ART DEALERS - The Good, the Bad, and the Rare.

"Lipstick & Rhinestones"

©JLicsko oil on canvas 12"x9"

Part 1:   In this post, and the next, I will share with you a few observations and tips culled from nearly forty years experience dealing with dealers. I have worked with a large number of galleries that have represented my work, my husbands work, or both. A few of these relationships have been exceptionally beneficial and enjoyable. 

My definition of an art dealer for the purpose of this writing is an artist's representative, either an independent person with no public viewing space, or a gallery owner who is the active commander of a gallery that exists to sell art to the public.

An art dealer has his feet in two buckets. He must be able to work with strong artistic personalities, speak their language, know where they are coming from, and understand their psychology. Equally important, he must be able to win the trust of collectors. Ideally charismatic, a dealer must be a strong sales force to be effective. It is rare to be fluent in both these worlds, and then add to that, to possess the head for responsible, intelligent, and creative business.

Most dealers own or manage an art gallery in a good location where walk-in traffic is essential. This gallery becomes the headquarters for exhibitions, openings, and day to day sales. This dealer must be proficient at developing a following of collectors, the less glamorous job of maintaining a physical retail space, managing both artists, and a sales staff made up of quirky individuals ranging from those with a seriously admirable arts background, to those who would be equally comfortable selling refrigerators.

I will share with you examples of polar opposites of independent art dealers. The first looks very much like a traveling sales man who will literally knock on doors. He will use one sale to direct him to the next. "Mrs. Jones down the road just bought a piece from you, she thought you might want to see the others I have in the car". (I'm serious). At the other end, is a sophisticated individual, usually with a good arts education, maybe some family connections, perhaps a sexy foreign accent, and the equivalent of a plush condo in New York or Palm Desert. This dealer often has worked out how to live well surrounded by extravagant art. Working at home, with a lower overhead, he is able to write off major portions of his home and elegant lifestyle as business costs.

If your are very lucky, as we once were, you may find the rarest of all, the art dealer who loves art and artists so much that he buys what he loves for his gallery. He sees his role as the conduit. He delights in being able to nurture and support his artists. His personality will have a strong influence on the art exhibited both because his personal taste permeates the gallery, and his choices may effect the artist's work. He will bring out the best in all his artists. If you find one, treat him very very well.

Next post: Part 2

SUBJECT MATTER - WHAT TO PAINT

"The Desert Rose" © J. Licsko '10   oil on canvas

I have often said I prefer people look at what I paint rather than how I paint. Frequently, the curse of the realist painter is observers notice the craftsmanship over the content. 

When I started painting many years ago, my first objective was to try to recreate what I saw. There is no better way to develop painting and drawing skills than copying an image from life or from photographs. The goal is to teach oneself to see, while simultaneously developing eye-hand coordination. I chose subjects that had some appeal to me and naively thought that I was making art. It wasn't until much later that I was told by a trusted authority that I had to find my own voice.

That comment threw me into a creative tailspin. We all know that the harder one looks for something the more elusive it becomes. After four years of earnest searching, I started to understand the difference between what I had thought was art, and what my authentic creative self could make as a unique contribution to the general stream of art. Looking back, I now have a respect for the frustratingly painful years of self exploration and doubt, because all the while the craft progressed. When I finally recognized my own voice, I had better skills to express it.

Knowing what to paint starts with knowing oneself. In earlier posts,  Fifteen Rules for Courting the Artist's Muse, The Reluctant Muse, and a Lesson From My Muse, I have given methods and examples of how I recognized genuine inspiration that was uniquely important to me. By listening to our inner selves, we find the universal truths that can be appreciated by others, and also the fuel for creativity.

My painting "The Desert Rose" was inspired by a vacation I took earlier this year with my mother. She, being from a northern climate, was searching for warmth and sun. Palm Desert was the place she yearned for. While lounging around the pool, sipping Margaritas, I couldn't help but notice the contrast between the younger and the older woman. Making no conscious attempt, asleep, and oblivious to the attention she was getting from the men at the bar, the young woman was the focal point. At the same time, I admired the mature woman who has made a life long commitment to her femininity. The advantage of fresh skin has been replaced with jewelry, symbols of her lifetime of accumulated personal power. While I am not actually in the image, I discovered while painting it that I am caught somewhere in between my two subjects. I am reminded that the road between the two is a short one.

A CAUSE FOR "CELEBRATION"

"Celebration"
© J. Licsko 2010
60"x60"
oil o canvas


As mentioned in a previous post "Painting Glass", I live in the Paso Robles wine county, where the win-win collaboration of art and wine is reaching new heights. If you haven't been to Paso Robles in the last couple of years, I encourage you to visit. We have a new annual art festival. The new Studios on the Park, showcases the studios of nearly twenty working artists. The "Studios" building also houses the Paso Robles Art Association's new "Showroom Gallery" where shows change at least every five weeks. The quality of life on the "Central Coast" has pulled many nationally recognized  artists to make their homes here.  Overall, the quality of art is very good, as is the wine. Almost all art events, and fundraisers, are accompanied by an opportunity to taste a local vintner's best wines. Artists hang shows in tasting rooms, vintners pour at art openings. Both groups are frequent donors to fundraising events.

Photo: © Elvis Kokopelli

Thank you - Thank you very much!!!

Perhaps the best loved, and most effective celebration of human generosity is the Central Coast Wine Classic Foundation based nearby in Avila Beach. This non-profit organization raises funds and has bestowed grants totaling $1,370,025 to 62 non-profits in the last six years alone. This year I attended the 26th annual auction. It was fun to watch auction patrons magnanimously bidding for paintings, trips, rare wines, a Lexus, even four places as guests of Emeril Lagasse at his popular Carnivale du Vin. Thanks to superb organization, great volunteers, a good time was had by all, and many worthy projects will get the funding they been hoping for.

"Celebration" is from my series that have been inspired by the social side of wine, the enjoyment of wine. With glass in hand, it is easy to become entranced by the reflections of light on the glass, the elegant shapes of the bottles and stemmed glasses, the rich reds, and subtle tints of the whites. Painting glass and wine together opens up an opportunity for prismatic color, and abstract compositions, seen best when they are painted large. At five feet by five feet, "Celebration" is my largest canvas to date. 

I am very pleased to have had my painting included in CCWC's 2010 auction, and to be invited back for 2011. My experience was gratifying from beginning to end.