I saw this bumper sticker out on the road this week that read: Artwork is work. My first thought was how true. The following thought was who thinks that it isn’t? Is the perception of the need to address this the reason for this slogan?
I get this question all the time is this your real job? Where does the perception come from that if an artist is doing other work to put food on the table he is not a true artist?
Perhaps people think that artists don’t deserve a living wage because they don’t work? Or is it that the creation of culture that is art, is not worthwhile supporting? Is the only good artist a dead artist?
I, like most artists, have had to struggle with temp and part-time work and odd jobs to support my art habit because my art work doesn’t pay a living wage. Then again, I guess I can count myself with the millions of people who work and are not paid a living wage.
What does all of this have to do with art? The great societies throughout history are remembered by the artwork that they made. What are we producing… and more importantly, what are we supporting?
Roger Vincent Jasaitis 
You ask very insightful questions, Roger.
It is hard to believe it is the last day of October. I guess your fall leaves have dropped already. Ours are really pretty, looking out the window I see red dogwood, yellows, browns, red maples, yellow fig,
red blueberry bushes…. Oh the rainbow colors…. I have a tropical plant outside the office window that had many white blossoms over the summer and now where the blooms came out the tops are bright red like an upside down pine cone…. I’ll have to send you a photo.
It is a shame that we are in a disposable society. I sometimes feel out of place with my New England values of thrifty ways to remake things. I was surprised to hear this week of the millions of $ being spent on Halloween costumes for pets….. a different type of creativity. I really did like the previous painting with the single red tree. Is it very large? Love, T and T
Hi Tina, So much of our “disposable” society is optional. Fight the fight! Let your life speak. The red tree…You can see the full work at: http://www.rvjart.com/psalm_184_RVJ_art.html
I’ve been admiring your [what I believe to be] latest self portrait as of late on other media forms. It is a great representation of the subject matter 🙂 Very different from the others that I have seen of yours throughout the years and dare I say my favorite.
“Fight the fight! Let your life speak.” Great words of inspiration and a motto you truly live by. Thank you for always inspiring.
Hola Ernesto, muchas gracias para las palabras amables. There will be more forthcoming very soon about an exciting new portrait venture! Stay tuned…