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On today's episode we sat down with Paul Batch, a contemporary artist with a love of painting beautiful atmospheric landscapes. Paul discusses his journey as an artist, including how he discovered his passion for painting after being inspired by a professor's portrait. He talks about the challenges of balancing art and life, the importance of persistence and resilience in the face of rejection, and the value of having a support system. Paul shares advice for aspiring artists, emphasizing the need for financial stability, continuous improvement, and a willingness to take risks. He also advises aspiring artists to focus on painting what is important to them and not get caught up in trends. Finally, Paul tells us about his upcoming workshops!
Paul's FASO site:
https://www.paulbatchpainting.com/
Paul's Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/paulbatch/
Paul's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/PaulBatch
Paul's Zoom Painting Demo:
https://www.paulbatchpainting.com/page/24850/zoom-painting-demonstration
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Transcript:
Paul Batch: 0:00
You've got to go and just paint the stuff that's important to you and not worry about the cool thing you just saw on Instagram and go and try to copy it. You know, you can just paint the corner of your room. It doesn't have to be something that's in vogue or everybody's doing this. Let me try to do that, or whatever. You know, you can just go in the backyard and paint your fence like, not literally paint your fence like credit kid, but like you know. You know you don't have to go far to get inspiration, but you should get inspired by your life and the things around you.
Laura Arango Baier: 0:38
Welcome to the bold brush show where we believe that fortune favors a bold brush. My name is Laura Arango Baier, and I'm your host. For those of you who are new to the podcast, we are a podcast that covers art marketing techniques and all sorts of business tips specifically to help artists learn to better sell their work. We interview artists at all stages of their careers, as well as others who are in careers tied to the art world, in order to hear their advice and insights. On today's episode, we sat down with Paul batch, a contemporary artist with a love of painting, beautiful, atmospheric landscapes. Paul discusses his journey as an artist, including how he discovered his passion for painting after being inspired by a professor's portrait. He talks about the challenges of balancing art and life, the importance of persistence and resilience in the face of rejection and the value of having a support system. Paul shares advice for aspiring artists emphasizing the need for financial stability, continuous improvement and a willingness to take risks. He also advises aspiring artists to focus on painting what is important to them, and not get caught up in trends. Finally, Paul tells us about his upcoming workshops. Welcome Paul to the BoldBrush show. How are you today?
Paul Batch: 1:47
Good Laura, thanks for having me. How are you I'm doing
Laura Arango Baier: 1:51
great. I'm happy to have you. I'm so happy to have you also, because I love your work. I think your work is definitely I can tell that you've worked so hard to reach an incredible point, because I have interviewed people who have self learned, and you're one of these self learners that I truly admire, because it takes a lot of work to paint such beautiful work that you have, especially like your portraits and your still lifes absolutely gorgeous. So
Paul Batch: 2:18
I'm happy to have you That's very nice. Thanks, Laura. I'm happy to be here. Yeah, yeah. I don't know if I can. I mean, like, I think we're all a self learner to some extent. But like, I mean, I went to school and everything. Like, no, I don't want to say, like, I'm a self taught artist. I those people like to really carry that badge, and I don't want to take it from
Laura Arango Baier: 2:37
them, of course. But I also mean that you definitely have that academic touch to your work that you see mostly in people who have studied in like ateliers or like academic schools. Like, I would have thought you studied at one. So I think it's extremely commendable. Yeah, I get
Paul Batch: 2:53
that. But, like, I went to a regular. Am I you just tell me if I'm rambling, just shoot me the other way. I went to regular like, I went to art school. So it was, it was a good mix of, there was painting, there was drawing. I had some really good teachers, a couple good teachers who were really, like, you know, the realist sort of route. And then the painting department had an awful lot of, throw shit on the floor and express yourself, sort of all that kind of stuff, too. Learned a lot with both. You know, I don't want to poo poo on one or the other. I just had a direction to sort of work in more of a traditional realist sort of mode. But, um, I do appreciate the abstract education that I did get. You know, I I don't want to poo poo on that too much. Did I get more than I wanted? Yes, in terms of that kind of content. What else was big to the what do you call it when you, like, dance around the gallery in your diaper? Performance Art was still big, right? Yeah? Like, there was a lot of that still, yes, dancing around in the gallery with a diaper on. I was a freshman watching this, going, like, really, this was a senior thesis thing. So, yeah, my education, yes,
Laura Arango Baier: 4:08
yeah. So you've seen, you've seen a lot of different time periods of painting going on, yeah, I just, I also made it because, you know, usually in universities, it's very difficult to get any type of technical skill in terms of painting, if you're trying to be a realist painter, I think it's one of the hardest ways to gain any technique is to go there unless you know you're doing like illustration, or something akin to realism, but in a guess, like a more modern sort of adaptation, kind of like illustration,
Paul Batch: 4:41
absolutely, when I went to school, I was, like, convinced my parents I could go. I was like, hey, you know, I can draw Spider Man or something. I can be an illustrator. Because I was, like, a big comic book nerd, and I went to school, and then the, you know, they have, like, a they hang up student works. They have teacher shows. Faculty shows and stuff, you know. And I was looking at the illustration department, and I liked what they were doing. But later I was like, you know, I can get all this in painting. And then more I thought, you know. So I didn't like the esthetic look of like, what was coming out of the illustration department, I guess. And I thought painting would just be harder, so I was like, I'll do that. I didn't see myself going to school to become a painter, but that happened after, like freshman year, and I'll just go right into it now too. So like my freshman year in college, they had the faculty exhibition, and it was later on in the year, but walked around the gallery real quick. You know, you do a quick scan, and you go to the pieces that you sort of gravitate to, or whatever, that attract you. And there was a small portrait by one of the professors there, Stephen Brown, and I hadn't met him. I didn't know who he was. It was a small portrait, but, man, it like hit me in the gut from across the room. And I went up to this thing, and I was staring at it, and it was just awesome. It went beyond, Oh, wow. This looks like somebody that truck outside, anyway. So it went beyond like, Oh, this looks like somebody, you know. And it was, it was deeper than that. And I, I was, I was like, if I can do this, if I can make somebody feel what I'm feeling right now with an image, you know, that's it. That's the goal, you know. I was like, that'd be amazing. So that, like, got me into painting and moving beyond Spider Man. Not that there's anything wrong with Spider Man, but I just wanted to find more through art. And that was, like my way, sort of wake up call. And it was funny too, because, like in the image, he had this really hard shadow on his neck. It's like a form killer, almost, you know, like almost a line. So I'm looking at this wonderfully rendered head, and I'm like, What the heck's wrong with the neck here? So I I didn't see him for like, another year. I couldn't take a class with him for like, another year. So, and I asked him, like, you know, it was nice portrait, but like, what's with the neck, you know? And he kind of looked at me like I was a dork, but which I kind of am. But he pulled his shirt down, and he had all this massive scarring because he had all these neck issues as a kid, and he had a he had a massive surgery, and it had a big impact on his life. And he started talking about all that and stuff. So made it even better, you know what I mean? Just so I'm running off on a Stephen Brown tangent here, but he was the teacher that got me in a painting.
