A Day in the Art Life

Dat Ol ' Devil

2008-04-01T11:11:00.001-07:00

So, it's been "interesting" in the proposasl, negotiations, lack thereof........things are definitely not "in flow" as we new ager types love to say. The jobs are not pouring in, nor are inquiries, and when there are a few, they have gone the way of the Titanic.....sinking fast. So, naturally, I take it personally, professionally, and wonder what I'm supposed to be doing.

On the other hand, I'm still doing inspired art for my poet friend/client, and I have a book to illustrate , as soon as some new material comes my way. I am staying optimistic, and taking my Photoshop course too, which will be the beginning of an increased skill set.

Still, I am 56 now......that seems a bit long in the tooth to be at this stage . Maybe I should forget that thought and just concentrate on all the good stuff, yes?

"Daily blog"? Indeed

2008-03-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I haven't posted in some time - I have had to re-assess what I want to say and how to say it. Just blathering on about the dificulites of the art biz was getting even me depressed, and there is too much good stuff to concentrate on only that. Yes, there are many prospects that don't get closed, but let's talk about the ones that I have.

At this moment, I'm working on illustrating a book, that has great mystery in its plot, and it is true. I am challenged to go beyond my whimsical style and make images that conjur up the right mood. My client is very nice, fun to work with, and work the extra time and effort I'm putting in.

The illustrated poetry continues to be inspiring, and I've got some 24 pages done. My client and I are both excited about it, and will keep working on it for the forseeable future. Each page is unique in the way its been designed, but many of the pages have been designed to work together too. It's going to be a great comic book.

I have some other wonderful prospects that I'm trying not to get too excited about unti they reach frutition. And, I'm working on a fine piece of pop art, that began when my then 11 year old step daughter threw her Mickey Mouse vinyl wallet in the garbage. Guess who fished it out and began a piece of art working around it?

As the pianist I met recently told me, "I bless every day I can play music for a living". So, i too , bless each day I create art for mine.

It's a New Day

2008-02-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

We've had a lot of rain here in Northern California lately, and any watercolor artist would be nuts to be transporting his or her art in this type of weather. Of course this means I will be doing exactly that Monday morning, as I'll be hanging some 10 originals in a local bank. At the moment, 3 of the pieces are already up and they look very good on the big, creamy off-white walls. Since I only have the month of February to showcase the art, by Monday, Feb 4th, I reallly have to get those babies up - whether it's raining, snowing, or we have an earthquake. I'll wrap them up like precioius babies and get them there, as I am determined.

The most inspired art I am creating these days is based on the poetry of my friend, and we both feel this is real special art that's coming out of her writing from years ago. The poems are full of imagery, emotion, quest, and self-awareness and I am honored to be illustrating them. Mixing word, image, and color has always been a major interest of mine, since I was given all those old comic books in 1960, and this work is bringing many of my best qualities as an artist to the fore. It's exciting to see them develop. As of this writing, we have 16 pages done, and the plan is to print them up in comic book format.

On the marketing front, I'll be showing my commercial art to an ad agency in Sausalito Monday morning, and I have many packages going out. One is to the CEO of "Target" who, I read, is quite interested in art, and lavishing money on it. He's my kind of guy.

Aunts, ants, and chance

2007-12-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

At the Community Integral Transformative Practice grouop I'm a part of, this past Saturday's "assignment" was to bring in an artifact of some kind that spoke to your soul, or symbolized something important to you. Had I gone to the group, I would have brought a 1959 Action Comic that portrayed Superman on its cover in apparent self-exile, underwater in the ocean, but sill doing good deeds and fixing a floundering submarine. What a guy!

It wasn't the story that made the comic book significant to me. It was the fact that this was one of the "original comic books" that my Aunt gave me in 1960, ("Here! Take them all!") when she opened up a drawer in her basement and I was nearly blinded by primary colors. My mind was blown permanently, and I was on the road to becoming a cartoon artist. I can't tell you that I still have that comic book; I re-purchased it some 15 years ago, but its significance staggers me to this day. And, yes, I did subsequently thank her (she brushed it off).

We have now been invaded by ants, due to rain and colder weather. They're in the kitchen, and down in the basement. Now, every pepper corn, or coffee ground that has spilled on to the counter looks like an ant, but it's the ones that move that get my attention. I'm waging war on them, and, while I have the size, they definitely have the numbers. Maybe the 10 ant-traps that are supposed to poison them and their nests will discourage them from coming in. I'll keep y'all posted on this drama.

