What makes the modern artist?

The artist is a struggling breed, so what defines those who turn art into a career? What drives them to pursue the almost impossible career and what makes them successful? We all enjoy music, T.V, film and other art forms on a daily basis. Yet in a world where a growing importance is placed on success, financial security and material items, the choice of a career in the arts is regarded by most as unrealistic. The struggle to maintain a career as an artist is evident and stark in today’s society. To learn more about what it is that builds the successful, modern artist, I interviewed three different artists (a painter/illustrator, a musician and a photographer). All at different ages, and all at differing points in their careers.

I met with illustrator and painter, Penny Lovelock at her home studio in Lake Conjola. Beginning her career as an illustrator soon after graduating Leeds University with BA Honours in Graphic Design. Penny only began painting ten years ago. I wanted to know what set someone who has spent her entire career in the arts industry apart from others who wished they could do the same. How had she managed to remain in an industry where so few gain financial or critical success?
“Determination. A complete belief deep down, it’s like a calling and you just have this… I don’t know- you just do it. When I finished college I didn’t know what to do actually and I ended up illustrating. So that was my way of earning money from it.” Penny also noted at that point in time only 1% of arts graduates would become success artists (in a financial and critical sense).

Obviously Penny’s persistence, and unqualified belief that this was what she was meant to do has driven her to persevere both as an illustrator and painter.
Her parents weren’t exactly supportive to begin with. Selecting subjects in high school, Penny wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but she knew she liked art. Her father wanted her to do languages, and nobody thought she should do art.
Penny seems to have taken the ups and downs as lessons and simply ‘a part of life’. Her warm disposition and honesty was engaging and fascinating.

Her biggest challenges when starting out as illustrator she confided were the chasing of people, and the rejection.
“When I started illustrating I had to get up in the morning and if I was in the right mood, because we didn’t have Internet, it was just fax and phone, I’d have to take a deep breath and ring up all these people, publishers. I had set numbers that I ‘d do each week. Ring them up, set up appointments and then go in with my portfolio and then re-ring them up again and say well? I didn’t do painting then, I worked mostly for publishing, I did a little bit of advertising. I had an agent at that time …they’d get you work and you wouldn’t have to chase people yourself.”

The biggest challenge being an artist Penny finds now is the self-doubt and emotions that come with working by yourself.
“There’s a lot of emotions that go in, working on your own. The negative thoughts I’ve struggled with. You get a lot of self-doubt and most people aren’t open about it…you don’t know, you show people your work and they always say it’s nice. They never say it’s horrible.”

Moving to Australia in 1990, Penny continued a successful illustrating career in Sydney, then moved to the South Coast in 2003. It was then, with young children she found herself making the move towards painting and away from illustrating. The challenge of deadlines with a young family saw Penny painting more and more, and her preference for it over illustrating grew immensely. She paints full time now and has had a number of solo exhibitions in both the Southern Highlands and on the South Coast.

When her children were quite young, she did question if her career choice was the right one. Sometimes the lack of money was frustrating. Penny’s husband Misha has supported her and her career choice from the start.
“I think you have to give something 100%. As soon as I said I’m going to focus solely on this (in regards to painting) everything started to pick up.”
The support of her loved ones and her obvious passion for her art have seen Penny overcome the challenges of being an artist in this day and age.

After a couple of reschedules, I finally met with musician Roddy Reason at a quiet café nestled at the back of Milton. “I use to live just down there”, and points to a couple of houses down the street as we sit down on a chilly Friday afternoon.

Roddy is well known on the South Coast, playing a number of regular local gigs at cafes and bars, as well as playing for parties and weddings. He released his own album, “That Was Now, This Is Zen” in 2011, featuring all original songs. He is humble and a softly spoken man, dressed in a hat and vintage suit. Picking up a guitar at the age of 11, Roddy began writing music very early on and playing his music for his mother. At his first public appearance at 16, someone queried if he sang, which led to teaching himself how to sing.

Finishing school in year 10, he took up a trade, but quickly grew bored of it. So at 20, he set off travelling. He spent most of his time abroad in South America. Arriving home, he formed a rock and roll/wedding band with some friends and spent most of the 90’s travelling up and down the coast performing. A decade ago, he started his solo act and has been working on that ever since.

Reminiscing on his years in the band he told me he wished he had reached some conclusions earlier in his career. “I wish I’d come to the point where I’d said I’m not that good at this, years before. We (the band) thought we were going to be on the radio and be a rock stars, but we weren’t. What I do now, I wish I’d been doing for twenty years instead of ten. We were chasing the dream. “

Despite his reasonably successful and lengthy career, he still has his doubts like most other artists. “Every night I have my doubts about being a musician. I don’t like hearing that I’m great. Maybe from another act that you admire. I was lucky enough of meet one of my idols and we’re buddies now. And his advice I trust, or he’ll point me in the right direction, the right avenue.”

