Always a Student

I'm just finishing the first day of a weekend workshop. We have a wonderful class full of eager students from around the country ready and willing to try new things and grow as artists. I am always energized by the excitement and interest in the eyes of the students. They want to learn and develop their craft. They want more. 

This should always be true of any artist no matter what stage of their career. The problems that face the new artist are similar to the problems that face the experienced one. You are still questioning values, proportion, mood, color choices, composition, etc. Hard work, time devoted to your craft and dedication to growth will make a difference. But any artist worth his salt should remain humble. Because there is a simple truth... the longer you paint, the more you realize how little you really know. 

As the folks in the mutual fund business are fond of saying "past performance does not guarantee future results". The great artist is one who appreciates every opportunity to approach a blank canvas, humbled by the work of the master artists of the past and proceeds with caution... ego in check and brush in hand. Past performance will increase your chance for success, but it is never a guarantee.