Response to Lunchtime Lecture: Stanley Rayfeild

My first impression of Mr. Reyfeild was admiration for his work and how hard he worked to get where is today. He mentioned how when he first started doing art he didn't consider himself the best, yet through practice and dedication he has been widely recognized for his work. It also struck me how in college, Mr. Reyfeild initially began with the idea that he would go into the field of illustration, yet after listening to his mentors he was able to realize where his talents (and passion) truly lived, in the fine arts. This made me consider my own art and whether I would be willing to branch out in the same way as he did. Another thing that surprisingly resonated with me was the idea of "business" that Mr. Reyfeild felt needed to be maintained. He mentioned that in some of his shows where he focused more on what he wanted to do rather than his buyers, the worked turned out to be less successful in the public eye. So often I focus on how I feel about my own work rather than the opinions of others, yet in the real art world Mr. Reyfeild's perspective seems valuable.