"a playful search for beauty"

Ever wonder who is the coolest artist on the planet? Well, look no further. It is a woman who has proven for over seven decades that inspiration is absolutely everywhere...or at least, it is wherever she is in any given moment. She has worked all over the world designing pottery, rugs, furniture, tableware, vases, candlesticks, glassware, ornaments, watches, and silkscreens...just to name a few. And today, at the age of 103 she continues to design. For me, both she and her work are, and always will be timeless. Her name is Eva Zeisel, and even though I have never actually met her, I have had many intimate conversations with her heart and soul through her enchanting work.

Born in Budapest in 1906, she had an intense interest in seeing the world at a time when women simply did not travel alone. This desire lead to a bizarre twist of fate while in Moscow, when, not yet 30, she was accused of planning an assassination attempt against Stalin (yes, you read that correctly) which lead to an 18-month prison sentence, 12 of which were in solitary confinement... a "defining moment" as Dr. Phil would say.  Recognizing that dwelling on happy memories would only bring her pain, she forced herself to think of nothing sentimental, nothing from her past. And, because thinking of the future meant realizing the possibility of never leaving the prison alive, she chose to live in present moment only. She kept her body toned by exercising in her little cell, and spent her days imagining creative designs to keep mentally fit. Her hours were filled with sketching, designing, refining and meticulously hand-stitching designs--all in her mind's eye. Like Nelson Mandella, her body was imprisoned but never her mind and spirit. Decades later, she explains that she wouldn't change a thing about that harrowing experience because it taught her to see and savor every moment since.  

 I fell in love with Ms. Zeisel's designs long before I knew about her life's circumstances. Most of her tableware was created before I was born--she was even honored with an exhibit of her work at the MoMA! And some designs from that era can still be found today on ebay or antique stores. And while all-white dinnerware is commonly available from every design company today, Ms. Zeisel was the first to create such a service in this country. Thankfully some of those sets from the 1940s and 50s have been revived at Crate and Barrel 

and Bloomingdales, making them available to new generations of fans--again, proving that her designs are timeless and always fresh.

 So what inspires her? Well, first, let me tell you what does not. She cautions todays' artists about Post-Modernist thinking that demands we be an individual, be spontaneous, be original, be unique, always strive to invent something new...ideas she calls "negative impulses" as they prohibit our ability to develop a relationship with our designs because our focus moves away from (rather than toward) our search for beauty. She taught at Pratt for 15 years, and challenged her students with assignments that taught them to stay in touch with the original feeling and motivation behind the design. For example, they were instructed to incorporate "describing words" like soulful, rhythmic, dull, earthy, happy, sinuous, etc into their work.  This clarity of communication can be seen in examples of her own work like the lidded casserole dishes depicting birds, apples and ducks. It is easy to see how she incorporated lines, patterns and relationships observed in nature into functional design, all the while honoring the obvious joy she felt in creating these whimsical creations.

In the delightful book above, "Eva Zeisel On Design"  (cover photo above by Fred Conrad) she narrates her ideas on design in both images and words. She points out how we are inspired by nature's repetitions and patterns, and shows how a slice of red cabbage contains the same designs found in the lines of Art Nouveau. (oh my, she is right!) Also, we see that many of her vases and bottles are patterned after the human form, based on the harmony found in negative and positive shapes. She calls her Town and Country salt and pepper shakers "portraits" of a family, patterned after her own family and when you look at them, you can't help but realize that this sensibility of form is what sets her work apart. It is a treat to discover that when she designs a bowl, she is mindful of creating a design that feels complete on its own, as opposed to one that feels empty. That is a concept I have never before considered, but it all goes back to her ability to really see and feel what is in front of her. Like ET pointed out in the previous post--she goes beyond the basic "rules" of design like line, shape, form, and value and presents us with the "spirit" or essence of the object. The photo above illustrates her process of creating as she begins by sketching and cutting her designs out of paper (you can see a finished version of her stunning tables at DWR)  She reveals "Everything I do is a direct creation of my hands, whether it is made in wood, plaster, or clay...My designs are meant to attract the hand as well as the eye" This has never been more true than now when her eyesight is poor and she relies on an assistant to help translate the designs in her head to solid form that she can feel and refine with her hands. What an incredibly inspiring woman she is. You may also be interested in seeing her delightful interview on TED, visiting her website here, or reading this book or a recent interview with writer Lisa Kogan.

