CP WARRIOR
I used to be quite competitive in my early years in most things. I have mellowed somewhat over the decades, but one thing that still “drives” me is my passion and competitive spirit when it comes to coloured pencil art versus “the rest of the world”.
CP art doesn’t receive the respect it deserves and every chance I get to enter an open medium art prize, means another opportunity to tackle the “big guns”; oils, acrylics and watercolours. I’ve had my successes, but I’ve struggled to match my record in art prizes with sales of my work.
The art market is fickle and at times rather naïve when it comes to taste. Attitudes have changed little. The established mediums have always attracted patronage sufficient to remain economically viable. Any art in pencil is usually labelled as drawing or sketching, with no thought that in the case of coloured pencil it could gain the status of being a form of painting.
What can be done?
Changing attitudes can take decades, even centuries. I can’t wait that long!
Time for action!!
I need a plan (or many)…
1. I should invent a crossbow that shoots coloured pencils, so I can stand near my artwork in galleries and “persuade” people to like (and buy) my work. I’ll need to wear body armour and a helmet. Na, too radical and extreme. Anyway, it would get very hot, very quickly in such a suit. Galleries are very hot sometimes!
2. Wear a T Shirt that says, “Coloured pencils artists are for real”, or something along those lines.
3. Change my name to” CP Warrior”.
4. Have all art mediums except coloured pencil made illegal.
More thinking needed…
If you believe in a cause, then you must persist.
I’d better get back to painting……… with coloured pencils.
This weekend I’m in Hobart conducting a 2-day CP workshop. A report later next week.
MONDAY: The value of a website.
Richard
June 1, 2012 at 12:40 am
Hallo Richard. I think that the main reason some artists do not use coloured pencils is because you need extreme patience. Just in my group of artists there are very patient artists, and others who can produce a painting – and a good one – in one day. One lady who produces great work is using coloured pencils and pastel pencils. Another who can do a couple of paintings a day – great paintings which I love. So, I think it can depend on the make-up of a person. For coloured pencils you must have patience. When I was at primary school we only used pastels and coloured pencils. I am an acrylic artist mainly but use pastels and coloured pencils to complement the acrylic at times.
June 1, 2012 at 4:09 am
True, Lorraine, but it’s great that there are so many art mediums available for us to use.
June 1, 2012 at 1:32 am
I like your enthusiasm and am glad that you are dismissing the cross-bow idea. Continue on Mighty Warrior!
June 1, 2012 at 4:07 am
Thanks, Kate. I feel braver already lol!
June 1, 2012 at 11:09 am
Coloured pencil artists are making their mark! Hmmm, sounds like a slogan.
June 2, 2012 at 7:45 am
I see your point, Dale.
June 5, 2012 at 5:52 am
I’ve been a pastel artist for years, and have often received the same attitude toward the medium. It’s still seen as inferior to oils/acrylics in this country, although it’s very popular in USA for example and can command high prices.
I’ve spent years trying to justify my choice of medium!
June 5, 2012 at 6:09 am
Lovely to hear from you, Louise, and I hope all is well. Keep fighting the good fight, your work is lovely!
Warmest regards, Richard