And, I've spent a few hours filling out cards to former clients who purchased art from me over the last few years. I'm taking a chance that a few of them will get their memories jogged and come to me again, for more art. It's all part of the marketing campaign.....Happy New Year!

Season's Gratings

2007-12-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this "daily blog" has become "monthly". It's hard to explain, but I haven't much felt like writing, and haven't known just what to write about if I did. It's December 23, 2007, so summing up this year would seem to be timely.

There has been a re-definition in my own being of who I m, what I am. True, I'm still an artist, making his watercolor and ink work his life's work. The work still ranges from commercial collateral to pieces that are totally abstract. While this is still my work, as it has been full time since 1983, I somehow am not taking it so personally, and am no longer entirely defining myself by it. I have no idea if this is a good thing or not, but I suspect that it is good. There is a real danger in defining oneself by what one does for a living in that the work can be yanked out from under one in a flash. What does that leave if that happens? A person who is "nothing"? I don't think so.

So, for me, I have been more at ease in a pursuit of generating income via commercial art, and relegating my more adventurous art to the background and giving it less time. There is a sacrifice of a type, but it is my decision to go this way, rather than the old "starving artist as victim" cliche we've all come to know and love (as long as we're not it). I miss the excitement of creating something I believe is great and unique, but I don't miss seeing the finished piece languish here against a wall, never generating a penny of income. I believe that both are necessary for happiness and fulfillment: success on both levels, financial and creative. I think I come close often enough, and sure, I'd love to increase the frequency of both of those feelings in the coming year. I believe that I will, too.

Things that used to really get me riled up are not throwing me nearly as much, if at all. Something inside me has changed enough so, even when the impulses are there, I am able to avoid acting on them or giving in to them. This has not happened all on its own; I've been working on it. Call it what you will, "maturity", "being centered", "having a sense of perspective".....or "getting older". Whatever it is, it makes life a lot easier.

The sense of ease seems to be missing for many. I hear of so much inner suffering by friends who have so much materially. I feel sad for them, and know that life has many challenges. How we meet them defines who we are, a lot more than what we do for our living.

So, my wishes for counting one's blessings, good health, great moments of joy, and happiness for every living thing on this planet.

Las Vegsa

2007-11-16T21:15:00.001-08:00

We went to Las Vegas to meet friends who had come in for a conference from Massachusetts. What is there to say about the place? Does it symbolize America for the rest of the world? If so, that's a pretty sad commentary.

The scale of the buildings and their symbols is BIG. In fact, everything on the strip of hotels and casinos that are the most famous parts of the place are BIG, giant in scale, and if some is good, more is better, or so the philosophy would seem to go. The signage is spectacular, the hotels and casinos mind-bendingly , overwhelmingly large and ostentatious, loud and filled with sensory overload. One goes into any of the interchangeable casinso and first one is nearly overcome by the smell of stale cigarette smoke. After one's eyes stop tearing, you see zombie-like people sitting and staring lifelessly at the slot machines they're lined up at, with only one arm moving to put in the money and pulll the lever, over and over again. Their eyes are dull, their skin pallor pasty.
The hotels have buffets with sumptious amounts of food, most of which is well prepared. To not overeat is a major accomplishment. To attend one of these without feeling vaugely guilty is another major accomplishment. Hedonism and excess rein in Las Vegas, and, for many, this place is as good as it gets. I found it utterly exhausting.
Our friends treated us to a show, Cirque d' Soleil's "O", which is all water-based. The skill and scale of the show is tremendous. The design is beautiful; the acrobatics at a high level. Good choreography. I had no idea what it was all about, and it evaporated into the night the moment it ended. It was great style with little substance to my way of observation.
The amount of money that gets spent in Las Vegas is nothing short of phenomenal. What this money could do, and who it could feed is something we all ought to think about. We Americans who have so much - what are we doing with it all? What do we think money is for? Why do we think it will all be here forever? It's no wonder this country is despised.

More on my Father

2007-11-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

Since my Dad passed away on October 20th, 2007, I've had two quite vivid dreams with him in them. In the first one, I was walking along a country road and a car pulled up on my left. The passenger door opened, and when I looked in I saw my Father circa 1959, head of black hair and stocky of build, in the driver's seat. He put out his hand and said, "let me help you in", then pulled me by my arm in, gently and firmly. I noticed how strong his grip was and went in to the back seat of the car, and then we drove off. That's the dream. When I awoke, I felt like my Father was giving me support, the type of which I never felt in what we call "real life".