(above--my studio wet-brush holder. Knowing nothing about pottery, this is my foray into kneading, glazing and firing... and sharing Ms. Zeisel's love of curvilinear designs. My inspiration (and "describing words") were movement, waves, rhythm... Can you tell?

"...things speak to us, they tell us where we are. They talk to us through their shapes, contours, color, weight, temperature, surface, sound, and most clearly their associations...They fit in or clash with our surroundings. They speak to us in many national dialects. They speak of faraway places and things of old, of modern life and cultures long dead. They inspire. they sooth and bathe a home with grace, and provide intangible pleasures and joy. This is the magic of the language of design"...Eva Zeisel

Truth and Simplicity

"Truth and Simplicity"

12 x 16, oil on canvas

On this last official day of winter, I am sending you a little sunshine I discovered in a tube of paint...

My inspiration is of course Vincent Van Gogh, and I've searched his life story to learn what he found most inspiring. To begin with, the color yellow was a reoccurring theme--he said "A sun, a light, which for want of a better word I must call pale sulphur--yellow, pale lemon, gold. How beautiful yellow is".  Another inspiration was Japanese art, and if you have visited Monet's home, you know that both these were huge inspirations to him as well.  From what I can gather, Van Gogh was especially smitten with the fact that the Japanese integrated art into their daily lives, celebrating beauty in a way that made art indispensable. He offers this heartfelt explanation "...one's sight changes. You see things with an eye more Japanese, you feel color differently." Van Gogh was enthralled with Provence where he lived in the "Yellow House" and painted yellow fields, a place where artist Paul Gauguin came to visit and paint with him for a couple of months. From Gauguin, he learned the importance of working from memory (I wish someone would help me learn that) and for a short time, he experimented with outlining his shapes as the Symbolist's did. Early on, he was more a tonalist painter at a time when the Impressionists were beginning to be popular, was enthralled by Rembrant's work, saying that what he loved most about the old master's work was that he "dashed off a thing from the first stroke and did not retouch it so very much." Van Gogh was slow to discover color, but when he did, he made it his own. Also, the invention of the camera brought a whole new way of composing a scene, inspiring Van Gogh (as well as the Impressionists) to experiment with cropping painted images.

 Before he discovered a life of painting, his first vocation of choice was preaching, but he was so overzealous about living like Christ, denouncing possessions, and choosing extreme poverty that he was asked to leave the church. Years later, this zeal and humility became a theme in much of his work, as evidenced in his choice of subject matter in the paintings of his chair and the bowl of potatoes (above). He linked subjects like potatoes to poverty, and  referred to the working class peasants as "the righteous poor", idealizing and romanticizing them in many of his paintings. Also, I learned that he often copied the work of artist Jean-Francois Millet. Van Gogh was mostly a self-taught artist, so this helped him to understand Millet's technique as well as subject matter, the humble working class. Vincent felt more at home in the "seedier" parts of town, often living and working alongside the peasants who inspired him. Sewing, weaving, farming, mining...these were the peasant labors he romanticized as spiritual tasks, noting that this humble class of people were "closest to God." Honoring the dignity of their hard lives and work in his own work, he explains "I have tried to emphasize that those people, eating their potatoes in the lamplight, have dug the earth with those very hands they put in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labor, and how they have honestly earned their food." A humble man who valued truth and simplicity in his subjects as well as in his own life. 

Explaining how great artists learn to go beyond what most of us see to convey the true essence of their subjects, Eckhart Tolle explains:  "Van Gogh didn't say: 'That's just an old chair.' He looked, and looked, and looked. He sensed the Beingness of the chair. Then he sat in front of the canvas and took up the brush."

You wash, I'll dry...

"You Wash, I'll Dry"

8 x 16, oil

I love painting reflective surfaces such as the silverware. The colors and values are arranged in such an abstract manner that the thinking side of the brain gets bored ~ allowing the intuitive side to simply react to color and value without overanalyzing it. Pure fun.

