Without patrons of the arts, the world may have never heard of William Shakespeare or Michelangelo.  Imagine that. No Romeo and Juliet. No Hamlet.  The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel covered with that odd, bumpy cottage cheese stuff with glitter sprinkled in. Gross. 

What Exactly is a Patron?

Simply put, a patron is defined as a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity. In the history of art, this support has come from kings, popes, and the wealthy. Support has been provided by the stranger and the familial. Anyone could, and can, support a living artist.

What an Artist Needs

An artist, like any other human being, needs validation. And money. To pay bills, to buy supplies, and to market their work. Back in Michelangelo’s time, a patron would need to supply vast sums of money to keep the work flowing, hence it was the province of royalty and the wealthy. In today’s modern age, however, a patron need only give as little as a dollar a month, since the popular usage of social media means there could be three hundred $1 patrons to support the artist.

I’m happy to say, I have a few patrons, and I’m quite grateful for them. Their support has allowed me to buy some more paints and invest in a couple of new digital art apps. I have a ways to go, however, before I reach my ultimate goal of paying for my art studio and contributing to the household finances. Understanding it will take baby steps to get there, I have set a goal for myself of $100 per month by end of summer.

What’s in it for me?

What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, not a tax receipt, I’m afraid.  This isn’t charity. There are many benefits to becoming my patron. Depending on the level of your contribution, you’ll receive:

• Behind the scenes information and pictures of works in progress and video tutorials
• A monthly wallpaper pack so you can add my artwork to your phone, tablet, or desktop wallpaper
• A custom piece of art, created solely for you, annually, for use on your own greeting cards, postcards, invitations or posters (for patrons pledging $25 or more per month)
• The satisfaction in knowing you’re supporting a living artist

If you’re interested in becoming a patron, please check out my website at Patreon.

Thank you so much for stopping by!