tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post512365316424454204..comments2023-10-04T11:47:45.212-04:00Comments on The Flying Trilobite: Report card on freelancingGlendon Mellowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-41437616444438926972010-11-18T13:26:18.587-05:002010-11-18T13:26:18.587-05:00Thanks Merryweather! :-)
Today I've been wres...Thanks Merryweather! :-)<br /><br />Today I've been wrestling with the same thing. It's like you're in my head. <br />The siren call of the <a href="http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/entry_info.php" rel="nofollow">Spectrum</a>competition lures me once more. <br /><br />I haven't submitted to it in a few years, but I think this year I'll try again.Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-68018971761709319322010-11-18T13:21:20.969-05:002010-11-18T13:21:20.969-05:00Great post Glendon, and congrats on the family sit...Great post Glendon, and congrats on the family situation! While reading this I was thinking....I don't believe you need to concentrate on a 'scientifically literate' audience. They may well love your work and be part of who you try to reach, but I think your work has a much broader appeal and people can appreciate your art without being particularly scientifically literate. Don't let that idea stifle you. You go boy!Merryweatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08347411706202139109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-6510634023117981532010-11-17T13:36:09.953-05:002010-11-17T13:36:09.953-05:00[Kevin, we'll talk.]
- - -
Sarah, I really app...[Kevin, we'll talk.]<br />- - -<br />Sarah, I really appreciate your perspective. That's not a bad idea, to try consignment - if I did that, I could also try to have a gallery show as well. The West Queen West gallery scene is lively here in Toronto. <br /><br />I think I may lean toward Sean's advice, and when not working on a specific illustration contract or part-time job, try to just narrow my focus with time limits of a few weeks per project. <br /><br />You may also fall between fewer cracks. From my perspective, the science community is more receptive now than in the past 10 years top artists speaking to them. <br />- - -<br />T-texy, totally!!!! That always happens. Or my big burst of artistic energy comes when I'm cleaning the kitchen. <br /><br />I was working and managing at an art supply store for 10 years until recently. Good people. Now, I'm not sure where I'd jump to.Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-91167487753208744472010-11-17T13:15:34.520-05:002010-11-17T13:15:34.520-05:00Commission work is hard!! Even when I do it get it...Commission work is hard!! Even when I do it get it, for some reason it always happens when I have some great idea for personal work but then I HAVE to do the commission work for the client. I like it, but I have the bakery job as a money cushion (it doesn't pay that much, but it's something I love doing); if you have to get a job on the side, make sure it's something you like!Philly Art Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03604236651631814822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-3659999348016440672010-11-17T12:23:59.919-05:002010-11-17T12:23:59.919-05:00As a not very successful scientific artist/artisti...As a not very successful scientific artist/artistic scientist I probably should not give you any advice - but things I found work well is selling my models in independent craft shops - they charge me like £10 a month for shelf space there are other more expensive ones I haven't dared try yet. The independent comic book shop in town here is also happy to sell peoples paintings and things.<br /><br />Apart from that what about museum shops? I have found they are often looking for things to put in them and struggle for ideas! This was how I ended up making the fimo dinosaurs! <br /><br />My main issue is time and confidence to actually contact people! Children illustration has been slow going and I had the issue of someone not paying and me not having understood the importance of contracts too - which sucked big time!<br /><br />The only other thing I do is I have my blog network and ad rev from that but that has plummeted over the last year and ads on sites in general doesn't make anywhere near what it did.<br /><br />My main issue has been that I do fall between the cracks - the arties don't get me and the scientists look at me oddly :/ It's taken me about 4 yrs to get like a little core group of fans who come to my readings.<br /><br />I did find people where far happier to buy my wiggly pets once they were in a physical shop even though I was charging more for them - which I find strange - you might find the same!<br /><br />I love the idea of a trilobite boy comic :) I would personally offer writers a sort of royalty deal so you aren't shelling out lots of money.<br /><br />hope that's been vaguelly helpful<br /><br />Sarah/SaffySarah Snell-Pymhttp://www.snell-pym.org.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-1043381824653886602010-11-17T11:26:55.304-05:002010-11-17T11:26:55.304-05:00Thanks Sean, that's a good point. Possibly I ...Thanks Sean, that's a good point. Possibly I am too scattered. My to-do list hanging above my desk has a bunch of different projects I'd like to tackle on it, yet more and more I find I'm excited about 2 things. The collaborative fiction book about random paintings I've done, and a Trilobite Boy story. <br /><br />(And the siren call of illustrating children's books can be heard in the distance.) <br /><br />Hm. I'll have to give this more thought.Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-22276154217003649902010-11-17T10:34:15.359-05:002010-11-17T10:34:15.359-05:00Hey, Glendon!
