DEGREES UNEDITED

Three recent graduates discuss their careers so far and offer advice to artists graduating in 2010.

Graduation comes so fast that many students rarely plan for what happens on day one of becoming a 'professional' artist. The loss of the supporting educational environment and immediate peer network can lead to feelings of isolation. Making the transition from being a student to establishing a professional career, building a reputation and garnering interest in your work can be a daunting experience.

I started writing a blog on Artists talking in 2009. It was self-reflective and analytical of my own practice. The process of talking about how I work and who I work with, made me aware that over a period of time I had become part of an 'art community'. Being part of something is, I believe, crucial to selfdevelopment as an artist and is utterly rewarding.

Here's my advice to new graduates.

Be realistic

As an 'emerging artist' it is important to be ambitious. You wont get anywhere without drive and determination, but be realistic too. Not many people have sellout shows overnight.

Be methodical and understand the art world. Find out which galleries you want to be part of and that are likely to appreciate your work. Start with smaller galleries/project spaces and invite them to your exhibitions and build up from there.

An exhibition I had at The Residence Gallery only happened because I knew that the curator was looking for emerging artists and that she appreciated my medium. I approached her and was offered a solo show soon after graduating.

Build your profile

Create a mailing list from visitors' books at your exhibitions, and then send out invitations to your subsequent exhibitions. Curators and buyers alike want to know you are active, progressing, dedicated and professional. You're unlikely to get interest in your work if you don't tell people about it.

Art dealer and gallerist Julian Hartnoll bought several pieces of my work a year ago. I continued to speak to Julian, sending exhibition invites and updates. Julian offered me a solo show in London a year later.

Create your own opportunities if needs be by putting on your own exhibitions, using empty shops as a base or even at the beginning hiring space and then promoting it to galleries.

Be professional

If you are offered an exhibition, galleries and curators will notice your professionalism, or lack of it. Remember the show's success is not wholly down to them. Being professional and enthusiastic is much more likely to advance your career and networks than being arrogant and disorganised.

Nurture relationships

Keep in touch with tutors, identify new mentors in your field of interest and create a critical peer network. Nurture these relationships and it will reward you intellectually, creatively and inevitably create opportunities.

Write a blog

I was surprised how interactive a blog was; opening up opportunities for dialogue with artists, curators and many others. A blog enables you to be self-reflective about your work, give others an insight into your practice and can be used as an effective marketing tool.

Join a studio

It took four years after graduation for me to get a studio and I realise now it is a relatively small expense that is invaluable in creating a peer network. As a result of many exchanges of studio members' ideas, we have set up an artist-led exhibition space, Core Gallery.

Build your confidence

You need to be articulate and engaging when promoting your work. This can take a bit of practice. Take part in networking events. Make sure you get feedback into your work where you can and understand what others read from your work. You can also join organisations such as Matt Roberts Arts and go to professional development lectures etc.

So to conclude; persist, be professional and remember that lots of other artists want to be part of a network too. Join them and be part of something.

Rosalind Davis is a painter, freelance writer and lecturer. She lives and works in London.

www.rosalinddavis.co.uk
www.coregallery.co.uk
www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/ 579530
www.mattroberts.org.uk

Being an art student is all about finding yourself and finding your practice, then you graduate and think you've done it - made it - crossed the line into a strange, wonderful and yet strangely bizarre world of the professional artist. Or have you? Are you just in post grad/pre-artist limbo?

"OK, the MA next," you think, "cherry on the cake", so to speak.

My first day on my MA course, as I sat nervously wondering what I had got myself into, we were informed by a lecturer that from now on we would be treated as peers. We, in theory, are aiming to be Masters of our trade. We were not students anymore, as I had thought, but as post graduates we were now artists in our own right and would be treated as such.

This flummoxed me somewhat as I was most definitely still in student mode. However, it also made me feel quite professional - a 'real' artist at last. In truth this just means that you still get some of the perks of being a student, but have to be much more self-motivated on an MA. Don't get me wrong, that support is still there, but you're encouraged to be more energetic and ambitious without the direction of others. The freedom of that knowledge is actually quite liberating, the need for your project to really become 'something' seems über important all of a sudden.

Except that you soon realise that if you're solely concentrating on that one MA project and don't have anything else in the public eye for those two years - is anyone else going to remember you or your work?

So begins the juggling challenge; the making of new artwork, getting said work into exhibitions (or at least seen), the daunting task of finding that one big project for your MA. Then - if you're anything like me - you also have to juggle the 'day job' (bills still have to get paid) and most importantly your family, who obviously want to come first and not be part of the juggling act. My eldest son (aged 11) told me recently that he can't wait for me to finish my MA so that I can spend more time with them and be a 'normal' family. Has he not realised by now that life with an artist is never exactly normal?