Laura Arango Baier: 7:47
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. It's really cool to think back to that point like that, because it's such a turning point for you, right, because you were in one path, and then suddenly you're the right place, the right time, exposed to the right thing, and suddenly, oh, painting, painting. Oh, my God, I gotta do that. Yeah, history
Unknown: 8:08
helps make painting.
Laura Arango Baier: 8:12
And actually, before we continue talking about your work, by the way, do you mind telling us a bit more about who you are and what you do? Like, Oh,
Paul Batch: 8:20
I'm sorry, yeah, you're totally good, yeah. So I'm Paul bat. We already said that, but I'm an artist. I don't currently have a real job, although I am always afraid that I'll have to go back to work someday. What do I do? I work with about a half dozen galleries up and down the East Coast. I send paintings to the galleries, and hopefully they sell them. They sell them. They don't sell all of them, but they sell them. And what else I do teaching. I do workshops. I don't do a ton. I have one coming up in the fall. I don't even have a date yet, so don't even, can't even post a link or anything. But what I do enjoy is I do a lot of like the online videos and stuff out of the out of here, and so that's been a lot of fun. But yeah, primarily, I'm a painter working in the traditional gallery sort of system. Awesome.
Laura Arango Baier: 9:21
Awesome, yeah, yeah. And I did see your YouTube channel, you post, actually, pretty regularly,
Paul Batch: 9:28
I don't know, like, right? And I got, like, a video, oh, this stupid face, like, I don't do that stuff. So the YouTube video, it's very much a work in progress. The editing takes so long, you know, like, I've got backed up found videos and stuff. So, you know it? Yeah, you gotta try to do a little bit this, a little bit of that. You get sort of pulled in all kinds of directions. It's tough. But I really do enjoy that kind of stuff. I I like being in front of a camera, even though maybe I'm a little awkward at it sometimes. But, like, I did a lot of musical theater as a kid, like, I'm an I thought. Always been an art kid. I can't hit a baseball to save my life. Growing up, I always drew. I would write like, little notes to my teacher, like, please excuse Paul from going out to recess today. He don't feel good. And I was like, seven, so I'm sure, like, the teacher was like, whatever. Eventually they threw me out. But, uh, yeah, I've always been the art kid. I had a fantastic high school art teacher, Mr. Devine. He was, uh, he was awesome, and he helped me, like, get through school, which was cool. So, yeah,
Laura Arango Baier: 10:34
yeah, yeah. You know, it seems like it is something that you like, definitely live and breathe and just art, you know, like in all of its in all of its ways, because obviously musical theaters is one thing and then painting is another, but they do have that overlap of some form of emotional expression, right, which is what we usually do with painting, which is pretty cool. Um, would you say that other art forms have also influenced your work, or do you mostly just focus on other painters or other artists when it comes to your personal work,
Paul Batch: 11:08
I am trying, I don't know. I'm trying not to be influenced by too much right now and just do my own thing and continue to find out what my own thing is. Think my wife just came so, yeah, I've been heavily influenced over the years by other artists, like copying other artists. You know what I mean. And I'm just, like, 45 years old now, and I'm just trying to, like, find out what Paul batch is before, you know, the clock goes up. But, yeah, in terms of other arts, not really. I enjoy going with show or something, you know, but I I'm not as, no, I don't know. I'm not as cultured, maybe as I should be, you know,
Laura Arango Baier: 12:05
I think, I think you're doing great. I think you're doing great. Um, but yeah, I see, I see what you mean, you know. And also what you mentioned about, you know, still finding yourself within your work, I think that's definitely a lifelong pursuit anyway, you know, that's something that takes a lot of time and self reflection and really diving into your work, which can be challenging, you know?
Paul Batch: 12:35
Yeah, and what's the what's the point? I'm trying to find meaning in it, like I I work with commercial galleries, there is a specific type of thing I need to do in order to maintain that position, you know? I mean, I don't just get to get up and paint whatever the heck I want every day. Do I get to paint what I want absolutely but for the work part, like I have to make sure I'm there, are some restrictions, you know what? I mean, I can't just, like, take a left turn and start doing, uh, something totally off brand or or whatever at this point, you know? I mean, I, I can, but I it's going to be difficult to sell, sell the galleries, you know, do that whole thing. I don't know, yeah, yeah, that's, that's, I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining, because it's really a good deal. But um, no,
Laura Arango Baier: 13:28
it's, it's, yeah, it's the reality of working with a business right, where they're expecting a certain output, and you have to provide that output, and then if you change the output into something else. It could be risky, like the gallery might say, We won't take that one, but we'll take some of your old stuff, right? Like there's a bit of, like, a balance and a dynamic that goes into working with galleries in that sense, which is fine, because, like you said, you're still painting something that you wanted to paint anyway, right? Which is what counts. I mean, there are so many people who would want to be in that position of, like, I want to paint what I like and also make, you know, money working with galleries while I'm doing that. So I think that's excellent.
Paul Batch: 14:13
Oh yeah, no, it's great kick. I'm glad I got it,
Laura Arango Baier: 14:18
yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not like, being mean or anything. I'm just, you know, clarifying that it is, it is natural to feel that inner conflict, right? Of like I'm working with the gallery. They want this for me, and if I want to go in that direction, then you know, I have to weigh out other options, which is very, very normal thing to have to do.
