Lately I have been spending a lot of time driving my paintings from place to place. Really, my paintings travel way too much. A painting starts out like any other painting, a blank canvas at the art supply store, and then it comes home with me. Then I paint the painting. Next I take the finished painting to the framer. Three days later I go and get it.
My last batch of paintings took a little trip over to Dwellings, my friend’s interior decorating space. A month later I participated in an art show so I went over to Dwellings, loaded up my paintings, and drove them to the art show. Two days later I drove them back to Dwellings (all but the two that sold). A month went by and my friend decided to close Dwellings. I went and loaded my paintings into my car and drove them home. Not wanting to look at them anymore, I loaded them back into my car and drove them over to the storage unit. Two days later Stephen (of the old Dwellings) called and asked if I would hang some of my paintings in the space he’s renting in an antique mall. Certainly. So I went back to the storage unit and loaded up my paintings again, then unloaded them at Stephen’s space at the antique mall.
Meanwhile I drove three paintings over to HCAA to enter in the HCAA show. All three got in so on Tuesday I’ll go and get them and drive them to the Jack Meier Gallery. Thursday is the auction and Friday I’ll go and get whichever of my paintings that didn’t sell and probably drive them over to the storage unit.
If only I could charge for my paintings by the mile! People sometimes ask me how long it takes to paint something. It seems the actual painting part is the quickest, it’s all the hours of driving my paintings around that really adds up to time spent. And you know what, driving around is not near as fun as painting. Am I the only one who feels like I run a chauffeur service for paintings?
Love it!!! Never thought of how much time and energy is expended after finishing the painting! It gets lost in the mundane activities of life. Since I am still learning my craft?, I haven’t even given a thought to the shuffling angle of it. I haven’t a body of work to deliver> YET!!! Honor
GREAT post Joan. Well put and TRUE!! Real life has a way of intervening and sometimes it takes a few more trips/miles than we anticipated. But whatever gets us back in the studio, it must be done!
The good news is that you are driving fewer back than you are driving to these shows… and it does beat having them line your floors!!
Yes not only a chauffeur…but it’s all those attendant time-eaters…all the stuff that goes into a painting that’s not actually painting! ugh.
I agree with Marian, she’s got a great take on it (which I’ll have to try to remember).
What lovely paintings! I found your site via your comment on the blog of my mentor, LInda Blondheim.
As an “emerging” artist, I have not experienced all the chauffeuring you have as yet. But I do find that all the foundational work for marketing my landscapes does take both time and self-discipline. Whatever contributes to sales is necessary–whether fun or not.
Mary Lemmenes
I just happened upon your blog today and although my comment comes nearly a month after the post, I found myself laughing as I read it.
I find myself in the same position as you in terms of my business which is essentially related to the art business and marketing. And yet, I find myself doing all sorts of tasks (often to save money) not at all related to what I really do.
I recently read something very wise in an online article directed at those who are self-employed that I’d like to pass on to you:
“Do what you know. Outsource everything else.” Repeat these words over and over again until they become your mantra.
Whenever I find myself trying to do any number of things (e.g., learning rather technical specifications on the design features and layout of my website) unrelated to my core business which is the marketing of art, I stop and repeat those lines. And I remind myself that if I continue to do tasks unrelated to my talents and abilities, I am short-changing myself and keeping myself from being successful.
I’ve read articles by a number of successful women entrepreneurs, and they all are in agreement that women are particularly guilty of this. We want to be hands-on and involved in everything. But apparently, we are going about it all wrong.
I realize this comes to you as a late post, but I do want to wish you luck in your career. I hope you find time to paint more and drive less because your artwork is really fine and I have genuinely enjoyed viewing it.
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