Dear Artist, “Fear of Missing Out,” according to psychologists, is pandemic and getting worse. For us creative folks, FOMO is not just a social disorder, it can be a career killer. More prevalent in younger people than older ones, it’s…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Yvonne Morrish CSPWC/SCPA of Kelowna, B.C., Canada, wrote, “Just how important are those letters behind your name? Some artists flaunt them and some ignore them. I’ve had mine for ten years now and when I attach them…
Dear Artist, Recently, Patricia Godvin of Bozeman, Montana wrote, “As an artist who works with the nude figure, I find so little quality dialogue or artists’ exchange of ideas concerning this subject. I would love you to stimulate some discussion…
Dear Artist, Several nights here we’ve had a hard time getting to sleep. “I’m too excited!” says my daughter, Sara. Rich environments such as the Bugaboos, a mountain range in Southeastern British Columbia, teem with the sort of stuff many…
Dear Artist, One of the participants in our recent workshop at Hollyhock on Cortes Island, B.C., Canada was Dick Lee of Amery, Wisconsin, USA. A Viet Nam fighter pilot who flew more than 200 sorties, he’s long since settled into…
Dear Artist, This morning, Edward Vincent of Victoria, B.C., Canada wrote, “Often the early stages of my paintings have a strong graphic structure with powerful notan. But as the painting progresses, this gives way to a weaker image. It seems…
Dear Artist, Readers may have noticed that I don’t think artists should talk about what they’re going to do, what they’re doing, or, in some cases, what they’ve done. Something about words that eviscerates the will to do things, to…
Dear Artist, When I first started writing these letters I thought I might soon run out of material. Now I realize that creative needs breed like church mice as new epiphanies and transgressions keep popping up. Last week, for example,…
Dear Artist, Today, Paula Cravens of Columbia Valley, B.C., Canada, wrote, “I recently attended a gala art reception where they gave out awards. One of the participants had a super-realistic style with no visible brush marks. The judging committee questioned…
Dear Artist, A weak email signal wafts intermittently to Cortes Island on Canada’s west coast. Paul Bennett of Jasper, Alberta writes, “I wonder if you might consider giving some advice about edge treatments. I paint in acrylics but I’m sure…