PleinAir Magazine – August 2019

http://www.outdoorpainter.com / August-September 2019 61

wakesyouupandgetsyougoing,andmaybe

it allowsyoutocomehomeandseesomething

ina differentlight.”

Asthisissuewenttopress,Marinowas

embarkingona trip—a pilgrimage,really

—toGiverny,France,oneoftheplacesthat

playeda keyroleinFrenchImpressionism.

Ofcourseshebookeda slottopaintMonet’s

garden.“It’sonlyfortwoweeks,whichis really

notlongenough,butI’llturnthesmallpaintings

I comebackwithinto studio pieces, as well,”

saystheartist.

THEBUSINESSOFBUSINESS

Manyartistsarereluctanttotalkaboutthe

marketing and sales of their work and how

themarketplaceinfluencestheirapproach.

Thedirtyfactis thata workingartistneedsto

sell.Theoverlookedtruthis thatonecanbe

anhonest,virtuousartistandstillpayatten-

tiontothewantsofgalleriesandcollectors.

Marinoembracesthetraditionalviewthatgal-

leriesandartistsarepartnerswitha common

goal:tosellart.

“Ilikehearingfrommygalleries,”Marino

says.“Iaskthegalleristsquestionsaboutwhy

peoplebuymypieces.I askwhatthecollectors

saidaboutthework.Whydidtheyplopdown

thatkindofmoneyfora pastel?It’shelpfulin

termsoffuturework,butit’salsojustgoodto

hearpositivefeedback,becauseall too often

artists get kicked in the teeth.

“Also,thegalleriesknowtheirmarket.

OneimportantlessonI’velearnedfrommy

galleriesis thatgoodframingis essential.

CertainshowsI havebeeninwerefocused

oneverypiecehavinggoodframes,anda

coupleofother,similarexperiencesmademe

paymoreattentiontothequalityofframing.

Framingis whatfinishes the baby and shows

the babyoff.”

BOBBAHRhasbeenwritingandediting

articlesaboutartinstructionformorethan

12 years.Heliveswithhiswifeandtwo sons

at the northern tip of Manhattan.

Morning at Redhouse Cover — Gibson Island, 2018, pastel, 12 x 16 in., private collection, plein air