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I want to welcome you to my blog. I will share my art, creative process and a little of myself with you. My life as a Artist has been interesting and full of adventures. Come along with me as we explore the world and how the artist sees it.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Artistic Goals

MATANUSKA GLACIER PLEIN AIR PAINTING - 6"X12" OIL ON PANEL available on my website: http://www.kurtjacobson.com/

As I am aging (approaching the big 60 soon).  I find my goals and desires as an Artist and painter are changing.  When I first started out my goals besides to constantly improve as a artist and painter (that goal will never change), was to someday earn enough money so that when I ever retired from my "real" job, I could survive on my earnings from my art sales.   Well that is less and less important to me now.  To actually accomplish that goal I would constantly have to paint "what sells" in other words what I know the buying public would expect from me, to stay in "format" of my prior successes.  I can always paint Mt McKinley here in Alaska and it will sell ( I do a good job of it also ).  But that is not what I find myself really wanting to do now.  Instead I want to paint "Good Paintings" creations that push my abilities and force me to grow and improve as an Artist.  Besides landscapes, I want to paint figures, portraits, still lives and paintings that have "meaning" to me the artist.  Is this selfish, I don't know, just know that more and more it is becoming more important to me.

Artistically great paintings are not always the ones that appeal to the general public per sae.  Colorful, sometimes "Cutsey" cottages, cabins, animals etc. appeal to the public more then high quality art.  I guess maybe I am feeling the "time crunch" of only so many years of painting left in my life.  Although I am in good health and happy in my life.  I want to leave the world "high art" when I finally pass onto the after life and paint along with Sorrola, Frederick Church, and Edgar Payne.  Me and all the masters in heaven painting away, not a bad afterlife I think.  I am in no hurry though....lots more for me to accomplish yet in life.

"The conveying of lofty feelings and high ideals is art's greatest gift. To avoid these is to omit the spirit in the work and put the art at peril of mediocrity" - Robert Henri

" We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." - Max DePree

3 comments:

Tali said...

This angst that is growing within you is already producing better paintings, Kurt. Is it ok to say that when youve painted so much longer than I have?

I like a pretty picture as much as the typical consumer. I respect the artists that produce them. They made and make a living at something they love doing. But...

That's not the painting life for me either. I want to make my mark painting what I love, painting the light and tension that move me. It's not selfish wanting to paint what you want to paint. It IS all about you! Your best paintings will be the ones that pushed you the hardest against your comfort zone. Painting what you love, or what it different for you is a huge risk, a risk worth taking. I think it's those paintings that reveal who you really are with brutal honesty, and it is honesty that makes more than pretty pictures, it makes ART.

Thank you for sharing your journey!

Chris_tina said...

I really love this a lot as a plein air piece! Less detail is what I like. I makes my mind create the detail in my head. I like that.

Unknown said...

I really admire by it! why not you try work on Gift card printing it must be as good as it is.