CUVPRP603A
Developing
a professional approach to creative practice
BSBSMB408B
Manage
personal, family , cultural and business obligations
Who i am as a
practictioner
Tristan Griffin , is an emerging artist
in the tweed shire, currently studing Advanced Diploma at the North
Coast Institure of Tafe, majoring in contemporary sculpture.The
primary focus of his works is the exploration of the relationship
between religion, contemporary society and the human condition
through sculpture, drawing and painting.
Where i operate from
My practice is located in Kingscliff
NSW, a coastal town just south of Tweed Heads in the Northern Rivers
region of New South Wales, Australia. Kingscliff is a beach community
and a tourist destination that provides beach and estuary access for
swimming, surfing, fishing and water sports. It also has a thriving
arts community with kingscliff arts, KPA, the curious art
gallery(Chinderah villiage) and various venues for artist to exhibit.
Currently a deacon, as of mid 2014 I
commenced stage design and creative input at C3 Kingscliff.
Connections through the church
community have led to commission artworks and the venue for first
solo exhibition.
What structure is my
current business practice , what were my other options
Currently registered and operating as a
sole trader/student out a home based studio, which is a single garage
attached to the kitchen of a rented three bedroom, two storey, unit
located in Kingscliff. The studio space is semi-public(which
required public liability insurance), where I invite collectors and
potential commision clients to preview new work and stay for extended
discussions. By running an artists studio I am given creative
freedom depending on the nature of the work being executed that I
would not be allowed in a corporate environment. It it important to
note that while there is greater creative freedom it is often the
nature of self employment that the average work hours will be longer
and there is the uncertainty of financial security.
Financial success seems to be the
measure for artists in todays commercialised digital society. Todays
contemporary art heavy weights such as Damien Hirst , Takashi
Murakami and Jeffrey "Jeff" Koons actively “brand”
themselves.
“The signal drama in new art
lately involves a struggle not for esteem and influence—the wonted
dreams of artists—but for commercial viability. If you like a
certain artist now, it’s hard not to be caught up in rooting for
him or her to sell. Simply no other way to gauge, affirm, and discuss
quality is in working order.”
As they have branded themselves, I do
find the creative approaches to their pracitices enticing as they are
all interdisciplinary and explore a wide range of mediums, concepts
and markets.
Financial success tho isnt my primary
goal in my artistic practice. My vision of professional success is to
have a self sustaining studio/property where i can teach from and
make work from to exhibit and the flexibility to be able to travel
internationally for work. My personal commitment to being an artist
is on a spiritual level, as my artwork is an outworking of my faith
and my work reflects my beliefs.
To achieve success my objectives in the
next 12 months in business and professional focus are:
become a legal business
(completed)
NAVA premium membership
(essentially recognition as a professional artist currently a member
of the ceramics association)
complete BA in fine arts at south
bank university
work out how to transport artworks
or make transportable artworks
purchase of motorcycle (assist in
transport cost)
participare in a group exhibition
hold a solo exhibition
participate in competition
ground my methodologies and
techniques in 2D and 3D.
prepare a professional portfolio,
brochure and website
research 20 companies in my chosen
markets
test out online sale of artworks
including delivery
five years :
hold a solo exhibition
hold a group exhibition
hold an art competition
have a well-developed
mailing/contact list
identify an
interstate/international market, identify the main potential buyers
in it and contact 20 of them
assess whether my skills can be
diversified to other markets
regular exhibiting artist ( 2+
times a year)
full time employment either as a
institution teacher or private teacher/tutor
establish sustainable income as
commercial artist
ten years :
purchase of land, establish
permanent studio
sustainable international client
base
established professional network
and patrionage
holding solo and group exhibtions
holding an art competition
hold artist retreats
As the provider for a family I do need
to consider the need for financial security and as such the potential
consideration for entering into a large organisation or educational
institiution as a teacher.