Paul Batch: 14:39
I had to make a decision. So, like, when I was young and in art school, and like, smoking cigarettes and all messed up all day and everything, like, I thought I'd be like some kind of cool artist when I got older, but as I got older, I you have to have priorities. And I wanted to have a family, wife and kids. Yes, and I wanted to be an artist. I didn't want to, you know, I've had lots of jobs throughout my life. I haven't had a ton, but I've had a few really good ones that also allowed me a lot of time to paint. So, I mean, that was huge. Early on, I worked at a school for the deaf for like, 10 years, and for about half of that, I was the dorm guy after school, so kids would come after school, and I was like, the big brother, make sure they go to wrestling, practice, basketball, do their homework, you know, that kind of stuff. Lot of fun. I went back to grad school during that time, I was able to keep that job, which was full time and full benefits and everything. I went to third shift, and so I would go to class during the day, and then third shift, I'd come in, and I would just paint all night while the kids slept. So I was able to collect a full paycheck and everything and just paint all night. You know, I was tired. I didn't sleep. I was miserable to be around, but, but I got a bunch of I was able to make it work that way. And it's been a lot of that, like trying to find a way to balance, like surviving and keep painting, because that's like the hardest thing to do,
Laura Arango Baier: 16:16
right? Yeah, yeah. And that, you know, diversifying income aspect of being an artist, which I'm rooting for you, to get your YouTube channel monetized so you also get some stream of income in there, because that is so worth it, and you're very fun to listen to. So I think it's a great fit for you as well to also pursue, you know, that other passive income possibility, which is great, but, yeah, I was gonna ask you, actually, how you how you slept, but you answered my question. I guess you didn't sleep during that time because you're taking third shift and then you're also, like, in school all day. Like, when do you sleep?
Paul Batch: 16:52
I would sleep sometimes at work. Oh, it's not like
Laura Arango Baier: 16:57
they can do anything about it anymore. It's
Paul Batch: 17:00
not like I wasn't caught either.
Laura Arango Baier: 17:03
Oh, ouch.
Paul Batch: 17:06
Oh man, it was. I was very fortunate to have that job and those people, they were fantastic,
Laura Arango Baier: 17:13
yeah, and it's a great opportunity. I mean, I think also that highlights, you know, how as artists, we when you really want to do the thing, you will find a way to do the thing you know, like there's there's no stopping a person who is absolutely set, dead set, on something you know. And I can see that. I can see that in you and in your work, and how you've pursued your career, which is really beautiful to see. And also, I wanted to ask you, I know that we already talked a little bit about finding your voice, but I kind of want to circle back to that for a second and ask you, because you've also, you know, taught workshops, and you've had some students, I wanted to know what advice you would give to someone who's trying to find their own voice.
Paul Batch: 18:02
Yeah, uh, it's tough when you're learning and I think I see some people, they get hung up too much about a style early on, or how something's supposed to look, and you're just supposed to learn how to paint. It takes long enough to learn how to paint. If you say your question again, you how do you find your own style? Or no, your voice? Yeah, your own voice, right? So I you've got to go and just paint the stuff that's important to you and not worry about the cool thing you just saw on Instagram and go and try to copy it. You know, you can just paint the corner of your room. It doesn't have to be something that's in vogue or everybody's doing this. I mean, try to do that, or whatever. You know, you can just go in the backyard and paint your fence. Like, not literally paint your fence like karate kid, but like, you know, you know, you don't have to go far to get inspiration, but you should get inspired by your life and the things around you,
Laura Arango Baier: 19:10
for sure, yeah, um, and that's a great point. And also, you know, the the the amount of stuff that everyone is exposed to on Instagram, you know, seeing other people's beautiful work that took them months, and it feels so instant to us. You know, seeing it for the first time. It's like back to back to back, as if you know, they painted all of this in one sitting in one day or one hour, where, you know, in reality, it probably took them months, and then on top of that, years before those months to even get to the skill level, to even be able to paint like that, right? There's like, I think it's very understated how long it takes to reach that point. And also I love that you mentioned, you know, like not falling for seeing these things and getting quote, unquote seduced by. Them into your own work. I like that you mentioned
Paul Batch: 20:04
that. I'm saying it because I know, I, you know, I got to fight that too. Like, oh, that looks cool. Let me go try. No, you know, like, just, just, do you, you know, try to do you. It's hard. My Yeah, and everybody knows. I don't know if everybody knows, but like, you know, all the, all the years of practice. Up until that point, I did a workshop at a not a workshop. I did a demo at a local art club or something years ago, and my wife was there, and somebody, I was, like, done, right? They go up there for an hour, and I did this thing, and then this woman asked, she's like, like, how much would that sell for? You know. And I was just starting off, and I was like, I don't know what I said it was under 1000 bucks or something. It wasn't, like, I didn't throw out a big number or anything that I didn't think was big number. And she was like, you know, I said, like, 400 bucks. And she's like, what just took you an hour to do that, you know? And I was like, it was, it's been, like, you know, 15 years of practice and this hour, you know, just to get to here, you know. So it's, it's not the it's tough, because, yeah, like you said, you watch the videos, and it's like, 30 seconds, this masterpiece happens, and you're like, holy cow, I feel like crap about myself. But, you know, it's a lot of work behind it. There is,
Laura Arango Baier: 21:21
yeah, there's years and years and years of hard work behind it. I mean, it's the reason why people say, you know, like, when you pay for a good doctor, you're also paying for that doctor's experience, right? And it's kind of funny that people don't also apply that to the arts. I mean, maybe it's easier to see it in a musician, because obviously a musician has to perfectly learn their instrument, and they practice for hours a day just to be able to play one song, right? But it's the same for painters. It's exactly the same for painters. The difference is, you know, a musician might be playing a piece that isn't necessarily theirs, just like we might be able to do a master copy, but that's we're also composers, right? We're also how to, you know, use color, how to use light, how to use texture. Those are all things that happen in music, too, but they also happen in painting, and I think it's very underappreciated,
Paul Batch: 22:14
yeah, absolutely all these,
Laura Arango Baier: 22:16
yeah, yeah. So you did mention that you had a couple jobs here and there, like most of us do when you're artists, what was it like for you when you finally, you know, became a full time artist and you made that jump?
