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AN ARTIST'S LIFE

Ayes' Art

The life of an artist is not so glamorous as you think. Days are spent in self promoting one's art. Of seeking out places to exhibit, attending gallery openings to hopefully sell the art that has been created. No one really understands how art is created or how long it takes to paint a work. (This page hasn't been written as a forum to whine and complain but to educate you, my visitor on what it takes to be a good artist.)

First the artist has to get inspired enough about a subject for motivation. If you are a historical painter like I am a lot of research has to be done about the subject of the painting, (all my works tell a story). After all the facts have been gathered, then I begin sketching and laying out things on my canvas. I don't bother to make preliminary sketches on paper, its a waste of time in my opinion. It goes better if I draw things out directly upon the canvas. And if you are one hundred percent colorblind like I am, then you have to figure out what colors you are going to use. My palette is always in a state

of mess because I have to mix down colors into their varying degrees of hues and shades. If a particular color isn't availiable, then I have to mix it myself. I mix enough of

it to go around the canvas. If I don't, then things can go very wrong.

My works develop slowly on my canvas because I am always attending to details like composition. I make sure that a particular subject is painted in great detail so that it becomes lifelike to those who would view it.

If I am painting in the genre of the surrealist, then my work becomes even more difficult. I have to attend to thinking about what I am going to say with my work. What symbols am I going to use and apply to the painting. Composition, color scheme and subject rendering then come from the depths of my mind as I work the painting. While I am painting I have to be totally focused, that's when "accidentals" happen.

After all is said and done I then have to consider what to charge for my work. How many hours have I spent in creating it? My supplies are also a big factor. My small fame goes into that too.

So, next time you look at some artists work, consider all of the above. I hope you will now appreciate all the work that has gone into their painting as well.