No, I’m not talking
about the Thanksgiving feast most of us have partaken in this year, nor am I
talking about the extra pounds most of us will put on between now and the new
year that will make many of us flock to a gym to make good on our New Year’s
resolution to be in better physical shape for the new year.
I’m refering to
something we feel and use all the time as artists creating our works. It is a
very experiential and personal feeling and may even defy explanation, but we
all feel it, either consciously or subconsciously.
They are words I say to
myself, “I like it” or “It feels right.” At times, it’s the other way around
when I look at my piece in progress and, “Hmmm, that’s not working out. I don’t
like the feel of it.”
I think as artists we
rely on this internal feedback a lot more than we ever imagine. It is done
continuously and intuitively as we create a piece of work and all the way
through till the end of the project. We rely on our gut feelings and our
individual esthetics to place the next
blob of clay on our sculpture, to reposition or remove the clay until it
looks and feels right to us.
We do not go by text
books or set formulae to direct our hands and eyes which work so naturallly and
efficiently that to others it may look like magic what an accomplished aritist
or scluptor can do.
Sure, you learn the
fundamentals and basics from your teacher, mentor, or from a course. That will
only take you so far. After that, you are on your own. It’s you, your preferred
medium, in my case, paper clay, your esthetics and your gut.
So, take pride in that
feeling that makes each of us unique, creating our own works of art to share
with the world.
Trust in your gut.
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