Saturday, November 3, 2007

wading ...


they were flurries not fallout,
during another early saturday morning breakfast rendezvous with some local tribal elders. belly laughs and wisdom while sinatra’s ‘that’s life’ played in the background. mmm ... the flavor of it all ...

back to the forsythia canvases today - a very meditative, learning process. a lot of time to reflect upon what ‘guru dav’ mentioned last week - a ‘want’ list; clear and simple! also, the process of painting something known - landscape/still life - allows me to concentrate on materials, methods, and technique. though it doesn’t provide the same satisfaction as invention or revelation, the act puts me squarely in the middle of the moment; every choice and motion has consequence. another benefit is knowing where the paintings will end up. last time i did a piece like this [6’ x 8’floral landscape] it was hung in the cancer care unit of a regional hospital. the likelihood is that the forsythia will do the same. i frequently hear compliments about the piece and how much it’s enjoyed by patients and visitors. the rewards are innumerable ...

though i’m not a proponent of representational work, and know that abstraction is and could be at least as beautiful, evocative, provocative, etc., i understand that the majority of the population could care less. we as americans have not been taught to ‘savor’ the arts nor understand its integral contribution to humanity. in the simplest way, a painting becomes a vehicle for reflection, questioning, association, dialogue, and understanding the world within and outside of the ‘self’ - not just a tool for quick-fix feel goods and nostalgia. i’ve found that ‘real’ art [be it painting, sculpture, music, dance, writing, fashion, food, or love,etc.,] is everything but banal and superficial. yes, at times it does imitate ‘life’ - but not only the base nature - it aspires to more - if only a reflection ...

losing the ability to savor makes most things forgettable ...
‘pop’ went the weasels - implode or explode?
heard this morning that storage is the fastest growing industry.
interesting how some of the ‘hottest’ dipole field anomalies in the world are near the bermuda triangle, alexandria, spain/france, and tibet ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/7072715.stm