Having Courage, One hundred fans,Mississippi Mud

Painting of the Day




Wood Farm
4x6 inches
gouache on acid free mat board

mounted to 5x7 for easy framing

40.00

2.00 shipping

I got an email yesterday from a painter who is terribly worried about the economy and whether painting sales will go down the tubes. I think everyone who paints for a living worrries about the economy in difficult days. We have constant doom and gloom on TV every night and that cannot help.

We do have some control over our own destiny. We have to have faith in ourselves and our work in order to get through hard times. I never allow myself to think that I will fail. There are always people with disposable income even in poor economies. There will always be people who love art and who believe in us. I believe we must have faith in them, knowing that they will sustain us even when the public won't. Our collectors are our friends and in many ways our family. They mean a great deal to us as artists. In a mundane world, artists see beauty and love for the earth and it's treasures. Our collectors are champions for us, cheering us on. We need each other to make the world a wonderful place. It is a partnership of devotion for both parties. If we truely care for our patrons, they will care for us. I was gratified to get many emails from patrons who received my Mail Art during the Lent season. Most of them were delighted by the surprise and they wanted me to know how much it meant to them.

I recently read an article about art collectors and selling art. The person wrote that if artists had one hundred loyal fans in their life, they would never need more. I think he was right. One hundred loyal patrons who bought a painting or two, who told their friends about their favorite artist and incouraged their friends to support an artist, would keep us going for quite a long time.

Instead of trying to get more and more strangers to look at our work, perhaps we need to turn our attention to those who have supported us for many years.

I would love to have a fan club of one hundred patrons. I have a start with my patron club, but I like the idea of this very much and want to think about it. Having the regular support of patrons would take all of the stress out of an artist's life, allowing them to paint, not worry about bills all the time. I liked the system back in the Renaissance times. Patrons supported artists and kept them on retainer to do paintings. The artist was given a stipend to pay expenses and then did paintings on demand. What if we had patrons who prepayed x amount of money each year and then had first choice on paintings coming out of the studio for the year? That would be a wonderful way to purchase art. If a patron liked a particular artist's work, what a great way to know he/she could have the paintings he/she liked the best for that year!

Even in the darkest times, my advice is to never give up, no matter what. I've had many dark times in my long career. The funny thing is that you never really "Make It". Disaster is always right around the corner. The financial swings back and forth are incredible for the average artist. You can be sitting on easy street basking in the glow of success because everybody loves you and then Bam!!! You don't have a dime in your pocket. Just a month or two can change your situation that fast. Suddenly, you are persona non gratis. Six months later, your work is selling again.

The artists who survive this roller coaster are the ones who refuse to give up. Most people don't have the personality type to do this kind of work because of the financial hardship. I can't say that I blame them, but here I am and I'm too old and stubborn to quit :>)


I took Easter off and spent the day doing family things. It was beautiful!! it's good to take a day off now and then.


Today's Recipe:


This s an old South favorite. You see it a lot in restaurants around the South.


Mississippi Mud

1 stick butter
1/2 cup cocoa
5 eggs (Xtra large)
1 1/4 cups sifted flour (self-rising)
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter, add cocoa, eggs, sugar, and flour; mix well. Stir in nuts and vanilla then pour into a greased 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 mins. Top immediately after removing from oven. (see below)

Topping

1 bag miniature marshmallows
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick (softened) butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Cover the top of the cake with marshmallows as soon as it comes out of the oven. Beat the rest of the ingredients well and pour over the marshmallows before they melt together.