"Before enlightenment,

 chop wood, carry water

...After enlightenment

 chop wood carry water"... (an old zen saying)

il divino

"studies for Capitol columns, after Michelangelo"

8 x 6, conte' and pastels on pastel paper

Explaining the steps artists must master in order to progress in their work, Studio Incamminati artist and teacher Lea Colie Wight, explains, "Most of us start out learning how to use graphite, charcoal or paint to accurately record what we see. The process begins as an exercise in controlling a brush or pencil and learning how the materials can be used to create an illusion of reality. If we finally achieve that objective, the focus shifts to one of communicating personal expressions and observations". The key word is "if" because there is no guarantee that we, as artists, will ever evolve beyond learning the technical aspects of creating art and discover that shift in consciousness...which was never a concern for Michelangelo, who proved that shift in focus while he was still a teenager. Art historian and Michelangelo scholar, Charles de Tolnay explains "His youthful works already manifest the entire vision that characterized him", a vision that was "still vague in expression only because he did not yet possess technical mastery and deepened knowledge of anatomy and perspective."  The young artist had the vision before the technical skills--rare indeed. Today we would say that he "found his unique voice" early in life.

 De Tolnay goes on to suggest that his "maturity began to exhibit a rhythm", and his life can be divided into three phases. The early years, when he was sculpting the Pieta and the Bruges Madonna, were characterized as "heroic" ; while the middle years when he agonized over the Sistine Chapel, Tolnay refers to as "elegiac" because so much of his life revolved around sorrow and angst. The latter years before his death are described as "tragic" as Michelangelo recognized that his dreams had taken a forty year detour. And while I understand those characterizations, I also see another side that is rarely discussed. He was devoted to his family all his life. Written correspondence between Michelangelo and with his family reveals constant requests for money from his father and brothers which he dutifully obliged. Often the money was used to buy land and there were occasions when he sent ALL of his earnings home to them, while he lived very frugally. One of his letters explains that the Pope had refused to pay him for over a year, and that he had nothing to live on. In his last years, having outlived most of his family members, he continued this generosity by regularly sending  donations to the poor and needy. He gave anonymous, feeling that his philanthropy was more meaningful if he did not accept praise for his efforts. Certainly he had many challenges, but I see a man who lived life with great passion, humble requests and intense spirituality; a man who seemed to make peace with his past, as evidenced here in his own words:

"The mind, the soul, becomes ennobled by the endeavour to create something perfect, for God is perfection, and whoever strives after perfection is striving for something divine...

Only God creates. The rest of us just copy... 

I live and love in God's peculiar light...

if we have been pleased with life, we should not be displeased with death, since it comes from the hand of the same master"...Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)

"Michelangelism"

"Columns, after Michelangelo"

8 x 6, oil pastels on pastel paper

It is easy to see how Michelangelo would have served as an inspiration to the artists of his day. Art scholar Charles de Tolnay elaborates; "Each artist drew his inspiration from a single aspect of the master's art, transforming it and integrating it within the scope of his own tendencies "(such as carriage, drama, dignity of gestures ). Most artists wanted to expand beyond the classical view of an ideal world and incorporate their own visions into the work as Michelangelo had done with the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Never before had a painting been done that depicted God in the way the artist had boldly portrayed him. Suddenly Michelangelo's contemporaries began stepping out of their own comfort zones,  changed the proportions of their figures, and began using different backgrounds or employing figurative elements into their work. Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael among others, had previously embraced the principal that beauty is nature, while Michelangelo's focus became expressing his inward image of beauty that he "made more concrete by a profound study of the natural world" as he sketched and drew from live models. Tolnay further explains that the Master's incorporation of the ignudi in the Sistine celling was a new concept of "movement, and design"; and because they served as "a rhythmic outline freely arranged in space and no longer tied to earth" . This bold new concept "encouraged an entire group of young artists to liberate themselves from the classical Renaissance canons"  And the use of opaque, fresh colors Michelangelo had incorporated into the ceiling figures; along with a new emphasis on grandeur ushered in a new art age known as "Mannerism". A few years later, sculptor, architect, and founder of the Baroque Age, Gian Bernini would exclaim "Michelangelo was great as a sculptor and painter, but truly divine as an architect"

"After four tortured years, more than 400 over life-sized figures, I felt as old and as weary as Jeremiah. I was only 37, yet friends did not recognize the old man I had become...What one has most to work and struggle for in painting is to do the work with a great amount of labour and sweat in such a way that it may afterwards appear, however much it was laboured upon, to have been done almost quickly and without any labour...if people knew how hard I worked to achieve my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all"

"The science of design is the source and very essence of paint, sculpture, and architecture. Sometimes, it seems to me that, all the works of the human brain and hand are either design itself or a branch of that art"

...Michelangelo Buonorroti

The Drawings

 "Study for St. Laurence in the Judgement, after Michelangelo"

Conte' drawing on pastel paper, 6 x 8
 "Study of Sibyl, after Michelangelo "

