Case studies : Fine artist: Thomas

Thomas graduated from Liverpool Art School in 2001 with a first class honours degree in fine art and subsequently completed a Postgraduate Diploma at Goldsmiths College, part of the University of London. Thomas has been working as a successful fine artist since then and maintains that this is the perfect vocation for him.

I have to stress that being a fine artist is often not a 'career' in the common sense of the word. The reason I say this is that it is exceptionally difficult to make a living from being an artist. Gone are the days when a fine artist could gain employment in related areas for example as an illustrator, product designer, photographer or teacher, simply because such vocations now demand specific degree qualifications. Likewise, there is no set career path and no one route in. As a fine artist you hope to make an income from the sale of your artwork, supported by the role of a gallerist/commercial gallery. As a consequence, many artists find it necessary to undertake part-time work in order to support their studio practice. In this situation it is often helpful, but not fundamental, to gain work in a similar field: artist assistant, gallery assistant, technician etc. My top tip for maintaining studio practice is to be open to the prospect of needing a second job, whatever that may be, in order to alleviate the pressure from relying on selling your work.

I found my undergraduate degree essential in preparing me to be an artist. It not only gave me the technical skills to further my practice but also the conceptual understanding that forms the foundation upon which my work sits. At undergraduate level I was made aware of the basics of achieving a good studio practice. Simple things such as using the correct materials for my chosen discipline and how they can be applied and manipulated in order to convey the desired conceptual/intellectual manifestation. I also learnt very quickly to work under my own initiative, setting individual projects and ensuring my time management skills allowed me to complete these tasks. I learnt to be fluid in terms of problem solving, evolving concepts on a daily basis. And, although as an artist studio practice is a solitary experience, it is often necessary to gain the technical expertise of a third party or to employ trades people in order to achieve the final artwork, e.g. a sculptor will often make a maquette that will be realised in a foundry by someone else, and consequently strong interpersonal skills are essential. This also applies to liaising with galleries when showing your work. A strong knowledge of art history underpins my practice and by continually talking about my work during seminars I am able to deconstruct my own practice as well as critique the work of my peers.

Being a fine artist is mainly about conquering visual and intellectual hurdles, evolving ideas both in terms of technical application and the conceptualisation of my work, therefore regularly looking at, reading about and critiquing the artwork of others is essential. On a daily basis I will make stretcher frames, stretch/prime canvas, draw, paint-manipulate-glaze paintings and attempt to convey certain conceptual theories through the realisation of paintings.

I enjoy everything about being a fine artist, for me it is my perfect vocation! Most of all, I think I enjoy the challenge of overcoming intellectual and technical problems that my work presents and endeavouring that my next painting will be the best yet.