While working in a large organisation
or institution provides potential financial security , it can be an
environment that does not promote individual creativity. From what I
have experienced in the games and commercial television industry, and
from what I have disgused with Justin Garnsworthy in printed news
media the trend was to do what was safe and profitable and the focus
was to make the deadline and clients demands rather than creative
integrity. From my disgussions with fulltime art teachers it seems
that there is very little time left for their own creative arts
practice but it does give them a readily available peer group.
Analysis of studio space
As an artist the studio space is the
center of my practice, and sculptor, painter and being prolific in
the creation of my work this space is dynamic and often cluttered.
Below is a panoramic image of my
current studio space.
As you can see it is currently
cluttered as this photo was taken directly before my first solo
exhibition in kingscliff. This space has two entrances, one at
either end. The internal door way leads into the laundry/kitchen and
provides the majority of airflow as the other into the shared
driveways of the complex. When working with toxic fumes or dusty
material both doors are opened for maximum air flow if having to work
indoors is unaviodable, otherwise use of the private backyard is
used. Since this space is used for painting and has computer
equipment in it I try to aviod creating dust as much as possible.
Storage and display of artworks
My intention is to setup a storage rack
for 2D works and paper stock and temporary wall paneling so that i
can display current works in the space as part of my ongoing
professional practice and declutter as much as possible. Storage and
temporary display of the artworks is at the garage door end,
apporximately half of the studio space is dedicated to storage.
There is an internal cupboard in the
center of the room, most legacy paintings and drawings which I dont
intend on displaying are stored here. This space was chosen as it has
no natural light, safe from damage but is easily accessable. NAVA
recommends that you DONT continue to store work that you have no
intention of ever exhibiting, I am considering a major reduction of
these older works as they are cluttering my limited space.
OH&S
As part of OH&S my current method
of chemical storage will have to be reviewed asap, I am storing
chemicals such as turps, metho and spraypaints on a high shelf,
having a small child now I am going to have to purchase a lockable
cupboard. The room itself is lockable but there are many dangerous
tools in this space making it unsuitable for children.
I found that it was very easy to slip
into a project to project mindset when purchasing materials and
tools, as I had very little at the start of my arts practice, and
found that they became forgotten or lost and began to deteriate,
especially since I live so close to the beach , rust would start
easily. As a result I have begun to create storage locations for my
tools and materials. Offcuts of timber and wire are kept near the
garage door and tools are located in the center of the room for ease
of access and specialised tools ie paint brushes, paints and
ceramics/sculpting tools are located under the main work bench.
Protective clothing such as masks, ear
muffs, goggles and gloves are easily accessable and often needed due
to machinery use.Additionally correct use and saftey is observed with
the use of powertools (I was taught to respect tools at all times or
lose a finger) A First Aid protector kit is located in the
kitchen(attached to the studio) , a fire extinguisher is located in
the studio near the internal door as is the fire alarm.
An attempt at all times is made to keep
the exits clear regardless of how cluttered the space gets.
The cluttered nature of the space will
have to be addressed asap as this is a potential future hazard and
not conducive to a productive and creative environment or to
relocating the studio.
Council reculations and zoning
The studio is currently located in a
Residential Zone and is a part of a body corp, as such I have to
adhere to noise polution regulations as well as body corp
regulations. Noise curfew for powertools for kingscliff starts at 7pm
till 7am but the body corp stipulates 5pm till 8am. The body corp
also stipulates that shared spaces, ie outside of garage, need to be
kept clear as much as possible, meaning that use of powertools has to
be done in our back courtyard(much to my wifes distress).
Adopt professional work practices
and ethics
In
2013 I began taking on commission portraiture, it was at this time
that I established a professional work ethic with clients.
