Lessons Learned: Its Not Just About Drawing

This approach.  It's different. Sometimes a good execution. Sometimes not. Arrangements are an additional design attribute. This is what I was headed for this month. Took a while to get there. Had to get in the traffic flow. Observing people in different postures, positions, and context.

Daily Sketch: Grouping 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Grouping 02 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Lessons Learned:  This is the third month sketching along the commute. As I look back at the month's lessons, I did need to get in a different venue to challenge my observation and expression skills. It was time. I was able to derive occasional stories from the sketches which augment the meaning. The meaning wasn't necessarily derived from the subject but from the feelings or thoughts I was having that day and how that affected my filtering and selecton and expression of subjects.

The larger format sketchbook may have both helped and hindered. It facilitated the latter sketches whereby head arrangements were allowed. But sometimes I felt I was getting sloppy in my discipline. I will continue the depot station context where cafe tables, travelers waiting, hoboes sleeping in the morning, and folks ordering food are daily occurrences. The weather has not yet turned extremely adverse in winter yet and when it does that may impose additional variance in subject matter in the three month outlook.

There may be some value in reducing the number of lines to illustrate the sketch. Therein may lie Style.

Sketching from short term memory still has opportunities if I am walking, see something worthwhile, and need to capture it once I have a moment to sit in a sort of graphic note-taking and remembrance.

Many of these faster sketches in the public arena are "faceless". But I am constantly aware that there is a story behind every person, an agenda, a life of wins and losses, of high hopes and desperate cares. And even of the routine of Daily Life to survive, maintain, grow, and perhaps even prosper amidst an economy of uncertainty.

Beauty, hands, Character, Ideas, and Stories are still elusive in sketching. I have much to learn. I am already looking forward to Springtime and the warmth of a new year's outdoor activity.

These are also days of some sadness and grief amongst the cares and purpose of daily living. It's a time for self-reflection and misty eyed moments. This Creative Pursuit and Artistic Endeavor is a Journey that is revealing about Self. This Daily Sketching is not just about Art nor drawing a few lines on paper.

Gaps in Presentation: Awkward Human Error

Although I am sketching consistently day-to-day, I am currently experiencing very awkward and clumsy results. Occasionally my sketches indicate artistic ideas that may be valuable in the future to me as a reference but the actual drawing results aren't quite worth the paper and graphite. It reminds me a bit of my former golf game....sometimes I could hit it straight and true and be pleased with the results....and some moments were like "where did that lousy performance come from". The variance inherent in these efforts appears to be part of the human drama. Despite the best of intentions, our outward behaviors aren't matched to our inward perspective, view, and intentions. We don't achieve our objectives and goals. Today's sketch was the first in a few days that was acceptable enough to be shared.

Is it part of the human condition to hide and mask our weaknesses and our errors? Plow on through the molasses. If we demonstrate fortitude and persistence on a daily basis, perhaps the longer view to be assimilated is that the fruits of our labors and intentions is yet to be revealed. We sketch for the future.

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Life is Like a Bocce Game: Get Inside to the Pallino Ball

Perhaps life is like a bocce game....

Original Photo: Life is Like a Bocce Game - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

I attended a wedding event for friends this past weekend at a vineyard. The Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, New Hampshire had two bocce ball courts on site. Some of the older gentleman were discussing their bocce experience. I don't recall having any.

You or someone else throws out the white Pallino ball on the court. It becomes the target and focus for ongoing strategies. Then you roll the balls allotted to you as close to the target ball as possible. That is getting on the Inside. The better you roll, the smaller your radius of probability from the Pallino ball. Offensively, you can knock others away from the Pallino. Defensively, you may protect your best rolls with other ball rolls. Closest to the Pallino scores points.Once you have released all your allotted balls, score is documented for that Frame and a new Frame is initiated. Accumulate points over time to win.

I think I may get to roll a new Pallino in a new Frame. I am glad that it is colored White. Seems clean, fresh, and innocent. Perhaps life is like a bocce ball game. Now where should I roll that Pallino for this next Frame?

Reflection: Light After the Storm

"Art becomes a spiritual process depending upon the degree of commitment that you bring to it. Every experience becomes direct food for your art. Then your art teaches you about life" - Nick Bantock

That is how I feel on this day of reflection. That spiritual benefits such as "insight into life's meaning" accrue from commitment to a purpose. But I always come back to the resolution that I must Live the Moment.  And that focusing one's life energy on the important things through a disciplined, day-by-day journey is one of the keys to happiness, fulfillment, and reaching one's Unique Potential.

The most beautiful and dramatic light in the sky and clouds above comes after a storm.

Original Photo: Light After the Storm - Copyright James E. Martin 2011

No. 1: Positive Beats Negative: Unique Potential - Art is Like a Pair of Jumper Cables

Today is Sunday. Traditionally for some, a day of reflection and introspection about who one is in the realm of larger things.  And so it is for me today. A listening to the Inner Voice.

The Journey of Completing 120 Paintings to learn about the Artistic Endeavor and the Creative Pursuit starts with the first painting, Number 1. I am going to suggest that I completed that first painting four months ago.

Herein are two energetic tales connected four months apart. In this exposition, the end comes before the beginning. I shall entitle the first tale "The End" as you, dear Reader, shall soon discover why.

The End. On March 14 of this year, my wife was working late at the office. When she went out to start her vehicle to return home for a late dinner, the battery was dead. She noticed that an interior dome light may have been left on for a protracted period, perhaps even due to the daytime play of our beloved five-year-old daughter who enjoys pretending play in the car in the driveway at home with open windows and her dollies placed and buckled in the carseats. My wife ruminated that was the cause. She called me and I ventured downtown to offer an assisted start with well-known black-and-red jumper cables. We were able to get her home for a late dinner in a fairly straightforward manner.

After use, I placed the cables on the front passenger seat of my vehicle. The next morning, when I transported my very observant five-year-old daughter to day care, she noticed the cables and asked "What are those, Daddy, Chomper Cables?" That expostulation tickled my fancy! But where did that come from? 

