Robert Oxley was signed to Washington Green in 2015
and has since gone on to become one of our bestselling artists.
“Before becoming a published artist I worked many different jobs, always painting every day. From 2010 to 2015 I quit all work to live as an artist. With or without money, I didn’t care. I took part in local art shows, joined art communities and entered as many nationwide competitions as I could afford. I also sent my work to publishers and contacted hundreds of galleries worldwide. I didn’t get rejected, I got ignored. “Fast forward, and since being signed by Washington Green in 2015, I’ve benefited in so many ways. First and foremost, Washington Green has a large network of galleries on the high street which my work is sold through. They also support me with my marketing and promotion and they print my work. The printing is huge for me – I couldn’t do it alone. If I had to do it all I wouldn’t produce enough work to have anything to promote. My programme manager Holly has been a tremendous support. She knows my work well and has encouraged my growth from day one. “The evolution of my work isn’t wholly down to me - it’s a group effort between Washington Green, the clients, the gallery staff and myself. “Being signed is the biggest achievement of my career. Since then I’ve enjoyed many things from working with a big cat sanctuary to meeting collectors (and actually having collectors!). I’ve enjoyed proving the people wrong who said I would never make it – it’s a great feeling. Seeing my work in galleries and in print for the first time was emotional. “When trying to make it as a full-time artist, selling your work and making enough money from it is a huge challenge. A lot of artists end up creating art as a hobby because they can’t get any exposure. To those people, I’d say try and get some money from local council groups, get your name and work out there to publishers and, until then, do like me and find a partner who loves the idea of living with a struggling artist! “Stay connected to your dream. Try to develop your own style and don’t fall into the trap of making a facsimile of what’s already out there. Also, you have to love what you’re doing so much that even when it frustrates you, you still want to do it.”
“IF I WASN’T WORKING WITH A PUBLISHER I WOULD LIKELY JUST BE PAINTING AND MAKING NO MONEY.”
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