Tag: art

You Listened to What??

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I never seem to stop amusing myself with my own actions. I always start out in one direction and wind up completely somewhere else.

I listened to an opera last Saturday as I was mowing the lawn.

It was a beautiful Saturday here in the Midwest. Sun shining, slight breeze to cool the body, lots of stay-at-home chores waiting for attention. Especially mowing the lawn.

I often listen to the radio in headphones while I mow these never-ending “yards.” It’s usually either oldies rock n’ roll or classical.

This time I chose classical.

Turning on WPR from Madison, Wisconsin, they were just starting a live broadcast from the Met in New York City of La bohème, an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini.

Now, if you know me (or took a good guess) I really enjoy upbeat classical music, along with smooth jazz, oldies rock and roll, big band, pop tunes from the 80s, and an occasional hairband like Metallica. Opera is about as popular in my repertoire as slasher movies. Like non-existent.

But it was either listen to this hoity toity singing or listen to music with a thousand commercials. So on to La Bohème I went.

You already can guess the outcome of this story. It was beautiful.

The voices, the story, everything was so much more than I was wont to believe. The opera was sung in Italian, so the announcers explained each act before it started. I had a vague notion of the story line, seeing that Nicolas Cage and Cher went to see that opera in the movie Moonstruck.

Now, I think you have to be in a certain state of mind to enjoy something not everyone appreciates. Opera is one of those niches. 

But I was a ready listener, and caught all four acts before I finished for the day. I even went inside after the first act to read the synopsis of the opera before I went to finish mowing.

Another world of Art opened to me on Saturday, one I hope to revisit again soon. We all need to give other forms of Art a chance.

After all, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts go to see Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata!  in the movie Pretty Woman …

 

Art is EVERYWHERE!

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The more I delve into Art, the more amazing it becomes.

Many of my discoveries are distant links from where I started.

For instance, I was on a site, (the origin of which I forget), and found Paola Besana, whose art I enjoyed. Looking him up led me to a website,  https://www.maestrodartemestiere.it/en/, MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere, promoted by the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art, (Italy), which featured not only Besana, but many other Masters of Arts and Crafts.

Curious, I checked out another artist, Elena Dal Cortivo, who makes handmade reproductions of parchment roses made for the sound holes of harpsichords, mandolins, and baroque guitars.

Her website had more links to makers of harpsicords and and other instruments.

Maker of parchment roses?

Where did this art come from?

And who makes homemade harpsicords?

I think I have found my passion. My life’s work.

That makes me laugh. It used to be writing. I’m still passionate about that – but now it’s more experiencing new amazing forms of art and sharing them with those who also have (probably) not experienced such creativity.

This is how I find so many wonderful artists in the world. People and places that those of us in small Wisconsin towns have never heard of.

That’s why I believe in staying away from horrid headlines and problems I cannot solve and explore worlds that are still brand new to me.

I want to wander through fields of Art that are colorful and inspirational and unique. And I want you to discover them with me.

Don’t be afraid to explore the world. The positive parts of the world.

There is so much out there to discover!

 

 

 

The Magic of Unusual

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 9 Comments

You have seen the wonder of my Sunday Evening Art Gallery through this blog since I first opened the Gallery September 14, 2014.

2014. Holy Moley. That sounds like such a long time ago.

And I am still finding amazing, unique, wonderful, different artists and their work.

The world is an amazing place. I may not always agree with its politics or ignorance or boldness but there is always room for Art.

I sometimes wish I could just show everyone what the art world is about. But there is so much of it that I don’t understand. Don’t know the history nor the mechanics or the explanation for so many creative things.

But that doesn’t mean they’re not beautiful. Or unique.

Or strange.

As I always say, beauty in art is relative. The Holocaust was not beautiful. Documenting your dementia is not beautiful. Sketching and painting monsters, both inside and outside of your brain, is not necessarily beautiful.

But they are all necessary if you want to understand more of human nature.

Now, I’m not always sure I want to “understand” more of human nature. The positive side is like heaven; light, sunny, colorful. Positive vibes. Acceptance. Understanding. A comfortable psyche and aura.

As for the dark side of human nature, it can keep its distance. It can stay far away — along with thoughts of denial, erasure, and destruction.

Yet we cannot ignore what exists. And many artists have been able to take that pain and confusion and turn it into something that can be brought into this dimension, at least for understanding and explanation.

That’s why art, in all its forms, is magical.

Looking back through all my Galleries, it’s amazing what I have found. From royal crowns to harps to giant flowers to ancient landscapes to carved food to demons and fairies, there is something for everyone.

As Maximus asks in the movie Gladiator — “Are Your Not Entertained?”

 

 

 

Yin and Yang — Or Bing and Bang?

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I don’t know about you, but I often feel smarter at the beginning of the week than I do by the end. All things considered, life and beyond is easier to think about on a sunny Monday morning.

Earlier I responded to a comment on my creepy Sunday Evening Art Gallery Halloween blog from my friend Michelle Lee, saying it’s weird how spooky and unusual sits side by side with breathtaking and unusual.

What a brilliant and witty response!

But I digress.

Although it is neither witty nor brilliant, it is true. The world of Art encompasses an extremely wide variety of imagery and products. For every lovely Claude Monet painting there is a haunting Anton Semenov. For every sparkling glass art piece by Věra Lišková there is its counterpart in the strange and impractical ceramics of Katerina Kamprani.

Each style takes planning, dedication and a creative flair. Artists are artists because they can (for a moment) ride the dragon of individuality up above the clouds — or below in the pits of hell — and come back to tell the story.

My friend  at gwenniesgardenworld asked if I liked horror, especially with a lineup such as yesterday’s. I replied that I am more interested in the art side of horror.  I hate blood and gore and do not watch those kind of movies. A little psychological horror is okay. But I am fascinated by good horror art. The details, the emotions it evokes. 

And I think that’s true of all of us.

There is a lot of emotional art coming from black and horrible places in the soul. The experiences are broken, sad, lost moments in life. Yet the artist has been able to capture that pain and angst and put it into canvas or ceramics and share their emotions. 

Look at William Utermohlen‘s drawings as he slips into dementia. Or Zinovii Shenderovich Tolkatchev and his sketchings from a German concentration camp. They break my heart. 

Yet they are art, as sure as Auguste Rodin‘s sculptures or Chris Campbell‘s fun shoes.  Even in art worlds like music there is a big difference between Johann Strauss II‘s The Blue Danube Waltz and Will Smith‘s Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.

That’s why I enjoy exploring unique and unusual art. They may not be the most common  or popular art pieces ever created, but they do showcase the amazing way the human mind works — and has worked for centuries.

If you have any artists you enjoy that create that sense of awe and fascination and maybe even give you goosebumps, let me know. I have a whole portfolio of artists I’ve yet to showcase, and there’s always room for friends in the folder.

Happy Monday!

 

Switching Gears

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Another week has started in the farms/small towns in southeast Wisconsin. Nature, in her ever moving glory, has dumped most of her glorious hair on the ground to eventually turn into mush and mulch and hiding places for various little things until spring.

Today is the last warm day — the so-called Indian Summer — trying to coax us out of the house and go walking or biking or fetching the dogs one more day before it invites the colder air to come and visit.

Do you, as artists, change your routines when the weather changes?

I know my friends down Australia way are going through the lovely growth of Spring, thinking about picnics and boat rides and art fairs and dinners on the patio with friends.

Their counterparts up here in the U.S. for the most part are waving goodbye to the hot, melting vibrations of sunlight, settling instead for a weak, yet still bright, effort from the sun.

Many of you are artists — even if you don’t acknowledge yourself as one. You arrange gardens, build patios and put up swing sets, paint in watercolors and oils, cut up pieces of magazines and cloth and broken glass and make the most glorious collages. 

We all do something with our spare time — how can we not?

But cold weather does put a damper on outdoor activities. Perhaps not a damper, per se — you can still enjoy outdoor activities, walk in the snow and make snow angels — but cold weather does tend to keep one insider a lot more.

Do you do the same activities you did in the blazing hot summer? 

Technically I suppose I could do many of the same things inside as outside. Keep my plants growing, paint rocks at the kitchen table, ride an exercise bike rather than a purple 10 speed down the road. But some of it’s not the same without the grandkids or warm weather.

I am fortunate — writing is a year round project. I wish I was as versatile as the sport allowed (short stories, novels, poems, essays, opinion pieces, blogging, research papers, sonnets, tweets). I like to stick to the blogging and novel writing end of the pool.

In the winter time, when you’re stuck inside, blowing, tearing wind and snow and ice and nothing but a cabinet full of popcorn and ice cream, you would think your concentration focuses even finer.

It’s not even winter time and I find myself dissatisfied with everything.

Is this another passing phase? Should I find something new to write? Some new type of art to dig into?

Or should I just enjoy the popcorn and ice cream and take a break for a while?

What do you do?

 

 

 

I’m So Excited!

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I have been combing the world — and the Internet — for unique artists for upcoming Sunday Evening Art Gallery blogs, and I must say, I am so pumped!

Thank you for being a part of my past and my future. Unique art is everywhere — let’s find it together.

 

FUTURE ART GALLERIES

 

Wilfried Grootens

 

Boguslaw Strempel

 

Christel Assante

 

Gil Bruvel

 

 

 

What’s Important to YOU Today?

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 3 Comments

Happy Monday! Or is it? 

We all try and start the “week” off on a positive note. As the jokes/memes say, it’s only downhill from here.

I tend to disagree.

Sometimes it can go uphill from here.

I suppose, barring unexpected occurrences, most of us can expect a normal UP and DOWN kind of week. It depends on what we’ve planned for ourselves.

I hope you have planned some positive experiences.

I know I know — you can’t plan gifts from God or sparkling experiences from Gaia. They just come when they come.

But you can plan activities that bring you extra pleasure. 

Of course, you know I’m referring to Art. Crafts. Writing. Piano lessons. Painting a mural on your garage door. Anything that makes you happy.

There is something about starting fresh on a project/projects you love that plants that sparkle in your heart that eventually flows all through your body. Even if you aren’t over-the-top in getting back to your Art, once you get there, the world changes.

Your flops aren’t really flops. They’re lessons. Your completions aren’t really the end, but just the beginning. 

If you can stop listening to that little demon who whispers that you’ll never be any good, you will be amazed at how finishing the book you are reading or sewing that last piece together can make you feel.

Give yourself a chance.

I have lots of demons dancing in and out throughout the day. I’ve learned to either ignore them or, if need be, let them scream their garbage and then kick them out the door. I am who I am, and all that hoo hah. But I’m always working on improving “who I am.”

For me, that’s perfecting my crafts. Always writing something, always fooling around with Angel Tears. I have a boatload of projects just waiting for me to open the door, but I promised myself I’d stick to just a couple for the time being.

Give Monday a chance. Let it be the beginning of new chances, new worlds, new universes. Well, universes is quite a big quest …. maybe start with something smaller …. like solar systems.

Go for it!

Tell me what your creative plans are for the week!

 

 

Every Picture Tells a Story, Don’t It?

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An empty street full of stories

‘Rue Malonat’ in Nice
#France #painting by Guido Borelli

 

Can you imagine the stories this street could tell? Where does it go? Who walked down these steps?

This is the beauty of writing.

If you write for your own entertainment, for a publication, for a company, or for the one you love, your imagination can be endless.

I came across this post on Twitter. Simple, thought provoking.

What stories could be told from the following images from blogs I follow?

 

Designing an ArtStory book, ‘Bob & Bob’

Craig L Haupt

 

 

Crow Bait

Eva Mout, Ursus Art

 

 

Still Water

Nancy Wolitzer — Nancy Wolitzer

 

 

Digital Fantasy

Rose Elaine  — Rose Elaine Digital Art

 

 

Street Level

Tiffany Arp-Daleo — Tiffany Arp-Daleo Art

 

 

Catbird Sings

Laura Kate — Daily Fiber 

 

 

September

Brushpark-Watercolors — Carsten Wieland

So don’t say you don’t have anything to write about. If you love writing, write. It doesn’t have to be War and Peace. Set your soul free. Have fun.
As Rod Stewart sang — Every picture tells a story, don’t it?

What I Learned From My Craft Fair

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments

It was a partly sunny, partly windy Sunday afternoon at my first craft fair for Angel Tears. The crowd ebbed and flowed up and down the walk around my booth. I got a lot of compliments about the beauty of the crystals and colored stones, which I gratefully acknowledged. I perhaps made back 1/5 to 1/4  of my total first-year investment in sales, which surprised me for a first time outing.

It was a great day. A tiring day. A learning experience. Here’s some things I learned:

  • Give yourself more time than you think you need to set up. For me, two hours wasn’t nearly enough time. I know. What is there to setting up?
  • Be willing to change your layout on a whim. This spot enabled people to walk up and down both sides of the booth, and I had planned for only one side. Had to adjust so both sides could see the sparkle.
  • Some customers are chatty, some come up and say “I want this one.” Some just walk by and say “pretty.” Be friendly to all.
  • Know that setting up and taking down at a fair is a lot of work. I never underestimated the work that went into selling your wares, but I never experienced it, either. There’s a lot more to it than what you see.
  • Learn how to use your credit card reader (if you have one). My helper and I stumbled a few times in getting the darn thing to work. Embarassing.
  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. Know the day is important and stay focused, but don’t be a Debbie Downer (sorry Debbie) about everything wrong that happens. Product will blow over. Fall over. You won’t have the color or the shape or scene your customer is looking for. Oh well. It happens. 
  • Related to the above, offer to make a custom order. The customer loves a certain color or scene? If there is a real chance for a sale there, offer to make their request, unless it’s an intricate piece of work. Then it’s what’s there is there.
  • Bring everything you think you need your first time out, then trim down your supply bucket. In my case, no one wanted a receipt (except electronically), didn’t need extra  crystals or pens or, surprisingly a guest book. In my case, it was a snatch and buy business.
  • Hang your price sign high enough for people to see it. Setting it on a bucket that was holding down water jugs that held down the canopy was not an ideal site.
  • Have a helper. I can’t tell you how many times the moment’s rush almost got away from me. Maybe it’s just that I’m not a good multi-tasker. I can’t wrap and answer new questions and chat about where to hang Tears and replacing stock and trying to get the reader to work all at the same time. I’m a simpleton in that world.
  • Don’t sit all the time, nor don’t stand all the time. The small of your back and your hips will take the brunt of the abuse, and there’s nothing more embarrassing than standing up after a long time and moaning in pain.
  • And finally, have fun with your day. Observe and learn and listen. Learn where people want to put your piece, the colors they like, and which food vendor was the best. An art/craft fair is a wonderful people watching place. Don’t be afraid to make eye contact and say hello to those looking at your wares as they pass by. You never know who will come back and purchase something.

I was a nervous wreck all week, and all day before the fair started. The adrenalin kept me alert and adaptive. But when all was said and done, it was just another day.

A good day.

Be happy and thankful you were a part of it.

