This message is for “art-makers”.
In our world today, no justification is needed for cultural activities, performances, museums, books, the enjoyment of children’s imaginative play, or the process of the creative act. And for those who “make art”, there are a variety of reasons to create. For some, art-making is a past-time, and for others a hobby. Still others consider it to be a vocation. At any level, it may be developed, refined and appreciated.
“All great art is but a vision of creation”. Manfred Khyber
But what is Art for, and where does it come from? We have just experienced a season of gift-giving, and are moving toward goal-setting for the new year. As artists, how exactly will art fit in to our own lives and plans?
This message, too, is for”art-makers”: your Art is a gift. That’s with a capital “A”, because I know your art is important to you, just as mine is to me. But it’s not precisely your art, or my art: the capacity and ability to create art is not an innate skill. It’s a gift, as Edward Yang puts it, for stimulating and “inspiring human flourishing”. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, as long as we keep practicing and giving it. It is a gift we may give to ourselves, to others, to the future, and to our Creator, who made us and gave the gift to us.
Art-making is a gift to ourselves
Making art reinforces and feeds our naturally-curious and creative nature. Through it, artists liberate the imagination, which itself is a gift: we can go wherever we want, any time we want. We enjoy the mixing and mashing of materials to make something new, something that has never been made before. We find fulfillment and freedom through art-making, as our skills and knowledge grow, along with our personality and level of accomplishment.
͞”The greatest good one can do for another is not just to share one’s riches, but to reveal to him his own”. Benjamin Disraeli
Art-making is a gift to others
Our art can provide a lens through which others might see the truth. That’s the usefulness of both metaphors and poetic license. Art is a window to reality, and we know that reality is not just visual. Poet and author Antoine de Saint-Exupery believed that “What is essential is invisible to the eye”. Another philosopher, Aristotle, also believed: “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”. Art can better equip people to deal with their trials, issues, and challenges: have you ever seen a movie, or heard a piece of music, that made you feel differently about something; maybe, so differently that you wanted to change your life after having seen or heard it? Artworks can point the way to hope, grace, and love in a world full of tragedy, suffering and death: that’s the power of art and the artist. “Art should not duplicate real life as it is—Art can and should reveal the artist’s vision of life as it could be”, opines Jennifer King, a contemporary artist. As Leland Ryken writes, “In art we find the materials of life simplified, rearranged, and heightened”. The artist can shine light into the lives of those who are struggling to find a way out—or a way in.
“Artists create things which last beyond death—they are offering something to future generations”. Rollo May
Art-making is a gift to the future
People long to see beauty in the world. Wars slash across the globe like lightning storms, populations everywhere are decimated by drought, hunger and privation, floods claim homes and cities, fires ravage forests and in some places, only ruins tell the tale of what was once a bright architectural vision. In the midst of it all, writes aesthetics philosopher Rollo May, artists “hold up͞that aspect of beauty that transcends death…such as eternity, serenity, and the use of the imagination to project us beyond time and space. The artist leaves a gift for us and the future”. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling continues to testify of his visions of the origins of man and the universe; Brancusi’s “Bird in Space” is both a record and precursor of the wonders of flight; and the spectacular paintings of Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt were instrumental in the governmental planning of America’s national parks, which millions from around the world enjoy today.
Art-making is a gift to the Giver
As artists, we can be grateful for the gift we have been given, since it is not of ourselves, nor of our own making. And we can be thankful for what author Franky Schaeffer terms “the longing to understand and enjoy what is around us”. We can also be appreciative for the opportunity to provide some insight, hope, and pleasure to those who view our work. And we can humbly wear the honor of being able to serve humanity as artists, to make a creative product or perform a needed service for others. As Edward Yang concludes, “The vocation of an artist is not to be valued solely on usefulness, but in sharing with others the gift of the Giver.”
Archives for February 2016
2015 Eastern Regional Exhibition Juror Statement
Juror Statement
OPA’s Eastern Regional was held at Eckert and Ross Gallery in Indianapolis IN. Eckert and Ross did a wonderful job of hanging the exhibition. The artwork was outstanding, presenting me as juror a real challenge. For the first hour I simply enjoyed the work, every piece was a winner. Then came the challenge of deciding which pieces would be awarded the ribbons.
As a juror I have my guidelines that include the elements of design, composition, use of medium and color harmony. To these elements I add my own feelings. Which pieces made me think, which made me smile and which told me a bit about who the artist themselves are. Some spoke to me on several levels while other simply said this is by a master, and there were plenty of masters in the show. Though there were only a few actual signature masters in the show, every painting in this year’s Eastern Regional was done by a master artist in my book. Congratulations to all those who made it into this year’s OPA exhibitions.
Winning paintings
About David Hettinger
Award winning artist, David Hettinger, began his career when he hopped a plan from the railroad town of Aurora, IL and landed in New York City. He moved to New York on the advice of Joseph Welna, owner of Welna Gallery in Chicago, having virtually no worldly wisdom, only a fierce desire to “learn what it was to be a real artist”. Welna began showing Hettinger’s work while the young artist was still attending the American Academy of Art, in Chicago. He directed Hettinger to study with David Leffel and Richard Schmid in New York and on how to earn his living as an artist from day one. With steadfast focus and determination, Hettinger made a name for himself as a fine artist and never looked back.
