Category Archives: Art

Have you ever been to a local art show?

We’ve recently attended a show in which surrealmuse participated, which was very crowded and had an excellent turnout.

There were paintings, sculptures, and of course, all of the associated people and requisite art show paraphernalia that you would expect to see from the “artsy” crowd. There were street musicians playing outside, photographers snapping away, and reporters reporting. It was a fun and energetic atmosphere, with plenty of people roaming the gallery, sipping on coffee or wine, all talking excitedly about art.

The walls were absolutely covered from ceiling to floor with pieces in all mediums and style. Pastels, oil, digital photographs. Everything. Overall, a good opening night for a gallery.

While hovering near the line for the gallery’s only and one-person-capacity restroom, I overheard a conversation which struck me as rather odd. It was a man and a a woman, about the same age as my wife and I. They were debating the merits of various pieces with other people waiting for the restroom. The man, who was very tall, and dressed in head to toe in black, was talking loudly and empassionately. He reminded me for all the world of a beatnik or Allen Ginsburg wannabe. He suddenly raised his voice and made a sweeping gesture, as if to encompass all of the art on the walls and then said “Of course, you all realize that most of this is definitely not art.”

For some reason, this struck me as funny, and I fully expected for this to be a conversation stopper. Why would anyone say such a thing at a gathering of artists? I was surprised when the people he was speaking to emphatically nodded their heads and made ejaculations of agreement.

Personally, I have never really attended many art shows before marrying the lovely mrs. muse. I’ve been to a scant few before meeting her, and I feel that the experience of going to these shows has been, overall, good for me. But this struck me as such a strange thing to say, and stranger still that so many people seemingly agreed with him.

Now, don’t worry. I’m not going to go into a tirade about “what is art” and “what isn’t art.” There’s plenty of articles like this all over the web, with thousands of vehement comments and flaming attached to them. Personally, I don’t think this can be defined by anyone other than the person who created the piece. I thought on this a bit, a bit disgruntled over this man’s comment, (naturally, since my wife’s work was on exhibit,) and then I found myself asking, “What is my art?”

I’ve always been able to draw. Pencil and ink have always been tools that I found myself comfortable using. I have drawn portraits for friends, and even donated a few pieces to be auctioned off for charity. I am very good at making an image that is interesting to look at, but, for some reason, I don’t find myself drawing that often. I don’t feel compelled to do it other than the odd doodle here or there, and very rarely a full piece. For whatever reason, its just not my thing.

Also, I’ve been relatively good at the performing arts. I have been in countless high school plays, dramatic competitions, and was the nerdy Drama Club President at one point. I’ve even performed stand-up comedy to some moderate success. And although I was good at it, performing was, well, not my thing either.

Being around a bunch of artists, especially good artists, can be somewhat disheartening to a person such as myself. But when I set out to write this entry and plan for how I wanted to express myself regarding this beatnik’s sweeping statement, I realized that art need not be confined to something you can hang on a wall, or a piece of clay.

The key to discovering your art lies within understanding how drive and passion play a part in your everyday activities. For me, I am finding that my artwork is mostly edible. I am a culinary student currently, and I find that cooking, and the thought process of creating high cuisine, is an art form all to itself. Of course, the French have been saying this for years, and its nothing new. But, this is my thing. For me, there is a drive and passion to it. There is a meticulous attention to detail, a desire to create the most specular food that has ever been witnessed. Cooking high cuisine need not be snooty or pretentious, and yet can perfectly illustrate the passion of the person who made it.

Just as some of those paintings were on the more simplistic or cliche side, it is simply not enough to decide what is and isn’t art based upon whether or not something is in vogue. Art can be only defined by the creator of the piece, whether it be a perfectly composed salad or a pastel drawing.

Art cannot be defined in the terms of the end product. Sure, the overall composition of a piece may or may not be more or less pleasing to you, but the art is in the process, the drive, the passion, and the intensity with which the piece was created. It is a combination of all of your talents, and something that which you feel compelled to create, or a process that you feel moved to perform.

