The arts?

[73ss454]

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

Since retiring last year, I've spent much more time at my painting. I completed the kitchen and one bedroom and I'm almost done with the exterior trim.

Man that's milk out of the nose funny!

[lsbcal]

Nice glass work UH . You might want to check out the wetcanvas web site. It probably covers glass work along with the other arts.

Les

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by Mr._johngalt

Crude, but good.

That's how I would describe my grandfather, too.

Mike D.

[Sheryl]

Originally Posted by LOL!

Hmmm, I see no reason to wait until retirement to work on hidden talents. If you think you will enjoy in retirement, why wait?

Uh, maybe because after working, housekeeping, eating, sleeping, I have about 3 spare hours a week, most of them in 10 minute increments. (And I choose to waste productively spend them on the ER forum).

[yelnad]

I'm a quilter, and although I'm far from FIRE, I'm always schemeing for ways I could do it full time.

[Eagle43]

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

Since retiring last year, I've spent much more time at my painting. I completed the kitchen and one bedroom and I'm almost done with the exterior trim.

If you wanna be an artiste, ya gotta paint the ceiling.

[ESRBob]

UncleHoney,
Love the glass piece. Yeah -- I think arts is a great thing for early retirees to do. In fact that's what I've been doing pretty much every day in recent months (which is why I haven't posted here in awhile :P), working on my sculptures. After 5 years of puttering around with it, I'm making a concerted effort to relly log the time to break through from amateur status. Fihally a few of the pieces are starting to be decent enough that I don't hate looking at them a few weeks after they're done. Sheryl, if you're interested in sculpture, try to take a class -- despite what I just said, it really is a ton of fun and very rewarding. (plus I've met a lot of nice people who all seem to have zero stress!)

I've been digging into the marketing side of being an artist, though: Basically nobody buys much art, and that's probably been true for a long time (not exactly news!) which makes things pretty grim for someone who needs to earn a living. But if you're ER and looking to more or less defray the expenses of producing the art and going to a few classes or art shows etc., then you can start down the artist's path without the heavy financial burden most artists labor under. Plus if you want a challenge in ER, figuring out how to sell artwork will keep you busy!

Maybe this could become the new career path for artists -- instead of do your art and take a terrible day job forever, the alternative could be to have a good paying career for 20 years with a little time for your art, save like crazy so you can ER and then do your art full time from middle age on. Easy to say after-the-fact, and on this forum, but I do meet a surprising number of retired people who are active artists.

The one big dilemma is quality -- starting late means you're way behind the curve and as Isbcal says, it may take a long time to start producing quality work. That's where I am now with my sculpture-- support and encouragement from friends, but 'real artists' still look at me as a reasonably promising beginner.

Still, I figure if I've got several (well, 3 or 4) good decades ahead of me, I'll get there eventually. 8)

btw, is John Galt really back?! Next thing you know we'll see TH/Cute Fuzzy Bunny maybe even Bob Smith and who knows, even Ted...

[UncleHoney]

Thanks ESR.

I know a number of artists that make money selling their work. but none of them are getting rich. And most have a working spouse to cover the daily bills.

The selling part is always the toughest for me, more fun to make the stuff than sell it. Acceptance in a gallery takes a big load off you as far as selling goes, but there is a price to pay, about 40-50% usually.

The sculputre sounds like fun. Right now I have a large block of alabaster in my shop waiting for me to turn it into something besides chips and dust. I usually turn alabaster on the lathe making bowls.

UH

[JonnyM]

1st, that slumped glass piece is Trick. Well done!

I've made money with my Art in the past while I was working, albiet never very much, and I don't doubt I will in the future once I "adjust" to ER (it's only been 7 or 8 months and I'm still decompressing/wasting time/enjoying my space/goofing off completely/ or fill in the BS blank _______) but I know I'll never make very much at it as previously stated it would be more about covering the expenses of the materials for our glass and silver work, or more guitars and amps for the music stuff. I don't ever want my Art to approach being a dare I say it a J*B! :P

[Sheryl]

Originally Posted by ESRBob

Sheryl, if you're interested in sculpture, try to take a class -- despite what I just said, it really is a ton of fun and very rewarding. (plus I've met a lot of nice people who all seem to have zero stress!)

What kind of sculpture do you do, Bob? My "thing" is sort of a mixed media assemblage thing, more than actual carving or sculpting of stone, clay, etc. It doesn't really fit into any niche, but is sort of architectural, having to do with perception of scale, etc.

I KWYM about quality though - the stuff I build never looks it did in my head!

[spideyrdpd]

Yall most have large basments to hide store your very nice artwork.
I cant imagine doing the work to make art, but I sure the like the idea of having the time to see art. Go to more museums and the like.
Rob

[ESRBob]

Originally Posted by Sheryl

What kind of sculpture do you do, Bob?

It's almost all figurative -- you can google my name and sculpture and you'll find the site (not trying to promote it here!) . Portraits of friends' kids, and some of my newest figurative pieces are starting to emerge fromt the 'student' category and look interesting.

I think Spidey raises a good point, though -- if we really want to create, then there has to be some place to put all this stuff, and I'd rather have it in someone else's house than my own, so that is one of the first motivations for figuring out how to sell the work! Although I have just discovered how to seal and make stuff to survive a New England winter outside, so there is a whole new chunk of real estate now opening up to put my pieces... can't really do that with paintings, though!