Artist Jim Wright was married to Judy and a father when he gave up a paid job to paint full time.
That possibly influenced his decision to pursue what he calls a “commercial” path. Following a number of exhibitions where his work sold well, Jim started working with a dealer, who bought paintings and then sold them on to galleries.
Jim says: “He’s doing all the running about and I am doing what I want to do, paint pictures. The only snag with a dealer is you get rock bottom prices, but you don’t have to put a frame on, the gallery does that and sells it at a vastly inflated price.
“That relationship lasted until this last year and I think he’s ready for retiring as I am, more or less.”
The other downside of using a dealer is that the artist rarely meets his customers. For Jim that’s a bonus as he prefers to be “in the background” as he puts it, working in his studio or workshop, where he also produces beautifully crafted furniture.
Then, when tired of that particular occupation, he will go fishing.
Jim says: “Sitting by the lake on your own in peace and quiet is worth something.”