The reason that I feel this way is that I am in a house in which my wife is constantly in motion, moving from one place to another, kicking up pastel dust and creating pieces in a rather rapid fire fashion. For her, I am able to see the focus, the drive, the passion, and the sweat and tears she places into each and every one of her pieces. Every piece she creates has a deeper meaning and importance to her, be it excising a particular stressor or sheer expression of emotion. There are pieces that we can look back on, and have it remind us of a particular life event, because the image itself was created to deal with, or inspired by, an event that had happened in our life. When I watch her, unabashedly in awe of her creative ability, I can’t help but feel the energy and passion that seems to stream forth from her when she is working on a piece. The only feeling that I find similar in my own mind is when I am in a kitchen, wearing my chef whites, hat and apron, flames flying high and creating flavors and aromas in the air all around me. Cooking, for me, is an expression of emotion, of intensity, and mental clarity and focus. They are both very different pursuits, but both artforms, nonetheless.

So, if you ever find yourself questioning your ability as an artist, you first must ask yourself, “what is my art?” Where is your passion? And, whatever you do, don’t be discourage by those that might look at you and say “This isn’t art,” because no one can define your passions for you but yourself. Look to where you place your energy, where you spend your time, and what seems to drive you more than anything else. Whether it be a way of expressing yourself via a medium, or even a particular way of life, let your art be what it already is: an expression of your passion.

I once got into a discussion with one of my friends about artists, and how they are no different that plumbers or any other field that comes to mind that is far from the artistic. And to me, he was getting at the point that artists are no more “godlier” than those who work in other fields. But show up on any opening night of a famous artist, and you might have an interesting time watching the flocks of fans that verbally bow down. Because I do think many of the greats consider themselves to be god like. I guess it’s no different than doctors that get too cocky once they’ve saved the world too many times to count.

But enough about that, the real point of this entry is about one of the blessings I think artists have. That is, we have a way to express our emotions. Whether happy or sad, mad or crazy, we have an outlet to let it all out for the world to see. And I wonder what do the plumbers in the world do?

Some may have creative outlet hobbies such as gardening, which is one of my favorite pastimes. But what do you do if you don’t have a hobby? Turn to the bottle? And drown your sorrows away?

The other point of this entry to express my sorrow over missing my artwork missing that creative outlet. If you’ve been keeping up on the latest postings, I’ve been on this recent kick that you can make time for art even if it is only 15minutes. But do I follow my own advice? If course not!

The main cause for my departure at the site and my lack of anything remotely artistic in months has been due to my job. Ever since I got promoted, I’ve been working ungodly hours, and if I do have any free time, it’s either spent cleaning my house or literally passed out on my couch veggin’ out in front of the tv.

So while I do have “15minutes” available and could make the time, I haven’t been able to mentally make the leap from my extremely analytical accounting work to something creative. And it’s only been in these past few days that I’ve had off that I could even ponder the issue at hand.

So what’s an artist with a real life job suppose to do?

Well, to start off with, this year I have several goals around this subject matter. The main one is to find a good work/life balance. And secondly, I’m working on creating an online support group for artists to help us through the ups and downs of creating. So I’ll keep you posted, and if anyone is interested in joining the online support group, let me know, and I’ll send you an invite.

If you study any of the great masters, you’ll realize that they didn’t wake up overnight basking in greatness. It often took years of studying the great artists of their time, gaining an understanding of the fundamentals before they could start to break the rules and take on their own style. Even then, it often took most of the great artists a lifetime to develop and perfect their style. Very rarely do I think you come across well known artists such as Picasso that were able to embrace and master a multitude of different styles within one lifetime. Typically, many artists become extremely good at one particular aspectof art, and for whatever reason, do not continue challenge themselves by trying new styles of art.

