The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book. A Strategic Painter Mastermind Your Craft All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2014 Roopa Dudley v3.0 Cover and Interior Illustrations © 2014 Roopa Dudley. All rights reserved - used with permission. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com ISBN: 978-1-4787-2272-4 Outskirts Press and the “OP” logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Acknowledgments To people who matter the most To my father, who passed on his artistic genes and gave me his unconditional love throughout my life. To my mother, who gave me life, persistence, and the will to power. To my friend and confidant Mark Glicksman, who has helped me in ways I cannot even begin to tell. To my art collectors who have made it possible for me to write this book. To my siblings, Masood and Reena, who have always been there for me and continue to be amused by my innovative personality. To my friends who supported and encouraged me to continue making art. To my editor, art collector, and friend Paige Dunkerly, who helped me fine-tune this book. To my art mentors: Alan Bamberger, whose articles on art and book The Art of iii
Buying Art gave me insight and knowledge about the business of being a professional artist Alyson B. Stanfield, whose book I’d Rather Be in Studio changed my life My humanities professor, Dr. Marian Demos, who taught me Greek classics and opened an amazing world of wonder to me My art history professor, Dr. Barbara Watts, who taught me art appreciation My humanities professor, Dr. Richard P. Sugg, who taught me English My advanced painting teacher at FIU who singlehandedly taught me the meaning of “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” and gave me “The eye of the tiger”
To my daughters, Sophia and Layla, who gave me the joy of motherhood, unconditional love, and satisfaction in life. To my stepsons, Trevor and Joshua, who have been huge promoters of my art and a constant source of encouragement to me as an artist. And lastly to my awesome husband, my soul mate Marc, who has the nerves of steel to tame a shrew like me and put up with my Asperger’s Syndrome. I have no idea where I would have been without his love.
Contents Introduction...................................................................................... i Great Painting Is NOT an Accident…............................................... 1 The Secret Recipe for Masterpiece................................................... 5 Five Components (C’s), Definition, and Elaboration......................... 9 The Magic & Romance Factor........................................................ 17 Discover Your Personality Type...................................................... 21 Find Your Niche............................................................................. 27 Create Your Brand.......................................................................... 31 Collect Your Thoughts Together...................................................... 35 Form a Cohesive Body of Work...................................................... 39 Throw an Open Studio Party.......................................................... 45 Cultivate Art Collectors.................................................................. 49 Submit Work to Juried Shows........................................................ 53 Issue Quarterly Newsletters........................................................... 57 Art Galleries Versus Artist Studio (Sales)......................................... 63 Join an Art Organization................................................................ 67 Blog About Your Art....................................................................... 71 Publish a Coffee Table Art Book..................................................... 75 Books Recommended for Painters.................................................. 79 Movies Related to Paintings........................................................... 81 Collector’s Rationale for Buying Art............................................... 83 Final Analysis................................................................................ 87 Guest List for Newsletter................................................................ 89
Introduction Reasons why I wrote this book I love going to bookstores, and I am always looking for new books in the art section. Bookstores are where I hang out. When I was contemplating to become a painter years ago, much to my dismay I could not find any book that could prepare me for what to face or where to begin. I could not find all I was searching for in one book. I did, however, find many books that indirectly danced around the subject of being an artist. I decided, therefore, to write this book for people who are serious about pursuing their career as a strategic painter and are in a similar predicament that I was in fifteen years ago. It took me about three years to establish myself as painter, finally, and learn the proper “tricks of the trade..” I had to do a lot of research and search for the answers to my questions in different places, all through trial and error. The books and magazines that I found most relevant and useful that helped me grow as an artist are mentioned in chapter 21; however, this book has a different approach than the books mentioned in chapter 21, as it is written by me, a visual artist, not an art consultant. I believe that this book can be a great source of information for students who are thinking of taking up painting or starting their career as visual artists. It is a step-by-step approach to how to reach the ultimate goal of being a successful professional painter in the shortest amount of time. i
It is my desire and a sincere hope that my readers will learn from this book all the things that are usually overlooked or not taught in school but learned only through experience, and I hope readers will, as a result, flourish as a strategic painter. Best of luck, and thank you for taking the time to read! Yours truly, Roopa Dudley—American artist P.S: I would love to hear from you. I thrive on feedback.
[email protected].
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Deflowered Cherry Vase 24 x 18 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Great Painting Is NOT an Accident… It is the result of practice, patience, and perseverance. Have you ever wondered if there is a way to “mastermind painting”? How is it that successful artists continue to keep producing one masterpiece after another without any creative block or a glitch? What makes them creative geniuses? How can you overcome your hangups, hop right into the path of success, and become a creative genius without any further delays? Before I answer these questions, I would very much like you to first take a step back, close your eyes, and visualize and contemplate this question: If there are laws and principles in science as to how things work, then why not in arts, especially painting? I researched book after book, article after article, and personally studied art (especially paintings) that caught my attention. It did not come as a great surprise to me that there is indeed a certain “formula” that also plays a huge role in differentiating good from great art. However, before I discuss that formula any further, I would like to go back and try to answer the questions I presented to you in my first paragraph. Yes, there is a way to mastermind painting. Successful artists continue to produce a series of masterpieces because they know the “SECRET FORMULA” and they use it 1
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religiously and effortlessly, which separates them from run-ofthe-mill artists. Once you learn that “SECRET FORMULA,” you too can overcome any creative blockage you may be experiencing and eradicate glitches in future.
