Visitors' poll

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng

Ed, With all due respect, you sound pessimistic rather than realistic.
[snip]
The key is to look at portrait painting as not just a commercial enterprise, but as a creative endeavor. Then you will see the possibilities open up in front of you.
[snip]

Dear Alexandra,

You are correct. I will continue to do portraits, and the rest will happen because of what I produce and for the directions I choose, That it will be the sensitivity, uniqueness and quality of my paint and not for my perceptions, that my measure of success will be decided.

Thank you for the generosity of your thought, time, and advice.

Ed

Ps: Am I correct to assume

[Alexandra Tyng]

[QUOTE=Unregistered] Am I correct to assume

I am an amatuer painter. In truth painting is my second hobby. 3 days a week I teach fencing and often on a 4th day I'm at tournaments. I have a full time job as well. I am very happy to stay in the background enjoying the high quality of work and learning from the painters who post here. I am thankful that I am allowed to browse. I appriciate the time and effort involved in keeping this site up and running and in maintaining the quality. While I likely will never be a full member I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who "carry the load"

Steve Baker

[Steven Sweeney]

Your work will speak for itself, in the final analysis. If you can get the job done at 76, then you'll be way ahead of the 27-year-old who, for lack of realistic ability or discipline or fire, doesn't perform. The galleries and agents come after the work is there, so focus on that.

I'm 54 and I decided a couple of months ago that I wanted to learn how to play the trumpet, and play well enough to join a high-caliber community band. I practice two hours a day, before and after the day job, and it's going very well, better than I'd hoped -- I play almost as well as a fifth-grader now! After the 20 years it would take to reach a minimum level of mastery, to really "own" the instrument, I'd be about your age now and my best performances would likely be behind me. With such a late start, I'll not likely ever play lead or really get into the high register with any skill, but somebody's gotta be in those second and third chairs to do the yeoman service, and it might as well be me.

Just last weekend I assisted with an art exhibition in which a top prize -- which included a month's exhibition at a high-visibility local gallery -- was won by a man who has AIDS, degenerative brain disease which is robbing him of motor skills, and is confined to a wheelchair. The artwork was judged anonymously, without any personal knowledge about the artists, so this was no charity award. It was recognition of his desire to create art, despite all the reasons why it was "too late for him, anyway."

Do what your heart tells you to do, without thought to the agents and accountants, or to age. A passion discovered late in life is no less valid than one developed in youth. When you have that first exhibition, I'll come play some solo ballads and old standards for background. Nothing too fancy, though. I'm not as young as I used to be.

I love the site just as it is. I agree with the jury process. I enjoy the level of work shown, and have learned from the knowledgeable commentary.

I am an emerging portraitist working a perhaps unconventional style in watercolor. I may, or may not be juried in, but I do feel there would be no support for my style, or worse that I might be viewed as an intrusion. If I feel a burning desire to drop a pearl of wisdom, there are many sites on which to do this.

I am content and grateful to lurk.

Hello,
I sincerely hope my reason for not being a member of your forum does not offend any of you.

I would not see myself using the forum for advice or information about painting materials, but I am always interested in little insights tips etc: However when I look at the work on this site in most cases I find it difficult to tell one artists work from another, and there seems to be a disturbing element of unintentional kitsch in most of the paintings. Please do not think I am being rude about the work, this is just my opinion. I don't claim to be as skilful as the artists, it is just that I do not aspire to be like them. I can see that there is real craft skill in the paintings, but I feel that they are artless.
I hope this is seen as constructive critisism. I do not wish to upset anyone.

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hello,
I sincerely hope my reason for not being a member of your forum does not offend any of you.

I would not see myself using the forum for advice or information about painting materials, but I am always interested in little insights tips etc: However when I look at the work on this site in most cases I find it difficult to tell one artists work from another, and there seems to be a disturbing element of unintentional kitsch in most of the paintings. Please do not think I am being rude about the work, this is just my opinion. I don't claim to be as skilful as the artists, it is just that I do not aspire to be like them. I can see that there is real craft skill in the paintings, but I feel that they are artless.
I hope this is seen as constructive critisism. I do not wish to upset anyone.

Hi,
I think that any reason for not wanting to join the forum is a personal matter, and I would not have wanted to know about it if it was not because of your hints to the matter.

I would be very interested to know something more about the "unintentional kitsch" that you mention. This would make an interesting subject for me.
Basically I try to be able to paint the way I want, and what I want. So I hope that the weakness is in my choice and not in my capability. If it is so, I will be able to benefit from your knowledge,......if you choose to join.

Looking into this area of art and don't have 2 paintings yet .

I am 47 and serious about the field and have a lot of questions but guess I can't post them .

Feel a little like the job you can't get because you don't have the experience .

Well that answered one question I had .

Was wondering if I was too old to start .( I think we think that about everything we attempt beyond our 15th birthday. "If only I was 14 ,then I could do it "

I have to agree with a previous poster. My work is good enough and I am willing to be juried. However, for privacy reasons, I prefer not to use my full name.