Things I Wish I had Learned at Art School

Afloat oil 12 x 16

 I am one of those rare people who actually went to art school and stuck with it after graduation.  We worked hard at art.  I learned how to take criticism and how to draw the figure and how to use gouache.  I put together a professional thesis project that was presented in New York City. I did not learn anything about marketing my work, approaching galleries or publishers, applying for grants or residencies, or writing an artist's statement. We lived in a bubble where production and technique were emphasized and there was very little time for what would happen once we left that little world.
 
Right out of college, I went on to work a year-long internship with the illustrator Barry Moser. It was there that I learned about the day to day life skills needed to succeed in the publishing business.  I learned by example. 

So while art school may look good on my resume, would it have been more prudent to seek out a working artist and ask for an apprenticeship?  Or to sign up for workshops with artists whose work I respected?  I was too young to have the foresight or to even know which painters I may have looked to for guidance, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to go to art school. I have learned about the business side of art by trial and error. I have made many mistakes along the way. Perhaps, that is what succeeding at this art thing is all about.

The I in Artist

Pathway oil 11 x 14

I have been feeling a little uncomfortable with how much the word "I" appears in my blog posts. But it did get me thinking.  Must an artist be comfortable with talking about themselves?  Can we successfully market our work and not have the conversation center around what we do and how we think?

Madeleine L'Engle wrote (to paraphrase) that all artists are "a paradoxical combination of arrogance and humility". There has to be some degree of "Hey, look at me" to decide to put your work out there.

I do know a couple of artists who make good work and are so introverted that it is virtually impossible to talk to them.  The work is good enough that it sells without the egocentric "I". I also know a few whose work perhaps does not sell as well as it could because they are uncomfortable talking about themselves in front of a crowd. And I know a few who sell well and aren't that good at the painting part, but very good at talking about their work. It is an interesting debate.