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Copyright © 2012 Susan Morrison. All Rights Reserved. No content may be reproduced without the express written permission of the author.
First Edition
ISBN 978-0-9849866-2-0
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A Guide to Becoming a Professional Fine Artist
by Susan Morrison
(Cover photo copyright Richard Quick)
The time has come
The Master said
To talk of many things
Of steps and maps
Of creative acts
How artists find their wings
– Susan Morrison
The information in this book is intended for general information only. You should consult a legal or financial expert for advice on your particular circumstances. Any corporations, products, books or websites referenced in this book are for informational purposes only. No endorsement is implied.
This book is dedicated to my husband Randy Woodward, entrepreneur, marketer, corporate art gallery owner, and an absolute genius at right ideas for the right time. He came into my life at the beginning of my career to be the “Man Behind the Artist” and has done more to contribute to my success as an artist than any other person involved in my professional life.
Three decades of art, love and adventure...
1979
2011 (Photo by Barbara Kerbox)
When I first met Susan Morrison in her gallery nestled in the Ozark Mountains, I knew she was a special person. When she introduced me to her art, I knew she had a great gift, one she had successfully shared with the world, a bright and shining gift very few people have — and that she was probably the best wildlife artist I had ever met. Indeed, as an international art broker, many of my clients rate her right up there with John James Audubon. But when I learned how she not only had become a gifted artist but also a very successful businesswoman, I knew she had a story to tell, one that aspiring artists need to read for themselves. In Drawn From My Life, Susan has not only put her artistic life on paper but also the pathway to being a professional and successful artist.
I have bought and sold millions of dollars’ worth of art around the world as an art broker and consultant, and I know what it takes to sell a picture. What Susan has been able to convey through this book is just how to take your art to the next level and become one of the select few artists who can actually make a living doing what they love to do - create fine art. Her passion and creativity was evidenced early in her career but she had to learn the ropes the hard way in order to make a living doing what she was born to do. There were really no roadmaps for her when she committed herself to the world of art. Her first encounter with Andy Warhol in New Orleans was a million-dollar education in how to run a successful exhibition; her meeting Walmart® heiress Alice Walton (who has become one of her greatest patrons) was but a stepping stone for her, leading to a remarkable Animal Tracks exhibition seen nationwide, a substantial part of her oeuvre. And it is not every artist who receives a one-woman show at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC; but Susan has.
Susan Morrison bares her soul in this candid book that is a story of both Susan the talented artist and her corporate self, explaining her support mechanisms and business rigor. It is the story of a professional artist who spread her work to the wider world through art fairs, gallery exhibitions and good, solid business sense. When I first read this book I was amazed at what I had learned from it - and I have been in the worldwide art business a long time. She is direct and complete, honest about her early setbacks and lessons learned the hard way. At times humorous, at others poetic and always making you want to know more, this should be the first in what I hope will be a series of books on this tough but fascinating business of professional art. Her artistic talent is evident at every turn of her gallery and of these pages, but her business sense is what she shares the most in this book. There is something here for the beginner artist and the gallery owner as well.
This is a touching and straightforward insight into what it takes to be the next successful artist. I can tell you that, unfortunately, it takes more than talent. Michelangelo reminded us so long ago when he said that we “…paint with our brains, not our hands.” Susan’s intellectual vision is evident in this book and her business acumen is laid out for others to follow. I have made my living by offering and buying other people’s artistic work, drawn to it not because I sought it out but because the artists had a plan to put their passion and creativity into the market, to support themselves. Successful artists have a good plan; otherwise their work will remain in their studios, undiscovered, unappreciated and never shared or sold to people like me or anyone else. I can say it no better than James McNeill Whistler who declared that, “An artist is not paid for his labor, but for his vision.” Susan Morrison is a visionary. This book is a template and route to success for the aspiring as well as the established artist. Follow her lead.
L. Douglass Brown, PhD
London
Over the years I have come to know what a terrible loss it is when a really talented artist falls by the wayside. I’ve seen it happen too many times. This profession is riddled with an endless quagmire of heartbreak. Most artists who are starting out, regardless of their artistic ability, are poorly equipped for the task.
But, with the right kind of help, you can avoid these pitfalls and have a long and rewarding life doing what you love best. This book is filled with true-life lessons and tried-and-true methods that have worked for me for decades. It describes some of the struggles I went through and horrible mistakes I made. It’s not complicated, but it is thorough. I’m writing about all this in the hopes that it will help you as you try to make your own way.
