Here's some of my story, which tells about my wandering through art school and about what I've always wanted to do all my life: painting.
I was 17 when I entered the Gerrit Rietveld academy for Arts and Design in Amsterdam (I'm Dutch). I chose to go for the Graphic Design department, merely out of pressure from my high school adviser and my family. At least as a graphic designer you could make some kind of a living. Becoming a painter was not a job, it was a 'hobby,' something you did after your day at the office, or on Sundays.
Needless to say, I wasn't all that attentive in my typographics classes. I mostly hung out where the paint department was. I figured, as long as I paid my tuition, I could get my education anywhere in the building. Not so. I was kicked out after a juggling 3.5 years because I failed to comply with the administrative rules. ( Which was being at the class I was scheduled to go to, and doing assignments for teachers who were more into drilling than communicating.) I remember crying and being desperate for a while, because I felt that if an art school had no appreciation for my being an artist, and had more respect for their rigid rules, then where could I go? (A salliant detail - the school was in the middle of an enormous downsizing scheme because of a drop in government funding, and the Graphics Departement was one of the few to keep its full body of teachers. . .As far as apprentice-quotas, I was a loose cannon.)
So much for my story of art school. I did learn stuff anyway, thanks to two teachers I want to name here, Peter Koeman and Ans Hey.
I did what most people do: I got all the left and right jobs I could get, always dreaming, "one day my job is being a painter." It was hard to stay focused on that all the time, since real life does its best to interfere, just to let you figure out if what you want is really what you want. But here I am, 30 years old, still poor, but happy and painting. I have faith that if I do what I most want to do, the money will come. (Luckily my girlfriend believes this too.) I've learned to ask for help and let others help me, not a small thing, I assure you. (Pride, ego, fear of failure, you name it- all those potential personal enemies).
I like to communicate with other artists, exchange stories, pep talk, smart ideas and inspiration. I hope this Resource site will make that even more possible than it does already. . . I just moved to Tampa FL and I'm looking for budding artists. Rumor has it there are some around here! If you have artist friends, or know of art groups in Florida, please refer them to me, at Snoekie1@aol.com
- Petrouschka (A.M. Zandvliet)