Paul Batch: 22:34
Okay? So that's scary, right? That's it. That's a big leap. I was fortunate. I didn't just like, cut the cord and be like, I'm going to be an artist. That's it. I'm done. I didn't do that. We because it's scary, and I was scared. I got married. I'm still married to the same woman named Tammy. She's not right there, but she's in there somewhere. We got pregnant, and we had everything all set up. Our whole life was all set we had a nice, big home. We each had full time jobs. We're like, great, we're going to get a nanny to come live with us. She's going to watch the kid. I did not have a big job. I was making, like, I don't know, 35 40,000 a year or something, and my wife was doing far better than me. And I think it was like, day one of the nanny actually having to work, like she had lived with us for like two months, and then day one of the nanny working with us, she was like, I can't do this. She's gone. It's just some young girl, and it was just more than she could handle, and she just left. It was like, okay, so I came home, I took FMLA, and I stayed home with the Paul. Pauly, my son's got same name, Paul, and my wife went and worked, and as my FMLA ran out, we were like, Okay, I'm just going to stay home. I had, I was selling paintings at a furniture store and down at the local Art League. Once in a while, that was it. I had some way to to generate some income, but it was like my wife was with me, and she said, after Paul, we were just going to try this out, and we're going to see how it goes. And I said, Alright, cool, you know. So it was baby all day, and then wife would come home. So my wife was working all day, and then she would come home, and then when they were sleeping again, I would, I would paint, because you can't paint with a newborn. It's too much work, you know, too much. But from there, I was able to paint myself into like a better situation. What I realized early on was that I. I don't know how to sell paintings. I still do not know how to sell paintings. I can't sell a painting. Every once in a while, I sell a painting, and it's I'm always boggled by how that happened, but um, I knew I needed help. I didn't have anything around me that would help me, there was a small gallery in the area that I could get to. So eventually I got into that thing, you know, but just going and talking and hey, and then I knew one person whose stuff was on the wall, so I acted like they were my best friend, you know, yep. And, you know, that's a way to sort of weasel your way in. You know, it's at least it starts a conversation. And I've always been a fan. So, like, I love to go to galleries and look at art, and I love art, and I follow all these people online, and I'm sitting at the kitchen table painting every night and trying to get here and stuff. And what got me from my local art club to moving on into like higher level was that I was I started following David Casson online on like, Facebook. This is long time ago. His boy was small, like, I don't know, but he got in some drawing magazine and stuff, and I looked at his what he did, and I was like, Yeah, I can do that. So I and it was very nice of Mr. Casting. He posted his materials list. So I went, I bought all that stuff, and I, I was teaching a portrait painting at the local Art League. And I was like, Alright, so, you know, I set something up, and I worked, I don't know how long, on this drawing of this woman, but it came out good. And I sent it to the portrait Society of America show, and I got in there. So I got to go down to Virginia or Atlanta. I think it was in Atlanta that year, and I had got in, I was like, the top 20. So it was, like, really big deal. I showed up in a hoodie, and everybody was wearing, like, jackets and and I was like, oh god. I went right to the store and I bought like, something that made me look like an adult, and it didn't work. But so I'm sitting at the bar in a hotel, and David casting, like, comes up next to me, and he's like, hey. And I was like, Hey. I was like, I was I was celebrity struck, you know, I couldn't speak words. And I had just spent months, like, trying to emulate this guy. And like, you know, in my head, I'm like, Oh yeah, I can do this. And now I see him, and I feel so scared, and I look at him, and I go, Oh my god, I'm sorry I can't talk. It's like meeting Bruce Springsteen. And then I felt wicked dumb. I was like, oh god. Why did I say that? You know, it was this horrible experience. We had a few beers, which was great, and then he ended up meeting his wife that night, and he had better things to do, so that was good. But like that got me into that show, and that was like a big step. And then I got in there, and I felt like I snuck in with a drawing. So then I went and I wanted to do a painting. I was like, everybody here did a painting. Oh, plus, when they did the awards, I was a first name called, so that's, like, first loser. So I was like, Oh God, you know, like, wow, I made it that far, but I'm the first one. Like, I don't even get to, like, be excited about it done. So I wanted to get in there with a painting. And, like, I can do this. Sat at the kitchen table babies painted up this portrait my friend Nick from who I had worked with previously, got in with that. So now I got in there twice again, my first name, my name was called first again, but like, whatever. So I I am not taking anything from that, because I'm very proud that I got into those shows. But that because it's difficult. But, yeah, no. So I got into those shows that got me magazine exposure. It got me lots of exposure, which I was unable to take and turn into a gallery job, which was fantastic, because like, Hey, I'm in a magazine is way better than like, hey, my stuff's hanging on a clothesline down at the local Art League. You know? I mean, what I realized was that you have to make something of yourself before you get to the gallery. It's the gallery doesn't want to just take somebody off the street and then start from scratch. They want to see that you've put in the work you've put in. You gotta earn your stripes like I it's what I tell people. It's very discouraging, because everybody wants a quick fix. I want to get in there. I want to do it. And there's a lot of good people out there, you know, there's a lot of quality art being made, but, um, yeah, you get you got to earn it in some ways, right? Not everybody earns it the same way. Everybody finds their own way. You know, some. Yes, you know, it's all different, but that was how I sort of got there, amazing. And then I switched to landscapes, because I was like, There's no way in hell I'm going to be a portrait cleaner. I had tried to do a couple commissions. Sorry if I'm not supposed to say, hell no, you can leave me out. I haven't dropped an F bomb yet, so we're good. What was I saying, Oh yeah, portrait painting, yeah. So after that, so I'm like, whoo. I'm like, I'm like, this portrait painter. And like, I did get, like, a couple people call me. They're like, hey, you know, I saw your thing in the magazine. You want to paint my portrait? And those worked out horrible. I felt like one was like, a man was crying. And I was like, Oh, God, you know, I'm never showing anybody anything again until it's finished. One like, you know, I learned that lesson because I didn't know what I was dealing on, like, I don't know I was supposed to show the process and make this big, dragged out thing about it, or something, I don't know. Learned a lot, learned a lot. And then I was like, I'm going to do landscapes. And I I was like, That can't be too hard, right? Blue stuff on the top, green stuff on the bottom, you're halfway there. I'm like, I can do this. So I, I didn't drop the portraits, but I didn't want to pursue it as a vocation. I still do portraits. I just painted a I don't know. I think my daughter, yeah, I think I just painted my daughter like I but they're for me. Sometimes I'll sell them, but, um, I don't care, you know, if I'm doing a portrait, I'm doing a portrait for me, I can go show it somewhere, if I'm on or whatever. But that's like, that's a thing I do on the side. I will take commissions. Now, if anybody is out there and wants to commission, you call me, we'll try it. We'll figure it out. But that said, No, I don't really pursue it that way, you know? I mean, but I saw landscapes, and I was like, No, I can make money doing this. People buy these things. I I can do this. And then I found out, holy shit, that's really hard. To just go from trying to do flesh tones to making good landscapes. Yeah, that was hard, yeah.
