I recently had a whole classful of students, approximately 35 budding artists, join a gang. My gang. The artist gang. It was exhilarating! I tell you there is nothing better than feeling like you belong, feeling like you have comrades, feeling a bit rebellious and …well you get the idea.
It was a gloomy Thursday afternoon and as I was bringing another exciting successful class to an end, I felt the need to give a pep talk to my newfound friends by saying they were now all part of my gang. By beginning their artistic journey, they now had joined centuries of artists in a common love…art! It didn’t matter where on the art journey path they found themselves, they had stepped onto the timeline of practicing artists and now were just as important as Da Vinci, Matisse or Van Gogh. Once struggling artists themselves they were brave enough to begin the journey of practicing and perfecting their art just as my students did. Sharing ideas, trying new things and rejoicing in eureka moments when it all falls into place.
When we look back through our lives as artists and indeed human beings isn’t it nice to think we are holding up our part of the timeline just like the greats did by practicing, producing, challenging and talking about art with other art gang members keeping the excitement of art alive!
