Began photography as a hobby in the 50's. Began drawing and painting in the late 60's with courses at local universities, private "ateliers" and workshops. Continue photography and drawing/painting, with the landscape my primary subject. (Played music from Jr. High on - now as a cellist in a few local amateur quartets).
Although I don't have a degree of any kind (and "art" training consists of one "Art Appreciation" class which ended up focusing on Greek architecture,) my background is technical (20 years as a computer programmer, the last few as the pointy-haired boss.) Photography started as a hobby (well, still is, actually.) I recently took up guitar again after having dropped it as a young man when the family came along, and have also begun to become interested in drawing and sketching.
Politically, aerodynamically, and fashionably incorrect.
I'm impressed - so many artists!
Not an "artistic" bone in my body ;-) Aside from doing a cartoon strip for the local weekly paper while I was in college (35 years ago), I couldn't draw, sculpt, or paint anything recognizable if my life depended on it! I can appreciate something that appeals to my eye but my artists friends say it isn't "art" (snicker!)
I started as a writer. Liked to draw, but was never accomplished. Photography took over much of my life late in college while i was still studying literature. I dropped photo several years ago to become a musician ... somthing i always wanted to do. but then burned out on that and came back to photo.
I prefer the title "artist" to "photographer" because it's open ended enough to be almost meaningless ... not likely to pin me down, I think I keep coming back to photo because I have the easiest time expressing with it what I'm able to express with it ... although there are many aspects of my life and feelings about life that are better expressed in writing or in music. I just have yet to find a real voice in those other media.
I'm a physicist who thinks in pictures. I like to annoy my artist friends by saying that I get the same aesthetic response from a good painting and a good equation. It's true.
I have an art degree. Started college in illustration but graduated in advertising design. Most of my buddies were in the photo program and I had a lot of fun assisting them in the studio. I did the art director/designer thing at a few ad agencies and now do inhouse work for a large marketing place. I do freelance illustration and try to draw everyday in the sketchbook to keep me sharp. Photography seemed like a natural avenue to everything else and I've found that I really enjoy it on an unexpected level.
For those interested my illustration site is www.menacingtourist.net but be patient with the load time. It's meant for people with agency connections
No, no.
"I like to annoy my artist friends by saying that I get the same aesthetic response from a good painting and a good equation."
A lot of musicians and composers would understand, especially in new music. I have a friend who's getting her doctorate in new music performance. Some of the compositions are extremely cerebral ... mathematical, theoretical, pattern based. They tend to see the more common understanding of music (as pure emotional expression) to be only one of many possibilities.
I'd echo Struan's point with another example. The three activities that have claimed substantial chunks of my
life have been composing & playing music, photography, and software development. This may be hard to accept
but there are remarkable similarities between the three. Each has a creative<sup><small>*</small></sup> and a technical component, and the
execution of the activity requires both to come together.
Computer programming? Creative? Perhaps it just has an image problem -- Alexei Sayle's future folksong starts "Oh, I'm a computer programmer from jolly Milton Keynes..."
Leigh Perry
www.leighperry.com
I can pick my nose pretty well when I put my mind to it....or finger as the case may be.
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