--The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough
I feel as if this quote fits me this year. I am wholly bent on perfecting my art. I'll be honest, some days I get really frustrated. I get burnt out. and sometimes, I don't even know what I want to paint. I even question myself, is this whole degree in painting, the pursuit of life as an artist, as pretentious as so many people seem to think it is with the looks on their faces when they ask, "what do you plan to do with that?" Maybe so. David Hockney said that all artists have to be somewhat selfish. And we are. Anyone who creates has an obsession that overpowers them in moments. Maybe I am being selfish by changing my major from teaching to just painting. But when I watched "Monuments Men", I remembered the power of art. And how it has to be shared. This being said I have this rule: if a child approaches me while I'm doing a watercolor, in a park, in a coffee shop, in a restaurant, ect. they get the painting. Those are the rules. Because art is a passion that is meant to be shared, and most kids color at a young age, and then they stop. They're taught to fill in SAT bubbles, but not express. So if one painting can keep a kid interested in art. Then my painting isn't completely self-serving.
I was painting in the park today because it was beautiful and Im tired of my studio.
These two approached me and asked what I was doing. I showed them some sketches and Luke picked the tree. I told them adults don't always like to have their picture drawn when they saw the sketches I did of them skateboarding. "Thats dumb," said Seth (bottom right) "Art is for everyone."
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