TREY BRYAN: July 2007

Living up here in west virginia has tought me so much about life and especially my life as a practical devotion to painting. I have become closer to my family and we have talked about things that I have never engaged them about in conversation before. Its interesting to think about the paths that all my brothers have taken to get to this point that we are now all at in this present time. The oldest, john 26, is a lawyer, austin, 22, is unemployed with to much love for the ladies, and some moms now and then. I am pursuing an arist career, and Beau,16, the youngest, is currently looking to enroll in Washington and Lee or William and Mary university. 2 of some of the best colleges in the country. But I keep on thinking that nothing is a mistake and we all find our place to grow. We all will be happy, my family and I, no matter what happens in our endeavors.

But enough about them, I have fallen in love with painting. But that dosent make much since to just "fall in love with painting." What does that mean? You love to stroke the wood of the brush as you apply paint to make juicy...strokes? Yeah I guess so, thats probably 2 percent of it. Im talking about falling in love with the practical side of being a painter, more or less, a landscape painter. Seeing as im a loner and not alot of people get alone with me, or i dont get along with them, I tend to have the need to be alone and what better profession to have for me than being a landscape artist. but I also like going to parties, dressing up nice to impress sometimes too, dont get me wrong, but ive always had a much greater attraction to the wild. Ive spent much of my life shooting machine guns and riding four-wheelers way before i could walk. And growing up in the woods, you learn that life is not about trophy wifes or 10,000 dollars suites or cars more expensive than houses, but the integrity of ones self is that which is important. If your true to yourself than your true with everything else. But this summer, I have proved to myself that i seem to have what it takes to be totally engulfed in a life that you cant just buy, or trade with someone. You got to have the drive, integrity, and determination way before the so called talent that everyone puts on great up coming artists and designers. Talent is alive at an early age but if you dont put your car in drive to stagger over the mountain to actually be someone in the so called "art world," all your going to ever hear is, "Oh, he use to be so talented." or " are you still doing the art thing?".........no way man, not in any other profession. People arnt going to say,"are you still doing the law thing?" no, there just gonna say,"Well where are you going to practice at?" ..........Talent is nothing without marketing. As much as i have learned about this summer in this field, i can probably sum it up in two words.....BE SERIOUS. If you want to be taken seriously, then you must act seriously. At least in the fine art world, clients want to invest in a professional, some one they can count on and not some kid with no values or integrity in his or her work. Go to galleries and go out of your way to meet people and pilers in the society. Be respectable and they will be respectable 3 times back to you....heres a secret to hitting it on the right foot with people that you just met........say "YES SIR/ MAM." this will take you farther than you think. it will tell people where you came from and where your going. Try it.......the world is full of young, dumb, full of cum artists assholes (pointbreak), be a gentelman and suprise them. But having a nice portfolio helps tramendously also.

But I have grown alot since school got out, i have become a greater painter, and i have stumbled on carpentry. I will post pictures of the renovation of the upstaires portion of the old dallor store that i have been living in. but im about to embark to New York with Jane in a couple of days and i have no idea where we are going to end up but i also have to say that im really looking forword to illustration this fall. and seeing everyone else

tootles---