(All illustrations, paintings and photoshops, except for a few, by Pascal Leo Cormier)
This message is about the Artist life, and more importantly, it is about Artist SURVIVAL.
For all the Art Lovers out there, I take the liberty as an Artist, to write on behalf of all the hard working Artists, Graphic Designers, and Gallery owners that I know. Many Artists and Galleries are fortunate enough that they don't have to face the problems mentioned in this article, however, I would contend that most of them have at one time or another in their Art careers, so I think they will identify with the message none the less. Let me jump right into it head first and from the heart.
As an Artist and Art collector myself, I have been to, taken part in and curated many Art exhibitions in my life, and after all of my experiences in the Art World, both good and bad, I found one unfortunate consistency: the fact that many Artists and Galleries are suffering a great deal due to the lack of sales that are being done throughout the year!
That is why I've decided to write this long, exhausting rant that I hope will somehow find its way to a purposefully meaningful place in the Universe. You better make yourself a big sandwich, because this is a long one. Like three and a half feet long, at least.
Many Artists and Galleries are suffering financially. I find it both odd and sad that so many Art Lovers out there don't invest in their favourite local Artists and Galleries, but are willing to spend close to a $1000. 00 for their iPhones and video game consoles, $2000. 00 flat screen TVs, $300.00 shoes and $200.00 T-Shirts, which will all fall apart on you at one time or another (some are actually made or programmed to fall apart just so you have to buy another one later!)It is a shame that some of these same Art Lovers are not willing to spend half of that money to help support their favorite Artists and Galleries by purchasing a work of Art that they love, a work of Art that will remain in their families for generations and generations to come!
They may not tell you about it, but some of your favorite Art Galleries are on the brinks of closing because they cannot afford to pay the rent anymore...
...and some of your favourite Artists, who often work up to 90 hours a week, with a lifetime of dedicated practice, don’t know how they are going to pay their next rent or where they will get their next meal, literally.
But the Galleries are always full of people on opening nights! And the Artists are busy all year with deadlines! How could they possibly be suffering financially with that much vibrant exposure?
See, in the Art world, success doesn't always translate to financial comfort. You can have a nice garden full of beautiful flowers, and all the bees in the world can come over, and all the newspapers in the world can talk about it, but if none of those bees pollinate the flowers, those flowers won't survive!
The same can be said about the Art world! If all the Art Lovers attend all the Art Shows, drink all the wine, eat all the food and take pictures with their $800.00 iPhones while wearing their combined $700.00 outfits, but don’t invest a penny in the Artists in the show, these Artists and Galleries won't survive! It’s sad for me when I see, take part in or even organize very successful Art Shows in terms of media coverage and attendance, but no sales!
This message only goes out to people who really can afford it, to those who actually love a work of Art and think about buying it but chose not to.
This message is not directed to people who know that they can’t afford it, but give us moral support none the less. We absolutely love and appreciate your feedback and presence at all of our Art Shows! Even if you don’t buy anything, because those who can’t afford to buy, but give their support in other ways, are truly a blessing to us! We sincerely love all of you, and we do need you!
And for everyone who spend time supporting our Artwork online by liking and sharing it on social media sites, you are awesome, and we love you! We are forever thankful for this kind of support because it is how our names and work circulate! We are truly blessed to have the internet as a tool of communication nowadays, because many before us did not have such an amazing privilege!
But before you decide that you can’t afford a work of Art that you love, ask yourself, “What am I going to use that money for?” Is it because you really can’t afford it? Or is it because you chose not to? Ask yourself how much money you will spend on alcohol and coffee that month! I know many who spend hundreds of dollars a month on beer alone!
Of course, where and how you spend your money is obviously none of my business, but when you consider buying a work of Art, you should think about those things because your decision affects so much more than you can imagine! One sale for an Artist means that he or she got paid for their work on that piece! And it might even affect their decision to go on!
I know Artists that almost quit before, including myself. For many of us, Art is not a hobby, it is a full time job! And when you are forced to have a second job outside of your field of expertise, that often means that half of your work during the weeks to come will go towards someone else's passions and endeavors, and will neglect your own! This means that you will have to cancel exhibitions and great opportunities, and you'll end up stuck in a vicious cycle: To have to work to buy Art supplies but can't make Art because you have to work!
The next thing you know, you're not making Art anymore.