 

 

 

Wow!

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Okay okay!

I need to take a breath!

I’ve been catching up on my Reader reading these past few days, and have I found some interesting, spectacular, enjoyable art of all kinds from my artistic friends! I mean, WOW!

I can’t decide if I want to highlight all of them in one blog, do one blog a day for five days, one blog a week, give them full spread value, mix them up between my wit and wanton words …

I cannot believe I am so fascinated with the world of ART. I mean — it’s only a way to pass the time, isn’t it? It’s only using a pair of scissors to cut out a design.  A bit of glue and fabric on a piece of paper. A few brush strokes on a piece of canvas. 

Of course, if you believe that, our relationship is tainted.

Seriously, though. 

When one practices what they love over and over again, miracles happen. Little miracles, big miracles. Half miracles. Because it’s the soul, the ether, the cosmic power of life and beyond coming through.

Whew! Big words! Big emotions! Big exclamation points!

I think I’ll showcase them — and others — a couple of times a week.  There are sooooooo many people whose work I enjoy, and I’m always making new friends out there, too, whose work is ever inspiring. Just last week I highlighted Carsten Wieland and his creative painting videos — just sitting and watching him create is amazing.

I should make up a week about celebrating artists. But I’d be celebrating 52 weeks a year. And I already do that!

Keep on being inspired! Keep on Creating!

 

 

A Day for Projects

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It’s funny how creativity ebbs and flows.

One minute you are so full of words that nothing but writing a book can be their outlet. Other times you stare at at the screen, typing One Upon a Time 60 times because you can’t think of anything to write down.

One minute you have this great quilt idea, the next minute, as you start collecting materials, you find nothing reflects your idea.

I have two personal friends who have added painting to their creative repertoire, and honestly are very good at that, too. 

Maybe it’s the seasons that change our creative move. The need to be outdoors more, alive and singing with the birds and dancing with the bees.

Yeah — I can see me doing both.

But there is a different feel to spring than fall, summer than winter. What excited you last winter often disappears or, better yet, metamorphoses into something new and different.

Do you change crafts as the Earth changes seasons?

We all stick to our basic first love. Of that I don’t doubt. But when I read blogs where artists are trying collages instead of knitting or making miniatures instead of pop up cards, I am delighted. One good friend has turned from crocheting to repainting and redecorating her bedroom.

It’s a great feeling to get your feet wet in self expression.

Even if we don’t know what we’re doing, the enjoyment of learning just for the sake of learning is unmatchable. 

Maybe that’s why so many have so many projects going at one time. I’m going to make a collage for my sister! I’m going to paint the landscape behind my house! I picked up this new book at a garage sale the other day; think I’ll start reading tonight! I’m going to sew beautiful trim on a bunch of hand towels! I’m going to … I’m going to … I’m going to …

And here we are. Starting all over again. Or continuing where we left off last week or last month. Give us a little background music, a little work area, and voila! We are off on another adventure.

I myself am fighting between continuing my next book, making enough Angel Tears for the craft fair in September, figuring out how to put a book online, and keeping the weeds out of my new pop up/out garden. I feel like I’m at the beginning of a mountain trail, but at least I know I have company on my way up.

How about you and your pastimes? Any new ones creeping in?

 

Another Monday is Here!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 8 Comments

Now that I am retired I am not as much against Mondays as I was when I punched a time clock at work. If the day has nothing in particular scheduled, I sleep a little later, enjoy my coffee a little longer, and waste a little more time on my computer.

My Sunday Evening Art Gallery folder is filling up fast. Plus I have 2 pages of possible unique artists to explore. 

I know no one is as excited or interested in the array of unusual and unique artists I’ve discovered, but I think that’s true for all of us, no matter what our creative outlet.

I’m a unique art fan. I also love writing and crafting (only one particular item). My family isn’t terribly interested in any of the above, which is alright by me. At least I’m not in competition with any of them.

But it’s nice to find others who are interested in the same things you are. I’ve let writing simmer on the back burner for a while now, but I have friends who are writers and poets and I love where they are going with their work. I have friends who have turned from active poets to active painters, and others who are active woodworkers or crocheting superstars.

I believe in shining no matter how good or talented you are.

But that’s just me.

But I digress.

The Gallery folder is filling up faster than I can post. I can’t even keep up with the actual gallery, although it doesn’t get as much traffic as my blog. 

The seat of creation has to lie somewhere, doesn’t it?

Here are a few images of artists waiting in the wings:

 

David de la Mano

 

Ruby Silvious

 

Yarn Bombing

 

Dino Rosin

 

I hope you all stay around for the ride. I love this stuff! I hope you do too. And stop by the Gallery and see all of the artists I’ve added!

Happy Monday, kitties!

 

Expanded Galleries

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For those of you who enjoy my Sunday Evening Art Gallery entries, I have added quite a number of beautiful images in many artists’ galleries. The depth of these artists (and many more) is  just amazing.

 

Waterfalls

 

Alan Wolfson

 

Chad Knight

 

Rita Faes

 

Ronnie Hughes

 

Sally England

 

Unusual Buildings

 

Come stroll through the Galleries any time! 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Don Esser

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Since I have crossed my Internet usage limit until Tuesday, I thought I would repost this one from 5 years ago today!

 

I have often found that letting the artist explain his craft is the most rewarding explanation of all.

riding-the-wave

So it is with Don Esser: Blacksmith, Metal Artist, and Sculptor.

odin-with-winged-helmet

Since 1976, using hammer and anvil, I’ve been pounding, twisting, and shaping hot metal.

chi-scroll

As a self-taught artist, my approach to life and art has always had an element of fearlessness to it. From childhood on, art has always been a natural, joyful part of my life.

rooster-with-glass-heart

There is a fluid lightness to my work partly because I’m enjoying making it and partly because, after so many years, I have learned the language of my materials.

balancing-act

I try to capture the essence in as few lines as possible, with a sense of fluidity and grace that can be achieved working in the forge.

vortex

It is a little like stealing fire from the gods and my goal is to put a bit of that sense of wonder into each piece I make.

arrow-to-the-sky
That playful quality in my work also means that most of my pieces are one of a kind. 

Breaking the Tape

People often ask, “How long does it take you to make it?”

journey-of-life

My answer is, “36 years of practice, 50-plus years of training, and a lifelong desire to make art.”

atomic-rock

More of Don Esser’s remarkable work can be found at Steel Wool Studio (http://steelwoolstudio.com/don-esser.htm).

Get Creative and Share!

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Grandkids Get Creative

Today — Every day — is for sharing. Sometimes I’m not up to it, other days I’m buzzing around like a bee with pollen. Today is a pollen day.

I’d like to share some of my blogger friends’ finished artwork. I enjoy following them, and I really appreciate their efforts to bring beauty into the world. I know I might miss some, but that share is for another day. Take a look — follow the links — and enjoy their work for yourself.

 

https://dailyfiberfun.wordpress.com/

 

https://friendlyfairytales.com/

Seeing the same four walls
in this endless
pandemic confinement,
but imagining far fields……………

 

https://ivors20.wordpress.com/

There must be a number of silent masks around

Yesterday an old mask flew away at the speed of sound

From behind, the real pieces of what we perceive……………

 

https://gwenniesgardenworld.wordpress.com/

 

https://chaoticshapes.com/

 

https://anthonygrootelaar.blog/

 

https://rakupottery.ca/

 

https://leafandtwig.wordpress.com/

the flowers’ shadows
write their own poem
on the book’s pages

 

https://brushparkwatercolors.wordpress.com/

 

https://thelonelyauthorblog.com/

i will love you
in the silence of your reflection
in the echoes of your pain………………………….

