A New Painting

Where do I stop?

So, I've been painting... This is my latest.

 I'm trying to figure out if I'm done yet and any suggestions would be appreciated. I had originally planned another glaze of the turquoise and then a glaze of the gray/brown over the top, but I really like the subtlety here and I'm not sure if too much color will ruin that. I'm going to hang it, and look at it for a while to see how I really feel. In the mean time, I'm going to leave it. If you really like it it will be available, as is, in my online store.

(Click HERE to Purchase!!!)

Untitled
Acrylic on Mahogany Panel
36" x 18" x 2"

(Since publishing this post, I have finally finished this painting. The changes were subtle, but well worth the wait. You can see the final version in my online store, or read about it HERE.)

The blue in this painting is really much more turquoise, but what can I say... I'm a painter, not a photographer. 

Finally, Some New Work...

Rough Winter...

It really was a tough winter. ( and last couple of years...) It started last summer where fatigue had taken over my life. I was supposed to start at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University In Boston in the Fall. (That's a long damn name for a college! How are they going to fit that on a sticker for the back window of your car?) I had some huge shows planned and thought that I'd come up with what little money that I hadn't received in grants and scholarships without a problem. I had had some fatigue issues as well as some joint and muscle pain over the course of the last few years, but had been brushing them off as a distracting annoyance. Doctors hadn't found anything, and they were running out of tests. Through a series of mishaps my big shows were falling through one by one. By the time August came around the heat induced fatigue that I was feeling had pretty much shut my ability to work down. Feeding myself and showering were about as much as I could handle and any slight act quickly became too exerting and ended up in a much needed nap time.

A couple of weeks into August I started dropping my paint brush... A lot. I could barely hold onto it. And, when I did hold it it felt like my wrist was broken. The Doctor scheduled an MRI and the SMFA ( that fits on a sticker!) deferred my enrollment. In September I started classes again at the local community college so that I wouldn't have to start paying back my fafsa loans. One class was a lecture series that I thought would be an easy A. We sat and looked at slides of Art and discussed them for three hours a week. Trying to look at that screen and take notes in a dimly lit classroom made me realize that I couldn't see. No, really, like, at all! I hadn't read much since finals. Over the course of the summer, my vision had not just faded, but had become lousy, and the light from the projector and the glare from the screen made it worse. It was October before I got in for that MRI. The conclusion; MS. The diagnosis left me reeling for a bit. How can you be an artist when you can't hold a paintbrush, or see what the hell you're doing? 

When you start believing that everything is going to go wrong, it does. A couple weeks later, my dog died, then I lost my health insurance a week before I was supposed to meet with the Neurologist, then something else, and something else... ( things too personal to tell to strangers reading my blog, but if you want to buy me a beer I'd be happy to sit and talk about it for a while. ) 

Ironically, during my series of interviews with the Museum School, I had a discussion with one of the admissions counselors about how I was an Artist with a lack of angst. I told them that my life was good and that my work, unlike some artists, was not an emotional release, but a haven, my safe place, a dream. I think  that there may be some angst now.

I have never told this to anyone, but when I can't paint, I end up in a dark place, a very dark and scary place. I start to think of ways to get out of that place. When I go to bed at night in this very dark and scary place, and know that I'm going to wake up in the same very dark and scary place, I start to wish that I just won't wake up, that not waking up is my way out. I don't necessarily contemplate killing myself, but wouldn't hesitate to welcome death should it knock on my door. This is a place that I've been to many times before; standing on the edge, looking out over the darkness. It is this place, my fear of it, and contempt for it, that gave me the courage to say,"Fuck it!", and ignore others disapproval of my choice to live as an Artist, to ignore their telling me to grow up and get a real job, to ignore the fear of possible homelessness and self-imposed poverty, and embark on a path towards my dream. This time, to deal with all the shit, the heartache, the worry, and uncertainty, the fear of losing it,  I stepped back from the edge and painted.

I can't see a pencil line, so there are no sketches. The color in my left eye has faded to near grays. My hand throbs as I hold a brush, my knees and feet ache as I stand on the concrete floor of my studio. Yet, I stand there, with a patch over my left eye, a cane in my left hand, and my paintbrush duct taped to my right, and I fucking paint. My whole life I have dreamt of being an Artist. When someone asks me what I do for a living, "I am an Artist,"is what I tell them. Until that moment where the pain didn't matter, that moment when you're willing to lie on a cold concrete floor and paint with your canvas lying next to you because you are no longer able to stand, the moment where you have to lift your legs out of bed and place your burning, tingling feet gently on the floor, wait for them to be able to hold your weight, and walk down stairs slowly, one step at a time, back to that cold hard floor to do it again, and again, and again, to finish your work. Until that moment saying that I was an Artist was all lip service. Until that moment I was never truly an Artist. But now, I know I've never been anything but. 

If you look back over my blog, you'll see that my painting has never been perfect. It wasn't about the finished product as much as it was about the learning process. Looking at the pictures of my work on here myself, I cringe at some, still like others, and learned a bit from each of them. Betty Carroll Fuller, my painting instructor for two semesters always told me to loosen up. It was hard to do then, but now, I have no choice. My paintings are a far cry from the idilic little Cape Cod scenes that I painted to sell to tourists. There is an underlying darkness. They are abstract. They are bolder than anything that I have tried before. They are of a process that is still evolving. I'm not sure if they are even good yet. But, they are real. They come from somewhere inside and I will face anything that comes my way to get them out. 

