Who wants to be a millionaire artist?

Patricia Frischer Not Your Mother's Finger Bowls, glycerin soap sculptures, 2019

Encinitas Friends of the Arts ARTIST COLLECTIVE Artist Salon

Sat. Nov 16, 2019, 2 to 4 pm Encinitas Library

I can honestly say that not all meetings I go to are great fun. Most have an element of good will, sometimes an occasional joke. On rare occasions there is actually tension in the air. But the first Encinitas Friends of the Arts Artist Collection Artist Salon was a hoot. That was not because of the brown bag wine that was smuggled into the library, or the delicious food that everyone contributed (death by chocolate cupcakes, amazing cheese, tajin flavored chocs). It was the humor that bubbled up from the creative energy in the space contributed by all those that attended. Thanks go to Lisa Longsworth, Naimeh Woodward,  Angela Jackson, Laura Diede, Kristen Francis, Debbie Schaefer, Genine O. Rainbeau-Heart, Portia La Touche, Rosemary KimBal, Molly Webb and the sole and much appreciated male attendee Zigaloe. We roared with laughter when the out of the box thinking gave us the permission to break a few rules.

The title of this Artist Salon was Who wants to be a millionaire artist? Moderated and introduced by Dr. Lisa Longsworth and our focus was How does the sale of your art work affect your artistic and creative production and content of your work?  This was not a workshop or lecture about selling your art to become a millionaire. Nope, Lisa started us with a stretch and a meditation to get in touch with what might be weighing us down (cocooning us) and how it would feel to be more free (turn into butterflies). We did a very short hands on drawing challenging us to be as abstract and expressive as possible. Then as a twist, we put a word title to each page. These beginning tasks served to disconnect us from the outside world and at the same time seemed to connect us all together.

We discussed what it would be like to be given an annual living wage as a designated official artist. There would be something so freeing about this recognition and about the release from some basic money worries. For some this was a thought experiment and that was very freeing. Not having to make something for sale meant ideas flowed about renegade art or art that was community themed.

For some, sales means validation. But at what point toward millions of dollars is the content of the work affected? And how far does $1 million dollars really go nowadays?  We had a laugh about combining all of our millions together to rescue the Pacific View Art Center. And what about the burden of responsibility that millions of dollars bring? The accountant artists have no trouble with this, but for others is was a step too far.

It turns out that we all have different benchmarks of success. Just having the time, energy, ideas to make art is success. Taking your art out of the closet and putting it on display is success. Communicating your ideas successfully and having someone recognize the value either in admiration or with a purchase is success.

Personally for me, I recognized that that I don't put myself forward as an artist as much as I should. I discovered this during the meditation. I also have my own challenges at an age when I start to think about what happens to the art that I have made for the last 50 years which has not yet sold. I took two years with the help of master glass artist Michelle Curtis Cole to learn the process of making cast glass sculptures. I love the light, weight and details that can be achieved with this medium. But two years just to begin to learn about this medium! My solution is to use the molds I have made and cast glycerin soap sculptures. I get the same wonderful light but with immediate gratification. And no problem with storage as these work are consumable and will, with luck produce bubbles of delight. Plus, clean up is a breeze!

I am including  two videos that I created of works I shared with the group. 

Would you like to get involved with this group? Contact Naimeh Woodward, director of Encinitas Friends of the Art friendsofthearts1@gmail.com. There is a special discounted EFA $15 artist membership which means you will be invited to the end of the year  party on Thursday, Dec 5 from 4:30 to 6:30, Encinitas Library Community Room, 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas 92024. 

But member or not you should save the date Sat. Jan 11 at 2 pm for the next Artist Salon at the Creative Renewal Center moderated by  Ellen Speert where we will explore art which deals with environmental issues. We also have a topic for Sat March 14 at 2 pm moderated by Portia La Touche: The Good, Bad and Ugly of art criticism.  

Request for future artist salon topics. Please send to patricia@sdvisualarts.net 

Dr. Lisa Longworth is giving a lecture on the Art of Transformation on Sunday Jan.18 from 3-4 pm with a chance to se the art exhibition from Jan 11 to Feb 2020 at the Solana Beach Library. More info: dr@lisalongworth.com

EFA Artist Collective Mission Statement: Encinitas Friends of the Arts Artists Collective’s mission is to provide a positive force for visual and performing artists to support each other, create community, identify resources, and aid collaboration while giving back to our city.

EFA Artist Collective Vision Statement: To create a series of events and projects based on our current goals of creating an Artist Salon, a directory of venues that showcase visual and performing art including procedures for being involved and an EFA Artist Collective Instagram page documenting the stories of Encinitas artists through images.

I am adding this small video of 1000 origami cranes that my yoga group made to honor and help heal our yoga instructor Emmy Garnica. She has instructed me for more than 15 years and is fighting her 3rd round of cancer. These are displayed at the Cardiff by the Sea Library with every hope that when the spring comes, she will have regained her strength. She inspires us everyday.