Monthly Column by Dorothy Jackson Smith |
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
I am writing this months column in response to
the large number of what I call "cookie cutter artists" that are appearing in
this country. There seems to be an emphasis placed on the all-mighty dollar and not on the
ingenuity of the individual these days. Recently at an art exhibition, I was talking to a
friend and the conversation turned to this subject -- we came to the conclusion that too
many people are taking shortcuts to becoming working artists. And too many of them make
money just because they are good at marketing. The problem is there is no depth to their
art and eventually they just fade out like the latest acid-green nail polish.
I myself am a self-taught artist. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it
requires that the individual actually seeks out the knowledge necessary to becoming an
artist. In other words, you aren't taking formal classes, but you must study anatomy even
more carefully than artists who train in Universities or art schools. You have to work
hard to be an artist, it isn't an easy job that shiftless people seek out, so they can
avoid doing the nine to five routine. It's a calling, a vocation, with skill and continual
study and often fifteen hour work days. I sometimes find myself welding at 2 am and
realizing that I must stop or I won't get any sleep at all.
Having vented my feelings, I will continue on the subject of becoming an artist with a
strong voice. If you truly want to be a working artist, you must experiment with different
styles, mediums and techniques. The artists whose paintings or sculptures draw me in are
those who have a uniqueness about them. I want to feel challenged by what I see. My
feeling is that these artists are the ones who keep expanding their ideas, they continue
to take classes or to study their subjects and they are not afraid to take a chance on a
new idea, even if it means failing.
My suggestion is to quit doing the exact same drawing of a horse from the side or of a
horse head and to look for the interesting new pose or setting to work from. Go to your
library and check out books about artists, see what else is out there. Head down to the
closest museum and look at everything, try to find inspiration for a new piece from the
work of the masters. And don't forget the modern art exhibits either, check out what some
of the very forward thinkers are doing and then try to do a piece in the same vein. People
often identify with what is familiar, so if you seek out new experiences, you'll have a
lot more to be comfortable with. To be human is to be constantly learning (at least that's
what I think we're meant to do). So in that spirit, try to be far-sighted, inspiration is
everywhere!!!!!!!
Dorothy J Smith's Monthly Columns
