Was working with pastels last night, as I am trying to get better at drawing birds, and pastels. This took 10 minutes, I am trying to draw what I see and not look back at the picture. I am not that happy with the way it turned out, the other rule is no do overs.
Lately I have been reading alot of blogs where artists are unhappy with there art, I joined that club awhile agao. Sometimes I decide I am going to put it all away and do something else. When I try to draw something and it doesn't turn out. Or since I have no formal training, when I paint and turned out like crap or muddy. So the question is to you need to be formally trained to feel like an artist? I would like to hear what you all have to say .....
Lee, I think part of the problem with being an artist without formal training is that it makes it hard to call yourself the "artist" word. But it also gives an importance to the work that wouldn't be there without the word. My lovely friend Emily says once you take the work out of your head and not someone else's you are an artist but that kind of makes it a burden too. Today I worked on a small project that wasn't an artisty project and just had fun. So maybe the idea is to work with joy and whatever comes of it comes of it. I LOVE your bird btw!
ReplyDeleteEvery artist I know who HAS had formal training wishes they'd never done it because it squished them into forms, into boundaries, into shoulds and musts and rules and head trips ... they lost the original voice that drove them into art in the first place, then had to spend years unloading it all to get back to that original voice. I would rather make the ugliest SHITE in the world out of the original voice in my head than copy anyone else's styles or follow anyone else's rules or shoulds or even TRENDS ... anyway, darling, what YOU see and don't like? doesn't mean others see it the same way. The point, for me, always always always, is the process of the creation, NOT the result. How do you feel MAKING your pieces? Absorbed? Curious? Laughing? that's the good part.
ReplyDeleteI have no formal art training but I look at it as a blessing! Too many times I've seen people who are talented get shut down by a teacher. I like "self-taught" artists because they tend to be more real.
ReplyDeleteTell that voice in your head to be quiet! You ARE an artist and I love your work. Don't change a thing!!