I surmise that she had heard her parent's phone conversation the night prior and not knowing the details of the event in her innocence, had kept her quiet repose at the time but had attached some thwarted meaning to partially heard words with which she had no prior experience. She held any commentary in reserve at the time. When she was able to visibly see the cables the next morning, however, it all came together for her. Her memory of the conversation was immediately assisted by the now visible objects draped over the seat in front of her declaring their ferocity with copper teeth and she was able to attach her word label to the event. See for yourself. The interface clamps ARE armed to the teeth in an anthropomorphic sense. Jumper cables. Chomper cables. I get it.  ;o)

Original Photo: Chomper Cables - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

In March 2012, I was attempting to move towards understanding the discipline and effort required for a Daily Painting initiative. No small feat amidst a busy schedule of multi-tasking and numerous projects on my To Do list. The above-mentioned photo was a still life arranged by me after the comic event to instill some artistic meaning to those recently humorous anecdotes into otherwise mundane objects utilized in our daily lives. One of the genres I have noticed about the Daily Painting initiative is that the artists may select objects or scenes from their daily lives to practice their skills, approach, or develop a style. The genre clearly and concretely illustrates their Creative Pursuit while expositing the stories and script of their world perspective, their life's Journey and therefore their Artistic Endeavor.

Original Painting: Chomper Cables - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

It was a different experience for me as well to document this rather simple anecdote and potential memory in this manner. As the Reader will note in my now re-constituted blog history, I stopped my daily art blog entries two days later on March 16 and, at the time as I thought best, removed the history from the web. Too much going on at the time with some critical events that required my complete focus and attention. Art was laid aside. The blog was laid aside. Perhaps as a permanent decision. It was a sad day for me. "Chomper Cables" was my last painting in my first 90-day period of ramping up to an un-declared Daily Painting initiative. It was my end. So now, dear Reader, we shall return to the the second related tale.

The Beginning. I have been thinking recently about re-starting my art journey with some trepidations. I intend to re-frame the next part of my artistic journey by declaring to myself to paint 120 paintings to pattern my progress in a new phoenix. Of course, it's obvious that the declaration is now shared and is not at all a private one. The saga continues.

Last week offered mid-summer seasonal hot weather and high humidity. As I was dropping my young daughter off at day care, I returned to my vehicle and it groaned a bit at start-up. I got it back home to the driveway in prompt recognition of the matter and attempted two more ignition starts in a safe haven and it failed to turn over at the second try. I needed a new battery.

My dear wife had been up late at home and again early with work-related endeavors, and we agreed that I would use her vehicle that day to share a breakfast at a local restaurant, and I would drop her off at work and use her vehicle to settle my battery replacement endeavor. Sounded like a great plan. Later, I proceeded to a well-known department store to acquire a battery but they no longer carried the items in inventory. Darn. I left the store to proceed to another well-known department store that surely must have the desired item. Unfortunately, my wife's vehicle failed to turnover at start-up in the parking lot heat with what seemed to be a dead battery. No pre-indicating symptoms! Just a clicking of the solenoid. Yikes. Two vehicles down and now far from home.

I purchased a 350-amp quick starter from the department store hoping it might just offer enough margin to get me going. No such luck. Requires 48-hours of charging to enable effective use as per nominal warnings and instructions. Rather than call emergency roadside service, which by the way we have, and wait for an indeterminable time period for rescue in the heat, I decided on a Plan B to walk the perceived considerable distance to a known battery store, lug the battery home, and at least get my first vehicle going. I could return later to revive the second vehicle.

As I started out on my journey homeward in late morning, admitting to myself that I didn't really have any otherwise truly urgent business to attend to or to re-schedule and could work this solution at my discretion, lo and behold, there was an unanticipated battery and tire store in the proximal area. Returning to Plan A to get her vehicle restored, I purchased a battery for my wife's vehicle, borrowed some jumper cables from the friendly store manager, and proceeded back to my wife's vehicle in a rather short stroll to execute a jump start without changing out the battery per se. It didn't work. I tried everything, checked my assumptions, and then tried it again. I went into the department store and bought a couple of tools to change out the battery, surmising that perhaps the cable interfaces needed cleaning. I switched out the batteries to no avail. The vehicle wouldn't start. Could I possible have an even worse and more expensive problem with her vehicle? Although it crossed my mind that the new battery might be defective, I concluded that it was a quite remote probability. But the clicking solenoid and general car symptoms were sure acting like a weak battery. I called my reliable car mechanic to see if there was anything I wasn't thinking about. He affirmed that I appeared to be covering all the possibilities.

I decided to return to Plan B and get my vehicle at home repaired. I set out to walk the journey in the heat, taking some water bottles with me, and called a neighbor for a possible transportation assist to pick me up, purchase a new battery, and get me home to switch it out. The neighbor was able to assist after a food shopping maneuver and eliminated a long potential walk for me with some of it lugging a heavy battery. I revived my car late afternoon and returned to revive my wife's vehicle in early evening. My vehicle promptly jump-started her vehicle with our reliable chomper cables.

Yikes! I had been given a potentially defective new battery. What are the chances of that? What are the chances of three bad batteries, one of them brand spanking new, in the same morning? After starting my wife's vehicle, I returned the defective battery, had it tested, pronounced defective by competent authorities and calibrated measurement devices, then replaced the unit, and all was back to normal with two now operating vehicles after a long day's endeavor.

The Moral of the Stories. Of course, dear Reader, this a somewhat round-about long story of two interconnected, jumpered tales to get to the moral. You have been so patient with me to get this far in the stories. My last completed painting was four months ago of a pair of "chomper" cables where "Positive Overcomes Negative". I deliberately and literally put away the paints and supplies. Four months later, I started thinking about reviving my commitment to the art blog and Daily Painting activity, and I encountered three dead batteries in one day!  The chomper cables were involved but weren't the main character in the second story. The tale of "A Defective Energy Source" is one of remote probabilities not daily occurrences.

Perhaps the morals of the stories are tried and true. (A) "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again."; (B) "Check your assumptions and run them to Ground [pun intended]"; (C) "Carry emergency and rescue equipment with you"; (D) "Don't Ever Give Up the Ship"; (E) "A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed".

But all in all, I would like to think that Painting Number 1: "Positive Beats Negative" is where I would prefer to start my "120 paintings" journey of discovery. It is therefore an Alpha. But it is also an Omega. It is where I left off "Once Upon a Time...." [and all good stories start that way...].

