Subject is everything

This quote has been at the forefront of my thoughts since the New Year. As a full-time artist relying on art sale income to pay a good portion of the bills, I always have to be mindful about what I paint. There are beautiful animals in the world, but there are certain ones that get snapped up faster than others. Moose, ravens, bears and elephants are good examples of species that have a wide and willing audience. 

Human subjects seem to have their moments. Gord Downie was in high demand in the 2016 - 2019 period, as was Freddie Mercury and a few other celebs.

In 2025, Jelly Roll is definitely having a moment, as is Taylor Swift and Post Malone.

I have posted various hockey themed works at different times of the year, and get completely different levels of responses depending on the energy in the world. As an example, there was a competitive auction for a gallery canvas print of "New Greatness" the other night on my Russell Thomas Art Facebook page. Similar action is happening today for a gallery canvas embellished print of "Legends". Perhaps as we are nearing playoff time, excitement is building about hockey? I'm not sure.

Sometimes I put aside what I think might be popular and paint something just because I was inspired. "Reflections of..." is a good example. These colours reflected in the water appeared in the opening seconds of a tourism ad for Newfoundland and Labrador. I was intrigued to capture those colours in a painting. In fact, it sits directly in my line of site as I sit at my desk. I called it "Reflection of..." to invite the viewer to imagine a Canadian city that would offer those colours. The responses have ranged from Edmonton to Regina to St. John's.

I spent about an hour scrolling through my photo archive yesterday, waiting for an image to jump out at me. I was in the pause between projects and needed something to paint. A solitary robin sitting atop a spruce tree stopped me in my tracks. I spent an enjoyable afternoon taking a realism approach to capturing our favourite bird, particularly at this time of year, as we anticipate their return after a long winter.

Trying to run a viable art business can be tricky, especially as tastes shift and the market changes. Being rigid and standing still is not an option if you're going to make a go at it. You always have to be experimenting, evolving, listening and watching. The clues for potential success are there, you just have to be open to seeing/hearing/feeling them.