Split Personalities
Go ahead ..for those who know me well,have a good laugh at this title! Already known by two names Helen/Kelly, this subject should come as no surprise. My struggle this morning is the on going tug -a- war I feel working between fields: fine art /commercial arts ..oh and I guess now that I'm showing work on Etsy ...crafts !
I left the craft world behind years ago, actually giving away all of my craft supplies,fabrics,books etc. The slower economy recently caused an adaption of my marketing and my higher priced work gave way to a spurt of paper goods such as blank cards, bookmarks etc. Lo and behold they sold too! I'm enjoying the added income but I'm not interested in repeating an idea, such as multiples of a card design. One of a kind , that's ok....maybe that's why I prefer paintings and I work only in originals not prints.
check out PineShoreStudio.etsy.com
I suddenly was offered an oppportunity to work with writer, Hal Alpiar, on a brochure,with many illustrations, too good to pass by ..again considering the state of economy, but I know that this is just a detour in my day of painting. Visit: halalpiar.com
Gallery sales needing to strenghten after a season of cautious buyers finds me changing locations on walls ,adding new work ,even (gasp!) revisiting my pricing structure.
Visit: http://mainavegalleria.com/, http://pictureperfectgallery.com/ , http://helenharrispaintings.com/
My dilemma? Who am I today?Where do I focus my energy? Crafter, illustrator, painter?How do you define yourself? Does it matter?
In the past I always thought that I needed to concentrate on just one area.
These days I find that my skills and opportunities are not so neatly packaged and seizing the opportunity is the difference between surviving as an artist or going back to 9-5.
If you find yourself juggling different aspects of your art work, please drop me a note .How do you cope and make the switch mentally or in the studio?
I left the craft world behind years ago, actually giving away all of my craft supplies,fabrics,books etc. The slower economy recently caused an adaption of my marketing and my higher priced work gave way to a spurt of paper goods such as blank cards, bookmarks etc. Lo and behold they sold too! I'm enjoying the added income but I'm not interested in repeating an idea, such as multiples of a card design. One of a kind , that's ok....maybe that's why I prefer paintings and I work only in originals not prints.
check out PineShoreStudio.etsy.com
I suddenly was offered an oppportunity to work with writer, Hal Alpiar, on a brochure,with many illustrations, too good to pass by ..again considering the state of economy, but I know that this is just a detour in my day of painting. Visit: halalpiar.com
Gallery sales needing to strenghten after a season of cautious buyers finds me changing locations on walls ,adding new work ,even (gasp!) revisiting my pricing structure.
Visit: http://mainavegalleria.com/, http://pictureperfectgallery.com/ , http://helenharrispaintings.com/
My dilemma? Who am I today?Where do I focus my energy? Crafter, illustrator, painter?How do you define yourself? Does it matter?
In the past I always thought that I needed to concentrate on just one area.
These days I find that my skills and opportunities are not so neatly packaged and seizing the opportunity is the difference between surviving as an artist or going back to 9-5.
If you find yourself juggling different aspects of your art work, please drop me a note .How do you cope and make the switch mentally or in the studio?
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