Broke Artists

There are two aspects of the iconic tortured starving artist: torture and starvation. Lovely.

Starvation usually applies to artists' common difficulty in making money. While making money is important to survival in today's world, it is but a tool, a means. The goal of becoming both a millionaire and an artist seems built on ego, on comparison, on insecurity.

Torture is more interesting to me. Do artists have to be broken? Do they have to be broken to become an icon in pop culture? The examples in both music and art abound. Cobain, Morrison, Pollack, Warhol, Beethoven and Van Gogh. Why are they seemingly remembered more crisply, more dramatically?

I think the answer is that artists do have to be broken.

Really?

See, all people are broken. Some deny it, and we are broke to differing extents. We look to the artist to reveal their own inner torment. Maybe because it makes us feel better about ourselves, or maybe worse. But it makes us feel. That's what art it supposed to do.

Am I broken?

Yes.

I have deep-seated insecurities that refuse to let go their grip on my gut. I probably don't seem it. Maybe that's a problem. I strive to focus on my art rather than me. My portraits on vinyl and in books come through me, are a part of me, but I hope they connect more with you and your memory than with my stuff. I figure who needs someone else's stuff to worry about when you've got your own?

Does that make me less of an artist? Does that mean that I'm not even an artist by definition? Does my art make you feel? I guess that's for you and pop culture to decide.

Peace.

SOLD - Monk, Miles, Trane 08/09

P.S. Yes, you see correctly, these are blue. Painted on "Blue Monk", "Kind Of Blue", and "Blue Train", these are one commission, probably my coolest yet. And I will use color again, for a premium.

(Pre)mature

One thing I've learned while making a go of Vinyl Art as a business is that there are a lot of things starting with pre which are good and important. Preparedness, presentation, preference...

"Affordable and portable" is the catch phrase that Shelley at Wild About Music likes when deciding about work to consign and sell. That applied to me for sure. I had to figure out how to present my pieces. There are options out there for framing records, some fancier than others. I do like the frames with the mats that partly reveal the record coming out of the sleeve. I could use those and have the record on top or coming out if the portrait wouldn't be covered. But they're expensive to buy, to ship and take up more wall space. So I opted for the simpler square frame I can get as a kit.

Now, I'd like to offer fancier frames. I can get them special if desired, but I'd need to charge a premium. There are those who will prefer that though, something special. Premium options are what will bring a price higher than $175, things like framing, color tinting and inscriptions. I've just started playing with both color and inscriptions along the inner groove.

But the main thing I've learned is preparedness is key. So they need tweaking. I offer them if you're interested, but you'll be learning with me. They do look good, all 3 options. As I've gone along, being prepared at different stages has meant being able to say 'yes' much more. That's what all these pre words do, allow me to say 'yes'.

With my new venture, Liter(art)ure, I'm not prepared yet. I don't have options sorted out, much less presentation. Do I freeze the book open to the drawing with glue so it can be hung or propped on a shelf easily? Or do I affix it somehow to something so you can show it or still read it? Do I mount it under a plexiglass box for protection? Lots of questions to be answered, so offering them for sale would be premature. But I'm still learning!

Peace.

Give Hard

Last year I gave to the Alabama Blues Project. Three pieces for their auction.

They asked me again this year. I'm giving them an all new SRV and a similar B.B. King.

I like giving to charity, not straight money, but my work, my time, my self. I feel like I'm connecting more with them, hooking into the humanity of the effort, acknowledging the reality. I don't know if the people who win my pieces at auction feel that way, as most have gone for quite a bit less than what I sell them. But out there somewhere will be on somebody's wall or in someone's closet a piece of me that meant they gave to the cause. They gave hard.

Peace.

DONATED - 08/25/09

Sell Hard

Am I revealing too much? Am I dealing too much?
Am I revealing my dealings too much?
Three a day I must get paid, if supporting my family
with my art someday. So I sell hard.

Quite awhile back one told me I should
write like I paint, with music that is good
playing behind, driving my mind.
Letting it flow down my spine. So I sell hard.

Trivial pursuits in pursuit of being known,
man if it were that easy, to get shown. Alone
sitting in front of the box, taking hard knocks,
but persisting for little Abbey. So I sell hard.

Yep, the little one on the way, can't wait for
the day. She'll turn my life upside down, more-
over make it whole. But I gotta stay in control
of it to make a go of it. So I sell hard.

But do I hard sell?

Peace.

ON CONSIGNMENT - 08/25/09

Hard To Sell

I knew if I hung these up I'd have a hard time taking them back off the wall and shipping them off. I knew it.

Peace.