You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About, I Know What I’m Talking About

"Everything you are doing is wrong!", "Have you ever tried doing something that works?", "Do you like being a failure?" Oh yes, I hear these comments from many different voices along my journey. Especially on Twitter, I see these so called "guru" types giving many of my artist friends and me a hard time. Saying we have no idea what we are doing. Then they always have a little song and dance about how they know everything (talthough they sell no art) and if you buy their book or pay them a fee they can show you the way. I know I said it before and I’ll say it again, I call Bullshit and it smells terrible.

I’m not here to tell you I can help your art career and I sure in hell ain’t gonna tell you its easy. Its down right hard. And doing it the same way as that artist you know, who is making money and living the good life, might not work for you, even if you do all the same things. There is no road map where you can plan your every move. Then lets say you do find a way to make it work and you are starting to sell some pieces, it doesn’t mean its going to work the same way next year. Hummingbirds and flowers are big one year then cats the next, no telling what people are going to like from year to year or even month to month. Tastes change, colors change and if you’re not out there listening to real folks you will  never know and someone sitting at their house trying to sell you a book isn’t out there listening.

Lucky for you, I hate these people and would love to undermine them any chance I get. Part of the reason I answer so many questions - and if I have to answer them over and over I blog about them. But I will be the first to admit that I have no idea what it would take to help YOU since I don’t know what you have tried and I don’t know what success means to you. I try to share my stories and my experiences and maybe you can pick and choose parts to incorporate into your lives and careers. I try to be as honest as I can be and work step by step to bring to you the reasons why something worked or didn’t work and all for free, pretty good deal huh? All I ask is that if something helped you please share with other artists and maybe we all can help each other.

I have found that people willing to tell you what you need to do don’t have much idea what it is you need to do or any clue what to do for themselves since if they really knew they wouldn’t have any time to hand pick artists to bug online and in real life. I was once approached at a show, one of the biggest, hardest to get into shows in the country, and some nobody had the nerve to think I didn’t know what I was doing. Folks, there are some real dumb asses out here, just smile and nod your head cuz you cant make them understand.

Please share your experiences too, I would love to hear what you have heard. Also, if you would like to call anyone out I would love to help expose them too.

Move Backward To Move Forward

With the end of our 3 Colorado Show Run so ends our Art By Nemo Tour. Its been great getting out there and meeting all you wonderful folks. All the contacts and opportunities have been great and really proved why hitting the road was the right thing to do.


But as we were heading backing to Texas my mind started filling with doubt about our next steps, our next moves and where and how the art should be handled. My first thoughts were to change everything, do something completely different. Then I started to think about why I was thinking this way. As of right now I do pencil drawings on Claybord and marker drawings on canvas. I was thinking I kinda would like to pick up a brush after years of not using one. So I came up with a few ideas I could do, some using paint applied with a brush others using pens and inks. But also I felt that the original pencil on paper were so far away that I needed to bring them back.

My bread and butter so to say, was the fact that everything I did was so simple, pencil, paper, circle, what could be simpler? The pencil on paper works still hold a highly detailed skill that the other stuff just cant match. I feel I need that to build my name. However the pencil pieces I develop will be used as templates to make other more experimental pieces. So I figure everything out on the pencil piece then execute it in other media.

So its back to the drawing board for me to creative a new body of work and many new ideas and subjects I haven’t even thought about. Just off the top of my head I see doing the other 14 or so state landscapes that I have been putting off all year (20 States In 20 Months), then that will inspire a round of detail pieces relating to each. Of course there’s much planning for a second tour involving readings and signings of our new book. Then there’s the making of more “trendy” topics to make an Art Tag Line that will pack more of a punch. We are also in the works of 2, maybe 3 more books. And last but not least Paper Dolls, yup paper dolls, I have no idea how or why but this will happen.

So don’t worry folks this is only the beginning of something new, hold on…

Open Arts Fest In Boulder, Colorado

Boulder, Boulder, Boulder, what more can I say that I haven’t already said here and here? Well I’ll try to write a little something anyway. To start things off the party was great, setup was still way too early, being before the sun was up (which is the only thing that we don’t like about this show) parking is great, load in/out is good and since it’s downtown it has built in people.

