Blessed
with a God given talent and the ability to draw almost anything
visible. I have attempted to partake in many fine art forms
and mediums. Since I was very young child, I could draw things
with extreme recognition. While other children played outside,
I was perfectly content with a pencil and piece of paper.
I was fond of mechanical structures, especially the automobile.
I went through almost compulsive stages during my early teens.
I remember in 6th grade, my mother worked for a trucking company
and diesel trucks became the fad. At school my closest friends
and I would draw these freightliners with vigor, then compare
drawings. It seemed that my drawings were far more legible
and of course had more detail. While this frustrated my friends,
it also helped them improve their artistic abilities, although,
it was then that I realized I had a gift. I also understood
that not everyone has it as well. I was very athletic as a
youth and so drawing sports figures became quite popular with
me. My largest problem I faced in the world of art was a failure
to listen to constructive criticism or listen at all for that
matter. In high school art class it was evident that my art
teacher respected my talents. He also was very careful not
to attempt to give me suggestions. I would challenge him to
do better then me if he knew so much. It was obvious that
he couldn't because he never excepted one of my competitive
gestures. *LOL* |
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Funny
thing was that while my former High School's library still
contains pieces of my artwork that I donated at the request
of my poor Art Teacher. He flunked me, not once, but twice.
It wasn't until my mid twenties that I understood why that
was. My ego and the fact that I didn't take direction at all.
While I still have a hard driven ego I have learned in the
last twenty five years that there are many artists who are
much better than me. I have studied their artwork and have
sought out instruction and actually listened to several artists
on how to utilize different techniques. In my mid twenties
I began to improve as an artist. I took up the airbrush and
it was then and there that I learned much about shading and
lighting. I spent much time on the drawing board and then
returned to oil, acrylics and the canvas. I also worked as
a tattoo pattern designer. I had never found it so easy to
draw with a pen on paper after drawing on the rough bleeding
skin of a human. I spent a few days as a graphic designer
and learned only one thing about that industry. It was full
of creative yet mostly un-artistic people who used the computer
to complete artwork in which they couldn't otherwise. I have
also learned that many of the finest artists in the world
don't appear to be doing very well, socially or economically.
You don't truly know how they are doing until you check their
hearts. For it is a gift that empowers my soul when I watch
a surface come to life! |