Conte' drawing on pastel paper, 6 x 8

I love Michelangelo's drawings. For me they stand on their own. But he felt quite differently about that. Many of the Master's sketches have a curvilinear quality, and some actually look like several parentheses stacked on top of each other as he "finds the form" (as is evidenced by my top sketch). He even developed a sort of "shorthand" in sketching for times when his chalk couldn't quite keep up with his ideas. However, sketches for the figures in the Sistine Chapel begin to take on a more corrected, geometrical appearance; a characteristic author Luciano Berti attributes to Michelangelo's love of architecture, explaining; "This is a characteristic that had hitherto been absent from Michelangelo's's sketches,...a new system of thinking in terms of a tight smbiosis between architecture and representation. " As an example, he sites the Sibyl sketch where lines begin to appear "surer and straighter" than before. All his figures appear very solid and muscular, as he often employed male models for both male and female figures in his drawings and paintings. 

There are many drawings attributed to Michelangelo, although there is some controversy over which ones are truly authentic. According to Berti, when Michelangelo was near death, he ordered that bonfires burn many of his preliminary sketches and drawings so that "no one might see the labors he had gone through and the tentative modes of his genius, not wishing to appear less perfect". How unfortunate is that? He felt such intense-type-A-on steriods-kind-of-pressure to present nothing but absolute perfection to the world. Most of us go to museums and see an artist's "best" work, often forgetting to take into account that we are only seeing a fraction of the work completed in a lifetime. And unless we are allowed to compare the amateurish, earlier work, it is difficult to fully appreciate the artist's growth. In Michelangelo's case, we are left to wonder just how horrible the drawings could possibly have been considering that he carved this at the ripe old age of 24? (sigh)

 "The Agony and the Ecstasy" movie was made in 1965, where we see Michelangelo conceiving many of the ideas for his drawings, and is portrayed lying on his back in order to paint the chapel ceiling.  But in a letter to his family, the artist included a sketch demonstrating his ability to paint from a standing position with his back arched as reaches up (and back) over his head.  Ouch. My neck hurts just looking at it. The film strays from historic facts, but for me, all is forgiven upon seeing the Carrara marble quarries...and the enormous recreated frescoes viewed at eye level are simply stunning. I almost wore out the "pause" button studying each and every frame... 

"He wouldn't have been pleased to see us surveying his working drawings. Michelangelo wanted you to look at is finished work and be overwhelmed by it and not realize that it's the result of thousands of decisions"...Hugo Chapman 

Ignudi

"After Michelangelo"

9 x 12, oil on canvas

I love the guy above, especially the wild hair. He is one of about 20 ignudi (plural, meaning naked) idealized human figures painted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

So...ponder this with me. What if you were a sculptor but your "boss" insisted you paint frescos instead (something you knew absolutely nothing about)? And what if those frescoes were 60 feet up in the air? And what if your "canvas" was 5000 square-feet? How would you even begin such a project? ...a question which leads me to ask just how did Michelangelo find inspiration in this assignment that must have been demoralizing and demeaning to a man referred to as the greatest sculptor in all of Italy? Author Charles de Tolnay explained it best when he wrote "The creative imagination took fire suddenly when Michelangelo let himself be inspired by the real form and mass of the curved vault, and decided to adorn it with figures."

He began by sketching the basic outline of the ceiling shape, divided it into sections framed by architectural details like moldings and columns and then designed figures to fit within those shapes. Using his love of architecture and design, he also figured out how to conform the figures to the curved shape of the ceiling in such a way that they do not appear distorted from below. And as you look up at this magnificent work of art, you can't help be in awe of such feats.

In the same way that he allowed each individual piece of marble to dictate which figure should be "freed" from within; here he allowed the existing structure to inform the design of his frescoes. Even though it wasn't where he wanted to be, he found a way to make it his own and transform this "job" into something divine--an incredible example of acceptance and surrender to "what is." (How many current day artists, musicians, and actors report that they must put their dreams on hold while they reluctantly accept menial jobs to pay the bills?). Michelangelo was promised the opportunity to sculpt 40 statues once the ceiling was completed, a dream that he never fully realized.

I'm thinking that if the 5000 square feet is divided between the four years it took him to complete the ceiling, it means that he must have finished sections that were close to life-size most every day that he went to work. And although he had assistants mixing and carrying paint, he did the bulk of the work himself. And considering that he had to allow TIME to plan and sketch each design, re-do sections of plaster that were damaged by humidity and mold, as well as design and build his scaffolding, it sort of gives a whole new meaning to "a painting a day" doesn't it?

