24 Hour Art Challenge?

[Stanley Edwards]

Any 24 hours at your own convenience. I'm just trying it tomorrow out of necessity.

Can you make a living as a traditional artist in a modern world? I'm going to try and sketch my way around western Andalucia. Minimal working float. Pad, pencils and my own unique selling skills to go with my drawing skills (also erm... 'unique').

€20/night for accommodation.
€10 travel to next destination.
€2 for food.
€2 for wine.
€1 contingency.

€35/day = selling 3 or, 4 sketches to tourists. This is NOT a mad romantic idea. No it's not. It IS workable.

Or, will I get moved on by the authorities? Mugged by evil hoodies? Rained off by the weather? Arrested for street pedalling?

If I fail I take a job cleaning bogs/sucking cock for a tenner/MacRons.

If I succeed I may contemplate a future career travelling with a sketch pad.

What do you reckon? Success or, fail? Anyone else ever thought about trying this, tried it even? Anyone prepared to join me on a 24 hour art challenge?

I will report back this time tomorrow.

[marco mark]

Good Luck

We have guys here doing just that in the summer, they *seem* to do OK, i think it's about 10e a pop thou.

I'll check tomorrow how yr going.

marc

[ViolentPanda]

Good Luck

We have guys here doing just that in the summer, they *seem* to do OK, i think it's about 10e a pop thou.

I'll check tomorrow how yr going.

marc

Is that 10 euro a pop for sucking cock or drawing sketches?

[Stanley Edwards]

Spent all morning sketching. I have a portfolio of 1 good, 2 OK, 2 bad. Time to try the dificult bit. Not sure how to sell. I'll just display on the pavement in a busy area. Thought I would invest in a few post tubes also just in case the punters are worried about their valuable art getting damaged on the journey home

The competition looks very good. Hadn't considered that!

Enjoying myself and getting well tanned. Nice idea for a working holiday and you get lots of attention being an artist even if I don't sell anything

[Stanley Edwards]

THIS IS FUCKING HARD WORK! Physically and mentally exhausted. Make no mistake - this is not easy work.

I'm shattered. 10 hours sketching and trying to communicate mostly in Spanish. Not easy. All street artists get my utmost.

Built a stock of 8 good sketches. Sold just one

Still, not to put off as I spent most of the day concentrating on sketching and not selling. And besides, I've never fancied sucking cock for a living. I'll give it another day and concentrate on selling.

Sunstroke. No budget to travel. Another night in the bargain hostel (very nice for €20/night. Very nice. Shame about the amount of young women being dropped off at the door by guys in GTi's through the night). Shall downgrade tomorrow. Expect I'll be seeing lots of young women being dropped off by guys driving Seat´s).

Granada is a beautiful city but, it's got it ALL. It's turning all American. Which means prices are undoubtedly going to go through the roof. Very soon. Perhaps I should up my asking price?

Presentation. It's all in the presentation.

[marco mark]

Is that 10 euro a pop for sucking cock or drawing sketches?

sucking cock goes for about 80e a pop, so i am told . Mr Edwards, i would not suggest this line of work

ahhem .....back to sketching, sorry i thought you meant portraites

[Stanley Edwards]

Can't do portraits. And, it's friggin raining this morning

Want to move into my new flat and get my PC into gear. This is to bloody difficult.

[Stanley Edwards]

Just in case anyone was interested to know; Sold 2 sketches, picked up 1 commission to do a painting of someone's house, plus another tentative enquiry (got their number at least) and met a director of a local art gallery who wants to see my photography portfolio. Pretty good really for 2 and a bit days. May well spend more time sketching in the streets in future. It is a great way of meeting people. It's not a great way of making ready cash.

Aiming at the tourist market was a mistake. All financial interest came from locals. Chatting with tourists from all over the place was good even if they don't buy! Some stunningly gorgeous people visiting and living in this city.

[boskysquelch]

Some stunningly gorgeous people visiting and living in this city.

You honestly didn't know of Granada's reputation?

btw get a hat doooood!

[kakuma]

that is a well cool idea

[Stanley Edwards]

btw get a hat doooood!

Essential artists accessory in this sun for a baldy. My scalp is close to blistered So many hats to choose from

BTW; there also seems to be a mixed class of crusty in this city. Student crusty, hippy crusty, all original crusty crusty and credit card toting, nuevo riche, posing crusty. Perhaps the last class are all footballers?

[marco mark]

BTW; there also seems to be a mixed class of crusty in this city. Student crusty, hippy crusty, all original crusty crusty and credit card toting, nuevo riche, posing crusty. Perhaps the last class are all footballers?

Are you SURE you'r not in Bristol

[Stanley Edwards]

Now entering phase 2 - the 72 hour art challenge. I'm having fun And, I'm stepping up a gear. Out of the Sunday league, entering CocaCola division 2 or, whatever it is these days.

With a few euros banked and a slight 'cheat' of collecting some advance payment for work to be done, I've invested €28 in a canvass, two semi-decent brushes and white, cadmium yellow, inglese red and blue acryllics (cheap stuff that will be a pain to work with but, I'm on a minimal budget).

