Mark E Shellshear.

Artists focus on opportunities. Artists focus on results. Artists focus on being productive. Most importantly focus on being grateful. Gratitude is so important, being grateful for all you have and the abilities you have. So often we focus on what we do not have rather than being grateful for that we do have. Every morning as I drive to work I see the stark reality of the haves and the have nots, it is bought sharply into focus as I see families living out their lives on the street with little or no hope of any improvement to this existence. I know I hear all the excuses and reason why they are there but they are human beings with the same hope and dreams of all of us for a better life for their family, but without a miracle or two miracles it will never happen. The reality of what I see make me so grateful for all that I have and all the opportunities that I have. Lets not squander our opportunities but focus on what we can do and achieve our dreams and goal...

You will accomplish that by not being the same Artist you are today in five years time. That means change has to happen if you are to be that success, that change will come through new personal disciplines and the problems and adversities that you will face in your life and career. Every adversity has within it the opportunity for us to learn and grow. Failure is part of the success process as it will teach us to question ourselves as to what price we will pay for that success. The price is the personal cost to us, how we will respond when it all goes wrong? Determination and persistence through adversity will bring us to that place of high achievement. It’s not great talent that will get you to the top, there are a lot of talented failures in the Art world. It is not luck that will get you to the mountain top, luck can come and give you a big push but if you are not prepared for the success you will soon go back to where you were. You see adversity and setbacks...

“ Not everyone can afford large original Art works but are they able to buy something, regardless of how little or how much they have to spend?” This is something that many Artists do not think about as they are often set in their ways and also afraid if they do smaller paintings for less money it will effect their larger sales, yet they really need to consider all the potential customers that are before them who they are not reaching when you have limited price points . Artists must consider those people who do not have a large amount of disposable income and who want original art work in their ho mes . Often Artists offer prints at the lower price so that everyone can have the ir Art work, but there are many who don’t want prints but do want original wor k . Consider lower price points. Do small er paintings that can meet other price points down to $5, small calling card size up to A4 all offering a different price point yet it is still original Art. Even he...

Most of us have good ideas, most of us know what we want to accomplish, but so often we don’t know where to start, because the goal, dream seems so big so grand that we wonder how can I accomplish that. We have no problem dreaming about making the Big Show and enjoying the day dream, but how do we turn that into reality? The truth is that it will take hard work and time, you do not want the quick and easy way because you will most likely be unprepared and squander the opportunity because you were not prepared to handle fame and fortune. The long road of growing, learning and personal improvement is the right road to success. As I have said before success comes and resides with the prepared but only briefly visits the unprepared and leaves The Artists miracle comes through daily working towa rds our goal s . Our “now” is far more important than yesterday or tomorrow, because our “now” is the result of our determination or negligence of our yesterdays. Your bountiful to...

Something that I have learned is that success is not one particular day when it all comes together, it persistently doing your work every day then looking back and seeing what you have accomplished over a period of time. Failure is not one bad day or week or month it is the slowly giving up, letting go one day at a time. It is like erosion you really don’t notice it until it is to late. We see failure for the Artist as stopping painting and walking away and many do that, it is obvious failure. What about the failure of giving up within, not stopping painting but withdrawing to that place where it is easy to do your work. Where it’s safe and there is no challenge, no stretching, no pushing boundaries but just repeating again day after day what is easy and safe to do. Failure is retreating to safe, average and no danger of being different. Easy and safe is working in the factory where you are told what to do and you comply, no thought need, no initiative needed, just rinse an...

Don’t criticize. Don't complain. Don't blame. Don't make excuses not to work. This is the rule of life. If you don't want to be a failure, then don't do what failures do. If you want to be successful, then do what successful people do. Success always leaves  directions.

Question “ What is your thoughts on galleries who want you to be exclusive to them. I approached an art gallery in a city near me and was told if they took any pieces I could not have any other outlet in that city. They would have to be exclusive, even though they would maybe only take one or two pieces to begin with.” Unless it is very small town I don't agree. If a Gallery wants exclusive rights to your work and you cannot show your work in any other place in the city, they will really have to preform for you and guarantee sales every month, which they cannot do. No Gallery can guarantee money/sales unless you are contracted to them. Some Galleries put Artists on contracts and guarantee a certain amount for the next few years and get exclusivity with the Artist. The Artist guarantees so many paintings each month which become the property of the Gallery, if the Artist does not sell then the Gallery carries the cost. If the Artist sells the Gallery gets the money...