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Meeting @ Red Bishop Café 18 x 24 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
The Secret Recipe for Masterpiece The method to the madness Good painting has the following “Five C’s” (components) described in detail in the next chapter. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
A pound of craftsmanship A handful of composition A spoonful of creativity A dash of color A cup of context (theme: still life, en plein air, abstract, figure, or portrait)
Great painting has something extra to make it extraordinary. 1. All the five C’s mentioned above and 2. Magic dust to captivate and charm 3. Garnished with a confidential story or a message of some personal kind
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Frida & I 12 x 11 gouache on paper 2005 by Roopa Dudley
Flora (detail) acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Five Components (C’s), Definition, and Elaboration 1. CRAFTSMANSHIP: Skill in an occupation or trade The only way artists can attain excellence in craftsmanship is through hours of practice and mastering their trade or craft through hand-andeye coordination. The skill literally becomes an art in its own right. “What about artists who are world famous, but people can clearly see that any third grader can paint better than them?” I do not have an answer to that for you. Sometimes it is in the eye of the beholder, and at other times, it is luck that some artists can get away without ever learning to draw at all. This is part of the reason why people cannot define exactly what art is, nowadays, let alone what the good, the bad and the great painting should look like. What I can answer is that due to digital technology, people are reverting to appreciating handmade, skillful art. Any painting or drawing done with poor craftsmanship does not hold a chance, as the competition has become really tough. People are getting more and more educated, and it is simply a waste of time to fool them into buying something that is crafted poorly—even worse and embarrassing if it falls apart soon after it is purchased. Nobody wants to end up with art that is poorly crafted that people can see right through. It is therefore imperative to have an excellent command of your craft, for it will show in your work. 9
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2. COMPOSITION:
a. The nature of something’s ingredients or constituents; the way in which a whole or mixture is made up. b. The action of putting things together; formation or construction This is where it starts to get serious. A good composition is essential to create a great painting. Without it, everything will fall apart rather quickly. Exactly what is this mysterious blob of a word anyway? Composition is a collective term that includes the following key elements: rhythm, balance, and harmony. It is the way an artist creates visual music through his or her work. It is the yin-to-yang, push-topull thing that gives us a sense of security.
3. CREATIVITY: The use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artist’s work Notice the definition puts an emphasis on imagination or original ideas. How can we create something original when all the ideas under the sun have been exploited? This is where the true talent of an artist starts to emerge and shine. Those who have perfected their craft, are not afraid to exercise their imagination, and have developed an artistic eye to grasp a good composition have a much easier time finding art collectors than those who are still struggling with it. We all have heard it a gazillion times that “There are NO limits to imagination.”
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What does “There are no limits to imagination” mean, anyway? Professional painters will work long and hard hours perfecting their craft and finding new ways to express the ordinary in an extraordinary way. Professional painters know the importance of design, rhythm, and balance that it takes to make their paintings look professional. A professional painter understands that craftsmanship and creativity goes hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly. Why not just go with the flow and throw caution to the wind? The five main reasons I recommend painters to learn the rules first are as follows: 1. You will have the confidence to know that you can draw/paint like any master, if that was your goal. You have been there and done that. 2. You will develop your unique style that would set you apart from the run-of-the-mill artists. 3. Your ideas will flow easily, and you will not have to spend your time stressing out, contemplating how to portray your subject in a manner that it actually is, rather than the way you have imagined it in your head. Practice will make this process almost intuitive. 4. You will get to know your media and develop preferences that have an impact on your future paintings. 5. You gain credibility as an artist, earn respect from your collectors, give your style history, and give art historians something to talk about. What do you say, then? To break out of the mold of norm, first learn the rules and then break or bend them strategically whenever and wherever you want to. By learning the rules, you have autonomy and command. You will stand out gloriously.
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4. COLOR: The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light If composition creates the visual music, then color sets the mood to create the appropriate dance, from monochromatic to vibrant, from warm to cool, from dynamic to pastel, and from earthy to luxurious. You name it. Color creates the romance. An in-depth study of color is essential to polish the “tricks of the trade.” Over time, my color palate has moved from warm to dynamic. I believe that shift is directly due to my confidence in mastering my Five C’s. Colors simply make me happy, and I have an uncontrollable lust for them. As a matter of fact, there is a remarkable book on this very topic called Line Color Form—The Language of Art and Design by Jesse Day that I highly recommend to all serious artists. In the most straightforward way, the author has given visual examples as to how color had an impact on our mood. Furthermore, there is an insightful article written by Alan Bamberger called “What Makes Good Art? Answers from Art World Pros.” http:// www.artbusiness.com/how-to-recognize-the-best-art.html. It is an eyeopening revelation as to what professionals think good art should have, to stand out from the work of millions of other artists. In the end of the article, the author compresses everything into one brief passage: Alan Bamberger, itinerant artster, San Francisco: At its most fundamental level, good art is an effective combination of concept, vision, and mastery of medium (the ability to get the point across). Good art is also uncompromisingly honest, unselfconscious, bold, ambitious, enlightening, original, challenging, and a feast for the senses. It doesn’t necessarily have to have all of
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these qualities, but at the very least, it has to keep you coming back for more... and never ever bore.
5. CONTEXT: a. The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. b. The parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning I have heard from many artists who believe that their art should speak for itself. Barnett-Newman, who created Onement VI, which was sold for $43.8 million on May 15, 2013, subscribed to that school of thought. This statement cannot be further from the truth, though. Most art consultants and curators encourage artists to talk about their work and their rationale for producing what they create. Why do art professionals want more than a “art speaks for itself” statement? Most educated people like to know when, where, why, what, and how before they are ready to make a commitment to buy a piece of art and make an investment. Some of the other reasons are as follows: Art is a personal experience created in a visual form by an artist, usually in solitude. It is hard for most people to experience the same emotions and experiences that the artist felt in his/her studio in a specific point in time. For example, let us take Artemisia Gentileschi’s painting Susanna & the Elders. She painted this painting in her late teenage years when she was experiencing sexual harassment that later led to her rape by her art teacher. The inner conflict, aversion, anguish, and disgust she experienced, she ingeniously channeled through her painting in the guise of a biblical story. 13
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People appreciate and value art more if the story is clearly laid out for them to understand. This is how they find their connection, especially if they have experienced similar emotions in their lifetime. Going back to Artemisia’s Susanna & the Elders, the painting that was derived from a biblical story has a much deeper impact, because it was created by the artist for very personal reasons. She was harassed and raped by her instructor repeatedly. She commemorated that harrowing experience in a form of a visual time capsule—a painting. The impact of her work has been tremendous, not only on a visual but also on an emotional level. Women who have been rape victims or have found themselves sexually harassed can not only identify with the artist and her painting, but also can sympathize with her on a much deeper level. Having context to a painting or artwork helps people relate to art on a more personal and intimate level, even if they have not experienced similar circumstances themselves. For example, Picasso’s Guernica depicts the horrors of war. People don’t have to experience violence, loss of life, and rape firsthand to understand how it makes one feel violated and vulnerable. The visual connection goes much deeper than aesthetics alone. For example, William Turner’s painting, The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken Up, comes to mind in the 2012 James Bond movie, Skyfall, when Bond was connecting with it on a personal level. It was symbolic of Bond’s age and his standing with MI6. It was one of the most significant and powerful scenes in the movie, because of the context. It was because of such complex layering that the movie became the biggest blockbuster of all times in the U.K. In short, context matters if you are creating a painting of significance. A strategic painter always strives to create paintings of significance.