Of course, I know that many Artists find a good, healthy balance between their Art and having a separate job, providing that they love their job, and many of them are fortunate enough to have a secure job that is in the field of Arts and Craft, but those do not always come easy! Especially since most of the biggest animation studios out there get their illustrations done over seas nowadays, stripping away any opportunity for us Artists over here to get a job with them!
Finding a good balance between your Art and your job can be really hard because at some point, something has got to give, and you will have to sacrifice one for the other! Not all employers are so flexible that they will let you have a day off for your Art Show, some employers don't give a crap about what you do outside of their building as long as you are fully dedicated to their employment!
All Artists have to go through this early on in their careers, but like in any other field of work, after studying and practicing to master your craft for years and years, you eventually want to work in your field! Otherwise you're either wasting your time and money, or else it just becomes a hobby (one of the most time consuming and expensive hobbies in the world mind you!)
I myself have had a tremendously hard time to keep jobs that are not in my field because I have deadlines on a monthly basis, and my Art career is my priority! It is what I have dedicated my life to! So if the job that I am not passionate about gets in the way of my Art, the Art always wins because it is who I am, an Artist.
I recently got a very sad email from a fellow great Artist who decided to quit and was about to sell his brushes because he lost his house, and his wife left him, all because of the lack of sales he got that year! I haven't had the heart to write him back yet because I don't know what to say other than "don't quit". And who am I to tell him not to quit when I consider it two - three times a year for myself?
Is it because his Art is not good enough? No. His Art has only been getting better and his sales were quite consistent until it suddenly stopped. Then why have the people suddenly stopped buying Art? Some say it's because the economy is bad, well I don't buy that because most of the people I know make as much if not more money now than they did 5 years ago! And as I have mentioned earlier in this article, the bad economy hasn't stopped people from buying beer every weekend, iPhone and every other transformer gadget on the market! So I don't think the economy is a good excuse, especially since Art is usually an asset and most things people buy are usually liabilities. So what stops Art Lovers from buying Art?
I myself am quite financially poor, but I have invested in Artwork many times before, knowing that I would have this Art piece on my wall forever, and that it was worth my investment because it’s not just a work of Art that you can enjoy every day, it’s an asset! Again, most of the biggest investments people make today are into liabilities (things that cannot help but cost you more in the long run)!
Think of it this way: If Musicians all had to play shows on a gamble of hope that people might possibly pay at the door to see them so they can eat after the show, no matter how good they are, they would probably all go bankrupt!
If you had to go to work every day in the mere hope that someone might pay you for your work that month, regardless of how much you love your job, it would be a nightmare!
It is the same for Artists working full time! Making Art, like anything else, costs a lot of time and money! Many times, we don't see that time or money back for a very long time if at all!
Finally, in my rather elaborate attempt to conclude this message, article or rant, which ever you prefer, I have put together a list of essential things that Art Lovers and potential Art Collectors may want to know. The list consists of tips on what to do and what not to do in your approach to buying a work of Art, as well as important things that may affect your decision in buying original Artwork.
Firstly:
Why are Artists so important in society ? Well, evidently, Artists are important because nearly every single man-made thing that you look at was either designed or built by the hands and mind of an Artist! (And if you happen to believe in a Divine Creator, that would arguably include everything else in nature as well !)
I remember years ago, when internet chat rooms were relatively new, and you could chat with random people from around the world simply by clicking their chat name and saying "Hi! a/s/l?" (like mIRC and Yahoo Chat), I was chatting with a random guy who told me his passion was playing Hockey, and when I told him I was an Artist, he told me that Art was for "Pussies", among other words that I won't repeat here! Can you believe that? This guy was obviously a special case of lower intellectual capacity, but you would be surprised at how many people actually think that! I am by no means saying that all Hockey players and Hockey fans think like that! This guy just happened to be passionate about Hockey (a game), but somehow concluded that Art had no importance what so ever!
This also goes out to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who said that, " Ordinary people don't care about Arts ", during his 2008 election. The Harper administration then proceeded to make a $45million cut in general Canadian Arts funding! Many Arts Organizations everywhere in the country were forced to close their doors, or let go some of their employees because of it ! We're speaking of the same administration that spent $7.5 million on a celebration for the Queen of England's Diamond Jubilee! According to this article from The Star, "Spending increases during Harper’s first term were higher year over year than those of the previous three federal governments." Yet, the Arts got the cuts!
