A fine-art career is rarely a straightforward pursuit
By Kristin Hoerth
This story was featured in the January 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art January 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
Consider the following assortment of professions: gallery employee, quilt designer, framer, faux-finishing expert, building renovator, interior designer, furniture buyer, decorator. These were the disparate—though all visually oriented—endeavors of artist Kathie Odom (who’s featured on page 30) before she became the successful full-time fine artist she is today. It’s quite a list, isn’t it? Misty Segura-Bowers (page 60) has had an even more varied series of occupations over the years: visual-effects artist, orthodontic assistant, receptionist, massage therapist, secretary, computer-repair technician, waitress, flight attendant, banker. Brienne M. Brown (page 68) was a toxicologist before she began to seriously pursue fine art; Dan Simoneau (page 61) is a senior manager for an IT consulting firm as well as a professional fine artist.
These are just a few examples from this month’s issue that show how many ways there are to make a living as an artist, and how many different paths can lead to that ultimate destination. Sure, there are some young artists who pursue an education in art and then promptly begin earning their living by painting; those folks, however, are in the distinct minority. Virtually all of the artists we’ve written about over the years start out in related fields, with graphic design and illustration being some of the most common. And many of the most successful artists we’ve written about earn their income from more than selling paintings, often by teaching in a university setting, in workshops, or privately.
No matter which particular road an artist might take, it’s likely to have a few more bumps along the way than one might encounter in many other professions. But most every artist agrees that it’s worth it. This month we posed the question, “what would you be if you weren’t an artist?” A few of their answers: “I would be heartbroken,” “severely deprived,” and “incomplete.” One put it this way: “Art, to me, is like air. I need it to survive.”
For these talented men and women, creative expression is an imperative. That’s why we, as collectors, should find it equally imperative to support their efforts. In doing so, we’ll reap wonderful rewards.
This story was featured in the January 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art January 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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