Big difference with this show was that they used one of my pieces as the commemorative poster, so we had a little more visibility. Exposure is the name of the game right?

Another good thing was that we got offers into 2 galleries and that’s never a bad thing right?





Someone buying my print at the booth in front of me

 Most of the artists I talked to seemed to have a pretty good show, very few said it was a terrible show. However, I didn’t talk to too many artists since we were busy all weekend, but everyone I knew who stopped by to chat said it was good.




A good friend of ours sent Hannah some birthday wishes Sunday

 Well that’s all I have to say about this one. We love Boulder, we love Open Arts Fest and we love all the people. See you again next year!



View from the parking lot we stayed at after the show



Art On The Rockies In Edwards, Colorado

The night before the night before the show, we stayed at one of the only RV parks up here in the mountains and low and behold 2 other artists were staying there too. Who knows if there were more on the other end but we had a great little chat and borrowed a few DVDs. Its good when you can share stories of being on the road and doing shows and especially when those artists are about the same age as us, the young guns are taking over.

The long 24 hour charge on our batteries was great - we really need to get a solar panel or something. I don’t want a generator since they are loud and stink and our engine is already near zero admissions, so its cleaner to run it to make coffee, heat water and charge phones. Yes I know “must be some coffee if you have to run the engine to make it!"

After giving us a 9am set-up we were told not to set-up till 1pm so we had time to sit around and do nothing. So we went to bug the other artists setting up and were told if we were fast we could sneak in and dump our stuff and get out - and fast we were. Most artists like to drive in, park the whole time they are building their tents and hanging their art, then leave. When we ran into the promoter at the time we were supposed to be setting up we told her we were all done, she lovingly called us “truckers” (only she didn’t say truckers ... but we know she was only joking!)
 

Party at Crazy Mountain was great, non-stop pizza and ever flowing beer was a big hit. We made a few new friends and caught up with old friends. As we walked home (to the parking lot at the high school) the glow of the show was amazing.

Day One: Rain and lots of rain, and it wasn’t the type of rain from last year that only stayed for 10 minutes or so, cooled everything down and left. Nope it pretty much rained all day. I love the comments about how “we need the rain”. When you tell an artist that you’re basically telling them “we need you to starve to death and not be able to pay your bills”. So then when you don’t buy anything from us its just a nice kick in the head while we're already on the floor. However we did sell a few books and it was nice to see the smiles on the kids' faces while they read it. We only had about 109 people walk into the booth on this cold and rainy day. Oh, and can I say “boooooo” to $4 canned sodas? I guess I should be glad, since I need to stay away from it.

 

Day Two: Never have I seen a more beautiful start to a day. The sun was out, it was cool and the mountains looked amazing. However the show started out slow and we discovered our donated art work meant nothing. See, last year we donated a piece of art to get the privilege of a key card to go into the main building to use the rest rooms and to get snacks in the artist break room. Well this year the door was propped open for the world and their mothers to go in. The public was dirtying up the restroom (although I guess some artists were dirty too) then they were sneaking our snacks. What a waste of a good donation. Then about an hour before we had to pack up and get outta there, high winds and lots-o-rain.

Ok, the low down: 209 people came into the booth - remember back in King William we had 100 people an hour? The show was powerfully slow. Then on top of that the few people that were there were spread so thin with 120 artists, non-profits left and right asking for donations and $4 sodas (yes I’m bringing that up again). Although you can’t blame a show for rain, but the rain didn’t help anything. I heard there were a few zero shows for some artists, most made a few bucks and said they might do it again. We fell into this area. I did hear some pretty big numbers pulled, but one lady who came all the way from Hawaii for this one show said it was a stinker. All I can say is the show had its ups and down in every way possible. Would I do it again? Only if the booth fee was dropped back down to what is was last year.

I do believe this show can grow into a big one in a few years so you never know. We just have to ask ourselves is it worth it just to escape the heat and play in the mountains? It might be. This show was packed with great artists, many of whom are good friends. We also got to make a lot of great new friends. That’s the best part of having a slow show, you really get to know the people around you. So all in all that made the show one of the best this season.

My Vail Vacation

So, we went to Vail to hang out with a good friend of ours and one of the only mentors I have. Sunday night we toasted to the end of a show with a glass of wine, then went for a little night walk to see a nearby restaurant and bar, but opted to turn in since we were tired after a long show.  

Monday morning we had a plan to go see Vail Village and Lionshead, just to see the galleries and what not. First up I stopped into Cogswell Gallery by myself and looked around and ended up chatting with an employee about the size of beavers, yup that’s just how I roll. However the art itself was amazing, I love seeing new art and meeting new people on our travels, I’m so glad our friend Mike made us go out. Then we all walked to Artful Sol, which was more of an abstract gallery and good ole Mike felt my work would work well there, it was a very nice gallery. Then we went over to Carrie Fell Gallery, which was a really nice gallery, great little girls up front, great art and amazing boots that I must have, one day. We went into a few more but nothing to really speak about. But if you want to visit galleries, going with someone who’s been in the area for 10 years chatting with anyone who will stand still is the way to do it. Sure nothing will come of this but I handed out business cards to everyone I met.



Car made outta Legos



Then we came back home and worked for a few hours, then stayed up late drinking wine and talking shop. It's very cool to get the perspective from someone who has been doing it 20 years and who is mentored by people doing it 30+ years. We talked about marketing, sales, branding and tried to make sense of it all. Some times it is what it is and that’s it.





Sienna The Wonder Dog



Tuesday we worked like 2 crazies outta space and got everything we needed to get done before getting down to see a concert with a Queen Tribute Band called Queen Nation. We had a lot of fun and even saw another artist from the Frisco show who will also be showing at the Edwards show.

We went for a great little walk afterwards and talked more shop. Oh, and we also received some for our books in the mail, what a great feeling it is to finally be a published artist.



Coffee Machine that kept me happy all week



Then Wednesday came and so did the responsibilities, we left our vacation spot to dump and to find power and water since we had been running off the grid for almost a whole week. So its back to work and getting ready for the next show.



The best Wal-Mart ever



Downtown Frisco Art Fair In Colorado

We made it into Frisco around 5pm Friday and the rain was pouring down. We had a friend doing a show down the street a few miles in Breckenridge and he said it had been raining all day and even hailed, but that people were still shopping. So we settled into our home for the next few nights and had dinner and tried to watch some TV. I also did a little bit of work.

Woke up first day at 4am to set up. We tried to stay in bed a bit longer but all the action outside was too much for us. So we made our coffee and unloaded our supplies. Our booth was only about a 100 feet away so it was very cool since we could run back to the van at any time.

For those of you who know that we have been spending most of our time in Texas this year, you’ll know how good it felt to have to wear a jacket. The show started at 10 but we had people coming in from about 8 or 9. It started off slow with a few reproductions selling here and there.

Then came the rain. Then came the hail. There went all the costumers and clients. Remembering from a show we did last year up here in the mountains I knew it would all blow over and that everything would be fine. Then after about an hour everything started to dry up and the people came back. 3 cute girls came in saying that they were discussing my ability to draw a prefect freehand circle, one if them was fighting for me. However they all ended up owning pieces of their very own.

Second day was more of a relaxed wake up but we woke up to some dogs barking from the trailer parked next to us. We did wait till the sun came up before we got up. We headed out to meet the world and about half the artists were about ready to go. Once again it started off slow but all in all we sold a few originals and lots of reproductions. We had some pretty good interest (I know, I know, you cant pay bills with interest) but maybe I’ll get a commission or two.

Near the end of the show the clouds were coming in fast and dark and everybody was running around trying to get packed up before it came, we held out till the end of the show, it didn’t rain. Then we went off to meet up with a dear and close friend who was doing a show in Steamboat Springs, which we are hanging out with all week.

Most exciting thing to happen at the show was one artist's dog bit another artist in the back. That’s why no matter how good someone says their dog is I don’t believe them. He seemed alright, hope the dog had his shots. If I do ever find out anything I will let you folks know. The show itself was just ok, not bad, not good. We had 622 people come into our booth, the staff was great as always, parking for RV’s and trailers was perfect, they even had some snacks. I think we would do the show again, but more for the area and the chance to live in Frisco a weekend. Set-up and tear-down was a breeze but it almost always is for us. Most artists I talked to did about the same as us, just alright, however two artists around me said they had zero shows. So who knows? There’s no rhyme or reason in the art world, it's all taste and luck. It’s my form of gambling.

Comfort To Colorado

Like a kid who couldn’t sleep before the first day of school, I had a hard time sleeping and ended up waking up way too early. We toasted the last cup of coffee to our little piece of heaven out here on the ranch and the dear I saw that morning was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It’s quick jaunt off reminded me that we too will be jaunting off, even if it is only for 3 weeks. I am still glad to get to leave the Texas sweat a while and have some shows.
We stopped in at Grandma's house to load up the pantry and refrigerator. Thanks Grandma, one of our biggest sponsors. We spent an hour or so running errands, mail, art store and picked up some waters. Then we were off grabbing some highway.

As many of you guys know, we are very relaxed when traveling, we try to stick to 5 hour increments and take many stops along to way. Day one we went to a free campground in Lamesa, Texas. The little park next door had a lot of kids running around and down the street a block some ladies were playing softball. A few frisbee golf folks were around and I got in a few hours of work after dinner. We were all alone till about 11 when a truck showed up to camp, but he was gone before we work up. There were signs everywhere saying not to drink the water but the power was welcomed and we ran the AC all night long. I had a hard time sleeping since we were close to neighborhoods and I kept envisioning kids tagging our van, but everything was fine. We woke up to 4^th of July parade action, but hit the road as soon as we could since we had to gas up and ship some art we sold on Facebook.

Then to New Mexico to Santa Rosa Lake State Park, where our Garmin wanted to play tricks on us and took us down a crazy dirt road where we had to ticky tac our big old van around. Our Garmin has really been messing with us on this trip. Oh well, we made it and pulled into a great spot for only 14 bucks. Its not free but hey, you cant complain when you get to run the AC right? We figured if we had gone to Wal-Mart we would have gone in and spent money on crap we didn’t need, plus we would have been cooking in the parking lot. So being that we never walk outta a store spending less than 14 bucks it was a great choice. I put in a few hours of work and finished a piece. Since it was the 4^th of July we decided to drink the bottle of wine we were saving and had a little candle lit meal and enjoyed the view. Saw a snake climb up a tree, grab a bird and eat it. Then the clouds rolled in and threatened to rain but it only let out a few drops. The wind gently rocked our van and it cooled down nicely. We both had a great sleep and woke up to a brilliant sun rise.
 

Got in a bit of glossing on a few of the art pieces I did right as we were getting ready to go, also cuz the humidity was super great, its gotta be under 60% for the gloss to come out clear and clean. Then we filled our water tank and down the road we went. We hit a little rain and the temperature went up and down by like 25 degrees but it wasn’t too bad.

Then on to Canon City, Colorado to our first Wal-Mart stay of the trip and yup we spent about 50 bucks on cookies, candies and pajama jeans. So I wasn’t far off saying we spend more parking at a Wal-Mart then paying for a campsite, but we really needed stuff like milk and bread. Well, we parked out by a corner and had some nice sandwiches and didn’t have any wine since we are up in altitude now and we need a few days to get use to it before chugging wine and beer. Also with the dryer air comes a bigger need to drink water so we have been on that since we hit the road. We enjoyed the company of some felid mice scattering about, that snake from yesterday would have loved them. It was actually a very quiet night, the hum of the cars passing by put us right to sleep, it helps when you body is an hour later too. I was awakened around 3am when the cars stopped making noise, funny how that works.

What I love about Colorado is that there are always other RV’s and trailers, safety in numbers is what we think, if they kick us out they have to kick everybody out right? Well into the mountains we went and since we only had a 3 hour drive we took our time. First working till it got hot, then eating lunch by a little stream where some guys were fishing, then again on the highway where it was cold and raining.

Finally to Frisco, Colorado, when we pulled up it was about 45 degrees and nippy. As the night when on it only got colder, feels so good to be outta the heat.