"Time marches on and measures out the hours

of this our life, a poisonous bitter day,

It is a scythe and we are like the hay,

Faith is short-lived and beauty does not last"...Michelangelo

love hurts

and just like that, her beloved imac bit the dust...

her desk is now a sad, and oh so empty space

awaiting repair or replacement (shudder)...

more snow on the way...

sounds like a wonderful "opportunity" for a technology cleanse...

"eek" she says, eye twitching

or perhaps a mental "re-boot" with hot chocolate by the fire and a good book (or ten)...

wishing you warmth and comfort wherever you are

surrounded by everyone (and everything) you hold dear

“We cannot do great things on this Earth,

only small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa

B is for Buonarrati

Today's "inspiration" is Michelangelo Buonorrati. I have mentioned my obsession with Italy and Michelangelo here and here and this post details the origin of the above painting; which is from one of his sculptures.


And, above are charcoal drawings, both gifts from my son (also the artist). They depict Michelangelo's sculptures at the entrance to the Medici Chapel and are known as Night and Day, Morning and Evening. As Night (female) prepares for sleep, Day (male) begins anew. Exploring the push-pull concepts (life and death, beginnings and endings, male and female) was a common theme repeated throughout his work. He knew from a very early age that he loved art, became an apprentice at age 13 and completed his first sculpture to rave reviews at the tender age of 17. When he began carving The David at age 26, he was already widely recognized as the most talented sculptor in Italy. Have you ever looked at images of Carrara, Italy where he traveled to choose his marble? A breathtakingly beautiful spot!
One detail about his life that I found most interesting is that after painting the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel for two years, he took a break that lasted several months. Art historians agree that when he returned from this break, there was a discernible difference in his style. His images seemed less detailed, yet more full of emotion. Why? Did he just need a break? Or did he make changes once he was able to step away and view the work from a new perspective (the floor below)? Or was there something else that happened during his leave that offered a shift in consciousness?
Additionally, his life gravitated to architecture and writing poetry in his later years. He was appointed director of St. Peters and worked there overseeing details of the building right up until a week before his death (which will be 446 years next week). If you have been to Rome and Florence; you can't help but feel his influence and powerful presence on every street corner, in every piazza, every building and doorway.
Much has been written about him, but nothing so compelling as his book of poems. Some focus on Neoplatonic love; a very uplifting view that embraces a universal source in which all things are connected and ultimately reunite; while the latter poems written in his last years are more regretful, wrestling with angst and emotion.
And I could go on and on (and probably will another day) but you get the picture. He was, and continues to be, a huge inspiration and influence on everything I love about art and life. Sometimes when I am stressed to the max, I close my eyes and "look" out over those cliffs of Carrara, and envision him writing his poems there. I can only imagine what it must have looked and felt like in 1501, when he chose the marble for The David, and what a pilgrimage it must have been just to arrive there. But taking in that view surely was the most glorious part of his day-or at least that is how I picture him; perched on a cliff, writing such sentiments as the verse below...

"My eyes eager for beautiful things, and my soul no less for its salvation,
have no other means by which they may ascend to heaven than to gaze on all such things,
from the highest stars descends a shining light which draws our desire to them;
this we here call love.
The noble heart has nothing else that can make it love and burn;
nothing else to guide it,
than a face which in its eyes acts as those stars do."...Michelangelo

A is for Andy...

