Public commentary
 

I have just spent my second week painting in public. The things that come out of people's mouths will just knock you off your feet.

I have a portrait of my daughter presented on an easel right up front where people see it first. If I see someone taking more than a casual interest I usually stop painting and approach them. Such was the case with this couple.

I approached and said proudly "This is a portrait I did of my daughter when she was two years old, she's almost eighteen now." The woman takes her finger and points to the painting and says to her male companion "You see this, she says matter of factly, this is called [****] (she spoke some medical term that I had never heard and don't remember) this is caused when the mother drinks heavily during pregnancy." The man then said to me "good job" and they walked off.

I just stood there trying to figure out on which of the multiple levels I should be most offended.

Feel free to post your experiences. I'll come back here with any other worthy examples but I hope I don't top that for a while.

Mike, I know, human behavior is unfathomable. I just read an interesting article in a foodservice magazine with an analogy I thought I'd pass on -
(The sage advice is from Mark Tarbell, owner of Tarbell's and Barmouche in Phoenix.)

It takes an iron-confidence to see it this way. Those people were driftwood. I think your new setup is going to be very rewarding; just let the driftwood pass.

For a marketing spin, you could write an eloquent "letter to the editor" of your local paper.... free advertising of your services, your new location, AND exposure of your customers' inappropriateness - written sort of as an appeal for humanity in wartime.

Mike: I feel your pain. People often have no grasp of what they say.

I once had a woman who asked about the price of a portrait. I told her it was $1,500. She said "Fifteen-hundred dollars! I could buy a lot of scrapbooking supplies for that!"

Mari's driftwood comment is quite appropriate. :)

Dear Mike,

Some people can definitely leave you wondering:

I did pastel portraits from life in a very crowded public setting for two summers -- and believe me, there was a LOT of driftwood.

Driftwood was actually too kind a term for some of the folks who stopped by. Depending on your setup (I was facing away from the crowd so people could see the work) a few people would behave as if you were not really there or that you were part of the furniture.

I don't remember any of the specific comments (it was a very long time ago) but I learned quickly to ignore it. The comments from the driftwood in the crowd were more than outweighed by the positive things said by the great majority of people who stopped by.

Driftwood
 

I like this driftwood analogy. Since reading it here I've come across a lot of pieces that need to be kept moving. No sense to get tangled up in something that is not "mine". Also Mike, medical conditions can not be diagnosed by looking at a picture (except for broken bones etc). There is a range of diagnostic criteria that must be met, that include behavior as well as physical charteristics. People who make diagnosis based on a picture are obviously new medical students, eager to use their skills. The more one learns, the more we realize just how much more there is. Let it go.

Jean

In a former life I designed and built large custom homes for large custom people. Imagine your worst commission scenario and multiply it by 100. I will handle these little drive by shootings but they will never cease to amaze me.

How cheeky!!!
 

Mike,

My first reaction was a laugh of disbelief. Pity you weren't able to reply with a "please explain."

There are no limits beyond which the "public" will not reach. Thick skin and deafness are good attributes for an artist.

Some years ago I was demonstrating portrait painting with another artist (a very talented one) when we received lots of advice and negative comments from a "know it all" type. His venom was more directed at her and after some time, she invited him to demonstrate to her how his techniques were so much better than what she was doing (a delicate watercolour.)

He leaped to the paper, slooshed some paint about, stabbed at the canvas a few times and said that she should be "free" and she should note how much the painting was now improved. Betty took one look at the mess he had created, told him about his inadequacies in some detail, invited him to pay for the cost of the watercolour paper he had wrecked, stripped the paper off the board and screwed it up.

The other onlookers cheered while he beat a hasty retreat. She surprised herself as she is the quietest little thing normally.

Another artist I watched doing charcoal sketches spent about half an hour drawing a young woman who squirmed and wriggled incessantly throughout. When he had reached a point where he couldn't do any more (and had spent more time than he had allowed himself), he gave her the drawing with the comment that she should never again inflict herself on a portrait artist as he had beeen doing this line of work for fifteen years and she was the worst subject he had ever drawn.

I don't only know cranky people!!!:)

An artistic faux pas
 

Visitors to my home often make a beeline for the den, where my 'studio' is, to see what's on the easel. Recently, while I was working on my latest portrait people would often ooh and ahh over this detail or that.

At the same time, I had an experimental, fairly loose watercolor of a local business propped up nearby.

On spotting it, many people zeroed in on it, and said something to the effect, "ohhh, I love that!," forgetting all about the portrait.

I would respond with, "It's my van Gogh."

My wife Dolly, who fails to grasp how anyone could prefer such an artistic faux pas to the more realistic portrait effort would come back with, "I'm hoping it will soon be his van Gone."

Mike...
 

I"m quite certain [backing back into the doorway] that this insignificant incident [closing the door] was just an isolated [click...chain lock...deadbolt] incident [hiding my easel] that should in no way [burning my sketch pad] keep any of us [flushing my charcoals] from going out and sketching in public.

Mike I think they were talking about that lovely translucent skin that children have with this in-vitro experience! It is lovely skin colors-which are very hard to capture in any medium! The must have been overwhelmed with the beauty of your painting.

Now if it was the father who drank, that

Folks
 

Well, it does take all kinds. They certainly don't sound like art collectors so who cares?

There are about one billion people in the world that you do not need to like your work. A couple hundred will do just fine. Think on those and dwell on the nice remarks. You might also consider painting while wearing a side arm. Comments are fewer and much nicer generally.

Mike get to the Philbrook...ASAP.

Variation
 

Mike, let me tell you another public experience. About 25 years ago I was showing my paintings on the street in a small town. A big farmer came up wearing clean, worn overalls; he had two lovely children holding his hands-something that made me like him.

After a while, he bashfuly walked up to me and said what has after many years at many shows from Scottsdale to Boston has never been said more succinctly, better or more kindly. He said," I have never painted and I don't know much about art, but if I ever did, I would want to paint like this."



We artists must hold to these memories and let the other stuff go.

I have had a lot of very nice comments since I first started this thread. It must have been some sort of initiation or hazing for public artists.

People are weird
 

We all hang with people we enjoy and avoid the others. But when you are in public you run into some very odd people. If you think about it these people could just have been released from jail or mental institutions. You see these folks in droves at the Grand Canyon. They'll walk up to you and invade your space (personal and artistic) and (not talking to you at all) say, "oh, he's making a painting."

Mike, "get thee to the Philbrook."

This is on my short list of things to do. I have an art friend that said the exhibit was a bit thin.

I shall get me to thee Philbrook.

Gilcrease too
 

Some of my old western buds have a show at the Gilcrease too. Both museums would be a great day.

The Philbrook has 12 very nice works, 15 you can walk past quickly, plus their permanent stuff.

It's called "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome", and it's nothing to make light of. :! Get that child to a doctor!

Juuuust kidding.

My next door neighbor is a successful artist who paints primatives. He does very well, but I'm sure he's had to endure more than his share of I-could-paint-that-myself comments. He has an endearing personality and is very upbeat, but I have to think it's bothered him at times. I don't think I could take much of that.

If you pros are getting distasteful comments, I don't know if I'd ever be able to show my work in public.

It can be nerve wracking to paint in public, but most people can't paint or draw at all, so they are impressed when they see anyone who can, even if imperfectly.

Now, for real "performance anxiety" (as Linda Brandon put it), try painting in a workshop surrounded by a bunch of other professional SOG artists and watched closely by Bill Whitaker. Now that's pressure! (Of course, all their comments were nice. It's what they weren't saying that I wonder about!)

Tell Me About It!
 

Michele, if anyone suffered "performance anxiety" in Bill's class it was me! Surrounded by so many pros and being self-taught -- I was ready to go home the first day at noon! I'm glad I stuck around, though.

About insensitive people, I pretty much agree with everything everyone else said already. I, personally, will hope to never work in public. I would say that with literally everyone that makes unkind comments, they are completely lacking self-esteem and self-confidence. People who are even relatively self-assured will have only positive things to say to someone, not insensitive or rude comments. When you realize how unhappy they must be, you can only pity them.

And it's true. There's a heck of a lot of people in this world that aren't artistic in the least, and for them the most minor amount of ability to paint is a miraculous puzzle they will never hope to solve. Or even try.

