Staying on Track

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Early Morning Venice Robert Henri

The death, last week, of an artist and teacher from my childhood has caused me to reflect upon not only her life and work, but also those lessons that she taught me. The myriad distractions of daily life, from the constant need to earn money for survival to the many mundane chores and tasks required to keep it all going can combine at times to make us temporarily lose our focus in art-making. Remembering the passion Bess Carter found in painting and how she worked to instill that passion in her students has helped to reconnect me with the roots of my own passion for art making.

Here is a favorite quote from a well-known book Mrs. Carter first introduced me to, The Art Spirit by Robert Henri:

“There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall his vision b…