What I think is true about Art

When I lived in San Francisco, I got a scholarship to go to the Academe of Art. It was a total free ride.

On the first day I had a class in sculpting that I had to take but did not want to because I had no interest in sculpting. I only wanted to paint. The professor said that he could not teach us how to be artists but only show us what he knew. I thought that was honest. But I did not care what he knew and I did not care what anyone knew there . I only wanted to paint and I already was doing that without their help. Another class I had there I heard a similar thing from another professor. After two weeks of this I left art school and never went back.

This is what is true. If you are going to be an artist, it does not matter how you get there. I totally believe that some people are born artists and that is that. I also believe that some people really love to do art but they are not artists. The difference between a born artist and someone who is just in love with art is vast. A born artist can do nothing else. There are no options to them but to do their art. Other people have options but born artists do not. There is no question ever ever ever ever at any point in their lives as to what they will do.

When I was in first grade during art class I knew I was going to be a painter, even though I had never held a brush. Wen I saw paintings in museums. I knew I was going to be a painter/ I never never never have not painted.

My parents , god bless them, knew this too about me and let me paint big paintings on masonite in my bedroom when I was very young. I only cared about paint and I loved the feel of it and the smell of it. And if you can believe this I have always painted ladies.

Beng an art lover is not a lesser life, it is just different. Art does not own you when you just love it. When you are an artist , it does own you. There is nothing else you can do because you are its slave.

When young people come up to me and ask for advice, here is what I should tell them if I was honest:  If you can be something else then do it, but if you can’t, then you don’t need advice.