16x20 inches
oil on canvas
Painters Tip
Be Brave
I have had many hard times in my long career as an artist. The old Frank Sinatra Song, "Riding High in April and shot down in May" is all too true for me and many other artists. I know too many gifted painters who have given up their careers because it was too hard to keep trying.
My advice is to keep going anyway you possibly can. Even if you have to paint from 1-3 AM and work a day job, keep painting. Every successful painter I have ever known, was willing to keep painting no matter what the obstacle in front of them. There was a time when I had to paint on cardboard and mat board scraps because canvas was out of the question. I remember using house paint to get through art school and I imagine many students still do that.
If people are not buying large paintings, I do little paintings, or medium paintings, or commission work. What ever it takes to keep me in paint and brushes. I hear a lot about artists who think doing anything other than what they want to, is selling out. To me, painting every day for my day and night job is a dream come true. If that is selling out, I'm ok with it.
My point is that you never know when you are right around the corner from the success you are working for. Wouldn't it be a terrible shame to give up the day before you made it? You must be ready for that opportunity when it knocks. If you are painting every day, you will have paintings ready to use and your skill set will be up to par. If you do nothing but 5x7 paintings because supplies are hard to pay for, that's fine. I sell a lot of little paintings every year.
Stick with it. The winners are the people who show up.
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