 

https://rothpoetry.wordpress.com/

Painting // passing time
Waiting for Summer release
Ready for a hug

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Kazuhito Takadoi

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Artist Kazuhito Takadoi uses natural materials combined with traditional Japanese art supplies like sumi ink and washi paper to make delicate sculptural works that tread between two and three dimensions.

Inspired by the rich woodland surrounding his birthplace of Nagoya, Japan, nature is both Takadoi’s inspiration and the source of him material. There are no added colors: everything is natural, simply dried then woven, stitched, or tied.Takadoi cultivates and then gathers grass, leaves, and twigs from his garden to form the meticulous structures that comprise his dimensional creations.He has also developed the embroidery process to include pure white Japanese book binding threads as a material.

Though these organic findings are secured in place through weaving and stitching, they continue to evolve as they dry and mature, changing in flexibility and color.

More of Kazuhito Takadoi’s marvelous creations can be found at http://www.kazuhitotakadoi.com.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Duro Olowu

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Duro Olowu is a Nigerian-born, London-based fashion designer. He is best known for his innovative combinations of patterns and textiles that draw inspiration from his international background.He grew up living in both Nigeria and London and spent summers in Geneva, immersing him in multiple cultures.From an early age, his enthusiasm for fashion was inspired by the unexpected mix of fabrics, textures and draping techniques of the clothing worn by the women that surrounded him.He is best known for his innovative combinations of patterns and textiles that draw inspiration from his international background.

His first collection in 2006 was an instant hit with fashion editors and buyers worldwide and an international sell out in its worldwide stockists at the time.Alluring silhouettes, sharp tailoring, original prints juxtaposed with luxurious vintage fabrics in “off beat” yet harmonious combinations are Olowu’s signature.His colors are bright, mismatched, yet coordinated, reflecting the brightness of life and of being a woman.Olowu says, “My idea [was] to create a beautiful feast for the eyes reminiscent of a warm and joyful season filled with international treasures and signature fabrics.”

More of Duro Olowu’s designs can be found at https://duroolowu.com.

 

The Art of Christmas

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Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
~ Calvin Coolidge

 

Adoration of the Magi, Sandro Botticelli

 

Be Home for Christmas, Thomas Kinkade

 

Christmas Card, Salvador Dali

 

Adoration of the Magi, Albrecht Dürer

 

Merry Christmas Grandma, Norman Rockwell

 

Snow Scene at Aargenteuil, Claude Monet

 

Christmas Card, Andy Warhol

 

Christmas Morning, Thomas Falcon-Marshall

 

We Three Kings, James Christiansen

 

Adoration of the Magi, Peter Paul Rubens

 

Charlie Brown Christmas, Charles Schultz

 

Revel in the Arts

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Svenja Jödicke

I have said many times before that inspiration is everywhere around us…. that all we need to do is OPEN OUR EYES.

This evening I was trying to catch up on reading individual blogs I follow and came across two that really made me proud of the creativeness around me. 

Laura Kate is the energy behind Daily Fiber, a blog about projects featuring fiber material. Not only is this woman into creating beautiful quilts, including designing her own, but she crochets, paints, and sews. What made her stand out in my mind was one of her opening blog: I’m taking a break from knitting and painting to do a little sewing. 

I love it.

To  me, she is a person who hears the song of creativity and follows it gladly. Her spirit is most likely drawn in ten directions at one time, yet wisely she listens to one song at a time while she keeps an ear open for the other melodies.

The Textile Ranger has devoted two blogs to her make-believe mall called TextileTopia and TextileTopia Part Two, filled with real-life artists and websites for readers to click through and enjoy. Her creativity is electric — it makes you want to quilt and sew and make small pieces of artwork and huge murals and garden and stitch and — you get my drift.

I am so turned on by others who are turned on by the Arts. Whether it’s a single pursuit or a confusing cornucopia of ideas and methods that have no direction, letting that creative Muse of yours out into the world does something wonderful to and for your soul.

I’ve been in a rut lately, taking care of some stressful family business, along with the darkness of winter and the adjustment to retirement. I know the best way out of the blues is to play with the rainbow of light and imagination and let my mind (and talent) go where it will.

I’ve got some great ideas for the new year such as making Angel Tears (a hanging cord that sparkles in the breeze), along with photographing some beautiful, falling down barns in my countryside. I hope I can share my adventures with you.

In the meantime, don’t fight the spirit that longs to be set free. Go with it! What have you got to lose?

Tell me about YOUR future creative plans!

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Jacob Lawrence

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The most widely acclaimed African American artist of this century, and one of only several whose works are included in standard survey books on American art, Jacob Armstead Lawrence has enjoyed a successful career for more than fifty years.Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1917. The son of Southern migrants, he moved with his mother and sister to Harlem in 1930 at age 13.Lawrence’s paintings portray the lives and struggles of African Americans, and have found wide audiences due to their abstract, colorful style and universality of subject matter.He create paintings drawn from the African American experience as well as historical and contemporary themes, such as war, religion, and civil rights.

In 1940, he received a grant from the Rosenwald Foundation to create a 60-panel epic, The Migration of the Negro (now known as The Migration Series).

The panels portray the migration of over a million African Americans from the South to industrial cities in the North between 1910 and 1940. 

He was credited with developing a unique aesthetic known as Dynamic Cubism, which would be attributed, not to European influences, but to “hard, bright, brittle” Harlem.

More of Jacob Lawrence‘s artwork can be found around the Internet including MOMA Lawrence and  Artnet Lawrence.

Love The Arts!

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Artist Trading Cards for International Artists Day

Today I went wandering around the Internet looking for images for an upcoming Sunday Evening Art Gallery blog about Reflections.  During this search I came across so many amazing images.

Amazing isn’t even touching upon the truth.

If I once thought there was competition to get my writing out into the universe, it is mirrored tenfold in the number of creative images artists, photographers, graphic artists, and other creative muses out there.

The world is an amazing place. Artists abound in so many ways, with so many ideas. I am blown away.

Google a phrase, an idea, then go to images or to the websites that pop up. Read the articles. Look at their pictures. Their backgrounds are as diverse as grains of sand. But each of their creations are unique. There are hundreds of versions of an image such as trees or ice or dreams. The visions are endless.

http://www.vetrovero.com/store/c39/Jewel_Bottles.html

Just like the Sunday Evening Art Gallery gallery I just posted yesterday. You have nightmarish paintings by Zdzisław Beksinski sitting next to paintings of lovely Indian women by Raja Ravi Varma, which are down the hall from unusual Chairs, which is some ways from Rita Faes who takes remarkable photos of flowers, who is way down from Pumpkin Carving King Ray Villafane, who is quite a bit away from the famous, beautiful Fabergé Eggs.

See what I mean? Such varied talent, such amazing work. Everywhere.

 

Daniel Rozin

Whether you paint leaves or embroider geometric designs or make stained glass, your work adds nothing but glitter to the Earth’s aura. Every time you write a poem, every time you carve a pumpkin or paint a watercolor landscape you add to the positive vibes of the world.

Just like these artists I came across online who did miracles with bottles or mirrors or paint drops, all you need is a dream and some imagination and the urge to do something fun.

I love The Arts. Don’t you?

 

 

My Creative Muse Is At It Again

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nikitaliskov

Happy Monday creative muses!

Last week I told you that, for various reasons, I will not be going to Paris next fall to write. Which is just fine.

