My life as an artist

Self Study Mindy Montgomery 2012

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My Life as an Artist

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Growing up I always loved to draw. In fact, I won my first art contest when I was in the first grade. A local bank sponsored a poster contest, I can remember creating my marker drawing on the 12 x 18 manila paper like it was yesterday. The tooth of the paper gripped the markers as I created streamers and confetti in the air to celebrate the bank and all it had to offer. I won a $10 deposit to my savings account, and more importantly to me at that time was my photo in the paper. Nothing could stop me from drawing now; bunnies became my subject of choice. I had a certain schema I chose to repeat over and over. Literally hundreds of bunnies I had to have drawn between first and second grades.

My mom always encouraged me to create art. She enjoyed art, and was inspired herself by my Grandfather’s artistic ability. She created for me what she called “the rainy day” box. It was filled with paint, brushes, glue,

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Self Study

Artistic Development

University of Florida

Fall 2012

White Charcoal on black paper, 12x18

Self Study Montgomery 2012

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markers, construction paper, red safety scissors, colored pencils and pink cotton balls. I am not sure what the cotton balls were for, but I remember the fluffiness taking up quite a bit of room in my box. I loved this box and pulled it out frequently, until the ill-‐fated day that I spilled red paint onto our new carpet. My Mom scrubbed and scrubbed, trying to lift the red stain from the copper colored carpet to no avail. She finally just moved a table to hide the stain from my Dad. I remember him asking about why the table was in a new spot, Mom just replied, “I was sick of it over there!” Thanks Mom, Dad was never quite as understanding of my art messes!

I continued to enjoy art throughout school, creating and drawing quite often in and out of the art room. I remember making masks in 3rd grade, and drawing scribble designs that we colored in. I repeated the scribbles at home. This was common for me, I took what I learned in the art room and repeated it over and over. Looking back I fit well into Lowenfeld’s stages of development (Wilson & Wilson, 1981).

Art making was not my only endeavor in the fine arts. I also was a dancer. I started when I was 3 years old and just kept going. For a long time in my early teenage years that is what I thought I would be, a dancer. I ended up spending 4-‐5 nights a week at the dance studio. I assistant taught the younger kid’s classes in order to help pay for my own classes. We traveled to Chicago each summer to take classes at Gus Giordano’s studio. The opportunities which dance gave me are immeasurable. I made friends, and created lasting benefits to my mind and body.

During this time art became my refuge when I was home. My Dad was an alcoholic and life in my house wasn’t always easy. I would shut myself in my bedroom and create projects. I would sink hours into being creative with any school assignment given. I re-‐created a newspaper from

Watercolor, pen and ink, 12x18 inches Watercolor, pen and ink, 2.5x3 Inches

Watercolor, 5x8

Etching with aquatint, 4x5


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the colonial times, writing each section out in calligraphy. I researched and drew authentic political cartoons. I dipped the paper in tea to make it look aged. My teacher was amazed and it felt good to get the attention for my talents.

When I got to high school, I took a Zoology class during 9th grade. We dissected animals each week. Along with our lab reports we had to complete detailed drawings of each creature. The first one was a crawfish. I quickly created an accurate drawing that by far surpassed the average student’s rudimentary sketch. I can remember Mr. McCollum encouraging me to take an art class. So, I did.

I signed up for Design 1; I was the only freshman in the class. I can remember feeling intimidated by the seniors taking the class just to get their art credit. When I sat down the first day, I can remember Mrs. Corwin setting out seashells for us to draw. We were expected to create a good composition with 5 -‐7 different shells in pen and ink. She gave a stern warning about tracing. I carefully looked at each shell and drew them the very best I could. I was so proud when I finished, I remember the look on many of the upper class mans faces of jealousy-‐except for the kid behind me always smelled like pot-‐I do not think he cared about anything! My heart was broken when I got called up to the teacher’s desk and was accused of tracing. I held back the tears, as she gave me the chance to re-‐draw the shells in front of her. I easily re-‐created my first drawing. I was now her favorite student! I remember later in the year when we did painting projects, she had special paint that only I was permitted to use. I had to hide it when I was finished. I remember her raving over a watercolor flower I painted. This was her last year at my school, she retired and we got a brand new teacher. This was exciting, a new teacher straight out of college whom was full of new ideas.