Laura Arango Baier: 32:12
I mean just the color, the color green, color green, so many shades. Apple. BoldBrush, we inspire artists to inspire the world, because creating art creates magic, and the world is currently in desperate need of magic. BoldBrush provides artists with free art marketing, creativity and business ideas and information. This show is an example. We also offer written resources, articles and a free monthly art contest open to all visual artists. We believe that fortune favors the bold brush, and if you believe that too, sign up completely free@boldbrushshow.com that's BOLDBRUSH show.com. The BoldBrush Show is sponsored by FASO. Now more than ever, it's crucial to have a website when you're an artist, especially if you want to be a professional in your career. Thankfully, with our special link FASO.com/podcast, you can make that come true and also get over 50% off your first year on your artist website. Yes, that's basically the price of 12 lattes in one year, which I think is a really great deal, considering that you get sleek and beautiful website templates that are also mobile friendly, e commerce, print on demand in certain countries, as well as access to our marketing center that has our brand new art marketing calendar. And the art marketing calendar is something that you won't get with our competitor. The Art marketing calendar gives you day by day, step by step, guides on what you should be doing today right now in order to get your artwork out there and seen by the right eyes so that you can make more sales this year. So if you want to change your life and actually meet your sales goal this year, then start now by going to our special link, FASO.com/podcast, that's FASO.com/podcast, oh, man, but wow, wow. I kudos. Kudos. That goes to show you know, and I was going to ask you too, like, you know, having that pressure of, you know, being there for your family, do you think that that also helped you find that path for you? Because, you know, you obviously made use of free resources online, which is really great. I mean, David Casson, he's great. He put, you know, a lot of artists, actually, they put their their palette online, and they'll say a little bit of what they do, which is really great. Everyone, please take advantage of that. Um, but also, like, do you find that you did have like, some sort of like internal motivation, or, like, you know, not, not pressure, but, yeah, internal motivation because you're like, Well, you know, I'm gonna stay at home. I might as well make this art career work properly. Do you find that that helped you also get, you know, get you to do stuff, having
Paul Batch: 34:56
that time, my wife gave me that time Absolutely. Doubt that. No, I'm still working and painting on the side. No, that time afforded me everything. Yeah, and there are times where, like, I'll take it for granted and I'll get lazy sometimes, but no, it's I'm always very thankful that she gave me that time, and she likes it now too. She works a lot less now. Now she's like, you know. Now she wants me to take care of everything, and I want to project, in case you can hear me, but you know, like she's just like, I just want you to do better at this point, you know. So, I mean, I wish she didn't have to work at all, but she still has to work, but we do, we're doing okay,
Laura Arango Baier: 35:44
yeah, yeah, it's important to have that support. I think you bring up a very good point, and I've mentioned this in past episodes as well, where there's a lot of support from the person's partner, or, you know, their spouse, where they'll have a day job, and then, you know this, the guest is usually, you know, an artist, and they work, and they also mentioned how thankful they are for that support. Because it really is. It's also, gosh, it means a lot because, like you said, you were able to get that time, and you had the energy to be able to get your foot in the door of more galleries, which is a huge deal, and the way it did is so cool. I love that you mentioned how you felt like you snuck in there, because that that is such a common feeling for a lot of artists, where they have this imposter syndrome, right? And that's something else I've mentioned a couple times on the show, where we always feel that way, but I think it's because we're always moving the bars. The gold bar is a little higher every time, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true,
Paul Batch: 36:51
yeah, because I still don't Yeah. We call it imposter I don't even have to imposter syndrome, yeah, but I don't know enough about it. But yeah, I Yeah, yeah, it was. It's been hard for me to say, like, when someone's like, Oh, what do you do? And it's like, I'm an artist. Like, it took years for me to spit that out and not like, you know, and be serious about it, you know, because it's like, it's such a like, what is that? You know? But, oh,
Laura Arango Baier: 37:22
man, yeah. I think a lot of people, when you tell them, at least in my experience, they always seem very fascinated. Like, I think maybe 50% of the time they're like, whoa, that's so cool. And then the other 50% are like, oh, like, almost like, you just do doodles or something,
Paul Batch: 37:39
right? Yeah, right. You know, I don't know what they think. I don't think I didn't come from a family that had art or knew anything about art or whatever, you know. So I totally understand the whole like, you know, yeah, I tell people I'm kind of like Bob Ross with less hair and less famous. That's pretty much kind of like whatever, hence the hat. Oh, for now. Oh, no, but at least, you know, it's like, I print landscapes and stuff like that. So I just, yeah, I don't know, my wife's always saying I'm I'm self deprecating to a fault, or something like that. So, but I can
Laura Arango Baier: 38:20
agree. I can agree. I think you should give yourself a little bit more of a pat on the back. I think Bob Ross would be very proud of you. He would be like, yeah, he's got some happy landscapes. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, I also wanted to ask you, what would you say is one of the biggest challenges you've faced in your careers and artists that you've had to overcome, or are still overcoming,
Paul Batch: 38:50
biggest challenge, biggest challenge is doing it. Keep being able to keep doing it. There's a lot of people who would like to have my job and are, I mean, better skill wise, and things like that. You know, there's, there's always somebody new and up and coming that you know would like to take your position. I don't know if it's at I don't know. I feel like it's that competitive so like, I don't know. Maybe that's in my head. But, um, yeah, I think just keep going is the hardest part. I don't have much to say on this
Laura Arango Baier: 39:35
