Sometimes it pays to be a starving artist.
Eliza Childress had decided to make a go of it as a professional artist when one day she picked up the phone to find Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. on the other end asking to feature her artwork in an upcoming film.
The movie is Rock of Ages, due to come out next summer, and stars some big names like Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin.
She sells her artwork at various galleries and restaurants around town and has been doing shows since last year.
BizSense caught up with Childress last week to find out how the 23-year old hairstylist-turned-artist found herself doing business with a big Hollywood studio, how competitive the Richmond art scene is, and why she still doesn’t exactly look at her professional art career as a business.
Richmond BizSense: So how did Warners Brothers find you?
Eliza Childress: Tyler Thomas, a local artist that I’d been working with was dating this girl and she had landed a job working on the Rock of Ages set. They needed poster work for the sets and she showed the set decorator my work. About two months ago she contacted me to let me know the details about the work that they needed. I spoke with her and the set decorator regarding the logistics of the project over the past few months.
RBS: What type of art were they looking for?
EC: They sent me a list of 20 to 30 fictitious band names and told me to make posters for each of them. I sent them 22 images. Six or seven were posters and the rest was art. I sent them two completely original [pieces] and then a collage some of my old work.
RBS: How much did they pay for your art?
EC: It’s enough to get by for a little while. I’m not worried about paying my rent. They started out with a projected amount then ended up paying me almost double what it was.
RBS: How did you go about negotiating with Warner Bros? Did you have someone guiding you or were you making all of the decisions alone?
EC: I didn’t have anyone helping me with any negotiations or anything of that sort when I was working with Warner Bros. They were very upfront and honest about any offers they could make me and any projects they needed me to do, deadlines, etc. I didn’t have to sign a contract of what I was asked to do, but I did have to sign a contract once the work was completed so that the artwork could be released to be in the film.
RBS: Did they tell you when and where it was going to be featured in the movie?
EC: I think they said it’s going to be featured in two scenes. One of the posters will be on the main set. One poster will be a scene where two guys are using urinals. The poster is apparently going to be between their faces in the scene.
RBS: What its like working with a big corporate company compared to the local places around here?
EC: They were patient and helpful and very easy to work with. I was nervous about having to complete the project within a week, because of my full time work schedule. This was my first time working with a massive company and I can honestly say that working with anyone regardless of the size of their company is pretty much the same. You are given a concept and some guidelines, and you have a deadline in which you have to have the project completed.
RBS: Where do you showcase your artwork in Richmond?
EC: I used to date this guy that booked shows around town. About three years I started making flyers for bands from all over the world, which was my primary focus when I began making art in this style. This is how I made contacts in the music industry, with bands, record labels, etc. I have recently shown my art bars, restaurants, and bookstores.
I had my first show last year at Empire. I recently did a show at Cous Cous that began last Friday that will be up until the end of July. The two original pieces are hanging up at Cous Cous that I did for Warner Brothers.
Right now I am working on an album cover for an out of town band, and a t-shirt for Les La Britannica, a local band. I’ve also worked with a Grammy-nominated record label, Numero Group. I did a cover for their digital release a few months ago, and I’ve been speaking with them regarding future projects.
RBS: What’s Richmond’s art scene like? Is it competitive?
EC:Everyone that I have interacted with has been very helpful and supportive toward my art as well as other artists.
RBS: How much do you usually charge?
EC: For the first few years I was essentially working for free. I’d like to charge $100 an hour for projects, but sometimes the length of time it
takes would make that unrealistic. I typically sell mostly prints at art shows. I usually sell them for $5 for the smallest up to $15 for a 14 x 20
which is the biggest and more colorful.
RBS: How do you go about landing gigs?
EC: With Cous Cous, I had known {the owner) for a while and he had contacted me to set up a show. Otherwise, I’ll work with the contacts that I have and see when they have a free month to fill up the space.
RBS: How long have you been drawing?
EC: I quit gymnastics in first grade to take after school art classes. I worked at a hair salon for a year and half and was getting ready to go to the Richmond Tech Center to become a hair stylist before I quit to do my art full time. I figured if I don’t do it now, I never will.
RBS: Now that you’re doing this full time, do you view this as a business?
EC: Now that I’m doing art full time, I see myself perpetually having a creative future, but I don’t like to think of it as business. I will continue to take on projects and work regardless of monetary gain, although that’s always nice and helpful. I hope to collaborate with other talented local artists and continue working with musicians and record labels, and hopefully do some more work for Warner Bros.
RBS: Describe your artwork/style?
EC: I guess when people ask I say its psychedelic illustrations. I collage a lot. I do a lot of portraits, a lot of women, animals. Primarily it’s been black and white, but I’m been painting more than drawing recently.
