Monday, September 27, 2010

Powerful Words of Wisdom to Artists

Joyce Owens is a primarily a painter
but she is also a sculptor and mixed/mutimedia artist.
In her blog she shares some extremely perceptive
words of wisdom that are meaningful for artists working in any medium...

"More than Skin Deep" by Joyce Owens
Acrylic on Canvas on Wood

An Artist's Pain: Being Judged and Juried - "...dilemmas artists wrestle with are many...submitting to exhibitions may be at the top of any top 10 list of things we hate to do, but know we must! I will tell you what I know that could save you from too much pain."
http://monroeanderson.typepad.com/joyce_owens_on_art/2010/07/pain-and-power-the-critique.html#tp

To Mentors/Teachers, Say the One Thing an Artist Needs to Hear - "My message is that it is important to validate that strange, different kid who may live inside his or her head and doesn't march in lock-step with the others. There is possibly an artist, musician, actor, scientist, computer programmer or other creative type living there figuring out the world as they see it! Give him or her permission to come out!"
http://monroeanderson.typepad.com/joyce_owens_on_art/2010/09/well-i-will-never-forget-this-scene-when-i-was-still-a-teenaged-girl-i-was-walking-along-chelten-avenue-near-germantown-a.html#tp

Pay Me Like You Pay for New Shoes - "It is not bad to be rewarded for your efforts. You need money to buy new shoes! It is also about respect. Respect for the time and effort it takes to produce art. Respect for the money artists spend to purchase materials. Respect for the thousands of dollars some artists pay to get their training in traditional, and other art programs. Artists travel to learn, go to workshops and art centers that cost money. Why shouldn't we expect a return on our investment to develop our skills as a doctor or a chef would?"
http://monroeanderson.typepad.com/joyce_owens_on_art/2010/07/pay-me-like-you-pay-for-new-shoes.html#tp

We Have a Museum for Women, Why Not a Man Museum? - "Separate is just not equal and it won't ever be!"
http://monroeanderson.typepad.com/joyce_owens_on_art/2010/03/there-is-no-man----museum-priceless-----sure-feel-free-to-use-my-comments----------j---------joanne-mattera.html

Who Do You Exhibit With, Where and Why? - "I have found that sometimes it's better to respectfully decline an exhibition offer and wait for the next opportunity."

http://monroeanderson.typepad.com/joyce_owens_on_art/2009/02/who-do-you-exhi.html

To view more of Joyce Owens' art:, visit her website
and her photo page on Black Art in America

1 comment:

Joyce Owens said...

Thanks so much, Gwendolyn McGee...I JUST saw this! The Google Machine is amazing! Hope all is well. Artists continue to struggle, but we do it for love, and hopefully, eventually some money and notoriety will follow!