Self-portrait in pastel.

Farewell, My Artist Friend
I’m glad you’re here with me. This will be my last time visiting with you in these pages of International Artist. It has been a real joy discussing art and where we want to go in our creative lives. Many thanks to you. For me, it’s been a privilege and a pleasure. I wish all of you the very best as you continue on your own art journeys.

My career has been built upon obsession. I never considered how I’d survive in art or how my art would be accepted. I knew that I was going to be an artist for the rest of my life; thinking about “making a living” never entered my mind.

During my art college days, I made small bits of money doing portraits in beer parlours, 50 cents apiece. In other words, I actually got paid for my art—a fantasy becoming reality. Incidentally most artists I have known started their art wherever money was honestly available. Here’s an essential way I got my world going: don’t wait, make things happen. The beginning of my art career has always been hard to believe. I was told to leave my art college. The next day, I got a peddler’s license and started selling my portraits door to door. Thirty-five houses before the first sale, $1 for a profile drawing. Now I’m wishing I had kept and framed that dollar. 

Live and Earn
In the 1960s, an art dealer handed me a $200 check. Back then, a whole lot of money for me. The deal was that I do 20 art pieces for him, $10 each. I finally got him the 20 artworks. He eventually sold them and my new family had food to eat. With all of us, disappointments are offset by inspiring moments. Those good moments continue keeping the spirits alive. Fair-grounds and bar sketches and door to door sales had me, my glorious wife and two children moving forward. Failures won’t happen with us artists, only dips that we learn to fix from every day projects.

Wilf Carter, pastel

 

Being Ourselves
Early on in art as in life, we are influenced by others. In art, there is nothing wrong with admiring the greats. And as we progress, our confidence in ourselves steers us into our distinct individual path, creating our own art. Once it’s started, our need to create never leaves us.

I remember the very first time I tried to draw when I was 7 years old. I was drawing a penguin that fascinated me at the aquarium. It wasn’t much of a drawing but what I saw on the paper was a living creature. Right away, my mind directed me never to quit something that made me smile. I do remember that moment, and from there, my life’s direction was set. Gloriously.

Over the years, as I was developing, I felt a real joy in what was beginning to come from me. I steered away from those I was emulating. Thus evolved the real, autonomous “Harley Brown.” A gradual progression, like winter turning to spring and eventually a glowing summer. Everything we see mixes into our brain cells and keeps our aesthetic minds fresh and moving. This is what happens when we artistically continue the course towards being ourselves. This I say to you dear reader, there is no doubt about it.

The Personal Mind
We all don’t necessarily like the same food, cars, clothing or people. So why can’t we happily disagree with what we see with other accepted artworks? Here’s to any of you who question what’s right in the world of art from this day onward. You honorably have your own opinion; what you personally think about any works of art you happen to be viewing. What others think is of no concern. 

Where do we go in art? Here’s the old saying: “Follow your bliss.”

Journey to Home, pastel

 

The Details
I don’t spend too much time working on one area of my art piece when I begin. I get it relatively “correct” but will continue on elsewhere, going back and forth into most areas, eventually working in details where most needed. Watch out for too many textures as well as details. Art is a give-and-take where certain parts of an art piece have importance; parts with those details and having stronger color and contrasting values. Other areas might be toned down. Like music: parts that are allegro and parts adagio.

A Few More Thoughts
Remember these four things: deep observation, values, shapes and edges.

A painting should be more warm than cool or more cool than warm. Not equal warm and cool.

I work with an aggressive approach. Boldness comes from learning and applying. There’s no graduation day in art.

Understand gray areas working with color areas.

Squint often to see shapes without details. Interesting shapes and values help make masterpieces.

Don’t overdo reflected lights. Certain parts might not be as light as you think.

Here I Go Again with the Harley Oath

“I do hereby declare from this day forward, I will do a drawing from life, for at least half an hour every day and  for the rest of my life. Oh, yes!” Learning your skills the right way, your desire will reveal wonderful uncharted worlds within you. And that’s a promise.

On to the Market, charcoal

 

Mother Nature
I must say that Mother Nature is the most creative master artist in all history. One example is this: I live on a hillside with a huge window facing miles of the West Coast. Every day, I observe the visual drama of different mixtures of blue sky, dynamic clouds, mountains, Pacific Ocean and forests. Each time I look, there’s a truly unique and breathtaking original tour de force in front of me.

Art Gives Back in the Best Way
I was so fortunate with my early decision in art. My mother and father inspired me all the time. With some hard work, it fell into place, allowing me to do what I totally love. Believe me when I say I’ve had fun all the way, from a stone broken starting point. I’ll add this: it’s been more fun than possible to explain. Like much of existence, it simply has to be lived, not described.

Let me throw this in for what it’s worth: no one should accept a moment of boredom. It can be overcome with a bit of effort. When that moment starts surrounding the mind, it doesn’t hurt to do something different: 

• Phone someone you haven’t talked with for a while. 
• Watch a favorite movie from beginning to end. 
• Bring out a notepad and start a daily journal. 
• Compose two poems. Four lines each.
• Come up with a brand new melody.
• Watch other people and pry into what you think they’re thinking.
• Look about the room. Remember the history of what you see.
• Stop reading here. Get a piece of paper and start sketching.

All, and many more from your imagination, will get the mind moving positively. I’m sure of it.

Here With Family, pastel

 

You Know This
Over the many years, I’ve been passing on to others what I’ve learned and experienced, often knowingly repeated. In art, we take nothing for granted. Every feature of a face, the trees along that horizon, folds in the clothing, clouds above. Personally, I don’t trust using my memory with getting something right. I always go to the source, the real thing. Through our years, we visually understand what reality gives us. We’re together with our subject as we go back and forth, stroke by stroke, looking and doing. As mentioned, trying doesn’t work, doing does.

Such a Life!
Our studio can be wherever we are.

Cost of being in art: pencils, kneaded eraser and paper, about $20.

Being in the arts keeps our minds vibrant, ready and young, and our imagination has no boundaries. There’s no reason we have to retire. Ours is a world that others dream of living in.

Being Here and Now
Right now the entire world is at our internet fingertips. So how does this wonder-world sound for a film: Michelangelo is magically transported through space and time to “here and now” and gets my welcoming greetings. He can have the upstairs suite in my house, and I’ll have my grandchildren show him the details of our culture including digital. I’ll also be his friend and agent. And along with so much that he’ll be involved in his art, we’ll see if he’d also like to do articles for International Artist. Sound okay? For many reasons, Michelangelo will be so happy to be with us in our legendary time.

Our Dreams Come True
International Artist brings many extremely talented and successful artists to these pages. Words and images that truly can make a heartfelt difference. We artists are together in our wonderful world of creation. Yes, we’re all unique in our backgrounds, family life, country, friends, etc. As I’ve said, those of us in the arts are closer together than most people.

I personally don’t know you, but in certain ways, I do. You and I have many parts of us that are quite similar. The dreams we started with and the daily challenges with our creative minds. Often, we have an innate understanding, especially you getting into my mind with my words and art pieces.

Now, we’re not truly saying goodbye. We will always understand each other with what we go through. What’s inside us wanting to get out and bring life onto paper or canvas or with clay. So no, this is not goodbye. My thoughts are with you and how you’ve connected with me. We’ll stick together with heart and talent.

We artists don’t go out of fashion. We’re permanent. —