Here are some of my recent experiments. They are a far cry from old attempts, yet I can see a logical progression. They don't come as quickly and easily as they used to, while I once painted hundreds and hundreds of paintings a year, they now trickle out slowly and randomly, one or two a month, even on my best months.  Please take a look and tell me what you think of them in the comments section.

Untitled

12" x 12" x 2"

acrylic on mahogany panel

Untitled Tryptic 

36" x 10" x 2"

acrylic on mahogany panel

Untitled

24" x 24" x 2"

acrylic on mahogany panel

Untitled

36" x 30" x 2"

acrylic on mahogany panel

Untitled

36" x 24" x 2"

acrylic on mahogany panel

(painting at the top:

untitled

12" x 12' x 2"

acrylic on mahogany panel)

Thanks for reading!

Let me know what you think.

IF YOU LIKED THIS CONTENT, I NOW HAVE A VLOG ON YOUTUBE. YOU CAN FIND IT HERE:

https://youtu.be/KVTa2_lv4OU

Back At It?

                  Well, it has been a while since I've written anything here at all... I've spent almost two years just bartending and not really doing much else. Not that there's really anything wrong with being a bartender. I just have no outlet. I'm getting frustrated and bored with it. I'm supposed to be an artist. As I may have mentioned before, I have a problem holding a job and creating at the same time. Unfortunately the "responsible" part of me seems to take over and I make it to work and loose that inspiration to create. I end up in a self imposed anxious state that really just sucks...

                  I've been getting some work done however. I recently stumbled across an old series of e-mails between myself and an artist trying to get their work out there. I was pleasantly surprised by how good my suggestions were and had forgotten how much I actually know about these kinds of things. (Click Here To Read It!) So, I've started to write a book on how to make money as an artist. Yes, I really do know how. I've just forgotten the "how to be an artist" part.

                  To get my juices flowing, I've purchased some canvasses and will attempt (once again) to paint at least one painting a week, not in my usual huge 4'x 3' format, but in a smaller size that will be somewhat easier to finish in a timely manner. From there I will market myself as an artist and track it for my book. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may have noticed that a lot of my links to my own websites and stores have since expired. Mac has stopped hosting websites. So I no longer actually have one. I will be renewing or finding a new online site through which to sell both my one-of-a-kind artworks as well as signed and numbered prints. but I will both be posting links to them here, as well as documenting how I go about this for my book. So, if you care to follow along, I'd love some feedback, support, critiques, and suggestions along the way...

Below is a new artwork that I created to help get my artistic juices flowing again. Its looking more like I'll be signing this one Max Powers. 

(Buy it HERE...)

Buy Art from a living artist! The dead ones don't need the money...

CapeNative.Com

The problem with jobs...

Here I am, back to writing again. I stepped back out of the Art World for a while after the Artist Shanty experience left me strapped for cash. It cost me far more to put on that show than I actually made. So, I got a job. A novel idea I know. But, this is what happens when I get a job. I started with a few shifts a week. Which was perfect! I could generate a little income and continue to work on my Art. (so I thought...) My second week into it, suddenly, I  had no days off and two 'doubles' every week. I went from bar tending a couple shifts to bar tending, waiting tables, running the 'to go' window, hosting and pretty much anything else that needed to be done... And really not making any money at it.  It got to the point that when the owner realized that I could do all these things there was no need to pay someone else to do them. The problem was It was saving the owner money, but not making me any. I was making just enough to get by. Wait. Wasn't that what I was doing as an artist? There is a bit more certainty to the having a regular job, but it really hasn't gotten me any closer to my goal. In fact it set me back three months. (I may have to write a book or at least a blog about the mismanaged nightmare that the staff refers to as 'The Darkside') So, in the meantime, I'm trying to find the balance? Summer is nearing an end. I quit the 'full time' employment at The Dockside and have taken on a part time bar tending job at a new restaurant in town that is run so (So So So!) much better. Hopefully, I can find that balance. Ultimately, I'd like to get back to painting in my free time. I have had enough time this week to start my blogging again, so maybe some painting is in the not too distant future. Cross your fingers for me.

Talk to you soon.

(This picture is from the good new job... 

not the one I was complaining about.

Come see me there on Tuesdays...)

McGrath's

(that's a link, click on it...)

Oh, and check out this cool article in the Barnstable-Hyannis Patch!

(Yes, That whole sentence is a link too.)

(support a starving artist... Click HERE ! )

A Painting-A-Day....

It's actually going to be more like two-a-day... I have to come up with a sale-able inventory in a month for my appearance at the HyArts Artist Shanties. Last night as I sat thinking about what I would paint for todays painting. I glanced out the window next to me and saw that it was a full moon which reminded me of a picture that I took during last months 'Super Moon'. The picture had been taken as the moon was rising, casting the trees in a light that gave them detail, but no color other than the blue-ish moonlight.

The painting is Acrylic on Panel and measures 10" x 8" x 2". The side are painted as well. It is available for sale in my online store for $50.00 which includes shipping in the U.S. Just click on one of the images if you'd like to purchase it or to visit my online store.

(Remember, I'm a painter not a photographer. The actual image is a much richer blue than my monitor is showing me...)

Help Support a Starving Artist:

CapeNative.com

Go Google Yourself !!! Increasing Your Online Presence

So I don't start getting all dark and dreary again, I'm going to lead with an artist joke...(if you liked my dark side you can still see it at my other blog, "The Starving Artists Rant". No... Seriously.)

