When I was a kid I used to think I would become an artist because I could draw better than anyone else in my class. Looking back, I think it may have been precisely that skill that prevented me from becoming one. A narrow, if ironic escape. I still draw from time to time though. Here's one of my life partner of 34 years, Dr. G. :
Gemma at TitchfieldYou see my problem? Put a pencil in my hand and I become an illustrator. Illustrators are only one up from painter/decorators in the order of things. However, I love most "illustrations" much more than most "art", and I flatter myself that I could have made
half a living that way (but would probably have ended up doing headpieces for short stories in magazines ...)
Actually, my main outlet these days is doodling in the margins of meeting agendas: I was amused and impressed when
Tom Phillips (an artist whom I much admire) published a book of his own doodled agendas under the title
Merry Meetings. For such a successful artist he's something of a "best kept secret", but one of the most relentlessly creative people on the planet, and the supreme master of the "ongoing project."
Gemma at Titchfield
4 comments:
One up from painter decorators eh? Thought you might like this...
"Everybody is an artist these days. Rock and Roll singers are artists. So are movie directors, performance artists, make-up artists, tattoo artists, con artists and rap artists. Madonna is an artist because she explores her own sexuality. Snoop Doggy Dogg is an artist because he explores other people’s sexuality. Victims who express their pain are artists. So are guys in prison who express themselves on shirt cardboard. Even consumers are artists when they express themselves in their selection of commodities. The only people left who seem not to be artists are illustrators."
That’s Not Art, That’s Illustration by Brad Holland
Cover of Varoom magazine 06
http://www.varoom-mag.com/backissues/index.html
from Alice, Tom’s assistant (and an illustrator).
Thanks, Alice! Nice to know someone is reading this. Actually, I'd have loved to have been an illustrator, but was unfortunate enough to have a gift for passing exams, so my school hid all the paper and paints where I couldn't find them. I've only started to get back in touch with my Inner Illustrator in recent years -- too late for a change of career, but not to late to have some fun.
Dear Mike C
Thanks for your always valued comments & for plug on blog - enjoyed looking at the photographs - really excellent,
all best,
Tom P
I'm not sure that you have to be good at not-passing-exams to be an illustrator either! But I'm sure you didn't mean it like that :-)
x Alice
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