I have found artists to be, in the main, generous people, willing to share their ideas & tricks of the trade with enthusiasm. There is only benefit to this & no loss, nurturing someone’s love of art is such a pleasure and you gain mutual respect & a willing fan.
What’s important is to build your community as we help & support each other. Anything you want to do with your art in the future will only gain from having a community of supportive artists & art lovers around you. Think of all the well known artists from the past. They are always part of a group of artists working off the same principles & ideas - the impressionists, the surrealists, the abstract expressionists, the fauvists etc
Here in the UK we are now the British Contemporary artists. Even if you’re just starting out and feel unsure about calling yourself an artist yet, if you’re reading this & own paints or have the urge to create, trust me, you are an artist. It’s an inclusive club.
The friendships and camaraderie are our strengths. Our highs and lows are there for all to see on social media. Some will just go silent but most will tell you honestly when things are going badly - feeling fed up, no inspiration, often brought about by a rejection or knock back from a competition for places at a group exhibition.
The best way to get over this is to get working again, even if it’s just colour mixing, sketching, tidying the workspace or looking through old work. We all get these rejections, all of us. The next time when artists we follow do get into something they aspire to or sell a piece of work, no matter what it is, it’s a celebration for everyone as we all know how good that feels & how much they needed that boost to keep them going & believing in their work.
And that’s what it’s all about, just keep going, your work will keep improving if you just keep going & keep challenging yourself.

And finally, this painting, ‘Blue & Gold Dusk’, was accepted into the RBSA ( Royal Birmingham Society of Artists) Annual Exhibition this year. It was hung amongst beautiful paintings from all over the country and then, before we even managed to enjoy a private view, Covid 19 arrived & the building was locked up! The exhibition was never seen by the public!
This is the life of an artist, full of highs & lows, that’s why we need each other because it takes great bravery to create your own world & put your art out there & everyone willing to do it knows that.
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