Born With a Rusty Spoon: Episode 79
"When I first started showing my paintings my greatest thrill was winning awards. As time went on I began to place more value on the appreciation of my clients who purchased my work. For me, that was the ultimate compliment and validation of my artistic gifts,'' writes artist Bertie Stroup Marah.
After Mike and I moved back to Colorado, I started painting again. As my skills improved and my work gained a following, I became the subject of several newspaper articles. At that time I was asked by various galleries to hang my work in solo shows. I also tried my hand at teaching workshops, and giving painting demonstrations. I was surprised to learn that I was a good teacher. I always tried to share as much information as I could with aspiring artists.
When I first started showing my paintings my greatest thrill was winning awards. As time went on I began to place more value on the appreciation of my clients who purchased my work. For me, that was the ultimate compliment and validation of my artistic gifts.
The more I have learned about the effect of color and shadow and light the more I enjoy the beauty that surrounds me. My friends tell me that I've taught them how to really "look" for subtle beauty, and this has given them a greater appreciation of art.
By 1991 I was confident enough to do the first of three Quick Draws at the Charlie Russell Art Show and Auction. As my fellow Quick Draw artists and I worked to complete a piece in the allotted forty-five minutes, the milling crowd of spectators felt to me like a herd of buffalo. I may have been confident, but I was also scared to death. Besides, I felt way out of my league. My determination, however, far outweighed my fear. There was no room for error as the work of the Quick Draw artists would be auctioned prior to—and as a warm-up for—the main auction. I painted as fast and as accurately as I could.
I chose a water scene because I could make clever use of the white paper, which ultimately represented ripples in the water. In the interest of saving time I had memorized the colors I would use and the order in which I would mix them. With this approach I produced a successful painting that fetched a nice bid at auction. I was so proud and I'd had so much fun that for the next two Quick Draws I took along Reita and some friends to share the experience.
One of my proudest moments was when I was accepted in the Rocky Mountain National Water Media Exhibition and discovered that my idol, Joe Bohler had work in that show.
**
To buy a copy of Bertie's wonderful book please visit
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Rusty-Spoon-Artists-Memoir/dp/1935514660/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282226141&sr=1-1-fkmr0
To see some of her pictures click on
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bertie+stroup+marah+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=5vpkTNykBtKR4gbsgJmWCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA
