To be Fair

An artist impression

My usual hair stylist Scott has recently set up his own saloon at a new and upcoming housing area in Mutiara Damansara. Not bad for someone who started off as a shampoo boy. His scrawny thin frame and droopy eyelids give no telltale sign of his entrepreneurial spirit in this highly competitive world of fashion and style. I stick with him all these years for his low maintenance no frill approaches to grooming, and his sensible pricing. From rebonding, hair treatment to several occasions of upbeat do for some corporate functions, I vouched for his skill.

If Scott could setup his own saloon, should I as PW said, set up my own consulting firm? Or any business for that matter. If my father is reading this page, he probably will sigh in disappointment and wondering if his daughter will ever settle for a job that is 9 to 5 and spend more weekends at home.

My previous post has shared a rather bleak picture of consulting business and I intend to stick to my gun. PW came up with another career option, which is to sell my oil paintings. I thought it was not a bad idea at all considering the market price for one piece easily exceeds a few thousand ringgit. That is provided that there is buyer. Henceforth the need of my own exhibition to showcase my work, said the eager PW, who herself is working half time at the IT department of a private hospital, and juggling household commitments, two high energy boys and a husband. Not exactly someone whose advice you will count on when it comes to business venture. Nevertheless what she said did make some senses.

Checking sheepishly with my teacher, who himself is an established painter, on the prospect of art market in Malaysia. He shared, after letting out a hearthy laughter that a good painting should come from the artist’s heart. An artist should be sincere in sharing and believing in his interpretation. Painting with the buyers in mind, will limit the artist’s perspective. Of course, he added, this does not mean that, an artist should hesitate to sell his work in the commercial market. On the contrary, artist should be bold to exhibit and price his work and not fear criticism. Unsurprising to come from someone whose most admired artist is van Gogh, who persisted with his bold uninhibitive style despite the criticisms and being treated as a outcast. Now look at how much his work is valued.

Sticking to principles and moral high ground are hard when others are dependent on you, a hard truth that I learned in recent years. In running a consulting firm, there are overheads to be pay and salaries to be banked in.

But painting is a private affair and probably the only free haven to express myself in an uninhibited way. An art exhibition will definitely happen, but not until I have a wide enough collection. For now, I shall just be focusing at improving myself progressively in my training as an oil painter.

This is a newly completed painting modelled after a photograph I took in Bern in Switzerland near the apartment of my friend Karin

posted by Vegie @ 9:55 PM