Peeking Into the Artist Colony
Oh boy, what fun. I read in the Indy about the Open Studios event scheduled for Jan. 3. Artists welcomed the public into their studios to see how they create art. I’ve always suspected that a lot of artists paint by numbers. They don’t. This event was a great opportunity for less creative people to learn how to copy great pieces. If you’re like me, I haven’t had the chance to copy off of someone else’s homework since high school. I encourage all residents to go. You’ll feel years younger and the event may even reignite a creative spark to your love life. I told my wife about the event. She left town. Told me she’d be back on January 12.
For the next session (Feb. 7 and March 7), be sure to prepare properly for Open Studios. Camcorders are a must. But don’t be too obvious about your recording activity. Artists are generally private people. It’s unusual that they’ve opened up their spaces for a peek. Be on the lookout for other recorders. Most attendees are just harmless vacationers who are shooting and posting their experiences to Facebook. Friends and relatives will never see these pictures because they are simultaneously shooting and posting their own vacation pictures to Facebook. Other attendees are there on the same mission as you to find and copy the best art studio. However, there are a handful of party crashers to watch out for. If you find a camcorder pointed in your direction and you’re not a talented artist or a talented model for one then activate the buddy system. Find an artist to chat up like he’s your long lost friend. This tactic will discourage the party crashers, who tend to be talent agents. Unlike their name, they have no talent and pretend to be art know-it-alls. They just want to get in between you and the artists. It’s all about commissions to them. Artists are artists, not businessmen. They are easy marks because their attention is focused on making great art. Don’t become a mark, too. Bring a flask. Share a nip or two with the artists in front of the talent agents. Artists will appreciate the joie de vivre and the unsolicited protection from these “ne’er do paint wells.”
I reviewed the recorded footage to find the best way to build the perfect artist studio. First I had to decide on a medium. Did I want to work in glass, bronze, oils or watercolors? My choice influences how messy the studio will be. Unfortunately, all mediums will make a mess. Some mediums are messier than others. I took into consideration how much mess I could stand. Personally, I chose engraving. I’ve recreated plates and built a printing press in my home studio. The $100 bill engraved plates went well with my depleted financial holdings. The millions of C notes I can now run off will assure I can continue to have great artwork. And better yet, my abundant C notes have enabled me to provide for the agents as well, even if they don’t deserve it.
Broaden your paint strokes and consider next month’s Open Studios event. And you’ll learn that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and counterfeiting is the sincerest form of copying. I believe I’ve found my happy medium.
Mark is a transplant to Laguna from Chicago. He occasionally writes the guest column “Pet Peeves.” His recently deceased border collie, Pokey, is his muse and ghostwriter.
