The true use of art is, first, to cultivate the artist’s own spiritual nature.
~ George Inness
Month: August 2024
Future Gallery Magic … or Madness
I always have more unique artists stirring around in my Creativity Pot than I have time to post them.
Sad to say, I don’t have an egg yolk on a green circle yet. But I’m looking.
Today I want to show off a few upcoming artists that fit my version of “UNIQUE ART.”
Fun times a’coming! Come Along!
P.S. Guess what I just found???
I’m Melting…..
The HOT weather in the Midwest has been taking its toll on my brain functions lately. I can’t imagine how those of you south and west and even east of me are handling your version of Easy Bake Oven City. It seems my reasoning abilities are half melted, along with my response and self-adjustment buttons.
I learned quite a while ago not to complain when the thermometer tips at mid 90s, as six months from now I might suffer payback in the form of two feet of snow or temperatures at the zero degree mark. I have learned to cope with the fluctuations of the weather, along with the fluctuations of weight, allergies, cicadas, weather, tomato plant output, and friendships.
How does friendship fit into all the other confusing pressures?
Lately it seems like a lot of those around me have wrapped a chained link fence around them, locked the gate, and hung up a “stay” away sign. They can look out at the world, but the world had a hard time looking in. The reasons for these fences are their own; stress and pain and depression and confusion hits us all differently. I usually have no problems with this open-weave fence, as I have wrapped one around me now and then too.
This hot weather makes decision making fluid and melty. I can’t think long enough to say the right words to help my friends out of their funks. I often can’t help myself out of funks. Stepping outside into a sauna day and night makes me want to wrap that same open weave fence around myself inside my air conditioned house. I don’t care about cleaning, writing, chatting, or crafting. All I care about is taking another cooling shower.
Fortunately, as with all of life, weather changes. The highs balance out with lows. Change evolves and life goes on. We open those locked gates and tear down the useless fences around ourselves and our homes. We reconnect with friends and harvest our tomatoes and say goodbye to the cicadas for another year.
Know that the hot moments won’t last. Before you know it you’ll be looking for your blankets and cuddling with others talking about the good times and planning new ones.
That’s what friendship is all about. Hot and cold and everything in-between.
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.
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Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Rachel Wright
Rachel Wright is a textile artist based in Buckinghamshire, England.
Wright studied fashion and textiles at Birmingham City University, graduating with both a Bachelors and Masters degree.
Wright’s main focus is embroidery, taking inspiration from landscapes and cityscapes, along with having a particular love of the sea, harbor towns, boats and lighthouses.
The shapes, colors and details from these inspirations are then borrowed and echoed in delicately hand or machine embroidered fabric collages using vibrant threads that are worked onto papers and fabrics.
Her art work stands out because of her striking use of rich color which captivates and draws the viewer in and delights the eye.
“I describe my art as textile art and machine embroidery, but there are many different descriptions these days which seem to fit the bill too,” Wright shares.
“Other people call it free motion embroidery, quilt art, and thread painting, but I’ve never felt really comfortable with these descriptions.”
“My technique is basically my way of painting except I’m using fabrics as my palette, the needle as my brush, and the threads as my mark making.”
More of Rachel Wright’s amazing needlework can be found at https://rachelwright.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/RachelSetford/.
Remember These? #2
Strike a Pose …. Vogue …. Madonna
I cant see me lovin’ nobody but you for all my life …. Happy Together …. The Turtles
They just wanna .. they just wanna …. Girls Just Want To Have Fun …. Cyndi Lauper
Crack that Whip …. Whip It …. Devo
She got her daddy’s car and she cruised to the hamburger stand, now …. Fun Fun Fun …. Beach Boys
No, today’s not a backwards look at pop music goldies (although that’s what I’m listening to at the moment). Sooner or later I’m going to forget blog titles like Remember These #385 and Weird Question Thursdays #6 … so whenever I get inspired I’ll just type the basics.
Today’s basics are look backs at fun blogs of the past. Ready for a zip ride?
Do you remember .. The twenty-first night of September? …. September …. Earth, Wind and Fire
HAVE FUN!
Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Lazy Mom
Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma, artists that collaborate under the name Lazy Mom, have turned playing with their food into an art.
