My Journey with AI-Generated Art and asking the question will AI replace Creative Art?
- Feb 18
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 7
Introduction and Reflections on AI and Art
Let me start by sharing a bit about myself. I am nearly 70 years old and consider myself reasonably savvy with technology. I have a broad appreciation for IT and the web. I was a director of several companies and eventually ran my own business. After retiring at 63, I began creating my first artworks. This means I am both new to the art market and, more importantly, very new to AI and what it can offer.
I am self-taught but have greatly benefited from YouTube tutorials and countless books on art and artists over the last six years. In fact, I have become a sponge for all things art. As part of my learning journey, I have reproduced various paintings by recognised masters. Recently, I decided to start my own online gallery, but more on that later.
One day, out of idle curiosity, I downloaded ChatGPT and Grok. I began to play around with them, mainly because I had started seeing more articles about "AI stuff." I use the term "stuff" cautiously because I still don't fully understand it. After watching a Prime Movies documentary titled "AI Everywhere," I felt both thoughtful and eager to explore and learn even more. However, as I delved deeper, doubts began to surface. What impact could AI have on my art and, more importantly, the art market as a whole?
The following questions started bouncing around in my head:
Will there still be a demand for artworks created by humans?
How will the art world change?
Should I use AI in some way as part of my exploration and development as an artist?
Should I use AI as a tool within the creation of my works?
To illustrate the dilemmas these questions created, let me share one of my first attempts with AI. My latest artwork, a pastel simply called "Kingfisher," was created entirely by me, with no AI intervention. After finishing the original, I generated several Giclée prints and added them to The Eyecon Gallery. As a marketing trial, I uploaded the image into Grok's "Imagine" and typed, "Make me a video of the bird coming to life and flying out of the picture!" It took less than a minute, and the result is what you can see below. Just click on the arrow in the picture.
My Emotional Response
I was amazed, curious, and couldn't wait to create something else. I showed it to my wife, my golf buddies, and even my 42-year-old son.
Then the questions started:
Did you actually produce the original artwork?
How do we know?
Couldn't I create something like it with AI?
Doesn't that worry you for the future of your art?
Will people place the same value on an artwork produced with AI as they would on a photo or, like the Kingfisher, a pastel?
These are all valid questions that made me reflect deeply on my journey. Does the AI-generated marketing video/reel devalue my work?
I've found that my best thinking time these days is between 5:30 and 6:30 AM. I've always been an early riser, and it's when my mind is most creative and capable of problem-solving. By ten o'clock, however, I'm completely useless. The old saying "Early to Bed, Early to Rise" sums me up perfectly.
I am sure I am, like many of my fellow "sexagenarians" (yes, that's the correct spelling and definition for someone between the ages of 60 and 70), who came to art late, understand that a career in art has passed us by.
Yes, it's a passion, a relaxation, and a great hobby. But if, like me, you know deep down that enterprise and creativity are in your blood, you can't help yourself. We still enjoy the challenge of wondering if what we have created is saleable. Does it have value?
Can I Still Create Something of Value or will AI replace Creative Art?
That's what happened for me. I started my art as a hobby, something to do after a busy work life to keep me occupied. That pacified me for about two years.
When I look back at my first artworks, I see them as amateurish, and it frustrates me. So, I set about learning and practising. I joined various online art groups, watched tutorials, and developed my skills. I hate being beaten by anything. Five years on, I am still learning, getting better, and starting to have the confidence to show my work. Now, I am happy with my efforts. Then came Artificial Intelligence!
I had lunch recently with my brother, who is also recently retired. We talked about the future. As a fully converted Elon Musk disciple who drives a Tesla, he made a very enlightening comment about my latest concept. "Why do you think that will work as a product?" he asked. "You could just do that with AI, print and frame the result, and post them out. It would be much quicker, and the result may well be better!"
I immediately defended my position as an artist. "But where is the art in that?" I said. His response was blunt: "Does anyone care if they get what they want and it's cheaper?" He has always been direct!
What It Means to Be an Artist
The Traditional Role of an Artist
The traditional role of an artist involves creativity, stirring emotion, and reflecting human experience. However, AI challenges this role by producing art rapidly and without emotional intent. So back to the question will ai replace creative art?
I personally struggle with reconciling AI creations and the unique imperfections of human art. Does it matter? Well, that boils down to where, as artists, we create perceived value. More importantly, how do our potential customers perceive value?
As artists, I believe our outputs create value in many ways. We stir emotions with our creations, reflect human passions and moods, and contribute to our living spaces. I personally don't believe an AI-produced picture can transfer those human emotions into a hand-produced artwork. Somehow, the work of the hand reflects all of those elements in the finished piece.
