Hello universe!

2011-11-02T01:08:00.000-07:00

And so the moment arrives... Martin Bullivant has entered the blogosphere! Let me interest you for a moment...! (Only a moment-I know my place in the scheme of things. After all, I'm just another crouton floating on the bouillabaisse of life, eh?)
Now I want to start with a BIG subject, which is that shed-loads of people come to my studio every day and say something really worrying. They say 'I wish could paint'.
Why is that worrying? Because most-if not all-of them can. At least to a degree miles better than they think. But they seem to have the idea that to get to be an artist you have to jump through a whole load of hoops first.
They assume I went to Art College (I didn't), started painting as a child (nope wrong again-I was 27) and that I have been doing this most if not all my life (maybe starting as apprentice to some famous person like Rembrandt, Turner or Picasso).
All this is misconceived.

I have done lots of things, things that we all think get in the way of dreams. I grew up, went to school (funny-it felt longer at the time). I studied law, then was a probation officer for nearly twenty years, then I was a government researcher and policy adviser (ooh posh eh?) then I was a church minister. I have been a dad for nearly thirty years, and now me and Jackie live with the latest family dog...Archie the co-dependant Labrador who is, shall we say, high maintenance (Archie that is.... Ouch).

And, after many years painting at night, and at weekends, by a guttering candle in a tiny rat infested cellar (cue violins and soft-focus camera work) I am...
... a professional artist. A painter. Full time. How cool is that?

The BIG point is that I started somewhere... and I learned as I went. And here I am. My question for you is, where are you? Are you just assuming you can't paint well? If you've got a couple of minutes check out this short vid I've made. It could be the beginning of a whole new day! You can find out more here.

Martin paints pictures

Hello universe!