• Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial
Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial

Five Truths (Part 2)

29/12/2012

Comments

 
Picture
Kelly's Beach, Port Alfred (oil on panel: 40cm x 40cm)
After a month dedicated to painting, thinking and writing about art I need to add to my list of truths posted at the beginning of December.

  1. Retail Therapy is a lie! My family was fortunate to be away from the malls this season. I do not want to sound like a grinch but less time around shops is good for the soul not to mention the pocket. How does this relate to art? Time and peace for creative work! More creative work makes me a happy guy and my family is happier too. Honestly shopping is a distraction, which we all know is just procrastination. 
  2. If you have to force it then it was probably wrong to begin with. Great art is effortless. Have I gone mad! No - let me put it this way. It may seem like a ton of work looking in from the outside, but to the artist in the sublime moment of creation it is effortless.  All creation is effortless. Nature does not struggle - creation is happening all the time without any difficulty. Our simple attempts at art pale in comparison. Take a look at a painting you have done that you are particularly happy with. There is probably a portion of the painting that you are very pleased with. I am sure that it happened without any trouble. You may wonder if you could ever duplicate that moment of mastery. Now there will be other parts of the painting that took some labour. It is likely that those parts look it too - laboured I mean.
  3. If you want good things to happen then you must give good things too. Art requires sincerity. Paint for the love of art. Not envy or for competition. True art or any form of creation cannot be achieved any other way.
  4. Time is irrelevant: It is convenient for us of course, but to the creative process it is unimportant. Some artists put a lot of store in saying something like: " I have been painting for twenty years!" So what? What counts is what you do with your moment of creation. Create art with intention and focus and keep at it. Every day should have some action related to your art. The mastery of art cannot be achieved any other way and trust me it will happen, but you will still want more since the creative spirit never dies. Fine by me.
  5. Take Responsibility: Progress in our art is up to us alone. Teachers can only open a window for us to look into a part of their world. It is our duty to learn form as many sources as possible. Accept and reject what you want, but never blame others for your difficulty in technique or process. I sometimes hear part-time artists name dropping about art lessons with so-and-so or suggesting that another artist did not show them how to do something or other. Certainly there is self-sufficiency in all artists who are in it for the long haul. My experience suggests to me that only those who keep their focus on self-development and take full responsibility for this make it in the end.

The opportunities for learning are infinite. All that matters is that we take these opportunities and remember to be grateful for them. Enjoy.

Comments
    FREE Book
    Picture

    Color Tips for Artists:
    ​Free
    Picture

    Book Bundle Special
    See More
    Picture

    Author

    Malcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa
    View Portfolio:

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Business
    Artist Notes
    Books Worth Every Dime!
    Its An Artists Life
    Musings
    News
    Painting Course
    Painting Demonstration
    Painting Tips
    Podcasts
    Popular Posts Archive
    Reviews


    Picture

    Picture

    Visit Malcolm Dewey Fine Art's profile on Pinterest.

    FREE
    ​GUIDE

    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Picture

Studio:  Troon Crescent, Port Alfred, South Africa
​Malcolm Dewey Fine Art is committed to top quality art, excellent educational material and having a great time! To back that up all works sold come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Simply return the work, undamaged, within 30 days. Returns at purchaser expense. All transaction are protected by third party bank-level encryption to keep your information safe. Plus your email address is safe. No spam - ever!

​Copyright 2010-2020: Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
​
Picture
30 Day Money Back
Picture
Secure Transactions
Picture
Picture
No Spam Ever!
Photos used under Creative Commons from maHidoodi, buggolo, Fabio Téllez
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial