As a painter, illustrator, and storyteller, Cheryl Gross combines her signature humor and urban appeal to create intense narratives. Currently, she is working on a large project titled: The Z Factor, a fictional work of drawings and text depicting the persecution of a new race and a resulting third civil rights movement. She is also 2014 Clark Hulings Fund Grant Finalist. What are the challenges when a fine artist wants to cross illustration, graphic design, film, poetry, blogging, and the graphic novel, all in a way that takes on current issues.

Contents

• Blending fine arts and commercial arts
• Parsing an art career as a way to make a living: "Sometimes you just need money"
• Mitigating genre bias by breaking barriers between types of media
• Crossing media from visual art, to the graphic novel, blogging, and film
• The catch-22 of crossing genres and not having a pigeonhole to hide in
• Being "Dr. Seuss on crack"!
• Using the online art markets
• Pricing commissioned work

Cheryl's insights on the fundamental struggle of refusing to be pigeonholed while seizing a place in the market are a valuable addition to the learning program of CHF. More info on Cheryl Gross and her work, as well as her blog and book are at CMgross.com