Q: When you left the Navy you worked on commission as a portrait artist. Why don’t you accept commissions now?
Barbara’s studio
A: As I have often said, I left the active duty Navy in 1989, but stayed in the Reserves. The Reserves provided a small part-time income and the only requirement was that I work one weekend a month and two weeks each year. Plus, I could retire after 13 more years and receive a pension. (In 2003 I retired from the Navy Reserve as a Commander). The rest of the time I was free to pursue my studio practice.
For a short time I made a living making commissioned photo-realist portraits in soft pastel on sandpaper. However, after a year I became very restless. I remember thinking, “I did not leave a boring job just to make boring art!” I lost interest in doing commissions because what I wanted to accomplish personally as an artist did not coincide with what portrait clients wanted. I finished my final portrait commission in 1990 and never looked back.
To this day I remain reluctant to accept a commission of any kind. So I am completely free to paint whatever I want, which is the only way to evolve as a serious, deeply committed artist.
Comments are welcome!
Filed under: An Artist's Life, Art in general, Creative Process, Inspiration, New York, NY, Painting in General, Pastel Painting, Photography, Quotes, Studio, Working methods Tagged: accept, accomplish, active duty, art, artist, became, boring, clients, coincide, Commander, commission, commissioned, committed, completed, completely, deeply, evolve, free, income, interest, job, left, living, looked, lost, making, month, Navy, paint, part-time, pension, personally., photo-realist, portrait, provided, pursue, receive, reluctant, remain, remember, requirement, Reserves, restless, retire, said, serious, small, soft pastel on sandpaper, stayed, Studio, studio practice, thinking, want, wanted, weekend, whatever, work, years