that makes that makes perfect sense. I mean, I think also from my experience and the experience of hearing other artists, they do mention that it takes so much dedication and motivation. And you know, you, you go to one show, and then it's over, and then it's like the Oh, time to do it again, right? You have to, you have to also roll with the the punches and be i. You know, aware that the only way you can keep going is if you keep going right? It's all dependent on you and not on, like, some external factor most of the time, yeah,
Paul Batch: 40:08
especially, I mean, I still get rejection now, like, um, and there's, like, what I like to move up, you know, sure, you know, at some point would I like to, I don't know, maybe do a museum show or, you know, have, like, you know, that kind of thing. That'd be awesome, you know. And what kind of work would I want to do for something like that? And my head's starting to go to these places now, because I'm getting a little older and like, what I want to say through my landscapes and my portraits and things like that, you know, that becomes more but early on, yeah, you got to be able to get rejected constantly, all the time, by everybody you know, you know, your family is going to reject you, your friends are going to reject you, the person that owns the galleries not even going to talk to you, you know, like, I've that stuff early on is really difficult. You got to just get okay with it. I didn't come from an area where there was galleries, or I don't come from an income bracket where people buy actual art, so I had to kind of learn about that stuff, you know. And in school all that stuff was dirty. Nobody wants to talk about it, you know. It's like, I want to sell, I want to be an artist. And then it's like, no, no, just, you know, I don't know, get a grant. Go live off of some commune or something and paint pictures. And it's like I wasn't going to fit me. I, you know, I didn't want to do that stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with it. It's just I didn't, you know, sugar. I just uh, muscle was in my head. What are we talking about?
Laura Arango Baier: 41:49
I lost it too. Okay, honest. But it's great. It's great. We were talking about rejection,
Paul Batch: 41:55
rejection, rejection, yes, lots of rejection. So, um, feel free to cut me off at any time. I throw a couple of things out there so early on, like one of the I'll bring up some of my more painful moments. I was at the local art gallery. It's in West Hartford in Connecticut, and I had been there for a couple years teaching and doing stuff or whatever. But anyways, so they're having one of these nights. It's a fundraiser night, and they're like, Hey, Paul, you want to go paint outside, and then we'll raffle off your painting at the end. I'm like, Yeah, sure. That sounds fun. You know, I would do anything for them at that point. You know? I was like, absolutely. So I go out there, my wife comes. We weren't married yet. I don't think we're married. I don't know we might be married. No kids yet, though. So I'm out there and I'm painting, and I know a couple people come by and, you know, paintings done, pop it in the frame. You got to go stand up. You got to auction it off, right? I know maybe like 30 people in the audience, nobody, nobody wants to bid on my painting. So I they got me standing up there next to the thing I worked on, and like, the price drops, like, and I'm still standing there, and nobody wants to pay, and I'm just got that stupid look on my face, like I can kill me now, you know, I am done. Just let me go die off in the corner somewhere. This is the most horrible thing in my life. Nobody wants to pay like, 200 bucks for this thing, like, seriously, like the cost of the frame. No, nobody. It's not even worth it at that point, you know. So, I mean, I did. I did all kinds of stuff like that early on, just trying to put myself out there, you know, just because you got to go out there and people got to tell you no, and you got to take it, and you got to say, I don't care. I'm going to get better tomorrow. Frick this, my the gallery I work with now, the most is probably at, is, is Addison. Get Art Gallery at the Cape Helen, if you're watching, hello. I love telling this one too, because it took this is, this is nine in sign language. We don't do three. This is nine. So it took me nine years of emails to this woman before she would talk to me. So every year, while I'm at home with the baby and trying to, like, hey, I can do David cast. And sure, well, I'm in that headset. I'm like, I was getting American art collector and some of these magazines and stuff. And I saw a painting by Paul Schulenburg that I liked, and it was a like a bathrobe hanging off a door, you know, no big deal, right? But the lights hitting it nice. It's, I like the way it's painted. And I'm reading the article, and he seems nice. And I noticed a gallery. And then the woman working at the gallery, Helen, she owns gallery. It's our gallery. And then I see them again in the same magazine, you know? And I'm like, and it started to put it together. Like, wow, she's really working for this dude. Like, I need, I need a Helen, I need this woman, you know. So I, I ended up having a list of about 2025, Galleries that I would email every like six months or so, and I would just send out all my paintings or whatever, all my, you know, portfolio images, send them out. No, nobody. Nobody responds to those things, you know what? What would be nice? Would be like, Hey, not bad. Try back next year, you know, those kinds of things. I was like, oh, somebody said something, you know, but, yeah, no, after nine years, and I never went there before, that's my problem, right? I didn't go to the gallery, right? Anybody now who wants to get in the gallery, you have to take your butt and you have to go into the gallery, and you have to say hello, and you tell them up front, you're an artist, and you're just here to look you talk, and you just go to the openings. You make friends with the artist. You know, I think that's still a good way to get into galleries. I did this cold email stupid thing, because I was, you know, whatever, after nine years, she sends me back an email and says, Hey, we're having a paint out, I don't know, next month, why don't you come it wasn't like, Hey, your paintings look fantastic. I love your work. It was, hey, we're having a paint out, why don't you join us? I was in Connecticut. She was at the Cape. It was probably like, five, six hours. I'm like, Oh God, I'm gonna have to get a hotel. I'm looking at my wife. I'm like, do I do this? And she's like, well, yes, you do this, because right now you have nothing. You know, the furniture store you were showing artwork at has long gone. You know, kids are in diapers. So I'm like, okay, so we slept it. We got two kids at this point, I go up there and it is an all day interview. Now, it's not an official interview, right? I get there, there's a paint out. I don't do these things. I was, I had almost very little plein air experience at the time. So I go there, and I'm because I just paint on my kitchen table and stuff like that. So