Payments, pricing , time schedule
Diligentia
ad siera , diligence and excellence
Integrity
Excellence
Discipline
Diligence
Flexibility
Integrity
Integrity stretches to all aspects of
an artist's practice. Integrity fosters trusting relationships with
clients, peers and galleries. Peers value the ability to give honest
feedback. Clients trust the artists advice and promises. Galleries
rely on the artists high moral standards, trusting them to act in a
professional manner.
Excellence
Some artists do only the bare minimum,
just enough to keep their pratice intact. Artists with a strong work
ethic care about the quality of their work. They do their best to
produce great work, not merely churn out what is needed. The artists
commitment to quality improves their practices overall success.
Discipline
It takes a certain level of commitment
to finish tasks every day. An artist with good discipline stays
focused on his goals and is determined to complete them. often
put in extra hours beyond what is expected, work at a
consistently fast pace, artists with good discipline are often highly
productive. They commonly get large amounts of work done more quickly
than others who lack this work ethic, as they don't quit until
they've completed the tasks with which they were presented.
Diligence
A zealous and careful nature
in one's actions and work, decisive work ethic, steadfastness in
belief, fortitude, and the capability of not giving up. Budgeting
one's time by monitoring their own activities to guard against
laziness. Being on time and meeting dealines. Upholding their
convictions at all times, especially when no one else is watching.
Flexibility
The
ability to adapt to changes in all situations and make the most of
any situation. For example saying yes to opportunities and adjusting
to meet changes in financial climate, family situations, studio space
and financial availability.
As I
make my work about my beliefs adhearing to strong ethics/morality is
integral to my artistic practice as I believe that a good work ethic
needs to be supported by good character.
Family
emergency comes first, i will not sacrifice family for work, work can
always be caught up on but family moments only happen once. As a
christian we are often asked the question of where our priorities
lay. For me its God, Self/Faimly, Church, Work, friendship then
everything else. And I attempt to adhere to the virtues of joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness, benevolence, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
Operating an art studio also needs
to adhere to a culturally appropraite work ethic.
As
a father, disabled pensioner and active member of the kingscliff
church community there are commitments that are important to me that
impact the time available for studio practice.
personal:
prayer,
family, relaxation.
relaxation
time is spent with family, I need to be at home(4pm) to spend time
with family ie family dinner night(monday) and pizza/movie
night(tuesday) birthdays, school events. New BABY which requires alot
of time and lack of sleep and teenagers without transport for
appointments. Time with wife, date night, shopping and leasure etc.
Domestic , cleaning floors, dishes , cloths washing etc
physical
health limitations:
daily
exercise to compensate for reduced mobility , pain . This is done
through the practice of qi gong accompanied with prayer. Included in
this is doctors visits bi-monthly, daily medication and a daily
restricted diet.
cultural
/ religious:
Weekly
church service attendance (Sunday), service at C3 church as deacon
when rostered and stage design/creative input(weekly), attendance
ministry and prayer meeting monthly. Monthly free public BBQ, driving
children to DNA and youth group (weekly).
Personal work hours
Weekdays
my work hours begin at 5am till 5pm with allowance for extra hours
late at night to meet deadlines, saturdays tentative dependant on
deadlines and non-working on sundays due to cultural commitments, i
will not take work calls after 5pm or before 8am weekdays.
Public work hours
in
the current cultral work climate of the kingscliff area individuals
work any day of the week.
regional
galleries are generally open wed-sun 10am – 5pm
general
public work hours 9am till 5pm
gallery
openings are generally 6pm or later
Collaborate and
communicate with other professionals
In todays
digitially dominant world the way we collaborate, network and
communicate with others professionally is changing. Artist Heather
Dale says being able to reach out to your "tribe" has
become easier than ever as it is just a button click away. By making
use of social media such as facebook, instagram, twitter, blogger etc
the artist is able to exposure the public to their artworks and to
develop a client base, and by creating a dedicated website/page for
posting professional art related images and updates for clients and
enables the artist to quickly send personal messages and invites to
people on this list.
