Truths about Art

In 1986 I took my first life drawing class---  Signing up because I felt it was glamorous and classy---  before then, hardly any art was offered in school.   I had a good feel for it---  but as far as talent---  growing up Glen Coffey took the prize---  Anyone who starts life drawing finds it daunting.......  It's tough!  First of all, people can tell when the figure is drawn wrong----  maybe they don't know how to fix it, but they can tell---  This goes for the artist too---  It's a slippery slope.  We all judge our own work--  that can stop us from taking risks---  The tricky part is, no risk-- no improvement.  Also with risk, the quality of the drawing will suffer as you figure out where you are going with it.  Then and now I see people give up---their artist's ego can't weather the readjustment--  They get stuck in a safe zone, don't improve--  their work becomes stagnant and they quit.  At art school I really struggled---  The level of my work was somewhere in the middle--  drawing did not come as easily for me--  My eye was good, but my hand couldn't follow--
I just decided to work at it......  I improved through pushing harder--  Deni Ponti a favorite teacher of mine says there are two kinds of artists--  those who draw beautifully and easily--  but have trouble finding the quirk that makes it interesting-- or--- the artist who struggles with getting the drawing right--  and yet has  an interesting take on it.  Out of school I worked as an illustrator for about a year--  then settled into my career as a Set Decorator---  From 1991 until 2000 I didn't draw at all--     The thought of it just reminded me of  Art Center--  everyone in a competition!  Happily I began again--  It was wonderful not feeling it as drudgery--  It's a great thing--  challenging!  So every week I go at it---  Meridy Volz has a wonderful class every Saturday--  We are a united team--