anyways, so I go there, and you have to go sign up in the morning. And I go, Hi, I'm the guy you know. And she's like, cool, go, here's some places you're gonna paint. I had no concept of the cape at all. I was just happy it was, like a gray rainy day, because I hate green, and I can do gray rain and, like, right? Yes, that mood. I can do that mood. So I'm like, Alright, fine. So I go and I paint, and I say hi to people, and I don't like to say hi to people. I've gotten way better at it, but, like at the time, I was just like, I want to be an introvert artist. Leave me alone, you know, that kind of stuff. And I had to go paint on location, come back at lunchtime, show her what I did. I get sent back out to go paint some more. But looking back, it was all the interview. So it was meeting the other artists. It was working and talking with her that day. It was, uh, jumping through whatever she wanted me to jump through, because we had an exhibition at the end of the day where we hung up our wet paintings, and we stood there and, you know, did that whole thing, which all new to me. You know, I do not feel comfortable standing next to my artwork, smiling and saying, Hey, look what I did. I do not like doing that. I would much rather talk about anybody else's work in the gallery, except mine. I've gotten better at it, but at that point, I'm an idiot about these things. And she was making people come and talk to me. So now I'm talking with, like, collectors from the gallery, her friend, these people, and I assume they are going back and giving her the thumbs up or the thumbs down as to like, hey, this guy's a jerk, or, Oh, he seems nicer. I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but at the end of the day, my wife was in the parking lot with the two kids. It was getting near the end, and I'm like, can we go? You know, the kids are like, restless, so it's like, fine, it's almost over. Let's just go. I get in the car. We start driving down the road. We've got a long ride back to Connecticut. Helen calls me up because there was no like, goodbye or nothing, I don't know, like, and she's like, Hey, there's somebody here who wants to talk to you. Where'd you go? So I just turned the car around. I was like, hang on, I'm just outside. Went really fast, back to the place, ran inside, talked to who she wanted me to talk to. And then, um, thank God I did, because then after that, we were good and, like, I was in, but what I didn't realize, like, wow, you know, so that's a long Helen story, but awesome. That was my in that's how I got in there. And then once you prove yourself at a gallery show, you can do the work. You do the work other galleries notice, you know, the more exposure you can get through other venues, because she helps promote me. So I get in the magazines once in a while now, thanks to her and things like that too and stuff. So I mean, all that really helped elevate me out of my kitchen. So I mean, I'm forever grateful. For that. But what I didn't expect the interview date to be like that. That was, that was just a wild day. And I look back on that really fondly, but I was a mess.
Laura Arango Baier: 50:10
Oh man, hindsight is 2020 but that's awesome. That's that is, again, another very great, uh, anecdote that demonstrates your dedication. Um, because nine whole years that is, Wow, that's awesome. That goes to show you know, it's just keep going, you know, like, don't, don't give up. Um, if you really want to work with that one gallery, just keep annoying them until they invite you, and then suddenly you're, you know, you're with them, and that's awesome, yeah, and
Paul Batch: 50:47
it's tough, though, because they get hammered with applicants and stuff. I mean, I You can't hate on them. I see how much they get hit, and they're invested in their people, you know, it's so it's tough, yeah, yeah, I understand how tough it is. Oh, for
Laura Arango Baier: 51:05
sure. But then also, like, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, right? I mean, there are sure, I'm guess, I'm guessing they got bombarded with emails, but probably not always by the same person, right? Yeah, for many years. So that also goes to show, yeah, yeah, yeah. It also goes to show that it's worth, you know, trying over and over and over. Like, sure, it's the definition of lunacy, but that's kind of what we do as painters anyway.
Paul Batch: 51:35
Yeah, if I never sent those out, none of it happens, you know. So,
Laura Arango Baier: 51:39
yeah, exactly. And again, the support of your wife telling you just do it. Yeah? Do it. That's really important. Yes, because
Paul Batch: 51:45
I was, like, so cheap and broke. I'm like, I don't want to spend the hotel, the money for the hotel, you know what I mean? No, I am this stupid. I will not, you know. So needed her to give me that little kick and say, no, no, go do this. You know.
Laura Arango Baier: 51:59
Yeah, it paid off, obviously. Now you can afford the
Paul Batch: 52:03
hotel. Yeah, now we can afford the hotel. I'm going back to the Cape next week. Awesome, yeah. And I love it out there, and I love the people out there. And I I've never lived on the Cape, but I've spent so much time at the Cape now and at the gallery, and just getting to know the the landscape there, the environment there. I love going in the off season. It's just a beautiful thing. And the collectors are great out there, and I've made long, lasting relationships we talk outside of the gallery and things like that. I mean, it's, it's really a nice thing. I feel so blessed to sort of be part of that now, you know, and to have that in my life. It's, it's nice. I don't want to get choked up here, but like, yeah, no, it's, it's good thing,
Laura Arango Baier: 52:46
yeah, and it's very meaningful, um, because, like, you've mentioned that you were never really exposed to any of this. You were never really, like, apart, like, naturally, like, from, you know, childhood. You were never really in the arts in that way. Yeah, right. So it's very meaningful when you can become a part of you know, this, this thing that feels almost like a family, feels very like a wholesome community, because then it makes it a lot easier to be accepted, and then to accept yourself and to also be exposed to other artists who might be going through the same things that you are, and then you realize, wow, we're all just going through the same thing.
Paul Batch: 53:28
Yeah, yeah. And my relationship with Helen now is fantastic. I can really count on her. Yeah, no. Like, sometimes it gets hard. Sometimes I don't sell a painting for a long time, and I can reach out to her and she will try to help me. You know, like to have somebody like that. That's
Laura Arango Baier: 53:52
huge. Yes, we all need a Helen. We all need a Helen. Yes, especially if you want to work with a gallery, you need a, you need a Helen type of gallery which is great. And then also, what advice would you give to someone who wants to become a full time artist?
