50 years of Art Experience

Yes, it's true. In my first year of school, I had an assignment. Create art! I am not sure what the teacher, Mrs. Fincher had in mind; probably just keep the children occupied until 3:30. But I took that art assignment seriously. Very seriously.

I remember working on it with great intent. My crayolas were melting in my hand as I feverishly slaved over that manila paper. Other students were pulling their desks away from me. Static electricity was being generated in the air around me, as clouds gathered. Lightning struck and as I recall, some rain did fall!

Well, it's my story, and I want to embellish it a little bit. That's because I did work quite hard on my first art masterpiece (well, by 6 year old standards) and Mrs. Fincher held it up for the entire class to see! She even said she was going to keep it and show it to other classes!

Hmmm, well this is the part of the story that gets twisty. I got a big art ego rush out of having my work held up by the teacher. I was only 6! It's not like I had been singled out for things like that too many times.

It is obviously something that made an impression. And I'm glad there was all the thunder, lightning and rain, because it was the last time I ever saw my beautiful drawing again! So you will just have to take my word for it, won't you?

Maybe I just made up the story of "Kids at the Farm" - crayola on manila paper - 12 x 18 inches - 1960.

But now I can see that none of that matters really. What I can take from my little memory is the fact that I became a real artist that day. I have been an artist since 1960, for sure! It doesn't matter what critics say. It doesn't matter what I heard yesterday from a student at Texas Tech University, where I work. (A juror said that at her "art hole" they don't even consider artists who don't have an MFA - like me)... Oh yeah, it was Bite Me University. Now, I remember.

What I take from my first real art experience is the struggle, the feelings, the effort, the "PROCESS" going on in my 5-year old brain and soul. I made that drawing WORK! I had no art professors, teachers, critics, jurors (that's right!!) museum professionals, ANYONE at all, to help.

It was me struggling through the art process, learning how to make it work. For the FIRST TIME. And I pulled it off!!!

After that, I sort of crashed as an artist for a while, partly because I didn't understand what I had done. But NOW I do. I still have Bobby the 6 year old inside me. He is an artist, STILL.

He knows how to make art that WORKS. He has been doing it since 1960! Doesn't need ANYONE to tell him how to do it. He knows inside!