Measuring Progress

I once was walking down a street with the vice president of sales and marketing of my company. He said to me that if his sales people where closing 100% of all their sales calls he was not happy. Why? He said that his people were not trying hard enough. His criteria for success was 50% closing rate. Then he knew his people were trying hard and doing their best.

I think this philosophy works for art as well. Except I think the percentage of art I am satisfied with is more like 10%. Art is something that is very skill oriented. I find that most of the art I produce is practice. I draw sketches, I try new materials, I draw preliminary drawings for ideas and for paintings, I try some images multiple times to improve my ability to get the result I want, and I am learning all the time.

I have heard about artists who paint the same elements in every painting, just move where they are. They get the paintings done, and charge the same as a new design, so commercially they are doing quite well, but they are not growing.

I have also found artists who have developed a "method" for creating their art, and use the same formula over and over again. Again, where is the experimentation and growth? I struggle with this because it is important to learn new solutions, and then to use these solutions over and over again, but when does the inclusion of past solutions become the "method" that stops growth and learning.

I guess for me, art is continous learning and exploring. I am very eclectic, so my exploration brings me to try new materials, new techniques, and new subjects. I always go back to people, and they are by far my biggest interest, but I have other interests too, and like to explore them and do.

I find my study of art goes in two general directions - breadth and depth. I am constantly testing new materials, and techniques in the hope of finding a material or technique that I will want to use in the future. I study subjects like people and anatomy in depth, since I need a vast knowlege to correctly draw and paint people.

My biggest struggle is with my ego. I want all my drawings, and paintings to be good. I get very disappointed when I create some art, and I see obvious problems. When I do, I have to remember that failures are the signposts of progress. If I am constantly producing work I like, I am not progressing and growing. I believe all the great masters worked on growth and improvement right up until their death. Afterall, art is a path that has no end in this life.