Dear Artist, My late friend Egbert Oudendag used to say, “The best way to help artists is to hinder them.” He had the idea that being tough was the way to bring out their gumption. It was also the key…
Dear Artist, Just for a minute, don’t think of right- and left-brain thinking — think simply of thinking and not thinking. At your easel or workstation, think of “thinking-it-out” and “not-thinking-it-out.” Glimpse into your own brain while in the act…
Dear Artist, Last night I had dinner with the owners and staff of one of my more effective galleries. Eight high-spirited young women took over a private room at a lovely restaurant. So far this year, this team has sold…
Dear Artist, In my last letter, one of Joseph Michelli’s five principles, “Embrace resistance,” aroused an unusual amount of curiosity. Francis Stillwell of Corvallis, Oregon asked, “Does this mean the stumbling block that’s outside of you, or is it something…
Dear Artist, Recently I wrote a letter about the similarity of running a business and being an artist. As usual a whole bunch of artists agreed with me, and a whole bunch of others told me I’d been drinking my…
Dear Artist, I often receive emails from artists seeking a guaranteed wage from some sort of Medici-like establishment. Historically, “working for the man” has advantages. Take Diego Velasquez. Arguably one of the greatest painters of all time, he was born…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Keta Claure of La Paz, Bolivia, wrote, “What do you think about teaching? I am a new artist, with a couple of shows in my city. I also teach. Sometimes I wonder if I’m teaching too much.…
Dear Artist, A week ago, author and aircraft expert Wayne Ralph interrupted my painting by dropping by with a book. A Distinguished Old Bentley Drove Down to the Sea, was not your typical gift from one artist to another. A…
Dear Artist, The other day I happened to be paying a visit to one of my galleries. I noticed a guy moving slowly along a wall — his nose almost dragging on the paintings. “He’s an art student — comes…