I always wonder what would have happened if I went to college for art instead of advertising, which was my father's suggestion. I think a lot of artists could use a strong business background to help them market their talents. Did you study art, or did you take a long, winding road to your craft like I did?
http://pencilenvy.blogspot.com/2012/05/irish-carnival-ride-at-apartment-21.html
In my latest blog entry, I tell the story of my very first portrait and the beginning of my college and corporate journey that one day lead me here. I love to hear the stories of how my fellow artists got where they are today.
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I studied graphic design when there was no fancy computer programs, so we had to do everything with a ruler and pencil. I did a lot of perspective, geometry and drawing. I mostly designed logos. The way I paint now has nothing to do with what I learned at school. Everything is so different that I feel I learned to paint by myself. I love to visit museums and get pumped up with inspiration that makes my head spin with all that energy, colors and techniques.
So interesting to hear everyone's journeys... I definitely have art education envy. I still say having some business experience is really helpful in marketing our art. I'm wondering if I should be investing more in my web presence, search engine optimization and that sort of thing rather than just having my entire marketing budget be invested in art shows. I wonder what else has been successful for artists other than show fees.
Fun reading about everyone and their pathways to the present. I have to admit it, I have art education envy. I've loved working with my hands from childhood on. I'm an Occupational Therapist by training, and worked in Mental Health for 35 years. (Back in the dinosaur days, OT's used lots of crafts as treatment modalities, in all forms of OT, from Physical Disfunction on through Pediatrics, Mental Health and Geriatrics. That's how OT's got the nickname "underwater basket weavers"). I started making jewelry when my husband and kids used to go mining on rainy days when they were camping. They always had beautiful things cut and I always got the pretty stones to have made into jewelry, but the choices for setting the stones was limited to "4 prongs or 5 or 6." I wanted something different, so began to wire wrap, then got involved with metal clay so that I could use those beautiful stones.
It didn't take long to discover that I was way down the curve for designing the jewelry. Not much in the OT school about that. So I've been playing catch up, and hence my source of art education envy. Over the years I've picked up some things. My execution is very good, but the design part is lagging behind. I keep taking workshops and classes
Thanks for asking, Wendy - :-)
Born to be an artist I guess, since my mom and grandmother were artists. Just can't escape it. I did get an art degree at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX in printmaking/painting. Since I always thought eating was a good idea, had to find an alternative to living the purely creative life. It was easier in 1968 to get in at the ground floor. I was fortunate to be trained in graphic arts - way pre-computer - at the University of Arizona Press in Tucson, AZ. I did get a master's degree in art education and later in art therapy and worked in both of those fields for a number of years. Then when my second marriage allowed, I was so very, very lucky to be able to go back into creative arts full time. Right back into printmaking - and would you believe! - painting, too (adding the color to the prints.) Every day I give thanks. As for the business end of things, you learn by doing and by making mistakes. Right now I am engaged in a marketing effort for my "taufscheins" which are birth and baptismal certificates. I want to reintroduce these charming documents which were ubiquitous in the early part of American history. Art is sometimes hard, but there is nothing like marketing to drive the stoutest heart stark-raving nuts!
Can't draw worth a sh... Um, shoot. Can't draw worth a shoot. I was actually discouraged by my 8th grade art teacher from pursuing art any further. His attitude was "If you can't draw, you can't be an artist." Ummmmmm. Wrong. But thanks for asking. I started chuckling at SunFest last year when I thought about my old art teacher and what he'd think if he saw me there. I've given serious consideration to taking some sort of class on color combinations and the like but because of my hand-eye coordination problems I doubt I'd even pass any classes like drawing. I've always been a big fan of self-education anyway and you can expose yourself to as much art as you'd like both in galleries and museums as well as online. So I guess my vote would be to take the accounting courses instead.
Growing up I was into many forms of art and dabbled in some art shows as a 'junior artist'. Then I went to college for Advertising (do we see a trend?). After I was married, I exhibited portraits and drawings in art shows and freelanced as a graphic/ advertising designer. When our eldest daughter was nearing college, my husband encouraged me to return to school too. So on I went for my degree in Art Education. Some people may think that art teachers have lots of time for their personal art, but that is not always the case. Juggling family, school and work, leaves little time to focus on creating art. However, now, after teaching and administrating art in K-12 schools for several years, I am teaching for the Art Institute Online, which I love! The students are fun to work with and there is time for me to create my own artwork. Many of my students are 'non-traditional' and pursuing their dreams later in life. I even had one woman who was in her eighties in one of my courses -- It is never too late!
Good question, nice to see everyone's story.
Wendy, I love your stories and this one feels so close to home for me. I graduated U of I in '87 with an engineering degree because it seemed more lucrative than anything art related... and I'm dying to know which house you were talking about, I had a very similar experience and your description of Rush is perfect!
Thanks everyone for sharing your journeys with us.
Great post Wendy.
I have posted many times that my background is in accounting. My dad was a banker and accounting was the only option for me and my brother when we went to college. My brother is now a homicide detective. He makes extra $$$ teaching cops certain classes because of his business background, and I am able to run my business and understand the $$$ side of it all. This is the family mantra "Aren't you glad you have a degree in Accounting so you can do what you really love to do successfully?!" Who knows how amazing I could be if I had gone to art school? Actually I really believe the accounting background is a huge asset running my own business.
I was raised in Europe so I had access to amazing museums and art. I never skipped school to go to a concert, but I did to go to museums:) At school we were able to study art and then go on field trips and see the actual David, or Mona Lisa or Nightwatch. My mom still talks about how a pre-school teacher tried to tell her I had special talent, ha ha. My spare time was alway spent doing crafts and taking art classes. A part time job at a gallery when I was an adult really pushed me to go full time with my own art. That gallery is now out of business so I guess the accounting degree really was a good idea:)
I love hearing everyones stories on how they became full time artists. I have MANY people tell me how "lucky" I am to do this full time. I have no response that I can say without sounding snarky so I usually just smile. I think there is some luck to everything we do, like driving to the grocery store without getting into an accident, but most of my success is from determination and hard hard hard work, oh and being able to adapt.
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