my art school dilemma+there are no rules

I recently read a book by Nell Painter called Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over. A noted historian, and newly retired from Princeton University, Ms. Painter enrolled in a BFA program, then pursued an MFA in Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design - all this while finishing her final academic book, The History of White People, caring for aging parents that lived on the opposite coast, and serving on various boards and committees related to her former career.

I was excited to read Old in Art School (Ms. Painter was 64 when she started her BFA), because I did much the same thing when I was in my 50s. I flamed out after the equivalent of three semesters . . . my dislike of drawing did me in. Ms. Painter, on the other hand, loves to draw and found all those assignments pleasurable and challenging. Ultimately, her experience at both degree levels made me extremely glad I did not stick it out.

Her reasons for wanting a degree, as opposed to simply gaining experience by just doing her art, resonated with mine. I was teaching (not art) at the university level when I enrolled as an art student and didn't think I had enough classical training to call myself An Artist (emphasis courtesy of Nell Painter). I met some terrific traditional students, a few of whom took the class I was teaching when they became seniors. Eventually, I decided I had all the tools I needed to become an artist, or at least to the extent of my artistic ambitions, which never included New York gallery representation or anything close to it. Did I and do I want to make a living at it? Um, yes.

Becoming comfortable with abandoning my art school aspirations included convincing myself that there are no rules in art. I can't emphasize this enough. THERE ARE NO RULES. The way we "see" an object or scene and our ability to translate it only canvas or into words or music is completely dependent on who we are and the gifts with which we have been endowed. My first painting teacher would probably be appalled at my present technique, but it works for me. I still use her method for saving paint, though. And for cleaning brushes.

For a beautiful example of excelling despite the lack of formal training, I'm going to harken back in art history to the life and work of Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653).

'Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura)' c. 1638-9

Italian by birth, Gentileschi was the daughter of a painter, but was not allowed to serve as an apprentice because of her gender. Nevertheless, she is the most important woman painter of Early Modern Europe. She was invited to London by Charles I, and probably produced this portrait there. In it, Gentileschi identifies herself as the female personification of painting. Her image was much in demand among 17th-century collectors attracted by her considerable abilities and her unusual status as a female artist. If you've never read anything about Artemisia Gentileschi, you'll enjoy doing so. She overcame a lot of obstacles.

I'm certainly not advancing skipping art school. The structure and discipline are invaluable. And, honestly, I can't imagine the luxury of having nothing to do other than create, as several MFA painting grads have described to me. There's also a prevalent notion that one will never be taken seriously as An Artist without a formal degree. Depending on your artistic goals, art school may well open the kinds of doors you desire.

I'll leave you with a taste of late summer in my neck of the woods:

©Valerie Timmons