Head-dibs

It's an icon. An old woman dressed in black. Why has this painting captured our attention? We don't know the woman, but flash an image of it to a stranger on the street and find that just about anyone has a familiarity with her. Whistler's title for the painting is "Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Artist's Mother." While only a portion of the life-size painting is represented here, one can get an inkling of what captures our fascination. The canvas (representing the wall behind her) is rough but her aged features are softened with delicate layers of paint. Had we not been told we would not know she was cold, sick, could not stand for long and withstood the constant pain of bad teeth. The lace of her white bonnet is portrayed with transparent fragility. Her plain black dress is her statement of years of mourning after the death of her husband. Though we do not see them directly, her eyes are wide open with a kind of readiness. Whistler sa...

Hearing good things about this film, coming November 2019. Filmed on Van Gogh locations. It looks amazing!

Ever chase a rabbit? What I mean is, have you made a startling discovery as the result of a mere distraction?  While following two of my favorite magicians online, I stumbled onto a documentary directed by Teller (of Penn & Teller). Being a lover of good magic and classical "anything" (art, music, literature, philosophy, etc) I was intrigued as to why a team of magicians would make a documentary about Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch painter who lived in the 1600's. You might know his work:  "Girl With A Pearl Earring" (1665) Source: Wikipedia This compelling documentary reminds one to slow down and take another, perhaps an even deeper look at art because what Vermeer left are more than paintings. The man was more than an artist. He mastered time with a paintbrush. The film is available on YouTube for $2.99 or on DVD from Netflix. 

A peek into my some filled space in my journal.

I didn’t get to say goodbye. Actually, that’s not true. I did say goodbye. It was one of those goodbye’s I'd rather forget. But I can’t. So I’m stuck with the less-than-memorable goodbye because now she’s gone for good. She’s been gone for a couple years now and I’ll never forget her. Just wished I could have said "goodbye." Her high school picture sits front and center on my desk, her youthful black and white Mona Lisa smile cast dreamily off-camera. She always had that far-away look in her eye, like something "over there" always had her attention. Around the house are mementos that are unique for these are not mementos  of her per se , but pictures by her. In turn do they become mementos of her.  See, she was an artist and her large paintings on the wall or the small water colors on the table are the way she saw the world. Looking at those paintings is to see what she saw, so we look through her eyes. Those canvases and boards hold t...

January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated the 35th President of the United States. At the inauguration, poet Robert Frost read his poem , "The Gift Outright" The land was ours before we were the land’s. She was our land more than a hundred years Before we were her people. She was ours In Massachusetts, in Virginia, But we were England’s, still colonials, Possessing what we still were unpossessed by, Possessed by what we now no more possessed. Something we were withholding made us weak Until we found out that it was ourselves We were withholding from our land of living, And forthwith found salvation in surrender. Such as we were we gave ourselves outright (The deed of gift was many deeds of war) To the land vaguely realizing westward, But still unstoried, artless, unenhanced, Such as she was, such as she would become. January 29, 1963, Robert Frost died. The impact "The Gift Outright" made on JFK was so significant that on October 26, 1963, Kennedy deli...

Try to tell me this isn't amazing. Earth and Fire: Anasazi Style Pottery from Solpin Films on Vimeo .

"A work that aspires, however humbly, to the condition of art should carry its justification in every line. And art itself may be defined as a single-minded attempt to render the highest kind of justice to the visible universe, by bringing to light the truth, manifold and one, underlying its every aspect. It is an attempt to find in its forms, in its colours, in its light, in its shadows, in the aspects of matter and in the facts of life, what of each is fundamental, what is enduring and essential--their one illuminating and convincing quality--the very truth of their existence. The artist, then, like the thinker, or the scientist, seeks the truth and makes his appeal." (Joseph Conrad's Preface to "The Nigger Of The 'Narcissus'", originally published 1897 )

The word “art” comes out of the 13th century, referring to a skill acquired after much practice. A “work of art” is the result of the skill-in-practice. This is perhaps why I have such a difficulty with different artistic styles. Beginning with myself, I am not a painter nor am I am illustrator so I just leave such expression well enough alone. Despite my efforts and best practice, I cannot “see” a pleasurable result in what I put on canvas or paper. I rather enjoy the skill of others in this manner. This leads to a question: What is “abstract?” As an adjective, that is which is abstract exists in thought, an idea. No tangibility or existence.  As a noun, we refer to the theoretical or that which is something else. So what is “abstract art?” Abstract art should defy definition; however, some may identify it as an expression autonomous of any reference; that is, independent in and of itself. So is “abstract art” possible? No. Art and skill go together, producing...

I'm glad I'm not an elevator repair man because if I ever made a mistake, I'd be wrong on every level. Amazing what one learns from the creases and folds of a cowboy hat . (Dexter, I'm thinking of you, brother). Have you ever wondered how boards are cut from trees? Here's a sculpture to inform you. The case that helped forensics consider the science of fingerprinting . "Patience and Tranquility of mind contribute more to cure our distempers [than] the whole of medicine." (Wolfgang Amadeus  Mozart, written in English, to Johann Georg Kronauer, a language teacher, 30 March 1787)

According to Brueghel when Icarus fell it was spring a farmer was ploughing his field the whole pageantry of the year was awake tingling near the edge of the sea concerned with itself sweating in the sun that melted the wings' wax unsignificantly off the coast there was a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning