, think long term, and envision the work you are doing this year, next year, and in 10 years. We can’t know exactly where we will end up, but think about how what you are doing at this moment will be part of a lifetime of work.

Recognizing what connects it all together: Art careers and recognition are based in part on the audience ability to understand who you are as an artist, and what are the consistent qualities in your work over all. Galleries and collectors will look at your entire body of work in assessing who you are, and what the quality of your work is. You may approach a variety of subjects and even have a range of style in terms of sketching to finish or different oil painting techniques, but there is always an overarching voice, a common quality to your work that will pervade all of what you make which expresses your fundamental nature and values. Strive to understand what this is in your own work, and find ways to make that unique quality shine to it’s best advantage.

No mind readers here: Who knows what the art world will look like in 10-20 years? What will be trendy? Will galleries still be in business and interested in figuration? Will the Internet play a larger and larger part? No one knows. So, my advice is don’t worry about it. What is going to keep you committed to the difficult work of making art when the wind is blowing in the other direction? My advice to you and myself has always been don’t chase the next big thing. You’ve got to dig deep and find the source of inspiration that will sustain you and your work.

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