It's simple. My usual avenues for consistent paid work have completely dried up.
The cloud of the world economic downturn which has curiously drifted away at the last minute for the last three years seems finally to have cast it's shadow on our humble home.
I can't complain or feign surprise - I was expecting it much sooner if truth be known. It's almost strange that I've been as consistently busy for the last three years. I've painted over 200 works for large commercial projects during this time, and as many private portraits as I've been able to fit into the quieter moments. But for the gradual squeezing of budgets over this period it would almost certainly have been the most prosperous period of my career.
Alas, there's been little surplus income even for the niceties that many appear to take as essentials, and the last of our savings have just about run out. I still consider our situation to have been lucky all the same, although to work so hard for so long and then find yourself so quickly at a stall is alarming.
A warning perhaps to others who think they can't be affected by this.
I was slow at first to react, but in the last month I've completely re-built this site from scratch, rationalised most of my digital portfolio (sadly a far greater percentage of my commercial work is not able to be posted because of client confidentiality, which is a crippling handicap at times) and gotten seriously engaged with newer online avenues like People Per Hour for the first time.
I've also kept myself busy with some alternative projects being initiated by close associates which feel to me much more positive moving forward in the current context of our troubled economic climate.
I find myself wanting to re-evaluate the basis upon which I provide my services commercially, particularly to unknown chains of art consultants & designers.
Hopefully I can protect myself from being so completely out in the cold & removed from potential clients in the future. I'm not ignoring the very real possibility things will get much, much worse though.
Time & hard work will tell.
The cloud of the world economic downturn which has curiously drifted away at the last minute for the last three years seems finally to have cast it's shadow on our humble home.
I can't complain or feign surprise - I was expecting it much sooner if truth be known. It's almost strange that I've been as consistently busy for the last three years. I've painted over 200 works for large commercial projects during this time, and as many private portraits as I've been able to fit into the quieter moments. But for the gradual squeezing of budgets over this period it would almost certainly have been the most prosperous period of my career.
Alas, there's been little surplus income even for the niceties that many appear to take as essentials, and the last of our savings have just about run out. I still consider our situation to have been lucky all the same, although to work so hard for so long and then find yourself so quickly at a stall is alarming.
A warning perhaps to others who think they can't be affected by this.
I was slow at first to react, but in the last month I've completely re-built this site from scratch, rationalised most of my digital portfolio (sadly a far greater percentage of my commercial work is not able to be posted because of client confidentiality, which is a crippling handicap at times) and gotten seriously engaged with newer online avenues like People Per Hour for the first time.
I've also kept myself busy with some alternative projects being initiated by close associates which feel to me much more positive moving forward in the current context of our troubled economic climate.
I find myself wanting to re-evaluate the basis upon which I provide my services commercially, particularly to unknown chains of art consultants & designers.
Hopefully I can protect myself from being so completely out in the cold & removed from potential clients in the future. I'm not ignoring the very real possibility things will get much, much worse though.
Time & hard work will tell.
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