Follow This Traveling Artist’s Journey to Discover a Clearer Vision

Slow down long enough to see your surroundings clearly

After I decided to be an Artist, I bought a conversion van and traveled from art show to art show. The van saved money on hotels, but it could have been better.

I traveled to 14 shows the first summer throughout the Midwest, United States. Before the end of summer, I had booked a lengthy stay at a major shopping mall in Chicago.

I would set up in one place for six weeks from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. I would return for one day after Christmas to handle deliveries and returns.

Staying in one place for more than three days was different for me, and I was stable and happy. The stay at the mall was very successful, and my skills improved from the practice and the feedback from the audience watching me do the live sittings.

I survived the winter by painting quick oils for sale on the new cable television networks. Do you remember the commercials: “Sofa-size original painting only $49.99!” They were not art, but they were decor for some people.

I refined the van by adding a few convenience items. It was easier to spend a few nights in the van after that. Spring was coming, so I contacted all the promoters and scheduled my summer.

The summer went as planned, and I spent the holiday season at a mall in Bloomington, Indiana. Winter was spent transitioning to oil portraits. The summer schedule was something other than what I really wanted to do: good business but a grind.

A friend I met on tour mentioned spending the summer at the beach for a change. That sounded better to me. I called him, and we scheduled a summer in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I set my easel and chairs in the lobby of a large hotel on the beach. The location was central, with all the guests exposed to the art. Business began in the first hour and continued all afternoon. During a break, I renegotiated my hours with the hotel to work afternoon and early evening.

The days passed very pleasantly with beach mornings and business afternoons. As I was settling in, something happened. There was no ‘mall’ music and the guests were much more respectful and quieter than shoppers. My work took on a new interest for me.

I became aware that I was seeing new things in the faces of strangers. Nuances were announcing themselves to me as I applied charcoal or pastel to paper. I was intrigued by the slightly crooked nose or the scar on an eyebrow. The fascinating coloring in an iris caught my attention. The more I looked, the variations I saw became subtle but important.

My normal lunch was eaten in a park on the beach. I took a sketchpad and just scribbled whatever I saw. After the subtle change to my awareness, I sat on the ground after lunch and crafted a beautiful graphite portrait from an image in my creative imagination. I was surprised when I looked at it. I had been in the ‘flow’ and not fully conscious when I created the face. She was absolutely stunning!

I packed my sketchbook away and went back to the hotel. I was working and feeling warm and joyful. The people were kind and really friendly. The work was better than normal and the responses were very positive and we had many group conversations.

One night a group formed and we talked about art mostly, and I explained how I proceed with a work in my head before I touch the paper. A portrait began with a conversation between artist and subject. It put her at ease and let me see some variations in the face.

Most of the group seemed to understand my process and approved heartily. Others would ask questions and seem interested. As the conversation was about to break up, a young lady joined our group, and I was struck dumb. People noticed, and I soon regained my senses.

Without a word, I went to my portfolio and removed my sketchbook. I returned to the group, opened the sketchbook, and showed the portrait. There were many oohs and aahs. The young lady who joined us let out a little shriek when she saw it. The portrait was her. No adjustments were needed. I considered it to be my best portrait of the summer.

I had never seen her before. She arrived in Myrtle Beach after my lunch break. That night, I contemplated, and it became clear that I needed to experiment and do better work. The new work would require a different, more comprehensive way of seeing the subject. That is the key ingredient of a quality portrait that accurately represents the subject.

After two years and hundreds of portraits, I was ready to learn truly important lessons. This lesson is important for my life as well as my work. Awareness grows comes as we progress through life. However, it does not grow through our will. We must become fully aware of our surroundings and the people that populate our lives. We must be able to see more than the outside of people and situations.

I will be forever grateful for these life lessons.

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Stay with me because the journey is not over . . .