Unlike some of the notions and overtones in the linked articles above, I don't see this as a "Conservative" problem as much as a "Harper Administration" problem, because you and I both know that many Conservatives love and support the Arts as much as their Liberal friends. I don't see this as a political problem, so much as one of plain ignorance. I myself happen to be part Liberal, part Conservative, and mostly Libertarian, so I'm not out to point the finger at neither! This post is not about Politics, so I will move on.
What these misinformed fellows don't realize when they claim that Arts are not important is that it was an Artist that designed the logo on their favourite team's Jersey! It was an Artist that designed the house they live in, the car they drive, the clothes they wear! It was an Artist who designed Harper's outfit! It was Artists who illustrated the books they grew up on, every single cartoon and movie they ever watched were created by Artists, and it was Artists who wrote all the songs they ever heard! It was Artists that created every single video game they've ever spent hours playing! I can go on and on! Since this post is mainly about Visual Artists, I have been focusing on that angle mostly, but as you just read, this doesn't only include visual Artists but also Musicians, Writers, Directors, Actors, Performers, etc! Without creative minds, you would have nothing! And most humbly speaking, without us everything would look dull and boring!
Artists are not only people who paint flowers(not that there's anything wrong with that)! There is a Science to what we do. There are reasons why certain colors, images and sounds have a strong impact on how you feel, and Artists, Designers and Musicians are behind that Science. On the other hand, there is also a reason why you buy the products that you see on television, and the same Science is applied there but more against you than for you, so be aware of that stuff!
Artists of all kinds have more importance and more impact in society at large than most might realize.
Original Artwork tends to be expensive because for one, it takes years and years to learn how to draw and paint! Just like any other field, we had to study and practice long and hard to get to where we are.
Secondly, making one work of Art can take a very long time!
One painting of mine, depending on the size and content, takes on average at least one month to complete if not more! This includes research, sketches, color studies, etc. Some Artists take several months to make one piece! Leonardo da Vinci took 3 years to paint his Mona Lisa, and he didn't even feel it was done! Before da Vinci could complete it to his liking, it was acquired by King Francis I of France, who had commissioned it and was tired of waiting! Not all Artists have the same approach, some can produce many works very fast depending on their style and technique, but you are not only investing in the time it took the Artist to make the work of Art, you're also investing in the time it took for the Artist to LEARN how to make it, which is usually their entire lives! Correct me if I am off on this one, because I can not find a source, but I recall hearing or reading that Pablo Picasso, who's works did not take him a huge amount of time to complete, was once asked by someone how long it took him to make a certain painting, and he replied, "30 years!". Every Artwork an Artist produces took him or her their entire lives, experiences and emotions to eventually get to it!
Thirdly, making Art is very expensive!
One tub of paint generally costs me between $10.00 and $40.00! That's for one colour! One blank canvas can cost between $10.00 and $200.00 or more depending on the size and quality. One painting of mine, depending on the size, can cost between $60.00 to $300.00 in Art materials alone, give or take(the bigger the more expensive), and it costs me at least $100.00 to ship my painting if I am showing outside of my country! There is also framing, which can cost a fortune, again depending on the size and frame!
Finally, many people don't realize that most Galleries take up to 50% off of the sales of the Artwork that they exhibit!
Some take more! Some Galleries also have an additional, reasonable charge to the exhibiting Artists! That is perfectly understandable and totally acceptable since it is how the Galleries survive! Galleries and Artists need each other and it is absolutely reasonable for them to support each other in such manner! With that being said, some Galleries actually charge the Artists an arm and a leg to show in their spaces, but I generally don't bother working with those myself, mainly because I can't afford it, but also because I find that counter-productive if I don't make a sale.
The point being that at the end of the day, the Artist only receives about half the money you paid for the Artwork!
So lets say I'm making a small painting for a show in the States, it costs me about $60.00 in materials, a full month of full time work(including sketches, research and painting), $60.00 to frame(I usually frame my own work but if I don't have a frame and need one, I have to buy one!) and $100.00 to ship, that's $220.00 out of my own pockets plus a full month of my time! Now, I know that if I price my work too high, people won't buy it, but if I put my price too low, it takes the value of my work and name down and I won't even cover my costs!
A small painting that cost me $220.00 all together, shipping included, plus a full month of my time, that is priced at $600.00, minus 50% to the Gallery, means that I made a total of $80.00 in profit for that full month's work! Multiply that by 12 and cry yourself silly! And people often complain that my prices are too high! How many people do you know would like to work full time for a month for $80.00? Some of us Artists actually have to do it often!
