Well, this is the first day of writing to this blog and not only does the journey to becoming the artist I think I want to be seem daunting so does the idea of writing to this blog daily to journal my journey. I was inspired this past weekend by the movie Julie and Julia and by the focus, discipline and success Julie found by making her committment public and accountable. My daughter suggested I do the same concerning my desire to be the painter I want to be at 65 years of age.
So, for the next year I step forward into an exercise that has become an intimidation to me when I've considered it before. It is good to make goals and be accountable. I have included a somewhat small, poor quality image of a 20" x 24" portrait I did for a charity event of Tejano singer Robert Pulido to reflect where I am at this time. It was taken sitting on my easel which is showing at the bottom of the image.
I spent seven years as a volunteer firefighter going into burning buildings, fighting brush fires, and doing rescues and this adventure puts more fear in me that all of those. I am going to stop trying to become "somebody" and just try to become the artist I think I want to be. I remember the quote from someone that goes something like this, "All my life I wanted to be somebody and now I realize I should have been more specific."
Hopefully, during this journey, the idea of what that is will become clearer and more focused so that I may chose a true direction and destination. Perhaps that is part of the previous problem. I might be wanting to be a different kind of artist when I should just try to become the best artist of the kind I am that I can be.
During this next year I plan to describe not only my actions but also my thoughts and feelings as I travel along this self-imposed highway to a destination not unlike the yellow brick road to Oz. I'm not sure I will find the place I want to be or just find myself, my own mind, my own heart, and the ability and willingness to just be me.
Wishing you all the satisfaction that comes from painting and the peace of painting your way.
ReplyDeleteJim,thanks for the encouragement and good wishes. You have been an inspiration to me to try again. I think this blog and the journey will be fun. I have never shied away from speaking my mind and being vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you began the journey means you are half-way there. In looking at your paintings, I see various things. In the painting of Pulido, I see striving for perfection in likeness, in execution, in expression of the personality of the person giving me as a viewer the feeling of the subject ..here is a person who enjoys his ability to make music and is proud of his accomplishments and the feeling of the artist is the same.
ReplyDeleteIn looking at the recent painting with the vibrant colors, I see a striving for expression but still controlled. I feel the joy of nature and the intensity of that feeling as if the artist is overwhelmed by that beauty and can't quite capture all the feeling. It gave me the feeling I used to get when making a presentation and feeling the response and connection of the individuals in the audience and because of that positive interaction wanting to convery in that one instant everything I knew about the subject and thereby overwhelming the audience. Later, in analyzing the seesion, I realized that "little is more". Keep up the good work.
And I agree, art is conversation between the artist and the viewer about the subject in the painting and while there is not always agreement between the two, it ilicits interaction.
I came across your blog quite by accident. I have a painting by Daphne Meister and I did a search and came across your site. This is an interesting quest and one that I admire. If you know anything more about Ms. Meister I would appreciate it. In the meantime.. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteDaphne Meister was a classically trained artist and a kind and knowledgeable teacher to me for three years from the age of nine to twelve when I took private lessons from her at her home and studio near Lamar High School in Houston, Texas. I'd love to see a photo of her painting. I stopped taking lessons from her over 54 years ago. She taught me wonderful principles even as to how to care for my brushes some of which I still have and use. Send me an email if you wish at jrwade@jrwadefinearts.com. I don't know much about her other than what I remember of her as my teacher.
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