Art matters: creative process

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Connecting with buyers

The artist painting in the studio is removed from life outside - we bring our external experiences back into the studio and translate these feelings into paint. Then we take our work outside again and exhibit it - either in a gallery or online on our blog, website or on social media platforms.

Then a work is sold and moves to the buyer’s home and the artist’s connection with the work is broken. The artist needs to sell work to survive, but it’s often hard to say goodbye to a special piece. If a work is specially commissioned then there's a close relationship between the artist and the buyer. I have been fortunate to have had inspiring and enjoyable commissions recently. The painting below was so difficult to photograph - the extreme light areas are silver leaf and proved beyond my photographic ability to capture exactly.

Collection Transform Hair

When the painting is sold at an exhibition frequently the artist will not know who the buyer was. Sometimes the gallery wants to keep their client list private and won't disclose the buyer's name. If it’s group show there would be too much admin for the organisers to let each artist know who bought what.

Sometimes you find out years later who bought the painting. Recently I received an email from someone I hadn’t heard from for more than ten years. He had been looking at my website, discovered I had moved to Australia and wanted to let me know that he owned three of my paintings. It was so good that he took the trouble to write to tell me and send images of the paintings. These two paintings are from the time when I did many miniature paintings, quite a change of scale compared to some of my recent work!

Occasionally the artist has a chance to connect directly with the buyer of a painting. Recently I spent a morning painting in a gallery where my work was being exhibited. I had a chance to talk to someone who had bought a painting of mine. There was a wonderful opportunity to talk about the creative process and my inspiration for the painting.

Then this week I received this email:

Every day when I come into the office it's the first thing I see and it's the last thing I see as I'm closing the door to leave. I can't think of a more wonderful way to start or finish my working day - a beautiful image to carry me through the day and one that reminds me that no matter how arduous my day has been there is always something good about it.

An artist can ask for no more than this.

Sunday, 7 November 2010

The Artist and the Viewer

Creative activity on the part of the visual artist is only part of the equation. The response of the viewer to the painting is the other part – even if negative – and the equation becomes complete. A dialogue has begun.

Lone Surfer with Palm Trees - oil on canvas 310mm x 310m

The knowledge that the work is understood, appreciated and valued is a further step in the creative process. Work that remains hidden is the private preserve of the artist.

Often it’s hard to part with paintings that have a history for the artist, the first of a series, a painting that somehow has simply painted itself, the kind that you look at when it’s done and you think – did I paint that?

Durban beach - Low Tide - oil on canvas 310mm x 310mm

Having an exhibition such as the present one at my home – “Out from under the bed and beyond” that is part farewell exhibition, part clearance sale, part garage sale, has been an opportunity to connect closely with collectors.

White Lil,ies - oil on canvas

900mm x 610mm

When one delivers work to a gallery the connection with the painting is broken. The work is often sold without one knowing where it has gone. Sometimes you will be fortunate enough to meet the buyer, and sometimes they become regular collectors.

Seeing the paintings go to good homes as is the case with the three shown above, is immensely rewarding. You know that the work has been chosen because it has made a connection with the viewer, and you know it will give pleasure in the years ahead.