Mary Adams 20 Nov 2012

I like that Lois. I agree with you on that anyone can be an artist. Art and the love of art is in the person. I love showing a child how to make a picture and use their talents even if it is nothing but marks and lines. It in their eyes maybe how they see the world around them we are all different. that is in my opinion what makes us all beautiful pieces of art.

Drew 23 Nov 2012

Can anyone earn a living wage as a professional artist?

Marty Yokawonis 13 Dec 2012

there are lots of people who earn a living as professional arts persons. Are you asking if painters and people who draw their own art can make a living at it? the answer is yes if you are willing to work at the career aspects of being a successful working artist. The key is working. as in work ethic. having a good career as an artist is not just about making pictures. it's mostly about getting the word out, connecting with people and groups that are within your area of expertise. If you are a watercolor artist then join your local chapter of watercolor enthusiasts. Or a national group like the National Watercolor Society. Or get involved in a local arts center. or teach classes. the career parts of being a professional are wide ranging. Make videos of something you do well and share it on youtube. Think that's silly? google suziblutube. She is a woman who has connected with women all over the world through her videos showing how she approaches journaling. She now has her own books, workshops, product lines and a loyal following.

Drew 16 Dec 2012

Marty, you make a lot of good points. Mostly, if you want to work in the art field, be ready to supplement your income with aspect of the profession other than the art you create.

mary bago 17 Dec 2012

The point is everyone can be an artist, but not everyone can be a good artist. The hard question is what is 'good art'? We have lots of examples to see what is good art from the past - take impressionists for example. It is harder to determine ourselves, however, without reading the critique of the experts if the painting is good or bad.

Marty Yokawonis 18 Dec 2012

Actually even the terms "good" and "bad" can be misleading when it comes to determining the merits of work of art.

In Orlando Florida there is a museum The Mennelo Museum of Art which exists primarily to house and showcase the works of a very eccentric man named Earl. Earl is dead. In his lifetime he mostly ran a small weird antique/junk shop with a bunch of his paintings hung on the upper floor over the shop. He is a kind of Grandma Moses I guess but his work is very folksy, very untrained looking. it is housed in a multi million dollar building. I was docenting the Florida Watercolor Society Annual Show last month and so spent an afternoon looking at works of art done in very colorful ways by people who had never been near anything "artistic" one image was done in the novel media of soot and spit.

So what makes it art you might ask? Why would people who should know better get all excited over some junk made with soot and spit? Well it's because essentially art is a journey from here to there in the heart, mind and soul. How we get there is the art part.

They have coined the phrase "art brut" to be a way to characterize this kind of carrier art which doesn't owe allegiance to any school of learning. It can come from old men who look on the world with the wonder of children. One such man was a janitor all his life -Henry Darger is his name. he was an outsider, orphaned, went to catholic church every day, worked as a janitor at the catholic school, never moved anywhere, went anywhere or did anything. But in his one room apartment he fought epic battles against good and evil and invented a heroine to fight his battles. He created huge dioramas of these battles featuring his heroine and a book about her world that he created for her. All these were found in his apartment by the good sisters after he died in the hospital. Now his life's work is being heralded. he lived an epic life in his little corner of the world.

I am seeing this same kind of small life, epic adventures going on now in people who are doing art journaling. They can't wait around studying until they get "good" they have to breakout and express their NOW. now.

Vincent von Frese 09 Feb 2013

In my opinion everyone is an artist...not just those who think they are or have a college degree. No one is better than anyone else!

Cole McLester 09 Feb 2013

If it's fun it's art, if it's art it's fun. Just the other day I was thinking what a great time I was haiving finding the light as it changed from one surface to another. So if you are having fun you are an artist. Well that is the way I see it anyway.

Vincent von Frese 10 Feb 2013

Fun working--oh yea it's fun but lots of hard work and a little if not a lot of suffering at the task might be required to produce a refine craft of any kind. This is what leads to appreciation of one's work I think.

Cole McLester 10 Feb 2013

This is true, the persuit of art is a learning process. Learning requiers stepping outside your comfort zone which will eventualy make you suffer. The progress seen towards a goal mitigates the suffering and tuns it into joy. I consider the process of cration a type of maddness because so many differnt emotion run through you as time becomes liquid and hours turn into mere moments. On my folio I have a video which I call "La Locura Me Cabe Bien" which menas "The Madness Suits Me Well".

Vincent von Frese 10 Feb 2013

You are indeed well into art and the journey leading to places unknown.

