Becoming an Artist
Posted on February 10, 2010 - Filed Under About me, Being an Artist, Uncategorized
This gal, I call her Grammy, clearly lives in de Nile. Her epidermis had turned to leather, which she continued to bake daily. I drew her on the beach in Mexico a number of years ago, then came home and painted this. What I love about Grammy is that she reminds me that despite being presented with facts countless times, all of us, not just my kids, choose to hear what suits us. This is especially true in my chosen field of art.
Artists do not spring out of the womb. Believe this, it is a fact. Propensity might, but skill, not so much. We have to learn just like Stravinsky had to learn, and we have to practice, just like Stravinsky had to practice. The hardest part, someone sage once said, is making it look easy. Watching people who are very good at what they do is exciting, they look fluid and natural. But like sports, music, and nearly everything else, the hours behind making it look easy are not easy at all. Becoming an artist does not happen in one fell swoop, it is not an anointment, or a visitation. Becoming an artist is practice.
Here is the story of my ah ha moment on this topic.
I took a plein-air class from a professional painter about 20 years ago. Talk about making it look easy, she just sat down, glanced at the landscape and rendered it beautifully while we watched. I was completely blown away at how easy this would be. When I sat down, the shadows in my scene romped madly across the doorway I was painting, the dogs wandered in and out, I could not make it stay still long enough to get anything. The artist came by, and asked how I was doing. I am frustrated, I said, really frustrated.
“You have not earned the right to be frustrated”, said the artist.
WTH? Did I hear her correctly?
“I have done this thousands of times. What makes you think you should paint like I do the first time out? Isn’t that a little bit insulting?”
I burst out laughing (my sister would not have laughed, she does not like this story, but for me it was perfect). How ridiculous it was for me to think something brand new should be easy. Just like anything else worth learning, plein-air painting was challenging, and takes an enormous amount of dedication to be as good as this artist is. As soon as I made up my mind to accept where I was in the process, at the beginning, I began to have fun, and a huge burden was lifted. And, I was open to what she so generously offered to teach me.
Who cares about any of this? Well, since I am a teacher and face learners regularly, I do. You need to start from where you are and give up the idea that there is a black and white world out there full of artists or non-artists. We are artists if we want to be, and we choose to put one foot in front of the other, constantly toward our goal. We need to try. And it is a journey worth taking, as you probably already know.
Wayne Thiebaud is one of my favorite painters. Seeing his paintings up close is as delicious as the sweets he sometimes renders. He is also a very smart man, and I like what he has to say.
Art is not delivered like the morning paper; it has to be stolen from Mount Olympus.
Wayne Thiebaud
And the trek to Mount Olympus? Hmmm……
Comments
5 Responses to “Becoming an Artist”
Leave a Reply
09/04-09/06 Valley Ridge Wisconsin
Art Journaling Magazine
Cloth Paper Scissors
Drawing Lab
Interactive Art Workshop
Letter Arts Review
Somerset Sept
Somerset Studio
Somerset Studio
Somerset Studio
What a fabulous story, Jill. This is so perfect. I say this to my students (but in a much gentler way) when they say “I will never draw like you can.” My response is that I’ve had a lot more practice!
Loved this post, Jill. And the story. And Thiebaud’s quote. Thank you!!
Fantatic story, Jill! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Thank you for sharing another wonderful story!
I like this. I am becoming and artist. I do some things well and other things are a real stretch. But if anything is worth doing it takes a lot of hard work, and that is what I do. I started a blog about becoming and artist, my difficulties and my successes.
I am taking lessons from a plein-air artist – it is an eye opening experience for me.