Just as I accepted that fact,  my creative muse swooped in and brought me an idea a new book (which I’ve  told you about). Her chatter, at first, is confusing and mind blowing. So much information, so many ideas, and with her Irish brogue it’s sometimes hard to understand everything.

But she also brought a new awareness to my aura’s circle. I believe that, of all of things I’ve written, this upcoming book will be the one that really works.

Do you ever feel that way with your latest creation? That of all of the things you have worked on, all the things you’ve made, that this is the one that is going to take you to that next level?

Do you listen to yourself when you hear that?

Now, “the next level” can be different things to different people. It could be the start of a whole new art collection. A whole new style or technique or genre.  It is usually something you’ve been working towards for some time. A contest entry, an art competition, being published. The next level is something every artist strives for.

I finished my blogs about How To Write Your First/Second/Third Book which I will be posting soon. And I am happy to say I am following my own advice.

I have a story line kinda worked out. When I solidify it I will write my synopsis. I think I’ve decided which point of view I’m writing as. And I have a lot of research to do on characters and settings, for that’s the kind of book I now want to write. I am missing one character I know I need but have drawn a blank on who it is. This is common, too. You don’t always have to have all the details, all the Ps and Qs before you start. Your creative muse will sooner or later bring you the piece you need to finish your puzzle.

When you get your idea and really begin to work on it, you can’t help but get excited about it. Excited about the research, excited about its development, excited about how you will start it and how you will finish it. All mediums are the same when it comes to that tingling feeling that “this is IT.” 

So what are you working on/researching this marvelous Monday?

And I’m talking to you silent readers in the background who are  starting something and finally are ready to talk about it….

Sunday Evening Art Gallery on Thursday — Vanessa Davis

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Vanessa Davis is known for her elaborate, theatrical, detailed and highly creative makeup designs and looks she creates on herself and others. The self-described “makeup and mixed media face-artist”  is known for her skull-inspired designs that exceed every day and trendy skeletal face paint.

Davis creatively and continuously finds ways to create her unique looks. Colorful koi fish, a rising phoenix, a butterfly’s wing, and even a sleek, neon hologram are just some of the many ways the artist has brought nature and color into her skull motif.

So, why the skull? For Davis, the decision was a personal one.

“I am fascinated how skulls are portrayed in fashion, art and tattoo art. I noticed that the successful makeup accounts specialized in either a particular style or subject, so I chose skulls, which also works, as my heritage is Mexican and English.”

Vanessa transitioned to a full time designer and influencer on social media and has partnered and collaborated with brands such as 20 Century Fox, Disney, Warner, MAC, Makeup Forever, and others.

More of Vanessa Davis‘ amazing makeup can be found on https://www.facebook.com/skulltress/ and her Instagram account. 

 

Art Is Everywhere

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They say art is a waste of time.

That young minds and old should be focused on more important things like finance and politics and how to earn a living.

Well, art is a miracle of the mind, heart, and soul, too.

I’ve been finding a lot of new and unique artists to share in future Sunday Evening Art Gallery blogs. And with each piece of art comes an overwhelming sense of self. Of accomplishment. Of caring and sharing.

Here are a few of the artist I’ve already featured. Take a look at the thought, the fine detail, the foresight these people had in just creating something:

 

 

Willard Wigan

 

Ana Teresa Baraboza

 

Riusuke Fukahori

 

 

Dale Chihuly

 

Here is a sampling of some of the artists to come:

 

Pegi Smith

 

Matt Molloy

 

Vanessa Davis

 

Just think for a moment all the work that went into each creation. All the thought, emotion, and precise movements it took to get their art just right..

Art is all around you.

If ever in doubt, just open your eyes. Here are a few views of art made by a more “cosmic” artist … be sure to take in this sort of art when you can …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Edgar Degas

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Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917)  never reconciled himself to the label of “Impressionist,” preferring to call himself a “Realist” or “Independent.”

Nevertheless, he was one of the organizers of the first impressionist exhibition in 1874, and remained influential in the group, but his own work was deliberate and controlled, painted in the studio from sketches, notes, and memory.

Like the Impressionists, Degas sought to capture fleeting moments in the flow of modern life, yet he showed little interest in painting plein-air landscapes, favoring scenes in theaters and cafés illuminated by artificial light, which he used to clarify the contours of his figures, adhering to his academic training.

He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers.

His portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and for their portrayal of human isolation.

Though his work crossed many stylistic boundaries, Degas’ involvement with the other major figures of Impressionism and their exhibitions, his dynamic paintings and sketches of everyday life and activities, and his bold color experiments, served to finally tie him to the Impressionist movement as one of its greatest artists.

Degas summed it us thus: “A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people.”

More of Edgar Degas‘ magnificent art can be found around the Internet.

Come And Visit the Gallery!

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Hope you had a lovely weekend.

A lovely, crazy, wild, serene, inquisitive, jovial, restful, whirlwind, boring, or otherwise refreshing weekend.

I thought I would take a Monday evening to show off some of the beautifully intricate and unusual and amazing art I’ve come across since I started my Sunday Evening Art Gallery blog. 

I cannot tell you how much each one of these artists have taken my breath away with their talent, their determination, and their creativity. Hope you appreciate the galleries, and if you are interested, come on over to the main Sunday Evening blog and see a lot more of their magic. Follow if you wish — just peek in now and then if you don’t. But no matter where you go, keep an eye out for the unusual, the beautiful, the world of art.

It’s all around you.

 

Waterdrops
https://wp.me/p5LGaO-4jbn

 

 

Michael Parkes
https://wp.me/p5LGaO-1eg

 

 

Luke Jerrram
Swine Flu
https://wp.me/p5LGaO-35

 

 

Debra Mager
https://wp.me/p5LGaO-1tH

 

 

Spencer Biles
https://wp.me/p5LGaO-15H

 

 

Tal Peleg
https://wp.me/p5LGaO-pu

 

 

Quilts
https://wp.me/s5LGaO-quilts

 

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

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~Michelangelo

The elections are over, candidates came and some went, everyone believing they know what’s best for my/our community, our district, our state. One falls and the other takes up the march. In the end, the stalks of corn whistle and whine and sing the song of tomorrow.

I just started watching “The Agony and the Ecstasy” about Michelangelo. It begins by covering his amazing sculptures such at St. Matthew, the tomb of Juliano, and the Medici tombs, including the tomb of Lorenzo. He was 24 when he carved the magnificent Pietà of St. Peters, and 26 when he started to carve famous statue of David.

And he was 33 when he started painting the Sistine Chapel. That huge, vast, empty ceiling. 

33. What were you doing when you were 33? 

I was working in downtown Chicago and had been married for three years and had a two-year-old when I was 33. The little painting I did was more a passing fancy, and the writing I did would not explode in earnest until ten years later.

Some people are just gifted. Some people are just magic. Some people have something we will never have. 

I don’t think the competition back in 1508 was as extreme as it is these days. There was no Internet, no Facebook or no blogs. No telephones, no printing presses, no TV or Xeroxes. Oh, I’m sure there were many sculptors back then. Sculptors and painters. But to have your work noticed and remembered and studied and worshipped — that’s a totally different story.

I have no idea how to sculpt anything, no less chisel a man out of marble. I may paint my pithy version of an alien landscape, but I have no idea how to paint people and ceilings and landscapes.

He did.

He knew how to create art from blocks of stone and angels from paint at the same time people lived with thatched roofs and bathed once a year.

When you stop and take a look at the history of art — really take a look at how such marvelous creations were created in such sparse and simple times — you cannot help be be amazed. 