My first ode to inspiration is a tribute to Andy Warhol. The jacket above was painted for a charity auction. Knowing that all the items to be auctioned would be made from denim; my brainstorming session about what to paint went like this:
The word "denim" lead to blue-jean, which became Norma Jean (known for melancholy and often being a "blue" Jean) which was, of course, Marilyn Monroe's real name; and thinking of her immediately reminded me of Andy Warhol's silkscreen portrait of her. The other paintings on the jacket are his self-portrait and one of his diamond dust shoe silkscreens. A fun and worthy project to say the least.
"Stepping Out With Andy"
9 x 12, oil on canvas
And while everyone is familiar with Andy Warhol's films, Pop Art, silkscreens and obsession with celebrities; what do you know about him before he became famous? With training in graphic design, he moved to NYC immediately after college in 1949, and was very dedicated and hard-working; often delighting his clients by going the extra mile and providing several drawings to choose from. My painting above was inspired by his many shoe illustrations from the 1950s, a time when he was a very successful commercial artist/illustrator for these magazines: Glamour, Dance, Vogue, LIFE, Harper's Bazarre, and Charm. His early success right out of college stemmed from the fact that he often worked on marketing his products most of the day while creating his illustrations at night. Many publications had begun switching to photos for advertising but Andy's charming illustrations remained popular, due in part to his mastery of an illustration technique known as the "blotted line" --this discovery allowed him to transfer and reproduce many images as original works of art without the use of a printing press. Later, using "found" images from magazines and library books, he edited and stylized work that became his unique signature...which begs the question of what the copyright laws were in the 50s, but that is a post for another time.
He was equally known for his unique sense of humor, wit and clever viewpoint, and often presented drawings to his friends and clients as gifts. Supposedly, he once encountered actress Greta Garbo on the street. She was known for being extremely reclusive and not very welcoming to fans, so when he presented her with a drawing, she immediately crumpled it up and threw it to the ground. Instead of taking the rejection personally, he smoothed out the drawing and wrote "crumpled by Greta Garbo" on it. I adore this story, because it certainly seems to describe the innovative thinker he surely must have been. Instead of obsessing over the rejection, he simply noted, documented and celebrated the altered version of his drawing--no judgement, just a grand acceptance of "what is"-- a pretty awesome attitude to aspire to, and be inspired by.

And what most inspired him in those early years? Well, clearly his mother Julia played a huge part in his life. She lived in NY with him for several years, also painted; her preferred subjects being cats, angels and butterflies that bear a striking similarity to his own paintings of those same subjects. Also, he took a two month long trip around the world where he filled sketchbooks of what he saw along the way, visited museums, and learned Japanese gold-leaf techniques that later found their way into his own art. And, of course, living in NY allowed him to be inspired by museums, ballet, and the energy of the city and its inhabitants.
And quite honestly, I could go on and on; but you get the picture. There are many books written about him if you are interested in learning more, and the Andy Warhol Museum is located in Philadeplphia, where he lived before moving to NYC.
"Once you 'got' Pop, you could never see a sign the same way again.
And once you thought Pop, you could never see America the same way again"...andy warhol

to Inspire is to breathe

Julie & Julia (book/movie) explores the concept of inspiration from the perspective of Julie, who sets out on a journey to teach herself to cook by attempting all 524 recipes included in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Julie explains how she was inspired by Julia, but equally fascinating is our discovery into what inspired Julia to "become" Julia Child. In "My Life in France" Julia notes that her inspirations were her darling husband Paul (who was an artist/photographer), as well as her love for cooking and France. Her joy and enthusiasm are evident as she recounts her life in Paris in the 1950s:
"Those early years in France were among the best in my life. They marked a crucial period of transformation in which I found my true calling, experienced an awakening of the senses, and had such fun that I hardly stopped moving long enough to catch my breath".

What does this have to do with an art blog? well...
To Inspire and Be Inspired is to
Elate. Enliven. Motivate.
to Spark, Spur, Stir...
Activate and Invigorate...
to b r e a t h e ...
and I am forever pondering, reading, researching, asking, and okay, I'll just say it...I'm positively obsessed with what inspires us all-- so my next project (and series of paintings) will be to explore that in all its glorious detail. I especially enjoy learning about creative people who dare to choose a different path, step out on a limb, or just see things a little differently. Discovering what captured their attention--Stopped them in their tracks- Made their hearts sing -or at least skip a beat! Learning what they loved and cherished about their lives and how their life's work evolved accordingly...yes, it is a wonderful obsession. Psychology meets Art.
(to be continued)

out to sea

I recently enjoyed catching up with an artist friend who lamented that it was "time to get back to work!" ~ and I found myself pondering that phrase all afternoon. In my quest to "see things from a new perspective" I thought, why not get back to play instead? I had been mulling over new ways to see color, value and design, so I decided to explore these concepts in a form other than paint. I began by tearing up strips of colored tissue paper and then arranged (and rearranged) them on a background of sturdy watercolor paper until I found a design that I liked best. Then I glued them down with tiny dots of glue to create this scene (just enough glue to keep the fragile tissue paper from falling off the page).
I like how the spaces between the colors work with, and become an important part of, the design. And, allowing the tissue paper to be loosely applied seems to give the scene an overall feeling of energy and movement, I think.
This would be a fun and inexpensive project to enjoy with children (or the young at heart)...and so I wonder...would different textures and thicknesses of paper like that of magazines and newspapers work equally well?...and what about strips of discarded old watercolor sketches...or construction paper...or...
Gray days and cabin fever are so "last year" folks -- there are just too many new perspectives and golden horizons waiting to be discovered just beyond the sea.