Keefe and Ma are Columbia graduates who work in what Keefe termed “obsessive arranging of objects.”
Keefe works as a prop stylist and Ma as a window dresser, and the two began their partnership as a series of whimsical fruit-related photos to be printed in a Zine.
But after publishing, Keefe and Ma found that they had more exploring to do with food and photography.
The moniker and the body of work of Lazy Mom is based on an imaginary mother who spends her time obsessive-compulsively arranging groceries instead of preparing meals for her family. Their work explores the simplicity and complexity of modern food, which can be anything.
At its core, Lazy Mom is about this social expectation that has been deeply ingrained into human society for centuries.
“You can also say that it’s beneficial first and foremost for mom, because she has taken the role expected of her, and reversed it in a way so that she’s the one in control,” Ma explains.
“She’s cooking and preparing food the way she wants. In that sense, Lazy Mom is feminist project moonlighting as food photography.”
More about Lazy Mom and their artists Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma can be found at https://www.instagram.com/lazy/ and https://lvl3official.com/lazy-mom/.
Pay It Forward
You always hear about people who pay for coffee or breakfast or groceries for the person in line behind them. They are an inspiration to those of us who don’t often directly do things like that.
Yet every year I manage to do almost the same.
This past weekend was Milwaukee’s IrishFest — a 3-1/2 day festival of Irish music, traditions, and green shirts.
I usually buy the BOGO-on-St.-Patrick’s-Day tickets — buy one, get one free. I often buy too many tickets, often because it’s March and the middle of August is a long way away.
This time I had two extra tickets, and, as I have in past years, I look for someone standing in the purchasing tickets line and give them my extras. This year it was all electronic, so I spotted a confused-looking older duo asking Security which line they were supposed to go in to buy tickets, and pulled them right over and into line with us.
Two happy entrances later, they were elated. Wanted to buy us a beer or a soda; anything to show their appreciation. And when I said no, not necessary, my best friend standing next to me told them, “Just pay it forward.”
Four simple words.
Who knows what they did after we parted ways. Hopefully hid from the rain and had a beer or a Reuben roll and enjoyed several of the musical stages open to us. I just hope they find an opportunity one day to Pay It Forward.
It’s such a small thing. You didn’t save the world or save a life. You made someone smile in the here and now.
And that’s such a wonderful feeling.
Try it some time. Make the world smile.
Faerie Paths — Football
Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.
~ Vince Lombardi
Saturday Evening Art Gallery — Kitty Shepherd
Kitty Shepherd (1960-) is an internationally recognized British studio potter and ceramic artist known for her bold use of color with slip (liquid clay mixture that has been tinted with metal oxides to create vibrant colors).
Her studios located in Granada, Spain, Shepherd describes the natural world and popular iconography in a way that is totally unique in the ceramic discipline.
Fueled by a global culture, Shepherd is increasingly focused on the tracking down of things and on the attachment of emotions to these objects.
Within her discipline she has become a collector of all kinds of objects and material.
Her ideas come to life in her work to form interesting connections between familiar iconic images.
The result is a form of art as play, involving the reframing of objects within a world of attention and manipulation of context; a context standing in a metaphorical relation to the world of everyday life. 
“I believe that many of the objects we are attracted to today have been with us all of our lives,” Shepherd shares.
“I continually ask myself what are my favorite things and also the following questions: Why these objects? What power do they hold for me? What meaning? What memories do they conjure up? What emotions? And most importantly, what stories do I tell myself about them and through them?”
More of Kitty Shepherd’s delightful and beautiful ceramics can be found at https://www.studioslipware.com/ceramics/.
Faerie Paths — The Future
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Megumi and Nobuyuki Jin
Bubun (means “part” in Japanese) is a jewelry-making duo of Megumi Jin and Nobuyuki Jin, based in Japan.
Fascinated by glass as a student, Megumi studied glass coldwork and kiln work at Tama Art University, where she created objects and jewelry.
Megumi joined Nobuyuki Jin, who had a background in design, in 2016 to create memorable glass jewelry.
The couple craft their jewelry from Borosilicate glass that has been made for commercial use — plate glass, glass rods and glass pipes made in Japan, Germany and China.
They cut and shape the glass, working the glass at a very low temperature, then wrap a clear thread around each piece and sew those pieces together.