You don’t have to be “into” the arts to appreciate the talent and stories that echo through the hallways of time. A calling was all that was needed; a calling to an artist who had the talent, the patience, and the dream of making something bigger than themselves. 

You may not have the fame or endurance of the masters of old, but you do have the talent and the inspiration. Throw yourself into your art, and let it flow through you and onto your medium.

Don’t compare yourself to artists like Michelangelo di Ludovico Buonarroti Simoni or Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn or Marc Zakharovich Chagall. You are your own magic, your own muse. You hear music others can’t hear. Follow that calling. 

And take a look at some of the artists of the past. Learn about their art, their history, their passions.

Maybe you will see yourself reflected in their creativity.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Mother’s Day

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I am blessed to be a mother

I am blessed to have had my mother for 54 years

I am blessed to have friends who are mothers

I am also blessed to have friends who have left it to

Others to be a mother.

Life is Short………Be What You Want.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Vincent Van Gogh’s Mother

 

 

Whistler’s Mother

 

Barker Gang’s Mother (Ma)

 

 

Pablo Picasso’s mother

 

Mother Theresa

 

Rembrandt’s Mother

 

Juan Gris’ Mother

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Snowglobes

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Erwin Perzy, a surgical instruments mechanic, accidentally created the first snow globe in 1900 as a result of an experiment to try to improve the brightness of the newly invented – and then not very bright – electric light bulb.

He was inspired by the shoemakers of the time, who to get more light from a candle mounted a glass globe filled with water in front of the flame. This gave them a light spot the size of a hand.

One day he found a white powder, semolina, used for baby food.

And he poured it into the glass globe, and it got soaked by the water and floated very slowly to the base of the globe.

This effect reminded him of snowfall.

And this was the very first, the basic idea for inventing a snow globe.

Though Perzy—who patented his globe in 1900—didn’t invent the snow globe, he and his brother are responsible for catapulting the souvenir into the position of tchotchke primacy it holds today.

Seizing on the invention, the pair opened a shop, Original Wiener Schneekugel Manufaktur, in Vienna.

Today there are as many styles as fill the imagination.

 

What Is Abstract Art?

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Alright, all you lovers (and merely friends) of Art….

Yesterday, my SEAG blog was about Infinity. As you can see, most of of the images are abstract, i.e., art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead use shapes, colors, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect (per Tate Gallery).

Now, I am a landscape scenery kind of aficionado — a fan of surrealistic fantasy scenes and purple skies. But I want to feel comfortable around abstract art. I may not understand it, but I often get a “feeling” from it.

From those of you who appreciate abstract art…what it is about it that you like? What part of it do you understand? What does it MEAN?

Although it may look to the contrary, abstract art is not just someone spatting paint on a canvas. There is a reason, an emotion, a question the artist is trying to convey.

How can you learn to appreciate it, though?

Through the Gallery years I have shared what I thought was creative modern art. I read about the artists, got an idea what he was trying to convey, and shared their work so that you could get a different taste in your mouth.

But I’m sad to say I don’t quite get it. And I’m not making fun of abstract art. I’m just trying to understand it.

I suppose it’s like poets writing free verse poetry. To me it sounds like creative writing broken up into stanzas. There are only a few poets that write like that that I truly feel are sticking to form. But I love what I read, so the style doesn’t always mean as much.

So all of your modern art affectionados — how do you look at abstract art? Or minimalism art? What do I look for? How do I understand it?

Any clues you can give me will be appreciated.

As long as they’re not abstract thoughts…

 

Upper Right Painting

Vir Heroicus Sublimis (1950–51), Barnett Newmane

Sunday Evening Art Gallery on Thursday — Kang Dong Hyun

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Korean artist Kang Dong Hyun constructs hollow animal sculptures from a system of metallic branches.

 Hyun creates animal-shaped, metal figurines that look as though they are formed from delicate tree branches and twigs.

 His works often have a high concentration of these sprig-like elements constructing the animal’s face, which allow the distinguishing characteristics of his house cats, birds, bulls, and elephants to take form.

In one particular piece a lion’s full facial features are brought to life through his network of sculpted twigs, a furrowed brow projecting a look of worry or remorse.

When placed outdoors, each sculpture takes on a new life of its own as the sun hits its reflective surface.

You can see more of Kang’s interpretations of the animal kingdom at My Modern Met.

What Is Your Title?

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Things are swinging around here lately. It seems like I haven’t felt like writing lately, except for my blog.

Me. A writer. Not writing.

I seem to be getting more into the Art thing more than the Writing thing. I’m finding more and more artists that I want to share with you, and finding less and less creativity in the short story department.

Does that mean I’m still a Writer?

Should I change my title to Art Director?

Some people live and die by their title. I can remember working in downtown Chicago in the 80s….people were respected (and paid) by how many windows they  had in their office. Pity the fellow who had a beam going down the middle of the window. It wasn’t nearly as  respected as one who had a whole window.  The CEO at the time had four windows — a corner office.

You can see whose title meant the most in those days.

I’m sure it’s the same today. I don’t work downtown, so titles aren’t as cutthroat as they are in the city. Yet I’ve seen ledgers with Vice President of Marketing, Assistant Vice President of Marketing, Director of Marketing, Assistant Director of Marketing — what does that all mean?

Back to my title.

I consider myself a writer. Do I dare consider myself an Art Director?

According to Wikipedia, an art director…… is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vision. In particular, the art director is in charge of the overall visual appearance (I do that) and how it communicates visually, stimulates moods, contrasts features, and psychologically appeals to a target audience (I do that too!) . The art director makes decisions about visual elements used, what artistic style to use, and when to use motion (I do all that too!).

It’s funny how so many of us are judged by our titles. I was a IDCAS who did writing, yet I didn’t get the acknowledgement of a writer until they called me Digital Writer. I’m sure those chains hang over other artistic branches as well.

I believe we should be any title we want. As long as we don’t lie about things like past jobs or education, what does it matter what you’re called? Of course, I don’t really need a title. I just do what I do and like what I do.

I am the owner of Sunday Evening Art Gallery.  I also choose which artists to showcase, the layout of the site, who to promote. That makes me an Art Director if anything does.

I could also call myself Art Gallery Marketing Manager, Gallery Curator, Museum Director, Art Gallery Administrator, Art Gallery Museum Director…..

It was much simpler when I was just a writer.

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Ellie Davies

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Ellie Davies has have been working in UK forests for the past eight years, making work which explores the complex interrelationship between the landscape and the individual.

Davies notes UK forests have been shaped by human processes over thousands of years and include ancient woodlands, timber forestry, wildlife reserves and protected Areas of Outstanding Natural.

As such, forests are potent symbols in folklore, fairy tale and myth, places of enchantment and magic as well as of danger and mystery.

Against this backdrop, Davies’ work explores the ways in which identity is formed by the landscapes we live and grow up in.

The forest becomes a studio, forming a backdrop to contextualize the work, so that each piece draws on its location, a golden tree introduced into a thicket shimmers in the darkness, painted paths snake through the undergrowth, and strands of wool are woven between trees mirroring colors and formal elements within the space.

More of Ellie Davies’ fantastic photography can be found at https://elliedavies.co.uk/.

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Carol Long

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Born in 1965, Carol Long was raised on a farm in Stafford County Kansas.

.Working from a family farm studio in Kansas, Carol reproduces the beauty of her surrounding environment into her pieces using floral and insect motifs, combined with flowing lines, merging into leaf and  plant details

Pieces are made by a variety of methods such as throwing, slabwork, extrusions, and hand building, along with pulled handles and  attached  multiple pieces that are textured with presses, slip trailing, stains and glazes.

