Dave is an IT Technical Architect living in South Devon in England. His first memories of art are drawing lots of parrots when he was about 7. After passing his 'O' and 'A' levels in art he missed the opportunity to gain entry into the Edinburgh College of Art after being held up in Libya following the bombing in 1986. (He lived there for a time whilst his father was working there) and almost his entire portfolio had mysteriously disappeared from the art room when he had returned. The normal 9 to 5 routine followed and it wasn't unitl 2009 when his passion for drawing returned when his friends bought two kittens and he drew 'Chili in the Tree' (Something he is very greatful for) and Charging Elephant soon followed along with a few others. Whilst his passion for art has returned he finds juggling drawing with long hours at work difficult but through study and advice from others, his art is improving with each piece and soon hopes to be able to produce fine quality drawings that others will enjoy.
Wiltchy :
Well it's the end of my first week here on FAR and as gushingly obsequious as it sounds just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has taken the time to review my work and made me feel welcome. I've seen some top quality work on here both in traditional and photography art and I have to admit when I saw the really high standards of some of the work I couldn't help think "what the hell am I doing here" lol. It's a bit of a daunting time for me as I'm only just really starting to take my art more seriously again after what has been a gap of over 20 years and any helpful hints or suggestions where a drawing could be improved are always welcome and thanks to those who have done that. Until recently I've never put my art out on general display and even now it's only been on the internet. I've never really had the confidence in my own abilities to think anyone would be interested in my drawings in the public arena and one of the reasons for joining FAR was to gauge what other artists think as I know they would be far more critical than family and friends who might not say anything negative for fear of hurting my feelings. This of course can have devastating consequences as many of us may have seen in reality talent shows where parents push their kids onto the stage only for them to be really bad and end up as public ridicule. The positive feedback I've had so far, especially from those who I have seen can be quite critical at times (I'm not saying this is a bad thing) has certainly given me the confidence to take things to the next level and actually start to display my drawings in a real gallery. Any helpful hints on this would be really welcome as I've never done this before, especially when it comes to framing and mounting techniques and also any advice on how to sell a piece of work. I know you can do it through FAR but is it best to sell prints and keep the original for a public gallery and how the hell do you go about working out a price for something? Or should I simply use the JFDI approach? ( for those not familiar with the JFDI approach let's just say the JDI means Just Do It ;-) ).
Rhonda Chase : I'm glad that you have had a positive and encouraging week. I will say that the rating system here is pretty flawed from all I can see. Unfortunately there are not as many people here who will treat you any different than your family would. Real life trying to sell your work and show will give you the best feedback. I just worry that people come here hoping to find out if they can make it out in the art world to be given a false sense of security. The world is harsh and selling art is difficult even when you're very good. If you want to sell prints of your work you need to have incredibly good records of them. My suggestion to start would be to see how your originals fair in the market. Beyond that you have many many questions here. I'd suggest either some artist workshops, or a good book on the topic to start. I'll have to go find one to refer you to, but I can't get to it atm. I know I can be one of those critical ones, but my desire is to see you succeed not to inflate you for failure.
July 29 at 10:25PM
cynnocence : My friend, it is hard work. I would suggest you start with a website and some business cards. If you can do art cards, there are many places (boutiques, personal design stores, etc.) who will work with you to sell them. What also worked for me was choosing a charitable organization and selling them the idea of using your cards as a fundraiser. Let me know what you think? Cyn
July 31 at 4:06AM
Wiltchy : Thank you both for the great tips. I will always listen to other artists' advice and use it where possible. The art card tip sounds really good and if you could find that book Rhonda that would be really useful and I will definitely find out if there are any workshops in my area. As for the crtical side, please keep it coming I only want to improve and will always listen to constructive criticism especially from someone who knows what they're talking about. Thanks again. Dave :-)
August 4 at 6:17AM
ibwatnu : Hi, I think that u are headed in a good direction, as a start, especially if u have great apprehension of ur work making it. This site can be a great gauge for u, and i personally recommend sticking with it for whatever hope/relief u gain. One thing to remember is that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and u shouldn't let someone elses' taste define u or ur work...different strokes, for different people. Good Luck!
August 16 at 9:28AM
Wiltchy : Hi all. I just wanted to add a quick comment to let everyone who follows my work and those I follow to say sorry for not posting a new work for a while and for not replying to reviews. I've been off te map for a while due to a hectic work schedule and a bit of a traumatic time at home due to my Dad having a bad stroke. I'm hoping to be back in earnest in the new year with some new stuff but for now just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone on FAR a very Merry Christmas and an even Happier and Propserous New Year :-) x
December 16 at 10:22AM
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