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Storytelling has always been the ultimate goal for me as an artist, and also something that I'm not always sure how to do. These winter months, I am finding my voice with gouache and watercolors as I focus on people, relationships, and love. My most recent painting, Between The Shadow and The Soul was named after a line in a Pablo Neruda poem, and was inspired by many people in my own life. I hope that this one makes you cry a little bit, or at least tear up.
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i've been lurking around on Local Montana Gallery websites lately. If you're a creative, trying to make a career out of art, then you've considered showing your stuff at a gallery. But let me tell the rest of you... getting stuff in galleries is not easy nor obvious and it takes a certain amount of courage. Now, I could go into detail about the obstacles, hurdles and inconsistencies of gallery representation, but i dont have time today for that. instead I will let you know what I do know... First, look for Galleries that represent works that are in the same wheelhouse as yours. You're not necessarily looking for galleries that have identical art, because people want to see new things. But the most important thing to consider as an artist looking for representation is that galleries are businesses, and they want to sell your art to make a profit for themselves. They attract certain customers who are looking for a certain thing, and if your art is what their customers want, then you have a symbiotic relationship. Therefore, do your research and find a gallery that works with your style. Second, once you find your target, do some research. Spy on their artists. read their articles. Learn their politics. like and follow their social media. Do not personally harass them, but support their business in any form that you can. Third, build your own portfolio. The reason that I started blogging, was simply to build a content driven website. This blog is part of my artist portfolio, as well as the rest of my website. But on that note... make your portfolio look like a gallery. Last night I saw an application for a gallery submission that said that they wanted 10-20 pieces from a body of work. And i realized at that moment, that i need to organize my art into bodies of work, for instance, right now I'm working on a series of Watercolor Landscapes. This is exciting for me cause I have eight pieces that are complete, so I only need two more before I can apply to said gallery. But I also see now that I need to re-organize my previous works into specific bodies of works. A-hem, at least those that I still have for sale.
the last advice that i have is to be brave. Art has been around since the first people walked this earth, and nothing is an original idea, yet every piece is an original. And artists are very hard on themselves, often forgetting that their career is important to our community. As well as the emotional effect that art has on people, Art is a huge piece of our collective conscious about who we are as a culture, what we do, and where we're going. So dont worry about fitting into any mold. follow your gut. Maybe your stuff is what someone needs to see. If you apply and dont get in, that doesnt mean anything, just that you didnt get in. Keep looking and keep trying until you have success, and then get in touch with me, and tell me what i can do to get in! wink, wink! |
AuthorZanny, aka Rosanna Mecklenburg or Rosanna Griffith lives in Lewistown Montana and writes about her life as a self-taught artist, a business owner, a wife, a mom, the adventures of building a permaculture orchard, gardening in Central Montana, learning how to preserve the harvest, and building a home, not necessarily in that order. 
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Other Local Lewistown Artists to Watch...
Felton + Ferguson Woodworking
Kiln' Em With Kindness Becka
Seven Diamond Photography
Emma Wickens
Spotted Horse Gallery
Deezy's Retrospectrum
Blue Campan
Stone City
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