In the second dream, he is in his coffin buired in the ground. He stirs, looks at his watch, and say to himself, "Hey! I'm not dead yet." He then gets on a cell phone and calls his doctor, telling the latter that he made a mistake, and to come and get him out of this coffin. The doctor does that, and the last thing I saw is my Father standing on the sidewalk of a busy street, dusting himself off, chatting amiably to passers by. That's that dream. When I awoke, I had to first question whether he was really gone. When I realized that he was, in fact, dead, I then marvelled at these new qualities that I had never seen in my Father that I was now seeing in my dreams. He never chatted amiably with me, after all.

So, I guess there was more to Dad than I saw and experienced. I've seen it in the old photographs of him, before I was born. He looks happy and relaxed. Why he didn't show me that side of him, I'll never know. But, I guess it's a good thing to realize that he had those qualilties, as I have them now.

I've surpassed my Dad on many levels, but feel more connected to him now than I did while he was alive. Can you beat that?

Art, money, intangibles

2007-10-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

I guess we all like to get our egos stroked and feel appreciated, even if the more savvy clients try to use that en lieu of money. I'll try to give you an example or two:

My longest running client has ,generally speaking, been a lot of fun to work with and paid me reasonably well over the years. Our last job was a major piece of work, full of good gags and good design and drawing by moi. I put untold hours into it, and was paid $2300, and gave explicit instructions to the printer, the most important one being that I had to view a printer's proof of the job before it went to press. My instructions were ignored, no printer's proof was provided for me, and the end result was a disaster as far as I'm concerned, as someone decided that it would be just fine to compress the major image into a proportion for which it was not structured. I felt demoralized and disrespected.

After that, we compounded the hurt when I spent a few hours attempting to come up with ideas for either Halloween or Thanksgiving, all of which were rejected by my client withouut his giving any positive feedback of any kind for me to work with. I didn't feel too great about that either. Now, he's given me an idea for an end of year card, and my enthusiasm level is below that of a person being offered the chance to be dragged along side a moving automobile by the scruff of their neck on a dirt road. With spikes in the road. I want the income, but I want to feel appreciated too. Oh, I forgot to mention that for some three years now, my client has been talking about photographing the best of the many pieces I've done for him, putting it on his website, and linking his site to mine. It has yet to happen.

On the other hand, I just completed a job for a corporation that went as nicely as it could, with my two clients there repeatedly expressing their excitement over the design. They will pay me reasonably well too, but I feel so much better about the way they are conducting themselves, that I'd run through a brick wall for them, and have done all I could to ensure the job coming out well by taking it to my photographer and giving him instructions. I hope to someday work for them again, and appreciate their feedback.

It's not all about money, although that is a big part of it. A well timed compliment, or even minor apology can work wonders too.

My Father's Death

2007-10-24T08:33:00.001-07:00

We got the call around 5 a.m. Saturday, made our arrangements, and were on the plane by 1 pm. My Dad passed away some time in the middle of the night, after a long, slow decline where his body ceased to work for him any more. It was time.

At the funeral, I gave a short, dignified eulogy talking about his integrity, love for music, work ethic, and good example set for his family. All of that was true. What I left out, of course, was the basic lack of rapport between him and me, a resutl, I suppose of two people having two very different personalities and styles. Of course, to a child, that is beyond understanding, and there were many needs that went unfulfilled for me, so it went, and so it must go for many.

Just the same, he was a good man, and did the best he could with the limitations he self-imposed, and those that may have been imposed by the times and culture he lived in. I've more than forgiven him, and have made my peace with him, and wish him well on the next lef of the journey if, in fact, there is one.

As I chose art as my livliehood, there was a rebellion to the family ethic. As I complain about lack of money, I am loyal to the family ethic. I've only gone "so far" within my own self-imposed limitations , so in that, I've remained loyal to my Dad. It's time to break that loyalty, and go further.

The Battle

2007-10-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, I was so proud for thinking of doing that enlargement for the lettering for the logo I'm working on, and I did such a nice job of cutting away the insides of the letters to expose the watercolor paper underneath. And, I tested the bond paper that the rest of the art was on, and it seemed to accept watercolor reasonably well.

But when I began the real painting, the drying time was far less than a more absorbent paper would be, and the bond paper buckled with water too. In short, it was quite unforgiving and nearly impossible to work with in the ways I've practically mastered on real watercolor paper. So, we battled it out. Over and over again, I had to wait for the paper to dry (It took ages!) and flatten out, only to apply some color again and again, to get the sort of gradation I was after. Since I was working on relatively subtlle rays, as if from a sunburst, I needed those gradations, and I needed them to be on the subtle side against the background ....the more the paper got wet, the less effective was the glue that was holding it against the watercolor paper, so the bond paper began to separate itself from its background. It really felt like a fight between me and this damned piece of paper, and there was no way I was going to lose!

