Since returning from that wonderful week in Charleston and Sullivan's Island, SC, I've been feeling strangely pensive, not my usual energetic self. I've been musing over all my experiences and observations and interactions, and I realized that the wide age span of the 12 artists in our group--24 to 66--allowed the opportunity to see a microcosm of a life in art.
One thing that struck me is how trendy the culture of selling art is. The gallery scene in Charleston is lively and varied, yet it was not obvious to me where my work would fit into it. Some of the best galleries claimed to only show work of artists who were formally trained, and although I am so glad the younger artists I know have had the advantage of formal training, I know from experience that one can learn without it if one is determined to learn. So formal training has become not just a viable opportunity, but a selling point for gallery owners! How different I feel now, more sure of my own work, yet less sure of where I "fit in" to the gallery scene. Maybe the whole point is that I don't need or want to fit in, I just want to keep doing my own thing, and that is the driving force. I'm still processing my Charleston experience, but it sure has been interesting so far.
If you are interested in reading about the experiences of some of the other artists in our painting expedition, here are links to their blogs:
Sadie Valeri
Diane Feissel
Mia Bergeron
Terry Strickland
Linda Tracey Brandon
Alia El Bermani
