Wednesday, June 17, 2009

still here

Well hello there. I am still here and am still making things and daydreaming about things to make, but I have been out of the blog loop!

Sadly, I neglected to photograph a big project that I delivered yesterday. It was a big linen piece that was painted with layers of color and embroidered with bright spots and it made me think of a million new things and you will just have to imagine it.

I am in the midst of making some big career-path decisions, and frankly I am nervous. A lot of art bloggers choose not to discuss the reality of how they are able to do what they do - haven't you wondered how we are able to make a living off of making things? Is it realistic to think that someone could spend hours and hours making an item, only to sell it for a fraction of what it should be worth?

When Tom and I went to see the premiere of "Handmade Nation", I left feeling happy that someone put a stamp on the handmade movement, qualifying it as a genuine moment in art history that we are living in, that is reflected in our economy and is being replicated by the big box stores and chains as though it were a trend rather than a way of life. But as we walked away from the theater, Tom commented "It's funny that not one artist talked about how they are actually living, how they are able to fund what they are doing and still pay the bills." No one mentioned a second job or student loans or reliance on a significant other. Is that honest, or just no one's business?

Just something to think about.

1 comment:

bbphoto said...

This is something that I always wondered about- and actually started to envy- How do these artists survive... I think to myself, they must do well enough, because the posts are always upbeat and business seems good...

I am an art educator... and I have summers to concentrate on my own art and then the school year to provide me with a roof over my head and food in my belly. But I do get the urge to follow in the foot steps of other artists who leave their day job...