Who Are Your People?
Artists always go to New York. New York, the center of the art world. Long before Art Basel in Miami or my painting trip through Paris, in my mind, the New York art scene reigned supreme. I stood at a crossroads. But instead of moving to New York, to tough it out with the rest of the “Bohemians”, I retreated to a small “artsy” town in southern Oregon, where I have lived ever since.
“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.” – Erol Ozan
End of story? No! Of course not. Life has a way of bringing things full circle. I’ve worked with a lot of eccentric and incredible people, traveled to the edges of the earth, (including several trips to New York), and for the most part, my decision to withdraw from the rat race has yielded plenty of cheddar.
Small towns give me room to think and to breath. They just don’t have the numbers. This “lack” has often left me feeling like I was creating my art in a vacuum. Of course, that’s never true. But what is true is that immediately after creating the Learning To See Course, the direction of my art, my community, and my life, changed radically. All of a sudden, I was working with artists from all over the world. Some were beginners, and others were professionals, but the passion we share for art was and is, electric.
Gabriel Mark Lipper – Seclusion – Mixed Media on panel – 48”x 48”
The life of an artist can be isolating, especially if you feel surrounded by a community that doesn’t understand what you are trying to say with your work. A drawback to living in any bubble is the lack of different perspectives and ideas.
Through Learning to See, I finally have a community that speaks the same language I do. We come from all over the world and have lived wildly different lives, but we share a commonality that brings us together. The language of art. I think we can also all agree on the importance of purple.
It’s this community that spurs me on and dares me to risk and go further. To those of you who have joined in and said yes to your art. Thank you. Our support and energy for one another has changed who we are as artists in this world. We challenge each other to stretch and shift, and to grow.
I’ve never moved to New York, but the global community that I’ve discovered from my studio here in Ashland Oregon has, and continues to change the way I see. I’m grateful that you have allowed me to contribute to your journey as well.
Does your community support your art?
How do other artist contribute to your creativity?
Who are your people?
