May 25: My life as an "artiste", part 1
This is going to sound weird. For the first time in my life- I feel like I can ALMOST call myself an artist. As long as I put it in quotes or French it up. Designer/Illustrator, I have no problem with.
Pre-elementary
I have always been a good drawer (I hate that term it sounds like a dresser drawer, I mean draw-er). Probably since I was about three. I started by drawing lady's in old fashioned hoop skirts (a la Little Women) and princesses. I then moved on to cats. My mother nurtured my artistic abilities and sent me to art classes, had my drawings reproduced into holiday cards every year, and encouraged me. I am pretty sure I got my artistic abilities from my mom who is about the most creative person I know. She may not draw much- mostly from not being encouraged I suspect- but she is a great art director.
In elementary school, I remember having sort of a set formula for faces, they looked somewhat barbie-esque. One day when we were supposed to do self portraits, many of the kids asked me to draw theirs. It is sad, that even that young, children give up on their own artistic ability.
In one of my art classes I painted a monochromatic painting of a mountain. It was not bad for that kind of landscape thing. I gave it to my grandparents, and I still remember my grandpa asking if I had "copied" a picture. And he either said, or implied strongly, that real artists have original ideas and can draw from their memory.
Middle School
Can we just skip those years? I have tried to block them out entirely. thanks.
High School
The art teacher was so bad. She had so many 'rules". She came down on me once for drawing individual eyelashes, apparently you can't do that. I was bad at keeping up with my journal- and I still am bad at that. I drew some photos of my boyfriend, and some brides. Hmm, wonder what was on my mind?
College
I took art classes along with my regular courses, and they were by far my favorite. I was amazed when my counselor in the art department told me that there was a profession called graphic designer. (Hey, it was 1988! Aldus just came out with the FIRST Photoshop). I could take the most wonderful classes in order to become one. My friends had to take boring business and math classes. I was taking watercolor, typography and cartooning. They were less envious of me the nights I stayed up all night to finish an art project because if it wasn't done, it just wasn't done. The physical evidence was there- no trying to bluff through a test.
I realized graphics was a good fit for me when I saw that some of the students just didn't understand the concepts of the assignments. But I understood visual communication and was good at it. Although- please never look at some of the god-awful stuff I did during that time.
I think I am going to have continue this later- gotta get the kiddos.
Back later...
Pre-elementary
I have always been a good drawer (I hate that term it sounds like a dresser drawer, I mean draw-er). Probably since I was about three. I started by drawing lady's in old fashioned hoop skirts (a la Little Women) and princesses. I then moved on to cats. My mother nurtured my artistic abilities and sent me to art classes, had my drawings reproduced into holiday cards every year, and encouraged me. I am pretty sure I got my artistic abilities from my mom who is about the most creative person I know. She may not draw much- mostly from not being encouraged I suspect- but she is a great art director.
In elementary school, I remember having sort of a set formula for faces, they looked somewhat barbie-esque. One day when we were supposed to do self portraits, many of the kids asked me to draw theirs. It is sad, that even that young, children give up on their own artistic ability.
In one of my art classes I painted a monochromatic painting of a mountain. It was not bad for that kind of landscape thing. I gave it to my grandparents, and I still remember my grandpa asking if I had "copied" a picture. And he either said, or implied strongly, that real artists have original ideas and can draw from their memory.
Middle School
Can we just skip those years? I have tried to block them out entirely. thanks.
High School
The art teacher was so bad. She had so many 'rules". She came down on me once for drawing individual eyelashes, apparently you can't do that. I was bad at keeping up with my journal- and I still am bad at that. I drew some photos of my boyfriend, and some brides. Hmm, wonder what was on my mind?
College
I took art classes along with my regular courses, and they were by far my favorite. I was amazed when my counselor in the art department told me that there was a profession called graphic designer. (Hey, it was 1988! Aldus just came out with the FIRST Photoshop). I could take the most wonderful classes in order to become one. My friends had to take boring business and math classes. I was taking watercolor, typography and cartooning. They were less envious of me the nights I stayed up all night to finish an art project because if it wasn't done, it just wasn't done. The physical evidence was there- no trying to bluff through a test.
I realized graphics was a good fit for me when I saw that some of the students just didn't understand the concepts of the assignments. But I understood visual communication and was good at it. Although- please never look at some of the god-awful stuff I did during that time.
I think I am going to have continue this later- gotta get the kiddos.
Back later...
posted by ASH at 11:49 AM
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