Closing the Studio

Regretfully, I am closing the studio operation at Old Town.  I will take individual commissions as they may come, but my charming little studio is now available for lease.   

Why?  Well, when I began this studio I thought that a resurgence of art appreciation for "the real thing", actual physical art would appeal to the Orange County folks in well-appointed homes.   However, getting my art in front of those people proved to be a numbingly slow and an exceedingly expensive process. Social media and online advertising did not really provide the eye-opening "Oh...I had no idea it was this beautiful" reaction that seeing the work in person provides. 

My attempts at exhibits and shows, fundraiser auction donations and such were great for feedback, but garnered no significant interest.  Strangely I found that the homeowner in Newport Beach seems to think that Irvine is ghetto for a studio, whereas Costa Mesa is okay so perhaps location was a problem too.  A studio in Newport Beach would have easily cost five times more.  So again I have learned that it takes a great deal of money to create a product that appeals to the elite portrait clients, and do it for a long enough time to gain that "brand" that only they know about.

Moving ahead:  well, I am back to my full time corporate world, and will be doing portrait work part-time.  I wish I could give you the full studio experience (it really WAS fun) but for now, it will be wherever we decide to create the portrait will have to do.