They share a mutual sense of beauty, believing jewelry should become part of a person, both in the physical and spiritual sense.
“Over the years, I have come to feel that glass is a medium that can express an inner feeling that is difficult to express in words alone,” Megumi notes.
“It’s not a standard material for jewelry, and compared to precious metals and precious stones, the material itself has little value. But its value is created by the intensity of expression of its concept, shape, technique and handwork.”
More of of Megumi and Nobuyuki Jin’s glass work can be found at https://bubun.stores.jp/ and https://www.instagram.com/bubun.works/
Tuesday Thoughts
As a blogger, do you feel like you need to blog every day?
Believe it or not, that’s not always an easy question to answer.
I have read a number of blogs who faithfully post every day. My friend Ann does a marvelous job of filling her daily blog The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally with pictures, videos, and interesting and fun commentaries on all kinds of daily life. My friend Ivor at Ivor.Plumber/Poet is another almost-if-not-every-day poet who shares the amazing beauty of the poetic word and world.
Then there’s blogs I follow where they contribute to the creative world a number of times a week. Purplerays from Udo is an inspirational, bright blog that highlights many spiritual and cosmic truths all the time. Michelle at My Inspired Life is also a frequent blogger whose poetry and images always make you feel magical.
There are also those who blog several times a day. They are avid writers and readers and love to share their discoveries with their followers. Georgiann at Rethinking Life shares the best pictures and poetry and thoughts several times as day, and her readers love it. Denise Sierra at Rainbow Wave of Life is a wonderful source of inspiration from both the spiritual and physical realm, and she manages to post these transcriptions a couple of times a day.
So after all these examples and affirmations and accolades I swirl back to my own blog. Sometimes I post every day, other times I let a day or two drift by before I think I have anything Creative to say.
I feel guilty not posting all the time, yet I can’t imagine anyone reading everything I write and post every day. My followers may reflect much interest, yet my site visits and comments do not reflect that. I am envious of those I follow who have thousands of followers; I am envious of those just starting out with something fresh and new and have only a few.
I know I spend too much time emoting about things that aren’t really a big deal in this world. And I know writers write because they really enjoy what they do. Like any creative artist, professional or not, we create because we love to create.
But how do we know what we do is still interesting? Are we doing the same kind of art that we did 10 years ago? Saying the same thing? Painting the same designs? Are we stuck in a comfortable (and for some, successful) rut?
Or are we evolving in our creative endeavors? Trying to be different than we were the other day? Last week? Last year?
And really — is there anything wrong with being in that comfortable rut?
Think I’ll continue to stir that Creative Art Pot for a while and adjust accordingly. Whatever’s in there is smelling good!
Are you still stirring your pot?
Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Sunkoo Yuh
Sunkoo Yuh is a Korean ceramics sculpture artist who resides in Athens, Georgia. 
Yuh received his BFA degree from Hong Ik University, Seoul, Korea and his MFA degree from the New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, NY.
The artist’s process is a painstaking one. Intuitive pen-and-ink drawings form the basis of his lively narratives and the ongoing dialogue he has with his day-to-day life.
He then moves to the process of rendering them three-dimensionally in clay, applying vibrant, multi-layered glazes reminiscent of historical T’ang pottery.
Yuh records these impressions of his personal and intimate experiences in everyday life as spontaneous yet intricate ink and brush works.
His selected two-dimensional compositions are then represented and re-contextualized into conceptual and three-dimensional forms.
More of Sunkoo Yuh‘s amazing sculptures can be found at https://www.thenevicaproject.com/sunkoo-yuh
Faerie Paths — Madness
You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.
~ Robin Williams
Weird Question Thursday
I had so much fun with my first Weird Question Thursday that I decided to try it again this week. Lucky you!
But what sort of weird question should we ask? Weird questions that are embarrassing? Questions that are cosmic? Questions about abstract theorists, conspiracy theorists, or, better yet, abstract conspiracy theorists?
I have always been fascinated by big words. Big theories. Things I know nothing about. And even when I research big words and theories and read about them, I still don’t understand half of them . But it makes me feel intelligent in a weird sort of second-hand Freebird way.
Weird questions are not like asking if there is a God or who you are voting for in the Presidential Election. Weird questions are much more nebulous. Weird questions often don’t have simple answers. Which makes them enjoyable.