This book is intended to be a kind of “Artist’s Bible” for you to carry around in your backpack, your car, on your e-reader, or keep handy in your studio or home, so when those nagging questions or that need for direction come up you can just thumb through and find some answers. Answers based on the real life experiences of a real live successful professional artist, who just happens to have turned out to be a good educator in the bargain.
So if you have ever thought about taking that exhilarating, terrifying step of becoming a professional artist, read on and find out if it is the profession for you.
My goal is for you to use the advice and experience in this book to advance your own career from that of promising amateur to professional artist. If I help you in any way to make that step and to succeed, then I have achieved my goal in writing this book.
Good Luck!
Susan
From the very beginning there have been those who have contributed to my success as an artist. First and foremost, my husband Randy Woodward, who never let me give up even when I wanted to. My son Jim Morrison and his wife Cheryl Morrison, who have somehow always been part of what I am doing. My other sons Charley and Jay Morrison because they loved the life we shared in spite of how difficult it was. Charley’s wife Laura, who because she shares my obsessive drive complicated by a creative spirit, seems to know me better than I know myself. My mother, Georgia Douglas, an artist herself, who instilled in me the value of who I was and what I was doing. My father, George Douglas, who taught me my work ethic, expected me to be smart about what I was doing, and hammered home my instinct for success.
Bill Cravens, who was the first person to recognize my work by underwriting my first book, River Journeys, and awarding me a major exhibition at his very large and important bank in Little Rock, attended by Governor David Pryor who declared my work a “State Treasure.”
Rose Crane, Director of the Department of Natural and Cultural Heritage for Arkansas, who invited me to create the cover and write a poem about Arkansas for Governor Bill Clinton’s first inaugural program.
Congressman Ed Bethune who stood on the floor of the US House of Representatives and read poetry from my Arkansas Wilderness book into the Congressional Record, and who presented the Arkansas Wilderness Portfolio and book along with one of the etching plates to the Library of Congress.
Governor Bill Clinton, who declared Arkansas Wilderness Month in honor of my Arkansas Wilderness work, awarding me a Solo Exhibition in the rotunda in the Arkansas State Capitol building and placing an etching collection in the Senate Chambers of the Capitol.
Governor Frank White for appointing me to the Arkansas Arts Council, where I was able to spearhead the creation of legislation to protect Arkansas artists and artists who do business in our state, and the creation of an exhibition space specifically for Arkansas artists in Little Rock.
Helen Walton, who became my friend, for bringing Walmart® dignitaries to my gallery in the early Eighties and always inviting me to join them for lunch. She introduced me to her daughter Alice Walton, who became my first collector and patron, as well as Co-Chair of the Animal Tracks Foundation along with John Mack Carter, editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping Magazine.
Sam Walton, who asked me to do this “little project” for him and gave me the opportunity to create Animal Tracks, the most highly celebrated environmental education program of its time.
Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC, who invited me to have a one-woman show at her museum, featuring original drawings from the Animal Tracks posters and book.
Hillary Clinton, who as Chairperson of the Walmart® Environmental Advisory Board brought Animal Tracks to her board, encouraged approval, and spoke at the roll-out. Three years later she attended my Solo Exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts as First Lady, and spoke to the nation about Animal Tracks.
Karen Sousman, Director of the Living Desert Museum in Palm Springs, California, who inspired me to create a body of work based on America’s wildlife that became the American Wildlife Expeditions.
Once again, Alice Walton, who awarded me a Solo Retrospect Exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, at the Massey.
Sandy Edwards, Deputy Director of Museum Relations at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Lynne Berkowitz, former Director of Learning Experiences, who after experiencing my seminars at the museum, kept insisting that I write this book and share my knowledge so that others might be able to avoid some of the landmines this field is so fraught with.
L. Douglass Brown, who has become my International Representative and is taking my work to a world audience.
Lila Gullick, my personal assistant, dear friend and cohort, Laura Barker who has been a part of my professional life as Master Framer of my work for over twenty-five years, and Jenny Barnes-Rivers, the master printer of my giclées.
Barton Jennings, my dear friend and patron, who has contributed so much to this book in terms of real business information and language.