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Three Knights @ King’s Castle 14x11 Acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudle
The Magic & Romance Factor The “wow” effect Magic: The art of creating something incredible as a possibility through credible means and poetry Creating three-dimensional effect on a two-dimensional surface is magic in itself. Topping it with taking people on a journey to places they have never been before without leaving the place physically is the closest thing I can describe as magic. We have all heard about artists creating magic in their craft, and we have seen some paintings that look absolutely magical. What exactly is magic? Magic is the ability of an artist that allows other people to see and feel the way the art is intended to be seen and felt. Through his or her paintings, a creative genius can not only transform the environment, but also can reshape the way we think. A painting can make us travel through space and time to places that exist only in the mind of an artist. It is the closest thing to being godlike, in a way. The surreal paintings of Salvador Dali, expressionist paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, and graphic drawings of M.C. Escher are prime 17
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examples of artwork full of magic and wonder. These artists took us on a journey with them in their rich imaginative worlds through sheer magic. To deny that fact is akin to being heartless and blind. Now you know what it takes to create great paintings, or masterpieces. The rest of my book will be addressing how to start your own journey as an artist, or more specifically, a painter.
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Panikos & the King 16 x 20 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Smiling Medusa (detail) Acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Discover Your Personality Type Do you have what it takes? In the last chapter, I named three of my favorite major artists who are considered creative geniuses by the art world. Their styles are completely different from each other, yet so profound that they are a huge part of art history, and their art leaves an indelible impression in our minds. That is precisely the reason they are known as the masters. What exactly makes them so special? Is there something more than what meets the eye? Many artists can draw and paint much better than they paint, yet the others are not considered masters. Why? Aside from the fact that these major artists devoted their lives in pursuit of mastering their craft, there is indeed something else that, much to my surprise, is not openly discussed. It is their ability to see and feel things differently—very differently—and with much more focus for extended periods of time than most artists who have a full-time job to make their ends meet while pursuing painting as a hobby. What is that supposed to mean? Can other people not have an equal shot at reaching their highest potentials? They do have a shot, but not an equal one. It will just take much more effort and time. There is definitely hope for those who are defiant and 21
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ready to rise up to the challenges and see things differently. The pattern that I have observed proves that certain personality types have a natural aptitude, or an edge, to endure and overcome the obstacles much more gracefully than the rest of us. Just as there is a formula to create masterpieces, there are also certain personality types that have a much easier time honing their Godgiven talent and creative abilities. In Myers-Briggs Sixteen Personality Types, these personalities are introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging/perceiving types. In Enneagram, these personality types would be either a five with a four wing or four with a five wing. Usually, most extraordinary painters seem to have an INTJ personality type (mastermind) with Enneagram five with four-wing (observer and iconoclast). By this point you are probably about to pull your hair out. I am only trying to show you my observations through my intensive research and analysis, so that you can gain better understanding and insight as to why some painters have practically limitless imagination and never seem to suffer from an artistic block. No need to panic or feel frustrated if you don’t have this exact personality type. Pablo Picasso was an ESTP and Enneagram eight with a seven wing. There are always exceptions to the rule. Nobody can stop you if you are determined to succeed. Any strong-willed and strong-minded individual can attain fame and success if that is his or her main ambition in life. I am an empirical researcher type trying to find a common thread and a connection based on my observations. Here is what I have discovered through my research: Leonardo Da Vinci (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Frida Kahlo (INTJ—Enneagram 4/5 or 5/4?) Georgia O’Keefe (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Edvard Munch (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4)
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Alberto Giacometti (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) M.C. Escher (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Salvador Dali (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Vincent Van Gogh (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Andy Warhol (INTJ—Enneagram 5/6) Diane Arbus (photographer INTJ—Enneagram 4/5) Albrecht Durer (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Edward Hopper (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Tamara De Lempicka (INTJ—Enneagram 5/4) Do you see what I see? A distinct pattern emerges. Yes, these are but only a handful of artists famous for their unique and distinct artistic style and significant contribution in the field of visual arts. Art history is full of people with other personality types who have contributed heavily to the field of arts as well. I just wanted to present to you the pattern that I observed in finding a common thread present in many of them. It just makes it probable that there may be a good reason why this particular personality type tends to dominate the visual arts. What exactly is my point? How is this information relevant to you and your art career? A successful artist needs not only the genetic makeup from the parents but also a drive to pursue what he or she is born to do without any external pressures. Creating paintings is a part of these people’s everyday life, like brushing teeth and bathing is part of ours. I also would like to challenge you to take the test and discover exactly what personality type you have. It would open your eyes to many possibilities, if nothing else. If you are lucky enough to be an INTJ and five with four-wing, then take this observation as a sign that you are born to leave an impact in the art world. You just need to fine tune and discover your niche. Once you manage to discover it, the rest would be history. 23
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If you don’t think you have the ability to draw well, there is still hope. It can be learned in a matter of a few months by practicing. If all you plan to do is polish your craftsmanship, however, you will not be able to enjoy the same type of success that the artists I mentioned above have enjoyed during their lifetimes or after their death. In great art, imagination is king. There is a huge demand for decorative arts, and there is nothing wrong with it. The art of Thomas Kinkade and Norman Rockwell are prime examples of artists who enjoyed a huge commercial success, and yes, despite of pointless debate, they are fine artists. Their contribution to American art is mind blowing. Their paintings still qualify as good art cherished not only by their art collectors but also by American society. Art connoisseurs or art snobs (a more fitting title), however, want more than a pleasing painting done with skilful technique and dynamic composition. They want art to be unique, profound, and most of all meaningful, without looking like a commercialized product. I believe what they want and are looking for is art with concept.
