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Interview with Margaret Zox Brown 
 by Joyce CREIGER, Founder of ArtSpecifier
November 2014
Quote: "All the negatives/rejections forced me to find a different path...and to seek other ways to get my work out there"
Borrowed Beauties
Brief overview
Expressionist Margaret Zox Brown has been making explosively colorful paintings for more than 27 years. In this interview she talks about managing her art career without gallery representation, how having a mentor changed her work and her life, and how to deal with negative feedback.
When did you begin to work as a full time painter?
I have been painting for 27 years. I began selling and showing 22 years ago, but I didn't become a fulltime painter until I was pregnant 18 years ago.
What allowed you the opportunity to work full time as an artist? A lot of people would like to be able to paint full time, but they can't because they need to work and earn a living. Were you actually earning a living from your art?
I was married so I had the benefit of two incomes. Then I had built up enough of a base with selling my work and building up how I was going to proceed as an artist, so it was becoming a viable business.
Are you self-supporting as an artist?
For a long time there were other factors that allowed me to do this but a some point my own art became something from which there was no turning back ... I make a living now by selling my own work, I do commissions, and I also teach. I used to teach in a classroom but now I give private lessons in my studio. The teaching supplements my income, it's not my bread and butter...the main source of my income is my art...sales and commissions. Because I am not affiliated with a gallery, I get 100% for most of my sales.
Do you think that you had to make sacrifices to be able to work as an artist? And if so, what were those sacrifices?
First of all, I don't think of them as sacrifices. Maybe in hindsight, I would think of them as sacrifices, but at the time I was just driven. I am driven in a positive way...sacrifices seems negative to me. The truth is, being an artist--while you are building your clientele and your business--you don't have as much ready or regular money like you would if you had a 9 to 5 job that guarantees a certain salary. So the sacrifice, if you want to think of it that way, is that I was not able to do some of the things that I would have liked to do, like travel with my children.
In comparison, I was not painting in my studio where I would have liked to be, but in my own career as an art consultant, the sacrifice that I made and that kept me from spending as much time with my own children was that I had to travel. I was never home. I look back now and think where did my kids' lives go? So as an artist, wouldn't you say that you have had the benefit of being able to spend more time with your family?
Absolutely. I am an artist, but I am totally grateful to be a mother...and the mother of my specific children. It is something I am thankful for every day and I wouldn't have missed a single moment. I was always the parent that if my kids left something at home I was able bring it to them at school. I went to every play, every recital, and every sporting event. That was really important to me.
So what you're saying is that you don't have any regrets for the choice that you made?
Not at all. I am totally happy about it.
That's awesome. I know many people in the business world who look back on their lives and ask, "Where did it all go?" or "My kids are grown, and I don't remember them being there." It's something they have to deal with. But I have to say, one of the beauties of being an artist is that you get to follow every one of your dreams and do what you really want to do. You're there with your family most of the time. It's a wonderful choice for the people who can do it and I admire you for it.
Totally. In addition to doing what I love, it's so much fun. I'm always feeling so creative because I am always thinking about my next project--whether it's the whole big project or the next painting, I'm always in a state of creativity and that benefits every aspect of my life and is all supportive and all supporting.
Let's talk about that. How do you think it's possible to always be in that creative state? Many artists say, "I don't know what happened, I woke up today and I just don't feel creative at all." Some artists go through periods of that and it's got to be difficult for them.
I have a pretty positive outlook on life and I have some rituals that I do every day that put me in a state of being positive and looking for what's the best. That's interesting, because I have had, like everyone, some really hard times, some really negative things in my life. But people always tell me that my art is so happy, full of bright, warm colors, and why is that? And the truth is, for me, painting is such a source of happiness that what I express on the canvas or paper can only be happy. I really want to be happy in my life. I don't have another day another week another anything. I believe that happiness is a choice and I do things to support that...I exercise, I eat well, I have wonderful friends, and I do what I like. 
Carl Shurz Park
Do you want to talk about those rituals or are they too personal?
Not at all. I'm happy to talk about them. I meditate every morning. I have a few rituals that are associated with meditation. The second I wake up I drink a large glass of water and then I meditate and then I start my day.
What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you in your art career?
I have a few things. First of all I have a painting that lives permanently at Danny Meyer's restaurant Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel, which is a real coup. He is one of the most famous restaurateurs...and New York City is one of the most metropolitan, fabulous cities in the world, and I have a painting at this restaurant!
How did that happen?
I pushed for this for years upon years upon years, and he finally said yes.
So do you think your tenacity is one of the key elements that has helped you achieve success?
Absolutely. When that Maialino painting thing happened Danny even said to me, "Your persistence really paid off."
I think that's a characteristic that you displayed even with this interview, helping to make it happen. I think it's a trait that artists really need to adopt and so few are able to do that because it's very scary and because rejection is the most difficult thing to face.
The thing I have learned is that rejection is just fuel to do better.
There's a whole book about that...The Sale Starts When They Say No. So what is the most disappointing thing that has happened to you?
Let's see...in my art life?
It doesn't matter. They are really so intertwined after all. How do you separate them?
That's true. But to answer your question, I have to be honest I don't really have anything too negative that has happened in my life. I've been rejected many times by galleries, so I guess that's it. There are galleries that I think would be lucky to have me and my art, I'm easy to work with, enthusiastic, and my work is beautiful. But I have often been rejected when I sought out representation, so I guess that would be the most disappointing thing. Because of that, and because all negatives just push you to do better, so I have found other ways to market myself and get my work out there. Different paths.
Have you ever had gallery representation?
I did, yes, a gallery in Philadelphia.
How did that compare with representing yourself?
It paled in comparison to selling work on my own, although it was a wonderful space and it was wonderful to have shows there.
Would you recommend that artists stop seeking gallery representation and getting rejected and jump on the bandwagon like you have and be their own champion?
It's worked for me. Each to his own. I have a teacher that I have been with for 17 years who has had a wonderful career through the gallery network.
Who is that?
Brian Rutenberg...he's quite successful. He is represented by Forum Gallery in New York City, as well as other galleries all around the country. He has a constant steady flow. It's really envious. I am always hustling because I don't have anything so regular like a parent company or an umbrella above me. But it's working for me and I am optimistic that it will only improve.
Do you do a lot of commissions or make the paintings first and then hopefully find a buyer?
I do both. I do commissions. I do portrait commissions, which is a different thing really because I happen to have a good eye and my artwork is sensitive so it's a nice combination with drawings or paintings. And I also do painting commissions for Doctors' offices that kind of thing. And I also sell my own work. A lot of my work is very large, so it's perfect for public spaces as well as for people's homes if they want to have a dynamic piece.
So it sounds like your teacher has really been your mentor. Would that be fair to say?
That is totally fair to say. He wasn't my first teacher and when I met him my artwork changed. My whole life changed because my artwork changed. They fed each other.
What did that change feel like to you and what did it look to others?
Originally I succumbed to my own emotions and was volatile...I could be depressed or angry and I was rigid about things. Once I started painting with this abandon, this freedom that I had gotten from this teacher, and started to abstract my work, I realized that I could have my ultimate goal achieved and it didn't matter how I got there. I was just freer in my life...my art affected my life and my life affected my art.
Do you think that before you started working with this teacher that your artwork was tighter? Your art has a fluidity, a beautiful sense of music and rhythm...I mean it's alive. How did that change when this teacher came into your life? What happened? What did he say?
I think that I've always had a good sense of color, which was innate and has only developed since. I've always had a fine hand and was able to draw which has since improved enormously. But when he came into my life and I started working with him, I feel that I had more confidence. Confidence with a line, and just gutsy. I was able to put colors down, and just do it. Whereas before it was more about seeking perfection. I have come to a point in my life where I have accepted that there is no such thing as perfection. Personally, I am always the happiest with the art that I am currently working on. So, I am always growing. Wherever the next painting is, that's where I will be the happiest.
Mexico
It sounds to me like you substituted the self-critic for some self-love.
Exactly. It's really important. I know that a lot of artists kind of thrive on that whole depressed, super critical mindset. I don't know how you could go through your days like that. Personally I just couldn't.
Yes, I think if you have a good mentor, that confidence starts to build. So, did you ever have a saboteur in your life? Besides their own self-critic, a lot of people have an outside influence that says maybe you shouldn't be doing this, or tells you to get a job.
I've had many saboteurs in my life. Fundamental ones like my parents who were not supportive at all and told me I should get a real job. I honestly believe, and have witnessed, my relationship with these people has improved since I am coming from a different place. It used to really affect me. I was always reacting instead of acting, and doing things, like painting or not painting, in reaction to the criticism. I don't listen to that anymore. As a matter of fact, if I am feeling anything like that, I recognize that it's because of their agenda and for the most part I don't interact with them. I want to have a good life and I won't succumb to that.
If you were giving advice to a young student or an emerging artist who is getting a lot of negative feedback from family or friends, what advice would you give them?
I would say keep on making the work. That was the best advice I ever got. I never understood what that meant because I thought why should I keep on doing this if I'm no good, I should get a real job. It builds confidence and builds your repertoire, your oeuvre, and your sense of self. I've been doing this now for 27 years and look how far I've come. I've created an actual business.
What I hear coming through all of this is the word passion. It seems to be what drives you; passion about life and your work, and it comes through in your work. I think that is good advice for anyone starting out. If you could change one thing in your life, what would that be?
I would like to have discovered my passion for art and taken this path earlier, and maybe gone to graduate school for art and found mentors and connections that way. Because I might have arrived at this place sooner. But the truth is, I am so grateful for my path because I otherwise I wouldn't be where I am and I wouldn't have experienced all that I have. So I don't know that I would want to change anything.