Sometimes it pays to be a starving artist.
Eliza Childress had decided to make a go of it as a professional artist when one day she picked up the phone to find Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. on the other end asking to feature her artwork in an upcoming film.
The movie is Rock of Ages, due to come out next summer, and stars some big names like Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin.
She sells her artwork at various galleries and restaurants around town and has been doing shows since last year.
BizSense caught up with Childress last week to find out how the 23-year old hairstylist-turned-artist found herself doing business with a big Hollywood studio, how competitive the Richmond art scene is, and why she still doesn’t exactly look at her professional art career as a business.
Richmond BizSense: So how did Warners Brothers find you?
Eliza Childress: Tyler Thomas, a local artist that I’d been working with was dating this girl and she had landed a job working on the Rock of Ages set. They needed poster work for the sets and she showed the set decorator my work. About two months ago she contacted me to let me know the details about the work that they needed. I spoke with her and the set decorator regarding the logistics of the project over the past few months.
RBS: What type of art were they looking for?
EC: They sent me a list of 20 to 30 fictitious band names and told me to make posters for each of them. I sent them 22 images. Six or seven were posters and the rest was art. I sent them two completely original [pieces] and then a collage some of my old work.
RBS: How much did they pay for your art?
EC: It’s enough to get by for a little while. I’m not worried about paying my rent. They started out with a projected amount then ended up paying me almost double what it was.
RBS: How did you go about negotiating with Warner Bros? Did you have someone guiding you or were you making all of the decisions alone?
EC: I didn’t have anyone helping me with any negotiations or anything of that sort when I was working with Warner Bros. They were very upfront and honest about any offers they could make me and any projects they needed me to do, deadlines, etc. I didn’t have to sign a contract of what I was asked to do, but I did have to sign a contract once the work was completed so that the artwork could be released to be in the film.
RBS: Did they tell you when and where it was going to be featured in the movie?
EC: I think they said it’s going to be featured in two scenes. One of the posters will be on the main set. One poster will be a scene where two guys are using urinals. The poster is apparently going to be between their faces in the scene.
RBS: What its like working with a big corporate company compared to the local places around here?
EC: They were patient and helpful and very easy to work with. I was nervous about having to complete the project within a week, because of my full time work schedule. This was my first time working with a massive company and I can honestly say that working with anyone regardless of the size of their company is pretty much the same. You are given a concept and some guidelines, and you have a deadline in which you have to have the project completed.
RBS: Where do you showcase your artwork in Richmond?
EC: I used to date this guy that booked shows around town. About three years I started making flyers for bands from all over the world, which was my primary focus when I began making art in this style. This is how I made contacts in the music industry, with bands, record labels, etc. I have recently shown my art bars, restaurants, and bookstores.
I had my first show last year at Empire. I recently did a show at Cous Cous that began last Friday that will be up until the end of July. The two original pieces are hanging up at Cous Cous that I did for Warner Brothers.
Right now I am working on an album cover for an out of town band, and a t-shirt for Les La Britannica, a local band. I’ve also worked with a Grammy-nominated record label, Numero Group. I did a cover for their digital release a few months ago, and I’ve been speaking with them regarding future projects.
RBS: What’s Richmond’s art scene like? Is it competitive?
EC:Everyone that I have interacted with has been very helpful and supportive toward my art as well as other artists.
RBS: How much do you usually charge?
EC: For the first few years I was essentially working for free. I’d like to charge $100 an hour for projects, but sometimes the length of time it
takes would make that unrealistic. I typically sell mostly prints at art shows. I usually sell them for $5 for the smallest up to $15 for a 14 x 20
which is the biggest and more colorful.
RBS: How do you go about landing gigs?
EC: With Cous Cous, I had known {the owner) for a while and he had contacted me to set up a show. Otherwise, I’ll work with the contacts that I have and see when they have a free month to fill up the space.
RBS: How long have you been drawing?
EC: I quit gymnastics in first grade to take after school art classes. I worked at a hair salon for a year and half and was getting ready to go to the Richmond Tech Center to become a hair stylist before I quit to do my art full time. I figured if I don’t do it now, I never will.
RBS: Now that you’re doing this full time, do you view this as a business?
EC: Now that I’m doing art full time, I see myself perpetually having a creative future, but I don’t like to think of it as business. I will continue to take on projects and work regardless of monetary gain, although that’s always nice and helpful. I hope to collaborate with other talented local artists and continue working with musicians and record labels, and hopefully do some more work for Warner Bros.
RBS: Describe your artwork/style?
EC: I guess when people ask I say its psychedelic illustrations. I collage a lot. I do a lot of portraits, a lot of women, animals. Primarily it’s been black and white, but I’m been painting more than drawing recently.