Galway Artist Stuck in a rut

Galway Artist

Hi,
I'm an artist in Galway city looking for advise or someone to point me in the right direction.

I'm an artist and I am stuck in a rut. I'm a teacher, and chose this profession for its financial security. Art is not a "pastime" for me and I'm not interested in night classes for beginners etc. I'm passionate about painting, studied it in Junior and leaving cert, and completed a module on printmaking during my time in college.

I would love to get involved with a community of artists who take their art as seriously as I do. I had my first and only solo exhibition 4 years ago, but since then, I have not painted. I don't know quite why I've stopped and it's very unsettling. It may be that I need more support in sound boarding ideas with other artists. I need help or direction as I really do need to start as a matter of urgency.

Is there anyone out there who know's someone/ somewhere that can help me?

coolwings

Galway Artist wrote: »

.... I had my first and only solo exhibition 4 years ago, but since then, I have not painted. I don't know quite why I've stopped and it's very unsettling. ....

Tentative suggestion ....
Is there a possiblility that deep down you wanted "solo exhibition" on your CV?
Able to say inside "Been there ... done that ....."
Then maybe a desire grew to move on to the next interesting thing ... but don't know what it is .....

A professional goes into work every day, does the successful recipe again and again. Experiments with interesting stuff only on the fringe of the days activities, with spare time, and unused materials, calls it the R&D investment. Sometimes it pays off, and gets incorporated into the main activity.

Do you need to get into "pro" mode? You know ... the difference between a hobby, and a business ... one is when you feel like it ... the other when you want to eat/spend ... like every day all day?

If the exhibition was a good one, the very next day, prepare for a second, improved, better, more successful exhibition, using the goodwill and reputation from the first as a springboard. The grind of work ... ( sigh :rolleyes: )

Just a possibility.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I think you've guessed it yourself: you need other artists. Your 'atmosphere' has become stale - even toxic - and you need something more stimulating.

I got involved with the Dublin Sketchers Group and then moved to Berlin. It was the stimuli I needed to move on. I met loads of artists, and got invited to exhibit to a show in November. It's nothing massive, but I don;t think it would have happened in Dublin (and certainly never without the sketchers group).

If there's nothing in Galway, start something - there have to be other artists in Galway.

Best of luck!

surfgirl

I'm less perturbed by your angst at the muse deserting you and more so by your frank admission that you chose teaching because it offered 'financial security' :eek: Don't the children in front of you deserve someone totally committed and passionate about education, about nurturing the artist inside each one of them, instead of seeing them as a pay cheque..... If your karmic and creative energies are blocked, then maybe what you need is a shock of some sort, to be thrown into a maelstrom of emotion where the only way to salvage your sanity is to paint- hand in your notice/fall in love/move to India / model for a fashion show...

Perhaps you already are in a community of artists every day when you go into the staffroom? Just look around you with new eyes. Ask yourself, is the atmosphere toxic? Stagnant? Maybe it's the bins.

Greaney

Okay, Galway artist, lets get practical and answer your querie shall we?? Theres a group called Salon Ealaíne in Galway that are artists (mostly professional) who meet up once a month to network and get inspired. We meet in each others houses, there are no time-wasters, they are all working away at their own projects.

The group is multi-diciplined (though a lot of them are actors, there are also muscians...) and the idea behind setting it up was to support each other, network, exchange ideas (maybe collaborate) and inspire and bounce ideas past each other. We have a group on facebook. The group is not for profit, I don't think we're looking for grants as a group, its' very basic but full of good commited people (as opposed to people who should be commited!!).

Is that somewhere in the ball park of what you're looking for??

Oh and by the way, I've taught and never set out to do it... everyone does at some point or another and in some situation or another, and everyone, no matter how dedicated and perfect for the job, gets burnt out. I know that because I've worked with children and young people so long (over 15 yrs, and I'm bloody good at it) that it's a well known element in the profession so I'm afraid the Karma answer was a bit flakey

snorlax

well im also part of the dublin sketchers, i set up the website etc.

I advertised on Gumtree.ie (and a few other free advertising sites) and made some small leaflets to give out to people who went to the same life drawing class I went to. It started small (mainly made up of people I knew and from the life drawing class), there was 5 of us at the first meeting at the national art gallery.
But we´ve now about 50people who have requested to be on the mailing list and maybe about 12/15 regulars and then people who come occasionally(in the space of 6months). Why i set it up was I found it difficult drawing/ painting on my own as my folks/ friends wanted more ´landscapes/ horses frolicking in fields´ and i liked to paint more abstract..but its very hard to keep drawing when those immediatly around you don´t approve /like your stuff. i also remembered the discipline of painting in school (in a group) and how i got more done/ other actual artists said they liked my stuff and how i could improve on it...also its nice to attend something free for once. We (dublinsketchers) are also organising a weekend away in kilkenny this october (nine of us are going).

If you wanted to set up a more professional artists group all you have to do is write that in your FAQ for new members .google´s blogspot makes it very easy to do this..and you can set up a mailing list eg galwaysketchers@gmail.com.

Personally i prefer the mixture of different levels / ages in an art group as people learn from each other and it keeps the group dynamic..people aren´t afraid of doing a bad sketch. We also have a coffee after most sunday sessions and share our work.
Anyway good luck whatever you decide to do!

North_West_Art

You could easily continue to teach and do your own exhibitions in your time off, weekends etc. I, personally, wouldnt leave the day job...you could find yourself trying for a long time to make a living by only selling your art...maybe you could join the Galway Art Group (Salon Eleaine), it looks very interesting. I paint and exhibit my work, but I also teach night classes. All the best