Q: Please speak about your background as a Naval officer and aviator and how that has informed your sensibility as an artist.
The studio yesterday
A: At the age of 25 I got my private pilot’s license before spending the next two years amassing thousands of hours of flight time as I earned every flying license and rating I could, ending with a Boeing-727 flight engineer certificate. I joined the Navy when I was 29. I used to think that the 7 years I spent on active duty were wasted – during those 7 years I should have been working on my art – but I see things differently now. The Navy taught me to be disciplined, to be goal-oriented and focused, to love challenges, and in everything I do, to pay attention to the details. Trying to make it as an artist in New York is nothing BUT challenges so these qualities serve me well, whether I’m creating paintings, shooting and printing photographs, or trying to understand the art business and keep up with social media. I enjoy spending long solitary hours working to become a better artist. I am meticulous about craft and will not let a work out of my studio or out of the darkroom until it is as good as I can make it.
Comments are welcome!
Posted on February 2, 2013, in 2013, An Artist's Life, Black Paintings, Creative Process, Gods and Monsters, Inspiration, Studio, Working methods and tagged "as good as I can get it", 25 years old, 29 years old, a better artist, active duty, Art Business, artist, attention to detail, aviator, background, Boeing 727 flight engineer, challenge, craft, creating, darkroom, discipline, enjoy, Flying, focused, goal-oriented, inform, keep up, license, meticulous, naval officer, Navy, New York artist, paintings, photographs, printing, qualities, rating, sensibility, shooting, social media, solitary hours, Studio, work, yesterday. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
barbararachkoscoloreddust.com 
That’s an amazing background, Barbara! I had once thought of taking flying lessons. I have never been in the military, but I (and probably other non-inititates) think of the military as all about taking orders, following the guidebook/rulebook, so I can’t help wonder about your statement that the military made you *goal oriented.* Please give an example so that I can understand?
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Marie, as a Commander(to keep the story short, I left out telling how after I left active duty, I stayed in the Navy Reserve and retired as a Commander), I was on the order-GIVING side. I still miss the days when I just had to ask someone to do a job once. Then they not only did it, but they usually did it superbly, far beyond my expectations. The Navy is all about planning, setting goals, and whatever the task at hand, taking a high degree of responsibility by doing the best work you can.
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