We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Raynott recently and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I was lucky enough to make a living from the sale of my works at a very young age. Every day is a blessed day, it is an incredible opportunity, but also a considerable amount of work. I wouldn’t say that these are sacrifices, since it is a passion which can sometimes, if you are not careful, devour your life.
But especially when you are young, talent is not enough, you have to understand the artist’s profession and also build your career, in particular a trusted collaboration with art galleries.
I sometimes think that if I had to get a job to live, I would never have been able to create works that I am happy to present, due to lack of time. I believe that the life of an artist when you have an ambition for quality and creativity, whatever your talent, requires time and considerable energy.
This idea coming to my mind, highlights the fragility of the artistic profession, that circumstances, luck, encounters, courage and energy make the difference… and perhaps destiny if we believe in it…
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Like all children I drew and I continued throughout my life.
Why some people have the need to draw everything they see is very mysterious.
It may be a need to take better ownership of what surrounds us, and also certainly to spend moments of calm and relaxation, for long hours. Time stops, everything goes in slow motion.
The discovery of drawing techniques, painting, how to master colors, imagining them is a different adventure every day and often full of surprises.
There was life in the workshop and the extension when success with art galleries came.
I remember when I sold my first painting, I was 17, that day when I knew that I would be a full-time artist.
So began a life as an artist made up of meetings with people passionate about art, galleries, openings, who helped me progress in my art throughout the years.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The idea of freedom in the creative process, of choosing one’s inspiration and influences.
To be an artist is also to deeply love certain works by other artists, past or present, which form the basis of our artistic influences.
When you’re lucky enough to be a full-time artist, there’s that feeling that time belongs to you fully, the whole day sometimes part of the night to give free rein to your creativity is a daily opportunity.
Then there’s the reception by galleries and their public, which is an important part of the life of a professional artist. When it’s positive, the artist has the feeling of existing even more; success gives you wings.
My paintings begin a new life when they leave the galleries
to be hung on the walls of art lovers all over the world; it’s the vocation of a work of art to be shared.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Teaching artistic disciplines in schools from an early age gives children an open mind and a lifelong love of the arts.
In adulthood, children who have received an artistic education will always have an appetite for the arts.
Even modest art exhibitions in small towns can open up new horizons and artistic vocations. When I was 11 years old, it was an exhibition by the French cartoonist JEAN JACQUES SEMPÉ (New Yorker covers) in the small town where I was born that gave me a taste for drawing that has never left me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.raynottart.com
- Instagram: raynott-california-artist
Image Credits
CREDIT copyright DANIEL RAYNOTT. 2024