Rene Saucedo 30 Mar 2013

I think we each define art. Seeing something you remember becomes art if you share it.

marlene burns 10 Apr 2013

to be devil s advocate, i'd have to say no...not everyone is an artist. some people express themselves by using art...or words, or music or song....are all those people musicians, singers, dancers or poets. i canp play a few tunes on the piano...i studied piano for 5 years....do i have the balls to say i am a pianist? hardly.

there is a difference between being an artist and using a brush to paint a picture to express your angst or joy or whatever.....and one of those differences, to me, is how successful the process is....including the product most times....oh yeah, and don't forget putting it out there to be acknowledged by your peers.

Lois Penrod 10 Apr 2013

I just wanted to make it clear,I meant artists who paint or even draw or other mediums things you mainly do with your hands or maybe using online software to create art, not vocally speaking or interests that make sounds(instrumentally). Yes success also counts but not to give up on your art even if you may think it is bad,it is what you enjoy and want from life. It may seem to take forever to achieve something,as long as you love it keep at it.

marlene burns 11 Apr 2013

i'm sorry lois...i misunderstood...i thought you meant that anyone can be an artist just by doing something creatively. by mentioning other creative disciplines, i was trying to make the analogy that just because you partake, doesn't make you a pro at it.....being an artist is no different IMO

Dave Priestley 12 Apr 2013

Art is 'subjective'. That basicaly means that what may appeal to one person doesn't necessarily appeal to someone else. One person can view a blob of pigment on a canvas and see something that makes them willing to pay thousands for it, others may consider it as nothing more than a worthless blob.

The finer definition of 'art' is fiercly debated subject, but in general terms art is anything that is intentionaly made by humans to solicite some kind of an emotional reaction. Whether that reaction is a favourable or not, it's still an 'emotional reaction'. Essentially, there's no such thing as good art or bad art, it's all just 'art' and it is purely our own opinions which define it as either one or the other.

I'm often told that I'm a 'naturaly talented' artist, but I'm personaly not too keen on that phrase. I can paint accurate pictures of real things because I took the time to learn the techniques and how to use the tools. I kinda see it as very similar to reading and writing, nobody ever considers someone as 'naturaly talented' if they can read and write because almost everyone can do those if they take the time to learn how to, so why consider someone who's simply learned the techniques as 'naturaly talented'. This also raises another interesting point that's more to do with the point I'm trying to make, if anyone can learn to read and write, then I'm pretty sure that anyone can learn the techniques of painting too.

Lois Penrod 12 Apr 2013

Thanks Dave,to be talented though for instance you may pick up different mediums to try but not good at a certain one in which is what you feel comfortable with. I see it right now in my opinion that for me painting is hard for me to do especially painting a drawing I did and that has to be on my own. So I think it is all in your attitude if you do not want something it will not happen,that is learning wise. I would not like that medium to much even though looking at paintings is great,it is more of following rules in which to mix colors and whatever else there is to it.

Talents are also good if you have them with art,it makes me blind,towards a way that my way is the only way.Which can be good or not.

To be judged on your work and for someone to tell you what they see behind your art to me is different,to see something as bad it kind of has meaning of feelings than to judge it. Art is full of meaning,sure to create a piece of art takes thoughts but that is your thoughts at the time.

Cole McLester 12 Apr 2013

I do believe as David said that much of art is what is learend but I also believe some people have more of an artistic vision than others; giving therm there drive and results. So anyone can be an artist, I think people such as myself are proof of that. I wanted to paint but did not what or how so I just did. I stated with abastract trying to portray a feeling with color and I have moved in a more figurative way. My results have been favorable becuse of my early attempts at just doing it any way I could. I often tell people that desire+effort= tallent, but in truth there is a little more to it than that.

Lois Penrod 12 Apr 2013

Cole, I understand where you are coming from I feel the same my abstract it started out with me abstract drawing and after 7 years it became more figurative. Those words hit the spot that was said.The desire,effort,and talent.

Dave Priestley 13 Apr 2013

Yeah, I agree with Cole, the so called 'talent' comes in the form of simply being enthusiastic about and interested in what you do. If you are enthusiastic about what you do then you naturaly put more time, care and effort into it and find ways to get the results that you require, even if those ways may not necessarily be considered as orthodox. The more you do all of this the more 'experience' you gain and the more experience you gain the better you become at whatever it is you do. It's true for practicaly any job, hobby or activity, not just art.