So there you have it! Original works of Art are generally expensive for good reasons! However, a lot of Artworks are not that expensive when you consider that people will buy a living room set for thousands of dollars which will have to be replaced in 5 years! Your newly purchased Artwork will never have to be replaced, all you have to do is hang it on your wall, maybe dust it once in a while, and don't throw things at it!
Why should you buy an original work of Art when you can buy a poster at the store? Well that should be a no brainer, especially if you have made it this far into this MIND-BLOWINGLY long article. I bet you finished your sandwich a long time ago! I will elaborate anyways.
While I don't have anything against posters, when you buy a poster, you may pay a lot less for it, but you are usually not supporting an Artist but rather people you don't know, often some big corporation(of course, this is not always the case).
I have a few laminated posters of Artwork myself, there's nothing wrong with that! I have a laminated Tom Thomson poster in my kitchen, because I can never afford the original Summer Shore Georgian Bay! I can never afford an original Vincent van Gogh painting, or an original Salvador Dali ! So why not get a poster?
But when you want a nice piece in your living room, first think of us! Us Living Artists!
Besides, the difference between a poster and an original painting or illustration is simply HUGE. All CAPS!!! Incomparable! You will notice that once you hang a painting among posters, those posters will suddenly look very cheap, and you will want to replace them with more original works of Art!
Artists take you to these amazing visual places that you can cherish for the rest of your lives, in your private homes, with one final purchase! By investing in original Art, you are encouraging the Artist to make more Art! And without Artists, you would have no posters in the first place!
Now, here are a few things that you should try to avoid!
This is a rather fragile subject, because many will approach an Artist to buy a work of Art with the fully good intention to do so and are then hit with a financial problem that stops them from being able to! This part is not necessarily for you! I very often get people telling me that one day they would like to buy a painting from me but can't right now, or sometimes circumstances make it so the sale only happens much later than originally planned, this does not necessarily concern you either!
This goes out to people who make a promise or confirmation that they are buying a work of Art, but for some reason decide not to do so at the last minute. Before you tell an Artist you want to buy a piece from them, please, please, please think about what you are saying before you do! Do you really intend to buy it or are you just talking out of your hat? Because one of the worst things for struggling Artists is a promise of a purchase that is broken!
Some don’t realize that when you tell an Artist that you are buying a piece from them, you are maybe telling that Artist that they won’t have to worry about their rent and food for the month! And when you decide not to buy at the last minute, well you can just imagine how that feels! This may just sound like complaining to some, but it happened to me countless times, and it REALLY SUCKS!
Last year I was unfortunate enough to have several people not only tell me they were going to buy a painting from me, or hire me for a commission, but many of them confirmed and promised several times that they would, only to back down at the last minute! For some of us Artists, after someone confirms for sure that they are buying something from us, we plan our lives and finances around it accordingly! And when they don't deliver, that often leaves us in a horrible spot! I even got so far as buying the materials and canvas for one of the pieces and the person simply changed their minds without even bothering to tell me about it!
I was also approached by a someone last year who wanted to hire me to paint the album cover for their band, and I made that person confirm several times with absolution, because I was planning to start the painting ahead of time(knowing what image they wanted already), and the person confirmed it every time. Thank God I never started it, deciding to wait for their album to be done, because when I saw that their album was completed in a facebook status, I had to ask the person about the cover to find out that they had decided to get one of their friends to do it instead! And that, without ever mentioning it to me! I had to ask the person to find out!
That, folks, is a NIGHTMARE FROM HELL for Artists! It not only tells the Artist that your word is no good, but it also totally corrupts the Artist's financial planning! I'm sure that if someone confirmed a paying gig for those guys, and decided to change their minds at the last minute without even bothering to tell them about it, they would be super pissed!
By the way, if you've never actually confirmed things absolutely with me for any kind of project, please do not feel targeted by this! I have many discussions for similar projects with bands that don't go through, and that is perfectly fine, I am specifically speaking of confirmations and promises.
One last, but not least crappy thing that happened to me last year was someone telling me that they were buying a $2000.00 painting from me for certain, only to tell me two days later that they were only willing to pay $800.00 for it. I don't think I need to explain why this is a very insulting move on their part, and needless to say, the deal was off.
Things like that happen to me, as well as to many of my Artist friends all the time, and it is a REAL BUMMER!
