Garnet

My wife bought me tickets to a Garnet Rogers show at the local bistro last night. It was an intimate gathering of some fifty or sixty fans, and I sat within reaching distance of the stage.

Garnet is the brother of folk singer, poet Stan Rogers who died tragically in an aircraft fire in 1983 in Canada. I remember to this day exactly what I was doing when I heard about Stan’s death. Stan’s music moved me deeply because he sang about real people and their struggles and successes. When I learned of Stan’s death, it was as if I had lost a family member even though I only knew him through his music.

So I was a little apprehensive when Garnet took the stage. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel. When he began to sing, I could hear his brother’s voice because, of course, they were brothers and both baritones. I’m not ashamed to admit I teared up for the first part of his show realizing how much I still felt the loss of Stan.

His own man

But, as the show progressed, I realized that Garnet was his own man. He sang his songs and none of his brother’s. And they were good…great even. He wasn’t Stan, of course, and I admired him for not trying to be his brother. I thought how easy it would have been for Garnet merely to copy his brother and live off of Stan’s celebrity rather than developing his style – his own uniqueness.

Bill often talked about being original. He warned us not to copy anyone, even himself. Sure, when you are starting out you need to copy the masters, but at some point, you also need to branch out and become your own person. Copying another person, even to the point of adopting their words and mannerisms, not only shows a lack of imagination but shallowness of character and lack of integrity.

Become an original

So too, when it comes to your path to art excellence you need a mentor you can follow and from whom you can learn. You will want to copy much of what he or she does so that you can learn the proper techniques and the discipline of art. But you, too, must become your own person…develop your style…become an original artist.

We would suggest that’s tough to do if all you are doing is attending workshops and learning to paint pretty pictures. If you want to become a real artist, you need to learn how to paint. Do you know where the best teachers are? You won’t find them on YouTube. You won’t find them at your local hobby store. You won’t find them on most DVDs. They are in their studios working with a handful of dedicated students who understand the commitment that art requires.

You will, however, find teachers on our website. We know that because the artists we captured on video, at the height of their careers, were (and some still are) master artists! Not only that, they are master teachers. They can give you the skills you need to take your art to whatever level you desire.

What’s your dream?

Perhaps you want to become a professional artist living the artist lifestyle. Maybe you want to, someday, become a teacher yourself and pass along the rich heritage of art to your special students. Or maybe you just want to be able to create a legacy of beautiful oil paintings that will be cherished by your family and friends for decades. No matter what your aspirations are as an artist, there are no other resources as rich, as varied, as experienced as the resources we have on our website. In the coming weeks, we will be announcing a new membership that will give you access to hundreds of teaching videos and enough art projects to last you a lifetime. Stay tuned…

P.S. While we build the infrastructure to help you become, as Bill would say, “the greatest artist that ever lived,” check out the resources we have on our store site. Whether you want videos, DVDs, books, or the best art supplies on the planet, we can help you reach your dreams of becoming an artist and living the artist’s lifestyle.