For me personally, I’m starting to see how easy it can be to stick to what you know, what you’re good at. But in doing so, you don’t continue to grow as an artist. So right now, I’m at a crossroads in my artwork. I know it’s time to move on, trying something new. But I’m just not exactly sure what that is.

So this past weekend, I have been brainstorming on styles of artwork to study. The list ranges from spiritual art to cubism to Asian inspired works of art. And as sad as it sounds, getting back to the basic of regular sketching wouldn’t hurt either. So I’m off to the library in search of inspiration with hopes of posting something in the sketchbook soon to keep you all in the loop of my progress.

I have a confession to make, I have a clean desk.

To some individuals, a clean desk would be a good thing, an accomplishment. But to an artist, a clean desk is normally not a good sign.

In my case, the desk was actually quite messy for a couple of weeks. But it was just the same pastel dust that had collected. So one day by the prompting of having company over for dinner, I cleaned up the desk, and there it stands. Nice and clean, but very blank.

For once, it’s really not an issue of artist block. I’m sure I could come up with something interesting if I tried. But lately, I’m more obsessed with watching tv during my free time than anything else. I suppose I should take the antenna down. Maybe even hide the tv in the guest room. But in a way, it’s been a nice. We all could use a couple of weeks where we pass our free time in meaningless activities or as my husband referred to it for us artsy folks, a creative lull.

I suppose a creative lull would be better spent in an art gallery or at Borders in the arts section. But is it really that bad to take a mental vacation from our art? It is often said that the greatest ideas come when we are least expecting it, in the shower or maybe during the afternoon commute.

So where does one begin after those mini vacations, those creative lulls? To some, it might be a difficult transition. To pick up the paint brush where you left off is not always an easy task especially if you feel driven by purpose. That is, you must have a goal in sight, a plan of attack.

When it comes to art and even life, there is a fine art to balancing the need for having a plan and going with the flow. There are some that dream of the perfect
painting. Then there are those that experiment. When you can have the best of both worlds, knowing the rules and yet transcend the rules, that’s when you
got it made.

It’s a balance that not everyone can achieve. As Mari Messer, author of Pencil Dancing: new ways to free your creative spirit, points out:

The creative process is the trip, not just the destination. It’s the ability to go with the stream, make changes as you go along and be in intimate contact with the unfolding of your work without losing sight of your destination.

I just had an epiphany concerning creating artwork. Just in the same sense that some individuals need to set the mood before making love, I need to set the mood before I can create art . . .

When it comes to sex, sometimes some people can just drop their clothes and get to business. But sometimes, you have to set the mood to entrance your partner. This can include dimming the lighting, playing some sensual music, maybe even lighting some incense and candles. While I don’t create a kinky environment to create my artwork, the same theory applies. Lighting is important. Inspirational music is important. Even a little ritual of lighting a candle can help out. While yes, I should be able to drop my drawers and pull out my brushes on a moments notice, it is the act of transcending ourselves from everyday life to something extraordinary that makes a difference.

THE AVERAGE CITIZEN THINKS THAT ART…

Is about precious objects like Van Gogh paintings that sell for millions of dollars, or about expensive performances by masters in performance halls…Requires special skills, extensive training, and educated responses that usually include big words…Has a separate category called “modern” art, comprised largely of incomprehensible and unpleasant pieces…Is about government funding, sometimes for people to photograph sadomasochistic acts and to pour urine on crucifixes…Is a “treat” for the rich and sophisticated, but not meant for regular people, except in watered down versions that elicit condescension from “those who know about art”…Has glitz and romance attached to it, is nice, but not really important.

