Painting, the loneliest profession?

[Michele Rushworth]

Michele, I was wondering if you would be willing to expand more on how you came to have an assistant, what you have the assistant do for you and compensation arrangements?

Sure, I'll start a thread in the Business section.

[Alexandra Tyng]

I am definitely an introvert, and I love working long hours alone in my studio. My idea of a treat is waking up and realizing I don't have anything to do other than paint all day! When I get going I'm very productive, and I have to be because in addition to portraits, I have to paint enough landscapes to keep three galleries happy. When I'm on a roll, I really hate to be interrupted. I'm not a multi-tasker. Right now I don't have an assistant, and frankly I don't know if I could get used to having someone sitting at my desk doing things on the computer or stretching canvases or whatever.

But I am also rather sociable. I try to meet a friend for lunch or coffee on the average about once a week, just to keep up with my friends, some of whom are artists. If I don't have a chance to go out, I keep in touch by phone. There are two or three artist friends that I regularly call (or who call me). And then there are the appointments, errands, business matters, all of which take hours and hours out of each week.

I would say I'm happy working this way because I have to drag myself out of my studio to do the other things. If you have to drag yourself INTO the studio then maybe you aren't cut out to do this kind of thing.

[Julie Deane]

I don't know if this topic applies to artists who work full-time at other jobs. Certainly the social aspect of that makes the time alone in the studio all the more sweet.

For me personally, I like being around people at least part of the day. But when it is studio time, I don't want to be interrupted, which might happen in a shared space.

[Karin Wells]

Originally Posted by Julie Deane

I don't know if this topic applies to artists who work full-time at other jobs.

I'm sure it does. After working all day, does one look forward to going home and working alone? For some, I suppose, it might be hard if their full-time work is solitary. For others it might be a relief to be alone.

[Tom Edgerton]

I'm generally extroverted, but I can spend a LOT of time in the studio and like it just fine.

My wife has an office on the other end of the house from my studio. Some days we meet in the middle for lunch, others we don't see each other all day. I can't hear her at all if I don't go down there, and vice versa. Some days I do everything but paint, sending out portfolios and answering correspondence, returning calls, etc., so when I get a day that's uninterrupted painting time, I relish it.

If I really get stir crazy, I'll meet a friend for lunch, or go to the post office, but that feeling is relatively rare. So I guess I'm one who really likes the isolation. I've always thought painting was a conversation with oneself, so I think there's always two in the studio--the guy who knows some things, and the guy who wants to know all the rest and can't get there fast enough.

I know this sounds twisted, but there it is.

[Michele Rushworth]

I've always thought painting was a conversation with oneself, so I think there's always two in the studio--the guy who knows some things, and the guy who wants to know all the rest and can't get there fast enough.

Makes perfect sense to me!