Category Archives: Artists and their art

Paper Clay is a medium with great possibilities

Jayn Avery, a well-known Floyd potter who operates the Blue Heron Pottery, recently taught a 3 day introductory course at the Jacksonville Center using paper clay as the medium. Paper clay is a mix of clay, paper pulp, and water. … Continue reading

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You are not a commodity – Part 2

I said in my earlier post:

If you do not stand out from the crowd, you risk being considered a commodity. This has serious implications for the self-employed business person or artist.

My wife asked me a very good question about "standing out from the crowd" which is worth discussing before I go any further.

Gretchen has begun revitalizing herself as an artist after a twenty-year detour into industry. She is already attracting attention and has begun to exhibit her paintings and pastels in local galleries, but at the same time, she doesn’t consider that her work is that different from the works of more experienced artists in this area.

I am not sure I convinced her, but her work is readily distinguishable from the work of the other artists she paints with. To my eye, it is not so much a matter of technique as a matter of intention. No matter what she paints, I feel that she imbues each painting with a certain feeling of life. As her technique improves, she is able to elicit more emotional response from the viewer with less effort.

Once she figures out what she wants to accomplish, there will be no stopping her if she decides to pursue a career as a professional artist.

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The artist as a micro-business

It recently dawned on me that our local artists could profit from the experience of thousands of micro business owners who have harnessed technology to reach and interest prospective customers.

I am using the term "artists" to include artists, sculptors, musicians, and artisans of every persuasion who create beauty which evokes an emotion in the hearer or beholder.

Here are two concepts you might want to consider:

Art is the creation of an emotional impact, whatever the medium used.

Business, on the other hand, is the art of exchanging goods or services with a customer for money, support, or viable exchange of some kind.

Marrying art and business is a difficult task and is successfully achieved only by individuals who understand both.

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A treat for the eyes and ears at Oddfellas Cantina

Last Wednesday, Gretchen and I wandered into Oddfellas Cantina to hear Bernie Coveney and Chris Luster playing with Rob Neukirch.  We never know what we are going to hear on Wednesday nights because that’s the night the musicians try out … Continue reading

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