I'm not getting thru this book as fast as I thought I would. (It's a teeny thing!) I loved the portion about Ben Shahn using two words to describe how to make art. "Do Everything!" Then Ted goes on to speculate that a University education is not needed by everyone to be a great artist. He advises: "Workshops offer aspiring artists arguablly the best - and absolutely the most concentrated - of all educational possibilities."
That really struck a chord with me, as I never had a University art education. I had an art high school education with continuing education at my community college. But I have spent the last several years spending every penny I can on workshops. Since I live on the West Coast, I go to Art Quilt Tahoe and Claremont and Asilomar, with various other classes thrown in whenever I can get to them. I have studied with Jane Dunnewold, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Hollis Chatelain, Laura Wasilowski, Joan Colvin, Katie Pasquini and too many others to think aabout right now. Do I copy their styles? No. I study with them to learn their techniques so I can put them to use in my own work.
Orland states that a really good workshop generates a level of intensity that's virtually impossible to achieve in the classroom. It's true. We do work together all day, and then continue long into the night to perfect what we've learned. I've made some amazing friends this way. Orland goes on to say that every student figures out sooner or later that the really important discoveries don't occur during the formal sessions, they happen in the spaces between the sessions, over lunch/dinner. I've learned more about artists by inviting the teachers for a bit of hospitality in my room during these seminars.
If I don't learn anything else from this book, the above validates my feelings about and journey into the art world.
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