I took today off work to spend time in the studio. It's been a lazy morning - I slept until 10, had a bagel for breakfast, and now I'm spending some time online. I'm about to head out there now.Lately I have been throwing larger pots - 8, 10, 12 pounds of clay. This is above my normal comfort range but there are times where I just do it. You can't improve unless you work in that 'can I do this?' zone. To my surprise I've been able to work the clay the way I want at these weights. Throwing two or three pounds of clay seems like nothing when you've thrown several twelve pound pots in a row.
I wish I could get out there more. I know my skills would improve faster if I spent several hours a day out there. If I only didn't have my day job.
I've been thinking a lot recently about potters (as well as other artists) and day jobs. It depresses me to think about income in relation to talent. What I mean, specifically, is that I know many artists who posses unbelievable talent and skill. They produce amazing work. Their craft is what they have chosen for a profession and it shows in the quality of what they produce. They put in numerous hours every day and frequently don't take the weekend off. Most of these artists barely make a living doing this.
One potter I know in Pennsylvania recently removed her work from most of the galleries she was in. It just wasn't selling. She is now working part-time jobs to get by. I was told that another potter in that area, Jordan Taylor, was thinking about giving up pottery full-time to get a 'regular job'. Jordan produces fantastic work. It's a shame that someone like Jordan may have to give up his full-time devotion to clay in order to pay the bills.
When it comes to fiscal matters I am super-right-winged-conservative. I believe that Government should be involved in the economy as little as possible. I believe the Government should play the same role in the economy that the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) plays in college sports. If a college wants to participate and compete in athletics they must be a member of the NCAA. The NCAA basically says, "Here are the rules, follow them, and if we discover you are violating the rules you will be punished." That's what the Government should do with the economy - set up the rules and monitor compliance. Otherwise, get out of it and let businesses run the way they determine is best for business.
With that being said, I am a supporter of letting the market determine supply and demand. Obviously there is not enough demand for quality art and thus artist income suffers. There is one other component, however: most buyers of art are uninformed and uneducated (about art). They don't know what it takes to produce the work and how much effort and devotion it takes to develop those skills.
While at the Spring Arts Festival one year I stopped to look at some watercolors at a booth. They were stunning. I spoke with the artist who informed me that he had been painting for forty years. While looking at a painting I noticed two women standing next to me looking at the same. The price for the painting was $2,000. One woman turned to the other and said, "...$2,000?! I can get a painting like that at Wal-Mart for $25." It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut. With much of the buyers market consisting of people like this it's no surprise that talented artists barely scrape by. Thankfully there is a small part of the overall buyers market that appreciate fine art and don't mind spending the money to acquire it.
Well, it's time to head out to the studio. I've vented enough for one morning!
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