Setting up a Table

 

My online store is now open for business!

I created a business plan years ago when I was taking my illustration business class at the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School in the Illustration MFA program. In it, I focused only on getting into the children’s picture book market. Jim Carson (1952 - 2014), the instructor for the illustration business class, told me not to put all of my eggs into one basket.

A few years ago, I was watching an interview with an Illustrator and Animator, Jake Parker, on a show called The New Creatives. In it he explained that he sees his career and supporting himself like a table. “you put legs under the table to hold it up. The more legs you have under that table, the more stable it is, and if something is swept out from under it, you’ve got all these other legs holding it up.”

I learned this the hard way when over 19 years ago I was laid off from my graphic design job, found another job, and then was laid off again within two months. I realize I need more legs to support my table. I have been relying mostly on my teaching, but I know from past experience that things can change in an instant and that one support can be gone. 

As part of this journey, I am creating more legs to better support my table. The first leg is my teaching. The second is my efforts to get into the picture book market. The third leg is selling my work online. I am also in the process of developing more legs.

You can see what work is available to purchase at my website 

https://www.barclay-studio.com/online-store 

and find other places to buy my work at this subpage 

https://www.barclay-studio.com/other-places-to-buy-my-work

If you see something of mine that you want that I currently do not offer or want to commission me to do any work, let me know. 

I will also be updating the store regularly so visit often!

My Journey, The Beginning

My Journey, The Beginning

I believe in practicing what you preach. 

One of the things I have been telling my students a lot lately is that they need to tell their story, and get out there work out in the world. It is how people will better connect with their art. So, this is my story–my journey as an artist and an illustrator. My hope is that this will help others that have chosen the same path. I hope to inspire, and I hope to help others not make the same mistakes I have made on my journey. There have been plenty. 

I received inspiration for this from a few places. The first was realizing that my education did a great deal in teaching me how to draw and illustrate, but did little in the way of showing me how to get work. The second was during my studies at Low Residency MFA Illustration Program at the Hartford Art School, Hartford University with Murray Tinkelman. The other is the book Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon, which is a great read with simple, but not easy, advice for any visual artist. I will speak on each in future posts.

In addition to regularly posting my current work I will be posting a weekly conversation on a subject around becoming a visual artist. Some of this will be from my class discussions and others will be from people that have inspired and helped me along the way.

I am not where I want to be as an illustrator. I have been doing small jobs here and there, but I have not gotten the amount of work I want. So, this will also be a journey of discovery for me as I try new things and keep plugging along.

I hope you enjoy the trip.

If you are interested in an incredible MFA illustration program, I highly recommend the One at the Hartford Art School. You can find it here: https://hartfordillustration.com

If you want to read Show Your Work! you can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Show-Your-Work-Austin-Kleon/dp/076117897X

Or, you can find out more about Austin Kleon here:  https://austinkleon.com

Hartford Illustration MFA's New Website

In 2007 I finished my MFA in Illustration at the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School Low Residency program. It was a wonderful privilege and one the best things I 've done art wise. It set me on the path I am on now. It was working with Murray Tinkelmann, Bunny Carter, Dennis Nolan, Ted and Betsy Lewin, and Bill Thomson that I realized that I needed to be myself as an illustrator. That has made all the difference.

From watching Joe Bowler paint to visiting Dreamworks studio it was an unforgettable experience. I am grateful for the opportunity and I am grateful for all that I learned there and the friends that I found.