M. Theresa Brown
Come on in and meet
me!
Listen to Theresa
talk about following your passion on Blog Talk Radio w Dana Woods
Art! What a great way to
make a living! What other job exists where you can gently mix creativity, emotion, color and hard work and pour it
all into a comfortable living? Or take the same ingredients, shake them up a bit and pour them into an experience?
What other job affords such a diverse array of experiences in the form of people, places, movement, sounds and
above all, a visual cornucopia of treasures?
How have I
managed to grab this life and not only live it, but encourage others to pursue it?
Sure, all
the awards and recognition are pretty exciting at first, but after awhile, well, it's the clients who matter most!
Maybe you've seen my artwork in “Veranda”, “Carolina Country” or “Our State?” Or maybe you've seen my illustrations
in Breakthrough Publications, McGraw Hill or Houghton-Mifflin publications? I have over a thousand portraits
displayed in homes and businesses around the globe. Now that's exciting! It is hard to put a price on the
gratification and emotional value of portraits and artwork that delight my clients!
My
university art experience did not exactly match my artistic hopes. The reality of the education was a
disappointment. But what I did discover was that life experiences strengthen the artistic mind and open the doors
to the colors and dynamics of the world!
I spent a
lot of time in and among the energy and competition of the dog and horse show worlds. I felt the biting cold of
northern winters and the peaceful oasis of underwater exploration. I experienced world travel, hot humid southern
summers and sailing. I like to think that all of an artist's life experiences lodge somewhere on shelves in the
mind just waiting to be pulled out and dusted off when the visual need arises!
And so
when I create a painting for a client, a little piece of me goes onto the canvas.
When I
encourage artists to create and market their artwork, a little part of me goes off with them, cheering them on and
watching them move out of the corner and into the middle of the ring!
I took
back my marketing brain years ago, to the dismay of a few gallery owners. But no longer would I be molded into
anyone's expectations of what an artist should DO. Who in the world decided that an artist could not function on
her own?
My own
quest began as an effort to break free from the pack and forge my own way. No one else would follow. It's been
quite a journey. First as a single mom supporting four children with my art and then later with an artist husband
who understands the unique composition of artist and business owner!
It won't
take you as long to reach your goals as it took me because I have blazed a trail. I have stumbled over a few roots,
dug my way out of a few holes, swatted a few pests and struggled up a few hills! Now I experience that inner peace
and contentment that comes from making a living while creating my art.
You can
visit our portrait website at:
http://www.mtheresabrown.com
Come on this trip with me! Sure it can
be hard work but company is always a pleasure, conversation is a balm and we can create as we explore this trail of
art marketing!
Stephen Filarsky
The architecture and engineering that I studied
at Penn State could not capture the artist that was in me. And it took me awhile to realize that using my hands to
create was the journey I was meant to take.
My opportunity came when I went
to work at a small sign shop in Philadelphia, I learned the practical aspects of the arts. What an amazing series
of skills I learned there! From the ancient craft of gold leaf application to hand lettering, metal fabrication to
glass neon tube bending.
In addition to the design, painting, gilding and practical
applications of the business, I learned one of the most valuable skills of a working artist. How to work with
clients!
Later, when I opened my own sign business, I learned the
critical lesson of ANY business. Something must be sold for income to come in. And income is necessary to pay the
bills.
So I had to learn to sell signs and designs which did not yet
exist! The designs were just concepts in my head. This became invaluable later when I was painting portraits by
commission. I had to learn that creativity was not some vague "waiting for the muse to strike" concept but a
business process that had to be accessed when needed as in any other business.
As an artist, I had to not only create a beautiful piece of
work for my client, but also have the TRUST from my client that I would create the piece!
As the sign business became more and more standardized and
computerized, I turned to the fine arts. When I met Theresa, she was a single mother with four children and
supporting them all by working as an artist. What a journey she was on! And as all artistic journeys
go, changes and growth occur. Before long I was
creating and painting watercolor portraits. I went the original route that all artists are told to take and
gathered my share of ribbons and awards but awards don't pay the bills! The Art Galleries that I worked with did
not sell my work as fast as I did. And the watercolor commissions sold!
The journey took me again, into another direction and I began
to paint plein air landscapes in oils. And here I have also found a profitable niche!
All the time, we both applied the marketing and sales
techniques we had learned from our different previous businesses to our art business.
Our success has come from taking the Art marketing road less
traveled! Come take the road with us!
You can visit my website at:
http://www.sfilarsky.com
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