I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a groupie when it comes to the work of Chicago artist, Dolan Geiman… We first met back in 2005, when both Dolan and OrangeBeautiful were exhibiting as Emerging Artists at the One of a Kind Show & Sale that’s held at the Merchandise Mart here in Chicago every December. I bought one panel painting (it’s the first one shown here) and now I’m pretty much saving up for a huge piece to add to the (now) five panel paintings I own.

Not only is Dolan an amazing artist, he’s just a nice guy. Spending time with him, and his business partner/girlfriend, Ali Walsh, always makes me feel like there are other people out there running their businesses the way that I want to run my own. And that maybe, just maybe, I’m not the only one naively thinking that making beautiful stuff is a legitimate and satisfying way to make a living.

Here’s the interview with Dolan… I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!:

E: What’s the craziest thing (good or bad) that has happened with your business this past year?

D: “Crazy-ha-ha” or just “crazy CRAZEE”?… I would have to say the craziest things that happen with our business are generally self-afflicted. I have a “never say no” policy when it comes to taking on new jobs and commissions. This makes Ali crazy at times, but for me it’s all about the challenge. Occasionally, things get a little too hectic and obligations overlap a little too tightly. Yet, it is this same fanatical pace that has allowed us to grow our business into a sustainable operation in a little over two years. Overall, the craziest thing we did this year was double the number of art and craft fairs we did as compared to 2006 (from 10 to over 20).

E: When people (outside of your industry) ask you “Hey, what do you do?,” what’s your reply?

D: I tell people I am a professional artist. Sometimes I add “and designer” because I’ve worked in fashion/interior design and because I think it adds an air of polish to the otherwise tarnished moniker of “artist”. For years, the common reaction was “another starving artist, ha-ha…” Fortunately, such reactions are becoming less commonplace as handmade/DIY gains momentum.

Field Guide (Tennessee), ultrachrome pigmented ink on LexJet premium archival matte paper, full piece, 12 x 10″ – available in a limited edition.

E: When you go to sleep at night, what excites you about going to work the next day?

D: I get excited about making new pieces and introducing this work to new people. Most of the work I create comes straight out of my head and is immediately transformed into something. I occasionally work from sketches, but I have found a way to by-pass the whole sketching process just by creating the pieces in my head through visualization. This offers more creation time which means I will have actual artwork finished at the end of the day, not just ideas on paper.

E: When you wake up in the morning, what’s your first worry?

D: I just try not to worry. I usually wake up, make some coffee, and fix a few eggs. Breakfast is very important. After protein and caffeine, Ali and I review the day’s task line, finalize any decisions that require my input, and then I head to the studio (aka my basement cave) and Ali heads to the computer. I don’t have that feeling of an impending term paper that I haven’t started, mostly because I try to make very specific lists and complete as many things as I can each day. And, yes, I usually use a red marker for crossing things off the list just for some extra satisfaction.

E: What’s the one thing that you wish someone had told you before you started your business?

D: Start an email newsletter as soon as possible. Providers like Constant Contact, Patron Mail and Emma are cheap and provide easy-to-use templates. We still have newsletter subscribers from my very first open studio at 1313 W. Nelson (and, as a side note, where Ali and I first met). Next, develop some sort of contact management system beyond customer names on receipts. When you are ready to do your first direct mail piece, you want all your contacts and customers readily accessible, especially those customers that were supporting you during those “early years”.

Driftwood Days, photo collage on found wood, 36.5 x 33.25 x 2.5″ SOLD, 2007.

E: Imagine your future self… What will he think of the way you run your business today?

D: I hope future me likes present me because, if not, there’s gonna be trouble!! But, seriously, I should be able to look back and see some mistakes or things I should have done differently because that means I have evolved. It’s the same as looking at collages I did in high school and then looking at collages I create now. There are obvious differences and similarities, but the things that make them better now are because of all that growth in between.

E: And to finish up, tell us something that’s new & exciting for your business in 2008:

D: We’re very excited about a new face for the website, scheduled to be unveiled in the spring. We are also getting ready to move our home location further south, most likely to Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve been away from the roots of my inspiration a little too long. It’s time to move back to the southern part of the U.S. where I can order iced tea and be guaranteed that it’s served sweet. Nashville also means a backyard and hopefully, a storage shed or two for me to stockpile all sorts of things in the name of collage and construction materials.

Jolly Rogers Pocket Change, rescued wood w/ acrylic and silk screen cutout & found objects, 25 x 12.25 x 2.5″, 2007; available right here

Thanks so much to Dolan (and Ali) for answering my questions, and for providing me with some great images. For more information on Dolan’s work, be sure to check out both the main site, as well as the Dolan Geiman shop on Etsy!

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