An Artist’s Ramblings

Acrylic on watercolor paper, 20 x 16 inches

 I just made a mistake, one I have made before, but not often.  I read a book about how to be an artist and sell art.  I do love reading a books about art; the process, methods, and biographies about artist.  But, books on selling art tend to leave be just plain pissed off.   Two things are most always mentioned, age and connections.  The first book I read, the main theory said; if you are over twenty five and have not devoted your life to being an artist you have already failed.  I read that first book when I was in my thirties, raising my son, working full time at a hospital and painting when I could.  Needless to say I spending twenty dollars just to be pissed off.  The second book I just read, had the main theory wrapped around having rich connections to market your art.  I have no rich friends or connections.  So, here I sit typing about how pissed I am, that I spent money (this time bought second hand for less than ten dollars) on a book like that again.
    What does it take to be an artist?  Being an artist takes time, skill, and determination.  What does it take to be a rich and famous artist?  It takes time, skill, determination, ambition, location, and connections.  I do not look down on the rich and famous artist out there, envy them a bit, yes.  I live between two main cities; Detroit and Flint Michigan, and in this economic environment, not exactly hot spots for the arts, so thank God for the internet.  A little about me; I am an artist, I am not young or rolling in money.   I will say though I am rich in the fact I have a skill that I truly enjoy.
     To wrap up my little rant, what did I learn fro this latest reading?  I learned that being an artist has more than one definition.  My definition is my own, love what you do, continue to grow and learn more, and most important share your joy of art, and just be thankful when you make an income from your skill.  So in short, I may not be rich, or famous, but I am still an artist and plan to be one as long as I live, and will not be looking for another definition of being an artist any time soon.  
    Noticed that latest paintings I did in-between  reading,have portraits, think there may have been some introspective thought processes going one, maybe.

Mary
Schiros_Art

Art and Reading

The start

What is a good book?
 A book you can't wait to to start reading.
Once you start it, you can't wait to read it all.
By that  I mean, not just finish, but absorb it all, over and over again.
But the mark of a really good book; you have to stop, at many points in it, put it down
and act on the idea that grabs you at that moment, then go back.
That  is a good book.

My reading list right now:

"Ignore Everybody,and 39 other Keys to Creativity", Hugh MacLeod.
   examples: "Stay ahead of the culture by creating the culture." Hugh MacLeod.

  
"Steal like an Artist", Austin Kleon
    examples: "As Salvador Dali said, "Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."
                    "Steal it 'til you make it."  Austin Kleon

And a little sci-fi for fun: "Agent of the Stars", John Scalzi
    "I didn't know which was more fundamentally disturbing: that the ''jell-o was talking to me,
 that it had a sense of humor,
or that it had better manners than I did."   John Scalzi

Oh and between reading there is always some painting
Here is a start and finish...gotta share art when I blog....after all this is an art blog:)

(for more art visit my web site  on Fine art )

the finish