Life, Art and Business

Argentine Artist Nadine Baurin Finds Her Balance

“Stillness,” by Nadine Baurin, 2009. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Creativity rarely goes hand-in-hand with business acumen. Business doesn’t interest many artists, as they would be the first to admit. But when Nadine Baurin decided 10 years ago that she wanted to do what she loved most – paint full-time–she knew she needed to be able to support herself. To subsidize her painting, Baurin developed a Web site that allows artists to manage their creative portfolios at any time, from anywhere in the world. It also provides an online place where gallery owners can see artists’ work. ‘Most professional artists give workshops to subsidize their careers. Others teach. I chose to provide a Web site service,” Baurin says. Baurin had spent a decade working as a user interface designer for EOS International, which supplies Web-based automation software and knowledge management for libraries. “At first I kept my day job part-time,” she explains, “working for EOS in the mornings and painting the rest of the time. This enabled me to open my art studio to the public in the afternoons, and also begin to sell and exhibit my work. Eventually, with my brother, I developed the Web site to help other artists promote their work on the Internet in an easy-to-use, affordable manner. Given my experience in Web software interface design, I felt it was my moral obligation to help fellow artists,” she says. “And since Web-based software was something I myself would be using, it made sense to share the benefits with others.” Plus, she adds, “By having money coming in regularly I was able to paint wholeheartedly, without any financial fears. At the end of the day, I knew that regardless of how many paintings I sold that month, the studio bills, as well as any personal costs, would be paid and I’d also have enough for art supplies.”