Tell us when you first fell in love with art-making!
Last year, American Artist magazine and NAMTA (National Art Material Trade Association) conducted a study, "Artist and Art Materials". Artists from North America provided ground breaking insights regarding how, when, and why they make art. To see the full results of that survey, you can view their website here: NAMTA Survey Results
The study discovered that 63% of professional artists fell in love with art in elementary school. 66% of serious amateurs fell in love with creating art before the age of 20.
Do you agree with the survey results? When did you fall in love with making art? Submit a short video answering one of the following questions to share your thoughts with the Artist Daily community:
When did you first fall in love with art? How has art changed your life? What’s the most influential art material/product you’ve used?
Submit your video here on our website and we will edit all of the videos into a montage to share with the fine art industry. This montage will be shared at the NAMTA 2010 conference and online through several websites to share how art making makes a real and tangible difference in people's lives.
Please know that the work you submit will likely be downloaded and edited for use here on our site and 3rd party sites. We will not, however, sell your name or your video. The video disclaimer is attached to this post at the top for reference.
Please tag your video with "NAMTA" so that I can make sure it gets seen by the community!
Looking forward to seeing your art bios!
Karyn Meyer-Berthel
I've been a proffesional artist for 10 years. Here's some of my videos from You Tube, The ABC’s of durkART, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx5gdDcTa3I , durkART Creations 2008, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3tP7LDXI-E , durkART Coloring Book Creations, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5WvncKinPI Valentines Day 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQYo4LN6uAQ Enjoy and PEACE the WORLD needs MORE of IT!
Anyone working on this? I myself am just too uncomfortable on that side of the camera, but I know that many artists are multi-talented & can perform with ease in a video.
As well, my work is just as much about my subject matter as it is about drawing & painting, so I don't consider myself very experimental with materials... it's been a few years since I was in art school, & I'm still learning, even though I've spent decades working as an artist.
After reading that link, I realize that I am definitely in a minority group. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to art making, & often have a problem trying to find the better materials.
Nature knows no borders
http://www.bakerartistawards.org/nomination/view/jlalingo/3096
Okay everyone, get your cameras ready!
Here is our publisher and creative marketing manager interviewing folks about how art has inspired them:
http://videos.artistdaily.com/playlist/How-has-art-changed-your-life
Upload a video of you life!
Good thoughts, Karyn.
I dont remember not loving art. Some of my earliest memories are around creating things and learning new techniques with crayons, etc.
The most influential "thing" in my art has been the painting knife. Its versatility and purity of application captivated me from the first time I used it. Within six months, I'd stopped using brushes. Now, I only use them for touch up and so on.
A result of my answer to the first question is that I dont think art has changed my life. The truth of the matter is that the opposite is true. Life continues to change my art. Subject matter, approaches to those subjects, even colors I choose to work with are all affected by the experiences of my life.
Thought provoking questions. Thanks.
DonBarnes - "I'm a man of means, by no means..." Roger Miller
Hey Karyn, you sound exactly the way I thought you would! Good to see you.
I really like the video that was filmed by publisher/creative marketing manager in the art supply store, too. An interesting diversity in the answers each artist gave... a variety of focus, motivation, & backgrounds made me think of other ways I approach art.
And, of course, Kurt was very genuine, & his love of paint shows through, despite the fact that he was "forced" into art.
Thought provoking, indeed! Good job!
I'll see if we have a video camera handy.... this is making me think that perhaps our Thursday night painting group might be interested.
When is the deadline date for this?
I fell in love with art (and color) when I was 4 yrs. old and got my first set of finger paints (it may have been my last set of finger paints -- something about my mother being concerned about where it might end up). That was a birthday present that I have never forgotten. Then when I was in 3rd grade, I was eaten from head to toe at school by ants that had to be second cousins to the present day fire ants. That was the day that we were going to do our pastel paintings. I almost literally melted into tears on the floor when it was announced to me that my mother had arrived to take me home from school. I begged and pleaded to be allowed to stay (pain and all). That was a "no go" and even though I was promised that I would be able to do that painting when I got back, it never happened. Somebody should have guessed that I was an artist then -- for me to beg to be allowed to stay at school was unheard of. I loved Origami and was known to be able to while away hours at my little mechanical drawing machine that I got for Christmas one year. You turned the crank and the pencil moved around the circular paper creating magnificent geometric designs. You could color them in by the hour like stained glass. And of course there was the paint by number with oils. As I got older, there were other things that seemed more imperative like having some clothing that was not hand-me-downs. In 4th grade my mom began to teach me to sew. I was bitten! It was hard to study when I could be sewing. The first few years of college included tailoring, making your own pattern, textiles, fashion drawing (with no real instruction on how to draw - although the class was excellent otherwise). I did knitting, crocheting, quilt work, needle point, all of which probably helped with design and color.
Probably one of the things that made the biggest impression once I was an adult was when our kids were very small and we got a chance to go to Rome and view the magnificent artwork at the Vatican. I felt like I had been given a sneak peak at heaven! And so now, finally, I am painting.
I have always loved art, in all forms, but in the last 2 years it has changed my life forever.
A writer attending courses and seminars, at one such event decided I didn’t rate the tutor much so swopped to the art class meant to keep companions amused. A happy, chance incident. A life-changing decision! For now I see the world now through different eyes, see shadows and highlights dancing in changing light patterns where once before I could only see the overall picture. Colours are now alive, have depth and spirit where before they were just colours. Painting has opened up an entire new world of friends who share my passion. I have visited places I never thought I would see and am now never stuck to open a conversation. More importantly, art has given me confidence to show my work to others. Who liked it. Who brought the pictures. Recently, I accepted my first commission. Daunting? Yes. Scary? You bet. Exciting? Most certainly. I now have an intoxicating addiction to painting. There is no cure and I don’t want one; I’m loving every moment of it!
The pen may be mightier than the sword but the brush can take on the world.
Karen, I'm not up to doing a video, but I'll be happy to provide input. I enjoyed art as a child but was discouraged because teachers in school kept trying to "improve" my work.
As an adult, I doodled during meetings to pass the time. I learned that I could remember what happened and recite almost word for word by looking at my doodles. Maybe it was a left/right brain thing.
When I friend talked me into taking a water color class, it changed my life and ignited my passion for making art. It also changed my concept of "retirement," which I had thought would be about doing pro bono lawyering things, to having the time to work on my art. Now, I think of myself as a painter and a student of art. Wow. It's both fun and liberating.
Initially, the most influential product I used was Golden's heavy body acrylics. When we met, it was a marriage made in heaven. I really felt that I could learn to do some really good work with them. I love their look and feel and how they set up.
I'm now learning to work with and to enjoy the richness of waterbased oils. The love there wasn't as instant, but it's coming.
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