Making art work on a small scale
When Victoria Bailey Cooley opened her Towles Court art gallery last year, just as one of the worst recessions in history was consuming the region and the country, a common comment she heard from her friends was, "You’re out of your mind."
"They believed in my abilities, but it was the worst possible time," Cooley says. "Art is a frill; it’s not something people have to have. But I’m finding that’s not so true. I’m finding that people need unique little things that are creative to cheer them up."
So Cooley – an artist whose work over the years has included expansive wall murals and large canvases – began to focus on small-scale, highly accessible artwork. Her current specialties are "Itty Bitty Canvases" featuring tiny renditions of everyday items perched on small easels, miniature handpainted boxes containing meaningful sayings, and miniature house portraits.
Vicky Cooley has found that her 'Itty Bitty Canvases' cheer up people -- and sell well. Photo by Christine Hawes.
"I find I’m gravitating toward things that are small, that are unique, things that people can buy on a whim that make them feel special," Cooley says.
The tiny gift items, priced between $18 and $22, are popular among all kinds of clients and customers, she says, including men seeking out meaningful gifts for the women in their lives. They are also a welcome change of pace for Cooley, who enjoys the "instant gratification" that comes from creating small pieces.
Cooley’s eye for art was first nurtured by her late father Roy, with whom Cooley painted throughout most of her life, and with whom she shared several shows in his hometown of Nantucket. She’s been showing her work since age 18, when she graduated from Pine View School and went on to earn a degree from Ringling College of Art & Design.
Though her tiny Towles Court shop focuses mostly on miniature pieces, Cooley still does large-scale work and shows pieces regularly in both Sarasota and Nantucket. Among her favorite pieces are those inspired by recent changes in her life – for example, a trio of aprons blowing in the wind to represent her three children’s ascent to adulthood, a bursting floral scene featuring her father’s brush bucket, and a rendition of the lighthouse near where she spread her father’s ashes.
Cooley says her main goal with her work is to provide her clients, and herself, with a sense of calm and cheerfulness. "I just don’t want to be reminded of anything negative in the world. I do everything that makes me feel good."
Her newfound focus on more decorative, marketable work has earned her criticism from some art reviewers, but praise from others, Cooley says. Whether she is doing miniature work, murals or large-canvas pieces, she impresses her followers with vivid colors and the ability to hone in on what individual clients want and need.
"I just think her work evokes lots of feelings, lots of positive feelings," says Mary Hickman, who has commissioned Cooley for numerous murals in her houses in Sarasota and Key West. "You can feel that what she does comes from her heart. It feels real."
"She takes the time to understand the individual and what they need," says Chris Moon, a realtor who also commissioned Cooley for mural work and inspired her to provide miniature house portraits. "People come back to her over and over again."
Cooley says her experience as an artist has taught her some lessons to share with other artists. She recommends that all artists develop at least minimal business, organizational and communication skills, and that they be realistic.
"Stay true to yourself; project yourself through your work," she says. "But the other part is, never consider just yourself. Don’t tell yourself, ‘I’m an artist, I can only do it my way.’ If you really want to make a living, you have to care about what other people want, too."
February 5th 2010 - 10:29AM