People often don't see what goes on in the private life of the Artist either, behind the canvas, the brushes and the paint! They don't realize that when you tell your girlfriend you're making a sale, and you see tears of joy in her eyes because you will be able to pay off some debts, only to have to tell her two days later that it was a false alarm, is not only financially, but also very emotionally taxing!
I know that changing your mind can happen to anyone, but before you confirm things, please think hard about it! Please, please, please don't tell an Artist you will purchase a piece if you don't really intend to! Some Artists are financially comfortable enough that things like this don't really bother them, but some of us depend on our sales to survive!
Broken promises really are a Curse, because we may make promises of payments to others based on your promise of a purchase, and when the buyer's promise is broken, the Artist's promise is then also broken! This can affect the name of both party, and it happened to me time and time again. (insert sad emoticon here) I like to be a man of my word, but scenarios like this sometimes force me to let others down, one of the things I hate the most!
Think of it this way: If I have 0 marbles, but I owe johnny 5 marbles, and George promises me 7 marbles for one of my paintings tomorrow, I will then call Johnny and tell him I will give him his 5 marbles tomorrow! The next day, when George tells me he decided not to give me any marbles for my painting, I have to call Johnny to tell him I still have 0 marbles and can't give him his 5 marbles! Johnny then has to call his wife to tell her they will not have any of my marbles that week so they will have to eat Mr. Noodles! Johnny's wife then has to call her boss to take a few days off to make noodles...
I'm exaggerating, but you get the point.
Will you ? What can I say about this issue that hasn't been said before? Although this may be one of the most important sections, it will be the shortest because so many articles have been written about it in the past, so I've decided to gather a few and simply link them here for you to read or watch.
To start off, here is a Craigslist post by a restaurant from a while ago, with a Musician's reply:(Source)
Just Say No by Linda Essig
"Please design a logo for me. With pie charts. For free." by David Thorne
F*ck You, Pay Me! by Mike Monteiro(Video)
Yeah guys, just be nice. Be nice all the time, even if you're not buying Art, just be nice to each other, it's easy. Pretend all the other people are you, and just, be nice. Nice is nice.
And here are a few things you should know that may influence your decision a great deal when considering buying an original work of Art:
Many don’t realize this, but most Artists and Galleries accept purchases in several payments(within reason)!
So, when you see a work of Art that you like but find the price a little high for one payment, don’t hesitate to ask the Gallery owner or the Artist if they will accept a few payments as opposed to one full payment! In such a case, a $1000.00 painting can be paid in two or three payments, which makes it easier for the buyer and in the end, everyone is happy!
The subject of price negotiations is also very fragile, in fact, it is so fragile that I don't even have any images for it! It is fragile because Artists are not supposed to lower their prices, and many Artists and Collectors will frown upon this, but keep in mind that many Artists would much rather negotiate the price of a painting and SELL it than not sell it at all. However, this can very easily be insulting to an Artist, it is all in the APPROACH! If you have the right, respectful approach, you will get a respectful response!
When seeing a price on a piece of Art, never tell the Artist that you would be willing to buy it for less, or what YOU think it’s worth, this is always disrespectful and insulting! Especially when weeks of work was put into the Artwork and years of practice to get to it!
First, don't be cheap just for the sake of being cheap. If you love a work of Art, and can afford it, just buy it full price and don't complain. This goes to people who really have a tight budget, but would really want to support an Artist! If buying a certain work of Art that you really want will totally screw up your finances and make you late on your rent, then your negotiation approach is justified, but if you want to negotiate a price down so you can squeeze in one more party on your yacht this month, forget about it!
If you love a work of Art, and would really like to have it but genuinely find it a little too expensive for your budget, rather simply approach the Artist and ask them respectfully if they would be willing to negotiate on the price a little! You might be surprised to find that many are willing to negotiate given the right approach, and if they don’t, it didn’t hurt to ask! Again, it’s often better to negotiate and make a sale then to not sell at all!
Negotiations may also include barter! Some Artists will do trades for services or half money, half service! So if you offer a service that the Artist may need, they might consider something like that! Per example, a friend of mine once made a trade with a Baker who supplied her with bread for a full year! Things like that can be a win/win situation!