I have started two separate blogs now on Artists talking: one keeping up to date with my MA in general and any exhibitions, commissions or competitions I may enter (keeping my work in the public eye); the second, regarding my main MA project, will be following my appointment (more juggling) as artist in residence for New Ferry Butterfly Park over the next eighteen months.

The park is a tiny nature reserve under threat of closure, but is a charming and inspiring place to be. I feel very lucky to be a part of the fight to save and re-energise it. I'm hoping to curate a sculpture trail to attract and renew interest and also make an online presence for the park in order to increase visibility. The coming months should prove to be stimulating and exciting... and tiring.

My experience of blogging throughout my degree was cathartic and there is no doubt that blogging on Degrees unedited and Artists talking has been good for my career since then. I was contacted as a direct result of my blog by two separate groups to be part of their exhibitions this year - 'A Set of Odd Volumes' for CoExist Arts in Southend-on-Sea and 'Out of Office' in The Electric Works, Sheffield.

Both exhibitions were really well received and I felt immensely honoured being part of them. It's hard trying to fit exhibiting into an already full schedule, but when you see your work in a space surrounded by work by some other really great artists, every lost moment of sleep seems worthwhile.

I really can't recommend blogging highly enough; it's a way of networking, getting your work and ideas online, you can reach people you would never meet in day to day life. The comments and advice you receive as a result can be extremely helpful and rewarding. I sincerely hope those people will continue to follow me through the course of my MA and onwards to who knows where and who knows what... not as a 'pre-artist' but as a real contemporary artist.

Carol Ramsay

www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/ 552594
www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/ 614513
www.a-n.co.uk/degrees_unedited/reviews/single/ 556523

When reflecting on the year since graduating, mayhem springs to mind. I am an art technician in a school, a fellow for the degree course I attended and I'm trying to become an established artist. I only work three days a week, but it's a dependable, regular income and I'm lucky to be working in a creative environment.

I applied to the fellowship programme last year as I didn't feel ready to go it alone; it offers support, studio space, facilities and a gallery exhibition. I've grown in confidence, developed my print practice, and can offer objective advice to students, although I often feel I know less than them! Observing the course means I can empathise with the students, but without any pressure. I think my time will come when I participate in the fellowship show. As the end of this extra year approaches I'm dreading leaving but am grateful for having this privileged opportunity.

I've been applying for many exhibitions and commissions since graduating. This is becoming expensive and timely, but I need to invest and be patient before I can expect to get anything back.

I was disheartened with the rejections of my first two applications, taking it personally and wanting to give up. After much contemplation I decided to give myself a full year and it is starting to pay off. My third application was successful: Go Penguins commissioned two of the three designs put forward for their public art event. Initially I panicked, fearing I couldn't paint the designs onto 3D five-foot penguins, and the first few brush strokes were terrifying! I worked in the company's studio feeling nervous and out of my depth to begin with, but soon settled in and was relieved when the penguins reflected my designs.

Since then, things have been moving fast. My friend suggested my involvement in a show she was in for CoExist Arts in Southend-on-sea. I re-shaped old books to resemble a forest canopy, using every spare moment to develop the project, even cutting books on the journey to the gallery. It was an exciting exhibition that I couldn't miss, even though transporting it was costly. Simultaneously, a proposal I'd entered into a climate change exhibition was accepted, and I set about preparing 3,000 handcut butterflies, but unfortunately used less than 1,000. When I installed the work, I was shocked at how challenging my designated space was in size and shape, and disappointed that I couldn't present this project fully. I'm also sceptical now about exhibiting alongside work I haven't seen previous to presenting, as it varied vastly in standard and style.

Most recently I had my first solo show, in Mersey Bio, Liverpool. The space was difficult, but the art liaison officer was fantastic, giving advice, installing the work with me and ensuring the smooth running of the private view. This was my most nerve-racking experience so far and I had several sleepless nights leading up to it. With this being a recent event I haven't had time to reflect on its presentation yet and still feel ecstatic about the experience.

I've been lucky so far; I'm sure it won't always be this easy and I'm worried that even if opportunities keep arising I won't be able to keep up this pace. I thought there would be long lapses between projects, but it's been full steam ahead. Maybe next year will be quieter. Hopefully not too quiet though - I wouldn't know what to do with myself. When I feel like complaining, I think how lucky I am doing something that I love.

Julie Dodd

www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/564770

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First published: a-n.co.uk April 2009