For the last four years I have been working on my art alone.
I don't have an Artist Guild, I don't have a society, I don't even have a casual painting group that I meet with to exchange ideas.
I know that will change when I start university in the fall, and it might be a bit traumatic for me to suddenly have so much input.
But until that happens I still have my own artist colony to support me. History has taught me that this group of artists will stick with me as I move through the educational system.
(I can sense you scratching your head... it's OK)
These are artists that I have met on Twitter, on Wet Canvas, and have cajoled into becoming my friends (and fans) on Facebook. They are generous, kind, forthright, and supportive, just like any great art group needs to be. They offer advice and tips without hesitation. They share their knowledge so that I can grow. They take my offerings of small things I know and run with them to turn those tips into creative works of their own.
It's truly a blessing to have met so many people, that I have never met, and know that if I have a question about anything from carving lino blocks, to how to paint acrylic on Yupo, that they will give me what they know without hesitation.
I have said before, that in my opinion, that is really what distinguishes an artist from a dabbler. The willingness to give. The desire to share and teach and communicate about art, so that we can all get better.
The giving of artists isn't just in technical knowledge, but that generous spirit covers so many things. I know many artists who spend hours, days, weeks working on art that they then donate in order to benefit a good cause. There was a group that pulled together a huge online auction called 140 hours for Haiti, that inspired me and another wonderful artist friend to do our own online auction for Haiti relief.
Artists, in general, are not rolling in cash. But they do give. I am hard pressed to find a more generous group of people.
I love this group of artists that have collected in the great internet art studio to share, to show, to give and to befriend. Even though we are geographically diverse, occasionally politically in opposition, we share a great common bond of loving, and loving to create art. And that is something that really binds us.