David

Did I tell you how we met this really awesome guy in Italy? In Florence actually, his name is David, he's kind of old but very nice. Meeting him was a dream come true. P.S. That's not really him, the don't let you take pictures of him, but they do let you take pictures of the copy.

I know I haven't done very good about blogging about Italy, I'm not going to continue the previous post today, this will be about the pantheon. The pantheon is probably one of the oldest churches/temples out there, and I believe it's been in use from its pagan days until present in its life as a catholic church. The pantheon was the biggest dome until the Duomo in Florence was finished. The pantheon was studied by those who built the renaissance domes. It's absolutely beautiful in the Pantheon, the dome is gorgeous and made even more so by the wonderful effect of the light coming down from the oculus. We wandered around a little bit, seeing the beauty and the tombs of important Italians and then we sat for a while, listened to an audio tour and just took it all in. I think it's one of my favorite places that we visited in Italy.

This weekend has been a weekend filled with art and other good things. I don't remember if I mentioned this earlier but I've been wanting to get out and actually see things that I've thought would be cool to go and see or do, some of these things have been on the to do list for ages and I did some this weekend. On Friday I went to see a gallery/museum that I'd recently heard about and which seemed to have quite a nice collection of art. I hadn't expected to need to pay to get in but I went on in anyway and was happily surprised when the lady at the desk let me in for the student price even though I'm not a student and informed her of such. Other than the employees I had the place to myself and enjoyed a ramble through the building, which is pretty cool in it's own right, looking at art from the 17th and 18th centuries, maybe the 19th, I didn't really pay attention to that. I happily looked on prints by Rembrandt and Albrecht Durer and paintings by several other artists who are not really known to me. I was especially drawn to the gallery by their claim of having works by Carl Bloch, I did see wonderful prints and drawings by Bloch but was a bit disappointed to learn that their Bloch paintings were actually reproductions, as were a lot of their other pieces (I decided that they must make reproductions). Despite so many reproductions I felt that I'd seen enough to be worth my price of entry.
Friday evening I went to a few galleries participating in the local gallery stroll; as part of my goals for art I've been wanting to go to gallery stroll more and to see more of the local galleries. I went to two galleries and decided that the one was not one I would be interested in working with and the other I would be. It was good to get out and to see them though.
Saturday was the biggest art day this weekend. Two of my friends and I went to see the big Carl Bloch exhibit at the MOA, us and at least a hundred other people. I was really excited to see this exhibit, I'd heard it was wonderful and I admire Bloch, especially as I've been learning more about him and his work. Having so many other people there really made me appreciate how nice it is to be at a museum or gallery with a lot less people, it's quieter and you can view works better without fighting to see them. Anyway I really enjoyed the exhibit, they had several alter pieces that Block painted as well as many other paintings he did. It was interesting to talk to one of my friends after, she had had a very spiritual experience (as well she should because most of the works in the exhibit were religious, focusing on Christ) but for me, while I enjoyed the spiritual nature of the works I was viewing them more as an artist, in the presence of works that were so beautiful, I was analyzing how and why they were so beautiful, composition etc.
I hope that I can have more weekends like this.

Make art not war

That is now my own personal hippy slogan, it's probably been used before. Oh well.
Yesterday while watching a travel show focused on Greece, the show was going through a museum of Greek antiquity, especially their art and the host mentioned that there weren't many of the spectacular golden age bronze statues because some had been melted down for weapons or something else to do with war. It makes me sick to hear such a thing, that priceless, beautiful works of art were melted down in order to kill or help kill people.
It saddens me that dazzling shrines in Tibet and China survived for hundreds and thousands of years, until they were destroyed in the cultural revolution.
How can we reach the point where we come to war, where we destroy beauty around us and more than that destroy people, men, women and adorable little children? Maybe we really ought to step back a minute and admire beauty so that we remember it and don't destroy it.

Do you get excited by paper? Do you thrill at the sight of a beautiful blank book? Do you get more excited about going to a bookstore than about going shopping for clothes, etc.?

I do.

I had a very satisfying day today because I made text blocks for five new books. Most of these books will be gifts for other people, but at least one of these books will be for me and I'm excited about it. I'm excited about the size and shape of the book, it's going to be on the bi-auron and I've never made a book like that before. I'm excited because I got a new sheet of decorative book paper last Thursday and I'm excited to use it. I'm excited at the thought of having a cool new blank book to fill.
I love having a new blank book and the excitement of deliberating what it will be used for, or what things might go into it. I may be a nerd because of this, but I believe it to be a worthy cause.

I wanted to include a picture, but it's not working, so maybe one will be up later.

This piece will be in the 36th Annual Statewide Competition which opens July 2nd. I'm excited.

Moonlit Clouds
Watercolor
2009

"He is a poor disciple who does not excell his master." Leonardo da Vinci
I think this is very true, and I think that for the most part people are afraid to do so. I think it's also a very good goal to strive for.
P.S. da Vinci wasn't just talk, he really did surpass his master, Andrea del Verocchio, Verocchio was a painter and sculptor but after da Vinci began to surpass him in painting Verocchio stopped painting and stuck to sculpture.

Back to work

I've been doing a lot of painting this year but my efforts towards making five yera plans, etc. have been haphazard, the reason being that it's a lot of work and on the boring side. I've been making repeated attempts and some of them have been very good and I've accomplished some really good things this year.
In the past week or so the stars have aligned and not only have I been making new attempts at planning my future, but they've actually been going somewhere. I found out about The Artist's Guide, through a friend's blog and I put it on hold at my local library. I got the book from the library yesterday and from what I've read thus far I think it could be a very useful book. While I was at the library I also had the good fortune to find a copy of the Art in America 2009 Guide. For those of you who are not familiar with the significance of this; Art in America is one of the most prestigious art magazines and their August issue is a "sourcebook to the the art world" in it they list information about museums, artist, awards, schools and a list of galleries for all fifty states. It's a pretty big deal. I was apparently not thinking in August and I didn't just go ahead and buy a copy of said guide, perhaps I just assumed I could get it at the library. Yesterday was the first time I've seen the August issue at the library in the six plus months since it came out, it's an artsy area here and I eventually figured that the libary's copies must have just gotten stolen. I was really excited to be able to check the coveted issue out, I've had a chance to flip through copies other places but it makes such a difference to be able to take it home!
I've learned my lesson, next August I will be buying a copy of the magazine and in the mean time I'm going back to work.

Why Art People Don't Like Thomas Kinkade

There are people that absolutely love Thomas Kinkade...and then there are those of us who despise him.
Art people generally are not in favor of Kinkade, I know I'm not. I was just talking to someone and she asked me my thoughts on Kinkade, and she liked his work and was sort of asking why art people don't like him. Kinkade is the self proclaimed "painter of light" his work is famous for glowing windows and things like that.
I don't like Kinkade's work because it's mass produced kitsch, there are factories that produce over the top floral scenes, cabins with glowing windows, etc. which are sold under Kinkade's name. There are those who would point out that Andy Warhol did the same sort of thing, and they'd be right, however Warhol wasn't really an artist either so we'll skip that debate today. Getting back to Kinkade, art people don't like him because he's ridiculously commercial, you can find almost anything with a Kinkade scene on it...probably even underwear. True art is craftsmanship plus inspiration, art is about beauty and working to perfect something (I'm speaking for myself here, post-modernists and others would disagree, but they can write their own posts.) Thomas Kinkade's work is mass produced like toys from China. Another reason Kinkade is not thought highly of is because his scenes are so synthetic, you couldn't really find them happening in life. People like the scenes because they're like something the people might dream of, like a Disney movie, etc. Anyway, Those are some reasons people in the art world don't like Thomas Kinkade. If you like him, that's your business, just don't call it art.

life

It's funny, sometimes life is very slow and calm and then it speeds up and all bets are off. It's been a busy few weeks and this week looks like it will be very busy too. I'm excited though, this week it's art busy. I'm applying to a few different shows and working on finishing up one serise and starting a new one. It's an exciting time in my life!

Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky

First off, Happy St. Patrick's day, now back to the post.

Yesterday I finished reading Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Kandisnky. I think I'd need a few more times reading it to fully comprehend it, however it was very interesting. There were some points where I disagreed with him, other points where I had no idea what he was talking about, but there were a few points that really resonated with me.
I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're really into art, or Kandinsky.
Kandinsky talks about how if a work is really and truly art, that there is a spiritual quality about it, and though we see that in different ways I believe, I very much agree with that.

knocking out another one

I am almost to the point where I can oil paint again! Today I gessoed my canvases (which are actually linen not canvas) and now they're drying. The projects still ahead for oil painting include putting the ground on my panels, cleaning my paint medium jar and making more paint medium.
I also just got the latest book I ordered from Amazon. I love Amazon for the very low prices that I can find books, especially books that are out of print, etc. but sometimes it might be better if I couldn't find such irresistible deals on Amazon.
I decided to make this post more exciting by taking pictures of the things I was talking about and I was on a roll so I figured I'd also take pictures of what I'm reading right now. I got the book from Amazon because the library didn't have it but they did have this one:.

LaGrange Show!

I just found out that I got into the LaGrange National XXVI Beinnial Exhibition! Wow, I forgot how long the title was. I'm really excited and will feel much better about life when the framed piece (once it has a frame) is shipped off to Georgia.
Here's the piece that got in.

Sou da Bahia

So my cousin and some of his friends made this documentary about art in Brazil and last night we had the opportunity to go and see it. It was really cool to be able to see it, he's been telling us about it for so long, last summer they went to Brazil and filmed. We also got to see an art exhibit that went along with it. You should go here to their blog and check it out.
p.s. this is totally unrelated but if you ever want marzipan, you should not go to See's Candy to get it, they are famous for many things but their marzipan is not one of them and there's a good reason why.

busy, busy and Gloria's Little Italy

Things have gotten a bit busier for me, on Tuseday I recieved the notification that I will be in the 29th Faber Birren National Color Show. I'm really excited because this is the first show I've entered and I wasn't sure that I'd be able to get in. Now that I'm in it means there's a lot to do to get my painting to the show. The show is in Conneticut and so I need to get my picture and frame all set up and then arrage shipping too and from the show, write a biography etc. I've also been busy because deadlines are coming up for more shows and competitions. Utrecht, my favorite art supply store is having a competition to celebrate their 60th anniversary and I'm entering the 40th Annual River Road Show. I've been a little frantic trying to decide which pieces will be entered where and what needs to occour for that to happen.
Yesterday I went to get pictures taken of the paintings that I'm entering in the show. While there my sister and I also stopped to have lunch at Gloria's Little Italy. I've been wanting to go there for a long time and it didn't disappoint, it was delicious, just the smell when I opened the door was simply amazing. I can hardly wait for lunch to have my leftovers.

The creative process.

It's so exciting starting a new series...strike that, it's so exciting when you've got the inspiration for a new series and you're rolling with it. it is not actually fun when you're working on new ideas that seemed so cool and then so stupid when you put them on paper. When I've gotten the inspiration for a new series it's so awesome, doing research and at times it seems that on every new page that I read there's more awesome ideas. You may have noticed my interest in bees of late, I don't remember how or why it came about but my next series is going to be about bees, and honey and that sort of thing. There's so much symbolism that goes with bees and honey and beehives, it's been really cool learning about them. I've learned the basics of the life of your average honey be and somewhat how a hive functions, it's simply fascinating and I can see why they've accumulated so much in culture.
Now being slightly nerdy about bees it was very exciting when, while taking pictures of flowers I spotted a bee at work gathering nectar, a bumble bee but I still got a picture.
I'm excited to start painting again tomorrow, so far this series hasn't left the sketch book, it's all just been in the planning stages and a lot of it still is but tomorrow I'll be happily painting again.