Some artists wait for things to happen to and for them.
Others take charge. They don’t buy into to other people’s definitions of success. (Listen to episode 165 for more on that.)
Taking charge means they figure out what they want and how to get there—taking all aspects of their life into account.
Ali Cavanaugh, my guest for this episode of The Art Biz, is in the latter group.
For some background, listen to last week’s episode (ep. 189) which is an encore of a 2019 interview I did with Ali when she was making big changes in her work life.
In this episode, Ali and I catch up with all that has transpired in the last 5 years. We discuss:
- Her booming Patreon community that gives her so much joy. [See also ep. 156 with Kimberly Santini.]
- How she has pared back on the demands for her art and the boundaries she put in place to allow her to do that.
- The recent release of the Ali Cavanaugh Portrait Colors Set from Golden Artist Colors.
- The upcoming retrospective of her work, made possible because she has withheld prized pieces from sale to keep in her private collection.
Ali is incredibly generous. As you’ll hear, she is utterly devoted to her patrons and the success of her students.
Listen
Highlights
04:01 Building a thriving artist community on Patreon
06:55 Ali’s shift towards online art education
15:01 Ali’s approach to selling art and embracing a new business model
19:53 Reflecting on gallery relationships and the future of art business
23:12 Galleries and art fairs
24:31 The cost of art fairs
25:12 Partnership with Golden Artist Colors
28:09 Royalties, brand deals, and ambassadorships
31:40 Upcoming retrospective and personal projects
36:01 Balancing art and family life
39:40 What’s coming up for Ali
Quotes
“Within the first month I was making money and had a lot of followers and I couldn’t believe it.”
“I want [my students] to have their own ideas. They have their own ideas. I want them to be able to access that.”
“My role is encouraging others a lot more and just not so much about sales.”
“I’m very inspired by the artists in our community.”
“I don’t miss giving [galleries] half my money.”
“My prices were able to really go up because my work became more collectible when I moved into the Immersed paintings.”
”Too many paintings, not enough time.”
Related Episodes
These episodes feature artists who teach.
About My Guest
Ali Cavanaugh (American, b. 1973) is an internationally collected fine artist and author of the book, Modern Fresco Paintings. She studied painting at Kendall College of Art and Design. Her work has been featured on magazine covers and countless internet articles. Her most recent project is a brand collaboration with Golden Artist Colors as they have designed her exclusive 6 color portrait set; a universal skin tone palette for all complexions. Four years ago she founded the Aligator Watercolor Community, which is an international group of watercolorists that focus on portraiture using alternative substrates.
Follow her on Instagram @_alicavanaugh_
1 thought on “The Joy in Artist Community and Paring Back Obligations with Ali Cavanaugh (ep. 190)”
Thank you so much, I loved this podcast and it’s always inspiring to listen to the incredible Ali Cavanaugh with her amazing art journey and heart warming stories.❤️