Linda

I have been drawing in public for thirty years, and the most unusual comment I have ever heard occurred last month while in Palm Desert. I am usually offer what I call a "free demonstration pose." It is a low pressure way of getting people to try a portrait without feeling obligated to buy. It also allows me to be slightly aggressive towards the public, and attract their attention to my studio whereby they may otherwise not really notice.

I spoke the words "Would you like to pose for a free demonstration pose?" to a passing mother of two little girls. She quickly replied (almost as if she had planned it ahead of time) "No, I have the originals!"

I was stupified.

I'm actually a private person. I like to hide in my studio and fuss over a detail here and there. Painting in public hasn't worked for me so far. For one thing, from what I understand, I don't "look" like an artist.

One person told me the story (while here in Bellingham, Washington) of his brother who went to New York to be an artist and ended up starving and getting really sick. It was hard to get this man to stop going over the details. Uggh!

Another man came up and looked at a book with photos of my portraits, found a picture of an older woman and very thoughtfully pointed out that she was the ugliest woman he had ever seen. It was quite funny. I also had a marriage proposal.

I think I get better concentration in my studio with the door closed.

Lon, you must send that into "Readers Digest". It is perfect for their "Laughter in the USA" section! Still giggling. :)

Some days are much better than others. Yesterday this little 10 year old girl walked by with her mother and her mothers friend. Like so many children she was very curious and uninhibited. More often than not the parents will quickly realize that this guy is going to want some big bucks for this stuff and they quickly call the child away. This little girl would not budge. I was working on an oil painting and she was transfixed on what I was doing.

After several tries the mother coaxed her away and into the restaurant next door. About two minutes later the little girl appeared at my shoulder once again. She had decided to forgo lunch so that she could watch me paint. It is very exciting for me to see such enthusiasm for what I am doing.

After about 15-20 minutes the mother came back and told the little girl they must now leave. To this the girl suggested that they could continue to shop without her and could she stay with me.

The mother agreed and left. This little girl then asked me "If I wanted to start drawing, what would you suggest I start on?" I thought to myself, what an intelligent question coming from a ten year old! I explained to her how she could set up a still life near a window in her house. It then dawned on me that I had a drawing pad and pencil and I could set one up right now for her. And so I did and the following pictures are what followed.

This is my new friend Paige, on the floor drawing:

This was her mission:

Very cool, Mike. I hope her mother realizes what a special girl she is and gets her into some GOOD art classes asap! Tim, Marvin, Peggy et al... what's your minimum age for workshop participants? ;)

Here are her results after about 15 minutes. I thought that I might give her some assistance but I ended up just watching her. She was in a trance, she never asked for help or direction and I didn't feel the need to interrupt her.

I especially appreciate her placement of the subject on the paper, and how purposefully she worked.

What a delightful story!
 

Thanks Mike,

You gave me a big smile all over while I read this. What a gift for you! These are the experiences that make it all worthwhile.

Jean

Mike,

I've had a summer art camp in my studio this summer for 2 different aged groups of children. One group is 9-12 year-olds. I have 13 kids in that class. The first thing they did at the begining of the summer was a still life. None were half as good as that little girl.

Mike,

Wow, that must be one determined girl, and one trusting mother. There's no way I would leave my child with a stranger while I went off to shop. But that's the mom in me speaking, not the artist. I'm impressed with her drawing too.

It is nice to see artistic interest at such a young age and I think it is great Mike that you have encouraged her with the still life.

I wonder if her mother would let her attend private art lessons, if you offered them at a reasonable rate. I don't know if you have a teaching background or not, but your work is that of an accomplished artist and I am sure you could pass along your knowledge just fine.

It would be a shame for this girl's talent to go to waste or her creativity stifled by someone who does not share the same enthusiasm for painting as you do.

Debra,

Just look at this face on the left, how could you not trust this mug? A rhetorical question, please don't answer.

Enzie,

Kids seem to have natural connection with the process of art. I see it every day though not to the extent that this little girl exhibited. This encounter gave me a particular thrill.

I have had many people ask if I would consider teaching. After this episode I am giving it a stronger consideration. I'm not a trained master teacher but it would not keep me from giving up what I know to a few kids on a Saturday morning. The Windsor Market has indicated that they would support this and would handle the scheduling, money collection and promotion. Although the market does not get a cut of my commissions they would take their 8% for the above duties. This is the standard commission on all sales at the market. It's too bad that I may never see this particular little girl again.

