Today we’d like to introduce you to David Tripp.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Art was the only skill I possessed growing up, and talent got me to the university. Academics became my love then, and after graduate school I resumed my art and discovered that scholarship added so much more to my presentation. My love now blends serious study of art history and philosophy to the issues of developing my skill set. Now settled in Arlington, I am building a network of galleries in which to display and sell my work, and also participating in art festivals, art exhibits/competitions, and the presentation of demonstrations along with giving private lessons and conducting watercolor workshops. I am also writing a novel illustrated with my watercolors. The story involves three men, friends since high school, leaving their Midwestern town and resettling in Texas where they help launch a renaissance of creativity across East Texas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Never smooth. There are always mistakes and errors in judgment that lead to setbacks. Galleries flourish and ebb. Festivals bring success mingled with disappointments. Like most artists I know, revenue streams are sporadic, but fortunately I have a good enough pension and social security income that I am able to remain stable. Social media has ways of bolstering confidence, and one never knows when the next good word would come. I remain grateful for what life as an artist has brought my way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I feel separate from most other artists, regarding myself as the Thinking Artist. My Bachelors Degree in Art is accompanied by a Master’s and Ph.D. focused on the Academic World. I am a watercolorist by profession, but after thirty years of teaching philosophy and art history in public high schools and universities, I am still absorbed with history and theory. My work is sold through galleries and art festivals, but I also relish every opportunity to speak to public groups, either by demonstrating my craft, conducting workshops, or participating in public address or dialogues. I love to speak publicly about the practice of art, the history of art, or mentoring groups of emerging artists asking all the practical questions about how to get work into galleries, what is required to participate in festivals, or how to raise a profile in advertising or social media.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Yes, be prolific. If you are not cranking out a high volume of work, if you do not have a portfolio exceeding fifteen pieces, or an inventory exceeding thirty, no one is going to care about how talented you are. Galleries want to know what you have on hand, and theoretically, if your entire collection was purchased by one buyer, how long would it take for you to produce the next portfolio. I wish someone would have told me that when I was twenty-one. Next, do not be afraid to lose a painting, to take risks. Do not expect every piece to be frameable. Many professionals frame one out of ten or twenty attempts. Sketch more. Fill up sketchbooks. And don’t throw away the bad ones. Keep them around to look at occasionally and ask “What is missing?” Also . . . get your work out there into the public place. People need to see your work, and meet you. And take advantage of whatever you can with advertising, especially free social media.
Pricing:
- $5 for 5×7″ greeting cards, blank inside and story on the back, with envelope and sealed plastic sleeve.
- $120 for limited edition signed-and-numbered giclee prints.
- $200 for 8 x 10″ watercolors in 11 x 14″ white mats.
- $400-600 for framed watercolors, from 11 x 14″ to 16 x 20″
- $1200-1800 for framed watercolors on full-sized paper (frames around 30 x 36″)
Contact Info:
- Website: davidtrippart.com (website)
- Instagram: dmtripp2000 (Instagram)
- Facebook: david.tripp davidtrippart (Facebook accounts)
- Youtube: @davidtripp7412 (YouTube)
- Other: davidtripp.wordpress.com (blog)
