A friend confided in me that because she lacks art training, she often feels tongue-tied when talking to artists – yet she loves art and wants to collect it with a sense of intention. She asked me what questions I’d enjoy answering. I thought her interest in creating meaningful dialog was terrific, and so I spent some time thinking about my answer. Here are some topics that I believe have the potential to initiate interesting conversations for both the artist and the arts patron.
1) Is there a connection between the materials you choose to employ, your stylistic approach, and your preferred subject matter?
2) What sort of activities (formal education, tutoring, apprenticeship, or ?) launched and what sorts of activities continued to grow your art practice?
3) Are there any obstacles in place that make your art pursuits more difficult? And conversely are there any things to make your art pursuits easier?
4) Most creatives can point to some sort of mentor who gave them permission to pursue their craft. Who was yours and what was it that made that particular experience so potent?
5) What activities act as fuel for your art practice?
6) Which artists inspire you and why?
Most artists love talking about their work. So don’t be shy…go ahead and start a dialog!