MOOD series introduction

Does the artist’s studio Influence the mood of finished art?

The following posts are a short series of interviews with artists, discussing their work environment and the feelings they communicate with their art. 

This is a response to a challenge from Alyson Stanfield, the Art Biz Coach.  She wanted us to practice talking about art and connecting with our community by promoting another classmate.  I decided this was a good chance to get to know a few of my colleagues, and also to discuss with them something that had been on my mind for a while - how much the conditions of our work space is actually felt by the audience in the finished work of art. 

When I was applying to art schools, I learned that admissions interviewers do not want to hear answers like “I am passionate about art and have been doing it my whole life” when they ask applicants why they want to go to their school.  All artists have those feelings, but they’re just the first step of self-awareness when it comes to making a career of art.  It’s important to dig deeper, and to think about how our art is relevant to other people besides ourselves.  Check out what our coach says about art: “Many people say art is self-expression, but I believe that in its most powerful and life-affirming state, art is a form of communication.  I think your art is incomplete until someone else experiences it.  It must get out into the world” and “Something magical happens when people interact with your art in a real space.  And when they finally make a deep, meaningful connection with the work, I call it an Ecstatic Encounter.  Aren’t these Ecstatic Encounters what you live for? Aren’t they Why you do what you do?” proving, once again, that she really gets both business AND art – you can learn more about her at ArtBizCoach.com

I wanted to know if I could create a painting that makes people feel calm and at peace, even if the conditions in which I’m painting were nothing like that scene.  Is it common for a grouchy artist to make cheerful art? If my feelings during the process of painting can be felt long after it’s hung on the wall and I’m not standing next to the painting talking about it, then the ideal space is worth cultivating.  Artists are often reminded that if we were “real”, that we would create despite any obstacle.  I’m arguing that even though creative people continue expressing themselves even when they’re uncomfortable or don’t have good supplies, that for an artist to really thrive, to really make their best art, that they must also have some kind of control over their working environment.