Artists Never Retire

Many of the great artists around the world lived to be very old. Picasso was 92, Salvador Dali 85, Georgia O¹Keefe 98 and Marc Chagall 98. Claude Monet, one of histories greatest impressionists died in 1926 at 86. Miro was 93, Matisse 85, Degas 83, and Renoir 78. Many of these artists lived during times when average life spans were in the 40s and 50s. Hokusai, one of the greatest of all Japanese painters was born in 1760 and lived to be 89. Hans Hals died in 1666 at 86 while Camille Corot died at 81 in 1875. The world recently lost one of their most prolific Abstract Expressionists, Willem DeKoonig at 93. Andrew Wyeth, considered one of our greatest American painters is still going strong at 82. The list can go on and on, Hans Hoffmann 86, Georges Braque 81, Alexander Calder 78 and Edvard Munch 82.

This is not by coincidence. The longevity of a human being is directly related to the size of their purpose. The human organism lives off of motivation and aspiration. Once these elements cease to exist, the body shuts down.

Artists never retire.” Many have painted or created until their last days. It has often been said that most famous artists were not considered worthy of greatness until after fifty years of age. It takes time to develop technique, purpose and style. There-in lies one of the benefits to being an artist, “You get better with age.”

It takes many years of hard work and persistent practice to become proficient in creating art. I¹m enlightened to know that I have as much time as my existence will afford without any borders or ceilings to block my pathway, empowering me to create art today that will be better than the art I created yesterday.

Art For The Sake Of Art ­ You Don’t Have To Show It

Most art should not be made for the purpose of showing it to anyone. Theoretically, the real purists make art only for the sake of making better art. In that sense, the artist should show only his or her last creation. All the works up to that point should be created for the sake of the final piece. Of course, this theory is extreme, and usually employed only by the most true purists. These artists are many times poorer financially, yet rich spiritually.

On the other end of the spectrum is the artist who makes art for the monetary value it carries. This usually entails mass-producing a particular style, and then creating a marketing scheme to unload the works in volume. These artists can be financially successful, but the purity of their message can get lost in the process.

The concept of making art for the purpose of exhibiting, eliminate many potential artisans. Showing one¹s efforts to others is very intimidating, especially to the beginning artist. This world is full of artistically talented individuals who will never partake in the act of drawing, painting, or sculpting simply because they were too frightened to even try. My biggest question to them is “what are you fearful about?” There are no rules that state that you must show your art to others. In fact, you have all the permission you desire, to throw away every single piece you make for the rest of your life. The only eyes that have to be laid on your art, are your own. With that knowledge, you now can take a few years and get on the road to becoming artistic. Without fear or intimidation, you are now free to draw, paint or sculpt in any manner you wish. You can fail to your heart¹s content as you probe, experiment and explore the process of learning art.

Actually, the act of exhibiting and/or showing your art, especially in the early stages of your development detours the learning and growth process. Becoming proficient at art involves years and years of exploring, drawing, experimenting and creating. I have heard on several occasions that “most of our greatest artists were not considered great until after fifty years of age.” Creating art at a sophisticated level takes a tremendous amount of time and discipline to explore the artistic process and develop personal style.

Some of our greatest learning comes from a mind clear of pressures to succeed. Without these burdens you can freely explore the depths of your true self and spirit. You can learn at a pace that lines up with your own requisites. You can take part in art for the most profound reason of all, to make better art tomorrow than you made yesterday.

Art Sherwyn