Joke:

 An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any interest in his paintings on display at that time.

"I have good news and bad news," the owner replied. "The good news is that a gentleman enquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings."

(The punch-line is at the bottom of the page. You can scroll down if you'd like but don't forget to come back and read my blog...)

In my last entry I mentioned a couple of things that I should elaborate on:

 I mentioned free advertising. I put an ad on my local 'Patch', a small online publication that provides local news in a lot of different places, but I left out 'Craigslist'. Craigslist has increased traffic on both my blog, and my online store just by putting an ad on with a few links to my pages. (Links also help in your "Google-ability")  Don't over do it. Depending on your area, the number of times you need to post it will vary depending on the number of posts. Although, I posted an ad in Providence ( R.I.) over a week ago and it is still generating a fair amount of traffic so I'm going to coast a bit there. There are so few ads on craigslist by artists on the Cape, I wait to see where I am on the page before I repost. In larger cities you may want to do it every few days, or each time you update your blog, website, or online store.

I also  talked about increasing traffic to your online store by adding pictures either one at a time or in small groups. Since I've been doing this, it has not only increased my traffic but has lead to two sales and a commission.

One more thing that I've decided to do is to start a painting a day project. In just over a month I will be showing in the HyArts Artist Shanties. The weekends of May 20th through May 22nd, and  Memorial Day Weekend, May 27th through May 30th, I will be in the yellow shanty on the waterfront in Hyannis from 11am to 5pm each day. (Sorry, I'm not going to be able to make it to your cookout.) My daily painting will be posted on my blog with a link to my online store (in case you just have to own it). I will also put these paintings on my Website and make references on Facebook with links to my blog, my website, and my online store. This sounds like a little too much linking and what not, however by doing these types of links, especially using social media like Facebook and popular sites like Craigslist, it enhances your online presence. The more links you have, the more hits you'll get. You need to make them easy to find AND easy to use. No "Cut and Paste"-ing things into browser windows should have to be done. everything should be easily navigable and just one click away. Increased traffic from, and links between major sites catches the eye of search engines, which in turn increases your overall visibility, and a snowball effect occurs. (and so on, and so on, and so on....) Don't forget to use lots of meta-tags on any photos you post, again adding to your "google-ability". If you have video capability and a YouTube account even better. Make a video of yourself working on each painting you do. Place the video on YouTube, link it to any and all of your sites. Most people are too lazy to read, make it easy for them.(Obviously, present company is excluded)

Keep and eye out for my 'Painting a Day'... and if you'll be on the Cape for Memorial Day stop by the Hyannis waterfront and say ,"Hello."

(That's the biggest picture that I could find of the Shanties, even after e-mailing HyArts to get one... Remember Have a file for publicity photos just in case some one wants to add YOU to their site...)

Click on it to go to HyArts 

Punch-line:

"That's wonderful," the artist exclaimed. "What's the bad news?"

"The guy was your doctor..."

If you'd like to help support a starving artist:

CapeNative.com

A Kinder, Gentler Blog

So, even in my last post, trying to avoid negativity and a solemn tone, it still was not exactly effervescent, and to anyone who DID want to be a race car driver when they grew up, "I apologize." Apparently, there is some deep rooted bitterness under the surface that I was unaware of, but, rather than change the title of my blog to "Fear and Loathing in Hyannis", I'm going to do what I initially set out to do. Help others who are experiencing similar obstacles to find ways over, around and through them, and despite the economy, not just survive as an artist, but prosper. And... I will do it with my genuine and true to character wit and charm. I'm even going to insert a joke here:

How many gallery customers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

(answer below)

Today, I'm going to fill you in on what I've been doing lately to pursue my dream of being an artist when I haven't been too busy writing about the difficulties along the way. Looking over that last sentence and seeing the way I phrased ,"my dream of becoming an artist", I'm going to edit it a tad. I AM an artist, and really always have been. The phrase that I need to focus on is the title of this blog,"Making A Living As An Artist." I have made a living in the Arts for a long time, from Gallery Owner, to Art Consultant, to Lecturer and Auctioneer. I have a real working knowledge of the industry. Its time to take what  I know from working on one side of the table and use it now that I'm on the other. Hopefully, if anyone out there is looking to attempt a similar undertaking, they will be able to use some of the information.

Okay ... enough boring explanations of where I've been and where I'm going...

So... Here's what I did...

1.)---ADVERTISING: No money for ads?.. No problem. I put an ad on Barnstable-Hyannis Patch. It cost me nothing and drove several people to my blog as well as my website and my online store. So far, I am the only artist on there.

Joke Answer: Two

(reason below)

2.)--- ONLINE STORE: To increase traffic in my online store I removed art that was not moving. Then I added more works in small groups.  My hits went from 2 or 3 a day, to 75-100/day.  On my studio floor against a wall in a corner were some studies that I had done of some simple Matisse line-drawings. I had originally done them just to get a feel for his sense of line with no intent to sell them. He has a beautiful, simple, elegant line that just seems to flow out of his crayon/brush...anyway... when I put them online. I tagged them Matisse studies... 100's of hits that day... Next time I'll put them on one at a time and be able to stretch that traffic out for days.

See My Online Store Here

3.) ---TAG YOUR PHOTOS: Always use/add meta-tags to your photos. This increases their "Google-ability". An example is in the above, on that site, if someone was searching for a Matisse my work would come up.... The way those sites are visited it also will increased my visibility if some one  Googles "Matisse"...(eventually)

4.) ---WEBSITE: I've had a website, but haven't really spent too much time in building it. I spent some time this week just tweaking it a bit. There was no contact info on it. I changed that and added a hyper link so the viewer can e-mail me. I also played with some of the color and fonts. for the most part it looks the same because the template was designed by the nice folks at Apple and they know a heck of a lot more than you or I... More pages will be coming and I'll be loading more artwork. One key thing is making sure that all your sites are linked. Can the viewer get to your e-mail?.. Your blog?.. Your online store? with just one click? Make it as easy for them as possible.

This way to my website...

5.) EVENTS AND SELLING: A few weeks back I mentioned Romero Britto and what exposure did for him... So this past week I looked to see where and how to get myself out there. Maybe an Absolute Vodka exec will be vacationing on the Cape this summer. So I looked to see what kind of Art events would be going on in my area. I found several within pedaling distance. One of them is the HY-arts Artist Shanties I applied and got one. As It stands now I've got a few weeks at the begining of the season. We'll see where it goes from there. Here are some links to other events going on in this area this summer :

The Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival 

Art on the Village Green
(There's also one in June which isn't on this page...)

6.) ALL ARTISTS CAPE COD: If you haven't seen the ads for their meetings it's probably because you haven't been looking. The next meeting that I'm sure about is at the South Yarmouth Library, on Wednesday, April 20th, at 6:00 PM. Basically, it's going to be a group of artists getting together to discuss (oddly enough...) "How to Make a Living As An Artist." If you have any questions on this feel free to e-mail or call. They are still building their website, but it will be here:

All Artists Cape Cod

Punch Line:

One to change the lightbulb, and the other to say,"Pffft... My four year old could have done that..."

(Laugh.)

I hope that artists found this informative, especially those of you in my area...

I hope that you are enjoying my blog.

If you'd like to help me make a living as an artist. Please check out my online store:

CapeNative.com

I'm Not going to kill myself... I don't even wish I were dead!

Okay, it has come to my attention that some of you think that my blog is a bit droll... perhaps even somber. Some worry that I'm depressed. Am I alright?...

HELL YAH!!!

I am doing what I want to do in life! It used to be that I sat at a desk all day and wished that I were doing something else.  THAT was miserable. I wished that I could just create and make a living at it. Now, that is what I do.( okay... so the "making a living" part is coming...) Truthfully, on occasion, I do use this as a way to vent my spleen. But often times I'm just looking for some feed back or constructive criticism. So relaaaaaax. I'm having fun and doing what I really want to do. How many readers out there hate their jobs? Hating my job makes me loose a hell of a lot more sleep than worrying about bills. Besides, I don't really have any bills. There is food... but hasn't anyone been following my other blog: The Starving Artist Diet. I'm down like 20 pounds and I feel great. Remember how you wanted to be a race car driver when you grew up? Well those 3 speeding tickets on your way to your cubicle last year are as close as you've come. This isn't meant to be an 'in your face' to anyone.  Don't feel sorry for me. Is there anything really worth getting that is easy? On the other hand if you really think you want something, try working towards it, if the goal doesn't seem worth the effort then it's not the right goal.

I've found my goal, and so far it's worth it.

If you need help in getting started toward living your dream, HERE is a link that may help!

Buy a painting or Print and help me live MY dream!

(click the link below)

CapeNative.com

If you'd like an online store like this one, click here:

Getting Recognized...(Part 1)

As an artist recognition is key. It is the cornerstone of your career. Romero Britto  was a starving artist, almost literally, until one day an executive for Absolute Vodka saw his work and put him on a bottle... Suddenly, his work was on the back page of every other magazine in the world. Now, because of that one bottle, (along with his god given talent) his work goes for tens of thousands of dollars. I know, I sold a lot of it. But his talent was always there, the recognition was the catalyst for his success. When people can look at an artwork and recognize something,  maybe not even the artists name, perhaps just their style or use of color... the viewer then gives that work a perceived value. This I know as a former art dealer. The more you do to get a work out there, the more people that actually see it, the better the odds of getting a sale. (Providing the work is not absolute crap of course.)  If I advertise one of an artists paintings in a magazine, when a potential buyer comes into my gallery, they are drawn to it. You can tuck it in a back corner and somehow they will find it. It is that recognition that stimulates the curiosity, which in turn, given that there is enough of the aforementioned interest generated, will lead to a sale.

So how does a starving artist go about getting their work out there?  How do they get enough people to see it that they can actually find one of them to like it enough to spend money on it? The first step is to create art... Art that people may actually like. My mother literally once asked me,"Why don't you paint something that people like?" (No, seriously she did...) After I pulled the knife out of my chest and got over my self and my ego and my "artistic integrity", I realized that she was right. Plain and simple, the more people that your work appeals to, the better your odds are of selling it. Now, if this rubs you the wrong way, if you are too blinded by your own creative ego, paint whatever the heck you want, but if you want to sell something I think that it will appeal to more people if its not an image of a severed limb in a jar. (If you are going for that kind of niche, make sure that out of all the people painting severed limbs in jars, yours is the absolute best.) Use your creativity, create your own style, but cater to your target market... But not too much. you need to find a balance, you need to avoid cliche. I'm an artist living on Cape Cod, the bulk of the people buying art here are not looking for a severed limb in a jar, (That's a really gross example I know but it illustrates my point.) but that's not to say I want to paint cottages with white picket fences surrounded by hydrangeas. That is not me. So I focus on the things that drew me back to the Cape. Landscapes, Seascapes, and Skyscapes, while trying to capture the unique light you can only seem to get here. Take a boat for example, below is one of my quick paint sketches of a sailboat:

Now look at how another artist, Tom Melillo, captures similar subject matter:

Two different artists, two different styles, both Sale-able on Cape Cod. ( I never should have shown you Tom's work because he has really done a much better job of both creating his own style and making it appealing and recognizable... If your interested in owning any of Tom's art, let me know and I'll put you in touch with him!)