It took hours, but I pretty much got it to where I needed it to be. Finally, I was able to work on the watercolor paper that was exposed for the more detailed areas, and what a pleasure it was to be back on that - paper that responds beautifully to wet areas, and that I can control perfectly to the smallest nuance. Whew!

I began work on the art this morning around 8:30, and worked on it until 8 p.m. There is much more to go, but I think I got the hardest stuff done. It's absolutely imperative that this comes out well, as the company gave me a job that probably could have been done by a graphic type of computer artist, although perhaps without the charm and feel. I feel like John Henry up against that steam shovel, and we all know how that turned out!

Art and Craft

2007-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

This job from the corporation is a good one, paying well, and "up my alley" in most ways (except for whimsy, and a prescribed lack of people, you can't have everything!). It is a play on one of those many old postcards that say, "Greetings from......" and the major word is in big, fat letters that have photographs in each letter. You've seen them. We've all seen them.

One of the reasons they are so effective is that they are bold, using fat letters and a 3-D effect for "punch". Another reason is that they combine that boldness with the illustration in the letter, which often can be detailed and delicately textured. So, the combination of the two works very well.

That's what I'm doing here, and I was faced with this challenge: how may I make the letters large enough for me to work within, and still have the curves in the letters be accurate. In other words, how may I make printed letters big and clean and then work within them, as my hand done lettering was not going to be good enough. Here's how I solved it: first, I recreated my letters by tracing them on to paper from a printed page (when I had enlarged the print, it really looked shabby and ragged), then I used a one-point perspective to create the 3-D affect. I made this as clean as I could, and took it to Kinko's to have enlarged on the biggest machine they have, with the best bond paper they have. I was hoping that this paper would be good enough to accept some of my watercolor paint, but not all of it.

I enlarged my type to 25" wide, took it home, and carefully cut out the inside of each letter, then spray mounted this bond paper on to my best watercolor paper, thus giving me the surface I really wanted on the inside of the letters, and still hoping that the bond paper that had the copy would be good enough to handle less taxing painting, as there were some touches that needed to be done outside the letters too. When I experimented on this paper, it worked well enough. Now, I had what I needed, except that the enlarged letters didn't look so great, and needed to have thicker lines anyway, due to the fact that eventually this art was going to be used at only 3" wide, among other sizes. So, I went over each letter with my pens, thickening them up - this was a painstaking process that couldn't be done free-hand. It took my about 3 hours to do.

Now, I've got it where I want it, and began projecting images into the letter areas. Nice craftsmanship, if I say so myself. The color work will be similar in apprach, using color value a great deal to highlight some of the images and let others sink in to the background.

the money sides of the issues

2007-10-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to generate more income. I'm trying to generate more fine art. I'm trying to be a happy person with a good life. I'm trying my own patience.

For now, I've got some good work going for a company, working with their marketing department. The pay is excellent and the work is pleasant, and I know the finished product will be very good too. I'm pleased about it, as it's been a company I've been courting for nearly a year.

I'm also up for a big job out of New Jersey, and am still in suspense three days after giving the bid. It will be a lot of work in a short time frame, and I already know that my bid was high, so, if they choose me, I have to ask myself, "how low am I willing to go to get the job and the income?" That's a good quesiton, one I hope someday I won't have to keep asking myself.

On the art front, the only really inventive fun thing I did was take an old commercial piece and transform it into something much better. That was fun, and I had a frame for it too. Someday I hope to sell it, and therefore wring some more income out of the piece in part as revenge on the people the art was initially for. We parted on terrible terms and it was entirely their fault. I'm being objective here, I swear!

This weekend, I'll have three days to myself. I'll do some money generating art and maybe some fine art too. The one thing I need to force myself to do is make those cold calls to companies, my major hope to get better paying gigs.

A State of Schlock

2007-09-27T15:04:00.002-07:00

It took me three full daze to get over the Monterey Jazz Festival failure. Today, Thursday, is the first day I have my energy back. That plus, I have a new little job coming in that will give me a bit of much-needed income, and one last small sale from that damned Festival; always nice when something has "legs" as they say in showbiz.

Just the same, I went to the bank and withdrew money today, which I regard as a professional defeat. The Monterey show's failure was not only for the cost of the show, the motel, and the van, but the 5 pieces I had framed for the show, and the 6 giclee prints I had made, after they had sold out at Telluride. I'm still amazed at how poorly it all went.

