A rant and a rave in the day of an artist.
I have been drawing constantly for weeks now, trying to get ready for my next exhibition. The days are long and tiresome, not to mention that the need for constant concentration it's extremely exhausting.
I thought I might add this little entry because of what someone recently said to me. In fact it wasn't just them that said it, it is something that is repeatedly asked of me at exhibitions or any general meet and greet. This statement in question is 'You are so lucky to be doing what you are doing' or 'how exciting'.
If the reality be known they could not be further from the truth. It is not that I am complaining, far from it, I love what I do, and I admit I am fortunate, it's not everyone who gets to be a professional wildlife artist. Luck does play a part for any artist but this must never be mistaken for hard work, that is the real reason anyone gets to achieve even a moderation of success. What I am referring to by the meaning of 'the reality of the situation' is what it is like as a working artist in the cold light of day. Often you can go for very long periods without seeing people, You work alone everyday, there is no doubt of the loneliness that comes with this job. The hours are very long, working on pictures for shows is time consuming and when there are deadlines this makes the pressure even harder, forcing work to carry on long into the night for weeks on end. The consolation for most artists, when in this situation, is that they are very driven people with goals to achieve and when in the full flow of artistic inspiration there is little that can be done to distract.
Of course you might think, 'but what about the travel?'. Yes this is a nice perk of the job, jetting off to exotic locations in search of my subjects. but this is balanced by the post trip blues that will last for months on end being imprisoned in my studio in solitude, churning out work constantly, ever anticipating the next adventure.
There is also the constant nagging that to make money, you must stay commercial, not drawing what you really want and the worry that perhaps what you have done will not be accepted and even worse will not sell.
How easy it would be to disappear into a job where I could mix with other friendly faces on a daily basis, work sensible hours with evenings and weekends free.
Now that I've got that off my chest, I can honestly tell you I wouldn't swap what I do for anything in the world. Giving up seeing the beautiful sights I have been fortunate enough to observe first hand and even better having a skill that enables me to at least put something back, it would be bordering on criminal.
But most of all, thank you, to everyone that has supported me over the years. David Dancey-Wood.
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To view many David's drawings please click the banner to Wildlife Sketches
To view many David's drawings please click the banner to Wildlife Sketches
' Rant and Rave in the day of an artist' proves to be yet another very honest and intriguing piece. Written with compassion, feeling and a brutal honesty, one always feels that with DDW, you get it as it really is. No spin, no exageration.
I've been very fortunate over time to have got to know these things anyhow. However, when reading this for the first time, it must come as a huge surprise to many.
I think it's easy to fall into the mistaken belief that professional wildlife artists spend their days swanning along river banks and gazing at tropical sunsets, only to return home in the evening to a large log fire and a cup of yaks milk.
But of course in reality it's nothing like that at all.... or very little anyway.....
A great read. Thanks David.
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