 Her work continues to evolve as she experiments with new ways of expressing the tiny beautiful intrinsic qualities of nature that we often take for granted.

Originally inspired to be an artist by her mother, she has also received inspiration from her three children, which explains the carefree whimsy evident in her pottery.More of Carol Long‘s pottery can be found at http://www.carollongpottery.com/. 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Kerby Rosanes

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Philippines-based illustrator Kerby Rosanes is a master in the world of  proves that doodling can be so much more than scratching unintelligible scribbles on paper.

Using Uni Pin drawing pens, Rosanes is able to transport viewers to a world of designs, characters, and  drawings that present a mesmerizing view with every angle.

Rosanes admits that he gets on an “illustration high” when he merges animals with his “crazy doodle monsters”, but he loves the results of every fusion.

Rosanes is a self-taught artist, honing his talent with every design. Growing up, he could not afford to take art classes so he learned to draw himself.

Rosanes believes that artists should pursue something that is close to your heart. Breaking into the creative industry is not easy. So don’t let every negative comment pull you down.

More of Kerby Rosanes amazing designs can be found at http://kerbyrosanes.com.

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Izumi Akinobu

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Tokyo-based artist Izumi Akinobu creates amazing miniature worlds encased in tiny glass bottles.

 

Izumi is an architectural model designer by day and a craft artist in her spare time.

She has been creating these wonderful bottles since 2010.

More of  Izumi Akinobu‘s tiny creations can be found at https://www.etsy.com/shop/tinyworldinabottle. 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery (on Monday) — Randall Henry Riemer

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Randall Riemer is an award winning metal artist from Wisconsin.

 

His works include architecturally inspired sculptures and furnishings for residential and commercial environments.

His metalwork is modern, eclectic, and magical.

I found this marvelous artist at the Art Fair on the Square in Madison, Wisconsin. What a marvelous vendor.

More of Randall Henry Riemer‘s amazing work can be found at www.rhenrydesign.com

 

I’m Thankful For YOU

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I have a story or two to tell you, but it will have to wait until Sunday or Monday. Gotta have turkey with the grandbabies — twice — and  I can’t miss the love.

So for now, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving — give thanks for who you know, how you got where you are, and the lessons you learned along the way. Be thankful that you are able to dream and imagine and create. Give thanks for those who have passed — be thankful that they came into your life and gave you so much of themselves.  Give thanks for sunrises and sunsets and Tchaikovsky and Monet and Harry Potter.

Eat some turkey, have extra gravy (it’s only one day!), and know that I’m thankful for all of you. For your writing, for your art, for your stopping by and saying hi.  Somehow I feel we’re all friends in here.

And that’s something to be thankful for.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Donatello

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Italian sculptor Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (c. 1386 -1466) , better known as Donatello, was the greatest Florentine sculptor before Michelangelo, and was the most influential individual artist of the 15th century in Italy.

He was one of the forerunners of Florentine Art, which also paved way for the age of Renaissance Art.

Donatello drew heavily from reality for inspiration in his sculptures, accurately showing suffering, joy and sorrow in his figures’ faces and body positions.

His fascination with many styles of ancient art and his ability to blend classical and medieval styles with his own new techniques led to hundreds of unique pieces in marble, wood, bronze, clay, stucco and wax.

Donatello’s legacy as the most accomplished sculptor of the early Renaissance is well deserved. With his work he ushered in an era where artists could feel free to interpret the emotion inherent in their subject matter without being tied to outdated legends.

More of Donatello’s history and works can be found at http://www.donatello.net/

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Anthony Howe

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The first thing to do when viewing the work of Anthony Howe  is to CLICK ON EACH IMAGE.

That way you can see the fascinating movement of each wind sculpture..
In Cloud Light III

Oingo 2014

 

Sky Spiral or Leaving the Lollipops

 

Di Octo and Sculptor 2015


Kweebee

 

Azion Prototype

The movement of each of these sculptures is mesmerizing. The perfect balance, the perfect swirl, the perfect twirl.

More of Anthony Howe’s amazing wind sculptures can be found at his website, https://www.howeart.net.

Thursday Evening on the Veranda is Closing for the Season

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Here in wonderful Midwest Wisconsin, the weather is taking it’s usual dive into the chilly pool of pre-winter. No gathering on the veranda with a chocolate milk in a wine glass, no tinkling of windchimes from the summer breeze…let’s just say the weather sucks.

So as we sweep the leaves off the porch and put away the easels that showcased the wonderfully unique art I found, I will leave you with a smattering  of non-gallery images that I think are just cool. I did not create nor take the pictures…that’s a gallery for another day.

I will undoubtedly create a winter-themed gallery — after all, my pre-gallery folders are bursting with great art!

Any ideas for a winter-themed gallery name?

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Debra Mager

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Debra Mager is a self taught mosaic artist.

She developed her craft by learning from the best mosaic teachers in the country, reading many many books on the subject, and by practice.

 Debra’s art is an expression of the joyful, beautiful happy things in life with a touch of whimsy.

She considers her art, in the words of the author, Elizabeth Gilbert,  “souvenirs” of her artistic journey.

Debra read every book on the subject of mosaics, took classes, and practiced incessantly.

She learned quickly, discovered a tremendous passion for the craft, and has been at it ever since.

Debra’s mosaic art is whimsical, technical, and magical — just what you expect mosaic art to be.

More of Debra Mager’s art can be found at http://cinderellamosaics.com,

Sunday/Monday Evening Art Gallery Blog — David Martin Stone

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Illustrator David Stone Martin  (1913-1992) was one of the most prolific and influential graphic designers of the postwar era, creating over 400 album covers.

Much of his work spotlighted jazz, with his signature hand-drawn, calligraphic line perfectly capturing the energy and spontaneity of the idiom.

Born David Livingstone Martin in Chicago, he later studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and began his career as an assistant to the social realist painter Ben Shahn, designing murals during the 1933 World’s Fair.

Martin spent the remainder of the decade as art director of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and served during World War II as an artist/correspondent for Life magazine.

After returning to the U.S. he mounted a career as a freelance artist; in 1948, he also began teaching at the Brooklyn Museum School of Art, followed in 1950 by a year at New York City’s Workshop School of Advertising and Editorial Art.

Martin entered music illustration through his longtime friendship with producer Norman Granz, designing hundreds of now-classic cover paintings for acts including Count Basie, Art Tatum, Gene Krupa, and Lionel Hampton.

Martin’s work has exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and others.

More of David Stone Martin’s magnificent album covers can be found at http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/stonemartin.htm

#AppreciateYourCreativeFriendsWeek – 1st Day

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Roses are Red

Violets are Green

Writing and Painting

Is More Than A Dream!

 

This is a made-up celebration, of course — but is it?

We all are jealous of other’s creativity. In a sweet, supportive way, of course. As shown on my Sunday Evening Art Gallery blog, I am always in awe of what magic comes from creative hands, minds, and souls.

I follow a number of poets, artists, sculptors, and everyday wise men and wise women, and am always in love with their offerings. So I am going to celebrate my friendly creative friends with my own #AppreciateYourCreativeFriends week! Check them out, follow follow follow (if it tickles your fancy), and have a great time doing it!

My Monday recommendation is Carsten Wieland, an amazing watercolor painter who lives in Essen, Germany. His site is full — and I mean full — of fantastic watercolor paintings. Houses, landscapes, weather — every post he shares is yet another glimpse into a very accurate eye and a very open palate.

Check out Carsten Wieland out at Brushpark/Watercolors. https://brushparkwatercolors.wordpress.com/. 