But, life goes on, "shit happens", and good things do too. Yesterday, I got a call from the marketing department of a company I've wanted to do work for for some time now, so I'm very happy about this development. I really need to concentrate on generating income with new clients, and do my own art too, and get exercise for circulation. The latter is due to the arthritis that is beginning to bother me in most of my joints, especially feet, wrists, and hands. Ah, who really needs their feet, wrists, or hands, anyway? I'll draw with the pen in my mouth if I have to, although it may take a while to get facile with it.

I have an opportunity to steal the Fillmore Jazz Festival poster away from a much more famous artist. In my totally objective opinion, this artist's work is nice, well designed, staid, and bland. With my feel for jazz music, my work should just blow his outa here, but taste is somelthing that can't be explained, and it's not going to be my call. I will, however, do some speculative work, which I generally try to avoid like the plague, and show my potential clients that I create a lively and elegant custom piece for them that will be preferable to anyone else's.

Coming back from the Monterey Festival on Sunday night, I swear I thought I would never do another festival, or paint again, or stay in this business. The next day I got an email from a person who was about to try to sell my art at a big art-buying show, saying he would not be going to the show after all due to health issues that he faced. I was astounded by the timing of this, after I had paid his organization for just this event! I felt thoroughly victimized, with the art gods looking down and laughing at me (after they had pumped me up at Telluride). My reaction to this man was something along the lines of , "what about me?". I calmed down the next day and emailed him saying that , of course, his health was the major concern.

The roller coaster ride continues!

2007-09-27T15:04:00.001-07:00

Still Reelin' After All These Tears

2007-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

So, it's three whole daze since I returned from the worst festival ever, Monterey Jazz, and I'm still tired and sore, both in body and spirit. Wow! Who would have thought that a show with so much promise would have left me like this? I'm still in a bit of a state of shock at how poorly it all went.

Just the same, I'm resilient and recovering enough so that I can actually again conceive of doing art and finding new clilents with whom I can generate income. This is a good thing, as I invested a fair amount of money into this venture, with new pics framed, new prints made, a motel, and a van to rent. I thought I was going to do great! I guess the art-gods didn't want to see me become too successful too soon.

Yesterday afternoon, thankfully, I got a call from a corporation from whom I have wished to work since our meeting back some 6 mlnths ago. It seems they are now ready to hire me for a gig which will, for once, pay me well on an hourly basis. We meet in two days. I am optimistic that this will help me make upl for the Monterey debacle, and be fun too.

There are some good projects waiting for me, mostly the great work illustrating Val's poetry. Why I haven't gotten to this yet is a mystery to me. I want it to be as good as I can do, and maybe it's all the lettering and measuring that is making me become a member of the Procrastinator's Club, you know, the one that is supposed to meet every other week, but has yet to? Val is great, her mind is fantastic, and she is talented and funny, really a wonderful synergistic creative friendship we have....

I think I better re-do my affirmations.

The Monterey Jazz Festival

2007-09-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

"You had your chance". That's what I said to the bearded guy with the fez on his head as we happened to meet at 7pm on the third and last day of the Monterey Jazz Festival's big deal 50th celebration event. He had expressed disapointment that I had packed up early, but my bullshitometer rose as he said it and I expressed the truth to him. Sure enough, he had no reply for me.

To say the show was a disapointment is like saying that Hurricane Katrina was a bit of a leak in New Orleans. I had every reason to expect a strong show, and was counting on it. Naturally, it did not happen. Three long days and high expenses that I invested basically went to waste, as I sat in my booth for and waited for people to come and look and purchase my w0rk. It never came to be. Finally, at 5pm Sunday, with some 8 hours left to the music, I began to pack it in.

My body is aching and tired. I have now done two shows on two consecutive weekends, with lots of driving in between. Telluride was a triumph, Monterey a defeat. Today, I rest. Tomorrow, I begin to fight again.

The Telluride Blues Festival

2007-09-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

This past week, I drove myself 1200 miles in a cargo van to Telluride, Colorado, to be a vendor at the Blues n' Brews Festival for which I had done the poster art. The drive took two days, plenty of time to listen to music and wonder how I would be received by the public.

The first day of the festival was Friday, and almost immeidately I began to make some sales, which is rare for any festival I've been a part of. I had a real good day. The next day, I did even better, and, while Sunday was slow, I was very happy with my sales and the reaction to my work in general.