Now I have my inventory... I chose what to paint and how to paint it, now how do I get my self seen. Seen, not recognized... not yet anyway. That's all I really want at this point.

This past week I've worked on a website, done some free advertising, and updated my blog. These things are a start. But how do I take that to the next level. How do I build the momentum and get people to SEE my work. They have to first see them before they can recognize them. And... how do you do it as a starving artist (not yet literally, but getting closer...) I've put myself out on these free sites:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/max-powers.html

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/greg-lindberg.html

Or check out my online store here!

Now where do I go from here?  Any suggestions I would love to hear from you.

Until next time!

P.S. When I say that I would love to hear from you, I mean that I would love to hear from you... There's a comment box below. Can I get an Amen?

(Click here for Part 2)

IF YOU LIKED THIS INFO, I NOW HAVE A VLOG ON YOUTUBE. YOU CAN FIND IT HERE:

https://youtu.be/KVTa2_lv4OU

Okay, so it's been a while.....

(This is me painting...)

For anyone who was following... I'm sorry. For those of you who just read to be polite, well, thanks... I guess. Sorry to say,"I'm back!"

I have been working through quite an artist block. I've had one painting on my easel for over a month now. I like it, but I think I'm scared to ruin it, so I procrastinate. But... I'm not really sure if I'm procrastinating or it's something else. My dyslexia/ADD is working overtime lately. I really am having some trouble doing stupid things. The other day I was trying to buy a bottle of wine in a store that I hadn't been in before and I couldn't find anything, like literally couldn't find anything. all I could see were thousands of bottles of wine, but I couldn't see any single one of them. I couldn't pick out which were Cab, or Merlot, or Zin, and I couldn't even find a label I recognized. (That's how I buy wine sometimes: "Not Sure how it's gonna Taste, But it sure has a pretty label!") It's not that I can't see the forest through the trees, It's finding one God damn tree in the forest. I had the same trouble last week trying to pick out a birthday card for my sister. Again, could see thousands of cards but couldn't focus on any single one long enough to see what it said. So I ended up with a nice Bat Mitzvah card and that was that. So is this related to my painter's block? Who knows? But it's given me something to write about again.

Friends have heard about my dilemma and stop to check in, motivate, encourage. They've brought dinner and wine.(100 Grove St. BTWs.. don't forget to lock your car.) They've pushed without pushing too far. The help is appreciated as is the company. Some days it's tough just sitting and staring at this painting. I can see in my mind what it will look like. I can see on the easel how it looks now. I don't know why I have trouble bridging that gap. So, I've been trudging forward slowly and surely. A little progress made here and there... But I need a motivator... So I'm donating it to a good cause! There is a nursery school on cape that needs some playground equipment that just isn't in the budget. They are going to have an auction to raise the money and I'm putting my painting in their auction!!!  I'll fill you in with all the details as I get them. The auction is on March 11th.(I think!) I now need to finish the painting. The imaginations of lots of tiny tots are riding on it. HAH! Instant motivation! I'm also thinking of making it into prints and offering half the proceeds to schools playground program,but don't have the money to get the prints made. First things first, though. Lets finish the painting.

On that note. When you make your living by being a painter and you have painters block, you really don't have much of an income. The Christmas season was pretty good to me and I made money in line with what I was making actually "working" for a living. But, it really drained my inventory. I haven't replaced what I've sold ... I may have to get a job... Or sell some paintings.

Until next time... I've got to walk the dog... In the rain :(

You can buy a painting here:

https://squareup.com/store/capenative

(that a link...click it!)

This is what that painting ended up looking like:

If you'd like an online store like mine, click here:

Thanks for reading!

Just Hanging...

Not too much going on in my world today. Painted for the better part of the afternoon, four more seascapes in the works. It's been kind of a quiet contemplative day, no conversation, no noise, I haven't even played any music.  I'll check back in when I have more to say...

Where the Starving Part Comes From...

It has been a few days since my last post. Part of that has to do with the holiday, a lot of it has to do with not having Internet for the weekend. I'm glad that it was on Comcast's end because if it had been that I'd forgotten to pay, you wouldn't be reading this now.  My income as of late has been reduced to the money I make from the ads on my blog ( A whopping $15.61 this month.) and the paintings that I sell. Which brings me to today's subject...

There are quite a few things that you have to give up in order to be able to live as an artist. (Hopefully not for long... The title of the Blog after all IS; Making A Living As An Artist...)  Looking back to the not too distant days of steady employment I think of the things that I took for granted, like having a car, going out when I don't feel like cooking, etc.

