My Top Four Most Inspirational Contemporary Artists

All artists draw their inspiration from somewhere.  As a student, the artist is often inexplicably drawn to a particular painter, technique or genre that suits his personality.  For me, it is the abstract expressionists and impressionists.  Some of the following artists are almost as good as I am.  I'm just saying.

 [Left: "Mist" by Dave Clark. Buy abstract expressionist paintings at www.daveclark.etsy.com]

In no particular order:

Jackson Pollock  One of the most revered and misunderstood of the abstract expressionists, Pollock pioneered unique drip painting and action painting techniques.  The influence of Pollock's highly expressive style and use of impasto (3D media) is easily seen in the majority of my work.  

Claude Monet  A master of plein air painting (painting outdoors), Monet is famous for his dream-like country landscapes and chaotic, lively urban scenes.  Obsessed with light, he would often paint the same location over and over, capturing the fickle dance of color and shadow throughout the day.

Mark Rothko  Reducing color and shape to a brilliant simplicity, Rothko's work is bold and introspective.  His multiform paintings (what came to be his signature style) greatly influence my landscape works.  One can't help but wonder what he was thinking as he painted these luminous masterpieces.

Vincent Van Gogh  Arguably as famous for his mental illness as his paintings, Van Gogh remains a mysterious, enigmatic personae.  Technically classified as a post-impressionist, his work clearly contains expressionist undertones, as seen in his still life example, "Sunflowers."

5 Questions All Aspiring Entrepreneurs Need To Ask

At some point in our lives we reach a milestone (literally: a very long stone) in which we examine our career goals. If satisfied, we continue along the road of predictability, in the vehicle of apprehension, toward the convenience store of apathy until we reach the parking spot of death. (Please don't try these metaphors at home. I'm a trained professional who reads a lot of Dave Barry.)

However, if, like me, you loathe the daily grind and would rather poke your eyes out with a rusty Swingline stapler than spend one more day in a suffocating office pushing meaningless papers around, then perhaps becoming a business owner is for you.

[Left: "Drizzled" by Dave Clark. Buy abstract expressionist paintings at www.daveclark.etsy.com]

When I decided to leave the corporate world and become a professional artist, I fortunately had my father, a seasoned business owner and CPA, to act as my mentor.

Here are 5 questions all aspiring entrepreneurs need to ask themselves:

1. Am I organized? The responsibilities of owning your own business are enormous. As a starting point, take stock of your personal financial papers. Are they arranged chronologically in file cabinets, color-coded and cross-referenced? Or are you unsure if you, technically, own a wallet? Self-discipline is essential to success. Organization is key.
   
   
2. Can I handle physical and emotional isolation? Running a business, especially a creative business like painting or writing, can be lonely. After all, at the end of the day, you're the one responsible for its survival. So get involved. Join organizations like Rotary International, which are geared towards business and professional leaders. It always helps to know people.
   
   
3. Do I know my DRs and CRs? Most entrepreneurs open up shop because they're skilled tradesmen, not accountancy experts. Do you feel comfortable researching complicated tax laws? How about complying with convoluted, and often bizarre, local, state and federal wage withholding and other tax-reporting requirements? (Not that I'm complaining. Please don't fine me.) Do you feel comfortable preparing financial statements and bank reconciliations with software like Quickbooks? If not, can you afford to hire a CPA to do it for you? Knowing someone with an accounting background is VERY helpful.
   
   
4. Do I need security? Be honest with yourself. Can you handle the psychological and financial stress of going months (maybe years) with little or no income, while watching bills pile up? If not, best to just pursue it part-time until you build a name for yourself.
   
   
5. Can I handle failure? Unpleasant to consider, sure, but it's a very real possibility. Many businesses do fail. So have an exit strategy. If for nothing else, it serves as psychological reassurance. "If I lose everything I can still: get my old job back, work construction for my brother, sell a kidney, etc." It's amazing how helpful this technique becomes when sales are slow.

Above all: don't get discouraged. It's supposed to be hard. That's what makes success so rewarding.

In the next article: "My Top Four Most Inspirational Contemporary Artists"

How to Promote Your Art Show

Finally! After years of hard work and/or sleeping to the top, you've finally been awarded your own art show. Time to celebrate? Of course, but there's still work to be done.

[Right: "Amoebae" (say ah-MEE-bee) by Dave Clark. Buy abstract expressionist paintings at www.daveclark.etsy.com]

Typically, the gallery or museum will do plenty of the promotion themselves. After all, it's in their best interest to get butts in the seats. Or Prada on the parquet. But unless you can trade off your name (now presenting Pablo Frida Claude Rembrandt Pollock, Jr. the III), you still need to get your hands dirty.

Here are some cheap ways to spark interest in and boost attendance at your show:

• Offer fabulous gifts and prizes. Personalized pens and keychains are nice, but those are a dime a dozen (or 12 for 10 cents). Hold a raffle at your artist reception for a free commissioned piece. People love free stuff, especially when they recognize the value of the giveaway. An enticement like free personalized art may be the extra push patrons need to go to the gallery, rather than watch CSI: Nowheresville. And if you can get Vanna White to present, all the better.

• Pimp yourself. Or your art to be more specific. In fact, do this even if you don't have a show in the works. Businesses are always looking for wall art, the cheaper the better. Think about who would buy your art. Where do they go? Coffee houses, banks, restaurants and frame shops are great places to start. Use your imagination. Once you've narrowed the potential locations down, talk to the manager/owner. Offer to display your art for free (for a limited time). In exchange, all you want is a little area to set up your promotional materials. Include brochures, business cards, fliers etc. Tangible promotions make it easy for people to remember you.

• Advertise in Print. Though it can cost you to take out an ad in local papers and art magazines (and your gallery should be doing this for you anyway), the additional exposure may be worthwhile. But if you have a website or blog, you should definitely post an announcement there. It should look something like... WARNING! Shameless Self Promotion Occurring in 3, 2, 1...

Julie Wait Designs Gallery in association with Poor Richard's Art will feature abstract artist Dave Clark from May 10th-June 10th. An artist reception will be held on Friday May 21st, 6-8 p.m. during the first Twilight Walk of 2010.

The gallery is located at 318 South First in Rogers, Ar and is open from 9a.m. until 5p.m. Monday - Friday and Saturday by appointment. 479-631-8706

Jeez. They kind of sneak up on you. As I was saying...

To see the full press release and my bitchin' artist statement, go to www.poorrichardsart.com.

Alright, enough. The point is that no matter how much promotion you do, there is always more to be done. With so much competition out there (it's funny, we're in an industry where death only strengthens our competition), every little bit helps.

The next article: "5 Questions All Aspiring Entrepreneurs Need to Ask"

Become A Famous Artist or Die Trying

Promoting your art is fun. Well, can be fun. I mean it stinks. It really stinks. Let's face it, most artists, and I say this with the utmost respect and esteem, are lazy. At least when it comes to promotion. It's hard work. And, unfortunately, for scum-sucking low-life artists such as myself, it's a buyer's market.

At some point in history, collectors decided, without even asking us, that artists are responsible for advertising their own art.

(Below: "Fields of Green" by Dave Clark. Buy abstract expressionist paintings today at www.daveclark.etsy.com)

Where and when this lopsided system started I don't know, but we're stuck with it, at least for a while. That is, until your art becomes so valuable that collectors visibly orgasm when a piece is put up for sale.

Sadly, this will probably not happen until you are technically dead. But fear not, some artists actually achieve fame and riches within their own lifetimes and you can too.

Here's How:

• Start in obscurity, claw your way into a local gallery, somehow get a show, slowly and agonizingly build a base of collectors, maintain that base of collectors, get representation, debut at your first nationally-recognized museum, win awards, become internationally renowned, die. Or...

• Get lucky. I recommend sleeping with a Sotheby's curator. Find one here.

Here's Really How:

Ok. Here's the lowdown: You write. Write a blog like this one, comment on other blogs, contribute articles to ezines, draft press releases in your local papers and art magazines, etc. When I started blogging I had zero readers, but currently, as of this post, I have: zero readers. This would dishearten most. And I am no different. But I know that eventually, people may accidentally bookmark this site and not know how to remove it from their favorites list. I have hope.

Check Out These Great Resources for More (actual) Info:

www.artbizblog.com
www.artbusiness.com

In the next article: "How to Promote Your Art Show"

How to Shamelessly Promote Your Art

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I believe in honesty. And sandwiches. But mostly honesty. Without it, people, for some reason or another, think you're hiding something. The nerve! But I'll tell you, the second you start telling the truth, people will respect you. No, scratch that. They'll hate you. Every part of you. With every part of themselves. But when they calm down, they'll realize with great joy that someone finally cut right through the crap, irrevocably tweaking their nipples of curiosity.

I really have no idea what that means. I just liked the phrase "nipples of curiosity". But when you do tell the truth, people will listen and trust you. And that's what I'm going to do here. This site is dedicated to selling my art. I'm an abstract painter who would love to sell you some art. Many times. In fact, you don't even have to buy my art. Just give me money. That's fine too. But, if you'd like something for your money, my paintings will work just fine.

(Below: "Curlicues" by Dave Clark. Buy abstract expressionist paintings today at www.daveclark.etsy.com)

You'll notice many of my paintings in the archives of this blog. In order to actually get people to read it, I thought I'd add some sarcastic posts. This could completely backfire. For all I know I'm offending my vast readership (my mom) by changing the format. Previously I'd post my paintings as I'd complete them, a kind of virtual artistic journal. But now I've moved the business end of things to www.daveclark.etsy.com leaving this blog as a means for my personal grandstanding. Isn't that great?

What I plan to do: I promise to post something here once a week from now on. Unless I don't feel like it. This may include text, pictures, text with pictures or any combination of the three. You'll see updates on my current projects, upcoming appearances (Walmart grocery dept, hardware store, etc.) and thoughts on art/life.

You're welcome to leave comments. You're welcome not to leave comments. But please leave comments. You're my reason for living. That, and sandwiches.

In the next article, "Become a Famous Artist or Die Trying"