The art I did for the festival was used for posters, T-shirts, card-size passes, and, best of all, an enormous enlargement that functioned as the stage backdrop. My ego had a good time. Then, I drove back.

Now, I am putting together inventory to replace what sold, as I will leave in two days to do the Monterey Jazz Festival, something I have done for 5 years consecutively. I hope I will do as well as I did in Telluride. These festivals are endurance contests for me, very tiring, and I hope to make some good contacts and keep showing my art. The festivals have been the best outlet I've yet to find for my art, but it is still the commercial work that comprises the bulk of what I do. I would like to even that percentage out. We'll see how this one goes.

Hit the Road, Hack

2007-09-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, I'll be driving a cargo van filled with my artwork, 1200 miles to Telluride, Colorado. This is to be a vendor at the "Blues n' Brews" Festival, for which I am proud to say I did this year's poster. That ought to garner me some extra attention and, hopefully, sales. It's a long drive, and I expect the weather at 9500 feet to be challenging with cool air and very possibly, rain. We shall see.

In the last four days, I've spent a lot of time matting my art reproductions, and I have to say it is enjoyable to look at this body of work I've created. The art is colorful, well drawn, fun and exciting. Lively stuff. Now, all I need to do is transfer those qualities to the manner in which I interact with people and I'll be in good shape. Make nice small talk with people who look at my art, ask them questions, chat, and have some fun with them. That's what I have to do, and enjoy it. Can I?

Upon driving the 1200 miles back, I will have two days to rest and then go on to the Monterey Jazz Festival. This one I didn't do the poster for, a major oversight on their part. I would do a great poster for them, and don't think I haven't brought that idea to their attention. They don't seem to be interested. Their loss. Big time.

At the same time, my Father's health is failing and I half expect a call to come in telling me he has passed away. I may just have to fold up my canopy, take my art down, and figure out the quickest way to go to a funeral in New Jersey. I hope he feels like he had a good life. It's too bad he and I didn't have better chemistry, I have lots of sadness about this relationship, but there's nothing I can do about it now, but go to lots of therapy.

Grant Me My Rants

2007-08-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

May I be allowed to quip
stream of consciousness slips
Of the tongue
Without it hurting
No one

May I be allwed to rant
Against the perceived inequities
Debased personalities
Irrelevancies
Impossibilities

Of being a human being
In this world.
and when I'm asked
to be a faceless mask

I don't want to forget
To rant, that's my task

I forgot to be sensitive
I forgot to be P.C.
I forgot to tread lightly
I almost forgot to be me.

Interviewed by SF Voice

2007-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

San Fran Voice
Blogging San Francisco, California
← Photo Post: Art of Rich Sigberman Recommended Event: Shane Papatolicas TONIGHT at El Rincon →
SF Art Speaks: An Interview with Rich Sigberman
August 3rd, 2007 · 1 Comment
Go to Rich Sigberman’s website and you’ll learn that he does “Jazz, Pop & Abstract Artwork” and “Commercial and Architectural Illustration”. What does that mean? He’s an illustrator and artist who has done work for books and buildings all throughout the Bay Area. Much of his inspiration comes from the jazz musicians that he has loved for years. In other words, Rich gets to do what many artists only dream of doing; he makes a living from his art. And he gives you some hints as to how in his blog. But first, learn more about his work from this interview that he did with San Fran Voice. And check out some of his work in our photo blog post which went live earlier this morning.
What can you tell us about the basics of your artwork?
I consider myself primarily a cartoon artist who has been greatly influenced by comic book cover art, children’s book illustration, and commercial art from the early part of the 20th century. My media has been watercolor and ink since I began seriously creating art in 1969, and subjects I have consistently been drawn (no pun intended) to are jazz musicians, cartoon and advertising icons, and, most recently, abstract art.
Who has been your favorite client (and / or what has been your favorite project)?
My best client over the last decade has been the Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry store in San Francisco. The owner of the store has put out a series of cards that I’ve rendered, usually 3 or 4 a year, that are often wildly humorous; we work hard sending ideas back and forth in the planning stages, and take great pride in the way the cards turn out. The most recent one affectionately satirized the Summer of Love anniversary.
What projects are you working on now?
I’m illustrating the poetry a woman wrote some 30 years ago, doing a promotional piece for a musician who lives in Florida, and just completed the poster for the San Rafael Food and Wine Festival. I’m also preparing art and reproductions of my art for the Monterey Jazz Festival in September, and the Telluride Blues Festival for whom I created this year’s poster.
Current / upcoming shows?
The San Rafael Food and Wine Festival August 11, the Telluride Blues Festival, September 15, and the Monterey Jazz Festival September 23.
What art goals do you have for yourself?
I want to illustrate books, get an art gallery that appreciates my art, and do a New Yorker cover.
What made you decide to start your art blog?
I felt that after 24 years in the business, some people might have an interest in the reasons for making art decisions, as well as the ups and downs of managing an art business, especially for one untrained in business.
Be honest – do you love what you do? What do you for inspiration on the days that you don’t love the work?
I totally love what I do; drawing and painting is really all I’ve ever wished to do professionally. I always love the work, but inspiration is another story: For me, now that I’ve been at it as long as I have, I find that my inspiration comes after putting a lot of time and effort in first, eventually something develops that I’m excited by. Inspiration does not come to me as readily as it once did.
How does the city inspire or affect your art work? I lived in San Francisco for 17 years, and rarely used the City as a direct influence. On occasion, I would do a sketch at a jazz club that I would then expand into a painting. I love SF, though, and did do some pieces on commission that were about the City.
Do you have a favorite gallery in San Francisco?
The San Francisco Museum of Comic Art. Any good library (go to 741.)
Where can you be found when you’re just out and about in the city?
I still enjoy the Haight, where I once lived.. Between Amoeba Records, the café near it, and Escape From New York Pizza, most of my needs may be met there. I guess my needs are few.
What do you think the average visitor to San Francisco should know about the art scene here?
Is there an art scene here? Ho ho...kidding. I'm not that familiar with it, really.
What advice do you have for emerging artists?
Do your art, no matter what else is happening. Whether it is met with professional success or not, continue to make art, as if it’s the most important thing to you in the world. It needs to be the thing you want to do more than anything else.
What is one other thing that you think we should know about your work?
The prices….just kidding. My work presents a unique combination of a cartoon sensibility, literary mind, knowledge of the history of art (especially cartoon art), a satirical mind, a feel for movement, lack of pretension, and intelligent use of color.