Here are some things that have changed in my life:

---> I no longer have a car, I have since traded to a much greener form of transportation: a bicycle. It is not a problem, really. I live right in the center of Hyannis, so everything that I need is easily accessible. I can ride to the supermarket (And I have my choice of several within a few miles.) There are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby. There are two art supply stores, although they are actually those big chain "craft stores" and they suck! ( but that is a topic for discussion in itself.) One of the drawbacks is that Hyannis is not nearly as green as I am. The only people that seem to ride bicycles other than me are those who can't drive, whether that is because of finances or more likely because they are no longer in possession of a drivers license. Because of this, there doesn't seem to be any bike lanes, or bike racks for that matter. In fact the only places that I've found bike racks in this town are where the homeless seem to hang out; the homeless shelter, The methadone clinic (not that I've actually stopped there...), the mall, and the package store.(Yes, I have actually used that one!) Another draw back is stupid drivers. People either don't see you, or don't know what to do around you. For nighttime riding, I got myself some nifty flashing lights so that I stand out. People don't quite know what to do around them either. The front light is a blue-ish white, and the rear is red, they flash and alternately. Not too long ago, I was pulling out of a side street, and I accidentally "pulled-over" an older woman in a Toyota Corolla.

---> Television. It's a distraction. I could watch CNN all day. Not to mention the cost of cable is through the roof. So I got rid of it. Not just the cable, but the T.V. as well. Since Internet is a necessity, I now watch anything that I need to see through my computer. Having lectured for a living, I also have the luxury of having a digital projector. So now, not only do I watch what I want when I want, but I get to watch it on a ten foot screen.

---> There are some other things... A kitchen renovation has been put on hold. Of course, I was halfway through it at the time. So, now my kitchen consists of a dorm fridge, two hot plates, a toaster, a microwave (which I never use...), and a George Foreman Grill. Apparently, this is more than you really need, because I am eating like a king. I'm doing the dishes in the shower, but I'm eating like a king.

--->Heat. It really hasn't even gotten that cold yet, but one of the things that I miss the most is most definitely heat. The thermostat has been set on fifty-eight degrees and does not go higher. That's cold. Remember, the last place that I lived for any length of time was Florida. Fifty-eight degrees is winter coat weather. To try and compensate for this I've moved my studio to the empty dining room, upstairs , out of the basement, next to a radiator.  I just had the chimney inspected hoping for the best. I need some work before I can light a fire in there. Oh well. Does anyone know a mason that likes art? So for now, layers! and if I can find some fingerless gloves....

---> Lastly, sociability. I really just don't have the money to go out anymore. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I get more work done, especially on a weekend where Comcast just doesn't work. But I do miss having people to talk to.

All in all, I think that these are pretty small sacrifices to make in order to do whatever it is that you want to do. But, if you find yourself in the neighborhood, feel free to drop in. (Just wear a sweater.) Or, if you or someone you know need any paintings buy one from me. I'm gonna need some grocery money next week... So until next time, stay well.

(Psssst... click here if you want to buy a painting)

https://squareup.com/store/capenative

(Or click here if you want a gallery like mine):

Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick "Good Morning" and "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone. Thanks for checking in today! It is a holiday and any excuse for me to take a day off will always be well used. I'm headed out to watch a football game and eat with family and friends. Remember, just the fact that you're alive to read this is plenty to give thanks for. Hopefully though, there is more on your list.

Until next time... have a great day.

Back to My Art

My last couple of entries have been centered on the business end of things. In fact for the last few days my business brain was in overdrive. I've been caught up in the world of counting my stats and clicks and even the click throughs and really haven't done much about my art. The fact of the matter is the business should always be secondary. If I'm not painting, I don't have anything to sell. With nothing to sell it doesn't matter if there are a million clicks, it was all for not. So today, I'm back in the studio.

The first thing I'm really noticing is what a flippin' mess it is. I jumped right into painting last week and never really organized things. I still don't seem to have the proper flow going. My work areas are spilling over on to one another. There are recent half-finished paintings mixed in with my older half-finished paintings, and oddly enough very few finished paintings. Lights set up for photographing work on one side of the room that are stolen from work areas on the other side. I've been painting on a sheet of luan that is pretty much just strewn across two saw horses. My easels are either buried in corners under piles of supplies or full with huge half finished works that I'm hesitating on finishing just yet because the price point will be too high to sell on Cape Cod in the winter.

My mind is going in several different directions:

1.) I feel the need to paint. More specifically finish painting three paintings in a series that I've been working on for about a month.

2.) I don't want to paint them on top of that damn sheet of luan because there is no support. It has become a taboret and an easel in one. Not a good situation because there is too much flex in the luan and my cup of water, my cup of tea, and my cup of brush cleaner keep bouncing around and almost spilling on my work.

3.) My brain is struggling between using repetitive keywords over and over again, and actually sounding like I have a halfway decent vocabulary.
    
4.) Shouldn't I just be painting, screw the damn Blog?
    
5.) Should I just stop painting and writing, organize the studio and paint later.

6.) Will the feeling in #1 still be stirring around inside me when I'm done blogging?

7.) What should I have for lunch?

8.) Tomorrow is Thanksgiving:
      A.) Am I supposed to bring something?
      B.) How am I getting there, I don't have a car?

Until I work these things out in my head I will bid you adieu. Check back later, I'll put up some pictures of anything that I actually accomplish today.

    

Getting Results

For those of you who are fellow artists, I just wanted to post a quick follow-up on last nights follow-up. I listed some work on Yessy.com. (follow the link below if you'd like to try it.) I sold one painting with-in an hour, that sale also lead to a commission of another work. This morning I listed a large abstract which is now sold as well. The buyers were actually people that I knew, so I'm not sure what has been generated as far as new business, but regardless it has given me a forum in which to actually generate an income... and the set-up required very little work.

