Funny thing about us artists-maybe not everyone. Many of us are always afraid that someone will find out that we are IMPOSTORS! Even the most accomplished ones. We are deathly afraid that we will be found out. My biggest fear was the dreaded OCEAN SCENE. I had never done one before. I mean, formally. One day I was teaching an adult and she said that that was what she wanted to work on next. Uh oh. My time had come. Now my secret would be revealed. She would find out that I'm not the teacher that I wanted everyone to think I was. It was towards the end of the class and I told her that we didn't have time to start but would begin the next week. Soooooo, for the next week I was like a fiend. I went to the art store and bought one of those cheesy Walter Foster How to Paint books on the ocean. I did practice paintings after paintings. Lots of drawings also. Until I felt I had a handle on it. Then the following week when my student was all set up I said calmly, "Okay. Let's begin". Inside I thought, "Whew! That was a closey". Above is one of my practice drawings.
I think it's okay to admit that we can't do it all. I don't know very many artists that actually can whip out a drawing of everything perfectly. That's why we have the artists' "morgue"-a file of reference photos just for our information. I love the internet and being able to Google any image I want. It sure beats the old World Book Set that I sold for $50. It became woefully inadequate. Actually it always was but I didn't know the difference.
It seems like I have written about this experience before but I couldn't find where I had. If you've heard it before-please forgive me. I can't remember everything-just like I can't draw everything, you guys!
I think being a master of ONE trade is preferable to being a 'Jack of all'. We can't be expected to know everything. I remember once being asked by a pupil (when I briefly taught in a school), how to draw a squirrel. I had a rough go at it, then said I'd bring him a book.
ReplyDeleteI visualized you struggling to draw a squirrel this morning and then thought of myself trying to do it and laughed so hard! That would be a toughie for sure. I'm glad you told him you'd bring a book. I would have to do the same.
ReplyDeleteInteresting....I am presnted with challenging photo sessions once in a while and I too have postponed so that I could practice and study..lighting, processing etc. Not that I am really all that experienced at it yet, but I still want to do it right. So I too have had this experience.
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