I am not yet ready to declare for myself that the Artistic Endeavor and the Creative Pursuit are my sole reliable energy sources. To be realistic, I think that assertion would be a potential defect in my overall energy commitments and understandings at this time. But I have concluded that Art is a jumper cable in my life's path. It is a very important part of how I see the world around me and is part of that perspective. It connects the energy sources that I tap into and that I have relied upon and keeps the energy flowing among the necessary imperatives. And it is therefore required in my vehicles. And I have concluded that Art, in the form of the Artistic Endeavor and the Creative Pursuit, needs to be ready, available, used frequently, displayed, talked about, drawn, painted, and represented as a part of myself in my Daily Walk and in my Life's Journey. No. 1: "Positive beats Negative" is part of my Unique Potential. Now that's a decent moral to the stories. The moral is "Art is like a pair of Jumper [Chomper] Cables". It helps definitize one aspect of Unique Potential. Who would have guessed that I would learn these things over four months after painting a fairly mundane, straight-forward, serendipitous painting? And that I needed to deliberately lay Art aside for a time to find that I could not Leave It Be unless I would deny Self. Not me, to have planned these things, please be assured.

The journey of 120 paintings begins. My eyes are wide open and my ears unstopped. My legs are a bit weary and unstable but I will put one foot in front of the other. My heart and mind are in it. I am "chomping" at the bit. Ouch.

Fragile Weave of Earth's Bounty: Interconnected

In February of this year, I had a dream about a certain set of brushstrokes, couldn't shake it upon awakening, and played with that idea painting small tradecards throughout the day. I developed numerous experiments that were quite abstract compared to anything I have ever done. It was a very serendipitous moment based on a tiny dreamt inspiration. The artifacts were almost more craft than art and I chose not to re-post them in this latest blog phoenix. But in reviewing the works, the original idea about brushstrokes had morphed into topological representations of left-and-right, step-by-step, chains, networks, particles, patterns, hidden wholes within segmented patterns, innovation with methods, different-but-equal, similarity, diversity, sizing, and finally, a small multimedia piece about conflagration of separated pieces. The resultant overall theme, however, was one of Interconnectedness.

During my three month respite from blogworld, I had to wrestle with numerous personal challenges that required my complete focus. But along the way, I read quite profusely as my sole recreation. About a lot of things affecting the world, the USA, the economies, the role of businesses, the peoples of the world, religions, governments, certain countries, certain events, certain issues, beliefs, cultures, group dynamics, the role of the individual, etc. I do not normally engage with political theory and dynamics but have increasingly been reading in that area over the last two years.

I have some ideas and conclusions I am not yet certain what to do with them. Somehow incorporating them into my art seems the most reasonable thing to do. Talk is cheap. So I won't do much more of that for now. Perhaps it will become part of a artistic Manifestoa and commitment in the future?

The very last artifact that I constructed out of the Connectedness journey in February I never posted but I offer it today after this prolonged respite. It characterizes my thoughts and feelings this morning as I get started.

Original Artifact: Fragile Weave of Earth's Bounty-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Can we craft our future?

Life is Like a Carnival:

Perhaps life is like a carnival....

Original Photo: (1) Choose a Friend-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

 We choose a friend to share it with. And head towards the advertised attractions.

Original Photo: (2) All For the Same Thing-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We are probably all in it for roughly the same reason(s). There's a payoff in there somewhere isn't there?

Original Photo: (3) Get In The Game-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We figure out how to get in the game. Each in our own way and manner. Given our circumstances. We pretty much all step up.

Original Photo: (04) Gain Refreshment-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We load up on refreshments for the foreseeable future.

Original Photo: (05) Check It Out-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We check out the rides before making a total commitment.

Original Photo: (06) Round and Round-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We go round and round on occasionally uneven slopes. But it sure seems like fun.

Original Photo: (07) Up and Down-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We go up and down.

Original Photo: (08) New Heights-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We scale new and lofty heights. 

Original Photo: (09) Faster and Faster-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We go faster and faster.

Original Photo: (10) Try Our Skill-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We apply our knowledge, abilities, skills, and experience along the way.

Original Photo: (11) Precarious Predicaments-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Sometimes we get into precarious positions. Sometimes we have a safety net. Sometimes not. And the view is nice if we keep our head up.

Original Photo: (12) Tossed and Turned-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We get tossed and tumbled. Sometimes with safety equipment. Sometimes not. 

Original Photo: (13) Collect  Rewards-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

We gather rewards along the way.

Original Photo: (14) One More Time-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Sometimes we even convince ourselves and others that we will go around one more time.

Original Photo: (15) Rearview Mirror-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

It's nice to have a vehicle with a rearview mirror to see where we have been. And to take advantage of that perspective occasionally.

Original Photo: (16) At the Controls-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Since we are in the drivers seat, we even surmise that we are at the controls and have all the necessary indicators to assess the status of our vehicle and the progress of our journey.

Original Photo: (17) Carousel Blur-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

When we get off the Carousel of Life, as sometimes happens, and have a chance to not be in the Round-And-Round Up-And-Down motion, it's interesting to assess whether we really got anywhere. In certain moments of observation and reflection, it does seem somewhat of a blur what the ride was all about. What with the motion, the lights, and the cacophony around us.

Original Photo: (18) Simpler Times-Copyright James E. Martin 2012

There are alternatives. Different. Quiet. Away from crowds. With a chance to relax and reflect.

To everything there is a season. But I do think life may be like a carnival.......

Modernism in Art History: An Outline Pointing to the Future

Over the last three days, I have been reading and re-reading Christopher L.C.E. Whitcomb's excellent essay on Modernism in the art history timeline. He begins and ends his article with references to Suzi Gablik's Has Modernism Failed? (1984) with her view towards the hypothetical conclusion that "the end of Art is near". In particular, she asserts that if we as an art community and society hold that "anything can be considered art", then Innovation is no longer possible or desireable. I am not sure I see the connection. I have considered it axiomatic for quite some time that "anything created by man is formed for the purpose and use of man." That would even include art as an Occupation, art as a Statement, art as an Aesthetic, or art as a Recreation. Different purposes.

I liked the model of "Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis" propounded in the paper and it appears to be suitable for the dynamic of art's social-political impact throughout history. Does Art only express and reflect current events through the eyes of the artist or can Art Change the World? Action or reaction? How much is this a chicken-and-the-egg syndrome?

