What Kind of Artist am I?

I received an email yesterday announcing a local Artist demonstrating her painting technique at a local farmer's market/art fair. My immediate reaction was, I couldn't do that and it got me thinking about some of the things that are challenging for me being an Artist.

Performing in front of an audience freaks me out; I am OK doing well rehearsed examples while teaching a class but my whole creative process is very private, a mostly quiet and a very solitary affair. I do not want to be pushed to be a performing seal because people want to see a "work in progress." Part of my creativity comes from the calm of being away from the Maddening Crowd, also, my work requires me to make huge messes before I get to the final result, it is hard to be judged by people who see the mess but not the final finished art piece, my process does not really work well in a demonstrating technique environment. But I am glad others can, so more power to them.

The other part of being an Artist I do not particularly like is marketing although it is an essential part of the whole "get out there and sell" process. If you want to sell you have to market. I was talking to a girlfriend the other day complaining that I had only sold a few pieces of art this year and had not been able to participate in any shows (due to ill health as opposed to just being a slacker or not being accepted to any :). She said, don't worry about that as long as you are having fun creating. That simple! That is one of the reasons our friends are so precious to us, they boost us up regardless just at the right time. So, I am taking heart in that statement and enjoying the creative process.

There is a nagging doubt that being an Artist is a glorified hobby and after 10 years of not making any money or even covering costs I am wondering if it is time to get a real job. I guess most artists do, don't they?

So, what kind of artist am I? A pretty typical one, I think, broke, frustrated my work isn’t seen more and would love someone to discover me!! (He! He!)

But I truly love being creative, being an Artist and a Seamstress gives me many avenues to explore and so I continue.


Happy Painting and Creating! :)

Happy Accidents!

My philosophy, on teaching art to kids, is pretty simple. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

There are a few fundamentals to the process and enjoyment of teaching kids to enjoy art. Keep it fun, (don't take yourself too seriously). Keep it age appropriate, (you would be surprised by the expectations of some teachers). Always treat them with respect. Give them permission to think outside the box, (so they will feel free to look beyond). There are no mistakes just “Happy Accidents.”

For example, as Artists we know that working with watercolours can, sometimes, be unforgiving and so we plan our work accordingly but initially children try to work with watercolours in the same manner as they would colour pencils or paint by numbers in a more logical and systematic way. So, for me as a Teacher, when I introduce them to watercolours it is essential to give them permission to screw up and allow the paint to flow. Painting from light to dark is hard enough but not being able to paint one thing then another without it bleeding into the next is harder still. I wholeheartedly encourage them to have fun with this process. I usually start with a kaleidoscopic approach; using a few colours, dropping them on to wet paper and watching them flow where they will. Kids love this, they love to see what happens, it is almost magical. Then they feel more secure to go on to more realistic pieces. I always say, if it doesn’t quite work out how you want it to be, we’ll call it a "Happy Accidents". Once they have this in their heads, again, they can accept this as part of the creative process and turn what they didn't want to necessarily happen into a joyful new part of their artwork.

Kids are usually taught, early on, to colour inside the lines. Once accomplished in this skill I love to guide them to do the thing they are told not to do, and that is, to colour outside the lines. At first they look quizzical, a little worried, like they are breaking some cardinal rule but once you show them that it is ok, they become freer with their expression and start to think for themselves and believe in possibilities.

Kids are so teachable, so open to possibilities, so they make faster progress with lots of enthusiasm and positive joy at their accomplishments, so giving encouragement is easy and genuine.

With this simple philosophy I have taught numerous children and have seen them flourish. The joy at seeing their joy is the reward.

Happy Painting!