TONY
SANSEVERO at his studio:
“I create for a living and there's nothing better than that.”
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PAY
DAY!
A look at what people earn in Central New York
By Rick Moriarity
Syracuse, NY
How well
do central New Yorkers' pay checks stack up to their counterparts across
the nation?
That's not an easy question to answer, but let's give it a shot ...
Children's
Book Illustrator 35,000 to 40,000 Illustrating keeps artist's integrity
...
and the odd alien.
As a successful illustrator of children's books, Sansevero gets his
share of speaking dates at local schools. His advice for young aspiring
artists, grades three and up, runs something like this:
"As an illustrator you have to think of yourself as a spider sending
out webs, the more webs you can spin the more work you're likely to
catch."
At 32, Sansevero is quickly becoming a master of that networking principle.
During a typical week in January, he planned to speak at three schools,
paint a 4x6 ft painting of Jesus for a local commission, as well as
start a portrait of a pet canary. Oh yes, and start on the first of
14 illustrations for the book "Don't Fry My Veeblax" the latest
in Bruce Coville's children's series, "I Was a Sixth Grade Alien."
In a good year, this varied work can earn Sansevero more than
35, 000 to 40,000. On a lean year? "My first year as a freelance
illustrator, I made about 5,000. But I had prepared for that."
It's not the path to riches, but it meets Sansevero's needs and leaves
him feeling fulfilled.
"I create for a living," he said "and for me, there's
nothing better than that."
Sansevero came to Syracuse from Boston two years ago. His father and
grandfather were amateur artists. When he was younger, he was artistically
gifted but not interested in the arts as a profession. He liked reptiles
and science,
Then, in his early 20's, he experienced a kind of epiphany, an awakening
to the art in Boston museums. Soon he was studying at the Massachusetts
College of Art, intent on becoming a fine artist.
The path was not what Sansevero expected. He sold paintings in galleries,
but supported himself by tending bar and waiting tables. Worse, he found
himself adapting his creative work to the trends and tastes of the art
market. He felt he was selling out.
In his mid-20's, looking for something a little more lucrative and honest,
he switched to commercial illustration, and soon after, to children's
books.
The work gave him the kind of balance he was seeking, He still does
his own fine art, but without the pressure of having to sell it. The
work that pays him, the book illustration, also gives him creative satisfaction.
And to his parents chagrin, he still gets to draw aliens. Their advice,
when he announced his artistic intentions, was to stick with fine art
and dump the sci-fi stuff.
