I recently had a group from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) visit my art studio. They were a great group with lots of interesting questions and a real interest in the art. When people are interested, I am always happy to talk about my painting process, the materials I use, and how my art has evolved over my lifetime.
Having people come to the studio also helps me to clarify my thoughts about what I'm doing, and to think about what I really want to do. For any professional artist (except the stars, perhaps), it's a matter of comproomise: you paint with passion from the heart, but you also listen to your collectors and gallery directors--the ones who are paying you.
When I was young, I would never compromise on anything concerning my art. But now I am happy to have my paintings hanging in other people's homes and offices, even if it is because the colors match their couch. And if they want to see birds, planets or cities in my non-objective (non-representational) paintings, that's OK too.
Here are two paintings that one of the AAUW visitors fell in love with. I had them hanging above my desk because I love them, too:
