Milica Virag

They say…  The marketers that want to sell me instruction on how to make it in an art world, how to price my paintings, how to do this or that, are they. They say art is creating an emotion. That’s what really sells. I have to connect with collectors on an emotional level. Or those who buy my art have to respond to it on an emotional level, that no amount of ‘selling’ will really make them want to buy my painting. They like the process of buying as much as I like process of creating.

The gurus say buyers want to know me. That got me thinking about me. What is my story? Where do I start? And how can I make it unique and emotionally viable to be relevant to them. I didn’t hatch from an egg, like everyone else I was born to a mother. And like everyone else my life had it’s glittering moments and it’s trials and tribulations sprinkled in the long fabric of just everyday stuff. So I will have to work on getting a story that can be told in few paragraphs, eventually, but not now. Soon. I’m painting and I need to make a living. And I will work on the story about me, true to fact and make it read like fiction. I promise.

I painted this yesterday I’m selling for $75 

Persimmon Flower

4″x4″ Acrylic

 

 

The week has gone by without any blogs. A dry spell? An old age rearing its rickety head and amnesiac mind? Too much too little time? Maybe blogging wasn’t a thing to start. And what is it for?  Hardly any one reads my blogs, even less comment. I may have one reader, when I want thousands to adore me, even if that one on its own is valuable, so would all be.  Admiration and love is fine, but to buy my art even if isn’t polished, that would be sublime. And good for the mind heart and soul, I could go on. As is now…

…I get up and am thankful to be breathing but I don’t remember why I’m here for. I need things to remind me. As I eventually stumble into studio and face the blank canvas or canvas I worked on yesterday I am still puzzled. And I’m anxious because in two months or maybe three the studio will have to be vacated. All I have is today. I will be blogging about that from now on. Overcoming my anxiety and facings my fears and painting anyway.

What do you want me to blog about? How about how to make money by selling art works?

I do wonder how many artists are old and still capable of making a living as painters.

I wanted to post a blog and this was on my mind and here it is.

If Art don’t kill you, you’ll die anyway. So paint away and sell, sell, sell. Selling your artwork will at least put food on your table and pay the bills. When you get really good, and collectors come knocking at your door, and you don’t have time to take time off to meet demand for your wonderful creations, even if the money is no problem-schedule time off anyway. That is a good problem to have.

I’d like to be there, and I will some day. But now I am not there. No one is knocking at my door asking for a portrait, landscape or whimsical impression of one subject or other. And I worry I’ll die in my studio, with my face stuck in my pallete, having made a streak on the canvas I’m painting. So if you like any of my paintings please purchase some. Contact me! They are for sale. I would love to keep on making them. Thank you!

Like in life, so in art, each one of us is at a different stage of their journey. Setting a destination could be a starting point, then comes gathering supplies, planning, packing, etc.  It may be obvious there is a correlation and possible to draw optimism with this process of becoming and to not succumb to doldrums of not being there already.

Far too often the sight of shiny ending gets obscured by many buggy, muggy problems encountered in the journey. Keep moving, working through those and don’t get bogged down.

I’m talking about wanting to be good at something and not just a beginner. Even this website and blog I’m doing seems so tiny and flimsy, which it is, compared to so many accomplished artists, and such well put revolving web sites with all the bells and whistles. I want to be there already. That’s like a teenager wanting a house and a car and a career right now. It takes time and concentrated effort to achieve.

What is the next step when everywhere all around ground is shifting and sliding and I wish for a giant bird to come and swoop me to a more solid place. What happened to my superpower of making solid out of liquid?

So I’ll stop now and go back to real world of real things like it’s Sunday, I’m planing on more strolling of Artists studios, learning and getting inspired to continue on my journey as an artist. It is really showing me the diversity of artistic existance and potential. Pointing out that I’m still at the planing and gathering stage. In all seriousness having done few jounts here and there though out my life, into this journey to being an artist like I exhibited with local art associations, and taken few classes, I can say that am doing it now as well.

The subject that comes back to me all the time is the uncertainty of where I am and what should I do next. On one hand I see so many possibilities and opportunities that are available and possible, and I can do it with hard work and persistence  on the other hand, I see myself too far from getting to any of it and time is a wasting, and am I really doing what I should at this very moment.  So back to the goal setting and doing the steps. Eating the elephant one bite at the time and hoping the rest wouldn’t rot.  Or I wouldn’t have to fight a lion for it.

This is my rant for the day.

My morning has gone by working on this website. It’s a start, and maybe it will evolve into a wonderful site I see so many of on line. Please comment if you like it and if you have constructive solutions toward the outcome of my desire.  Have a wonderful day, I’m heading to consume lunch then to do some work in my studio. Thank you for visiting, talk to you soon.

It started on May 14-15 and it is this weekend too, May 21-22. It’s 5th annual tour of artists studios on the west side of Austin. I intend to go and look at few. Artists open their studios and sell their paintings directly from them.

http://west.bigmedium.org/