I'm watching you with great int...Hey, Glendon!<br /><br />I'm watching you with great interest. While we're doing very different things, here's my basic plan. I'm going to focus on one big project at a time, sent it out into the world, and work on the next. Once I've got the three big projects that are in a state of near-completion done, I'll take stock.<br /><br />In art, that would be taking the best of the art that I've done for Swill, and presenting it as a portfolio to galleries and agents, including submitting this year's work to both Spectrum and the SF MOMA.<br /><br />I don't know if this is out of line, but it seems as if right now your production is a little scattered. I would suggest that working on one solid project at a time, and making sure that that project has more than one possible way of making money, might be something to consider. Simplify your choices in the short run, increase your options in the long.<br /><br />Yours,<br /><br />SeanSean Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13763869499494698057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-75270745260222801212010-11-17T10:09:23.481-05:002010-11-17T10:09:23.481-05:00Sure why not, the purpose is making connections am...Sure why not, the purpose is making connections among observations in nature leading toward the conclusion of evolution. <br /><br />With guest appearances by hooker, huxley, haeckel, mendel, and everyone else too!<br /><br />I was also thinking in terms of events in his life as characterized in his biographies. Making it very accessible and fun to children.Kevin Zelniohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14192385384151149566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-2778620518648902802010-11-17T08:58:06.776-05:002010-11-17T08:58:06.776-05:00Thanks Kevin! It's not going to be easy, and ...Thanks Kevin! It's not going to be easy, and I'll be returning to some part-time work to make ends meet, but full-time illustration is still the goal.<br /><br />The original idea behind that book is similar to Mindfields by artist Jacek Yerka and writer Harlan Ellison. Ellison created a series of short stores to match Yerka's paintings. <br /><br />I was thinking of something along the same lines, short stories, but by a variety of writers. I think at this point, yourself, Sean Craven, Blake Stacey and Brian Switek have all expressed interest. <br /><br />As for a children's book, I think you're the 4th person to ask recently: I'd love to do a children's book! <br /><br />A young Darwin book would be fun...would history be thrown out altogether? A young Wallace sidekick? :-)Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-76065009674134802032010-11-17T08:34:13.456-05:002010-11-17T08:34:13.456-05:00Great job Glendon! Keep it up, perseverance is wha...Great job Glendon! Keep it up, perseverance is what separates start-ups from flop-outs. <br /><br />I am interested in the short fiction melded with your art idea. I also want to write children's stories, not sure if your art could lend itself to this, but I need an illustrator to pull it off. What a series of (mis)adventures of a young Darwin as he learns about the world around and makes connections?Kevin Zelniohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14192385384151149566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-59909174538288511612010-11-16T22:18:31.014-05:002010-11-16T22:18:31.014-05:00Ooo, Emily, you're like a devil on my shoulder...Ooo, Emily, you're like a devil on my shoulder. <br /><br />Okay. I'll ditch the timer.Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-77070816808518129722010-11-16T21:24:36.834-05:002010-11-16T21:24:36.834-05:00Glendon, it's nice to hear an update about how...Glendon, it's nice to hear an update about how things are going freelance-wise; I've been wondering. I think it's great that you are getting so into your morning paintings that you lose track of time. Ditch the timer!Emilyhttp://www.emilydamstra.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-26222168474875756542010-11-16T20:29:11.870-05:002010-11-16T20:29:11.870-05:00Thank you smartz, for so much of what you said.
...Thank you smartz, for so much of what you said. <br /><br />Trying to work it out. Even if I have to go back to work, I'll still refer to myself as an illustrator at barbecues.Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-31762064893790152942010-11-16T19:17:16.300-05:002010-11-16T19:17:16.300-05:00I'm retired these days but this blog post remi...I'm retired these days but this blog post reminded me so much of when I quit my job in aerospace and started a small publishing company (fiction and poetry no less). Eventually it worked but it was hard and scary. Other than raising two sons, it was the most worthwhile thing I've ever done. So, I said all this to say, try to work it out. Make those hard choices and figure out how to use your creativity (which is amazing) to make a living even if it means making some compromises. If it doesn't work out, you'll know that you tried. If you don't try...<br /><br />Good luck.smartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13049517421052577835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-44011867876053210982010-11-16T14:00:27.866-05:002010-11-16T14:00:27.866-05:00Thanks for the offer Jeff!
For the stories, I was...Thanks for the offer Jeff!<br /><br />For the stories, I was thinking more about stories from other random paintings. I've been thinking of Trilobite Boy as kind of a vanity project on my part, but hmm, now you have me thinking...<br /><br />See you in January!Glendon Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582347493421110738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-978531190643365040.post-24452777759819858552010-11-16T13:39:49.868-05:002010-11-16T13:39:49.868-05:00I'd love to write a trilobyte boy comic book! ...I'd love to write a trilobyte boy comic book! We met at scio10 last year. I'll be at scio11 this year too. cya there!Jiveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06185407043126813094noreply@blogger.com