Contacting Clients: What I have learned

Contacting clients even over email has been one of the most nerve wracking things I have had to do on this course. It's one of those things the more I have done it the easier it has become, and looking back to the first client I personally contacted (because my Dad did contact someone he has connections with on my behalf) the email I sent could have been better.

 I could have sold myself more and been more confident in my work, I could have maybe benefited by being a bit more laid back and not being so straight to the point. I have taken time to look at all of the galleries directors, aims and artwork on display and in their archives, and I have learned how to reflect that in my emails.

It has also been a lesson in rejection, currently I have had no responses but I haven't let that demotivate me if anything it has made me try harder and develop a thicker skin. I stand by my choices on who I have tried to make contact with. I don't doubt that my work would at very least be interesting to them if they would have given me a chance. But I will have to get used to the fact not everyone will give me a chance and if they do my artwork won't be of interest to everyone. It is nothing personal it is just how it is.

The problem I have found in regards to contacting the right people is that what I do is very niche and there's a limit to how many professionals I can find which may be interested in that niche. That is the nature of the beast sadly when you develop a style like mine. Call me stubborn but I'm not going to change my style just so I can have an easier time, my artistic integrity personally is the most important thing to me when it comes to creating work.

It might turn out that I get no responses whatsoever and I don't get the feedback I need. But it hasn't been in vain I have learned a lot about what I should expect and be prepared for when I leave. It may not be the lesson that was intended when this task was set but at least it is something.

Thoughts For Final Show

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the final show and what I want to display and I feel my uni work is just not making the cut for me personally. So I have started to produce work outside of uni that I would rather display. 

I want to display work that I genuinely enjoy making because I feel that it really shows in the finished pieces. I am setting RaelDanger up as a brand rather than just me being an illustrator and the degree show will be a good place to showcase my brand. After Fig Taylor came in I felt like I was left with very few options with where my work could take me, but after thinking about it for the past few months I have decided I want to put my artwork onto apparel. I feel like the graphic and vibrant nature of my work really lends itself to t-shirts, dresses etc.

Brands I feel that are good examples for what I would like to do is 

Iron Fist

Carries a lot of bold and vibrant designs aimed at teens and young adults.

Emily Strange

Emily Strange is a particularly good example since not only is Emily Strange a clothing brand, but they have produced comics, books, figures, plush toys, prints etc. And the brand is centred around a character called Emily Strange and her four black cats. Much like my work

"She first appeared on a sticker distributed at concerts, record stores and skate shops to promote Cosmic Debris, the clothing line founded by artist and skateboarder Rob Reger, racecar driver Matt Reed and Nathan Carrico, who designed Emily in 1991 for Santa Cruz Skateboards in Santa Cruz, California."

I can see how my brand could work in a similar way since my artwork is very character centric . 

Context and Style Clash

I have found throughout my degree I find it really difficult to gel both context and my practice into my projects.

I'm passionate about what I try to do with my artwork ie tackling difficult subjects such as homelessness and mental health but my style which I am equally passionate about more often than not doesn't fit the subject in trying to tackle.

This has been the second project in a row where I have felt like I'm forcing the two together when they just don't fit. Part of me wants to throw in the towel and create fake band posters or just something a bit less socially driven and more interest driven.