Leader Telegram Article, September, 2006

Below is an article that Ann Barsness, an entertainment editor, wrote about me, my art and how I make a living from my paintings. It appeared in the Eau Claire Leader Telegram on Saturday, September 2, 2006. The article was also meant to promote an art sale that my mother and I were hosting at the Altoona St. Mary's Fall Festival that following week. The article turned out great and it was really nice to get some local recognition for what I do!

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

          Michael Marcon used to paint the sort of images that won approval in the fine art community, but left average viewers puzzling over dark, deeply personal themes.

          Today, the 1996 Altoona High School grad still draws upon his imagination, but his paintings and mixed-media pieces are squarely aimed at mass audiences. Prints of his warm-hued landscapes, treelined pathways and florals appear in the framed art departments of retailers including Kohl's, Kirkland's and Target.

          Signed prints and a few originals will be on display and for sale Friday through Sunday, Sept. 10, at the St. Mary's Catholic Church Fall Festival in Altoona. Prices will start at about $25 for prints and $100 for paintings. Part of the proceeds will benefit the church. Festival goers will have an opportunity to meet the artist from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

           What they will find in addition to about 50 different images is a down-to-earth artist who freely admits he didn't always see things in a glowing light.

           The art isn't as pretentious as it used to be, and I'm not as pretentious, Marcon, 28, said on a recent afternoon in his Altoona apartment, where he paints for about six hours a day in a second bedroom turned- studio. Seven of his own works hang in the living room and dining area, about 20 more lean against furniture.

            Marcon, who suffers from Crohnís disease a chronic inflammation of the intestines said working from home allows him to paint whenever he feels well. He said the disease also influences some of his subject matter. Because traveling is difficult, he is inspired to paint places he likely won't see for himself.

            Although he knew he would not become an illustrator which was his focus at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he earned a bachelors of fine arts degree in 2002 and racked up $70,000 in student loans Marcon didn't foresee making a living in the home decor market.

            But as he was preparing to contact potential employers, he received an unsolicited offer from Sun Dance Graphics, an Orlando-based company that sells work by about 20 artists to the framing industry, which in turn sells to retailers ranging from big-box discount stores to mom-and pop frame shops.

            We have four artists that are really the core of our company, that are producing the most art and the most sales. Michael happens to be one of our very strong artists right now, said Kim Dooley, Sun Dance art director and sales manager. He also happens to be the youngest artist under contract.

            In his second four-year contract, Marcon last month committed to producing 60 new paintings a year. (He estimated he already produced 100 new images in an average year.) While he is allowed to develop his own ideas, often incorporating architectural details into borders of landscapes and florals, Marcon also stays abreast of trends in the home decor industry including what paint and furniture colors are popular.

          Dooley said her market trend research includes observing color trends in the fashion industry, which eventually make their way into home decor.

          What I have to keep in balance is who are my customers and who are they selling to pretty much it's middle- America, Dooley said by telephone.

           It can't be too sophisticated or it can't be too thought-provoking. We have to be very careful with what the content is, Dooley said, adding that the company asked one artist to paint clothes on a nude image because it wasn't selling.

           Because she bought some of Marcon's landscapes to coordinate with her furniture, in some ways Bobbie Scholze of Eau Claire represents a typical customer. But her son Ryan and Marcon were classmates, and part of the appeal for Scholze was buying paintings and prints by an artist whom she knew personally.

           When he first started out, a lot of his artwork was very within him, where it's like he painted how he felt inside. Some of it was very crude, almost depressing in some sense. They were unique. They were phenomenal. But they weren't something you would hang in your house because they almost brought out a depression, Scholze said.

           In addition to the landscapes, Scholze commissioned Marcon to paint Medieval-themed paintings for her son and son in- law. When she lived in Altoona and worked as the city's parks and recreation department, she employed Marcon to teach art classes.

          What would Marcon's former fine artist colleagues think of his work today? Five years ago, I might have been concerned. I love what I do. Yeah, it may never make it into a museum. But I love what I do. Not everything that I do now has intellectual depth. It has emotional depth. I do art that appeals to people and you can't have it both ways, Marcon said.

          Plus, he is making a living while many artists who only exhibit in galleries must take second jobs. Marcon said he independently sold about $20,000 in original paintings in 2003. Today, he earns more through monthly advances and royalties.

         I knew that I could do art that the average person could appreciate. It's not exclusive to people who have an education in fine art, Marcon said.

         In addition to retail outlets, Marcon's work appears in hotels and offices. He is waiting for the day when he recognizes one of his own works in the background of a TV sitcom set or news program.

         One drawback of selling to the wall decor market is that Marcon never knows where his art might appear. For example, he didn't know Kohl's was carrying his work until he saw one of his own pieces in the Eau Claire store.

          When I saw that image in Kohl's, it was impersonal. It was a product. It's not a work of art, it's a product. The business that I'm in now, it's more superficial than the art world, Marcon said. Still, the mass-marketing positives outweigh the negatives.

          I think it's cool that thousands of my images are being sold around the world!