Enid
Petherick
Artist
and Observer of the Wilds
Special
Article
October
20, 2005
Recently I had a discussion with a creative young person who faced decision making while going through a difficult time of questioning, self-doubt, and uncertainty. When recalling the past—including a stint at Art college and the life style that went with it—this person said:
“I got caught up in the image and bohemian lifestyle. I wanted to be the next Andy Warhol and the toast of New York. On reflection, I don’t know if I have any talent. I wonder if I am odd and people think I’m on the wrong track. I feel as though you have asked yourself similar questions and came through on the other side.”
Many aspirants become ‘instant artists’ by donning arty clothes and lifestyle. Young students are particularly susceptible. This need not be a problem if they are committed to the actual process of doing their art.
Great art has been produced by total introverts in hidden away places as well as by extreme extroverts living flamboyantly. I am not so sure lifestyle is a calculated choice. During the process of being dedicated to producing one’s work, the lifestyle may emerge inadvertently. For example, thrift shop buying due to the necessity of low, no, or sporadic income combined with an artists flare may definitely result in an off-beat look! And the special needs of space for creativity plus living quarters often result in unusual accommodation. (I generally find the results of both the above situations more satisfying and interesting than the norm.) Which comes first—the chicken or the egg?
I very early realised I wanted to live an off beat lifestyle—but that I wanted to do it quietly—without flaunting differences. My lifestyle—cabin in the mountains, no running water, solar electricity, haphazard income—‘grew’ through a combination of choice, need, and serendipitous happenings.
It is the nature of artists to question. Artists interpret the world and use their art to draw the public’s attention to what the artist sees. The work may or may not be well received. One may resent the general population for being oblivious and unappreciative. We may even comfort ourselves by feeling superior and ahead of our time.
As creative people each of us has a vision. ‘I’ am the only person who can produce ‘my’ paintings. On the other hand, in a low ebb, I can feel very ‘odd’ and left out by ‘normal’ people. It is easy to lose faith in oneself.
After days, months, sometimes over the course of years trying to solve a problem on canvas or paper, and it still isn’t working, it is easy to think—“What is the matter with me? Why don’t I do a normal job like a normal person and live a normal life?” Answer: I know I wouldn’t be any happier—nor would I be satisfied. And nothing is to be gained in resenting those ‘normal’ people. They are essential in running the world. They are the ones who will utilise our art.
Am I talented?? Ha. …I know I don’t want to do anything else. I know the exultation and satisfaction of having a piece ‘happen’ and the joy of having it recognised by someone whose opinion I value. I know the feeling of having made a ‘break through’ when I began my Figurative Landscapes. I know my goal in each new canvas is to be better than the canvas before. This isn’t always the case but I hope never to stop pushing and trying new things.
Someone once told me he had made a choice between engineering and art. He chose engineering. I agreed he made the right choice—not because he didn’t have artistic talent, but because—if he was not happy in engineering he would be much more likely to have the perseverance and strength to pursue an artistic career.
Basing one’s life on creativity encompasses a lifestyle honed by the unique circumstances and experiences of each individual. The questions are always there but stability is achieved knowing one does not truly wish to be doing anything else. The ups and downs are levelled out by those incidents of positive feedback and appreciation.
During my September Open Studio a group of Canada World Youth students from Quebec/Namibia/South Africa visited. It was exciting for me to see the interest and time they took perusing the paintings and the questions they asked. One Namibian student described himself as a ‘graffiti’ artist. I would have liked to pursue this further but time was short. They seemed most interested with the concept of Figurative Landscape paintings. I was buoyed by the freshness and exuberance of their response to my art, and also to our home and lifestyle.
Near the end of the month two couples visited—not together, but at the same time. Three were in the arts professionally—design, visual, and writing. A lively discussion evolved while viewing the Figurative Landscapes. As usual when a group of artists get together, not everyone agrees. It was stimulating for me to get the various opinions/likes/dislikes/ideas.
Statements from the visual artist who had had twenty years experience with galleries in San Francisco and New York lifted my spirits. He felt I had reached a level of maturity in my work, which I can now carry into future works. This is exactly the way I feel about my painting . Just give me that brush and canvas!!
"Dancing Deer"
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