The proposed objective of Modernism is the "creation of a better society". There are two alternative Antithetical reactions to the Thesis "society is better": (1) society is actually better or (2) society is not better. To make a judgement on that issue is a matter of opinion, is it not? If society has reached its epitome and reached the ideal of human actualization and full potential, then the influence of art has been accomplished. Perhaps then, Art as Celebration would become a genre. If society still has room for continuous improvement, then Art can still have a potential impact on creating a better world through Art as Statement.

Perhaps the Synthesis is that (1) the world isn't completely better if Artists need to earn a living with Art as Occupation; (2) Perhaps the world isn't better if Artists want to Change the World through Art as Statement; (3) Perhaps for some but not all recreational Artists, Art as Recreation is an escape and avoidance from other less relaxing and more taxing endeavors; or (4) Perhaps Art as Aesthetic allows us to portray Beauty and Truth as noble ideals in a world that isn't quite as Utopian.

So if Art isn't ended, where is Art heading in the future and what Innovation might be on the horizon? If we accept the Thesis that "Art is Original Expression" and contains symbols, icons, and meaning that reflect who the Artist is at a point in time and culture, then Art is Never Done. Rather, it reflects current social-political dynamics for the Artist as Creator.  For instance, mention is made in the article about Earth Art and Performance Art that redefines Art into genre that is difficult to categorize into historical genre. Each of these types is Art that is Fleeting and Momentary. A sign of the times that reflects an Artist's Worldview of Expression.

Perhaps then, I could propose that we would expect to see the (continued) influence of a number of Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis dynamics in Art in the future reflecting current social-political influences:

• Western Cultural Imperative on Third World Countries versus Emerging Global Cultures and Diversity
• Individual Imperatives for Freedom versus Rule of Authority and Tyranny
• Bipolar Schisms, Separateness, and Isolation versus Unity and Connectedness
• Haves versus Have-Nots 
• Art for the Elite versus Art for and of the Masses
• Fundamental Religions versus Cultism versus Atheism versus Nihilism
• Big Government versus Big Business versus Big Religion versus Individual Self 
• Centralized Power versus De-centralized Power
• Original Art versus Copy Art (The China Influence)
• Control versus Chaos
• Quality of Life versus Survival
• Found Art with Recycling-Upcycled Materials versus Traditional Media
• Charitable Giving versus Art for Investment Return
• Disenfranchised Extremism Topics versus Mainstream Art Topics
• Great Master Works versus Art as Occupation versus Daily Painting Initiative versus Amateur Art

The Creative Pursuit: A Personal Lens to Focus Life's Energy

I have given some extended thought to what I think the elements are in the Creative Pursuit. For me, this is a model, a construct that works for me currently, that can be discussed and talked to, and can be grown and adapted over time. It's been helpful to me because when things go wrong in my Artistic Endeavor and Creative Pursuit, I can reach back to these elements and perhaps figure out the Causes and Effects. As you can observe from the list of elements, they become very personal and indicative of the Self. In not any particular order, I propose that the elements of the Creative Pursuit are:

• Beliefs
• Values
• Vision
• Drive
• Exploration and Experimentation
• Serendipity
• Encouragement
• Inspiration
• Awareness of one's Comfort Zone (Gifts, Talents, Knowledge, Ability, Skills, Experience, Habits)
• Stretching Outside One's Comfort Zone
• Freedom and Openness
• Increasing Affect, Feeling, and Emotion
• Introspection
• Leveraging Outside Influences
• Mentors and Coaches
• Competition
• Unlock Restraints
• Minimize Stifles
• Minimize Fear
• Manage Critiques
• The Forge
• The Crucible
• The Fire

The bottom line is identify and utilize these resources and approaches to focus one's Life Force and Energy into expressing Self in creating the Original Artifact. The Creative Pursuit is not unlike finding and developing a personal Lens that collects and intensifies the necessary energy to steer towards a particular intended result to make the Artistic Endeavor most productive. If one's Self energy is not focused or is dissipated, a less satisfactory result occurs in the Artistic Endeavor or doesn't occur at all.

Perhaps, Dear Reader, this "model" of elements will be helpful to evaluate either your own Creative Pursuit supporting your Artistic Endeavor or the observations you have of other Artist's results or potential. How each of us pours these elements into our process and manages them determines the type of Lens we have for our own use at any given time.  We can individually compare and contrast to observe effectiveness.

There is more to be exposited for many of these elements, of course, but I share them today as a seed to be planted.

The Creative Pursuit: Driven Through Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water

We are Human and we are Artists.

We are of the Earth and return to dust, born of Water, cast about by the spirit Winds, and walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death lit only by daily Fires scattered among the Ruins of Chaos. We desire Light amidst the Darkness to establish Order from Chaos. We want to rise up, accomplish much, and Have something different. Which requires that we Be something different. Which requires that we Become something different. Which requires positive Change.

We are Artists and have been given to Believe that if we live our lives in the Artistic Endeavor through the Creative Pursuit, we will attain our ultimate and final Unique Potential which is the reason to Be and the reason to Become. Therefore we shall Create. We must Create to achieve our Unique Potential. We are driven to Create.

But what of Talent? Thinking of the biblical Parable of the Talents, we should avoid burying our one or two or five or ten Talents. To not use the talents we have been given? To Not Do? Oh, the horror! Could we even live with ourselves, never mind others with us? We pay the Price of Sacrifice to create or the Price of Regret to not create. To the biblical adherents, we are then guilty of failing to increase our Talents. There is something inferred here about the Accumulation of Wealth and Worth through Producing. As servants of the absent Master, we may incur His wrath when he returns after having given us those apportioned Talents.

Maybe I won't ever call my artifacts "Masterpieces" to maintain an appropriate position and posture of humbleness. Maybe if I call them "Talent-pieces", I can assuage some guilt. And maybe it is true that I have been given only one small Talent while others have been given many. What am I to do with that one? Bury it and endure the consequence?

And so the Daily Walk continues. It's like pushing a heavy bag of gold coins uphill in the dark in the similitude of Dante's Inferno. But I hope for inspiration and strength from above and outside myself. Illumination along the way. A clear head illumined with the right thinking. I fear the green of envy in my Hoarding consumerism and the red fires of hellish judgment for falling short in so many things along the Spendthrift way. I need focus for my Life's Energy to direct my hands and feet to trod the path and work the works in so short a time that is left. I am out of breath in only the thought. So I am Living the Moment at Idle Acres. Methinks I am leaking gold coin along the way to accumulating Wealth and Fortune. It is a transient farce.

