It takes so long to even get one flower done but I love working on this coat!
I have always wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. I had an auntie that went to the art institute in KC. One summer while we were hanging out in Grandpa's cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks she did a pencil portrait of me as a young child From that moment on, I wanted to do art but, I wasn't good...the art teacher in grade school only came a couple times a month. I lived for those classes.
Once I got to junior high I ended up in an art class taught by a freaking creep. He is a famous artist now and it makes me sick that he did not even try to teach me one thing about art. He and his equally creepy sidekick science teacher picked me along with about ten other "pretty" girls to be on the yearbook staff. I was excited to be part of it but now as an adult I see just how sick those fuckers were and wish I had enough nerve to stop them in their tracks. Instead of learning the basics of art I spent those few years partying with those creeps. In high school I majored in boys and did not even take one art class because I did not have enough confidence in myself. Makes me sick because I had three study halls all three years in high school and wasted them jacking around instead of learning the basics. I've told the story before in the blog but can't help but bring it up again.
I spent my twenties doing fiber arts. Feels like going full circle working on the jacket.
Once I hit thirty I started oil painting and I have been doing art ever since. I stored almost everything I painted in the closet and only showed them to a few people. They never seemed done. I still wasn't good. I took one acrylic class in the basement of some old lady. I lined up down there in the dark with the only light coming from the easels. They were all really rude and didn't believe that I hadn't any lessons and when the lady decided to put her brush on MY painting I decided that wasn't for me. Therefore, I am self taught. I just wish I would have had the Internet all those years ago and maybe by now I would feel like I'm good enough. Oh, and my mother made fun of me because I told her that they said to paint things you were passionate about. Just so happens that I decided to paint a fall scene with corn stalks and pumpkins. She says, "Oh, so you're passionate about pumpkins?" Thankfully my husband is very supportive and helped me get past my insecurities.
After thirty plus years of doing art, I can now call myself an artist. I'm still not skilled enough for my standards but I have found my passion in life and don't know what I would be without it. I still love to paint but also do mosaics, collage, quilting, crochet, wind chimes, art dolls, sewing and paper arts. I have often wondered if I had stuck to the oil painting in the beginning if I would be better? I wish I still had my early work but it is all in the bottom of the Mississippi Sound. Hurricane Katrina.
If you are just starting out keep everything, even if you don't like it just to show your progress if nothing else.
I hang my paintings in every room now. I've come a long way and hope to continue to refine my skills.
P.S. I wrote my #metoo post before all that shit came out about Harvey Weinstein. I'm a little intuitive and believe me there are creeps everywhere! Watch out girls...