"Somewhere beyond the sea, somewhere waiting for me, my lover stands on golden sands and watches the ships that go sailing..."
(Beyond the Sea...by Robbie Williams)

dance by the light of the moon...

This time of year fascinates me because I love clean slates, new beginnings, new ideas, and I find the only resolutions that make sense are the ones that focus on the intention behind the wish. Did you know that the most common resolutions are "get a better job, quit smoking, lose weight" and most psychologists are quick to point out that those are just actions, and to be truly successful, we need to ask ourselves how our lives would be different if we achieved those goals? Pondering that question helps us understand what we really yearn for, and in so doing, propels us to summon the courage to BE THAT NOW, and then support it with new actions. It is quite the opposite of how most of us have learned to resolve to change, and undoubtedly it is what Ghandi meant when he said "BE the change you wish to see in the world". This power of intention is described in many of Dr. Dyer's writings, and there are websites like this one that discuss choosing just one word as your mantra for the year that will help you focus on what you want to BE; as opposed to what you hope to do.

Choosing just one word feels a bit limiting to me, so I have focused on jotting down a new list of ideas and themes that evolve about every four to six weeks. My intention is to stay open to and aware of little sparks of inspiration that come from everyday life. I often jot down a word here or there or take a photo to keep in a file; and try to be aware of the possibility of accepting and inviting in the new, rather than focusing on what is not working (for instance how different is it to focus on being healthy rather than dieting?). Sort of the same idea as "what you resist persists". This post suggests we avoid pushing, and instead allow ourselves to be pulled toward the future. I like that concept a lot. So... this month my focus has been on viewing "the old" from a new perspective and daring to see the ordinary with fresh eyes (click on photo above to see what I mean). I think words can be such powerful tools, so I wanted to share these ideas here in case you, too are contemplating ways to begin anew, or planning resolutions and creative goals.

And in the spirit of taking a new perspective, if you are looking for a new tradition this new year, why not celebrate like my friends from Wales? When the clock begins to strike twelve midnight, they open the back door of their home, then shut it to banish the negative energy and bad luck from the old year-and on the twelfth strike, they swing open the front door to welcome new energy and prosperity for the new year. I like that idea a lot because this year we will have the added enchantment of a new blue moon, so I am picturing a world where we all are gazing at the same beautiful moon as the earth spins new midnights, new hopes, new horizons, and new ways of looking at all of life's moments!

“We need a renaissance of wonder.
We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls,
the deathless dream, the eternal poetry,
the perennial sense that life is miracle and magic.”...E. Merrill Root

A Kentucky Christmas

Okay, for those of you who don't know this already, George grew up in Kentucky and still has family here. In fact, I had this very conversation with an Italian gentleman in Como where George owns a villa. His exact words were "Mr. Clooney is a BIG DEAL in Italy." Bless his heart. I had to break the news to him that Mr. Clooney is a pretty big deal most everywhere...but I digress... so let's say that for some inexplicable reason, you are one of the four people on the planet who have not been emailed the above photo dozens of times already, (and even if you have)... in the spirit of giving, I thought I would share it yet again. After all, George would want it that way.
"I'm just white trash"...George Clooney
(really? is that where "dreaming of a white Christmas" came from??? By the way, George's new movie "Up In the Air" is typical George--a dash of charm, humor and charisma with a ton of heart and soul-- a"must see"... Cheers!)

Merry Christmas

“What is Christmas?
It is tenderness for the past,
courage for the present,
hope for the future.
It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal,
and that every path may lead to peace.”
— Agnes M. Pharo

the festive David

Every time I think about what Michelangelo accomplished in his lifetime, I am filled with a sense of awe and wonder. When asked about his David sculpture, he explained "I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled 'til I set him free." I remember the first time I read those words- I was ten years old, and I just sat down in the floor and cried. I was, and will forever be moved by the certainty he must have felt in choosing THIS particular block of marble from the quarry, as well as the infinite possibility included in such a statement. I discovered awe and wonder right there in the art reference aisle of my public library. Wherever YOU are this week, may you discover the world through the eyes of a child, a place where all things are possible~a place where magic and wonder abide, and a place where angels are waiting to be discovered and freed~
"Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion"...Ralph Sockman

pink poetry

(8 x 8, oil on canvas)
"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you,
it will be enough"
...13th century German philosopher and theologian, Meister Eckhart

