Another Milestone

I believe that the most difficult hurdle to overcome for a new artist is the challenge of breaking into the local art community and being accepted as an artist in one's own right. I addressed that challenge by joining my local arts group, Placer Arts and began attending functions. I also had a very supportive mentor /teacher Reif Erickson, who was pleased that I was following through with my art and going beyond the weekly classes and trying to create my own style. Besides being an excellent teacher and a wonderful pastel artist himself, he has become a good friend and encourager.  He shares his suppliers, and has given me the names of places where I can reduce my costs to purchase art supplies. Becoming known locally in our own city or town, and having a venue to show paintings where friends, neighbors and others will see them is not easy because there are limited venues to show paintings publicly. There is no guidebook that tells one how to overcome all of the obstacles that one faces, but what I knew it would take was persistence.

I began checking with the local Old Town Gallery in old town Auburn. It is a beautiful gallery and member artists volunteer time to man the store, and pay rent for space to hang their art. This beautiful gallery is independent of the Placer Arts Group. Being new at this and working on a tight budget, paying a monthly rental was not something I could afford. I did decide to also join the Roseville Arts group at the Blue Line Gallery and paid my membership fee so that I would have access to enter gallery shows. I began exploring other venues as well like the Auburn Faith Hospital that has an Art Can Heal program, and they invite local artists to hang paintings in a hallway and rotate the art every month or so. I have not received any response as to how long that list is yet, but I suspect it has quite a waiting list I checked with several local restaurants that had artwork hanging on their walls, and was told that it is all managed by the Placer Arts Association. They schedule art programs and include art from local high schools, and select the artists that will participate in the monthly art walk program that starts in May and runs through September. I am scheduled to be in the August Art Walk.

Find in a venue to show paintings though takes a lot more work. Tsuda Market, a landmark  that had been operated in Old Town Auburn by the Tsuda family for over 80 years finally closed last year. This little grocery store had provided many local Japanese and American food products to local families in town. Once it closed however; the building had to be brought into compliance with earthquake safety building codes before a new business could occupy the premises. After many months of renovation a new Cafe also called Tsuda occupied the site and became very popular with its excellent sandwiches, salads and bakery products. When we were eating lunch there one day, I asked the owner if I could have an opportunity to display some of my paintings on the walls there. Very modern bright colored acrylic paintings occupied 2/3 of the available space already. Alexandra took my card and said, as a matter of fact, I am planning on clearing the area behind the coffee bar and moving some things around, and using that as a rotating space for artists. I'll have a look at your art and we can talk again.  One thing led to another and their were very many events on their calendar, and another meeting just did not happen. I just figured that the owner thought that my art would be too conservative compared to the really modern paintings already in the eating area.

In the meantime, I was contacted by a local Chiropractic Doctor, Heather Perry through Placer Arts forward of her email. She asked me if I would be interested in hanging some of my paintings in her offices that had been recently remodeled. She said an artist that knew me had referred me and I replied I would definitely be interested, and would come by to look at the offices. I went by and met Dr Perry and could see that this would be a nice place to hang paintings. Her practice offered a number of healing services and my friend Jeanie said she had sold three paintings when hers had been on display there over a three month period. Dr Perry has scheduled me to hang my paintings there in April.

Last week I dropped by Tsuda's early in the morning to buy some bakery products to take home to have with coffee. After purchasing them I saw Alexandra meeting with a supplier and just waived as I walked by. She called out to me and said, "Paul wait!" I turned around and walked back and she said, "That wall over there by the coffee bar is all yours to decorate with your paintings whenever you are ready." I said, thank you, that would be great. Needless to say, I was quite taken aback by this sudden turn of events and bubbling with enthusiasm when I got back home to tell my wife.

I went back the next day and measured the wall space and Alexandra said that I had to use existing nails in the old brick, or use existing holes. Since it was a historical building and the wall was brick, I needed to make sure to be very careful even using what was there. We can even hang things from the support beam if necessary she said. It looked like it would be a significant challenge and I went home and grabbed some paper, and began figuring out an arrangement and also deciding what paintings to hang there. I also gathered what I thought would be the necessary tools to take with me. Since the weekend is a very busy time with lots of tourist traffic, I decided to wait until Monday to hang my paintings.

Monday morning, I loaded up my car with my tools and paintings and set off for Tsuda's. I was excited and also a little concerned, not knowing what obstacles would confront me once I began. My luck was good for a parking space was available right in front of the Cafe. I carried in my paintings and tools, and asked one of the food staff if Alexandra was in today. She said, yes she is, but she just left on an errand. I told her I was going to hang my paintings on the wall above the coffee bar. She said, "Oh yes, Alexandra said you would be in, let me take some of the things down and get them out of the way."

There was only one lonely old large headed nail in the uneven brick wall, and it was off center. and midway up the wall. I decided to hang the larger painting I had brought on that nail, once I checked it to make sure it was secure. Then I began searching the wall for existing holes that I could put proper hooks in to hang my paintings. None looked very promising, so I had to get creative. The nails I had with the hooks were slim, so I could gently tap them into cracks in the mortar and eventually managed to get all of the paintings hung.  I had to shorten some wires and extend others to at least balance the paintings as best I could. As I was cleaning up and packing up my things to leave Alexandra came back in the Cafe and said, "Oh wow, that looks great Paul!"

I stopped in again yesterday to drop off some cards and Alexandra said, "Well I have to tell you, your paintings are a big hit. Everyone likes them, and every time someone asks about the one on the top right, I tell them it is sold already. I want that one! My brother wants the one with the old Chevy truck." That is great news, I said thank you for giving me the opportunity to hang them in your cafe.

I am so delighted to have this kind of visibility in a busy cafe in our old town section. It is a major tourist haunt, and very busy on weekends. Locals frequent the area during the week. It is also just across the street from the art gallery. I told Alexandra I would pay her a commission on any painting I sell and replace them as vacancies provide that opportunity.  She said that is fine, that is what she does with the other artist. That is more reasonable than the forty percent that galleries charge, and I don't have to pay monthly rental on the space. This means I will have money from sales to buy more supplies to continue painting. Now that is a real milestone.