Today, I had
the great pleasure to spend the day in the company of artists, and whilst there
it became very clear to me that artists face the same challenges as me on a
daily basis, let me explain.
Firstly it
seems to me, that it is a very difficult profession within which to make a good
living and like me, they have to go from day to day, not knowing when or where
the next job or commission is coming from.
For some
people, this would be hard to comprehend living like that worrying about how and
when the bills will get paid without a regular job.
For me, and
it seems from what I could observe that the artists are also driven by a deep passion
and love of their craft and therefore not over-influenced by exorbitant incomes
as paid in other professions.
I felt the
camaraderie amongst the artists was unique they all work alongside each other
in a large converted old warehouse, working on their own projects, and produce
some very fine works of art that are sold all over the world.
Like my
profession, I feel that there is not enough recognition shown to craftspeople
like myself, or artists for what we have to give up in the pursuit of learning
our skills and then the years to perfect and evolve them, I am sure that most
people don’t realise just how much we sacrifice for the pursuit of our client's
pleasure.
Clients
expect that by magic that their furniture will become as new and if not why
not? Therefore it places a great deal of
pressure to produce top quality work each and every time not an easy feat.
I came away
from the art galleries content that I was not alone in my ongoing struggle to
make a living from the profession I love.
Thankfully
for me, I believe that I have built up a good reputation for the standard of
work I produce and will continue to do so.
Thank you for
reading and I hope you find this interesting.
Feedback and
comments are welcome to click on the comments tab below.
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| This was painted by my eldest son Daniel |
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteHaving seem many photos of your work here on this site, they all seem to me as good as new. I fully agree with you that not knowing when the next customer will come along is very hard. I think this may have something to do with the quick-consumer, throw-away society we now live in.
When I first started my business in 1980, I started as a painter and decorator, and like you as present, I too had to depend on customers coming to me to ask me to paint window frames and doors, etc. The painting side of the business failed to see through the first winter, and I was under threat of going under, had it not been the start and rise of window cleaning, which began in January 1981.
And just as well, as PVC has replaced wooden frames in just about every house in my area, including our own home.
I think, over the years you have done terrifically well, and you should be proud in doing something you enjoy.
For me, window cleaning is okay, but there are times when I wish I could be doing something else.
By the way, your son Daniel looks to be a professional artist himself, even holding a BA (Bachelor of Arts?)
A beautiful painting. Please pass on my compliments.
Best regards,
Frank.
Thank you Frank! We are both very hard workers, and that is why we still keep going in these difficult times.
ReplyDeleteI will pass on your kind comment to Daniel thank you.
Regards,
Andrew.