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I received this email from an artist friend. 

Missed seeing you paint at the art festival…..I only sold one painting, so doubt that they will ask me back next year, and frankly probably would have reconsidered doing it for the same reason. 

I was in a show down here, no sales and no awards! I guess it might be time to reevaluate being an artist! I usually do the member show in the gallery where I am a member but hate the thought of spending three shifts there! I always like winning prize money, but not sure it is worth the sittings. I touched up a painting for that show, so might give it a go.

Her message  expresses concerns that I share and really had to think about. No quick response would do. So after much consideration, I am finally offering my reply.

Yes, I quit the festival. Or, rather I was not invited back. But I would have quit anyway. The festival did not bring sales and required an extraordinary amount of schlepping and display equipment. 

I just quit my co-op gallery. I did not make sales and the hosting obligations were not satisfying. So I am with you there.

But, I won’t quit being an artist.  I just love to paint. And, I will continue to participate, within definite parameters, in events regardless of the promise of sales or awards. I am not entering shows where there is a significant entry fee. No vanity galleries. And, I don’t enter contests.  But I will show when I’m in good artistic company. I like to show in venues where I have a sense of loyalty or tradition. And truthfully, I participate when my ego is stroked.  So, I am pleased to have fallen into these recent exhibiting opportunities..

•  Studio C…I have four of my favorite Claremont Farmers Market paintings here. The December show honors all things local.  I am honored to have my paintings next to Karen Werner’s oil paintings.  

•  Square i…Happy to participate in the traditional December 11x11 show this year. This is a must see. So much excellent work by many artists.  All 11x11!

•  CCMA…I entered two portraits in the annual artist members show. I entered paintings I like with no expectations. It is a good feeling to be part of an artist community.

•  Woodman Shimko Gallery…Now, this is an ego booster. The gallerist liked images of my work. He asked me to bring in three samples and accepted them all on the spot.

I guess I am still in the game.  Even when I may not receive tangible rewards.

Wandering in Pasadena of all places. I saw the most interesting exhibits at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. They are both still up, so hurry. I went to PMCA specifically to see the Cuban movie posters show. I have long admired these posters, periodically browsing them online. The graphics are wonderful. The exhibit provided some historical information. 

Political isolation coupled with a love for movies, fueled a graphic arts industry in Havana that promoted films.  As the exhibit signage indicated, “With a focus on design, style, craft, and themes of the films, these Cuban posters are in striking contrast to the Hollywood film posters that are ubiquitous in billboards and signs across Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world.” Although the work of one artist can be distinguished from another, this enterprise created a unique brand. 

I was equally enamored with the other exhibit. Since I was not permitted to photograph the beautiful paintings of E. Charlton Fortune, I have stolen samples from the web, which were not necessarily in the show. As the name suggests, the artist is a woman. Initials often are used to mask an artist’s or author’s feminine identity. 

I had never heard of E. Charlton Fortune. She was an artist who painted in the first half of the twentieth century. Her work was described as masculine.  “E” studied in England, California, New York, and South America. She painted in California, Mexico, and various places in Europe. My favorite paintings were her landscapes painted in bold colors with bold strokes. This body of work has been described as American Impressionism.

The exhibit also addressed “E”’s later work, which was devoted to traditional religious paintings in Catholic churches. Personally, I was less enthusiastic about her ecclesiastic paintings. 

Not only were these two exhibits unrelated, but they differed in most every way.  The Cuban poster printing venture was a focused commercial effort in a society where  artists had limited exposure and opportunity. Like many artists in a rather closed society, the Cuban graphic artists created a distinctive cultural style. On the other hand, E. Charlton Fortune was widely trained and travelled. “E” found her cultural style…two in fact.  With a great deal of freedom and exposure, she landed in both the impressionist camp and returned to her religious roots.

So, I am wondering…Are dedicated artists all linked to a tradition?  Must an artist found a movement or inevitably find one in order to be well regarded? Or, is it the art world that feels obligated to name an artist’s so called affiliation? I hope those of you who know art history or have personal experience can help me out. Wondering in Pasadena, of all places.