Dreaming of being a SUCCESSFUL ARTIST? Well, have I got the thing for you! I’m going to tell you the number one, artist endorsed and trusted method for becoming a successful artist! Fame, money and fortune can all be yours with this simple patented technique for artistic success. Invented by the ancient Incans, patented by the Egyptian pharaohs, adopted by the Aztecs and dabbled at by the Omecs, this method for becoming a successful artist was lost during the age of enlightenment – until now. Stumbled upon by an archivist working in the Vatican library, this tried tested and true method for acheiving artistic success can be yours for one easy payment of only $39.99! That’s right just $39.99! But wait, there’s more! Order now and you’ll get…

Have you ever seen an advertiement like this on the Internet? Most of us have and most of us have probably been reeled in enough to at least read a portion of the spiel. Even if you weren’t interested in what they were trying to sell, the desire to be successful in your artistic career probably prompted you to read it in the hopes of gleaning some snippet of information that would aid you in the furtherance of your own practice.

I’ve seen a lot of advertisements like this all over the Net. Most of them are trying to hock a book or a series of know-it-all DVD’s from one expert or another. Although I’ve never bought any of them and although I have no conclusive evidence, I get the overwhelming feeling that the majority of them are scams. Some products are sold by well intentioned doctors, others by people who are passionate about their subjects and really have something to offer. Most, I fear, are from people who are just trying to make a buck and their products will end up telling you nothing that you don’t already know.

Even if you don’t find anything in these online setups that can divide you from your hard earned money they probably were basing their sales pitch on a question that we’ve all asked ourselves at one time or another “How do I succeed at being an artist?”

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Recently I did some research on the Net, research into other artists and what they’re up to. I went to hundreds of websites, viewed thousands of images and saw some pretty interesting Art. You’d really be amazed at the level of diversity within the Art community and all of it is right at your fingertips.

While touring the Net, I found that there were two types of websites that artists were employing to get the message around about their artwork. The first type were personal websites, ones that were separate/distinct  and had their URL based almost solely on the artists name — such as my own. The second type were the kinds of sites offered up by social networking giants such as MySpace, Blogspot and Flickr; pages that exist within what I’d like to consider ‘gated’ communities — websites which are a single page within a larger organism.

I noticed many differences between these two types of webpages. Some were good and some were bad. One difference I found to be detrimental when it came to the social networking sites had to do with the ability to contact an artist directly.

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Article of interest: So You Want To Be An Artist — Part 1

This is a companion article to the one listed above, So You Want To Be An Artist — Part 1. In that article I outlined how you’ll need to master the artists most powerful tool, YOU, if professional art creation is your goal. Knowing  yourself, your desires and where you want them to lead you will be the cornerstone of your artistic practice.

In this article I’d like to discuss where you’ll need to be in order to engage in your visual craft.

Picking the right studio or environment.

Wanting to make Art, knowing who you are and what you’re all about is very important to every artists personal practice but it won’t amount to a whole lot if you’ve got nowhere to engage that understanding. Having a space to create your work is another important step along the path to professional artistry.

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Mastering The Artists Most Powerful Tool

So, you’ve been bitten by the bug, huh? One day, while sitting around calmly reading your favourite authors latest offering you sat up nursing a new welt on your arm, the letters A-R-T blazing in swollen irritated flesh, and proclaimed in a proud and distinct voice “I’m going to be an artist!”

Well, good for you! Welcome. Art could always use a few new afficianados. Why shouldn’t you be one?

Welcome to the first in a series of articles designed to help you, the newcomer, learn about what you’ll need in order to be the professional artist that you want, and know you can be.

This article pertains to the number one tool you are going to need to master if you want to become a professional artist. It will be the biggest weapon in your artistic arsenal. It will guide your hand in everything created by it. It will be a part of every artwork you make. It will make or break your practice, drive you to excel or destine you to languish in obscurity. You will need to understand it, learn how to wield it and bend its power to your will.

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Alcohol.

The invention of alcohol is often attributed to friars from way back near the beginning of the last millenium. History would tell us that egyptians from over 4000 years ago certainly enjoyed their wine and there’s even evidence that fermented beverages were enjoyed as far back as 10000 B.C.

Wherever the truth lies, since its creation alcohol has been at the part of our society. For better or for worse alcohol has been a guest at the party whether he’s wearing a lampshade on his head and telling the best one-liners you’ve ever heard or throwing up all over your shoes.

Alcohol has also become synonymous with the Art world and there are many examples throughout history to support this relationship. Jackson Pollock, famous Abstract Expressionist painter was a raging alcoholic who died in a drunken car crash. Absinthe, a drink distilled with grande wormwood was very popular in turn of the century France with artists and writers. Due to its proposed psychoactive effects it has been blamed for many psychotic breaks. Go to any art opening and I’m sure you’ll find beer, wine and spirtis in abundant supply. Alcohol is ubiquitous.

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