Here is one of my question-the-universe blogs from August 4, 2022 talking about Evil.
The Weird World of Evil
I’d like to do a little speculating, a little exploring, a little wondering today. Come play me……
Let us first clear the way with this miserable disclaimer just so we can talk: I am not challenging anyone’s faith, doubting anyone’s truths, nor making sport of anything sacred, eternal, or inspirational.
The movie Solomon Kane begins:
There was a time when the world was plunging into darkness and chaos
A time of witchcraft and sorcery.
A time when no one stood against evil.
Now you know me. I like to play with ideas and words and dreams. And the beginning words of this movie made me wonder. What exactly is evil? Was evil an entity to be defeated? What turns people into evil creatures?
Let’s leave out the devil for a moment. The Prince of Darkness, Antichrist, and Diabolus, too.
Evil begins as a state of mind. A state of emotional instability.
Now. most of us are emotionally unstable now and then. Many of us are questionable, period. But we don’t turn evil — we don’t kill or maim or abuse. We don’t haunt or terrorize or cause irreputable damage to minds or bodies. Babies aren’t born evil. I don’t believe there is a code in one’s DNA that says “this one is evil.”
So where does it come from?
Is it bred into someone from birth? Is it manifested by abusive parents or negative sensations or bullying at school? Is it a result of a bruised ego? A broken heart? An unbearable pain?
An alien aural presence?
Hitler was an evil man. His part in World War II contributed to over 42 million deaths (and that’s a conservative estimate). Was he evil because he merely wanted to keep the species pure? Genghis Khan (1206–1227) was reported to have killed upwards of 40 million people building the great Mongol Empire. Did he manifest all that evil just to be the boss? An estimated 30-40 million Chinese died as a result of Mao Zedong’s repeated, merciless attempts to create a new “Marxism–Leninism” China. Was he evil because he wanted all of his people to think alike?
Then there’s small time evil. Ted Bundy. John Wayne Gacy. Jeffrey Dahmer. Columbine. Sandy Hook. Uvalde. The list could fill — does fill — pages in the history books.
See what I mean?
These people were the personification of evil. Self-centered, single-minded, selfish, steadfast mental cases. Yet they seemed perfectly sane to those around them.
Were they evil? Or merely misinformed? Misguided?
I often wondered why Sauron wanted to rule all the people in Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings. Or Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Fiction is just as full of evil doers who want to rule and don’t mind killing half the population to get their way. Was it for the money? For the fame? For slights against their character, real or imagined?
Evil is not the thing of sorcerers and demons. It is a human-bred mental illness that spreads from the host to those around them.
Evil is so much more complicated than black and white statements. It doesn’t come from talismans or mirrors or crypts or buried crosses. Evil doesn’t arise from spells or enchantments or curses. It is much more personal. Which makes it much more real.
You have to admit, evil is one of those esoteric topics that never really have an explanation or reason.
Where do you think evil comes from?
Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German pianist and composer widely considered to be one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time.
He learned musical composition from the official organist in a nobleman’s court, and became the assistant organist at age 11, publishing his first musical composition soon after.
In 1787 Beethoven went to Vienna hoping to study with the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He had to return home right away, however, because his mother was sick.
Five years later Beethoven settled in Vienna permanently. By that time Mozart had died, but Beethoven was able to study with Joseph Haydn and other famous composers.
Beethoven established himself as a piano virtuoso of distinction. He published works of chamber music for piano, violin, cello, and wind instruments, and embarked on several concert tours in major cities.
Beginning in his late twenties, Beethoven started experiencing episodes of tinnitus, which progressively worsened. By the time he was in his late forties, he was almost completely deaf.
By 1816, Beethoven had completely lost his hearing (the cause is still unknown); nevertheless, he composed some of his most famous and profound works in the decade that followed.
Beethoven’s late period, roughly from 1815 onwards, is characterized by works of unparalleled depth, complexity, and introspection. While his earlier compositions revolutionized music, his late works transcended the norms and conventions of his time, pointing the way to future developments in Western classical music.
More of Ludwig van Beethoven’s work and music can be found at https://www.biography.com/musicians/ludwig-van-beethoven and https://www.classicfm.com/composers/beethoven/best-pieces-ever-written/.