Mission: turn €28 investment into €300 by end of week.

No easel and no hat yet. In search of empty jam jars. Not quite got the presentation right yet. This is going to be next to impossible but, I believe!

A man can drink far to much good red wine for €2 a day in this city so, I'm cutting that budget down to €1.

If I pull this off I could well have found a new vocation.

[Stanley Edwards]

Nobody's reading this. Talking to myself again innit.

Nevermind. I'll tell myself how it's going. All went a bit Tony Hancock for a while. Then got much better. Lots of useful input from the public. And, I have been photographed lots and lots. Don't like that.

Got a free quarter inch brush from some painters and decorators and a 10 litre paint bin lid made an ideal pallette.

Produced possibly the best painting I have ever come up with. Finishing tomorrow then detailing whilst I attempt the sell.

Things look promising so far. You never know?

[boskysquelch]

I'm reading it Stanley...

Keep it up.

[disco_dave_2000]

great project, please keep posting Stanley

[marco mark]

Mr Edwards, How did you go today?

[fractionMan]

I'm reading!

Sounds like a great project to me.

[Yuwipi Woman]

I'm reading. Keep on trying. You've already sold more work than Van Gogh sold in his entire life.

[Stanley Edwards]

Some feedback Excellent.

Detailing and finishing touches: I had a big, flat, plain blue sky. Someone said it needed clouds. I've spent most of the day studying clouds - I think they're right. Not to happy with my cloud. It's sort of a spiritual connection between the church I've painted the picture of and the great lye in the sky. But, it's not a cloud in the right way More work. Possibly. If it's not sold by end of evening.

Couple of enquiries. Ready to sell now because I've already spotted my next painting to do.

I think the painting could be better but, it is good enough to sell. Most of the locals have been great. Very encouraging and helpful. People appreciate the effort which is really welcome. Salesman mode is now priority.

You've already sold more work than Van Gogh sold in his entire life

And he was bloody genius.

Eyeing up a cheap bottle of Absynth. My hearing may not be perfect tomorrow!

[ddraig]

nice one stanley, good luck, i'm reading too

and about to send the thread to my 'artist' dad

[mrkikiet]

i'm another who reads but until now hasn't posted.
keep going.
did you speak much spanish before starting this little project?

[boskysquelch]

Eyeing up a cheap bottle of Absynth. My hearing may not be perfect tomorrow!

And your hat'll keep slipping over your eyes.

[Stanley Edwards]

Woke up this morning and really didn't like what I saw in the mirror. Peeling face and scalp with positively red whites of eyes. Less wine and more sun protection is a must.

did you speak much spanish before starting this little project?

I've been learning spanish for about 8 months. However, being previously based 'el campo' in the mountains I had little opportunity to practice. Being forced to communicate in spanish is improving my vocabulary rapidly. It is still a struggle!

Painting is definitely finished and I'm pretty happy with it. It 'sings' to me . I now know I can complete 3 paintings a week so, I'm looking to sell at around €150. Hopefully selling at least two a week. Two bedroom flats can be rented here from about €350/month so, two sales a week would provide a reasonable living.

Selling. This is the really dificult part. From what I've learned about selling on the street the tourist market isn't really happening. Plenty of small galleries selling cheaply in nice frames from an established address. There does seem to be a healthy local market (already sold two sketches and picked up one commission).

The right pitch? From talking to other sellers it seems a regular spot is essential. One guy here displays at weekends to collect commissions from the same place every week. I am enjoying this and plan to live in Granada for a minimum of two years so, I'll try selling from the same spot that I picked up the other sales.

The other option I've considered is selling via an established gallery. Not sure I have the bottle to approach with my paintings. All the confidence in the world about my photography but, even though I like my painting I'm not sure how it would look amongst the stylish works sold in contemporary galleries here. There are some bloody good painters here.

Plan for the day. Display painting with a few supporting sketches and an A4 sheet of spanish and english text, few business cards created on the fly with a pointer to a website. Sketch and chat and hopefully sell by the end of the day. Saturday and Sunday are the best days to sell. I would like a second painting to sell by Sunday.

Don't have a digital camera with me at the moment. May persuade someone else to take a shot and email it to me so I can post it up here.

Hasta luego.

[Stanley Edwards]

No sale of painting. One sketch sold (to a 14 year old lad). The young folk appreciate art anyway. Asked myself questions about taking a tenner from a youngster initially but, why not? He's a very wise boy with a future as a successful art dealer ahead of him.

New plan. Gamble on a second canvas and paint the painting I want to paint rather than a very nice church. I have my eye on a floodlight set amongst some trees. Hopefully the subject will spark conversation (although my spanish is struggling) and the finished church painting can be displayed along with some more sketches whilst I paint. I'm feeling very optimistic.

I knew this was going to be difficult. Not to surprised at not selling and still hopeful about reaching the €300 target.

Forgot to ask someone to photograph painting. Maybe tomorrow.

Financially I'm about to drop below the break even. Three days to sell and produce a good profit for another week!