Episode 12 - TJ Cunningham Interview

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TJ's Links
www.cunningham...
/ tj.cunningham
Summary
In this episode, Mark interviews artist TJ Cunningham about his artistic journey. TJ shares how his passion for art began at a young age, with a pivotal moment being the sale of a sculpture at a diner that inspired him to pursue an art career. He discusses his college art studies, challenges faced in the art world, and his decision to leave galleries to build direct relationships with customers. Emphasizing the importance of treating customers like friends, TJ details his daily routine and creative process, highlighting plein air studies, Photoshop use, and the significance of strong design and accurate values in his realistic landscape paintings.
TJ also talks about his mentors, teaching experiences, and the online community he created called The Art Journey. He underscores the value of learning from others, maintaining routines, and balancing family life with painting. Mark and TJ discuss how teaching adds meaning to their work and its financial benefits. They address the importance of connecting with other artists and offer advice to beginners: read business books, develop your craft, and recognize that painting requires hard work and practice. Focus on creating great work, continuously learning, and marketing your art without relying solely on galleries.
Takeaways
Believe in Yourself: Confidence in your abilities is crucial for success.
Cultivate Customer Relationships: Building strong customer connections is essential for a thriving art business.
Consistency and Dedication: Regularly creating art improves skills and leads to success.
Daily Routine and Task Management: A structured routine helps manage various aspects of an art career.
Independent Selling: Transitioning from galleries to direct sales gives artists more control over their business and customer relationships.
Plein Air Studies: These are valuable for capturing the realism and feel of a landscape.
Photoshop as a Tool: Useful for composing and manipulating reference photos.
Strong Design and Accurate Values: Crucial for successful paintings.
Visual Flow and Focal Points: Important for guiding the viewer's eye through the painting.
Composition Principles: Using rules like the rule of thirds and the golden ratio enhances overall composition.
Learn from Others: Gaining knowledge from other artists and mentors is valuable.
Teaching: Adds meaning and fulfillment to an artist's work and can be financially beneficial.
Balance and Routine: Important for managing family life and painting.
Community Connection: Connect with other artists to combat loneliness.
Business Knowledge: Read business books to understand the business side of art.
Developing Skills: Painting is a skill that can be learned and improved.
Focus on Great Work and Learning: Continuously create and learn.
Selling Art: Focus on selling products, not time, and consider marketing and advertising independently.

[@LesleyWhite-gz5nm]

These interviews are so interesting, informative and inspiring. Thanks for doing them Mark. You choose great interviewees. I’ve learned something from every one of them.

[@thebusinessof_art]

So glad you like them! Thank you!

[@dslart9576]

I love these interviews ~ please do not stop. It shows us a different more personal side to each artist we admire.

[@thebusinessof_art]

So glad you’re finding value!

[@candihogan6636]

So appreciate your doing these podcasts, and your interview with Tim was fantastic! He is such a knowledgeable and generous instructor, and his critiques are invaluable, his eye is sooo right on!

[@thebusinessof_art]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@sandyarnault5369]

This was one of the most interesting and informative discussions!! Thank you!!!

[@thebusinessof_art]

So glad you found value in it!!

[@nathaliahiatt4366]

Thanks for the awesome podcast, Mark!
"...believeing that you can is way, way, WAY more important than knowing how...if you don't believe that you can, even if you know how, you still won't"

[@thebusinessof_art]

Love that! Thanks for listening in!!

[@thebusinessof_art]

Love that! Thanks for listening in!!

[@user-ol2eb4zy8r]

I just recently came across you podcasts and have really enjoyed getting to know you and the artists you interview...I've recommended your podcast to many of my students and fellow artists. I know Tim and and his dedication and desire to be the best artist, husband, and dad is, in part, his tireless motivation work at it each day. I remember when he was a student and when the day in the school studio was finished and the rooms became empty since everyone else was heading to supper and he would be the only one left working. That Tim and that was his daily routine for him. That always impressed me how he was willing to give up socializing around campus and having fun to get that valuable extra time in.
I hope these interviews continue to grow and inspire others.

[@thebusinessof_art]

So glad you found value! And thanks for sharing!!

[@rogerbrownart]

So much great advice 👏👏👏

[@thebusinessof_art]

Glad you think so!

[@LoriWoodward-gd5fl]

Super podcast! Learned stuff, interesting and inspiring. Thank you Mark and Tim (TJ). Tim, I think I spoke to you at OPA in Bennington VT??? In any case, I have followed your work for a while. Every time I hear when an artist is selling work without galleries, I’m encouraged.

[@thebusinessof_art]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@Foolsauce]

First time listening to your podcast. A lot of interesting stuff in here. I was surprised though how little time was spent on art business and asking about how TJ Cunningham's business worked. I don't feel like I learned anything about how he sells his paintings. I also kept being curious what business books he was referring to, as he brought up books multiple times. Anyway, I might be missing something or didn't see an episode that would help me out, but I just figured from the name of your channel that business would be more of a focus. Regardless, thanks for the effort you've put into interviewing these artists!

[@thebusinessof_art]

Thanks for the feedback

[@joshs2987]

i also wanted to know what business books Tim had read

[@joshs2987]

thanks for doing this mark. keep them coming