A Ramble and a CD Design

What does it mean to be an artist? My old teacher used to tell us that if you don't do art for a whole day and can end that day without being wracked with guilt, then you are not dedicated enough to be considered an artist. He was a bit extreme, but I still keep his words close to my heart because they carry a very poignant point. People do not practice the arts to make money and no one can teach someone to have that passion. That is something you teach yourself, out of necessity or habit.

When I meet someone for the first time and explain that I have a BFA in printmaking I have gotten many different reactions. Some are confused, apologetic and sometimes disappointed. "What are you going to do with that?" they ask. This is a very good question. It is one that I think every art student asks and one that I think every artist continues to ask themselves. The answer is continually changing, between people and even between moments. It is infact something everyone should be asking themselves, though artists more so because the field is so self inspired.

I don't know why I decided to bring this topic up this week, and I literally had pages of further blathering that got cut. I guess I've just been reexamining why I do what I do and what do I want to do in the future. Sort of a mental house cleaning and re-settling to go along with the new home in a new state. Might as well update the state of mind while I'm at it.

Meanwhile, here is the final album art for my good friend Chris Bell's new CD. It is entitled "Win Peter Winters". You can't get rid of this guy, he'll canoe up the Hudson to play music for you. Seriously, he did it once and he'll probably do it again. But maybe on jet ski's next time.




(click on me, I'm too tiny to see properly!)