Faerie Paths — Lightly
It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly.
Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.
Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.
~ Aldous Huxley
Monday Monday (repost)
Over the weekend I went back into the black hole depths of this Humoring the Goddess blog looking for posts that had Monday in the title.
There have been quite a few attempts to comprehend and write about the first day of the work week. I smiled as I read all of them. So many different directions on the same topic.
That’s the beauty of Creativity. Looking behind is just as much fun as looking ahead.
So for all of you reading this this fine Monday morning — DO IT. And don’t stop.
MONDAY MONDAY 
Bah-da, bah-da-da-da
Bah-da, bah-da-da-da
Bah-da, bah-da-da-da
(do you know the song yet?)
Monday, Monday (bah-da, bah-da-da-da)
So good to me (bah-da, bah-da-da-da)
Monday mornin’, it was all I hoped it would be ..
All the oldies out there knew the song by the first six syllables. Funny how engrained music is into us. Even when we don’t think about it.
Was trying to come up with a topic, a theme, for this cloudy, cold Monday. But if there’s nothing there there’s nothing there.
Then a slip of lyrics passed through my head.
Monday, Monday (bah-da, bah-da-da-da)
I was a freshman in high school when the Mamas and Papas sang this song. I was escaping the horrors of middle school at that time. Those were rough times, especially for a geeky, smelly kid like me.
Not really stepping back, but I do know that even back then music made a difference in my life. The Beatles were my saviors, the Dave Clark Five my happiness. No one could break the bond between me and Paul or me and Dave. My writing started way back then, too. I used to have a notebook with my first love story written in it, but it is long gone. Perhaps it disappeared when it served its purpose.
Music was an escape when I was young. An emotional booster, an answer for self-consciousness and self-doubt. I didn’t think about doing drugs or getting drunk or having sex back then. (Shows you how backwards my freshman year was.)
But Last Train to Clarksville by the the Monkees and Summer In The City by the Lovin’ Spoonful and Five O’Clock World by the Vogues were songs that wrapped around those hard times and cushioned decisions in my life like why I never had a date Saturday nights or if my girlfriends wanted to have a pajama party or should I try out for the school play when I couldn’t sing.
I wonder if kids today have an inkling of that innocence. If they ever have a chance to be kids. If they ever have a choice to not be a part of the violence and discrimination and hatred that swirls around all of us.
I suppose songs like WAP by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion (I wouldn’t look up the words if I were you) reflects the current needs and desires within a high-school education, the need to be free and understood and in control. Maybe innocence in its banal form is not needed anymore. Better to be smart than be exploited.
These days I find myself wandering back to that innocence I probably never really had. I have had enough of death and prejudice and politics to last a lifetime of discovery. Time for a bit of innocence to return to the world.
Do you believe in magic in a young girl’s heart
How the music can free her whenever it starts?
And it’s magic if the music is groovy
It makes you feel happy like an old-time movie………..
Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Nathan Hillis
Nathan Hillis, a self-taught photographer based in Oklahoma.
Since 2013, Hillis has been on an artistic journey, capturing the essence of his state and its surroundings.
Hillis’ photographic universe covers everything from open prairies to statues to unique angles of buildings and barns.
His ability to capture the essence of the moment transforms ordinary objects into trips through time.
Hillis perform endangered species surveys and studies during the day, giving him the opportunity to find and photograph amazingly beautiful places that most people never see.
Most of these places are extremely rural and oftentimes forgotten about, a perfect showcase for Hillis’ instincts and camera lens.
“My creative process involves constant experimentation with various photographic techniques,” The artist shares.
“Whether it’s the timeless allure of black and white film or the cosmic wonder of astro-landscape photography, documenting the beauty of these places is what drives me.”
More of Nathan Hillis’ imaginative photography can be found at https://nathan-hillis.pixels.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/hillis_creative/.
Unique Saturday Art
Unique: being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
Unique: being without a like or equal.
Unique: being the only existing one of its type; more generally, unusual, or special in some way.
Unique is different for everyone. Here are a few Installation Art Works that are definitely unique — have fun!
Faerie Paths — Chairs
Every chair should be a throne and hold a king.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Humoring the Goddess 