JOINING AN ART WORKGROUP: IS IT FOR YOU?

Do you belong to an art group that meets regularly to share experiences of painting and drawing?  Or are you considering whether you should join such a group?

I have belonged to six different workgroups over the past few years, each being quite different from the others. But they all have been important features of my own development as an artist. If you are considering joining an art group, or even if you have never considered such an option, you might find the following thoughts about my experiences helpful.

In referring to a workgroup here, I am talking about self-help groups of like-minded people, rather than a fee paying workshop.  Such workgroups vary greatly in how they operate and what they might offer you. They differ in terms of:

·    the range of media or subjects encompassed.  For instance one of my groups is a watercolour group, whereas in another group anything goes! Another of my current groups is focussed on life drawing (in any medium);

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·    the scope of their activities. Do they simply paint and draw in a group setting, or do they also eg visit art galleries, mount their own exhibitions, or paint outdoors on occasion?;

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·    the range of levels of experience of the participants. Sometimes you only become a member of a group if your are invited and have established yourself to some extent, whereas others will encompass beginner to advanced artists;

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·    the extent of sharing of members’ work and knowledge. Some groups schedule a time for sharing and providing constructive feedback on members’ work, while other groups might do this only on an ad hoc basis;

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·    their goals.  Some are specific in terms of art outcomes, while others are largely social groups. Some are highly experimental:  one of the groups I currently belong to specifically aims to challenge and extend members’ practices;

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·    leadership. This can be very informal and hardly noticeable, while in other groups you might have an individual running a program to challenge participants.

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Given that groups can differ so markedly in how they operate and what they aim to achieve for members, you would need to decide what sort of experiences you want to have before finding and choosing a group that might suit you.

Why would you not want to join an art group?  There are a number of possible disincentives.  Signing up means you and I would have to:

·    expose our practice and paintings to others;

·    be in the mood for painting at a specified time each week and that could be difficult; and

·    find the time to be a regular attendee in a busy life schedule.

To find out how you would cope and how valuable being in a group would be, you have to pluck up courage and start attending. Once you find that others are supportive and helpful, your anxieties start to fade.  That has been my experience, for each of the groups I have joined.

There are some important outcomes for me of being part of a group:

·    ensuring I do regular painting;

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·    getting feedback on my work;

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·    obtaining suggestions, information and new ideas concerning techniques, new products;

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· exposing me to techniques, media and subjects that I would not see if I simply painted alone;

·    learning that other people struggle and are challenged by their practice: not just me!

·    developing a sense that I belong to a community of artists.