"Authority is as uncommon now as it ever was."
Authenticity & Your Art
Here is an outtake from my article in The Scribbler, the newsletter for the Pastel Guild of Europe. Is there authority in art?
Authentic art is the sacring bell of the artist's experience. If you are able to say something new with your pastels, people will beat a path to your studio door.
Developing authority as a pastelist is achieved by creating authentic artwork that is singular and unique. Authority is as uncommon now as it ever was. I once lunched with the archaeologist, Donald J. Wiseman; the man who excavated ancient Babylon! There at table with me was a living footnote; a true authority in his field.
One forgotten meaning of the word authentic is: authoritative. That is where my focus lies. An artist who has the merit of authority creates unimpeachable work. Remember, you are the first-person authority on your own ideas.