Getting Blood from a Stone

2007-08-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Money!

Just that word alone is enough to get an emotional reaction from me, and, I'll bet, lots of other Americans too. Why just "Americans"? I think we in this country put more of an emphasis on it than in other parts of the world, although I am not enough of a world traveller to be certain of that theory.

For me, it is the source and symbol of the challenges I have with my career. While I work pretty hard, there is something that is eluding me in the way I command income. I work hard for $500 jobs, and that just isn't cutting it economically, not here in Marin County. If I was on my own, not only could I not survive here, the local government would probably ride me out of town tarred and feathered, on a rail, for lack of making the economic grade. This country loves winners (read: "wealthy") but has little place for those who don't earn that much.

Which leads us to artists. Poor artists. The ones who live in the leaky walk up apartments. The ones who are not appeciated until well after they've died, if at all. We all know the cliches, and even a cliche has its basis in some sort of truth. But, it's not true across the board.

So, I do better than most people who call themselves "artists". And, I don't do well enough. It's a strange conundrum I find myself in. Good paying work is hard for me to find, and when I do find it, it's less than satisfying artistically. I have been neglecting my better art to try and concentrate on generating income, so there is a strange level of disatisfaction going on here, which is probably attitudinal as much as factual.

I drove myself nuts waiting for a check in the mail last week, and the procdure is repeating itself this week. My first instinct is to cut back on anything that smacks of "luxury" - therapy, pay TV, food.....well, maybe not the TV.

I'm going to transcend all this. And, soon.

Blathering On.....

2007-08-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe I've been a tad less than motivated of late for much of anything. I don't really want to do art that much, I don't really want to do much of anything that much. Don't know what's wrong with me, I'm just content to lay around with the doggies.....must be a phase, probably will only last another 30 years.

Just the same, I've completed a fun, excellent graphic illustration for a musician in Florida, and two architectural renderings for a firm that owns shopping centers. The latter paid better. I have not been doing much art on my own of late, but I did pull out an old piece of commercial work to do some additional work on, just for relaxation. That was fun, I must admit. This is a piece with some baggage to it, as it was at first accepted happily by the client who then turned on me a few months later. He was nuts. It was too bad, but the art is excellent and deserves to be seen. I took out the company logo and have re-done various parts of it.

I probably could use a vacation of some type, but am not taking one. Soon my two big festivals will be happening and I ought to be getting ready for them with new work and more inventory. We shall see how I spend my time.

I get a lot of pleasure out of my dogs. They are fun, funny, and cute. So, I try to keep them happy.