Raised Copper Vessel with Patina, 6x8 inches

Sterling Silver Bracelet, 2x3.5 inches


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India Ink and Tempera Paint, 12x18

Mrs. Day changed my life forever. She inspired me in so many ways, not only did she teach me about art, but about life as well. We created projects that were interesting and captivating. She made the class fun, something that I took with me into my own career. Vygotsky (Cole & Wertsch, n.d.) felt that what and how the young artist grows up or their culture influences children, thus directing how they develop. I was no doubt influenced by factors that happened during this time in my life and the people in it.

The summer before my senior year changed my life forever. My Dad passed away. This created a tension inside me that I could not explain. I was too young to truly understand the loss I had suffered. Many other things changed, my mom sold our house that I had lived in my whole life to my older sister and moved into an apartment. I refused to move, so my sister let me stay with her and her family. Looking back this was such a poor choice. I quit dancing, and got a job at the mall. I continued to make art. I remember getting yelled at for drawing while I should have been working one night. I cried because it was a sketchbook assignment that was due the next day. My boss told me I was the most uptight teenager he had ever met, and I was. Art was really the only thing I enjoyed at this point. It got me through one of the toughest times in my life.

During this time, I came home one day to find my nephew and his friend in my bedroom, tearing up all of my artwork. I still to this day am not sure what they were thinking. It was a very sad day in my life. I lost most of what I had created to this point. I have only a few sketches left from this time in my life.

The following winter I started college at Miami University. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. I knew I loved art, but what could I do with an art degree? I began taking studio classes, and I fell in love. A hole in my heart was filled that had been empty. I learned so many knew processes and was introduced to new ideas I had never even thought existed. I loved the atmosphere and the smell of art supplies that filled the halls. The professors were amazing and I made life long friendships. When it came time to choose my career, my first thought was that I would go into graphic design. My sister was able to get me an internship with the Department of Energy in the graphics department. That was the longest summer of my life. I quickly realized an office job was not for me. That is when it hit me-‐ I wanted to teach art. I quickly rearranged my course load to include the education classes and I was on my way. I was accepted into the art education department and continued my way through school. This change in major added an extra year to my college career, looking back now it was well worth it. I also was able to get some more electives in the studio area. It felt so great to be able to learn so many different processes.

India Ink and Tempera Paint, 12x18

Self Study Mindy Montgomery 2012

Metals, ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking and drawing, what an amazing time it was. I learned so much about how to make, talk and look at art. I really didn’t want to graduate I was having so much fun. Into the real world I had to go, and before I knew it I had my dream job teaching high school art.

I still felt I had/have not found my niche as an artist. I like everything, what is my media of choice? I still haven’t discovered that! I do not think I ever will. I get excited at the idea of a new project. I am an impatient artist and often move on to a new project before an old one is complete. I have included several pictures of a few of my many unfinished pieces. I long for more time to work on my art; it is part of what completes me in life. I have become accustomed to working so much on this masters and training myself to focus, that I hope once it is complete I will have that ability to finish some work and truly explore my artistic side.

References

Cole, M., & Wertsch, J. V. (n.d.) Beyond the individual-‐social antimony in discussions of Piaget and Vygotsky. Retrieved from http://webpages.charter.net/schmolze1/vygotsky/

Gardner, H. (2002). On the three faces of intelligence. Daedalus, 131(1), 139-‐142.

Wilson, B., & Wilson, M. (1981). The use and uselessness of developmental stages. Art Education,

34(5), 4-‐5.

Unfinished woodblock, 24x8


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Charcoal on paper, 24x36



Unfinished Woodblock, 24x36

Acrylic on Canvas, 36x36

Acrylic on Canvas, 36x36

Fabric and paper collage, 18x36

Pencil on paper, 8x12

My life as an artist

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