To check out the gallery that took me minutes to set up check out this link:

http://www.yessy.com/MaxPowers/

Or if interested in setting up your own gallery at Yessy, click this link:

Selling Your Art

I just wanted to ad a quick follow up to my earlier post. I talk about "making a living as an artist", but I haven't made any attempt to show or sell my work since I've been doing this. So today after I talked about doing, rather than just thinking or planning (Not that those steps aren't important... just that they are pretty much useless without the whole doing part too.), I put some of my new works up for sale on yessy:

http://www.yessy.com/MaxPowers/

I really did it as kind of an experiment to see where it goes. I tried eBay once a while back but didn't get too much of a response. In fact I only sold one painting on eBay and it was for a penny. The rat bastard stole it from me. A friend once recommended yessy to me so today I figured I'd try it. Tell me what you think of my gallery. Or, if you'd like to try and sell your art on yessy , click here:

<a href="http://www.yessy.com/1463737357.html"><img src="http://www.yessy.com/img/ad2.gif" border="0"></a>

Art Vs. Business: The Art Entrepreneur's Conundrum

If you're going to paint like it's your job, should you be a nice boss and give yourself weekends off? I thought about it, but really, I just got to the point where I couldn't keep myself out of the studio. I didn't go in with a mission or set any goals. I just went in and looked around at first. Then, I was drawn toward a couple paintings that just needed some work, and I found myself tweaking them a bit. I really like the way they shaped up. I then picked up some blank canvasses that I had prepared last week and started a few more paintings, just started them, with no sense of urgency. I like where they are headed as well.

I learned a few things by doing this. One of which was that I can't rush my art. This is not an excuse to procrastinate, or avoid working. (The last thing that I need is another excuse to do that.) It simply is what it is. I can't really say, "Today, I'm going to COMPLETE three paintings...", which is what I did last week. I can START three or four or however many I feel inspired to start. But then each individual work has to emerge. Each in its own time, each one creating its own pace. This sounds way to earthy crunchy for my taste. The whole reason that painting hasn't been my "job" is somewhat because of that kind of "artsy' attitude; "waiting for inspiration", "not quite feeling it today". There is a trap there that I don't want to let myself fall back into, but on the same note there IS a creative process that, really, can't be rushed. So, realizing that, and being a business person that understands that time IS in fact money, where is that happy medium? Not only where, but how do I find it?... And how do I balance the business end of this with the creative end? How do I do it in such a way that they are not only both amply fed, but allowed to actually prosper?

They are hard questions to answer. If I had answers sooner, I'd be further on my way. But isn't that the story of all of our lives. "If only I'd known then what I know now..." The fact of the matter is simply this: "YOU CAN'T!!!" No one can. We can speculate, we can try and predict, plan and prepare, but until you actually go down that road, you'll never know. So here I am, on that road. I'm not quite sure what I'll find. Could I be better prepared? Maybe. But, I could spend my whole life preparing and run out of time to DO. You can sit and dream forever, but it will never happen if you don't actually do anything.

If your looking for help there are some great sources out there. Most of the ones I have are stuck on my other computer. One that doesn't necessarily provide all the answers, but gives great food for thought and some inspiration is: http://www.caku-art.com/  There are a lot of great ideas and some real useful information.

Until next time, take care.

How To Sell My Art... ? (A.K.A.: Will Paint for Food!)

(Disclaimer: These works are UNFINISHED.)

I didn't blog yesterday, mostly, because my day was the exact same as the day before. Therefore, my post would have been pretty much the same. The last thing that I want is to bore my readers. So, today, rather than bore people with my hum-drum life as an artist;"Today I went in the studio, picked up a brush and... yadda, yadda, yadda...", I'm going to fill you in on what went through my mind after deciding NOT to lull you into a virtual coma with my musings on painting.

Okay, I'm painting again. I can paint somewhat prolifically. I already have a pile of art work collecting dust. So now, what do I do with them? :

 "GETTING MY WORK INTO A GALLERY":
(As a blogger I've learned to put certain things in bold type that will catch the eye of search engines... bare with me.)

It's the middle of November, this is Cape Cod... There are only a small percentage of galleries still open. Actually getting my work in just one is a long process. It takes time to find the right one, make the connections and then have them just hang it on a wall and sit at a desk and play on the computer while potential buyers walk around being ignored and made to feel like inferior beings that probably can't afford art anyway.

I'll do the gallery thing, but just not yet. First, I have to build a homogeneous body of works that are of flawless caliber, that are sale-able, and... Yawn.

Okay, right now I'm pretty much broke and can't wait for that. So last night I lied awake in bed thinking about what to do, "HOW CAN YOU MAKE A LIVING AS AN ARTIST?", I thought. (Again, the search engine thing...) Here are some of the ideas that I came up with. I would love you to comment, good or bad, on what you think about these ideas. I would also love it if you would leave a comment with some new ideas for me (and my readers) to potentially use.