Sarah Jennings, who thanks to her amazing mind, dedication, and careful thinking, has been able to make sure that this book is not a muddle of my right-brain thinking.
Most importantly, my collectors and patrons who have faithfully supported my work over the last forty years. Without them this book would not exist.
There I stood with two of the most powerful women in the world, First Lady Hillary Clinton and Alice Walton, future founder of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and listened to them talk about my work and the power of my accomplishments. Even better — all three of us were Arkansas women! It was 1993, and we were at my Solo Exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. It was one of the proudest moments of my professional life.
A proud moment! Me standing with First Lady Hillary Clinton (center) and Alice Walton (left) during my Solo Exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. (1993)
How did I reach that point? How did I become the artist, gallery owner, environmental activist, author, adventurer and poet whose accomplishments were lauded by these women? How did I become a successful professional artist?
After forty years as a professional artist and thirty years as a gallery owner, I feel it is time to share my years of experience with artists who are starting from the beginning and looking to get further in their careers.
So here it is with no frills; just a simple, straightforward how-you-do-it based on how I did it. I hope it will help you avoid some of the mistakes that held me back, or slowed me down. But, remember, there is no substitute for your willingness to strive to be the best in your field. That is the real key to success.
First, let me introduce myself. I am a wildlife artist using the media of pen and ink and Prismacolor® pencil, creating animal portraits in life size. I live and work in the Ozark Mountains, in the small town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where I have made a good living as a professional artist for over 30 years. I am also an author, poet, adventurer and environmentalist. My work is dedicated to the preservation of our wildlife and wilderness.
I started by selling drawings and prints in regional art shows, and gradually moved into the national, and now international marketplace. I have been featured in galleries such as the Hallmark Gallery in Kansas City, the Wildlife of the World Galleries in Aspen, Colorado, and Carmel, California, the Huntsman Gallery in Aspen, the Ellis Gallery in Telluride, Colorado, the Audubon Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Capitol Rotunda in Little Rock, Arkansas. My work is in collections ranging from the White House to the Vatican.
My husband and partner, Randy Woodward, and I opened our first gallery in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in the late seventies. Over the years it grew into the largest and most highly celebrated gallery in the Ozarks. Eventually, the gallery separated into two units: one featuring a stable of regional artists and the other, Susan Morrison’s Signature Gallery, featuring exclusively my work.
At various times, I have supported myself, my family, my employees and their families solely from the sale of my art. Through the recent combination of my company with that of my husband Randy, I am now in the enviable position of being able to step back to studio sales, where my collectors come to me.
The seeds for my success were sown in my first book and collection of drawings, River Journeys, based on four rivers in north Arkansas. Following that, I received a commission from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the best-selling Arkansas Wildlife book. I then created the Arkansas Wilderness Portfolio and Book to help save Arkansas wilderness areas, which led to my having a Solo Exhibition in the Rotunda of the Arkansas State Capitol, work placed in the Library of Congress permanent collection and the White House Collection, and my poetry read into the Congressional Record. Most importantly, my work heavily influenced the preservation of twelve wilderness sites in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Wilderness Portfolio brought me to the attention of Sam Walton, founder of Walmart®, who asked me to create a national environmental education poster program to be distributed through his (then) over two thousand stores. Twenty-four million posters, two hundred thousand books and multiple awards later, I found myself standing with Hillary Clinton and Alice Walton with a Solo Exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
From that plateau I began my life’s work, the American Wildlife Expeditions; a collection of life-size drawings of America’s wildlife accompanied by books and documentaries based on my travels. Portions of this body of work were recently featured in my Solo Exhibition for the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art at the Massey.
Thirty years of more work than any one person ought to do, and more successes and failures than any one person ought to endure, find me still as driven as ever. I still strive to make my voice heard, my vision seen, and my heart shared. Why? It’s simple. I’m an artist, that’s why. It’s how we think.
The rest of the book will attempt to explain HOW I became a professional artist. Here I will give you a brief explanation of WHY.
The family I grew up in was lively to say the least. We were always off on some adventure or other, led by our intrepid father. Dad had an important job in the aerospace field, and sought escape from his heavy work responsibilities. Mom was an artist; she even had her own studio. We were allowed to come in and play with her “used” materials only if we were good enough to earn the privilege. This was a very painful accomplishment for her most rebellious daughter, but it was one I was willing to attempt. I loved being in her studio, surrounded by her creativity and her warm energy.
Being incorrigible and raised in California in the Fifties, I had my fair share of whippings and was often locked in the garage. I would dramatically scream for release to deaf ears until I was bored. I did not have mean parents. All of the kids I grew up with had similar punishments. We expected it, and subsequently considered the immediate consequences of our actions very carefully. But, quite frankly, nothing was worse than my father’s disdain. He instilled a deep desire in all of his children for his respect. It really meant something to us. To this day, even though he is long in his grave, I still strive to make him proud.
As we were city dwellers in the suburbs of Los Angeles, family trips were usually to wild places. Easter vacations we loaded up our boat and headed to Lake Havasu, Arizona.
Mom, Ellen, me and Karen having breakfast at Havasu. Wilderness camping “Douglas style.” (1949)
Summers were spent either at our cabin in Crestline, California, or Grandma’s country home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Our numerous Arkansas cousins would greet us barefooted, dirty, and ready for fun. We had sore feet for days. I never could master walking barefoot on gravel roads, although my male cousins walked the wicked sharp rocks with stoically painless expressions. These trips led to my lifelong zest for adventure and love of the wilderness.
It was in Arkansas that I found my first artistic fascination, with the leaves of the trees. The hardwood forests of Arkansas in summer are thick with leaves, dripping heavy green on long, dark wood limbs. While my siblings happily painted away with their watercolor sets, I spent hours trying to find ways to draw all those leaves. It was my first artistic obsession and one I did not satisfy until I was in my mid-thirties. It was with a pen-and-ink drawing called Sager Creek that I finally successfully drew every leaf, recreating the myriad of design that had fascinated me for so long.
Sager Creek (1977)
When I look back at the work I did as a youngster, I see the beginnings of who I am now. Mother fed my creativity, while my father drove my ambition. Throw in my obsessive personality and it’s little wonder I am who I am.
My gallery now. (Photo by Barbara Kerbox. 2010.)
I became a professional artist when I divorced my first husband and moved my three sons and myself to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I had produced a considerable amount of work prior to that while living on our farm in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and in New Orleans before that, and had experienced enough successes to have a good, solid client base. I had been doing Arts and Crafts Fairs and shows for private galleries, but they certainly would not support my children and me. Nearby Eureka Springs, a budding artist’s colony and resort, showed promise. I decided that if I opened my own gallery it would bring me enough income to take care of my family and succeed. A really scary proposition, but one I knew I had to try. That was when I truly made the commitment to make my living as an artist.
Why did I choose this field? Easy. It’s the only thing I can do. It was honestly the only way I could think of to make a living.
It was the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life and one I have regretted many times, but not once was I ever willing to change my mind. My life has been my work. Although it has supported many and given jobs to more, all those who surround me have paid the price for my obsession. And yet, if I had it to do over, I would make the same decision again. I wouldn’t have missed this ride for anything.
During my Solo Exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art at the Massey, Sandy Edwards, Deputy Director of Museum Relations, asked me to hold a seminar on how to be a professional artist. The overwhelming success of this seminar led Ms. Edwards to urge me to write a book based on my experiences and filled with my methods for success.
I was hesitant at first because I was in the midst of creating the work from my two latest American Wildlife Expeditions; Alaska, and The Great Northwest. Eventually, I decided that maybe it was time for me to pause for a moment and help others achieve what I have. It’s such an amazing career for anyone with the talent, drive and business acumen needed to succeed. Besides, Sandy is relentless; something for which I will probably be thanking her for many years to come.
Is my art career fun? It’s a blast! Has it been easy? No. This book will describe some of the struggles I went through, plus some of the horrible mistakes I made along the way. I’m writing about all this in the hopes that it will help you as you try to make your way in this difficult business.
To grow
You have to have the courage
To work
“Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.”
– Andy Warhol
Let me start this book by telling you a true story.
When I was in my twenties and living in New Orleans in the mid-sixties, Mrs. P.R. (Sunny) Norman, who was at that time the Chairman of the Board of New Orleans Art Museum and a good friend, knew that I wanted to be an artist someday. She helped me to become a docent with the museum. She then made sure I was selected to chair the committee that would be handling Andy Warhol’s exhibit “The Basement of the Met” due to come to the museum at the end of the year.