Negotiations can also include a request for a new piece that fits your budget. Artwork is generally priced by size, and sometimes in terms of content(per example, a very quickly done, simple painting of a certain size may be priced less than a very complex one of the same size). So, if you like the style and colours of a piece that you can't afford, ask the Artist if they would consider making you something similar, but in a size that fits your budget! This falls under "Commissions", which I will elaborate on in my next point.
Note that I don't recommend you asking an Artist to reproduce something they have already done but smaller! But it doesn't hurt to respectfully ask the Artist if they would consider making something similar, either in the same colours or with a similar character, but smaller. The worst that can happen is that he or she says no!
With all of this being said, like a friend of mine told me recently, if a collector can spend $2000.00, they can spend $2500.00! So again, don't be cheap just for the sake of being cheap! Money is there to be spent! That is how a good economy works, and one of the reasons why our economy is suffering so much is because of filthy rich money hoarders! Your money is way better off supporting others' work so that they can in turn support others and so on, than having it collecting dust somewhere! This is for people who REALLY want a work of Art but would only be able to afford it if it were cheaper, ask politely and who know? You may strike a deal!
I have often encountered people who love my work or someone else’s work but are just waiting for the Artist to make something that either resonates with them more or has colours that work in their houses!
What most of these people don’t realize is that many Artists will accept commissions with YOUR theme and colours! Not all Artists do it, and those who do will probably have limits, in other words, they will accept commissions if it resonates with them (I was asked if I could paint awful things before that I flat out refused because they were against what I stood for!), but it doesn’t hurt to ask! If you love an Artist’s work and style, ask them if they can make something in your budget, in the colours that you like and with a theme that you want! Many Artists will gladly do it and the worst thing that can happen is that they say no!
So with all of this said, I urge all of you Art Lovers out there to invest in your Artists and Galleries! They need you to survive! There is nothing quite like the feeling of bringing an original work of Art home that you bought! I promise you that after you purchase your first, you will be hooked, and we will eat!
NOTES ON THE ARTIST & AUTHOR:
Pascal Leo Cormier(a.k.a. Payazo) is a 31 year old Painter and Illustrator living and working in Montreal, Canada. He started drawing when he was 3 years old and never stopped. Since 2007, Cormier has been part of numerous group and solo exhibitions in both Art Galleries and public spaces such as restaurants, bars and cafes. He has exhibited his works throughout the Province of New-Brunswick (where he is originally from), in Montreal, Quebec City, and as of last year has been consistently exhibiting at the Hive Gallery in Los Angeles and the Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco. His work was featured in many newspaper articles, television interviews, Art websites, DECOVER Magazine(issue #19, 2012 - a popular Art Magazine in Montreal), Catapult Art Magazine(issue #26, 2013- an international Art magazine based in Louisville, Kentucky, US), one of his paintings was featured in the 2012 Art Takes Time Square hard cover Book and he was one of the only two Acadian Artists who's work was featured on a New York Time Square billboard for the main event. Last but not least, one of his paintings made the cover of Revue LIAISON in 2011(a national French Canadian Arts & Culture magazine based in Ontario). As the founder of Unique Corn Artistic Initiatives, he has curated three group exhibitions so far with a possible two more this year, the first one was in Moncton's E dans l'A Gallery(R.I.P), the second one in Moncton's Sans Sous Gallery, and the last one in Montreal's L'Espace Créatif Gallery, which featured over 60 Artists! He has also illustrated two children books(both in production) and about half a dozen album covers for bands. Aside from all of these humble accomplishments, Pascal Leo Cormier is also a Musician and has a music project called Eye Ocean, in which he has played many shows here and there, from time to time. He has also written, co-directed and starred in a short film entitled “REFORM” which won a first place prize in the 2011 International French-Acadian Cinema Festival in Moncton(co-directed, edited and filmed by his talented friend Gilles Doiron). Cormier has done live paintings for many events and bands(including the legendary punk band Propagandhi on the Montreal Metropolis stage in 2012). Pascal Leo Cormier works as an Artist full time and on average works about 60 hours a week. He has no cell phone or television, and after all of his humble accomplishments, he lives in a small, outdated apartment for which he is constantly late for rent, owes money to friends and family and buys all of his clothes in thrift stores. He often wonders how he will pay for his next meal and often can not afford $3.00 to take a bus home, so he walks in the rain a lot. He spends more money in taxi cabs and shipping to get his work to Galleries than he makes in a year. Pascal Leo Cormier is an Artist.
www.facebook.com/payazo
www.twitter.com/pascal_cormier