This method is
FREE and enables the artist to build quickly and maintain a list of
contacts that are kept upto date and informed as your practice grows
and changes. A more traditional method is to keep a hard copy mailing
list and send snail mail, this method tho is labour intensive and
requires financial outlay.
It is important
to set aside face time with your professional contacts and network,
such as:
running of a
small creative group, for me I could do this as part of the C3
churches DNA group (fellowshipping)
attend art
classes at the 'kingscliff arts' classes held by Jillian, Hobie etc
attending
art exhibition openings
attend
art/creative lectures
becoming
involved in professional groups (NAVA, flying arts, ceramics
association, co-ops such as curious art gallery)
doing
volunteer work for galleries, swell festival, workshops
Running a small business is a difficult
task, it is said that most small businesses fail (washington post,
forbes etc) so seeking suitable specialist expertise helps alliviate
the daily presures of running a studio.
Business:
accountant , solicitor, book
keeper
insurance brokers
representation by a gallery
agent
business advisor
equipment suppliers
Marketing:
Technical professionals
Printers , for catalogues , flyers
, didactic panels
website
designers
capenter,
forge, kiln owner
photographer
Identify negative
impacts on the successful operation of the studio practice
The
key areas which I believe have the potential to negatively impact my
studio practice are:
family
commitments and interuptions - As the studio is attached to the
house I am often interupted for a 'chat' by family and friends and
due to one car transport and a baby I often have to take time during
work hours to drive family members to and from appointments.
limited
finances - currently my art finances are limited to profit from
commissions and goverment suppliments.
studio
space and shared spaces - the space is small and cluttered often
with multiple projects in different disciplines being created at the
same time, the shared space (courtyard) causes distress to my wife
as it gets dusty and noisy (cutting timber, metal etc) and if I am
using chemicals (vapors and spray paints).
Regionally/kingscliff
based and physical studio location – need to travel to access
professional/cultural/arts network, studio is attached to house in a
body corp estate.
Plans and strategies to
minimise negative impact on studio practice
family
commitments and interuptions -
set
aside time to have family dinner , this allows us to keep upto date
on whats being going on during the week , and if there are any
problems/appointments that need to be kept
wife
– set aside time to spend time with wife , make sure she gets
sufficient access to the car during the week
baby
– set aside time to spend with baby , read to her , tummy time etc
spend my "relaxation" time with her and the other kids
older
children – setaside one afternoon till evening to spend time with
them
extended
family – include extended family in events , ie BBQs , birthdays
etc
family
comes first, studio time works around family commitments, get up
earlier(4-5am) in the morning as most family members dont wake up
before 7am
limited
finances
plan
ahead and allow for budget on new art projects (set aside money
purely for art equipment purchases) currently my income is split, I
contribute enough for a comfortable lifestyle for my family and the
remainder goes towards my studio practice. This remainder goes
towards materials, petrol, course fees etc.
Create
a separate bank account which is reserved for arts practice only
studio
space and shared spaces
Declutter
space by throwing out works that will never be exhibited.
Set
aside a portion of the space for the display of the works.
Unable
to currently resolve shared space issue of the courtyard but I can
minimes noise by waiting till family members are out of the
house.Minimise chemicals by closing windows and doors of the house
near the vapors while working with them.
Regionally/kingscliff
based and physical studio location
Additionally
it is very important to do regular SWOT analysis for maintaining a
business practice.