My first meeting with Mr. Warhol was held in the boardroom of the Museum along with the Museum’s board members. I was struck by his businesslike appearance and attitude. He had on a black three-piece pinstriped “banker’s suit” (the costume for all successful businessmen in New Orleans in that era). His hair was not spiked and he had on his horn-rimmed glasses. He opened his black leather briefcase and pulled out the contracts, etc., needed for the meeting. He was all business and handled our group of New Orleans’ art elitists with a perfection that was impressive.
After that meeting, I accompanied him for his meeting with the curator of the exhibit and observed him as he measured, asked about lighting, wiring, walls, painting, etc. He then sat down with me to discuss publicity, the handling of the opening of the event, and all the other details he might need me, or my committee, to handle for him throughout the year. He was a faithful and excellent communicator on a regular basis from then on, making sure that we accomplished what was needed in a timely manner.
The opening was to be on a Saturday night. The Monday of that week he arrived at the Museum for our first meeting. It was 7:00 am and he had coffee and croissants for everyone. He had on his sweatshirt and jeans, the uniform he would be wearing all week long. He worked with us from 7:00 am to easily midnight every night that week to put the show up. Andy was tireless and attended to every detail. His courtesy to everyone, especially the laborers in the orange work suits, was noticeable. He was clear, precise and explicit in his instructions to everyone. Patient as a saint when it came to correcting mistakes, he found ways to laugh and play with the crew whenever possible. He won our admiration and our respect, but, most of all, our cooperation. That was how he was able to mount a monumentally difficult show, filled with exquisitely irresistible art (all selected by him), in so short a time surrounded by people with such little experience.
The night of the show we were all there in our evening gowns and tuxedos standing on the stairs waiting for his appearance. His black stretch limo arrived and it was quite a show. His entourage of “weird women” stepped out first, followed by his brace of four white Afghan hounds held on silver leashes. Then he leapt out of the car, swirled his red satin cape around his black velvet tuxedoed shoulders, took the silver leashes of his white dogs, (whose coats matched his now spiked white hair), and proceeded up the stairs. A flamboyant, amazing star! When he passed me I must have looked dumbfounded, for he honored me with a smile and a wink. That’s when I realized that he was still the same man; this was just the part he played for the public. Once in the Museum he schmoozed the clientele with panache extraordinaire!
Everything he did from beginning to end stuck with me. How he was pure business when it was business, marketing when it was marketing, exhibit master when it came to setting up the exhibit, and showman/salesman when it was time for the show. These, I thought, are the pieces an artist needs, and how they need to use them if they are to succeed in this business.
The lesson I learned was that whether it’s marketing yourself or your art, attending to business details, or setting up your art for galleries, exhibitions, or shows, you need to literally wear the right hats at the right times. They are all important steps, and you need to be able to deal with them competently. Otherwise you risk losing the respect, cooperation, or admiration of the very people you need to help you succeed in your endeavor. If you are not good at these things, whether you want to or not, you need to learn how to do them.
By the way, years later I went to visit Sunny. I wanted to thank her for all that she had done for me. While waiting for her appearance in her beautiful Carrolton apartment filled with priceless art, I noticed one of my early brush drawings of a Siamese cat hanging on a nearby wall. This woman, who had gone on to become the Chairman of the International Board of Museums, still had that piece as part of her collection. Now, at the height of my success, we were sitting together and I couldn’t resist asking, “Well, Sunny, did you think I would make it?” Her answer was given without taking a breath. “No. Susan, it was the 60’s and not only were you a realist, you were a woman. But I wanted you to have the chance.”
My first patron, Sunny Norman, the woman who put me in charge of Andy Warhol’s show. (1977)
That is what I want for you. So take your chance. Don’t let others define your artistic life for you. Understand that you can succeed, especially when you have the information you need to find that success.
Professional artists are people who determine that they will make their living as artists. They do not do it in their spare time; they do it during their real work hours. They do whatever they have to do so that they can make their living this way. If you are a professional artist, that is your job. That is how you earn money, how you make your living. It takes more time and effort than any “real” job.
In my opinion, being in a gallery does not necessarily make you a professional artist. Doing shows does not make you a professional. Doing anything and everything that you have to do so that you can make your living this way is what makes you a professional.
This is a huge challenge. Only a few make the cut. That’s because only a few are willing to make those sacrifices. My Gallery Director and Personal Assistant Lila Gullick just said, “True professional artists have to deny life in order to create.” She is right.