What does it really take to become a professional artist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explore this question together with British painter James Gillick. The lecture and masterclass will offer a rare opportunity to hear an internationally-respected artist reveal the realities, rewards and responsibilities of a professional life in art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The public lecture will provide insight into what separates those who love art from those who build a career around it. Gillick\u2019s talk will be honest, entertaining, and practical, telling his journey from aspiring artist to working professional. Through personal stories, hard-won lessons and practical insights, he will unpack how careers in the arts are built and consider the realities of the contemporary art world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The masterclass investigates creating a life through art and not solely creating art. Spread over one and a half days, the sessions will lead participants through topics of artistic purpose, perseverance, and professional development, divulging the mistakes, breakthroughs and lessons learned to build a successful career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0Practical information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 20 October \u2013 18.30 \u2013 Malta Society of Arts, Valletta<\/p>\n\n\n\n Public lecture on developing a life in the arts, by visual artist James Gillick<\/p>\n\n\n\n Followed by a reception<\/p>\n\n\n\n 21 and 22 October \u2013 times TBC \u2013 Friggieri Hall, Valletta Design Cluster, Valletta<\/p>\n\n\n\n Masterclass on professionalisation in the visual arts, by James Gillick<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lunch and coffee breaks will be provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lifetime of experience will be distilled into practical guidance for emerging artists. Various topics will be explored, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bio:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n James Gillick was born in Norfolk, England, in 1972. He is married to Miriam and has ten children. He read for a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Landscape Architecture at Cheltenham & Gloucester College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a figurative painter, James Gillick lives and works in a quiet backwater of rural Lincolnshire where he runs his busy studio. He makes all the materials for his paintings entirely by hand, using techniques that date back to the 17th century. James\u2019 work ranges from the smallest of still lifes, including game paintings to life-size horse paintings. He also works on a wide variety of commissioned projects including portraiture and historic restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notable commissions include portraits of the Rt Honourable Margaret Thatcher (1998), His Holiness Pope John Paul II (2004), The Most Rev. Couve de Murville (1999) & Most Rev. McMahon as Bishop of Nottingham and Rt Rev. McKinney as Rector of Oscott. The 600 or so paintings to have come from James\u2019 brush in the last 27 years are to be found in private collections and places of worship across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James is an experienced art mentor; artists travel informally to his studio from Europe and the USA, seeking to make gains in their art and how to market it. He is a traditional paint specialist, an oil paint specialist, a colour specialist, an art expert, particularly in terms of method or technique, and is very knowledgeable about mosaic. His parents, sisters and brothers and the cousins in his close family are all various types of artist – sculptors, seamstresses, actors, cabinetmakers, illustrators, singers, stonemasons, theatre set designers. He has extensive connections with professional artists and craftsmen in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James is very much looking forward to meeting local artists and cultural practitioners in Malta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lecture and masterclass are free of charge and will be held in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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