How to become a successful artist...
So many folks have asked this question to me as well as other artists.."What have you done to become a successful artist?"
My answer is quite simple, yet very challenging to the normal genre of artists...do not become the "normal" artist that is comfortable in their own little world of art. Be bold and not afraid to experiment with your work. The reason for mistakes is to learn how to overcome them and be an even more successful artist. I am CONSTANTLY experimenting with colors, values, techniques, and often my mistakes can become some of my best work! Study other artists work. I spend entirely too much time on social media such as Facebook, but I get such inspiration from others works!! Learning that such things as lighting can enhance a painting dramatically will open the door to new ideas. I sometimes cannot drive down the road for seeing such eye popping sights as a brilliant sunrise, or shimmer on water.
I recently did a 90 minute demo for a group of 48 folks in Nashville, Tennessee and I enjoyed sharing some of my tips for speeding up your painting, and how much "information" to put into your work to achieve maximum focal attention. Impressionist work can be difficult to understand by a Realism artist, and each has it's own set of standards. The term "tight" or "loose" comes to mind in regards to the artist's style. Style is achieved from a large body of work that the artist produces which has similar characteristics such as brushstrokes, or colors. As I have said in a previous post..your style will find you, so don't worry about "finding your style". Creativity derives in the heart, and I firmly believe that if you put your heart into your work...there are no boundaries as to what you can achieve. As I grow older and continue to create new paintings, I look back at older works that I have done and compare them to newer work. I feel that doing this helps me to better understand how I have started to "see the light". Most importantly, keep your work fresh. Do not let yourself get in a rut of routine which becomes boring and does not allow you to grow as an artist. Success comes with "brushtime". These are just a few of my thoughts as to how to become a successful artist...
