Recently I picked up a few copies of "The Artist's Magazine" from our library for 50 cents and I am totally loving them. I've read them from front to back.
A lot of the work seems to be in oil, but there is some watercolor, acrylic, pastel, and a bit of mixed media. Much of the work is figurative, but there is also landscapes and still life. Reading about all of the artists, techniques, styles, art school and inspiration makes me long for art school again and almost makes me want to paint a still life, but not quite, but oh how I would love to take life drawing again.
By Robert T. Barrett
So even though I've been totally loving this magazine, I think partly why I haven't been too inspired to paint lately is because of this magazine. It has made me rethink what I'm doing, questioning my style, my talent, my own inspirations, where I am going with it all. It is so hard not to look at all of those talented artists and feel a bit inferior and compare myself to them, that I may not be a real artist because I paint "cute" things or because I don't paint in oils or I don't have an art degree, or my artwork isn't serious enough. So while I've been enjoying this magazine, it has also brought up all of these issues within me.
I've realized this is all part of the growing process as an artist and also as a person. I'm learning that it really doesn't do me any good to compare myself with others, it gets me no where but down. I know much of it has to do with gaining confidence in myself and with my artwork. And I'm slowly learning to do this.
I feel like I'm slowly coming out of my little funk. I'm realizing there is no need to compare myself with others(it definitely doesn't make me feel good), but I can learn from them and incorporate that into my own style and growth. I love to paint and draw, and I especially love to cut and paste too. I know I could never be patient enough to work on a realistic portrait painted in oils, I'll leave that to them, but amazingly I'm patient enough to cut out hundreds of small petals and glue them down to form a flower. This is what makes me happy, this is what makes my little heart sing, this is what I know I love, learning to be me and expressing "me"!