For me, it's the conflict I always have with photorealism. I often find myself questioning why anyone would try to recreate a photograph. Surely what makes an artwork created by an artist's own hand unique is the fact that it isn't pixel-perfect.
Now, obviously, we all have differing objectives in creating our art, and that's what makes art so subjective and unique. For me, and trust me, I am still struggling with the urge to be an entrepreneur again, I want to create something that people value and perhaps collect.
However, I am enjoying my retirement, so my main objectives currently are:
To enjoy it and ensure it is not stressful.
To cover my costs (artist materials continue to rise steeply).
To share my developing knowledge so others can produce something they value.
To give back and acknowledge the help I have received from other artists along the way, both amateur and professional.
These include Colin Bradley, Oliver Pyle, Geoff Kersey, Adrian Hill, and Ian Robert, to name just a few. There are many more...
To give back to the artistic community and fellow newbies, providing encouragement to keep going. It is worth it, trust me. "Practice makes perfect."
Does AI Challenge the Artist's Role?
For me, the answer to that question is a big NO. Let me use the introduction of the e-reader to the book market as an analogy to explain my point of view.
E-readers generally increased overall reading and book purchasing, especially from about 2007 to 2015 when devices like Kindle expanded globally.
Key effects included:
Lower prices that encouraged more impulse buying.
Instant downloads that increased convenience.
Global access that widened markets.
Renewed sales for backlist titles (older books).
Many publishers reported that e-books expanded total book sales rather than replacing print entirely, especially early on.
However, e-books are typically cheaper than print:
Print novel: £8–£20
E-book: often £1.99–£7.99
This has greatly reduced the average revenue per unit sold, affecting income calculations for both publishers and authors. Could the impact be the same for artists?
The difference here is about the distribution of print, not the original work created by the author. Rarely does an author sell their original script, whereas artists do. When it comes to giclée prints, however, the whole world has become our marketplace rather than the traditional high street galleries. For new artists, especially, the gatekeepers to the market can be bypassed. You can have your own gallery or piggyback with another artist to create your own online gallery.
Of course, there is a downside. Suddenly, market choice is expanding, so unique selling points (USPs) become even more important if you want your art to stand out and make a living from it. Not something we sexagenarians usually have to worry about.
In summary, therefore:
E-readers did not simply increase or decrease author income — they transformed the system.
The Bottom Line
Top authors and successful self-publishers often earn more than before.
Many mid-tier or new authors earn less per book but sell considerably more books because their target market is much bigger.
The biggest change: income is now more volatile and unequal, but with greater opportunity for those who succeed.
Confronting Fear: Will AI Replace Artists?
When we apply the above to art and artists, my views—and I would love to read yours—are as follows: there will always be development, and AI is not going away. The skill of the true artist will be to harness the benefits that AI provides while mitigating the hazards and impacts by using it as a tool.
Yes, there will be anxieties, but there were also concerns about the computer, the car, and the aeroplane—all human inventions that continue to have a major impact while we harness the benefits that AI brings.
Have confidence in yourself and your ability to manage AI and use it to your advantage. If not, I genuinely believe progress will pass you by. Remember what makes art created by humans valuable.
AI lacks genuine human experience, emotion, and storytelling; it relies completely on the data we create. In effect, it is a parasite, and we must have the confidence to control it and use it as a tool. All artists are naturally creative, and if used correctly, AI will help you create new ideas, new inspiration, and even overcome creative blocks. Because let's be honest, there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9. “What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
The Unquantifiable Value of Human Creativity
AI, at present, does not possess human intuition, personal human experience, and, most importantly, human emotions. Human imperfections add authenticity and depth to everything we create. It's what makes us human.
My Conclusion
AI will not kill the creative artist, but it will transform what being an artist means.
It will open up more markets and, when used as a tool, will generate wealth in different ways away from traditional art markets.
It will encourage young artists to adapt, learn, and redefine their creative boundaries.
It may not appeal to sexagenarians or collectors of human art, with all its imperfections and unique qualities.
Value comes from rarity, and for collectors, the fewer unique pieces of artwork, the better. For artists, what AI may do is introduce them more efficiently to that collector.
The Eyecon Gallery
As I mentioned earlier, I have just launched my own gallery, The Eyecon Gallery. I would like to extend an offer to any new artist out there who would like to use it as their marketplace as well. If we receive interest, we will open up the gallery, change some of the text, and allow you to sell your art, including a biography about you and your work.
There will be no charge and no commission fees. We will display your art and Giclée prints for sale alongside mine, but you will set the price. You will ship from your location and handle any queries or commissions directly with your clients. This is my way of giving back and helping up-and-coming artists get a foothold in the market.
Want to but a copy of The Kingfisher? There are a very limited number for sale in the gallery at only £45.00 - Click Here to Buy
If you're interested, please contact me using the contact page here.
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