You check in, you may never want to check out!

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Johannes Stoetter

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Inspired by nature, recognized body painter Johannes Stoetter turns living models into animals, fruits, flowers, or blends them with the surroundings.

 

These impressively detailed paintings take up to five months of thorough planning and up to eight hours of work to complete.

 

The winner of the World Bodypainting Championship in 2012 says that the key to success is to love what you’re doing.

Stoetter says, “I think I observe the world, nature, colors and shapes with very clear eyes and an open heart. And painting is my big passion.”

Looking at his compositions, you can see just how passionate he is.

You can find more of Johannes Stoetter’s work at johannesstoetterart.com .

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Cecelia Webber

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Cecelia Webber uses the human body to construct intricate tessellations that represent the natural world.

Her art implicates the viewer in its form, evoking our complex relationship with our bodies and nature. Her art has been featured around the world.

Each composition can take up to two months to produce, and involves photographing scores of poses; digitally cutting, rotating, and coloring the resulting images; and assembling all of the components together into the finished piece.

Because even slight nuances of colour and form become magnified in their final context, Webber frequently takes more than fifty photographs of a single pose to achieve the desired form.

The artist also regularly uses herself as a subject, setting a camera timer and then orienting herself for the photograph.

Webber’s deep appreciation for nature, along with her scientific background, gives her a deep awareness of organic forms that she draws upon to concoct pieces bearing a unique interplay between colors, shapes, and models’ bodies.

More of Cecelia Webber‘s magnificent art can be found at  http://www.ceceliawebber.com/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Mehndi

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Mehndi (also called Mehandi) is the traditional art of painting the hands, feet or body with a paste made from the powdered, dried leaves of the henna plant.

It is an ancient form of body art that has been practiced in the Middle East, India and parts of Africa for thousands of years.

The stains are usually cherry-red to brown color, but this can vary with time left on and a range of other factors.

Mehndi is special for many cultures, not just because it is an important part their culture, but also because of how beautiful the mehandi design looks when women are adorned with it.

In western countries, mehndi has gained a great deal of popularity in the temporary tattoo industry.

This art form is an intricately beautiful way to decorate the human body, a talent that is extraordinary and delicate and precise in its execution.

It is an amazing and intricate art form.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Motohiko Odani

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Sometimes an artist’s description by others is as mesmerizing as their art.

Motohiko Odani (1972-) was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, and received his MFA from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1997.

According to one creative description, “Odani, who possesses a keenly critical understanding of sculpture, has resisted (or taken advantage of) the medium’s conventional image of weightiness or substance.”

“Instead, he has given physical representation to ‘phantoms’ – entirely ephemeral sensations or amorphous phenomena.”

Odani’s works are comprised of complex layers of meaning that defy a singular interpretation, as the artist draws inspiration from various sources including horror and sci-fi films, Japanese folklore, Buddhism, and Futurism.

This last description matches Motohiko’s intrinsic art:  “With Odani’s artworks transcending the conventional idea of sculpture and seeking to give visual representation to existence itself, this exhibition pursues new possibilities for artistic expression.”

I think that’s a perfect description.

More of Motohiko Odani‘s amazing art can be found at http://www.phantom-limb.com/ and http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2011/01/motohiko-odani/.

Sunday/Monday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Alain Delorme

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Inspired by the men on bicycles toting impossible mounds of objects he witnessed in Shanghai, French photographer Alain Delorme defies physics with his “Totems” series.

Delorme creates colorful, stylized works that play with our notion of photography as an objective medium.

His series “Totems” surprises with its bright comic book colors and shapes, and ‘can you believe it?’ effect.

The viewer is emerged into a world of exaggerated accumulation, of both everyday objects and towering buildings, an accumulation that has rendered society a slave to the objects it has itself created.

Alain has captured the physical, city translation of the economic growth Shanghai is presently undergoing, in the skyscrapers shooting up in the background, while not forgetting to qualify its success with the walls separating a large part of the population from it.

More of Alain Delorme‘s amazing photography can be found at https://www.alaindelorme.com/.

Thursday Evening Art On The Veranda — Giant Statues

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Some may be able to recite the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

One was the Colossus of Rhodes, the other the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

 

Although those statues are long gone, there are still many who want to take their place.

Around the world there are a giant statues still trying to touch the sun

And to be remembered as he who watches all

As long as man can build statues to honor and to hope

There will be giant statues

And giant dreams

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Lorraine Corrigan

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These gorgeous papier-mâché dogs are made by UK-based artist Lorraine Corrigan in Hounds of Bath.

Lorraine adores sight hounds with their sleek lines, grace and elegance.

She loves to introduce the surprising concept of rolled paper art to those who have never seen or heard of quilling.

Lorraine began sculpting dogs with paper around four years ago and has now developed a sophisticated technique using wires and layers of fine papers from recycled books.

Each piece is individually made to order and develops a unique personality as the finishing touches of the expressive eyes and fine ears are added.

At the end process, due to the use of the text, the piece is almost stone-like in texture.

Each piece is then finished with two layers of sealant wash to preserve it for many years to come.

More of Lorraine Corrigan‘s amazing art can be found at All Things Paper and http://houndsofbath.tumblr.com/.

Thursday Evening Art on the Veranda — North Carolina Art

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Spring…Summer…Autumn…all are perfect times to walk around the art gallery. Don’t fret — the art is protected from the elements. The weather is perfect, the sun is starting to set — a perfect time to explore a new and unique artist.

Since this is our premiere, let us showcase something…unassuming.

My trip to North Carolina last year.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Nick Veasley

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British photographer Nick Veasey uses industrial X-ray machines to discover what makes up the natural world and highlight the surprising, inner beauty in some of the most common objects.

Veasey got the idea to use X-ray machines for art while dating the daughter of a truck driver who was transporting thousands of soda cans, one of which contained a prize worth 100,000 pounds.

He rented an X-ray machine from a local hospital to find the winning can. Although he was unsuccessful, he credits this moment for sparking the idea that launched his career.

Due to the high risk of working with radiation, Veasey custom built a concrete structure to contain it.

To get his pictures, subjects are placed on a lead surface with film behind it. The X-rays pass through the subject and then onto the film where from there he can control the exposure time in a separate room.

Veasey doesn’t actually use any human subjects, as they would have to endure radiation for about 12 minutes. Instead, when a model is needed, he uses skeletons in rubber suits or cadavers that have been donated to science.

Veasey focuses on finding an antidote to the “obsession with appearance” by revealing the beauty within.

Veasey’s work also comments on our society’s increasing paranoia and control by security and surveillance. “To create art with the technology … that helps remove the freedom and individuality in our lives … brings a smile to my face.”

More of Nick Veasley’s fantastic photography can be found at http://www.nickveasey.com/.

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — David Krakov

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David Kracov studied at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and began his career in animation with the Brad Pitt feature, Cool World.

During his time as an illustrator, David began to experiment with different types of clay, and started sculpting the characters from those films he animated.

Kracov’s magical touch with a vibrant color palette turned into unique steel wall sculptures.

Each in a limited edition of only 55 works that begin with hundreds of small sketches that are then hand-cut from a single sheet of steel and then finished with detailed painting in a high-grade, water-based, acrylic polymer paint.

The meticulous steel work along with his scrutinizing attention to detail allow these sculptures to take on a life of their own.

More of David Kracov’s fantastic sculpture work can be found at

http://www.david-kracov.com/

Sunday Evening Art Gallery Blog — Hair

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Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair

Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer

Here baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy

Hair, flow it, show it — Long as God can grow, my hair

I want long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty

Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen