Wednesday 29 August 2007

Whats new?

I'm still thinking about what I want to do regarding promoting myself and the offer the businessman made last week to invest a lot of money in advertising me as an artist (and also wanting a large share of the profits afterwards) but part of that decision will also be formed by the fact that after all the hard work, the build up and great expectations of the big exhibition last weekend - I didn't sell a single bloody thing! They hung eight of my ten paintings which was great considering they had well over a thousand paintings entered and were limited on hanging space. They did everything they could to sell paintings at the exhibition. My particular pictures were in a good prominent place just by the door, with good lighting and exposure, I was the first name in the catalogue of about a hundred artists and there were thousands of people visiting the place over the weekend. I had a good selection of paintings which elicited good positive reactions from people - I did everything RIGHT - and still NO SODDING sales! ........But.... it's the way it goes. Its annoying and aggravating and just part of being an artist and there's absolutely no point in getting depressed or losing sleep over it. BUT what it does underline is the fact that there's not much point in spending a small fortune on finding a good site, no matter how much is spent on promoting the exhibition to get the people to see the work, when the people might like the work very much but don't want to actually go so far as to BUY any of it. Loads of advertising does not equal many sales. So the lesson learnt this week is to find a better place that is good for me to exhibit in but which does not involve huge outpourings of hard earned cash which will be just good money down the drain. And I have a couple of ideas as to where is best for me to go next on that subject...... which I shall tell you about should I have any success with them......



Meantime I'm not quite on bread and water yet and have been busy drawing.......



And on to the erotic drawing of this week - another white on black drawing with just a hint of colour adding instant interest and awareness. The painting is called "Warm up" and is of a pair of female buttocks bent over, the rest of the body and legs just hinted at as they recede into the darkness, and above them, suspended in mid air is a single hand, clenched around a riding crop, angled ready to strike the buttocks again and again, just starting to mark them and warm them up to a full bloom of colouring.

13 comments:

Ronjazz said...

Jackie...

The sales will come. The public is not yet invested; they'll be there. It could be that proper English tradition of keeping that stiff upper lip and showing no emotion. I'm sure that the passion, the color, the spirit in your work comes across easily to folks. Most simply do not like to be challenged on ANYTHING... and your work could be seen that way to them...as in "Oh my God, I love this...but my wife is here...I can't let her know I like that... she might get mad!" Or some other conservative tripe.

You get what I'm saying. You keep your faith. As the saying goes, "If you build it, they will come."

:)

Jackie Adshead said...

Ronjazz - Thanks again for your positive support and words of advice. I'll keep my faith and I hope you're right that the sales will come!

Bittersweet said...

you know that i love your white on black pics ... the way the line just suggests the form. I do feel a little queasy at the red (brings back the memory of the pain!)

Jackie Adshead said...

Bittersweet me - I love doing them partly for the reason you mentioned. And if you feel queasy - that's good, it means I've tapped into the experience properly!

Vi said...

You know the money will follow soon.

But I must say, before you said that was a riding whip, or whatever, I thought it was some sort of sex toy that was about to go up the arse!

Ummmm, I think I've said enough now! *blushes*

Cherrie said...

I'm wondering if all these recent S&M-themed drawings are coming from experience?

I know how frustrating it must be to mount a major effort like your exhibition and not have any sales to show for it, but perhaps someone was moved by one of your paintings and will contact you later. You were handing out cards, weren't you?

Jackie Adshead said...

Vi - Hmmmm.... I see what you mean, perhaps I should have angled it differently! Although, perhaps that might be a useful idea.....

Jackie Adshead said...

Cherrie - As an erotic artist I try to cover all subject matter that might be of interest to my viewers. I want to do some gay art soon too.

Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to hand out cards at this exhibition - but normally I hand them out to everyone I come into contact with - the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker!

Indi said...

" Ouch..." that looks painful, did the model like the red stripes on her arse?..

Jackie Adshead said...

Indigo - I think she liked the picture, but she didn't actually get them as I used artist's interpretation for the red marks.

Indi said...

Have you asked the model if she would like the red stripes on her arse? May be she has a hidden agenda...

Jackie Adshead said...

Indigo - I haven't, no. Maybe I should ask her!

Indi said...

Yes...maybe you should!