"Now canst thou, Son, behold the transient farce, Of goods that are committed unto Fortune, For which the human race each other buffet; For all the gold that is beneath the moon, Or ever has been, of these weary souls, Could never make a single one repose. 'Master', I said to him, 'now tell me also, What is this Fortune which thou speakest of, That has the world's goods so within its clutches?'" Dante's Inferno Canto VII, lines 61-69

From Dante's Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise

Wealth and Fortune - The Transient Farce - Study 01  Souvenir of Dore

Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Art is the human Act of Creation. As humans, we Endeavor through our efforts and wish to have Control for their direction. We desire to have a Voice and speak our World View. We desire to Live Forever. We desire to Overcome our average and ordinary limitations. We desire to avoid living and dying into Obscurity as if we had never been. We are tempted perhaps to lead and have followers. To Build something special. Oh, the many Temptations and Desires that lead us astray from our Endeavors!

The Creative Pursuit and the Artistic Endeavor involve the design and the making of a never-before Artifact springing forth from the unique life experience, observation, insight, heart, mind, soul, and hand of the Artist in a moment of Time. No other soul can truly replicate it because the Artist is THE source of the artifact's creation. It's the grand ah-ha in the eureka moment of inspiration.  It's the grand ha-ha in the divine comedy. Beware the comparison and the contrast!

It is a type of assertion that "We can be as gods" or even that "We can be God". We can create from nothing. We make Light from Darkness. Our Light is separate from the Darkness and our Light will keep Darkness away. It's the eating of the fruit from the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We see what others cannot see and hear what others cannot hear. We walk among the invalids. We are the Genesis.

And who are we that reply against God in this audacious Artistic Endeavor? No small matter then that two of the ten Biblical commandments are "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" and "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." Warnings and admonitions indeed!  How auspicious then that the Artist might say to the Maker, "Why hast thou made me thus?" as the hand of the potter upon the clay.

As mortal humans, none of us escapes crossing the deathly threshold between Time and Eternity. The work of Art may persevere after our earthly stay is finished and it can no longer be replicated or edited by our hand. Are the artifacts of Art a way to cheat Death by leaving a part of ourselves behind? We can still influence and inspire others through our Works even after we no longer remain in the flesh?  We can be as gods and have a semblance of immortality and truth. People will still talk about us and think about us. We can escape Ignominy. Few knew who Van Gogh was in his day. Look and see his works now. It's a kind of worship with pilgrimage to his haunts.

What of the natural man and the spiritual man? What sayest we in these roles? We are guilty of creating images and likenesses of things seen in heaven and earth. That's fairly self-evident. The natural man wars against the spiritual man. Yikes. Perhaps in different degrees among us. Perhaps in different flavors between us. But Yikes.

Each moment we lay hand to brush to paint to canvas, we create. We speak our Voice. We wrestle with principalities and powers. We wrestle with things unseen as yet. We dream dreams. We wrestle with natural and divine things. We suffer slings and arrows. We take arms against a sea of troubles. We attempt to oppose and end them through our creation. We would like to end the heartache and thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to. And perhaps, there is something in us that declares we may someday be capable of a masterpiece. To express Self. Now are those consummations devoutly to be wished?

If we choose not to lay paint to canvas, we are destined to live and die in Obscurity and Darkness. It's as if we never were. Our personal Darkness will be on the face of the deep. The creation will be without form and void of our Creative Pursuit and Artistic Endeavors.

This Daily Walk is an auspicious and audacious Journey through the natural and spiritual realms. Artists are driven in a unique manner. So I commit to tread lightly but deliberately. And prepare for the coming Judgment.

Today is the Leap Day of the Leap Year. An extra day apportioned in the plan to catch up the clocks for Timekeeping. Given time, can we paint our future, I ask?

The Equilibrium of Reasonable Art: The Artistic Endeavor

Oddly and somewhat unexpectedly, I have been drawn by Serendipity from my longstanding preference for the Impressionist era into reading and research about the origins of Modern Art evolving from the Impressionist roots. I have been extremely fortunate to come across a copy of Matisse: His art and his public (1951) by Alfred H. Barr, Jr. published by the Museum of Modern Art in NY.

Guillaume Apollinaire, a poet and art critic, interviewed Matisse and wrote up an article in La Phalange in December 15, 1907 and numerous excerpts from the article are noted in Barr's book [underscores below are my editing emphasis]. I am superstruck by those written precepts that resonate with me in these economic times today - more than a century later. This is all about The Artistic Endeavor even though some of the quotes are about Matisse's specific Creative Pursuit leading to the development of his Original Artifacts.

