Amateur or Professional ?

You do wonder do you ? The term Professional is referred to an artist who lives entirely from his Art. However the tax man likes equally an artist who sell his art even if he does not live entirely from his art ! Some qualify this species as Semi-Professional. I can assure you my friends that if you sell your paintings you MUST keep a record of your sales for taxation purpose. Amateur : in my heart it is a Leisure Painter, not that he is less capable than a professional but he does not sell his work, is just happy painting or sometimes decides to exhibit with others and sell a painting. Some however regard an amateur as a Learner. All in one through 28 years of experience I do know that I have met Learners who are so much in love with art and have great knowledge of the History of Art, so they are not learners as such as "Learning to drive"! Amateurs : I have met a great deal of them and I have a great respect for them since they can be terrific artist with great talents but somehow because some have not elected them as Professionals, dare they think that they should arise to such a title ! So my conclusion is : If you have a Passion for Art, you are an artist. If your art is lifting people's spirit, you are an artist. I would prefer not put a qualification in front of a painter since as rightly said in another thread : Some classified as AMATEURS can be brilliant artists, while Some classifed as PROFESSIONALS can be a terrible disappointment. What is your view about this ?