BEGGING: Not actually begging and asking for a handout. But perhaps standing on the street with some art work and asking people to buy it. Hear me out! I don't want to devalue my work and SELL it for less than I should, but rather USE my art work to keep me living in the lifestyle to which I've become accustomed. Anyone living in Hyannis has seen the guy standing at the Sam Diego's intersection for the last year. He must be doing alright on that spot.
        A.) Because he hasn't found a new one in at least a year. If something is not working out, you    change it. Right?
        B.) His clothes. Not over the top. He doesn't stand out there in a Tux or anything, but he has appropriate clothing for the weather. The right jacket, good footwear, he's never out there freezing his ass off.
So, the way I see it, it must be a pretty good spot.

What if I stood there? Not to beg, but with some paintings and a sign that says, "Buy me lunch at the bar at Sam Diego's and I'll give you this painting!" Would you do it? Would anyone. (there's a comment section down below, please answer...)

Sam Diego's is not my only vice though... I love to cook. I also love to accompany that meal with a nice bottle of a complimentary wine. So... What if I took my paintings and stood out in front of Trader Joe's?
Not to sell the work, but more to trade or barter. Instead of prices on the back. Suggestions for a trade. For example: $ Two well marbled Fillet Mignon (together totaling at least one lb.) and a nice left bank Bordeaux. I'm not panhandling. In fact, I'd be generating extra business for both Trader Joe's and The Wine List, quite a bit with the way I eat! $ A duck liver pate with shaved black truffles, a hunk of blue cheese, some seedless red grapes, and a Cotes du Rhone.(how do you type that with an american keyboard?) Seriously, that's like twenty, maybe twenty-five bucks. You get to walk away, knowing that you fed a hungry person, the businesses behind me are making money, I get to eat. There are so many wins to this, I can't see how it would be bad. Are there laws against this?

So while we are on this whole barter thing, just so you know, I will paint for food. I also would really like a nice stainless steel crock-pot. I don't have a gallery on line yet, but if in my posts you see a picture that you'd like, let me know. My prices (if you could really call them that) are reasonable. I also still accept cash and gold bullion.

Until you pass me on a curb somewhere... Have a great day

Painted All Day...

I made my coffee and had my usual breakfast, then I found my way downstairs to the studio. I had spent some time digging through old photo files last night, so I pretty much knew what it was I wanted to paint. The question was ,"what would  I FEEL like painting this morning?" Once I got settled in, got the computer files opened., arranged my canvasses, I was pretty much decided that the images that I had chosen last night were the right ones. After a minute or two of procrastinating and trying to find something else to do I just started painting. I squeezed a couple of colors onto the pallet, picked up a brush, and painted. Pictured here are a few of the chosen images...  

As I sit and look at the paintings laid out in my studio, I'm okay with the finished product. They are not what I usually paint. I do an occasional sea/landscape, but never wanted to be that cliched "Cape Cod" painter. In fact I used to make fun of those "little old ladies" who painted cottages and hydrangeas, and seem to fill up every painting class on the Cape, as well as every artist association along it's shores. I still don't want to paint cottages and hydrangeas. But... To "make a living as an artist" need to paint things that I could potentially sell. These are the kind of scenes that, presumably, someone could buy as a reminder of their vacation. When you look at the galleries scattered about the Cape. This is the type of painting that you see on their walls. I don't have an actual count of the galleries on the Cape, but there are a lot! Each of those galleries must (and this is an assumption on my part) sell multiple works every year. Perhaps multiple works every month, maybe per week. That is a lot of paintings. If I'm trying to make money, I suppose that I should focus on what actually sells, take it, and make it my own. Tailor  my style to the subject matter. Am I wrong about this?

There are artists out there that may say that I am selling out, that I'm compromising. Maybe to a certain extent, I am. The thing is that as a former gallery owner and curator, you really need to provide a product. (... and yes even though it sounds like I'm lowering "Art" by calling it "product", that's what it is. Art, when put in a gallery, or even when just painted with the intent of eventually selling it, is a PRODUCT.) Simple economics would say that the more potential buyers that your product appeals to the better your chance of selling it. So, and PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, it would make more sense for me to spend my time painting a more marketable product. Right? But... Can't I, just sometimes, do this?

Enjoy the rest of your night!

P.S. Does anyone have any suggestions on photographing my work? These photos suck.

I'm Painting...

Okay! Here we go... I finally found some pictures that I could use. Some were actually my own. Found a spot in the studio where I could get comfortable and just paint. I stopped fiddling with the lights, stopped looking for the right brush, trying to find the right colors , and just got down to painting. and it actually felt pretty good. I sat and painted. and didn't stop until I was done. Not overly impressed with the results so far but, for those of you who aren't familiar with painting, it's a lot like your golf game:

Your favorite club is like your favorite brush. Your studio is your favorite course, the one where you know each and every hole by heart, which club to use, where to put each shot. If you play like me, how to get out of each and every bunker. The thing is, I haven't played in a while, not just that November through April thing. I mean a while. Like I used to play in High School and now that I'm retired I'm picking up the sport again. The secret to getting good is to get out on that course each and every day and practice. Even if you shoot triple digits, it was still a day out on the links.

Today I spent some quality time in my studio. I haven't played this course in a while, but I still remember where to place some of my shots. All in all it felt pretty good. I'm still a little stiff, but I've got some game left in me.

If anyone's looking for me I'll be at the nineteenth hole.

Until tomorrow....

(I won't be at the nineteenth hole until tomorrow.  I'll just be there for a little while. I'll be back here writing tomorrow. For those of you in Hyannis, I don't literally mean that I'll be at the "Nineteenth Hole" on Barnstable Rd., I meant it figuratively, as in.... Oh, never mind.)