Related links
Visit the following links to learn more about the 2015 Eastern Regional Exhibition:
2015 Salon Show Juror Statement
Juror Statement
I am honored and so proud to have had the opportunity to be a juror of awards for the 2015 Salon Show at the Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama. I congratulate all of the participating artists for their best work at the show.
Evaluating paintings can be a difficult job because art can be interpreted in so many varying ways. I should keep an open mind when evaluating paintings and it is a difficult job for me to be a juror. The test of evaluating a work of art, such as a painting, requires a combination of objective information and subjective opinion. It’s true that art appreciation is highly subjective, but the aim of evaluating a painting is not simply to ascertain whether you like or dislike a painting. Art evaluators need to generate facts upon such to base their opinions. Once I have the facts, I can then make my assessment. The more information I can glean about the context and the work of art itself, the more reasoned my assessment will be.
I have from time to time looked back to all the paintings to study what the artist wanted to convey. Consider the theme of this painting. Does it have a unique theme, or is it different? I appreciate that the artist is trying to be unique. Consider other artwork the person has done to look for a theme in the paintings. If the painting has a common theme, consider how well it interprets the art work of others. The quality of the painting is very important. The composition is a highly regarded element in the painting process. The ideas behind it can be very creative, but the painting itself has to be up to par. I appreciate quality of color, brushwork, texture, strong shape, and wonderful edges. And the best painting has all of those elements as well as a unity in its visual dialog to connect to the viewer, and it doesn’t matter what kind of subject, and what style it is. I am very happy for all of those with awarded pieces that have high quality and varied voices and I am very appreciative of that.
I sincerely thank all the participating artists, the Oil Painters of America, and Beverly McNeil Gallery for making the show a success!
Winning paintings
About Calvin Liang
Born in Canton, China, Calvin Liang began painting in high school and completed his art education at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, recognized as one of China’s prestigious and competitive art academies. In China, his skills as a fine artist were applied to the theatrical industry, where he designed and created sets for operas and pusical dramas for the Canton Opera Institute.
In 1987, Liang moved to the United States, where he continued his profession as a full-time artist. He had a long and successful career creating visual art in animation for the entertainment industry, which included the Walt Disney Studios and Nickelodeon Studio, where he worked on The Little Mermaid and Spongebob Squarepants.
Related links
Visit the following links to learn more about the 2015 Salon Show:
Dear Art Student
Art has long been discouraged as a career choice because parents grew hearing about the “starving artist” label and for good reason. It is simply not easy pursuing art as a career. However, if the artist can make it work where they can pay their bills, the reward is that you are creating something beautiful and living life on your own terms. People wait until they retire to pick up a brush and in fact today the baby boomers are painting more than ever. They are taking workshops, joining painting groups, and doing something they always wanted to do.
For the young artist wanting to attend an art school, the financial commitment can be a big one. When I went to art school, tuition was $3,000 a year, now it is upwards of $50,000. The opportunities coming out of an art school have changed from the days of a graduate starting in the bull pen doing paste ups or Illustration in a studio. I was able to stay busy in Children’s Books for many years but that started to slide with Illustration as well. Computer generated art is the norm today and young artists are producing wonderful animation and children’s book illustrations. Graduates are getting jobs right out of school working for gaming companies and animation studios. While employment looks good in the digital field the big factor for these young graduates is the cost of paying back these huge tuition bills. Leaving school with $100,000 to $200,000 in student loans is crippling. Even if they have a good paying job the prospect of owning their own home or affording rent is very low. Colleges have been trying to outdo each other since Harvard’s inception.
It’s big business, and making campuses bigger is impressive but you want quality Instructors not infinity pools. I personally know many wonderful instructors teaching in art schools that offer workshops outside the campus. Having a degree will get you the better paying jobs, but at what cost? We never needed a degree to get illustration assignments or fine art commissions, but if you really want a degree, then possibly get it at a cheaper state school. You can take your tuition savings and travel to Europe and attend the best Atelier’s or take monthly workshops from the best painters in the world. Workshops can be taught outside on location or in a studio environment.
Whether or not you paint as a hobby or plan to make it a career, taking workshops without practicing what you’ve learned will be a dead end. So when you are not attending a workshop, paint with a friend or group on a planned day. If you make Thursday’s your group painting time you will put it in your schedule. Other days you work on your own. Students will choose an instructor because they admire their work or they heard they are excellent teachers. You might take a few workshops unit you have found an instructor you feel comfortable with. It’s important to stay with that instructor for a period of time so you keep with a consistent approach. Many students will follow an instructor because they love their technique. Technique is fun and flashy, but your true focus needs to be on the principals of painting with good shapes, values and edges.
Some students are fearful of failing in a workshop with a group because they have just started painting or haven’t picked up a brush for a long time. Everyone starts somewhere and the fact you are considering it is the first step. The workshop environment can be inspiring, not only for the students but the instructors as well. The camaraderie in the classroom forms lasting friendships while improving your craft.
As you improve and maybe start entering shows where you are competing with seasoned professionals it is important to keep things in perspective. Enter only your very best work and frame the painting with a quality gallery frame.You might start selling your work and that’s when hobbies can become professions.
That’s what is so great about art, you can blossom late in life, and start heading down a wonderful new road.
So whether you are the aspiring professional artist or hobbyist, the one thing to remember is that we are all students constantly open to learning new things.