We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stacey Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stacey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?
I think the toughest part of profiting as an artist, is finding the right audience. Most people have this notion that artists work for free, because we love creating, and we have been blessed with talent. Aside from being represented by a major art gallery, being recognized as a professional artist can be tricky. I think that being a strong, consistent self-marketer is the number one thing that successful artists need. Unfortunately, most of us creatives are not the best at it. When I was in art school, there was no marketing class to teach you how to make money after graduation. I’m not sure what things look like today, for young artists who are earning their degrees, but I really do hope that fine art programs are offering students classes that teach them how to get their work out into the world, and profit from their skills and natural talents.
Stacey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was always making stuff as a kid: drawing, sewing, gluing, painting, building. I was also an accident prone adventurer, so I had quite a few trips to the emergency room, with sprains, bruises, and the occasional broken bone. My mom always had pens or pencils (or crayons) in her purse so I could draw on the exam table paper while we waited for the doctor. I remember immediately wanting to learn how to use my left hand to draw when I broke my right arm (not once, but twice), and then I drew all over my casts. I entered drawing contests, took my elementary school art projects very seriously, and told anyone who would listen that “I want to be an artist when I grow up”.
Fast forward to 1989 where I started taking art classes at my local college in Michigan. In my second year, one of my instructors suggested that I look into art schools. The following Spring I moved to San Francisco to attend The Academy of Art from which I graduated in with a BFA in 1994. I worked as a freelance illustrator, part-time but I soon realized that I wanted to express myself through my artwork, instead of taking creative direction from someone else. Eventually I moved down the coast to Monterey, where I got a job working as a stained glass artist for a small, family run gallery. Unfortunately, stained glass took a toll on my wrists, and I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. So, I had surgery and decided to leave California and off to Colorado I went. My younger brothers both live here, and it seemed like the best place for my next adventure.
As I recovered from surgery, I volunteered as an art facilitator at a memory care program and I loved helping the patients with their artwork. From there, I decided to focus on earning a degree in art education, so I attended the University of Denver, and received my MA in Curriculum and Instruction. That led to teaching art in a local High School for 3 years, and then, after my daughter was born, I started teaching elementary art. During that time, I wasn’t doing much creating of my own and I missed it so much. Painting is my therapy, and I desperately needed it back in my life. I decided to leave public education about 8 years ago, and I love what my days look like now. I have a home studio that I share with my two gerbils and 3 legged turtle. I work in soft pastel, and create surreal landscapes and wildlife. Most of my paintings are a combination of images that come straight from my imagination, and bits and pieces of reference material that I have collected (and continue to collect) over the years. The techniques I use in my pastel paintings are a bit different than the traditional ways in which pastel paintings are usually created. This is one of the things that makes them recognizable as my work. Most of my collectors purchase my paintings through art shows, through my website, or directly from me.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think that my consistency in putting my work out into the public has helped me become recognized as a reputable, professional artist. People recognize my style, and will often approach me at an art opening to ask me about my work, or to mention that they have seen my paintings in other venues. I have also been asked by a couple of art associations, and the pastel society of Colorado to demonstrate my technique for their members.
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
I honestly sell most of my work, off the wall of a gallery. I have made sales through my website www.breathingrockfineart.com, but I haven’t tried any ecommerce sites like Etsy, mainly because of the massive number of artists who sell there. It’s easy to get buried on the website if you don’t know how to boost search results. The pros of having my own website with ecommerce built in, is that it is very quick, and easy to customize and it’s very easy to find me! The downside of any ecommerce platform, including having my own, is getting potential collectors to the actual site. Marketing is always key, but seems to be the most difficult part of building a successful art business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.breathingrockfineart.com
- Instagram: @stacey515
- Facebook: Breathing Rock Fine Art
