Dear Art Lover,

I wrote this email Monday the 20th.  I’d just come back from Rhode Island, attending the opening and Awards Reception of the Rhode Island Watercolor Society’s show Falling Into Winter.  So, as I write this a week ago, I am still glowing from the warmth of my friends and hosts, and of the encouraging words of the artists and leaders I met at the RIWS.

To be seen, to be recognized, is something that I’d never expected from the art I make.  I am very, very used to making work, sharing it with a few close friends and family, and moving on to the next project, the next canvas, the next venue.  Doing art as a profession requires developing an intuition for guiding what you are working on in the correct direction.  For me, for the kind of art that is interesting to me, that means paying attention to what could be challenging, what have I not done, how do I push my process to places it hasn’t been, or in uncomfortably difficult scenarios.  I run at those, when I see them.  It helps to bring as few expectations as possible, to be open minded, to stay in the present moment and pay extreme attention to the lessons provided by the reality of trying something out.

I never plan for any painting to be “good” or, god forbid, to win some kind of award later on.  That’s not why I paint or draw.  If that happens, great, but I don’t expect it.  Going in with an intention to “make a good painting” has never worked for me.  The work comes off stale, strained, or at worst, pretentious.  What was magical about meeting other artists in Rhode Island was the chance to meet people who have no idea who I am, no agenda, and hear what they think of the work itself.

That critical feedback is something that I’m not used to getting, from anywhere.  I welcome it.  I am grateful for it.  I want to know, is anyone else seeing what I’m seeing, or do paintings of those things help them see it?

The Rhode Island show let me know, yes, my work (not me!) does indeed connect with people, which is my hope for it.  It’s not a validation for my ego I’m seeking, it’s a sense of the work itself being valued,

If the art is valued, there is a strong chance that those audiences are in touch with some of the same values I am.  I believe there are people who share my values out there, beyond friendship and family, but it is reassuring to meet them in the flesh.

All My Best,

David