 August 2006 |
Adrian Litman
Diverse Artist Adrian Litman Enjoys Success with Mid-Life Career Change
| Adrian Litman started to learn about art at a very early age, playing with colors and art materials in his father’s Art Design and Restoration studio in Bucharest, Romania. He studied art in high school and college, graduating from the University of Bucharest Art Institute with a master’s degree in graphic design and advertising. After many years working in advertising in California, he left corporate America to pursue a career in art. He works in many media and a wide variety of objects — primarily on a commission basis — including fountains, furniture, mosaics, murals, ceramics, sculptures and paintings. |  |
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Cala lilly fountain |
TCR: How did you first become interested in and get involved in working as an artist, and how did your work evolve from where it started to the work you create today?
AL: As I child, I had a strong inclination to play with colors and create artistic objects. By the time the kids around me grew a little and gave up playing with crayons, I continued to do so and asked my parents to get me better quality colors, like professional artist's oils.
My interest and desire to be involved with artistic creations was also nurtured by the fact that I grew up in a family of artists and a lot of information was available to me from my dad's artistic entourage. When I was ready for high school I decided that arts would be my path in life and I was admitted in the fine arts high school in Bucharest, Romania. For the following five years I was exposed to and involved with studying a variety of art techniques such as drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics, engraving, ceramics, textiles, decorative arts and art history.
After finishing high school I applied and was admitted to the University of Bucharest Art Institute to study graphic design and advertising. I graduated in 1974 with a master's degree and began work for a fashion hair-style magazine.
Although working in the advertising field was creatively and financially rewarding, my heart occasionally led me back to painting and creating decorative art objects in my spare time. Looking back from where I started and where I am today, it seems that I walked on a very long winding road with many stops and artistic experiences.
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Cassone with detail |
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TCR: I understand you were in advertising and retired to work as an artist and that you work in several media. Please tell us about how this happened. Can you provide a brief timeline of when you got started, and how your career has evolved?
AL: Graphics and advertising is the field I specialized in during college and made a living at for about 25 years. When I came to the U.S. in 1980, I landed in Silicon Valley and had to adjust my creative capabilities to the high-tech environment requirements. I had to learn about computers and technology and sharpen my social skills to fit in the corporate world. I left the corporate world in 2002, after spending seven years working for VISA International.
I have to admit that my tolerance for the corporate environment and the current trend toward the outsourcing of American jobs hit bottom. I knew that I had enough talent and creative energy left in me to be able to live the rest of my life enjoying what I do. I left VISA with a severance package and a pension plan in my hands and started Adrian Litman Art & Design in order to pursue my heart's desire: painting and creating decorative art objects that bring color and happiness to people's lives.
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Volcano vases |
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TCR: Please give us a measure of your success — either income, or time or emotional.
AL: So far I am successful both emotionally and financially.
The first year, 2003, was very emotionally rewarding because I experienced a tremendous burst of creative energy. I didn't have enough time to do everything my heart and mind wanted. My approach to show my art was to create a few lines of paintings and decorative objects. The paintings are grouped by themes: abstracts, still nature, landscapes, nudes.
Decorative objects include ceramic vases, plates and mugs, mosaic designs, lamps and furniture. I was lucky to get immediate positive responses from art galleries in Carmel and Napa Valley and many individual commissions.
Financially I can say that this year, 2006, my income will be about 75 percent of the compensation I had In VISA and the emotional award about 10,000 percent more.
TCR: Do you target specific consumers as a marketing strategy? How do you reach them?
AL: Some of my paintings and ceramics sell in galleries or on line at Artchestra and some directly to collectors through referrals. I'm receiving more and more calls from people looking for unique special-occasion gifts like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries. Some of my creations have found homes in China, Canada, Austria and Argentina.
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Samples of Adrian's work include mosaic tiling in living spaces and furniture |
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Tropical fiesta |
AL: I am moving more in the direction of doing commissions. My mosaic designs have attracted the attention of architectural offices in the Bay Area and I am currently working on a large mosaic project to be installed in the lobby of a luxury condominium building in Campbell, Calif. I am also involved in home remodeling projects, where I am creating interior and exterior color proposals, tile selection, ceramic decorative plates to be integrated in the walls and iron gate designs.
TCR: Have there been major turning points in your career? If so describe what they were and how they affected your craft and your success?
AL: In the past three years the major turning point was when I was awarded the design for a very large and unique kitchen mosaic project. I realized that this kind of work can be of great interest for people who remodel their homes and even for new construction, residential or commercial.
TCR: Do you see any business challenges specific to artists who work in your field? How have you overcome these?
AL: The only challenge for me is marketing and finding the right projects to match my skills. So far the only way I've tried to promote my art is through referrals.
TCR: What has been the most difficult thing you have encountered in your work?
AL: The most difficult thing has always been to be 100% satisfied with my work when the project is completed.
TCR: What, in terms of business insight, have you learned to do or not to do over the years?
AL: The most important aspect is to be honest and have consistent integrity toward the people around me.
TCR: How has the Internet affected your business?
AL: Having a Web page allows me to show my work in a better way compared to traditional printed brochures or catalogs.
TCR: What is the next step for you?
AL: I would like to get involved more in public art projects and bring quality art to more peoples’ lives.
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TCR: What is your show schedule (if you have one) and where is your work available and through whom?
AL: I noticed so far that the most successful way to present my work is in private shows. I will have such a show hosted by an architectural office in mid-September. I am also preparing for a wine tasting and art show in the Los Olivos Restaurant in Fremont, which I recently finished designing and decorating with large paintings and ceramic plates.
TCR: If you would like, please share your personal situation: married, kids, etc?
AL: I am 57 years old, and have a 19-year-old son from a previous marriage. My wife Cornelia has twin sons, age 25, from her previous marriage, who have finished college and have jobs in Southern California. She manages the Vineland Branch of the San Jose Public Library. As a hobby she plays the harp and Scottish fiddle. We met by taking ballroom dancing lessons and still enjoying dancing once or twice a week.
Adrian Litman Art & Design
Studio address: 6234A Joaquin Murieta Ave.
Newark, CA 94560
www.adrianlitman.com
(510) 490-0684
adrianlitman@sbcglobal.net