Majestic August Lemons
It sounds as though there's a little regret, that perhaps if you had an MFA you would have gotten into a gallery, but do you think that's really important? What about those artists who are successful and have never gone to school?
I don't have any regrets. I truly love where I am and I am excited about where I'm going. None of this would be the way it is had my life been different at all.
Where do you want to be five years from now?
I would love to have large-scale commissions...restaurants, hospital lobbies. I would like to be sought after, on a more hand over fist basis, for really big pieces. Just be out there publicly,
and with notoriety on a larger scale.
And have you designed a path to reach that? We all know that if we have a goal, and we don't have a road to get there, it's not going to happen.
Remember the line from the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come"? Instead of waiting for requests, I have made very large paintings. First of all, I love to do that. I'm a very physical person, I love exercise and I like to use my whole body and be in the painting. Because I have made these big paintings, a lot of them have been shown at the Fairway Market in New York City. They have a cafe with a huge brick wall and I've had a lot of my paintings there. That has been thrilling for me. I have always been attracted the Chagall paintings at the Metropolitan Opera/Lincoln Center. That has always been a dream of mine, to have a really big artwork in a public space. So I am making the big paintings and making big connections. I am seeking out public opportunities all the time. Next week I am putting up a show in a lobby in New York with eight large paintings. I am approaching the New York Times to see if I can get a write up. I mean, I am relentless!
It's an advantage for you that you live in Manhattan so you are able to hob nob with those people who are in a position to help you. It's not an easy road. I talk to artists every day and I hear their struggles and I hear their pain. Success for them is almost to the point where if someone comes in and says, "I love what you're doing," it's enough to get them through the day.
What artists need more than anything is exposure--to get the work out there--because if it's in the studio and not out there it's not being seen.
Two things that I think are really important are social media and the computer. It's fabulous; you can sit in your pajamas and search and reach out. We also no longer need to rely on photographers to get slides of our work. You can just do everything yourself. That has changed the world. I now have a studio. My brother told me, "now that you have this studio, make it worth it." So I have made it worth it by making really large paintings in there and I host open studios and tours and talks all the time. I've been interviewed several times in my life and that has helped me to develop a vocabulary about my art. So I am comfortable speaking about my art. I have an email list that has grown enormously. I separate it by collectors and I am attentive to it.
Would you please complete this sentence, Art is....
Art is the ultimate expression of the artist.
That is a perfect ending! Thank you.
Still Life with Cotton
In a separate session, we asked Maggie what she thought were the 5 top stumbling blocks to an artist's success. Here is her response:
I see these specific stumbling blocks as all being interconnected, linked.
#1) Not focusing on and making it a priority to boost your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Without it there is no moving forward but rather you are moving backwards. Without it true creativity is actually stifled. Without it, your art suffers specifically and the entire body of your work reflects this lack of self-confidence. Without it, experimentation and the freedom to express oneself with abandon is thwarted.
#2) Taking criticism and/or rejection in and letting it truly affect you.
When you take these rejections and criticisms to heart, you are relinquishing your power. If instead you can look at criticism and/or rejection as an opportunity for you to learn and grow and do more and better and find a more appropriate fit and know that it definitely is out there for you when it is just right, then everything you do feels good and moves forward in an expanding, evolving way. It is reflected in your art, in the expression of you and it opens you up to opportunities and possibilities that you never even thought of. There are many ways to skin a cat!
#3) Not creating the work.
Just do it! Always!! Keep on making the work. This builds your self-confidence as an artist. You feel eager to put down a line just so or try a color combo because you just thought of it, or express a mood because you are really feeling it. This builds your self-esteem. Because you have a growing body of work, your work where each painting has something in it learned from the one before as well as brand new moments or gestures that you are trying out. Your repertoire of skills and likes and dislikes that all embody the uniqueness of you gets to be honed and savored and expressed. If you are not making the work, none of this gets to happen.
#4) Not being disciplined about your career.
Even though art is creative and one would like to feel inspired to create, not being committed to building this business for yourself and just waiting for inspiration is ultimately counterproductive. As you are committed to your own business of art, you get pumped and excited which is passion. You create more art, which is the driving force for everything. You then become more confident which is reflected in the marks you make, the subject matter you choose the efforts you make on each painting and on your business as a whole. And you get more self esteem around your art because you are the creator of it (the pieces and the business) and no one else can hold you back.
#5) Not being happy!
Not being this in life is one of the biggest stumbling blocks as I see it. While it is a romantic notion that the artist is depressed and dark and struggling, focusing on this vision of yourself can get you nowhere but being miserable with limited opportunities and limited successes. When you are happy and grateful for your life, your life with great opportunities opens up for you. You have chosen this career for some reason. That alone is very cool. Enjoy it! Have fun with it and be happy. Your life will improve no matter what.
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