Loners okay

Oh my gosh - thank you for such a wise and simple answer to such a troublesome question. I continue to berate myself for not having an arts education background, yet I continue to make progress on my own in my painting. I have, in the past, avoided applying for membership in painting groups and associations because when it came to filling in the education background section, I had very little to include, besides some extension courses. Your answer to this question really validated me.

Back-up plan

I think the other question not addressed here, which I struggle with, is what is the best back-up plan? What gives you the most time, energy and satisfaction enabling you to paint more? And when can you let go of that back up plan? I have a M.F.A. but I am not thinking about teaching until I get further along in my personal art journey.

The passing on of knowledge

Pedagogical horrors in education don't always go away at the college level. Far too many times I have almost had to justify my existence to my colleagues at all levels as if an art degree was something you could merely apply for--a degree that had no real relevance to the educational process. Rarely do these colleagues ever embrace the arts as being "important," but rather for those students who cannot compete academically. However, my suggestion is to go for the educational aspect of art. It really is the best of both worlds in that you can pass on great knowledge and still be an artist.

Frustrated academics

My best friend, Therese, is an art professor and her biggest lament is that she has no time to paint! Another friend, studying for her Master's in Fine Art is at burn-out stage. Her professors want to change her style and she is talking about quitting painting altogether as she is so frustrated. I think your advice to go to a cabin with brushes, canvas, and books will provide Carol with the best education she could find! I live in the woods and I find clarity--no outside distractions--except for an occasional hoot-owl or a deer. This allows me to focus on what I am most passionate about--my art.

Go for your love

The best reason to go on for more education is because you love to learn in that kind of environment. The best reason to become an art instructor is because you love to teach. Do your potential students and yourself a big favor by being clear on your reasons for going on to school. Please realize there are quite a few professional teachers who are underemployed, living off their "back-up plan" while they try to land one of the few positions teaching Art at a higher education facility.

Two types of artist

My daughter is 17 and is receiving a classical art education. I am on guard. I always wonder if this is a good thing. Being self taught leaves the world open, knowing the rules is a good thing, but how do you learn when to break them? I've decided it's a personal experience for her. In the meantime I use the "does it feel good?' attitude. It's a wonderful thing to be under a teacher's guidance, then again who is this teacher? How special to be in a supportive environment and still learn to take criticism. My daughter is happy, motivated and enjoys the creative process and learning new techniques taught in school, is able to produce what she wants and stretch her creative abilities.

My son, 14, on the other hand, is the self-taught type. He does not take direction well and crumples under criticism. He is receiving studio time and space and is left alone. That is what feels good and right to him. Maybe with time he will be open to a more formal art education, but now it would destroy him. So, he makes his art and is happy, motivated and very busy.

Art residencies

You have advised going to a remote cabin. Can you give advice on Art Residencies? I need to find one that would offer a stipend as I have some bills to pay, student loans, etc. I would appreciate any advice anyone can give.

(RG note) This request reminds me of the bumper-sticker I saw on an old Volkswagen bus in Alaska: "Willing to be President for food." I invite artists to send Deb some leads to lucrative sinecures, but there's something to be said for the residence you are currently in.

Non-art job

Carol needs a stable financial foundation, but not necessarily related to art. The

The Swimmer Original painting  click image to enlarge

thing to aim at is a job that gives you time to paint. I am on maintenance--I sit waiting for a machine to break down, I might go days doing nothing but my art work, and the company is happy because everything is working. If I am sketching and painting that means they are making money because everything is working. I once went 5 weeks, only working on my lunches and breaks because that was when the line was "down", and because I was working on my breaks they paid me "time and a half" for my troubles. A fire fighter would have the same life style. Then there was the time they laid me off for 4 years and paid me two thirds of my wages plus benifits for the whole time. (Being in the union is a wonderful thing.) I believe that I was meant to paint, it is what I was put on earth to do, and the "forces to be" are accomodating this assignment. Get out and look around, there might be the perfect job waiting for you too.