Photo Courtesy Guillaume Apollinaire: Internet Fair Use

• "When I came to you, Matisse, the crowd had looked at you and as it laughed at you, you smiled. They saw a monster there where a wonder was taking shape." [Apollonaire]
• "I have worked to enrich my knowledge by satisfying the diverse curiosities of my mind, striving to ascertain the different thoughts of ancient and modern masters of plastic art. I tried at the same time to understand their technique." [Matisse]
• "...retrace for me the adventures of this perilous voyage to discover your own personality. It proceeds from science to conscience, and leads to complete forgetfulness of everything that is not your own self.....Instinct is no guide; it got lost and we are trying to find it." [Apollonaire]
• "I found myself or my artistic personality by looking over my earliest works. They rarely deceive. There I found something that was always the same and which at first glance I thought to be monotonous repetition. It was the mark of my personality which appeared the same no matter what different states of mind I happened to have passed through." [Matisse]
• "But this took place at its own good time." [Apollonaire]
• "I made an effort to develop this personality by counting above all on my intuition and by returning again and again to fundamentals. When difficulties stopped me in my work I said to myself: 'I have colors, a canvas, and I must express myself with purity, even though I do it in the briefest manner by putting down, for instance, four or five spots of color or by drawing four or five lines which have a plastic expression.' " [Matisse]
• "You have been reproached, my dear Matisse, for this summary expression but you have thereby accomplished one of the most difficult tasks: to give a plastic sense to your pictures without the aid of the object except as it arouses sensations." [Apollonaire]
• "The eloquence of your works comes first of all from the combination of colors and lines. This is what constitutes the artistry of a painter and not - as some superficial spirits still believe - the mere reproduction of the object." [Apollonaire]
• "Henri Matisse makes a scaffolding of his conceptions, he constructs his pictures by means of colors and lines until he gives life to his combinations so that they will be logical and form a closed composition from which one cannot remove a single color or line without reducing the whole to a haphazard meeting of lines and colors." [Apollonaire]
• "To make order out of chaos - that is creation. And if the goal is to create, there must be an order of which instinct is the measure." [Apollonaire]
• "To one who works this way the influence of other personalities can do no harm. He has his inner conviction, which comes from his sincerity; and the doubts which harass him only stimulate his curiousity." [Apollonaire]
• "I have never avoided the influence of others. I would have considered this cowardice and a lack of sincerity toward myself. I believe that the personality of the artist develops and asserts itself through the struggles it has to go through when pitted against other personalities. If the fight is fatal and the personality succumbs, it means that this was bound to be its fate." [Matisse]
• "It is by incessantly comparing his art with other artistic conceptions and by keeping his mind open to other related arts that Matisse has attained the greatness and confident conviction that distinguish him." [Apollonaire]
• "...Know the artistic capacities of all races...[also know] our inheritance.....find here the nourishment that we love....and the spices from other parts of the world can at most serve us as seasoning....in spirit....meditate upon.....standing at this crossroad......look at himself.....find the path which his triumphant intuition shall follow with confidence....." [Apollonaire]
• "We are not in the presence of some extremist adventure....the essence of Matisse's art is to be reasonable....The conscience of this painter is the result of his knowing other artistic consciences. He owes his plastic innovations to his own instinct or self-knowledge." [Apollonaire]
• "Because there is a relationship between ourselves and the rest of the universe, we can discover it and then no longer try to go beyond it." [Apollonaire]

Dear Reader, this is precisely about the Artistic Endeavor...it is precisely about the Creative Pursuit.....it is precisely about the Inner Voice....it is precisely about finding Self in the universe of greater things...it is precisely about creating Order from Chaos....but in my humble opinion, it is not only about Creation or about Art or about Objects, not only about the development of an Original Artifact, and not only about being just an Artist.

It is about the application of one's Life Force and Energy. It's about reaching one's Unique Potential.

The "Equilibrium of Reasonable Art", a phrase that Guillaume Apollinaire instantiated in 1907....is a lot about Changing the World. But in a form and a format that has Informed Reason by the Individual, of the Individual, and for the Individual. It is all about the buying and selling of an Individual's developed Self and Expression in whatever Occupation the Artist endeavors in the Market Realm of Greater Things. This is not a trivial notion.

But what about Resistance, and Impedance, and Controls, and Differences, and Opinions? What about Tyranny and Oppression and Famine and Poverty? What about Selling Out? What about Giving Up? What about just Getting By? What about Respect and Diversity? It's about the Struggle. It's about Supply and Demand. It's about our personal Exchange through multiple Transactions with Others in the grand Marketplace for Things of Value. We each define what Value is for us at a moment in time, do we not? What do we Buy? What do we Sell? What do we Produce? What do we Consume? It's about Freedom of Expression. Are we actually free? And to what degree? It's what we choose to surround ourselves with. It's about  practical matters such as "Is_Anyone_Demanding_What_I_Want_to_Supply"? Or Is_Anyone_Consuming_What_I_Am_Producing? At what Price? At what Cost? It's about Change. It's about resolving Fairness and Equity. It's about the Past, the Present, and the Future.

Art has always been a Lightning Rod serving as a conduit for Potential Energy that Changes the World. Individuals expressing Self. Individuals who wish to criticize and Control Others. Individuals working and laboring to obtain what they Want or Need. It's a grand scheme of Equilibrium. My personal opinion is that it is not just about Art. Thank you Mr. Matisse and Mr. Apollonaire.

The Artistic Endeavor: A Baseline Model for Continuous Improvement

The Artistic Endeavor is a deeply personal venture that perhaps cannot be fully explained nor defined due to its prevalence, range and complexity in the human experience. I have considered other reference material, my own experience and insight, artists I have known or studied, and case studies of extreme examples to formulate this model at this time. I share it realizing that the viewer may very well assign from their own perspective a different value, order, weight, priority, or new element. For me today, the Artistic Endeavor.....

(1)   Values and increases Freedom of Insight, Formulation, and Exhibition emphasizing personal and individual Freedom of Expression
(2)   Focuses on and expresses one's own Life Force, Personal Energy, Self, personality, and style
(3)   Listens to, values, and respects the Inner Voice
(4)   Results in new, original Artifacts with some degree of  Aesthetic Value, Lasting Value or Potential Effect
(5)   Expresses a Vision and/or Objective with Meaningful Content and an Emotion
(6)   Involves the Selection of Media
(7)   Involves a Channel and Venue resulting in some level of Communication Effectiveness
(8)   Has a unique Drive, Search, and Intensity to the Journey in what becomes the Realized Path
(9)   Results in an individual's growth towards their Unique Potential which eventually becomes Ultimate and Final Realized Potential
(10) Involves Sharing Your Worldview with an intended or un-intended Audience
(11) Elicits awareness of, sensitivity to, and influence by Internal and External Sources and acts as Sensor-Receptor
(12) Is a Persevering Lifestyle not necessarily a temporary situation
(13) Does not imply or necessarily result in Making an Income from art
(14) Is different than being an Art Marketer, Gallery Owner, or having a Business in Art
(15) Is different than Exhibiting Art or Publishing Art
(16) Is different than just having an Art Appreciation
(17) Is different than being an Art Collector
(18) Is different than being an Art Critic
(19) Is different than being an Art Copyist, Art Counterfeiter, or a Fraud
(20) Is different than being an Art Teacher, Instructor, Mentor or Coach, Counselor, or Leader with Followers
(21) Is different than being an Art Student or Art Professional (With Education, Training, Position, Achievements, Competition, Credits, Awards, Dedication, Portfolio, Studio, References, Acclaim, Reputation, Self-description)
(22) Is different than having Art Knowledge, Ability, Skills, Experience, Competence, Talent, Tools, and Materials
(23) Is not dependent upon attributed Art Feedback, Critique, nor Opinion
(24) May exhibit, value, and embrace Respect for Diversity
(25) Undoubtedly will cause one to personally face and experience Failure, Fear, Doubt, Rejection, and Risk
(26) Involves Partial and Temporary Fulfillment through the Creative Pursuit

Summary: Worth all of a quarter and a penny for the 26 elements today. Left-brain and right-brain stuff. Is a foundation for where I am jumping off from, headed to, and why. Is subject to additions, deletions, and modifications in the future for numerous personally expected reasons. Perhaps this outline has some value for others along their path.

