Three Things an Artist Needs
The artist has to have mastery of the techniques and skills with which he/she creates art. Like all great artists and indeed sportsmen, musicians and actors as well, true virtuosity makes the mastery of technical skills look deceptively easy. It is usually based on lots of hard work. Other elements here might include:
There has to be an intention to produce something – art is not produced by accident, chimps, elephants or cows don’t produce it. The ability to produce more than an accidental one-off is crucial.There has to be a desire to illustrate in its widest sense – to have the ability to produce in two dimensions what we ‘see’ in three, or in the case of a sculptor; three in three.The ability to exhibit a skill – for example, drawing to a level we would see as being above the ordinary.Art is self rewarding activity – the artist should enjoy what he is doing even though it can at times, be very frustrating.
