The Flip Side of Art

The ever important step of documenting and cataloging artwork. “Churning Tides,” Shellscape by Erin Rigney, shot by David Clifford Photography. ©2018

So much time, effort and sweat equity go into everything to get a painting to a gallery or consumer. I thought I would share a bit as people always ask, “How long did it take you to make that painting?” Art isn’t just about painting the painting— its about every step of the process just like any other business. Below, I give a glimpse of the cycle of my painting process.

A hugely important part of the art process is getting high-quality images of each painting. Here is a snapshot of a photo-shoot with the talented David Clifford. Shooting encaustic is a tough task as the medium itself is so subtle that the lens has a hard time focusing on the painting itself. Making it doubly hard is my aging eyes when auto focus can’t do its job! Sometimes I feel myself going blind trying to make sure it is tack-sharp and I thank God for Photoshop and all its sharpening and editing powers!

I care about each phase of the art process and want it all to look and be the best it can be, as a part of my heart and soul go into every painting. Its part of my pursuit for excellent through and through.

Steps to a Shellscape:
1. Get to a beach from Colorado
2. Find a shell and get inspired
3. Fly home or get to my working studio in N.J.
4. Light a candle and Palo Santo and invite in Spirit to guide my day in the studio
5. Choose a wooden panel, tape and prime (gesso)
6. Turn on the griddles and melt wax (roughly 20-30 minutes to melt)
7. Mix new colors if needed
8. Paint —Favorite part! (Paint until the painting tells me it is down)
9. Name the painting (Tied for second favorite part)
10. Photograph pantings, download, edit, and create backups
11. Create inventory lists and catalog images
12. Wrap in wax paper and build custom insulated boxes for shipping
13. Post to Social Media sites, and reply to comments
14. If there is a show — create marketing materials like invites, posters, emails, social media marketing…
15. Update website (Big goal to get better at this more frequently)
16. Showtime — Travel to show locations, meet collectors and attendees and get feedback about their experience of the work (tied for second favorite part)
17. God willing, sales!
…then bookkeeping, shipping, thank you notes, etc,… etc… start again.

So, next time some asks me how long a painting took, I should probably reply that it took me 40+ years of experience and all the above steps to create each painting! Art is not a quantifiable widget like other business items, but it is the intangible value and soothing experience that makes it priceless.

I feel blessed to be painting full-time and learning all the new facets of this business venture. Thank you to all of my collectors and fans out there. I would not be able to step into living this dream without you and your support.