Question: Where did this start.....? "You're not an artist. You just have Internet."

What Makes a Masterpiece?: The Artist as Philosopher

Another serendipitous borrow from the library was What Makes a Masterpiece? edited by Christopher Dell. A quick scan of the introduction results in numerous keywords and phrases such as "timeless, profound, works of genius, visionary, perfect, transcendental, pinnacle of a creative career, works that define an oeuvre, instantly recognized...." which perhaps are terms that most Viewers of Art would correlate with "Masterpiece" but may be too ambiguous to define or differentiate major from minor works or ordinary works or particularly indicate the future for a Work-In-Progress.

The purpose of a Masterpiece, similar to any Artifact, might be to inform, to entertain, to commemorate, to educate, to reinforce beliefs, and/or to encourage reflection or devotion. Generally, a Masterpiece might portray technical virtuousity, groundbreaking skill, and originality of approach giving some indication that the piece is "On The Edge" of historical normalness in that it ventures into a new arena previously unexplored. It may push into new areas of Insight, develop new Formulations, or Express and Exhibit new Ideas. The book suggests that a Masterpiece reflects value judgements and may well be defined by juxtapositions of the Maker, the Viewers, and the Culture of its Time. Also, a Masterpiece tends to reflect Universal Concepts and Values that become Timeless and therefore could be considered Transcendental.

It's value as a Masterpiece may be related to the quality of the materials and the time to produce the Artifact. Works from the heart, head, and hand of an Artist deemed to be a Master...whether deceased or alive...may be considered to be exceptional and highly valued but may or may not be considered a Masterpiece per se.

This book cites Kenneth Clark in What is a Masterpiece? (1979) indicating that a Masterpiece is both:

• "a confluence of memories and emotions forming a single idea" and
• "a power of recreating traditional forms so that they become expressive of the artist's own epoch and yet keep a relationship with the past"

But I remain unconvinced....based on those two premises alone as distinguishing characteristics of a Masterpiece versus Works Other Than a Masterpiece. Christopher Dell indicates that in Modern art in particular a distinguishing feature of a Masterpiece is less about the quality of the Artistic Formulation or even the resultant Artifact but rather it is "Ideas That Count". Perhaps to stretch that verbiage further, the art "Makes a Difference" or "Changes the World" or has an "Impact on Humanity".

If a Masterpiece is truly timeless, it would reflect not only the Artist's own era and also reach into the foundations of art history and the human experience but I might add the following.... that a Masterpiece....

• Instantiates a New Idea at a Moment in Time thereby adding to the timeless and transcendental universal Aesthetic

Perhaps Kenneth Clark's definition is more appropriate if we say "...forming a single [evolutionary or revolutionary] idea" (italics mine).

So, Dear Reader, we can pick our favorite Artist and review the pieces of the Master that we adore, compare them against these listed criteria, and see how they stack.  What is the New Idea that we venerate for each Masterpiece instantiated at its moment in human history?

Living the Moment: Lightness and Darkness

Chiaroscuro is an Italian term for "light-dark" according to Wikipedia.  Stylistically, I find its use compelling in both painting and photography. My earliest recollection of its dramatic, stylistic use was in the Kool Jazz Festival advertising in the 1980s. I enjoyed the images so much that I started my first clip art collection by saving the magazine pages for inspiration years and moons ago.

I have some ideas for about three or four paintings which involve straw hats and happened across a vintage reproduction print of Thomas Sully's The Torn Hat recently. Although it was relatively inexpensive, I wrestled with its purchase because the reproduction was relatively low fidelity but it appealed to me and I acquired it not with an intent to frame it for my walls but rather to use it as a model for my own painting and interpretation. I could have referenced a web-based image but I didn't. I chose not to conduct any further research on the original nor about Sully nor view any other copies on the Web prior to my rendition. Incidentally, the original is at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston so I should have a chance to go see it in the near future in their collection. This past fall, I set the easel up outside shortly after bringing the reproduction home and completed my perspective. I also appreciated the opportunity to strengthen the blue and yellow values which reach into my appreciation for the Van Gogh genre.

Souvenir Art: Sully's Torn Hat Copyright James E. Martin 2011

It's my first portrait. At the Beginning, the canvas was without Form and Void and Darkness was upon the Face of the Deep. General swaths to establish lines, scale, and proportions...sketching with paint. Paint further applied to canvas to establish general tones and...behold.... Light separates the Darkness. We have a Reason to select What to do and Why and Where and How and Who. Something that attracts us or wells up within us from who we are and where we have been before. We must start somewhere in the creative act. At the Beginning is probably a good place to start and each of us comes to our Understanding of the Impetus and Our Imperative in a different way and manner. We are on the road. It's not easy to steer a parked car so moving forward is a good momentum.

I have always been intrigued through observation that a realistic flesh color value involves both the rosy pink of vital, underlying bloodflow with the Energy of one's Life Force and the pale grey of Death on the margins. I was able to experiment with that in this depiction.  Depending on the aspect angle of vitality, we are moments from the Abyss. To me at this time, it reflects Living the Moment and the fragile, transparent interface between the philosophical Life and Death. But far apart from mere philosophy and rhetoric, we live or we die in the moment. Lightness or Darkness. We are influenced by the others that have gone before us or by the Artifacts that other Artists of Originality have left to stir our Souls and our Spirit. Their Artifacts leave an Impression on us in different and manifold ways. We have Freedom to do and create to our heart's content. If we choose not to do, our own Darkness remains upon the Face of the Deep.

There is something in the Artist that compels us to Create. It is a still, quiet Voice that demands to be heard and requires the application of Life Force and Energy to be applied towards the Journey resulting in the Artifact. Each Artifact says something about the Artist. But each Artifact is only part of the Creative Pursuit, a brief sojourn in the Artistic Endeavor, and a partial understanding of Self. And sometimes Serendipity influences what happens on the Path towards our Unique Potential.