Why did I do it?

I am wondering why the hell I thought it so urgently necessary to go back to college at the age of 40. I'm not even pursuing a studio-art type degree. I'd decided that I like the style I've arrived at and the things I have to say as a painter, and that in pursuing a "real" art degree, those things would be irretrievably lost. So I've been finishing up a liberal arts degree begun eons ago in the hopes that having a degree, any degree, will make people more likely to buy my paintings rather than merely gush on about how much they like them. I made only $800 from selling my art last year--and that was mostly from prints and cards. Having a degree won't increase that figure, will it? And what is more, there will be pressure to "get a real job" once I have a degree--and then I won't have time to paint! I think I know what I have to do now.

Real world

I went the university route. I taught at the university level and I am now an

Summertime Oil on board, 18 x 18 inches  click image to enlarge

independent artist going back to school in my own studio! I want to make art that people enjoy and can purchase. I want to learn more techniques from artists out there in the world trying to make a living at it. Art at the college level is sheltered. It doesn't seem real to me. Making a living making art requires a whole new set of values and strategies. At a college or university, you get a paycheck. This isn't so when you are out in the real world where your income depends on sales. At the college level, art is about ideas, pushing the boundaries and it is fun. It seems more like playing and attempting new things more in a philosophical way as opposed to technique and mastering a style. I don't begrudge my education but I wish I had started working on my own explorations sooner.

Types of art education

I habitually keep everything under review, but I think that if Carol wants to know art and artists across the ages, and to be able to knowledgeably place a painting, have an erudite opinion as to what is "important" and what not, and defend her position with academic underpinnings, then she should go and study. Studying art can give her a lot of satisfaction. The analysis of art is an art in itself.

If what she wants is to paint, perhaps great art, the best thing is to do it. I found visiting galleries and museums to be a great teacher, followed by regularly reading art magazines, such as The Artist's Magazine and International Artist. I read the occasional art biography and read art appreciation pieces. The latter can be very sensitive and clever. Workshops and demonstations help too.

Finding the right connections

If you want to go to college, find one that will actually teach you something. A

Fan in a Window, Paris Photograph  click image to enlarge

commercial art school may be a better choice than a university. You need demonstrations, color and composition--specific skills--not just letting you do your own thing. Going to co-ops and classes held by working artists is also a good idea. Hanging out with other artists is good for keeping your motor running. Watching other people work, each following their own muse, is a great way to learn. Every other week I spend a couple of hours in the studio of a guy who has been painting for 50 years. Great!

The complete artist

I graduated with my BFA in studio painting a few years ago. I thought hard about a masters - only two extra years. So far I am working at a library and painting on the side. I have several shows a year and really enjoy working with paint. At first I felt almost a failure since I always had it in my mind that only a MFA makes a complete artist. Your letter really gave me a lift on this matter.

(RG note) I have never heard of a customer walking into an art gallery and asking: "Do you have anything by anyone with an MFA?"

Degree in art

Thank you so much for addressing the "degree" issue! It is something that I struggle

The Great Petaluma Mill Original painting  click image to enlarge

with. I am a "selfie" with a few university classes under my belt and at times have self-defeating thoughts of not going anywhere with my painting...because I have no degree! In fact I find that most of my artist friends who are successful, do not have degrees in art.

Falling for art

In the end all artists are self-taught. Schools can teach us to paint and many other

Cupid & Psyche Oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches  click image to enlarge

things, but they can't teach us how to be artists. It would be like being taught how to fall in love. Or how to fall off a cliff.

