SANDY GARNETT ART BLOG

I spent the weekend in South Norwalk, CT, showing at the Sono Arts Celebrations, an art fair in the backyard of my Connecticut studio.  I roll my box of paintings over with a tent, set it up and do the weekend.  This is the only art fair I have ever done as I mainly sell through word of mouth, my collector base and galleries.  The format is interesting and reminds me of the grind that all artists must walk on coals to make a go at art in life.  A lot of my neighbors at this function do the circuit, fifteen or so shows a year, selling their work on the road.  This is a thrilling but as usual merciless path for painters and craftsmen.  The best in this arena have one strong theme and pick up their collectors along the way like all artists, although the traveling art fair seems more brutal than showing in galleries with pristine environments, strong stables of artists and collectors alike, the matchmaking magic that makes the best galleries impenetrable to a certain extent.  As a self-represented artist with regional collectors I had fun saying hello to my people and making some new collector relationships, and the commute was a five minute roll of one box to my location.  I’m a fool not to participate.

It is here in the broad daylight of raw retail regalia that I contemplate relationships with galleries in New York City.  I have always represented my work and there are advantages to this methodology, although a strong dealer paired with one’s art often can take the art to another place in the market.  There are examples of self-represented artists reaching the pinnacle of their profession, but these are far and few between.  I have supported myself, bought two spaces to work and live out of, I have a studio in the city, but I remain a regional interest in the art game for this reason above all else I suspect.  So I try New York City now that I own, when it is time.  Wherever I go I make new friends, collectors and business relationships, so perhaps this is the logical conclusion I ought to act on after having sorted this out years ago.  Now I finally own property, which makes the transition very much easier.