But it seems fairly straightforward to me that the Light separates the Darkness. It's a grand scheme.

To Be or Not To Be: The Artist and The Preacher

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them:

To die, to sleep
No more; and by a sleep, to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand Natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished.

To die to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream; Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life.

 

Reference: From Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1: Shakespeare

Photo courtesy - Wikimedia Commons

One of Van Gogh's last completed works before committing his self-inflicted fatal injury was At Eternities Gate (Jul 1890).  The title alone reflects his state of mind in the final days of his earthly treadpath revealed here as perhaps he wrestles with "shuffling off his mortal coil" and crossing the one-way threshold into eternity to meet his Maker. From the subject's perspective in the painting, he would see darkness, feel tension in the clenched hands, hear the crackling of the fire, and feel the posture of sitting in the chair.  Only the subject, not the viewer, would ever fully know his internal state of mind.

From the viewer's perspective, there are only three objects of note in the location, the subject, the chair and the fire. I sense anguish and fatigue and indecision in the subject's posture as he wilfully shuts out the light of day by covering his eyes with his own clenched hands as if in a feeble attempt to stop observation of all things, to not look at the viewer, and to stop time. Only from his autobiographical letters are we made aware of his recurring efforts to still the demons of internal mental illness and anguish.  Many of those bouts were incapacitating for his artistic endeavors for longer and longer periods of time creating further anxiety and frustration in direct conflict with his creative pursuit. Because of his theological studies early in life, can we surmise that he may even be in a posture of prayer conversing with and wrestling with his Maker? Earlier in Van Gogh's Still Life with Open Bible (1885), the book is opened to the suffering servant depiction in Isaiah 53:3-5. Is the natural man wrestling with the spiritual man? With thoughts of suicide, the consequences of the irretrievable act in the flesh might be daunting for a Christian believer with an eternity to consider for the final disposition of the human spirit. Heaven or hell? For the natural man, the fire is burning bright in his artistic productions despite his limitations and provides warmth in its proximity but may diminish to embers in the future or die out to dark coals without fuel to continue. But for the spiritual man? Is that a crackling of a symbolic hellfire we hear in the otherwise quiet stillness of the contemplative room?

To Be or Not to Be? THAT IS THE QUESTION. No doubt in my mind. Every moment of every day. And, there is Calamity in so long a life as apportioned to us in fleeting moments. I can respect these things.... along with the diversity of thought from folks who propose that some artist other than Shakespeare created those lines. As Artists, we hope we can change the world amidst its Calamity with our unique hand. Let's create Order from Chaos. Let's create Something Humble or Magnaminous from Nothing. Lets paint. And.....Lord.....please have mercy on us poor sinners and help us all with abundant grace and overflowing mercies. I need more than my talent. Thank you Van Gogh.  ;o)

The Creative Pursuit: Who are We in the Cacophony of Larger Events?

We live in what may be the greatest of times. Just imagine for a moment the tantamount number of souls across human history that have experienced only hunger, poverty, famine, ignorance, disease, violence, war, fear, tyranny, bondage, oppression, and obscurity. Have we really considered, personally and corporately, the end result of the lack of freedom and venue in the world to BECOME somebody special and noteworthy based on who you are or who you want to be? Have our conclusions, our thinking, and our actions truly influenced how we behave and decide in the moment? What has humanity not attained, gained, or retained as a result of the spirit of darkness that suppresses or ignores the achievement and recognition of individual creative expression? How should we position ourselves and posture our artistic efforts amidst the clamour, chaos, clutter, and noise that might drown an emergent pure and sweet song?

Throughout all the ages of humanity, each soul has lived their allotted time on this green earth. Each individual is framed by their geneological roots, born to a time, germinated in a country, fostered by their family, shaped by their culture, and handed their talents. We are born of water and return to dust. We do not choose these foundations.

Yet, each of us has a Unique Potential based on our foundations. No one else in all of humanity has been given our particular and marvelous formula of attributes. By deliberately and purposefully selecting the direction for and application of our life's force and energy, we can execute activities in Time to leverage our talents, increase our knowledge, grow our abilities, develop our skills, and add to our experiences. We can share ourselves, connect, and inspire others. Perhaps it can be asserted that the fulfillment of the human spirit is in achieving one's Unique Potential along life's journey.

We may live in obscurity. Or we can endeavor, with providential wisdom, discernment, and guidance, to live our lives in a creative pursuit, to study, follow, and emulate those who have gone before us, to make our own contribution and legacy through personal hard work and concerted effort, to innovate with our mind, our heart, and our voice, and therefore to make our individual mark with our own destiny to scribe upon the recording of world history.

 Manifestoa: My recommended position and posture is this.....Let us each, then, resolve to march forward today and each moment thereafter, with deliberate design intent, finding our own purposeful way and manner, running the race that is set before us, overcoming obstacles and limitations, emanating the joy and happiness of our own melody and light, respecting the value of others, embracing the diversity around us, connecting and sharing for the greater good, absorbing and reflecting the influence from the communities that surround us, making a joyful noise and dance, resonating the harmony of many voices that influence who we are, and thus create our individual Masterpiece upon the timeline of humanity.

A Beginning: And Its Not Just About Art

A complete stranger has inspired me to begin a web log based on their blog. Today. At this moment. Thank you, stranger. Maybe we will become friends.

Perhaps life is somewhat like a once empty room. We are given the room....and we furnish it with our personal and professional achievements on a daily basis along the way. By chance, by serendipity, or by deliberate design intent, we conduct our life through occupation and craft, execute an Apprenticeship, mature our skills as a Journeyman, and, at some point, move along the path to Master.

We "paint" our Studies, our Works-In-Progress and our Masterpieces along the way and place them on our walls. Our works define us....who we have been, who we are now, and who we will someday become. 

Are the works occupational, avocational, or recreational? What is the lasting value of one's life work and oeuvre? Many travel their path and are lost to obscurity. There are many starving artists. Where do we go from here? Are we to change the world and in what manner?
I think I am going to redecorate my room. And start some new Art.
Managing a blog is only a small side trip on the way to endeavoring the longer journey.....like traversing a small cul-de-sac. Keep the end destination in sight and don't get caught up in a round-about do-loop side trip.