Workshop junkie

In answer to Carol Currie's dilemma, I'm surprised that you did not suggest Art Workshops. Perhaps I think along that avenue since many years ago, I became a "Workshop Junkie" and have benefitted greatly from the experiences. Before signing up, Carol should see examples of each prospective teacher's work because that will be the style she will be taught. Also many of the classes in the US are made up of beginners to even other teachers as fellow students; therefore she will learn many things from her classmates. The Workshop ads are listed in the back pages of art magazines. As a single person, I have enjoyed being able to go alone and join other artists in workshops in locations all over the world. I wish her success.

Six sources of income

I am a full time painter. My years of running a modestly successful graphic design firm

West Coast Shore Pine 4 Mixed media on masonite  click image to enlarge

(design, marketing, illustration, consultation, etc) taught me that financial success may rely on, among other factors, diverse sources of income - multiple income streams. So I sat down and applied this concept to my fine art. I believe financial success as a fine artist is largely a product of time, timing and marketing (assuming of course that good art is being produced all the while). Like in my case, a fine artist probably requires income from a number of sources simultaneously to make a go of it. Therefore I believe analyzing the potential of each potential income stream and developing a strategic plan with implementation for each is important to succeed. (Hard to tell I worked in marketing, eh?)

The following are six source categories to consider:

 1) Original Painting Sales
 2) Commissions
 3) Education
 4) Publishing
 5) Art Lease and Rentals
 6) Grants

Opening up to others

I believe that there is value in learning the "basics" through some formal training. There are teachers who are willing to share their experiences and who believe in supporting the "spirit" within. I do agree that politics exists in the formal educational system but there are those teachers who don't follow that path. I am very grateful for having studied with my instructors over the years. I attended colleges in the evenings for the learning experience, not to earn a degree. There is great benefit in meeting other "students" and sharing ideas with your peers. That interaction and exchange is very inspiring and motivating. A great number of the "Masters" were inspired and taught by other great artists. Yes I agree that the individual spirit must be allowed to develop on its own, but opening up to others can only enhance your own growth. There is a point when attending classes can become a habit creating a dependency for advice and support. So, the idea is to know when it is time to leave the nest and spread your wings and fly!

Boy and his dog

I went to art school, starting when I was young enough to not be distracted by any

One Granny Smith Apple Oil on linen, 16 x 20 inches  click image to enlarge

other options. That's probably the only reason I was able to finish. Many times the exercises only felt like motions to go through in the name of a lesson plan. Early on I found a teacher that wasn't afraid to get his students riled and agitated, and we would all challenge each other in constructive critiques that extended beyond the classroom, and 20 years later I still find myself engaging my contemporaries in similar debates. This same teacher helped me gain the technical disciplines I still use today. Maybe I'm not the best person to give advice on making it as an artist, because in great frustration I dropped out of painting for 15 years while I worked in construction and traveled the world. Six years ago I decided to start painting again, and never even considered having a plan B. It doesn't seem relevant when you've reached a point where being a successful artist only means that you're deep in painting every day, without any consideration of making a dime. Fast forward to today and my only income is from painting. I just bought a house on a hill, shrouded in the seclusion of the forest, overlooking its own lake, my own remote cabin. Last month I got my first dog, a lab pup named Frank. And last week I got a canoe. Last night Frank and I were on the lake at sunset, a boy and his dog. It all adds up to something.

Teaching for stability

I've been an artist for twenty-nine years. At the same time I have taught art in

Cumshewa Head Oil, 54 x 96 inches

various communities. The most lucrative has been through the community colleges. But times are changing and an artist who doesn't have a degree is no longer taken as seriously by community colleges whereas an artist who has studied and has a degree is hired more often than not. Our society trend is heading to highly specialized jobs and in order to be highly specialized one has to have a degree in a specific field. Us creative people tend not to want to fit in a mold to be labeled as this job or that. After all we aren't jobs but people who have an addiction to creating. But it is a good idea to have a back-up plan to earn money to keep food on the table and canvas in the bin. So if you have the time and can manage it, go for a degree in art. More doors down the road will open for you. But one small piece of advice, while taking your degree, remain true to yourself and your creative expression.