http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2008/200805/20080502.html

Although it’s a Canadian program, I think it’s implications could apply to boomers anywhere in the developed world. One of the panelists, Barbara Moses has written a book called ‘Dish in which she explores female boomers. I suppose it’s the sort of book that marketers might be interested in, to understand the demographic they are targeting. The boomers are a huge target, even just the females. For her book, Moses interviewed 500 women and 90% saw themselves, as they slowed down retiring and semi retiring, getting involved in visual arts in some way or another! This fact doesn’t surprise me, (ok, I was a bit surprised at how high that figure is…) because I live in an area where people flock to retire and slow down, and her demographic are already roosting here and so there are possibly more artists per square kilometre than anywhere on earth. And of course, if they don’t take up woodworking, drinking beer on a couch in front of the telly, or riding a Harley, there are lots of older guys becoming artists too. As well, colleges and Universities are churning out more young ‘artists’ in a mad competition with each other for acolyte’s educational income. There is already talk of a cull. On the one hand, it’s fascinating and wonderful to see so many people engaged in the visual arts; on the other hand if you were starting out as visual artist, always a shaky proposition, it’s never been shakier, as the art market is absolutely flooded. A consolation is that, as a practising artist, you might find some income from offering workshops or instruction. I suppose it’s always been that way, but I would suspect more so now. Anyway, getting back to Todays Nude, it would seem to me that if those focus groups have any merit we might see lots more programs on art and even life drawing. It will be good for our little life drawing group here; maybe we can do two each week! We’re not instructed, by the way, it’s just an open drawing group, but we’re already able to get enough attendees on a drop-in, weekly, non committal basis to run all winter. This, in a village of 3000! Some people come from outside the village. Most of us are those same self-actualizing boomers Moses talks about.

One other quick thought; as well as programmes being made by we/people in general rather than television companies, there are also books being made by we/people in general rather than publishers. Have you checked out the Blurb product? As well as publishing images of great fidelity for the artist or photographer, if you instruct, you could now easily put together an instructional book based on your course that is illustrated and sums up the contents of your program for students. You can actually prepare for your workshop or course within the book publishing program and then push publish at the end. If you’ve done an OK job there is a good chance your students will buy a reasonably priced product at the end.

I’m almost old enough to remember the airship, so the world we live in now often amazes me.

Speaking of airships, I have become the prosaic equivalent of a Zeppelin sized windbag…

Say hi to Lisa. I just saw a beautiful portrait of Lisa, who as you know has done a fair bit of modelling, painted by a Karen Martin Sampson who lives just north of here.