Advice From Artists

My aunt bought me a book called "Artist to Artist, 23 Major Illustrators Talk To Children About Their Art".  This book is about different artists (some I knew and some I didn't) sharing what they have learned about art, their art styles, and giving some advice about art.  It was really inspiring and interesting to read.  Some of the artists in it are Eric Carle and Chris Van Allsburg.

Here are only some of the interesting things the artists said that I wanted to share with you:

"A chef from a famous restaurant comes out and talks about his special dishes, his secrets, his techniques.  And it is true that if you follow his directions, step by step, you can make a meal just like his, and it will be delicious.  In the case of art, too, by following an expert artist's directions and copying her methods, you could probably produce a picture exactly like hers.  But such a picture would have no artistic value.  There is really no simple 'recipe' or method for creating a good drawing or painting, such as there is in cooking." - Mitsumasa Anno

"Artists observe.  The trajectory of a ball, the thrust of a twig, the enigma of fog, patterns in the sand, the uniqueness of every cloud, the convolution of an ear, the mood on a friend's face...everything has meaning to or eyes." - Nancy Ekholm Burkert

"As people who paint and draw, we are all connected by our pictures.  Artists who are working today, making paintings and picture books and cartoons, and those who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago, like the cave painters in France and Spain, all speak to us and show us what they saw and how they felt.  And I respond with my pictures, and you respond with yours." - Mordicai Gerstein

"If you dare to follow you own dream of becoming an artist, you will dare to be different.  This will take courage, and your family and friends may not always understand, but to be an artist is to have the gift of seeing the world in a unique way; a gif you can share with the world for the rest of your life." - Wendell Minor

"The most important thing in the whole of life is to love what you do.  If you want to be an artist, don't draw from movies and television.  That's something someone else has already imagined.  Draw from your life.  Draw all the time.  Expect to be different from other kids, because if you are an artist, you are different.  Sometimes it's hard to be different.  Sometimes it hurts when people don't understand you or laugh at you for not being cool enough, but stay the course.  Believe in yourself.  Believe in the paintings and drawings that come out of your mind and your hand." - Rosemary Wells

Art is passion, something inside of people whether it is through music, painting, photography, cooking, sculpting, designing, and many more.  Some pieces come from deep within and others are surface and experimental thoughts.  At times your mind and body get lost.  Art is passion through expression.  You can apply a lot of what these artists said to your life.
Here are some pictures from the book:

I hope you were able to find what some of what these artists said to be enlightening and enjoyable just like I did.  If you have any questions, I highly recommend picking up this book to read, or share with your kids or even your students!

Thank you Auntie Susie!

xoxo Savannah