Mike--

Last night I dragged in from traveling overnight to photograph a little girl for a portrait. And found this post waiting on the forum.

It really gave me a lift, and a smile inside.

Vita brevis, ars longus.

Thanks--TE

Tom,

Cum conscius a um, non omnis moriar.

When my knowledge is shared with others, I shall not completely die.

Mike,

I taught children's and adult art classes for about 10 years, driven by my own enthusiasm and experiences but always apologetic that I wasn't a trained art teacher. Guess what! I went off to university to learn how to do it properly and finished up so involved in the process and outcomes of teaching that I forgot "my drive".

The consensus among my students was that I was much more able to inspire them before I got educated. Go for it. You have a marvelous talent and if you don't pass on your skills, who else will?

There is a website www.gauvin.com.au where the artist, in her "ARTLIFE" newsletter, has some entertaining stories about "public commentary." Go to the 'Could you use some tips from a master painter' section. She has just updated her webpage so if you have trouble subscribing, email her and she will send you a password.

Margaret,

I don't know if I ever mentioned it but I have been to your fair city. Just a brief touch down on the way to Brisbane and Sydney, we never even got off the plane. All I remember about the event is that someone came onto the plane and sprayed us (literally) with disinfectant.

Wouldn't it be great to have a room full of kids like my buddy Paige above? I do love the kids. It reminds me of a short poem by Ogden Nash:

The trouble with a kitten is that
it eventually becomes a cat.

Thanks for the encouragement and I'll check out the link you included. I may try and spread some knowing to a few young ruffians. What's the worst that could happen? They could swarm me, draw ugly pictures on my forehead (mural size).

What would you say was the main difference between teaching the kids and the adults? Which did you prefer?

Have a gday.

Mike,

My youngest "rugrats" class this summer were 5-8 year-olds. I had 12 of them, (luckily a few dropped out by the 2nd month), and it was great fun. I intended to stick to just drawing skills, but they got antsy so I went ahead and put down rolls of plastic & let them go to town with the paint. The class was an hour long once a week. For most the hour was fine, but for a couple it was too long. The trick is to take the kids that are interested in art, not the ones the parents are forcing. I can spot the ones that are not interested, but I havent figured out how to say no to the parents politely.

"Ms. Kim, I lost a tooth, wanna see?"
(not really)

"Can I sing you the song I learned?"
(No, save that for your grandparents)

"I don't wanna draw that fruit, I wanna draw a rainnnnbooowwww."
(Draw a *&!@ rainbow at home)

"Ms. Kim, I'm afraid of your bathroom"
(Ummm, ok. Hold it?)

The older kids were great. Very creative. I say go for it. I did not have any interest in teaching, but I had so many requests that it seemed like a good idea. My kids took the classes as well. It was great for the summer, it paid my utility bills for the studio for many months in advance. We are having a Kid's Art Show in August with a reception and Awards- they will dress up and I will mount their work on matboard and hang it up. Having the classes has also resulted in some sales of prints to parents and some private lessons also.

As much as I enjoyed it, I am glad it's almost over! It can be exhausting, they all seem to raise their hands & want help at once. There is enough interest to keep the classes going year-round, but I have some landscape commissions to get to & hopefully the Christmas season will be busy.

Thanks Kim,

That all seems consistent with what I know about kids. It reminds me of a recent TV commercial where the little kid yells from the middle of the swimming pool: "hey mom, I don't have to potty any more!"

Would you say that there is a good minimum age where you could start the cut? The little gal above was 10 and seemed perfect, maybe 8 would be right. I actually get more requests from adults. Of course the kids don't know enough to ask.

Mike,

I won't do the 5-8 yr olds again, too much like babysitting. I think the perfect age to start is 9. The parents won't make a kid that age take something they are not interested in, so you should have kids that truly want to learn. Plus at that age they are more independent and can get their own supplies, wash hands without help, clean up after themselves, etc. The older teenagers who draw all the time are really fun.

I have a waiting list for adults, maybe 10, but I don't think I will do it. I still have so much to learn that I wouldn't feel like I could do it right.

Mike if I was to teach a drawing class for beginners (kids or adults) I'd follow the exercises in Betty Edwards' great book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".