If there’s one thing that stands out as “best decision of 2018, so far”, it would have to be joining the life drawing group I’ve been attending on Mondays. It’s exciting and humbling and one of best the learning experiences I’ve had in a long time.

John 1

If I can remember, I like to take photos of my progress during our breaks. Doing so is a great learning tool for looking back later to see how the drawing progressed, and when it may have veered off beyond the point of no return.

John 2

A not-altogether-unexpected perk is that it’s an excuse to buy new art supplies. I spent a silly amount of time in the pencil aisle at Dick Blick when were were in San Francisco last month, and a couple of weeks ago decided to treat myself to a lightweight travel easel. There is a world of difference between having my board upright and stationery, and propping it against a chair with my knees! John 3

The model holds only one pose per full session, but the sittings are in 20 minute increments with 5 minute breaks in between. John was especially good. He had a remarkable memory for getting back into position and kindly offered an extra five minutes each time the timer went off in case anyone needed to finish what they were working on.

He brought all sorts of woodsman-like props, and even offered to bring his chainsaw in from his car if we wished! Could it get any better?

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Katherine Tyrrell of Making a Mark is developing a page on the Art Business Info for Artists section of her blog that will hopefully become a series of interviews with professional artists about the reality of their working lives. The debut post with Catherine Ingleby covers some worthwhile ground. I was especially interested in the section on how Ingleby allocates her time. Something else may resonate with you.

I am always on the look-out for ways to be more efficient and often wonder how other artists, who don’t have assistants, manage to pull together all the loose threads that make up their practice. Unfortunately, most of the artists’ blogs I follow neglect to cover the nuts and bolts of their approach to the business side of their work. They announce their upcoming shows, but what I’d selfishly like to know more about – beyond artistic process – is how they juggle the behind-the-scenes details that lead up to an exhibition. Admittedly, not a very glamorous topic, but an important one.

Figuring out how to organize my time is one of my greatest challenges. As the fall season gets underway I’m definitely feeling the push to start checking off all the business-y things I let slide over the summer, meaning I have some serious computer hours in front of me. Website updates, adding a gallery page to this blog, rewriting statements and researching social media are just a few of the many items on my to-do list. Add to that the exhibition possibilities that seem to sprout like weeds after Labor Day and I begin to feel overwhelmed. How to get it all done?

Other than those who are directly involved, I doubt many of the art-viewing public are aware of the time-consuming steps that go into getting one’s work seen. Deciding which opportunities to pursue, which pieces to submit where, gathering and providing all necessary supporting materials (to the the exact specifications requested by each show organizer…wouldn’t it be nice if it were a uniform process across the board?), all take up a surprising amount of time and are just one more faction of getting our work out into the world. In fact, I just spent the better part of an hour and a half crafting a 96-word statement, which seems absolutely crazy as I write this, but I know I will get plenty of mileage from it in the future and so I consider the time well spent.

Are you struggling with how to keep all these balls in the air too? This week I found a couple of resources that I’d like to share that I hope will be useful and perhaps help us all make smart and time-saving decisions as we move forward.

First, whenever I have a business question or am looking for ideas and solutions, I always start with Alyson Stanfield. Her checklist in two parts for assessing juried exhibitions is well-worth reading (and rereading from time to time) when deciding whether or not a particular show is the best venue for you and worthy of your time and energy.

Secondly, I just learned yesterday about Katherine Tyrrell’s Art Business Info. for Artists website — and can’t wait to delve into what looks like an absolute treasure trove of information. She is an incredible resource — save the link!

Finally, nothing beats the personal, homegrown solutions that are born out of necessity. What have you discovered that helps you balance the business vs art sides of your practice? Please share your best hint!

Elizabeth Fram

Eye of the Needle

Tag Archives: Katherine Tyrrell

Figuring It Out

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Behind the Scenes