Balancing a Full time Job and trying to get my Full Time Art Career going...

Gosh, there is not a day that passes that I don't resent waking up, showering and hurrying off to a job that I feel is a waste of time... I could be PAINTING or DRAWING or SELLING my art...

However, I am not yet at the stage of my art career that I can afford to do that. Financially and otherwise.

I am basically blogging about the 'otherwise'...

Organization is not my strong point. For most artistic types, we enjoy a chaotic existence. Yes, some of the stereotypes are true! Lord knows, I can't organize my clothing; let alone a palette or my art studio!

I also need a business/marketing plan... Oh boy! Am I ever in for it!

I have so many goals I know I need to accomplish that will help get me closer to saying " Take this job and shove it... I ain't working here no more...".

I am thinking that by putting it out to you, my audience, I will hold myself more accountable. Here they are, and not necessarily in any priority:

• Obtain Business and resale license


• Write my business plan


• Write down my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals.


• Write down marketing ideas and strategies


• Enter more competitions ( though carefully, I don't have money to throw away )


• Get my Art into corporate enviroments


• Make donations of my art to charities / local government


• Go to local farmer's markets


• Explore getting into art galleries


• Write and KEEP a schedule for commissions and portrait work


• Learn to make and meet my deadlines and due dates


• Financial planning


• Paint a few walls in my home for art 'display' for photo purposes for marketing on Ebay


• Obtain a better digital camera


• Contact local galleries about having exhibitions and shows


• Contact local small businesses about possibly having shows at their establishment.


• Contact local horse show administrators to be a vendor or have an exhibition at their function and make a donation for a 'prize'.


• Create and write content for my Artist Blog if not daily, at least weekly


• Get Business Cards


• Make brochures


• Create Flyers


• Organize my studio for maximum productivity


• Keep an inventory of supplies, canvases, paint, brushes, packing materials, etc


• Develope the discipline to work through creative block

Wow... I need a drink! Diet Soda ( only if sweetened with Splenda ) for me!

Well... now lets look at what I have done:

• Built a wesbite ( http://www.branderart.com/ )


• Built portfolios and profiles and several major online artsites


• Network on Myspace.com


• Create this Blog


• I am getting better at painting daily, even when I am 'tired' and don't 'feel' like it


• I am working at better service for my customers


• I am working to improve shipping and handling and turn around time ( which can be difficult working M-F and living in a rural community where the Post Office is closed on weekeds! )


• I am reading more and more about art, selling art and creating art


• I have close to 400 pieces of Art logged onto http://www.ebsqart.com/, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest artist resources. Yeah, I am there, just do a search for 'Horse'.


• I am painting things other than horses... That is a big deal in itself. I am sure that'll be a topic for my blog for the future.

So yeah, whew... what a journey!

Horses in Art

Horses in art has always been somewhat shunned by traditional art critics and enthusiasts.

Well, really, who cares?

I have even been told that to paint horses and mainly horses is death to an artist.

Well, I don't believe it! It has been my experience that people who own, train and admire horses are also people that can easily fall in love with art. Especially if there is a horse in it.

I ahve been drawing horses since I can remember, but I can truly thank Arabian Horses for my growth from just sketching horses for fun to being inspired to truly capture the Equine Form.

The huge thick glossy issues of Arabian Horse World magazine became my teachers in the fine equestrian form. Nothing is as beautiful to me as a slender, sleek glossy Arabian Stallion that embodies spirit and strength.

I do find however that Arabian horses have dominated my imagination when it comes to horses. So much so, that it is often difficult to paint a horse without large eyes, a dished face and slender throat latch. It can be done by seeing the beauty of the horse that doesn't have that 'extreme' quality. Also, some horses are put together differently. The conformation that is considered weak in one breed, is often highly praised in another.

For example in American Quarter Horses a deep, sloping croup with low tail carriage is highly praised and highly sought after. In Arabian horses, people prefer to see a croup that is more level and the tail carriage nice and high, some even go as far as saying the tail should be like a flag. Other breeds have other standards and so on and so forth.

So it could even be said that breeding horses is like creating fine art. Always striving to portray the best possible horse.

In my art, I feel the same.

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