Are you an artist?

[pressedclay]

I’m curious as during this year I’ve been reviving me childhood passion for art, dabbling in drawing and watercolours. It’s making me dream of a second career as an artist which is unlikely as I’m not very good and I’m in my 40s! I wish I had gone to art school.

Anyway are you an artist professional or amateur? What sort of work do you make? Did you go to art school, get a degree or are you self taught, do you sell or show your work?

I’d of course love to see your work but as I’m not posting mine I feel ai can’t expect to see it but if you want to lovely!

No artists??? I don’t believe it, they must all still be in (bed)the studio! 😁

My friend is.

She sells via Saatchi sometimes.

She’s an Art teacher with a degree in fine art.

Painting is my hobby! If people ask me to do something I sell, but honestly I do it because I enjoy it. Completely self taught amd still learning, would have loved to go to art school though. I put my art on my Instagram because its there but I don't have many followers. All my paintings are watercolour and I've been having fun with paper mache lately, currently making a mushroom just for fun. Get back into it! Its always fun making a mess with paints. 😁

It's never too late, just keep enjoying it and see where it leads you. My Granddad became an artist in his 70's after a career as a mechanic. He just started it as a hobby after retirement. He now sells his work in local art shops and to passer bys who see him out painting as he mostly paints watercolour landscapes and local scenes. He has no training although he's read a lot of 'how to...' type books from the library. I love painting but do it for my own enjoyment, it's become too much like hard work when I've tried to even get something done for a competition so I know it wouldn't suit me as a job. So maybe you could test out how you feel about creating art as a job/to sell versus to express your own creativity.

You could do a year's art foundation course and see how you get on? I went to art school in my 30s, having not done any art since I was 14, and with not a lot of talent beyond an 'eye' of being able to see what made a good design.

I ended up with an MA in Fine Art, in painting. I used to sell work but it's just an occasional hobby now (I'm 51). Totally don't regret doing the degree though, it taught me a very different way of looking at things.

I am, as a hobby. Did go to college, but was taught fine art and have ended up teaching myself digital art. Here's some from a little project I did for myself earlier in the year

My retirement plan is to go and do an art foundation course to get myself back into OP. Perhaps you could join me? I'm 48, so I have a while to go yet....
Never give up.

I know a number of artists including a sculptor, a ceramicist, painters, and photographers. They all work in schools, as teachers or technicians. All did fine art/art degrees, except one of the photographers whose degree is in a completely unrelated subject (science) but came to photography later. They're all very good (well, I think they are!) but they have to pay the bills too

Sadly commercial success is rarely linked to talent, at least during their lives.

Yes Im a full time but very impoverished artist..i used to be a nurse and counsellor and was due to return to nursing before covid came (i had to shield) as financially it became too unstable . I did go to art college but that was many many years ago...so..
There are artists out there you've never heard of who do ok but the competition is huge and art buyers relatively few so be prepared ..but success will be to your own definition.
I sell mostly small beachscapes with family groups on , and my current bestseller ..bees ! Heere are two samples 😊good luck..pm me for more support if you want 👍

A relative of mine is a ceramic artist and is well known in that world (niche!!). He has a masters degree and teaches a bit too although not so much these days. He has won some major prizes and his work sells for a lot of money now although I’m still not sure if the price reflects the enormous amount of time each piece takes to make.

@ginandbearit - I love your bee!

My dad has been an artist 40+ years and had his own gallery 30+ of those.
No degree or formal training.

I’m an artist.I sell loads of art allover the world. I was in my 40s when I learnt how to paint in watercolour and then acrylics. Go for it. I don't make a huge amount of money now. Sales have gone down during covid. Hoping it will pick up again next year. Pics of my art attached.
At the moment I am selling miniatures as they are easier to post

My DP is an artist. He attended a very prestigious art school back in the late 80s and has been a full time artist for the last 20 years. He mainly sells online but also has exhibitions and, if he likes the brief, and clients can afford it, will sometimes take commissions. He has a secondary income via fine art prints and cards which sell around the world.

@ginandbearit that bee is fab! How much would you sell something like that for, out of interest?

I make and sell miniatures and jewellery.

I've name changed because I am totally outing myself here. 😂
This is a link to a gallery of the minis I've made.

www.heathersedgecrafts.co.uk/miniatures-gallery

I see photography as an art. I love to edit my photos with added colour and/or textures or even to resemble watercolour paintings. I don't try to sell them though because it's just a hobby.

I haven't done any kind of training or anything btw; I just sit at my computer and fiddle about with my images in Photoshop until I think they look nice! I got an E for art at GCSE

The only place I show them is on Facebook or Flickr (though I haven't uploaded anything for ages) and occasionally I enter them into competitions at my local camera club.

I sell digital art on Etsy. I prefer digital uploads for the customer to print off themselves. It take all the hassle away from posting pictures. It's just a hobby but I also do custom dog portraits from photos.

Love seeing all the art :)

Everybody’s art on here is stunning. That bee is just adorable!

I’m not an artist at all but I think the best thing to do is just to make art for you, share it on social media and see what happens.

Whatever you do, don’t post lengthy rants on the same social media about all the effort you’ve gone to and then nobody buys your work! I’m sure you wouldn’t, but someone on my FB does this regularly and it doesn’t really make you want to buy her (frankly not very good) work 🙈.