Pen and Ink Drawings of Colleges and Universities
I started drawing with a Rapidograph (refillable technical pen) after my uncle got me my first pen as a Christmas present when I was twelve. I admired the way he drew; which was by stippling, with the whole drawing being made up of dots. It would take him hundreds of hours to complete an original!
Since I was planning on Architecture as my major at Clemson, I was very interested in drawing buildings and discovering the different design styles. As part of my portfolio to get into school; I drew a building on the Clemson campus, using the same technique my uncle would use. It was a big hit, and I was able to sell signed and numbered prints of it through the campus bookstore. (it helped pay my tuition!)
After graduation, I realized I loved the drawing and rendering aspect of architecture so much more than the designing of buildings. What better place to see unique landmarks and fascinating architecture than on college and university campuses. With the help of my girlfriend (later my wife), I started doing arts and crafts shows featuring my drawings around the southeast. Some were big 2 week indoor shows, others were 1 day street festivals: like the "Okra Strut" or "BBQ Festival". Along with doing a kiosk at the local mall around Christmas time, this was our full-time job for about 6-7 years. At our peak, I think we did about 25 shows along with 2 months at the mall every year. I learned a good bit about the art world, and how to run my business.
After we had kids a few years ago, I lost a good chunk of my time for drawing. A "Big" drawback to the way I produce my art, is that the original takes many hours to produce, and if I didn't have the time to draw, I didn't have new scenes to sell. So I cut back a good deal on shows, and got a "real" job. There were still a handful of shows I did and was successful at, but the business became more of a side income.
Now that my kids are getting older, and a little more self-sufficient; they are helping me with my business. I quit my job in August 2015, and now have more time to devote to drawing. My daughter helped get me get on Etsy; as well as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, so I could get more involved in all of this online, internet stuff!
I have been so pleasantly surprised at how well my art has been received on Etsy, and can't believe I didn't start my online shop earlier!
Mike James
