Busses at Rest by Mart E. Gardner, Artists - Watercolor Academy Art Competition entry

Story and artwork from Mart E. Gardner

My painting of "Busses at Rest" and how I came to do this painting.

My first artwork was in 3ed grade. I did a colored pencil drawing of the human ear 3' x 4'. I enjoyed it so much that from that day on I have used art to relax. When I moved to Jr. High I took my first official art class. That is when I found out I was just a typical 7-grade student of art.

As I moved through Jr. High I got to try my hand at many art mediums. I found out that my love and skill were focused on pencil/charcoal, watercolor, and oils. Nonetheless, I was still just going through the mechanics of drawing. While I loved the idea of doing art I had not yet developed the ability to transmit the love to the medium.

Now in High school, I continue my studies of art by taking as main art classes as possible. I was lucky, I got to study art at the Springville Art museums in Utah. It was on the Springville High campus at that time. As the years in high school passed I push my knowledge trying to overcome being just an average artist. I even applied to a number of art schools during my senior year. All of which replied thanks but you're just not what we are looking for. So I went to electronics and later on computers.

I never lost the love of drawing and art. As I became a full-time computer programmer I found myself doing artwork with a new medium, the computer. Over the next 40 years, I dabbled in art from time to time mainly to relax.

Then in 2017 I retired and started a new lifestyle. Now with all the time in the world, I picked up art once again. I dove into the deep end and added a new way to study art, online. Wow, what an eye-opening if was. I felt like Rip Van Winkle (By Washington Irving) waking up to find that the familiar world of art that I once knew had changed, and how it had changed. Now I was able to study art by just clicking a mouse and a cornucopia of attests were lining up to show me their skills and even more teach me how they do it.

And now for the first time, I'm able to draw from my life experiences and focus the love on the canvas. After a lifetime I now draw and paint with the skill to put my love of art through the pencil and brush to the canvas. Where will all this take me, I don't know, I'm not looking for a career now just the time and ability to do what I have loved to do all my life.

Why would I like to win a chance to study at the Watercolor Academy? One thing I have learned over a lifetime is that you never stop expanding your mind, improving your skills, and with your abilities pushing the bar higher. For once you do you're done. I'm done with computers, electronics, boating, fishing, and hunting to name a few things, but I will never, never be done with art. So I keep looking for the next opportunity to expand, improve, and push my knowledge to the next level. This is what I hope to get out of the Watercolor Academy the ability to raise my knowledge, expand my mind, and raise the bar even high.

Now that you have suffered through this long story of my road to becoming an artist I hope you will help me with the next step and vote for my watercolor of "Busses at Rest".

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