Build your portfolio, great exposure

2007-07-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

“I'm not looking to pay someone to help me” – Craig’s List in a nutshell. That is a line taken verbatim off of one Craig's List ad.

I've never turned down so much work as I have from Craig's List. It seems to be full of people who want something for nothing, unless you consider empty promises to be "something". If I wanted to work for free, or for little money, I could have illustrated 7 children's books by now.

Why do artists permit themselves to be taken advantage of? Why would anyone expect an artist to work for nothing? Why should an artist (or anyone else) let themselves be taken for a sap?

The answer: we want to do our art SO badly, that we'll do it under almost any circumstances. We ARE saps; we're in love with creating art, to the exclusion of any business sense. Those artists who have good business sense are called "whores" by other artists and are the objects of envy. I'm trying to be one of them. Of course, one has not prostituted oneself simply because one wants to be well paid for one's services, don't be silly!

Art vs. commerce strikes again!

Marketing Rant

2007-07-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Rich,Thank you for sending us your samples. Unfortunately we are not interested in your style of illustrating.

The above is what I need to get used to, as I just spent the first three hours of the day submitting a variety of emails and snail mails to get an artist rep for myself. The odds of this being successful are pretty small, and it would do me good to not think that while I'm in the midst of attempting (once again) to make this happen. My experiences thus far with "art reps" have been discouraging to say the least. They seem to be not only not interested in my work, but not-interested in the extreme, that is to say, the rejections come rapidly (when they respond at all) and with few words of encouragement. To my sensitive and insecure ego, dealing with the world of art reps and ad agencies, has been tough.

But, market I must, even if it puts me in a foul mood, even if I expect poor results, even if I'd "rather be drawing or painting" as some of the bumper stickers say. Why should I expect my career to go up, if I don't work at marketing? Why don't I market more consistently? And, why can't I market with a good, firm attitude of good expectations? There is no business that can exist without getting the word out about it. So, I shouldn't expct to do otherwise, just based on my art alone. In fact, I ought to consider myself pretty fortunate to have gotten as far as I have on the rather minimal amount of time and energy I put into marketing and networking.

I looked at a number of other illustrator's work this morning, while perusing the art rep's pages. I kept saying "garbage, garbage" to myself when viewing nearly every one. Harsh judgements, and not without some envy thrown in. Bitter? Moi?

So, I need to muster up the courage to not only keep at the marketing until I consistently get the type of jobs (we are talking money now) that I'm after, and do it with a good attitude. I'm not quite there yet. But then, I've only been at this 24 years, and wouldn't want too much success too soon.

From the Sublime to the ....Sublime?

2007-06-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I put the last touches on the large "cartoon epic" piece I did for the Velocity Circus. The piece is 5 feet wide, 40" in depth, full of colorful, fun detail, and well designed so that it is cohesive. My client is very happy with it, as am I.

After a big piece like this, that taxed all my energy and ability, everything else can seem pretty anti-climactic. The job I moved on to was not the most ambitious one I've ever had: a rendering of a house in triplicate! The photo I had to work off of was tiny, with no detail visible, the house plain in design, and to do three of them for the limited budget meant I'd have to find a way to make this work on all levels, artistic and economic.

I traced the photo, projected it 3 times on to watercolor paper, and outlined it with sepia ink, as I felt a softer feel was appropriate for the 3 sisters who grew up in this house, and for whom these versions would be gifts from the realtor who sold the place. Once it was outlined, it was time to paint, and here is where that feeling of anti-climax had to be reckoned with. Usually , when I am to begin my color work on a piece, I feel a sense of excitement. But, this time, I felt the urge to get it all done as quickly as I could, and I did not like this feeling. So, I had a gut-check before I began.

I thought about how I would approach the art, and decided to make "three exqusite miniature watercolors" of this house, framed by trees, lawn, and shadows. I would use those last 3 elements to make the picture, paint with confidence, but with a small brush for maximum control and variation in tone. I began with the sky areas that poked out between the trees.

That's how I began the art. I set the tone for myself by stopping, thinking about how I could address the art with integrity, and used a small brush to make sure I couldn't rush even if I tried. I did gradually move to a bigger, faster brush, but by that time I had established what I needed to do. I think the end-result is very good, and I was able to complete the work in a time frame that made the budget ok.

I have gotten to the point where I know when I'm kidding myself in art, know when I'm taking a short cut that is hurting the end result, and know how to stop doing that no matter what the budget. If I don't work to the best of my ability, then I'm short-changing myself. As a business person, it's not likely that I'm going to make a fortune of money, but as an artist I'll know that I did the best I was capable of.