Regina Calton Burchett – Drawings & Pastels

A fellow artist – Sandy Askey Adams – posted this tonight from “The Business of Art”, and I loved this contemplation of what art is, to artists.

“Do make art; do make good art; and do make it all through your life, because, really, that is the only reward you can expect.  Selling your art is nice; public acclaim is nice; but it’s like the warmth of sunburn.  It can be superficial and shortlived.  Expect a lot from yourself, because finally your relationship with the art you make will be the major source of joy and sorrow in your life.”

I don’t think art could ever be a major source of sorrow for me, but I associate a wide range of feelings with art.  The core feeling for me is when I am painting, and I’m starting to like the piece, I get excited…  and sometimes, when I really start to like it – I feel like I’m dancing inside.

And since it’s been an extremely busy month for me, I haven’t been able to paint for almost four weeks. But after reading this, I decided a few hours wouldn’t hurt anything, and I worked on this pastel and it made me feel wonderful!