Pearls from artists* # 722
Barbara attending Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia!
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on
One of the most insidious kinds of pressure to which an artist can succumb is the pressure to be accessible. Well-meaning advisors may tell you that x is acceptable, marketable, popular and wealthy. But if you alter your work to be more x-ish, people will spot it as inauthentic; it will not be heartfelt because it does not originate in your own being. By all means develop and revise your work to communicate more and more clearly; but if you alter one word in order to please some imagined market “out there,” the integrity and originality of everything you do is at risk. You get off the sure base of what you really know and are. Whereas if you create your own material in your own way, developing art work that is more and more authentically yours, people will spot it as genuine. In resisting the temptation to accessibility, you are creating a genuine space and living in it.
Stephen Nachmanovitch in Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art
Comments are welcome!
Q: What stands out from your experiences in India? (Question from “Pastel, Passion, and Perseverance: An Interview with Barbara Rachko” in .ART Odyssey: Healing)
Ahmedabad – Danapith, India
A: The chaos of the cities. The constant honking, the traffic, the sheer density. I used to think New York was crazy until I went to Delhi and Mumbai—then I came home and New York felt peaceful. But visually, India is extraordinary: the clothing, the buildings, the surprises. Once I was in a bus at a traffic light and saw the back end of an elephant sticking out of a pickup truck.
You never forget things like that. They’re unique to a place.
Comments are welcome!
Pearls from artists* # 721
Barbara’s Studio
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on
Creativity is one of the survival mechanisms of our collective souls. I refuse to believe that our story will end with capitalism and cynicism snuffing out the magnanimous artistic impulse that has been with us since the beginning of recorded history. Never forget that we have the power to shape the art world we want. Whatever we click on, talk about, and share is what will grow in importance. Ignore empty, formulaic work and art market hype. Share the work of artists we admire. Discuss the value of art only in terms of its intrinsic qualities. Decide that we will only give our attention to what we wish to see more of.
Kate Kretz in Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice
Comments are welcome!
Q: Do you have a favorite art book, one you return to again and again? (Question from “Pastel, Passion, and Perseverance: An Interview with Barbara Rachko” in .ART Odyssey: Healing)
A: When she’s not in the studio, Barbara often begins her mornings with reading. Right now, she can’t get enough of Art From Your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice. “This is a fabulous book for visual artists. It’s become my current art bible. It reminds me why I decided to make art in the first place and what I need to do to continue to improve. It helps me reconnect with forgotten parts of myself and is a much-needed reminder of what l love most about being an artist.”
Comments are welcome!
Pearls from artists* # 720
“Gatecrasher” (in progress), soft pastel on sandpaper, 58” x 38”
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on
An artist without a vision is like an individual programmed just to live, breathe fresh air, eat, and then move on. It is that important vision that we see with our mind’s eye and believe in that society cannot live without. The artist with foresight is the one who is responsible for making it possible. Vision encourages us to pursue art and it gives us reasons to live a purposeful life. But without a conscious effort to maintain and focus our vision, some unimportant thing can sway us from our path and persuade the artist to become something else. And without technical skills to clarify what we think is purposeful and meaningful, the artist can be misunderstood.
Samuel Adoquei in Origin of Inspiration: Seven Short Essays for Creative People
Comments are welcome!
Q: Last year you were in Paris and saw the David Hockney retrospective. What struck you the most? (Question from “Pastel, Passion, and Perseverance: An Interview with Barbara Rachko” in .ART Odyssey: Healing)
Giverny by DH, 2023, in David Hockney 25, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
A: It was spectacular! I spent three and a half hours there, which I never do—usually two is my limit. I had known his LA work, but I wasn’t aware of so much else, including the Normandy pieces. And yes, the iPad drawings impressed me. I like that he keeps evolving, trying new tools, staying current. At his age that’s remarkable. As someone who has focused on one medium my whole life, I admire artists who reinvent themselves again and again.
Comments are welcome!
Pearls from artists* # 719
With “Magisterial,” soft pastel on sandpaper, 70” x 50” framed
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on
The secret of success is to find out what your talent is for and then seek to develop the technical abilities you will need to assist you in acquiring the necessary skills. It is here that the secret of success or the forming of great achievements lies for every noble artist, no matter what their medium is. Passion and inspiration will come automatically to assist your noble vision when you broaden your experience and knowledge to become an expert in your particular field, thus helping to improve the lives of mankind. Believing that what you are creating will bring advancement to man’s life will also follow as will hopefulness for the future. Those who benefit from your service, directly or indirectly, will reward you for that which your rare talent has produced and for improving their lives while contributing to the advancement of mankind.
Samuel Adoquei in Origin of Inspiration: Seven Short Essays for Creative People
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Travel photo of the month*
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
*favorite travel photos that have not yet appeared in this blog
My travel companions had the brilliant idea to blindfold me so my first sight of the spectacular Uyuni salt flats could be caught on film. The second photo is what I saw!
Comments are welcome!
Pearls from artists* # 718
Barbara’s Studio
*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on
Do the work of your earnest heart, with all your body and soul, for as long as you breathe and with as much craft as you can wring from your every filament, and you will have made art. Your art.
Sally Man in Art Work: On the Creative Life
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Q: What’s on the easel today?
Pastel painting in progress
A: I’m slowly working on an untitled, large, 58” x 38,” “Bolivianos” pastel painting based on a reference photo taken in La Paz in February. This one is number thirty-six in the series.
Comments are welcome!
