The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell - Episodes Tagged with “Personal Relationships”

Episode 249: Explaining Abstraction

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 16:00:00 -0500

Lots of people misunderstand abstract art and don’t respect it as a valid form of expression. We’ve all heard remarks that imply that abstract artists lack talent or skill or are trying to fool people into appreciating something that has no value. If you are an abstract artist, how do you deal with this attitude? Do you have family and friends who dismiss your work? Do you let negative remarks pass by, or do you try to provide some background or insight into abstraction? Today we’ll explore why abstraction confounds many viewers and some ways you might provide some insight.

It's perfectly fine to not attempt to explain, defend, or try to educate people about abstraction. Abstract artists have well over one hundred years of history in the Western art world to support their approach and there are vast numbers of people who do appreciate this type of work. Ignoring negativity toward abstraction is a valid strategy. But there is also value to being able to state your position, especially to people in your life who may criticize you or are dismissive of your work because the “don’t get” abstraction.

It helps to recognize some reasons people say they don’t like abstraction. Although they may have a very deeply engrained bias against abstraction, they may also simply be uncomfortable with it and become defensive as a result. They may feel confused when there is no realistic image to identify, and no clear meaning. They may also lack the language to describe their reactions and are afraid they may sound unintelligent or offensive if they try.

In response, if you do want to engage with a skeptical person, you can talk about abstraction in general including its various forms and history, or you can talk specifically about your own work, your ideas and technique. You could perhaps compare abstraction to symphonic music, or point out that all visual art has abstract aspects. It's helpful also to understand and accept a person's resistance to seeing art in a different way and try to meet them where you find common ground.

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What's new At Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry launched their spring quarter on April 12th. Sessions this quarter so far included identifying compositional issues in your work, and technical information from Gamblin representative Mary Tevlin. Upcoming sessions include a painting clinic for works in progress, and much more. As always, members can join in on live sessions with questions and comments, and can benefit anytime by interacting with other members on our Members-only facebook page. With 100 recorded sessions in the member library there is always something to learn or review, with topics ranging from technical advice to visual language to guests speakers and critiques of member work.

To learn more about membership, and to purchase cold wax tools and Rebecca and Jerry's book, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations, please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information as well as basic information about using cold wax medium.

Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Also-- please visit https://www.espacioart.org to learn about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. A few booking openings are still available in 2023, so please incquire if you are interested.

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For more from The Messy Studio:
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a Tick Digital Media Production.

Episode 230: Artists Collecting Art

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 17:30:00 -0600

We often think of art collectors as people who love art but don’t create it themselves, meaning that the work they purchase may seem to them to come from a somewhat mysterious creative realm. Yet artists are very often collectors themselves, and have a different kind of appreciation for the work they acquire due to their deep understanding of what is involved in creating art.

Many artists focus mainly the work of friends through purchase or trade for their own collections. That is not surprising since as artists we know lots of others and have more exposure to artists as friends than the general public does. But many artists also purchase art, from people they know or from complete strangers. Their reasons are diverse, from feeling a personal connection to the person who made the work, to work that moves or inspires them aesthetically. In our homes, we observe and study the work of others on a daily basis, and the work of others can have an effect on our thoughts about our own work over time.

Acquiring a work of art creates excitement and a thrill of connection that is very pleasurable and motivating for collectors. An artist who sells their work certainly knows the pleasure of selling a piece, but one who also collects artwork experiences the other side of that experience.

As an artist, considering what you gain from your own collection can be interesting. What does work you own offer you as an artist? What feelings do you experience when you buy art? Does your collection feed your own work in some way?

Today Show interview by Bob Dotson with Jim Mott mentioned in the podcast: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3JOZYESh2KRcG92WlF5T3NvRUk/view?resourcekey=0-5OaRvWVwS3tbLn6ZqjGz-A

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry sre well into their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.
Here is what a member named Sandy has to say about her own experience with Cold Wax Academy:
"Rebecca and Jerry have presented the most professional, authentic and structured approach to a creative activity I have ever come across. Their selfless sharing of all their knowledge and encouragement is a gift in my life unsurpassed."

Episode 229: Pricing Quandries

Rebecca Crowell — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 20:00:00 -0600

One of the trickiest issues that artists deal with is pricing their work. While there are some well-known, basic, and useful guidelines to follow, not all pricing situations are straightforward. Artists also encounter situations that may not have obvious answers—situations that are usually not addressed in basic art-business advice. When the situation is not clearcut, even experienced artists can find themselves feeling indecisive or worried they are charging too much or too little. Today we will talk about some of the pricing situations you may encounter that are challenging, and factors to consider when you run into them.

Most of us are aware of the standard practices for most pricing situations, which are easily available online or from those who teach about art business. These include pricing in an objective way, perhaps by the square inch, rather than doing it subjectively, based on personal preferences. Consistency in pricing across the various platforms you use and galleries that represent you is also important, as is raising your prices over time in small increments.

But overall, deciding about your prices can be challenging because financial decisions often come with emotional baggage. Your perception of how sales are going can challenge you to stay objective in both your practices and attitudes about pricing. Depending on outside validation for your sense of the worth of your work can either enhance or tear down your self-esteem as an artist, depending on whether things are going well. But since there will always be fluctuations in your sales, maintaining a practical approach to prices can keep you on track emotionally.

While many sales situations are straightforward, others present difficult questions. These include selling to friends and family, establishing your policies for commissions, selling at open studio events, and deciding which geographic markets suit your own price points. Thinking ahead about these situations is helpful so you are not put on the spot and left to struggle to come up with the best reply. Anytime you can state a policy with assurance and clarity to a potential customer you build a little more self-esteem about your prices.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just launched their Fall quarter of live, online sessions with a special focus this time on member participation, plus informative sessions on a variety of other topics. This month also marks the beginning of Cold Wax Academy's 3rd year of teaching sessions, meaning that the member library now has over 80 recordings and other instructional documents available for members. To access this wealth of information and to take part in upcoming live sessions, please visit the membership page at ColdWaxAcademy.com and sign up for one of the two levels of membership available.

Episode 222: Self Assertion for Artists

Rebecca Crowell — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 20:00:00 -0500

When artists deal with the world outside their studios, they are often called upon to state their needs, assert their rights, and sometimes to confront unfair actions by galleries, organizers, or clients. Most of us don’t have agents or employees to handle these situations for us, and so we need to handle them on our own. To be effective, you need to be confident and straight-forward with the discussion. But instead, your personality may cause you to feel shy, socially awkward, or less than confident when you need to be self-assertive. Today’s episode is for those of you who struggle with confrontation and self-assertion in your dealings with the art world.

Being self-assertive is complex for many people. You may fear coming across as someone who is belligerent or aggressive, but also recognize that standing up for yourself is necessary to avoid negative situations in which you are taken advantage of. But stating your needs or bringing up problems is not the same as attacking someone or inviting negative conflict.

You can work on being more assertive when the situation is something that has built up, and you can anticipate the moment when you speak up. In those cases you can organize your thoughts, process the problem with a friend, or write out your main points. But other times you’re blindsided by remarks or actions and fail to react in the moment. In those cases, the best thing is to forgive yourself for not responding well and to learn what you can from it. This may happen more often as you become increasingly public with your work and deal in more complex ways with the gallery world and other business situations.

Difficulty with self-assertion is a personality trait that is quite deeply ingrained and the reasons people have this problem is beyond the scope of our remarks. But not standing up for yourself can interfere with professional behavior and being able to move out of toxic situations. Understanding your own boundaries and developing ways of speaking that are clear and confident are strategies that are worth practicing.

www.messystudiopodcast.com/blick

What's new at Cold Wax Academy?
Rebecca and Jerry have just announced their topics for Fall Quarter which begins October 12. With a special focus on member participation, they are planning a couple of new features--one will be online mentoring to help with issues in creative practices, and one session this quarter will be devoted to members tracking their painting progress over the past year. The quarterly member critique and a painting clinic for works in progress will also be featured, along with further information on professional development. You can sign up for one of two membership levels at any time, and catch up on the past two years of recorded weekly sessions at your own pace.

Please visit http://www.coldwaxacademy.com for more information.

Also-- stay tuned for information coming soon about Rebecca and Jerry's newest project, Espacio, dedicated to providing beautiful living and working spaces for artists and writers. Espacio's first offering is Casa Clavel, a modern, fully equipped house opening this September in the beautiful cultural city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. You can learn more and make a reservation by emailing info@coldwaxacademy.com. A dedicated Espacio website is coming soon!