Recently I have been thinking about something I used to hear in my gallery often. People would come in, look at the art and say "you are so lucky to have talent! I wish I had talent." I would generally smile, and thank them, or say that I was happy to be an artist. Sometimes, though, I would tell them what I really think is true. Talent really is not that important. Or more accurately, talent alone means nothing. There are plenty of artists out there with more raw talent than I have, who never do art. What matters more than talent is
desire. The drive to continue to practice your skills - whatever they may be - and to never give up on the dream. That desire is what has gotten me to the place where I am in my art, and I know it will take me all the way to fulfillment of my goals as an artist.
So from one stubborn persistent dreamer to any others of you out there - don't give up!
I am working on a couple of pieces for an upcoming show at cultureclash gallery, in Salida, Colorado. It's called The Gleaners, and it is reclaimed, found and re-organized art. Hopefully, some good progress will be made today, so I will have something to post soon.
I leave you with a watercolor of a white seashell that I painting when we lived in Hawaii - about 5 years ago!
"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -Stephen King