Paul Batch: 54:15
It's like, you gotta have, I mean, I gotta just, you have to have the passion motivation. They be better all the time. You can't accept where you are and think like, Hey, I'm good, I'm done, because then you're dead, right? I don't care how good you are or whatever. Like, you got to keep trying to be better. It. You can't do it to a fault, though, where it's like, you know, where you're hating on your work too much, but you don't want to be satisfied too early with what you're doing, either. So that part's hard and that, but that's like the work. But in order to be an artist like I, if you come from a wealthy family, it's going to be a lot easier, not easier. If you don't, you have to. Save money. Like, like, the major thing I stress to people is, like, save money because you need it. And so, yeah, I mean, even now, you know, like, I can go, like, couple months, no painting sell. And that's like, the scariest thing in the world. I have to sell a lot of paintings every year to maintain, you know, food on the table. So, yeah, so, but I have saved some money so that when that happens, I can still eat, you know, and not freak out too too much, because it's also very hard to paint when you cannot pay your bills, you know. And then it's like, well, you know, the credit cards are jacked up, or the rents due or something, and I'm like, you can't get into the place. You gotta be, you know, it's like, maybe I should just grab a shovel and dig a hole for somebody so that I can get pizza this weekend. I don't know, like, so, yeah, but no, like, I said earlier, having that job, having some sort of you gotta have a support system around you in order to do it. It's not easy, but then just be fine with being rejected all the time. Know that you're never good enough. What else horrible things are there? I don't know.
Laura Arango Baier: 56:20
Oh, man, that's great,
Paul Batch: 56:22
because it's true. Yeah, I'm really selling it, aren't I? Yeah.
Laura Arango Baier: 56:26
I mean, it's the harsh reality. No one does this. No one does this for the money. Is one thing that I've heard people say, and it's true. I mean, we do it because we love it, and, you know, it might suck sometimes, but we keep going, yeah, yeah. It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. Oh my gosh, yeah. But
Paul Batch: 56:48
that's hard to sell. You know, you scroll through Instagram, and I hate these sort of, like, reels and stuff or whatever, with people are like, Oh, how I make six figures as an artist by, like, not doing anything, you know, or whatever. And it's just like, there needs to be a PSA that these, you know, like they're going, they're targeting artists for money, you know, and anybody who's doing that is, I have no respect for because artists are broke and trying and vulnerable and easy prey. And so, like they want the validation. They want someone to say, Hey, you're having a hard time. I got the quick fix. And I this, I That stuff doesn't make me happy. Yeah,
Laura Arango Baier: 57:27
you know, it is. It's hard, it's hard, and I think it's and I agree. I think those people who are doing that are scammers, and unfortunately, you know, we need money. We need money to live. And lot of young people get, you know, fall for those gaps. But yeah, yeah, there's just, you know, to your point, yeah, having that support system and just keep going and find yourself a Helen or learn to sell your work.
Paul Batch: 58:00
Those are all I'm so fortunate, though, because now I have Helen, I have Mary, I have Anne, I have all these wonderful people who are helping me, you know, and it's great. Helen was first off. So like, you know that that's where my heart is, but I'm I've moved down here in Georgia now, and I work with a wonderful gallery, Anderson fine art, and she's fantastic. And they put me up, and like we do workshop down there, and the paintings, it's all, it's all great, you know, so, but yeah, you gotta have some kind of support system in there,
Laura Arango Baier: 58:29
for sure, for sure. And then, speaking of your workshops, actually, do you have any upcoming workshops that you'd like to promote?
Paul Batch: 58:36
I I have one coming up in the fall at Anderson fine art. There is no date yet. But if you want to go to my website and sign up for my email list, then I will let you know when that happens. We do not bombard you. We come at you once a month, because once a month I do a zoom demo out of the house. So I do it's like an hour, hour and a half, and I will, step by step, a small painting of whatever subject matter we picked that month. It's what I pick. I say we, because my wife's a big part of that, though, because she edited it and make sure that people can hear each other. And, you know, so we, and I like to do it live. So we don't get a ton of people live, we'll get, like, maybe 2025, I don't know, but you can get a replay, too. And a lot of people just opt up, opt for the the replay, you know? But yeah, so if you go to my website and I think it's under videos or Zoom demonstration, I should have that ready, whatever. But yeah, you can come with those. Those are fun. I charge $20 so don't be surprised, but you get hit with a bill. Like, that's how much it is. But that was just something that came out of COVID, where, prior to that, I would go to the local art club and like, do, do, do my stick for like, an hour, you know, do the demo. Hey, how you doing? And when COVID happened, we couldn't go out. So I started. Doing it online and COVID it well, ended years ago, so, but we're still doing it, and it's a ton of fun. So I'm going to keep doing these as long as people keep coming. I love doing them, so it's nice. Yeah, it's
Laura Arango Baier: 1:00:16
great. And then, what is your website?
Paul Batch: 1:00:20
To Paul badge painting.com
Laura Arango Baier: 1:00:23
perfect. No,
Paul Batch: 1:00:25
I don't know. I get more inquiries about painting houses than I do anything else. But I'm just
Laura Arango Baier: 1:00:33
kidding. Oh, man. Oh, you're hilarious, Paul. Um, well, Paul, do you also, do you also have social media and do you want to say what your YouTube handle is as well?
Paul Batch: 1:00:46
On YouTube, I'm Paul batch. On Instagram, I'm also Paul batch. That's where I'm usually the most. I do some. I don't do a lot on Tiktok. I've been trying to dig just get them all, you know, but it's just time consuming. But yeah, I mean, usually just Paul badge, perfect,
Laura Arango Baier: 1:01:06
awesome. And then I'll include all of your links in the show notes as well.
Paul Batch: 1:01:10
That would be better than me just being like Paul badge. Well, I
Laura Arango Baier: 1:01:14
mean, if someone's already like looking for it, it's a lot easier. But yeah, they can also just check out the show notes for the links, in case they want to do that instead. But yeah, thank you so much. Thanks
Paul Batch: 1:01:29
for having me, Laura. This has been great. Thank you. Yeah,
Laura Arango Baier: 1:01:33
you do. You're hilarious. I was laughing the whole time.
Paul Batch: 1:01:39
Oh, man, I know. Yes, yeah, all right, all the best. Take care.
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