East Coast clientele whilst living in the then sleepy ‘City by the Sea’. They were lean years – I had doors slammed in my face, rejections from galleries, and creatively was still searching for my true niche. I moved a lot and lived with the dollars I could scrounge from my few sales. During these times I spent days and nights approaching galleries and high-end boutiques, driving through rich neighborhoods with paintings in my car stopping and showing my wares to any person who lingered outside their home. I did anything and everything and tried not to succumb to frustration.
for that recognition as an artist and finally ‘make it’.
Still, running a gallery and trying to get ahead was too much after three years and I was tired. I was contemplating moving my studio into my apartment to cut back on the huge bills an Atlantic Avenue gallery must pay – and had even begun packing – when I entered into another attempt at a partnership with someone to run the place. Zephora Haddon endeavored to give it her all as Gallery Director and do everything but the painting. She stripped it down and we re-built it into the Salvatore Principe Gallery it is today. After three years of working together my originals have increased in value significantly and my gallery is firmly holding its own. I have steady galleries throughout the US that show my work, I have an impeccable limited edition reproduction system in place and a website from where we take orders and ship. I’ve three Letters of Intent signed for licensing deals – plus one ready to launch. The Salvatore Principe wine will be released in March 2008 in conjunction with the Prestige Wine Group bearing my artwork.
Then I discovered my love of painting the heart was as intense as my love of painting abstracts. People loved my inscribed hearts in any color palette I had created them. I managed to trip over some celebrities who loved them too – often buying walls of the 14x11 pieces – which then gave me great fodder for the press. In turn, this led to a gallery of my own right off Atlantic Ave. Even better, my abstracts now had a proper venue in which to also be more deeply appreciated. Still, running a gallery was a challenge: a constant hamster wheel of painting, bill paying, sales, parties for public relations and than being out of product - and pocket -and having to begin the cycle again, never any farther ahead.
I continued with my now finely tuned ‘bold moves’ technique. When Donald Trump got married to Melania Knauss I painted a piece especially for them and drove it up myself to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach where they were being married. With the painting protruding out the top of my 65’ Mustang convertible I had no idea how far I’d get. Surprisingly, the street was not blocked off and at the guard gate I waved a faux receipt at the guard saying, “I’ve got this painting here for the happy couple with these instructions to make sure its brought in for the reception” and shrugged at the guard. He quickly let me through and I brought the piece and delivered it right to someone claiming to be an assistant. I never heard back, but it serves as yet another example that I would try anything to keep plodding ahead and searching
Now that I’m 48 I’m finally, as an artist, not having to practice the resiliency of getting up again after a fall - at least not every day. I have a strong following in the two areas that I love to paint: my hearts and my abstracts. I love being deemed a prolific artist and get a distinguished joy from each, despite them being polar opposites. They keep my internal equilibrium steady. As for my career as an artist, I’ve learned that keeping my balance means not anticipating the fall, but avoiding it altogether by keeping the tools of resiliency, positive attitude and a professional support system close at hand.
Website: www.salvatoreprincipe.com