Gratitude

(8 x 8, oil on canvas)
"Thanksgiving...
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends"... Ralph Waldo Emerson

Winter White

(8x10) oil on canvas
I love poinsettias, especially the ivory ones. My southern neighbors have the advantage of growing them in their own flower gardens. Unfortunately, some folks feel the need to "dress them up" at Christmas by adding glitter or dying them different colors (yikes!); but aren't they most lovely just as nature made them?
"In seed time learn
in harvest teach,
in winter enjoy"...William Blake

At Large

"You will understand that I limited myself to simple colors, ocher, cobalt and Prussian blue, Naples yellow, sienna, black and white...I refrained from choosing 'nice' colors"...Vincent Van Gogh

I had never read this quote before, but I love learning what colors other artists "can't do without" and I immediately wanted to try his palette in order to see what he saw. Used to mixing with my lively orange-red, cad red light, my first thought is "where is his red?" but then I see sienna (a sad substitute for red in my world), and I realize that "red" is actually in several of his muted opaque colors as well...I know that pigments have changed over the years so I did a little research and discovered that the ochers and siennas were even more opaque when Van Gogh used them in the 1800s. Cobalt blue came into existence in 1804 and, along with Prussian blue (a warmer blue that was accidentally discovered), both are semi-transparent colors. Naples yellow is and was a warm yellow (meaning that it also has red in it), but was formally heavily (and dangerously) leaded. And because they can be warm, cool, transparent, semi-transparent or opaque, I'm left to ponder "which black" did he use?...and don't even get me started on the different whites. Oh! and the Cadmiums were not even introduced until the 20th century, giving way to transparencies 19th century painters could only have dreamt about as they attempted to thin down their opaques. Personally I think Vincent would have loved my cad red light...or would he have dismissed it as too 'nice'? Sigh...yes, folks, THIS is just the sort of thing that keeps me awake at night as I attempt to solve this splendid puzzle and mix his colors in my head. Hopeless, I know.

Brisk November

(346) More irresistible fall colors on every corner...so many paintings-to-be, and so little time before the leaves are gone...
“Change is as inevitable as rain in the spring. Some of us just put on our raincoats and splash forward.”... Amy Bloom

quick studies

I just returned from a figure painting workshop with Kim English. Unfortunately, he does not have a website, but you can see his paintings here. I have studied with Kim before; absolutely LOVE his work. His method of teaching is quite different from most instructors: no formal lectures, no lengthy demos. Instead, he asks students to paint quick studies where the model changes poses every 5-10 minutes. At first it seems impossible, but with premixed colors, you get into a rhythm of painting that allows you to move into a comfort zone where details and noodling are not allowed. Heck, THINKING isn't even allowed. No time! Just lay it down, wipe it off, do another one.. .or another ten as the case may be... Kim believes that the best poses are the natural ones that models fall into when they are comfortable, so he avoids formally posing them, explaining that it is more interesting for them to "tell their story" not his. And when there are two models, he encourages them to interact with each other instead of remaining perfectly still. It is quite different from the static poses most life drawing classes require--and tons more fun. While I wiped dozens of studies off, there were a few (included here) that he felt captured the essence of the assignment, and so he instructed me to save them for reference. In other words, about 99% of the studies were not worthy of saving in my case, but that's not the point. It is the process of seeing and capturing fleeting moments that you are after--if you have never tried it, challenge yourself! Set a timer. Better yet, set up your easel at a park, a university, an outdoor restaurant-anywhere that you can observe people being themselves coming and going, and practice painting quick gestures. Sure your models may get up and walk away right in the middle of your "perfect" painting, but that's okay. Another will soon take her place...it is great practice if you need to get out of your comfort zone, get out of your head, and loosen up your brushstrokes. The only "rule" is to avoid details; instead look for shapes, values and gesture. Oh and, make the painting be about what the people are doing instead of striving for an exact likeness. It is guaranteed to energize your work! And you!
"Painting the moment is like stopping the clock at the split second of truth. It's out of time, fleeting, yet eternal. That's why I paint quickly, to capture the essence of a moment before it disappears"...Kim English

through the trees

8 x 10 oil on canvas
“The artist is not a different kind of person, but every person is a different kind of artist"...Eric Gill