Jo's Art Business?

The last few years, I have been at a sort of cross roads and needed to decide if I was going to be a true full time artist or do it as a hobby. This is really an "I" am thinking out loud post. If I put it in writing, then I will be more responsible in following through with plans and goals. After considering working at being a full time artist, I will continue on with a half way plan. I do not plan on pursuing the life of a full time artist. I'm not really sure I ever fully considered it because I do not care to be on schedules and deadlines and work full time at this time in our lives. Gene is retired and we have a great time traveling and enjoying life. I can keep my internet presence and hopefully my connection with Peppers Art Gallery in my hometown of Magdalena, New Mexico. I plan on teaching a class/workshop in Bastrop in the winter. I will keep my membership in the Austin Pastel Society and take part in as many of their activities as possible. I fully intend to keep growing in my artistic ability and do the most professional job I can.

I would like to have a public studio/gallery. Lea Cundy, friend and potter in Bastrop, and I keep tossing around ideas of how to accomplish that with our schedules. We both have problems with the summer. I am away from Bastrop and she is a foster mother, so her summer is full of teenagers. We shared a studio a few years ago, but with just the two of us, we could not keep it open full time. I enjoy the atmosphere of having an open studio and so does Lea. It would be great to be in downtown Bastrop so you can have walk-ins as well as our regular customers/supporters. Something will come along, right? Any ideas?

I am attending a Bob Rohm Workshop in October at the Bunkhouse in the Hill Country of Texas. It is a plein air workshop for pastels or oils. The workshop still had openings a week or so ago if you are interested. It should be a big help in general to spur my interest and aptitude for plein air. I will be going with Regina. She and I have a great time painting together.

McKinney Roughs, 16 x 20 inches, Pastel on board

We even painted this painting together, worked on it plein air at McKinney Roughs, for our show in June of 2005. (scroll down on that page) We continue to support each other long distance and look forward to the time we can spend together in the winter months. We live 46 miles apart and it takes a little adjusting to get our schedules together.

In working toward improving my art and work ethics, I am joining a small group of on-line artists to work together to critique, support and become friends that work together to grow as artists. This should be a great morale boost for all of us. Rose Welty is gathering the group together. More later as we get organized.

A marketing note: Clint Watson in San Antonio writes a newsletter called Fine Art Views. He writes part of it himself and also gathers other newsletters that he feels are relevant to artists. He picked up one that is interesting. In the archives, read "So You Want to Be an Artist?" first and then read, "Of Course You Want to Be An Artist!". What do you think? Marketing is certainly important and a difficult thing for some artists to accomplish on their own.