It’s always exciting having a conversation with someone new about my artwork. It is incredibly satisfying when someone wants a piece of art I have already created or wants me to do a new project for them, especially when it is someone that I do not have much or any history with. Having someone that doesn’t know me that well say, “hey I really like your art and I’m interested,” is a good feeling. It always makes me think, okay, I’m a real artist. This is not just a hobby. I can make this happen and that hard work paid off.
Now I know I am a real artist and that what I am doing is more than just a hobby but doubt is a real thing. The thing that differentiates my work form being a hobby and a career is the amount of time I put in and the fact that I have people that continue to want to purchase my art. But that is not to say that I have no say in the matter. I keep people that I know involved in what I am doing to keep them interested, I have talks about my art and turn them into commissions. I work to make connections that have the potential to lead me to new commissions and sales down the road. It’s hard work and I love the journey but it is definitely nerve wracking at times, especially when I finish a sale or commission and there is nothing on the horizon.
About six months ago, I starting working on a pretty big mural and soon after starting that project, I got a pretty cool “real job”. I was up front with my new boss and told her about the mural that I was doing and how important my art work was to me and she was super understanding and supportive of my passion. I worked at this new place during the morning and then during the afternoons and weekends I made progress on this mural. After each session on the mural, I would take a picture and update the office “fun group chat” and everyone seemed to really love the work I was doing. When I finished the project, my boss approached me with the idea of doing a mural in the interior of their office space. I was so surprised and thrilled that someone new wanted my work. But if I had not kept people involved on the work I was doing and if I had just kept the whole thing to myself, this new opportunity would have never come to me.
After having a conversation with my boss about what she wanted, we decided on a removable mural (basically three big canvases put together to make it feel like a mural) so that if for some reason they moved offices, they could take the mural with them. After working on it for a little over three months and a total of 50 hours, I finally finished the 5 foot by 7 foot mural. The image below is the final project.
If you like my art and want something I already have, which can be seen on my portfolio page that I keep updated, or want me to do a commission, reach out to me.
Amanda Thompson's Art 