~ eric booth, The Everyday Work of Art

Eric Booth’s thoughts on the misconceptions of art are laid out beautifully in his book, The Everyday Work of Art. A personal illustration on why I believe people have misconceptions about art goes back to my college years when I discovered the reason why we did not have any artwork on the walls of the student center building. The story I was told stated that the administration would have a meeting in a room where they didn’t like the sexual nature of one of Georgia O’Keefe’s elicit flower painting so they would take the art off the walls and place it in a closet. After the meeting, they forgot to place the painting back on the walls so it laid there in the closet gathering dust. Apparently, the administration couldn’t agree what type of art was agreeable to the masses so they agreed to disagree and never compromised to find a happy medium of bland monet impressionistic landscape pieces. However, on the end of the spectrum, if you left the student center and walked about the campus, we had one of the largest outdoor sculpture collections. go figure . . .

ON A POSITIVE NOTE . . .
exploring the things others have made
I once read an article that told of a woman who would take inner city kids to the downtown art museum. She would teach them to use their eyes to see the painting with all of their senses. She encouraged them to follow their intuition to discover the stories that lurked beneath the layers of paint on a famous work of art.

I believe that getting out into the world and having the ability to change a person’s misconceptions about art is a wonderful gift. Art should be enjoyed and understood by all education and income levels. I also think it is wonderful when people go out of their way to learn about the art work different cultures. One of my interesting professors at college completely decorated her house with tribal art pieces. It was moving and powerful experience to set in her house around all these pieces. It made you wonder about the history of each piece: Where did come from? Who made it?

ANOTHER ACTION OF ART . . .
making things is a peculiarly powerful act
have you ever gone into the zone? that moment of zen where all of your being is totally connected? where everything moves in tune with each other? it is as if perfect symmetry and fluid momentum meet and for a second . . you transcend? if you know what i am talking about, what brings you to that point? creating? meditation? making love?

A FINAL ACTION OF ART . . .
encountering daily life with an curious way of seeing
one of the greatest gifts one of my professors bestowed upon me was the ability to see life with all of colored lens i could use. in one semester, we only watched one movie, but each week we would write a paper and look at that movie from a different len. One week, we would discuss the symbolism. The next week, we would analyze the psychological aspects. And so forth. The class really challenged me to analyze and be able to understand all the subtle cues the director left for us to find.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY. . .
how do you define art?

Over the years the word “art” has transformed from being a verb to a noun. We now refer to art as something that is in an art museum and not part of our daily lives. What we have forgotten is that art exists in every moment of our lives, whether or not we choose to acknowledge it.

Each of us has to define what we consider to be the art of living, whether we choose to spend it veggin’ out on the couch using the remote with precise precision, or serving it up Martha Stewart fashion with elegant style and grace, that is our choice. The key is to take a conscious approach to living, to pay close attention to what is happening around us, to choose to live artfully and not get stuck in the void.

Even if you were born as one of those people who cannot even draw stick figures, inside of you exists other unique talents, whether it is sculpting the land in your garden, creating works of art in your kitchen or simply fishing on the weekends–the need, the want to express yourself in some manner exists.

However, the daily rush routine that we impose upon our free time denies the opportunity to express these sides of ourselves. And once we allow this to happen, the urge to give into our passions, whether it is taking pictures of Kansas sunsets or simply watching the night sky, that urge diminishes into a faint memory.

The challenge we then face is to nurture that part of ourselves, to rediscover our fascinations.

Although it is possible to set out on your own and search for those missing elements, this approach can rob you of the interconnectedness that occurs from the interaction with others.

In other words, when you can begin this process surrounded by others who are on different levels than you, the experience will become richer.

Either way, on this journey of recapturing passion into your life, of discovering your “art” in life, there are certain tools that you must take with you and some guidelines that are helpful for the process.

First, have a place to write your commitment, to keep track of your goals, aspirations and progress. Second, fuel your passion with anything that kindles the flame within. Sometimes a trip to the bookstore, a local art gallery or even a thrift shop can do wonders and lift the veil that blocked your inspiration. And finally, take a serious consideration of how much a priority this interest is and how much time you plan on setting aside each week so you can explore the landscape.

What is your art? And how do you choose to express yourself?

[Image is a Soft pastel study of La Musica I by Tabela]