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The World Is Your Oyster (Knight) 14 x 11 acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Find Your Niche Brainstorming for creating what is scarce I have spent countless years perfecting my craftsmanship. I took the most boring classes on color theory and dealt with difficult and meanspirited art instructors. I can paint just as well, if not better than any master that I have studied in my art history classes! Is that not enough? The short answer is no. The world is full of thousands of highly skilled artists who have specialized and created a name for themselves in still life, en plein air, figurative, or portrait paintings. Take a look at American Art Collector Magazine, and you will understand what I am trying to convey. Three yeas ago, as I was hanging up paintings on the walls of my house, I decided to create paintings specifically designed for the areas in question. For example, in my formal sitting room, I wanted some paintings that allude to my concept of exciting and well-examined life. For our bedroom, we chose paintings that were peaceful and the least mentally stimulating. For our game room, we chose paintings that fit the theme of how we wanted our game room to look—sophisticated but full of fun. This is how I found my niche. With an abundance of paintings out there, I discovered that I wanted a certain look for my environment, so I started using my favorite subject matter in a number of different settings and colors to match my décor. 27
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One thing led to another, and soon I found myself among people who loved my ideas and wanted to buy my paintings. Why? I believe it was because my ideas were fresh, I painted my paintings with good craftsmanship, and they were priced to sell. My paintings were more than mere decoration. They were conversation pieces. I created my own niche by discovering the scarcity of art that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also had an intellectual appeal to it. I, like most people, love a good mystery. I created mysteries by implementing all that I had learned in my art classes and all that I hold true to create great paintings and made my own masterpieces. The key is to decide what you want to do with what you have learned. Professionals such as doctors, engineers, and lawyers take their time to specialize in the fields that interest them the most. In the same way, artists can benefit greatly if they carefully choose the genre that best suits their art or painting. I hope that you as an artist can get a better perspective by understanding how you can best use your talents by having a more focused approach. Think of where you would want your paintings to be displayed most often. If you like to create calm and serene paintings, think of how they would look in bedrooms. If you like to create paintings with food in them, think of how they would look in kitchens and dining rooms. If you like to create paintings with people in them, think of how they will look in formal living rooms and offices. The more focused approach you have, the easier time you will have creating marketable art, talking about it, and marketing it. Yes, a strategic painter is a professional with a clear vision and who is always thinking ahead of all factors before creating whatever comes to mind. The goal is not just to create art, but how to present it, eventually sell it, and make a living doing what comes naturally. If this is not your goal, please stop reading this book immediately and continue doing whatever it is that you like to do. Life is too short and time is too precious to waste. Return this book and get your money back.
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Chess-Nut 10 x 8 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Create Your Brand Making it yours forever Brand is the “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s product distinct from those of other sellers.” In the previous chapters, we talked about the five C’s essential for creating good art. Those included craftsmanship, composition, creativity, color, and context. In this chapter we will learn the gravity of branding. Think of Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Dali, O’Keeffe, Kinkade, Rockwell, and Tamara de Lempicka. All great masters have something special that separates them from the rest. What is branding? Is it a Coca-Cola or Nike type thing? It sounds commercialized and unlike fine art. Branding encompasses style, theme, and sometimes even certain shades of color. 1. Style: One can recognize a style but cannot define it in terms of being good or bad. It just exists and is basically a large-scale signature of the artist. For example, when we look at any of Van Gogh’s paintings or Picasso’s paintings, we can immediately 31
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identify their creator. Artists have distinct style that they develop over time through hours of practice. It is what we call our artistic voice. For example, in the 1990s, artist George Rodrigue became famous for his blue dogs (on vodka bottles), which became his trademark or style. 2. Theme: When we narrow our interests and paint similar paintings over and over, we create a cohesive body of work with a same or similar theme. An artist who incorporate teacups in her art despite different compositions (en plein air, figure paintings, and still life paintings) can still have a cohesive body of work, as all her works revolve around the subject matter of teacups. Another example would be of a living Californian artist Rosenbaum, who is famous for her paintings of women wearing large sun hats reading books—in the house, outside on the patio, sipping wine, or drinking tea. Rosenbaum paintings have a common theme: women wearing hats and reading books. An artist can build a huge body of cohesive work exploiting a singular theme and making paintings in series, an absolute delight for collectors and curators alike, because it helps people understand better the point that an artist is trying to make, rather than being all over the map. Think of having the presence of a common element to create a theme or series that ties all of your work together. 3. Colors: Sometimes certain colors are used over and over by artists, and they in turn become a huge part of their brand. A certain shade of red, blue, or green, for example, can play a major part in establishing an artist’s brand. Why do we need to have a brand? Brand is essential for successful marketing. It also establishes a certain expectation of dependable and high-quality work by certain artists. It takes hard work to cultivate collectors, but once they are hooked
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to your brand, they tend to stay loyal to it for years to come. It is a win-win situation for all—artists, art collectors, as well as art historians—because branding makes it much easier to identify and explain the artist in question’s work.
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Deliver Us from Evil 12 x 9 acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Collect Your Thoughts Together Using Sketchbooks, cameras, and journals All artists, good or bad, need a sketchbook or a journal for doodling, sketching ideas, or capturing thoughts and contemplations. This is where the genius is captured and explored, so it becomes obvious and compelling. Each and every day you should make an entry in your sketchbook or journal, even if it is just a fleeting thought or a silly idea. Once that thought is gone, it is gone forever. Strategic painters recognize the importance of having a sketchbook with them at all times. You dream, you make a note. You catch a beautiful sky, snap a photo, and stick it in your sketchbook as a reference picture. You stumble upon an interesting philosophy that resonates with you, and you jot it down in your journal. That is all there to it. Collecting thoughts is quite similar to being a scientist collecting data. You just never know when you will need to incorporate something you sketched in your sketchbook and use it, together with another idea, and create a magnificent masterpiece. As a strategic painter, you have a huge responsibility to razzle-dazzle the world by contributing to society. In this digital age, you have a phone camera that makes it much easier 35
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to capture your ideas and thoughts. There is absolutely no excuse for not making daily or weekly entries in your journals and sketchbooks. Deliver Us From Evil is the prime example of a collage of ideas coming together to form the painting I created.
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Chess-Bishop Sangria 24 x 18 acrylic 2012 by Roopa Dudley
Form a Cohesive Body of Work Start with an end game in mind Before you start to paint, visualize how many paintings you will be creating, in what size, and in what medium. Have everything you need together first, before you go to work. Take an idea for your painting and exploit it in twelve different and creative ways. This is only the first part of your journey toward masterminding your craft. Once you are finished with your series, you also need to work on the following: Hiring a professional photographer for high-resolution (HR) photos* Creating a portfolio (with your professional HR photographs of paintings) Downloading photos on your artist’s Facebook page Downloading photos for your blog posts Creating CDs with your HR digital images, so you can send them to juried competitions and gallery reviews. Downloading HR photos to create greeting cards or note cards *Note: You cannot do anything else on the list unless you have invested money in getting HR photographs taken of your paintings. You will 39
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need HR images for EVERYTHING. Think about the long-term consequences, and get the photography done right the first time. It is almost impossible to get HR photos made once the painting is sold and gone forever. A strategic painter is not penny-wise and pound-foolish. I could not have published this book, a coffee table art book, or a calendar, had I not had the foresight of getting my paintings photographed professionally before I became a well-known painter in the art community. Say what? This process is getting more and more painful by the minute! Yes. The very word painting starts with the word pain for this very reason. It is an expensive hobby and a daunting profession; however, the end that justifies the means. As I have mentioned before, everything is an equation and a step-by-step process. Either this book will prepare you to rise up to the challenge of becoming a good artist or it will save you a lot of time, money, and suffering, if you decide that this profession is not for you. Either way, my purpose is to show you that it can be done and that there is definitely a method to the madness. I did not have any such book growing up, so I had to figure it all out on my own, after trial and error, reading several books on art, and doing intensive research, to make a place for myself as a successful artist. It is then I decided to do my fellow aspiring artists a favor and help them out from the lessons I learned so that they can have an easier way to succeed. Life is too short, and we have a very limited time on this planet. I am publishing this book to help painters find some order in chaos. If you are one of them, I would like to know if this book has helped you find your niche or at least given you a better perspective as to how things work in the art world.
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How many pieces of artwork does it take to create a good body of work? Most art consultants avoid giving an answer to this question, because putting a number on a body of work can be tricky. For me, however, there is a simple formula. Work in a series of twelve paintings at a time. If you work a full-time job, create at least one painting a month. Anything less than that would only delay your progress as a professional. The more cohesive body of work you have, the more chances you have to be noticed and eventually get a solo show with a reputable art gallery, if that is your dream. Read more on art galleries versus artist studio sales in chapter 16. Is a cohesive body of works the same as working in series? No. A cohesive body of work is a bigger picture. Series are the details that create your cohesive body of work. In a solo show, you can easily put together two, three, or four series of paintings, which will be anywhere from twenty-four to thirty-six to forty-eight paintings, if you have twelve in a series. A series can also stand out on its own and a curator can pick a series of your work along with a series of another artist’s work with the same theme and create a dynamic exhibit. Series present your train of thought in a unified fashion. Below are the examples of my body of work and series Alcoholic Beverages from 2011 to 2013. Notice how everything I have talked about (the five C’s and branding) is implemented in my masterpieces. My brand is chess, but my series is Alcoholic Beverages, which was bought by my art collector for her game room complete with a wine bar.
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Chess-Knight Martini 24 x 18 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Dudley’s Tea For You & Me 24x28 Acrylic 2012 by Roopa Dudley
Throw an Open Studio Party It is your time to shine! Everyone loves a party! From the moment you complete a body of work, you should make every effort to invite each and everyone you know and create a list of people who would enjoy coming to a party. You will need their physical as well as their e-mail addresses to send out invitations. When I started out, I only knew twenty-five people. You must always keep in mind the important thing is not how many addresses you have and invitations you send out, it is how many would actually take the time to attend the event. Brace yourself for major disappointments, as most people will promise to attend but will not show up. Don’t waste your time feeling awful. Do, however, appreciate those who do show up and give them a genuine and warm welcoming reception. When the show is over, you will have time to reflect and will feel proud of yourself for actually making it all happen. It is not an easy thing to orchestrate an event of such magnitude. How does one go about making an open studio event happen? You will need two set of invitations. The first sent three weeks in advance with detailed information including:
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When you are having this party Where you are having this party What kind of party you are having. Create a theme to make it exciting (for example steampunk, gothic, Victorian, masquerade, Irish, Scottish, 4th of July). Why you are having it (for example, you just completed a series on seashells). You need to put at least two to three sentences about the paintings you have for the show, like a movie preview. If it is worth your time, it is worth theirs. The second set of invitations will serve as a brief reminder that is to be sent a week before the event is scheduled to happen with an RSVP. This way you can make plans and shop for the right amount of fruit, cheese, cake, and wine, depending on how many have committed to attend. You can get all your invitations (postcards) made through Zazzle.com by downloading your photographs. The postcards are professional looking and affordable. Always think of your brand and use only the highest quality photos that present a professional impression. This is, after all, a business, and you cannot afford to slack off. Check List: Have flyers printed and post them on various public locations two weeks prior to show. Frame and hang all paintings. Have a price list handy, and price the paintings to sell. Create a portfolio with all your work and newspaper clippings about your art, if you have any. Everything should look professional. Dress for success and be ready to meet and greet potential buyers. Have plenty of cheese and crackers, fruit salad, and wine to serve to guests. Reach out, make new friends, and form new connections.
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My Secret Refuge 10 x 8 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Cultivate Art Collectors You reap what you sow! You cannot expect to create one, two, or three masterpieces and then move on to something else. You have come this far; you need to continue creating more paintings and repeating the process all over again. You owe it to your fans, your collectors, and most of all, society. You do not want to be known as a “One Hit Wonder.” That prospect should alone be the fear factor to keep you in the studio committed to your purpose. You could be the next creative genius in the art world; however, if you don’t have any collectors who like your art enough to buy it, it is then time to reevaluate and fine-tune your plan as a painter. I started painting seriously in 2011. I felt ready, and the only thing that kept me from making a name for myself was having a body of work. I continued to paint and produced close to thirty acrylic paintings between 2011 and 2013. My point is that it can be done if you put your mind to it. If you are an INTJ, putting your mind to it should not be a problem, given that you are achievement oriented and you implement anything you set your mind on doing. Meanwhile, by sending updates to my friends and family, I made them aware of my monthly progress and status as an artist/painter 49
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while affirming the attitude that I am here to stay. If you are devoted to your craft, have a continuous flow of ideas, and possess the ambition to succeed, your chances of making it in the art world will increase exponentially. Don’t wait to be discovered. You have already discovered yourself. It is only a matter of time before the world will catch up with you. You don’t need to wait to get into fancy art galleries to show your work. You are actively showing your work semi-annually in your open studio. You don’t need to have a collector’s list. The people who end up buying your paintings are the ones who know you personally or know you through friends. This is how it works on this planet. You are the master of your destiny. It all falls down on your Will to Power. (Nietzsche was an INTJ, Enneagram 5/6). “Suppose finally, we succeeded in explaining our entire instinctive life as the development and ramification of one basic form of the will—namely, of the will to power, as my proposition has it…then one would have gained the right to determine all efficient force univocally as will to power. The world viewed from inside … it would be “will to power” and nothing else.” The only way to cultivate collectors is by continuing to produce highquality art on regular basis. Market yourself by putting the images out on your Facebook artist’s page and art blogs. Furthermore, it is prudent to issue a quarterly newsletter. I will tell you more about newsletters and what to put in them in chapter 15. Here is the action checklist for cultivating collectors for your paintings: Host open studio shows. Provide a sign-in guest book where people interested in your work can leave you their e-mail addresses as well as their physical addresses. This information will be your most valuable asset.
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Make regular blog entries about your art. Post good photos on your artist’s Facebook Page. Send out quarterly newsletters to EVERYONE you know. Send out thank-you, birthday, and Christmas cards. Remember to provide your collectors with a COA (Certificate of Authenticity). This document alone will make you stand out from the others who are not professional. It is easy to create a COA, so keep a standard format to use regularly. Research them to see what will suit your style, and get it done.
Sending out a newsletter keeps people involved with your progress as an artist. It also keeps your name in front of them, just in case they are looking for something special and meaningful for someone they love. Remind them that an original painting is a great gift for a housewarming, birthday, or Christmas celebration. It will take a while, but the information will eventually sink in. Patience is the key to almost anything.
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My Fantastic Solitary Childhood 24 x 18 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Submit Work to Juried Shows Originality is your best bet and a ticket to get accepted Why do I need to submit my work to juried shows? I don’t need anybody’s approval or validation. What are my chances of getting accepted anyway? Juried shows cost money; however, they are one of the best ways to get your paintings exhibited in a traditional gallery setting and get exposure. I started out locally, and being in juried shows gave me very good exposure and experience as an artist. Furthermore, the exhibit was one of the highlights to add into my newsletters and gave me an update for my résumé as an artist. It is not that easy to get accepted in a juried show. Your work has to stand out from hundreds of other painters. The rule of thumb is to make sure your ideas are fresh and original, and be sure the photographs that you submit are taken by a professional. This is, after all, visual arts, and you only get a five-second shot to make an impression. You have worked long and hard hours researching and producing your ideas, and it is just a matter of time that your hard work will start paying off. A rule of thumb to remember for emerging artists is that for every five shows you enter in your region, you may be able to get into 53
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one or two. Just believe in yourself. Good things will happen; make time your ally. Hustle while you wait. Each time your painting(s) get accepted in a juried show, it gives your work more credibility and prestige. Furthermore, such acceptance also gives confirmation to your collectors that you are going places and making a name for yourself, which also indirectly reflects on them. With each successful year that you survive as an artist, the value of their collection increases. Another benefit of being in a juried show is that you get to meet important people and local artists in your art community and get a chance to network with them. Networking will get your name out into the immediate community. Networking opens doors for you that would have not even existed before. Never underestimate the power of networking. It is a two-way street.
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Roopa Dudley Paintings Fall Newsletter
Issue Quarterly Newsletters Share your accomplishments, projects, and inspirations! Quarterly newsletters allow you to be in total control of your life, career, and business of being an artist. People who like you and care about you would love to know what you are up to and where you are heading. People who don’t know you may want to know you after receiving your newsletter. It is just a matter of producing the newsletter. How should I put together this newsletter? A newsletter should contain the following information, in most visually stimulating way. Try using a standard format, a template, you use for each newsletter. An example of my newsletter is shown at the end of this chapter. Here is what your newsletter should contain: A heading or name (for example, the name of mine is Roopa Dudley Paintings) A subheading that shows that it is the spring, summer, fall, or winter newsletter Your website or your blog site Your artwork (including paintings sold in your open studio and paintings that got accepted in juried shows, with what, when, where information) Paintings you have completed for the series 57
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Your coffee table book progress. People love to hear about this news. Exhibits you attended that you liked and why Your day job, if you have one, besides being an artist Activities that you want to share and talk about An “Action” section as the last section, where you inform the receiver of your studio hours, prices for paintings (by size), whether you take commissions, and your contact information The newsletter heading stays the same on each newsletter, so make sure to come up with something that pertains to your craft. Make sure that you add captions to ALL your images on your newsletter. If it is your painting, put a title, size, medium, and year created on it. If it is a photograph of you or you attending an event, put a brief description of the event with date. In short, create a newsletter as if you were born a journalist. Be sure to have the newsletter edited carefully before sending it out. Why should I create a newsletter anyway? Newsletters give you free publicity and connect you with people. In time, people will start looking forward to hearing from you, because they would like to know what is happening with your life. Why would anyone care? The day creative people decide to become professional artists/painters, they start their journey as a celebrity. Artists are cool, and people like to know as much as possible about them—including other artists. Send out your newsletter only to those you know, first. Eventually you will have friends of friends wanting to receive a copy. Print two dozen
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Issue Quarterly Newslet ters
at a time and distribute them right before the quarter starts. It has a long shelf life, and some people even file it away to keep a record. When you become famous, all that you do becomes part of your history. It is therefore very important to put information that pertains to your art or news related to art in general, with occasional bits and pieces of your personal life. Keep it to one double-sided page. Below is an example of my two-sided newsletter.
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Newsletter Sample, Newsletter Sample Back
Self-Actualized Pawn 14 x 11 acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Art Galleries Versus Artist Studio (Sales) Do you really want gallery representation? The allure and the romance of having one’s work represented in an art gallery is more than tempting, and galleries capitalize on it. Most artists and painters believe that all they have to do is happily produce their works, and the art gallery will take it from there and make them rich and famous. If you subscribe to that school of thought, let me educate you a little about this delusion. Art galleries, especially the nice, fancy ones, expect 50% commission if not more on the sales of YOUR work that you created, in your time, and with your blood and sweat. Furthermore, they expect you to give them commissions on work NOT included in their gallery but in your studio, as they feel entitled to it, because they are representing you. On top of that, you are bound by a contract that you cannot be represented by another art gallery within a certain radius, as well as other guidelines. You can read more about the advantages and disadvantages of gallery representation as well as other helpful and eye-opening articles written by Alyson B. Stanfield, who is the author of I’d Rather Be In The Studio!, the book that changed my life as an artist. You can find her articles on her website at http://www.artbizcoach.com/. I come from a very different school of thought. As a strategic painter, I don’t believe that my art collectors should pay a penny more than what my painting is worth to me, when I am the one who created 63
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it and am making the sale. My collectors are investing in me, and I would rather see them happy and collecting more of my paintings at affordable prices than collecting fewer of my paintings from an expensive venue. I am just one of many artists the galleries represent. I believe that I can work harder and do a much better job promoting myself than any art galleries I know. This has been the case for me thus far. Furthermore, I like to know who my collectors are, and I want to know them personally. Doing so is almost impossible, when you are represented by a gallery. Furthermore, so far all my art collectors are people who know me personally or know me through someone. Seldom do people buy work from artists they don’t know. That is how the art world works. It is beyond my understanding that in today’s age—the time when an artist has all the opportunities in the world to market him/herself on the Internet—that artists would opt to take a lazy way out (that is right, I said it) and be represented by an art gallery. Most art collectors shop online these days. People don’t have the time or luxury to go to art galleries, nor do they have the means to pay for expensive art. A strategic artist does everything in his or her power to capitalize on the opportunity to deliver and succeed. There is no substitute for hard work. You can always collaborate with two or three artists and rent a space to sell your work. Even better, join your local state-sponsored art organization, as discussed in the next chapter. If your work is noteworthy, collectors will find you. In the digital world, the word gets around rather fast, if your work has merit. Invest in yourself and start thinking like an entrepreneur. We become what we think and believe we are—literally. What is an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on financial risk to do so. 2. A promoter in the entertainment industry.
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Flyer of MFA 50th Anniversary Art Exhibit
Join an Art Organization Become a part of something big I strongly urge you to join an art organization as soon as possible. It is one of the best things you can do to enhance your career as a strategic painter. It will help you build a beautiful résumé and get you where you want to be as a professional artist in the shortest amount of time. What is an art organization, and where do I find one? An art organization can be state sponsored or something local. In 2012, I first joined American Women Artists, which was all the way in Arizona; however, it was not serving me well as a painter, so I decided to give my local Maryland Federation of Arts (MFA) a chance, after reading great reviews about it. That move has been one of the smartest ones I have made so far, as I got to know many local artists and art gallery directors. Knowing local artists and gallery directors gave me opportunity to exhibit my work with the members as well as in the juried shows and get my name out. I am getting exposure that is essential for professional artists without the commitment of a contract with a gallery. Is there a catch? What do I have to give, in order to get all the member benefits and exhibition opportunities? 67
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Since MFA is a non-profit organization, you do have to pay $60 annual fee to join. Also, it asks you to donate a piece of artwork for its annual sales event each year held around Halloween. I don’t have a problem with that. I see it as yet another opportunity to have my work out there, increasing my list of potential collectors. For me these things are totally worth it, as I feel that I am directly contributing to a great cause. It is actually even better than that. I am becoming a part of Maryland’s art history.
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Checkmate—A Commentary on Dating leading to Marriage 12 x 12 acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Blog About Your Art Journaling your paintings and leaving a mark Ideally, as you finish your painting, you should post it in your blog and write something about it. It is really a very simple thing to do, but most painters don’t like to do it, as writing uses different skills from painting. I usually post my paintings; put the title, size, medium, and the year it was created in the caption area right below the painting; and then write about my painting. Blogging gives a personal touch, as it comes directly from you. You are creating a visual diary of your experiences, and a lot of people enjoy reading it. For example, I have often wondered what was going through M.C. Escher’s head when he created his Bond of Union picture. That one is my favorite of all his works, as takes me to the depths of my imagination, where true love conquers all. It would have been nice to have gained an insight from the artist’s head instead of relying on art critics. Another benefit of blogging is that you become Googlable—that is, people can find you by using search engines such as Google. The more blog entries you make, the more Googlable you become. You are contributing your art to society. You are putting yourself out there and making a difference. 71
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Lastly, you can use all your blog entries and create you very own coffee table book, as mentioned in chapter 19. Imagine having a portfolio with your thoughts behind each of your creations! That possibility should be a reason by itself to create paintings and blog about them. What a nice venue to curate your own work and then share it with the world, leaving your legacy.
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Splendorous Pastimes 12 x 12 acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Publish a Coffee Table Art Book Time to self-publish and to get your art out there When you publish a coffee table book of your artwork, all your hard work and efforts come together like the most beautiful symphony and the most intriguing puzzle. The only difference is that you are the judge and jury for the project. Think of it as if you are the curator, organizing a visual show in a hardcover art book. There are several ways you can create a coffee table art book. Blurb, Lulu, and my favorite, Outskirts Press, are all great for artists to use to self-publish. More on why you should seriously think about publishing a book is in an article “Self-Publishing For Artists: How to Publish Books, Catalogs, Brochures” by my favorite art professional, Alan Bamberger, at http://www.artbusiness.com/catalogue.html. I am currently working on creating a coffee table art book myself and should be able to publish one by the end of 2014. It is extremely time consuming, but once all is said and done, it is very much worth the time, sweat, and creativity involved in creating it. Stay tuned for it. I can hardly wait!
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Soul Mate 12 x 12 acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Design Art Calendars Publish your series and promote your work Calendars make beautiful and thoughtful gifts. Everyone needs one, and what better way to get your work out there, than in a way that not only reminds people of your existence as an artist, but also keeps them aware of their daily schedules and appointments? Zazzle makes really nice art calendars, and if you buy in bulk, you get a very good deal that allows you to pass your work around. With calendars, you can put your series to good use or commemorate your year’s worth of work by having it all nicely presented in one place. Art calendars make beautiful and thoughtful gifts.
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Annabel Lee 14x11 Acrylic 2013 by Roopa Dudley
Books Recommended for Painters For knowledge and education purposes Art Books 1. I’d Rather Be In The Studio! 2. Making It In The Art World 3. Line Color Form 4. Business Of Being An Artist 5. How To Succeed As An Artist 6. Art/Work 7. The Art Of Buying Art 8. Art and Fear 9. The Art Spirit 10. Inside The Painter’s Studio 11. Painting and Drawing—A Beginner’s Guide 12. Guerrilla Marketing For Artists Art Magazines 1. The Professional Artist Magazine 2. Studio Visit Magazine 3. American Art Collector Magazine Interesting Novels 1. Passion Of Artemisia 2. Swan Thieves 3. Picture Of Dorian Gray 4. The Forger (true story—stranger than fiction) 79
M. Butterfly (detail) Acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley
Movies Related to Paintings Pure Entertainment 1. The Thomas Crown Affair 2. Picture Of Dorian Gray 3. Entrapment 4. Frida 5. Da Vinci Code 6. The Juror 7. Great Expectations 8. Pollock 9. Lust For Life 10. Stolen 11. Skyfall (the best Bond movie ever!) 12. Goya’s Ghosts
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A Dark Knight in Queen’s Town by Roopa Dudley
Collector’s Rationale for Buying Art Through the eyes of a beholder Flora & the Chessmen 16 x 20 acrylic 2011 by Roopa Dudley “The reason I chose Flora & The Chessmen is that I really liked the colors and their harmony together. I like all types of art, so the color is a big factor for me, when choosing art. I like very deep, vibrant colors. I also love the femininity of the mask. It seems somewhat coquettish. Finally, I love the addition of the chess pieces. It’s a simple but unique and intriguing detail.” —Katherine Brown, Glen Burnie, MD “We commissioned Roopa to do a painting of an oyster shell for our beach house in North Carolina, using the interior of a real oyster shell as an example. While she gave us progress shots along the way, we eagerly awaited the unveiling of the finished work at her art exhibit. Nothing prepared us for the beautiful detail of the shell she captured, including adding a pearl, the creative and bright background, and the selected color scheme that all worked to make a beautiful composition and a very satisfied customer!” —Judy Dudley, Mechanicsville, MD “I don’t consider myself a collector; however, when I saw this piece (Meeting @ Red Bishop Café by Roopa Dudley), it ‘spoke’ to me on many levels, asking questions I didn’t yet have the answers for. I knew immediately I wanted to have these ‘conversations’ to explore the topics 83
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and emotions and beauty this piece evokes in me.” —Private art collector, Ellicott City, MD “A picture is worth a thousand words. Well, to me, a picture is worth a thousand emotions. Color captivates me through my eyes, which are the windows to my soul. What does this mean? “In college, I once wrote a thesis on how color can psychologically affect our emotions. In the front of your eye are two layers of nerves that light must pass through before passing through several nerve centers and connecting together to the back of the brain. When a nerve impulse reaches the brain, a conscious color response is produced. The left side of the brain processes thinking and deducting skills. It is the center for verbal, mathematical, logical, and rational aspects. The right side of the brain processes abstract, nonverbal information and special perception. It is the center for color, tone, and texture awareness. Since the left and right sides of the brain work together, the painting I look at is compared to something else directly or indirectly from my stored memories, past experiences, or dreams. The color and image affect my conscious response and emotion. “When I look at A Dark Knight In Queen’s Town, I see my two boys in the bold, blue color and whimsical feeling. I dream of living like a queen in the large Victorian house with a yard full of flowers. I wish I could take my boys on vacation to the beach house by the cattails, but I am grateful to have even made it to the small house in the neighborhood, way down the road on the outskirts of the town, because it is in a good school district for my two boys. God is good to me. He makes my crooked paths straight. He watches over my two boys and me somewhere up in that starry sky so vast that my hopes and dreams can’t help but blossom and spread. The moon shines on my face, and I wonder if my dark knight is out there waiting for me too.” —Kristina V. Cooke, Catonsville, MD, member of Roopa Dudley’s art collectors circle and proud owner of Roopa’s original painting of A Dark Knight In Queen’s Town
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Study Of Roopa Dudley 24 x 18 acrylic 2012 by Roopa Dudley
Final Analysis Strategize, implement, and deliver The only person who is stopping you from achieving your goals is YOU. If you break down all there is to be done into bite-size projects, you will get where you want to be. You must first learn to find order in your chaos. A saying I heard not long ago that left a deep impression on me is “Don’t die with a song in your heart.” If you have something worthwhile to share, start sharing it today, for you never know what tomorrow will bring. Each day is a gift, a chance to leave something wonderful behind and make this world a better place. In his book "Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?" author Seth Godin states "All Artists Are Self-Taught—Techniques and skills and even a point of view are often handed down, formally or not. It's easier to get started if you're taught, of course. But art, the new, the ability to connect the dots and to make an impact—sooner or later, that can come only from one who creates, not from a teacher and not from a book."
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Guest List for Newsletter
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