Artist statement in four sentences — what, why, how, and the takeaway

Your utter statement only needs four sentences. Not a page, forr. Write these down. One, what do you make? In plain English. Not your influences, not your feelings. I make large oil paintings of empty rooms. Done. If a stranger can't picture the work from the first sentence, start again. A two. Why this and nothing else? The question you keep circling. The thing you cannot leave alone. This is the sentence collectors actually remember. Three. How you make it. But only the part that carries the meaning. If your work process changes what the work says, name it. If it doesn't, cut it. Forr. What you want someone to take away. The door in, the feeling, the second look. The thing you hope lands. That is the whole statement. Most artists bury these four under a paragraph of art speak. They copy it from someone who copied it from someone else and says nothing. Yours is not weak because you were not clever enough. It's weak because nobody told you it was meant to be that simple. Four sentences. Go and rewrite yours tonight. Please. If you do, please feel free to send it to me. I love reading art statements. Follow for more honest texts on building a life as an artist.