Below
is my current SWOT:
| Strengths |
Strategies
|
- Fast working and learning
- Technical and conceptual skill
- Able to do repetitive/intricate tasks
- Computer/technology savy
|
- Improve time management
- Refine skills to perfection
|
| Weaknesses |
|
- Family commitments
- Lack of finance for advertising and studio
- Restricted studio space
- Poor public speaking ability
|
- Improve time management
- Find suitable alternatives
- Keep space clean and make optimal use of space
- Take a course on public speeking
|
| Opportunities |
|
- Active member of community
- Presence conference
- Unique approach to art concept and execution
- Access to a free space to exhibit
|
- If you have friends you have fans, continue to develop and
maintain a social network
- Refine techniques to professional level
- Host art/faith related events
|
| Threats |
|
- Artwork is not currently 'trendy'
- Poor financial backing
- Bad climate economically in australia
|
- Refine artworks to perfection, consider avoiding ciche
christian imagery
- Work to current budget, seek grants and
patrons/benefactors
- Expand client base internationally and create works that
suit those clientel and transportation
|
Analysis of the skills
and knowledge needed to operate as a successful creative practitioner
Below
is a table covering creative, financial, interpersonal, practical and
promotional skills, i have ranked them 1 – 10. 1 being weakest, to
evaluate my strengths in each area.
| 8 |
literacy skills to
interpret varied information dealing with complex issues from a
range of sources.... all the things necessary to take into
account to build a successful practice |
| 7 |
planing and organizing
skills to take what you learn and organize it into an effective
plan |
| 9 |
learning and self
management skills – be able to engage in on-going and life long
learning and professional development |
| 10 |
problem solving skills ...
find solutions to things that come along to thwart you |
| 10 |
internet skills... for
business, also for research of new ideas for works, contact w/
galleries, artists, opportunities Australian Prize Planner |
| 5 |
financial skills to runs a
small business |
| 6 |
calender skills , so you
dont miss deadlines IE a range of professional pratice skills are
needed by creative practitioners |
| 5 |
people
skills... confidence to approach industry people and not feel
like an idiot or nervous or in awe etc & not to be at a loss
for words |
| 3 |
collaborate with others on
practice development issues |
| 7 |
interact with others
creative and business professionals on management and development
issues |
| 6 |
ability to talk w/
confidence and authority about your work in an industry
situation... be convincing ie know your work!!! |
| 9 |
research and evaluate
information and ideas from a wide range of sources
|
| 8 |
reflect
on complex issues and make judgements and decisions about those
issues
|
Further professional
development
Continued
education at university next year will assist in improving the
weaknesses that are apparent in the above table, in particular
collaborating with other artists, public speaking, professional
networking at running of small business. Attending and potentially
running workshops will be an ongoing part of my practice as will
professional memberships such as NAVA, flying arts and the ceramics
association. Attending more gallery openings will assist in me
meeting gallery owners, hearing how artist talk about their work and
meeting other professionals and like minded people.
What
I do need to take on board is making more use of my strengths, my
digital background could greatly assist in my artistic practice in
the short term, and I need to allocate time to it and make it a part
of my regular arts practice as currently I am disregarding those
skills.
Ongoing practice and
keys to success
As Hippocrates said "Art is long,
life is short, opportunity is fleeting".
So for the ongoing success of my
artistic practice I will need to consider and apply the following
PLAN ART CAREER & STRATEGY ,
what does success look like, plan a vision and strategy, implement
it and stay with it
Brand myself, what is unique about
me and my art
Protect copyrights
Behave like a professional ,
Integrity is more important than the art itself, reputation rules
Document everything, photograph
every artwork and process
Promote myself shamelessly, make
my art available to writers,producers,all media magazines
newspapers, T.V /radio spots
Structure pricing, how to price
artworks in a manner thats sctructured and makes sens
manage money, set up billing
practices and create a poicy for art businessman
Multiple income streams, work
smarter not harder. Create additional income and another way to
promote my art
always be a student, continue to
grow though continued education, read and watch every day. Just do
it and learn from the mistakes
Common traits of
successful artist
Art is the core of their lives,
they wake up and go to sleep thinking about art. They carve out time
in their day making art or marketing it.
Successful artists understand how
business works in the art world
Successful artists have a strong
work ethic
Successful artists are
resilient. They know that success does not happen overnight –
it requires hard work
Successful artists spend time only
with people who are 100% supportive of their art career
