No Regrets: Why I make Art
by Alissa Van Atta
As far back as I can remember I made art. From the days of crayon on paper to today where oil and acrylic on
canvas is common, to learning how to create interesting finishes using a saggar, the emotion behind creating has always been the same.
I have yet to adequately describe this high, a complete elation when completing an artwork that has surpassed previous works’ achievements, a message conveyed…. THIS is why I make Art. To share this, to share this emotion, for viewers to just “get it.” It’s the lifeblood I feed upon. Art should be about FEELING, to be in the moment with the work. My favorite quote by Edward Hopper sums it up for me: “If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”
I’ve struggled with coming to terms with calling myself an artist. The question of “what do you want to be when you grow up” always frustrated me. I don’t know, there’s no name I can put to creating other than Artist and at that point the follow up question is “what’s your backup plan?”
I tried having an art side and a 9-5 side. I was miserable trying to manage that and something always fell to the side (usually my art). It took me awhile after processing my mother’s death about 7 years ago now to realize I needed to put myself out there, to give it everything I had in me to be full time Artist. What I walked away from was endless frustration and living in fear that I would never be me, to be happy doing what I want in life- to be an artist. No regrets. I don’t want to live my life in fear that I never even tried. I will mess up, make mistakes, but that’s life and I learned and will continue to do so.
“If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”
This fear also extended into my work itself - why should I not make pieces that have something to say, make you FEEL something? I’m scared you’ll hate it, but I’m more scared that I’ll keep it to myself and never have the ideas leave my head.
Disclaimer: I do not mean any offense to other artists or to dentists’ office decor.
I do not FEEL work that I see in dentist offices. I do not feel or get excited from the endless amount of flower paintings. I want my work to say something and be memorable. I want to be relevant to the world and events around me. I want the viewer to feel what I set to convey in the piece.
I was just in New York City for an art fair. I love the City…. The reaction to my work (and the following sales) was beyond rewarding.
I was witnessing people get what I was saying, feel the piece and be in the moment. You need those moments as an artist. It only makes the highs more magical and addictive. You feel relevant in this fast-paced, chaotic world. You get the contagious energy to create more.
Abstract painting scares some people because they feel like they don’t understand the work - at least this seems to be the reasoning I hear most often. If you are intrigued, captivated by the piece and enjoy it - that’s what matters. If you can feel something when viewing an artwork, that’s the magic. I think back to when I’ve made certain pieces and the emotion that I painted with - those are the paintings that are memorable in their creation.
Recently I’ve made the choice to reintroduce figures in my work. The observation that pure abstraction may scare people away may have played a part, but I think in the end having figures in my work adds another layer to the story, especially in a contemporary world with much taking place. It may help in giving the view a context, a starting point to unravel the artwork. I take the point of view that what the artwork does to you is important, the viewer interacting with the marks and textures on the canvas.
A few years ago I went back to clay - a medium I loved as a child, got to know better in college, but was delayed to getting back to working with unit a few years ago. Clay has taught me patience, and planning. I love learning new things, and there is so much to learn with Ceramics.
Artists often say it’s the journey that counts - and it is - I’m constantly learning, processing and experimenting. Life is uncertain, but I’m grateful to do what I do and love all that it entails - no regrets for being an artist.
Currently I create in Chapel Hill, NC and more can be seen at alissavanatta.com