Q :: What are my favorite mottos for artists?
"People need art in their houses. They don't need Bed Bath and Beyond dentist-office art. They need weird stuff."
– Ezra Croft, art show producer
"I don't know who needs to hear this right now, but art is not just something to fill a space on your wall, or to match your sofa. It's an investment in the beauty of your everyday life."
– Augusta Wilson, artist
"The whole of culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to the art."
– Junot Díaz, artist
"Design has to work. Art does not."
– Donald Judd, artist
"We don't make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies."
– Walt Disney
Q :: What advice do I have for new artists?
Time is on your side! Everything will grow with time and being consistent.
Don't underestimate how good things come from good relationships with good people.
Progress, not practice, makes perfect.
Don't chase after too many classes in the beginning, take them in stride and allow each lessons the chance to go from your head to your heart.
Photograph everything! Every layer and every precious detail as you paint.
Know your supplies inside and out! Knowing how to manipulate art materials and finding their limits helped me to know which ones will get the job done.
Buy just one new brush and one new color every paycheck. Before long, you will have what you need.
Make each mark and brushstroke with purpose, avoid being "artsy fartsy."
Q :: Am I afraid someone will copy me?
Being an artist means I get to make artwork that is unique to me, my physiology, experiences, and history. No one else can replicate that. And if someone did try, it would still be missing my "touch" and recognizable as a copy cat.
Let them try...I'm too busy looking to the next big thing in my art career.
I also strongly believe that art should be accessible and the art making process should be, too!
If we don't pass down our techniques and discoveries, how will the art world and coming artist generations ever grow without reinventing the wheel?