Art when really understood is a province of every human being. It is simply a question of doing things, anything well. It is not an outside extra thing. When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens and he opens ways for better understanding. When those who are not artist are trying to close the book, he opens it. He shows there are still more pages possible.
Find the gain in the work itself, not outside of it
The world would stagnate without him and the world would be beautiful with him, for he is interesting to himself and he is interesting to others. He does not have to be a painter or a sculptor to be an artist. He can work in any medium. He simply has to find the gain in the work itself, not outside of it.
The work of the art student is no light matter. Few have the courage and stamina to see it through.
That’s something if you do something meaningful, you are going to have to pay for it in all the work, but at the same time, you will also be able to enjoy it for the rest of your life. We are not here to do what has already been done. You have to make up your mind to be alone in many ways. We like sympathy as humans and we like to be in company. It is easier than going it alone, but alone one gets acquainted with himself, grows up and on, not stopping with the crowd. A cost to do this, if you succeed somewhat, you may have to pay for it as well as enjoy it for the rest of your life.
You have to be a master of your own tools
Know what the old masters did, know how they composed their pictures, but do not fall into the conventions they established. These conventions were right for them and they are wonderful. They made their language, you make yours. They can help you, all the past can help you. An art student must be a master from the beginning that is he must be the master of such as he has by being now master of such as he has, there’s promise that he will be a master in the future.
Mastership is not a destination, it is a process and it’s constant practice that gets you there. It is not enough to have thought great things before doing the work. We have so many ideas, but what really matters is the work to implement those ideas.
Now, don’t worry about the rejections. Everybody that’s good has gone through it. Don’t let it matter if your works are not accepted at once. The better or more personal you are, the less likely they are of acceptance. Just remember that the objective of panting pictures is not simply to get them in exhibition. It is all very fine to have your pictures hung, but you are painting for yourself, not for the jury. There’s a time and place for all things, the difficulty is to use them only in the proper time and place. There’s a time and place for all things, the difficulty is to use them only in the proper time and place. With motive, you will become clairvoyant of means, you will cease and command them. Without motive, you will wobble about.
The art student of these days is a pioneer
This in building a team, in building an organization, in building a company is one of the greatest lessons. You cannot do anything without a shared and common sense of purpose. If you don’t have motive, if you don’t have purpose that is shared between everyone, you will wander about. You will wobble and you will not do anything of infinite means, you will not do anything that is timeless.
The art student of today must pioneer beyond the mere matters of fact. I believe the great artists of the future will use fewer words, copy fewer things. Essays will be shorter in words and longer in meaning. I believe the great artists of the future will use fewer words, copy fewer things, essays will be shorter in words and longer in meaning.
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