The Success of Intent and Passion in the Arts

THE MAKING OF AN ARTIST
NATHAN MARK PHILlIPS 

Nathan Mark Phillips      Digital Collage Artist
photo by Elizabeth Gordon

Tribute to Neil Armstron by Nathan Mark Phillips
with artist permission

Wayne Dryer, Julia Cameron, and others write about the mystical, but they are actually realistic elements that make for success in areas of our lives.  Julia Cameron writes specifically about art.  And there is also a book about Art by Steven Pressfield named The War of Art. I can remember when  Mark told me he was reading this wonderful book and he felt it set him back on his heels...that it directly says if you want to achieve in art you must treat approaching it like a job and dedicate yourself to it.  It is a kind of a boot camp for artists, but a very practical one beyond the thought that one must wait for the mood to create.  It completely changed Mark's outlook and output.  His art grew and grew, he evolved and blossomed.  It is literally amazing to see the progress, but it reminded me that true intent, dedication, and hard work pay off...but there must also be passion or the other three are left wanting.    

 Mark is now taking the first steps in building his career and I think it is a good role model for any artist. 

 First the work and learning skills and technique, second the application, third the reaching out to show and share.  Some stages are easier for some people than others, but I would say sharing is the hardest.  Art is an intensely personal thing, from deep inside one and your art is your creation-your expression of your creativity.  So when you share that with others, you are opened to acceptance or rejection, criticism or praise, or a non-reaction (which can be the most damning). 

Opening Night

Mark has now reached the stage of showing and sharing which is hard for him, as it was for me also. Mark is a private person, but he has and he said, stepped out of his comfort zone, to progress.  His work is now in a local gallery and he has built a shop on line and a blog.  

Newer Work by Nathan Mark Phillips
photo with artists permission

His work is wonderful and all along the way Mark has ask for advise from fellow artists and friends.  He has listened and ask for critical advise. All of these steps are well thought out and practical as he builds his career.  And one other element is hard work. Mark is prolific in his output and application to his craft. I predict a very successful career for Nathan Mark Philips.  I suggest you follow his progress, buy his work before he becomes famous, and become a fan of an artist on the move.