Am I A Real Artist? #7
The Art Lady – As Seen in Villager Magazine- by Arrachme
Artist definition –a person who practices various creative arts, such as sculptor, novelist, poet, music, film making, or painting.
So often I hear students say that they do not feel, in their hearts, that they are real artists. When I hear this, I will drop what I am doing to listen closer, hoping to identify why they made that assumption. The consensus of the root cause is when they were young, someone in authority said that their art was not good, or that they did not draw well. Since holding on to a negative feeling, of not being good enough, spills over into other parts of a person’s life, it might be beneficial to let this feeling rise to the surface, then brush it away like crumbs on a countertop. You are probably thinking that this is harder than it sounds. I have witnessed that painting can be used to help achieve a final positive result.
My perspective is that every individual is important. If I can help one person feel good about their painting, they will in turn pass on the uplifting thoughts to others. Eventually, the world will be a better place. With all the stress that the news has brought to us in recent years, a little peace might be welcomed.
Methods to Feel Good As An Artist
It seems to me that anyone can be successful at painting. It takes a comprehensive program that promotes learning a series of approaches, then extracting what works for the individual. The reason the student will need a series of approaches is that even though there are defined methods for combining and applying paint, the way to approach those methods is unique to each person. Everyone has a different way to hold a paintbrush or a pencil. Everyone has a different set of favorite materials that they like to use. Can an instructor be absolutely “right?” As a student, it is important to hear the words in a class, “This is one way to do…. but there are other methods that may suit you better.” Everyone has a point of view. In art, even though we have rules, those rules will bend, depending on who is doing the looking. Here are some examples. Oil painters, many start with a dark background and slowly move to light colors. Contrary to this, some successful artists start with mid-tones, then focus on the lights. If the artist hits the key important notes in each painting process, they can be effective. Either way, both styles of painting end up with a painting that is loved. My experience is that I always listen to my inner voice. I have also learned to place my ear close to piers those that do not agree with my viewpoint. Why? Without fail, there is always something valuable to glee from them. A hidden jewel presents itself. In art, being open and free leads to unearthing important wisdom and enhanced creativity.
Never give up, take risks, and believe in yourself. Find a teacher that can speak a visual language that is easily understood, then stick with it until you feel confident. Not everyone wants to be a professional artist but for sure, everyone wants to paint something that they can be proud of.
So, what do we need to transport from that feeling of uncertainty to the feeling of, I can do it.” A helpful hint is to be open to creativity and set aside rigidity. If an individual seeks to go beyond art as a hobby, the critical and most important attribute to adhere to is the acceptance of hard work. There are no shortcuts. Find a teacher that will support you, build your spirit, and encourage you. This does not have to be a teacher in person. A seeker can find a teacher on YouTube or Zoom that can help one move forward.
How does an artist find inspiration?
The other day I watched a hummingbird sustain itself in midair. The movement of the wings inspired me to make a change to a painting that I was working on. The fluttering of the wings showed me which graduation of values to use in conjunction with the rule that diagonal lines create movement. It may surprise you to find out that I was not painting a realistic bird. I was painting the abstracted movement of a seascape wave. In time, with practice, anyone can train themselves to let surroundings inspire change as I did after watching the hummingbird in its natural habitat.
Knowing that art can help anyone and that the action of being an artist can be affected by our surroundings, we must keep in mind that the core source for all creatives comes from deep within. Technique and acquired skill can combine with environmental inspiration.
Inspiration flows naturally once the artist learns to tap into this root awareness. As a teacher, I teach techniques but focus for the most part on helping students access their uniqueness. It is the ability to tap into this source that separates the wheat from the chaff.
How does the artist know this has occurred?
The artist knows this has happened when they feel the connection to a universal vast abundant flow of ideas for composition. They seem to manifest in every moment. The seen and unseen world becomes a petri dish of composition choices. If this seems complicated, try this exercise. Take a pair of yellow finished sunglasses the next time you go kayaking on a lake. The yellow enhances everything so intensely that you can see the abundance that did not appear without wearing the glasses. The world becomes more vivid: you can see the edges of the leaves, moving water becomes a mass of shapes, tree roots form caves and hidden valleys. Instantly thousands of ideas for paintings fill in all your empty spaces. There is more of everything. At the same time, there is subtle minimalism that simplifies a complicated world by forming hard edges around objects. You become tuned into pure abundance. For me, this offers complete and utter peacefulness.
See the included photography “Roots” and the painting “Roots of Acceptance” which is a collaborative experience. My husband holds the camera, and I hold the brush. It is the interaction of two artists as they come together to become one voice that can be a powerful experience. Two people can become a muse to each other.
The answer, Can I call myself, Artist?’ is yes. It simply takes focus and desire. If you truly love to paint, it becomes your love, passion, and sense of peace. Do what you love.