Roddy always had the support of his parents, with his love of music coming from them. Starting at parties at the family home, Roddy would DJ, changing the records, picking out the next tracks. His wife and daughters are also very supportive, though he does mention, “Oh they always tell me to stop singing (laughs)”.

Prodding him for what he finds the biggest challenge being a musician nowadays Roddy exhales deeply, and tells me I’ll need a new page for notes.
“The way people digest music now. It used to be that when there was a band on in the hall, people listened, when it was time to dance they did. There was a respect. Now people are so used to it that you can be up there breaking your heart and no listens. People will ask for a song and walk out half way through it… but it’s also motivating, you think if I can win this person over, the guy with the loudest voice who hates music, then I’ve done it.”

He manages his calendar well, still pen and paper he tells me. Roddy’s approach to overcoming the common problem of answering a person who asks what you do for a living was very insightful and quite wise. He explained, “I give a thankful answer, like- ‘pretty luckily people pay me to play music when I’d play it for fun.’ “

Quick to define his highlights of his career, Roddy told me, “Playing for idols, when they come and shake you’re hand. Don Walker (from Cold Chisel), I think he’s deaf (laughs) but he liked the actions. Dave Faulkner (from Hoodoo Gurus). That’s great, the slaps on the back. The reassurance.”

The advice Roddy left for other young musicians was honest but not brutal.
“Don’t go on and on, have a line. If you’re not the destination… remember that. If you’re just a stop on the way for the audience remember that. Keep it short and sweet. Focus on what you’re good at, not the other 4 things you’re all right at.”

Both Roddy and Penny have distinctive drive behind their art. It seems not to be done for the gratification, not for the sense of accomplishment but because they are driven by the belief that their art is what they have to do. It is not just their job, but also their passion, therefore it is also a part of them.

The youngest interviewee was photographer, Jade Emma Barclay of Heart and the Sea. I met Jade at a small café overlooking Ulladulla harbour. Dressed in exercise wear and in-between errands, she was punctual and enjoyable to interview.

At just 25 years old, Jade has made quite a remarkable career path for herself. Picking photography over mathematics during her final years of school (despite her father’s protests), her love for her art began to grow and she had a desire to learn more. Cold calling a well-published and respected photographer, Dean Dampney (of Cloud Face Photography), Jade naively asked if she would be able to assist on some shoots. Not really looking for an assistant at that time, but obviously sensing her enthusiasm, Dean gave her work assisting him with post-production and editing of wedding shoots. Just out of school she did her first wedding shoot as Dean’s assistant. She started a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Wollongong University, however after a year she decided the city wasn’t for her.

Unsure of where to go next with her studies but knowing she wanted to be back on the South Coast, Jade enrolled in Graphic Design at the Institute of Design Ulladulla. From there she continued to build her confidence in photography while studying, doing dance school photos and formal photos gradually building up her portfolio. She also continued assisting on wedding shoots.

“I got another job, I worked for Shoalhaven Studios doing wedding photography assisting their photographer. And Mark Campbell, I also assisted him. So I was working with these three different guys assisting for a few years. Then decided to do it by myself.”

Taking the plunge to venture out on her own and start a small business, Jade created Heart and the Sea with her partner, specialising in both wedding and under water photography. Her age, she admits can mean that sometimes she has to work that bit harder shooting weddings; “With weddings it hard, because I’m usually a bit younger and I haven’t actually been married so I work hard to relate to the couple I’m shooting.”

Jade, despite her very admirable career and considering her young age, does have her worries at times about her chosen career path. But her supportive network has kept her working and positive-minded. “At the start of my career Dean Dampney really helped me get off my feet with encouragement, mentorship and work he generously passed on. Like every freelancer work slows at time which can be a little scary but determination and a drive to pursue what I love keeps me in high spirits.”

With most photographers based in cities, Jade finds herself a step ahead when it comes to the ever-popular trend of coastal beach weddings.
“The South Coast is a beautiful place to get married. It is becoming quite trendy to do a destination wedding with many people coming down from Sydney and Canberra.”

The challenges of the job can vary, but Jade notes that it’s self-doubt that can impact on you the most.
“Sometimes as a creative it can feel like your drowning. We put such high expectations and responsibility on ourselves. I’ve got to constantly remember to not look left or right at what others are doing but to just create with passion and the rest will unfold.”

Like Penny and Roddy, Jade doesn’t consider her art a job.
“I just love doing it, so I’m going to do it everyday. It’s not a job to me, its my passion.”

Her advise to young photographers was to the point, sweet and something you could apply no matter what career you choose.
“Have determination and persistence and remain focused on what you love. It requires passion and long hours. Don’t give up on what you believe you were born to do and remember nothing happens overnight.”

So what is it that drives the successful artists to pursue careers that are uncertain and unstable? Passion and pure belief in their purpose to create the art of their choice is the only conclusion I can draw. What defines these admirable individuals? Their dedication to their chosen art is tangible and undeniably what defines them. Penny, Roddy and Jade all have overcome the common stigmas and challenges of being artists in their respective fields with their passion, their belief and their dedication.