” A bit of fragrance always
clings to the hand
that gives you roses.”
-Chinese Proverb
Just a little reminder on a cold, dark Sunday morning. If you can, help someone out in some small way. You’ll be better for it. Promise.
Archive for the ‘Favorite Things’ Category
The Gift In Giving
Posted in Favorite Things, Quote, tagged Generosity, Proverb on December 7, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Hullabaloo
Posted in Favorite Things, Influences, tagged Beatles, British Invasion, Hullabaloo, Vogues, Woodstock on December 6, 2008| 2 Comments »
It’s Saturday morning and it’s time for something different.
This is a video from 1966 by the Vogues performing (well, kind of) on the TV show Hullabaloo. It was an interesting time in popular music. It was at the cusp, before the explosion of pyschedelia, before Woodstock, before the anger of the late 60’s. The British Invasion was still in full swing and the Beatles were working on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band , the album which would spark the coming change.
But here are the Vogues, sporting the clean cut look of the early 60’s and matching cardigan sweaters. This is really a pretty good video for the time. Maybe it’s because it’s such a great song. Anyway this is Five O’Clock World…
Madman’s Drum
Posted in Favorite Things, Influences, tagged Gods' Man, graphic novel, Lynd Ward, Madman's Drum, woodcuts on December 4, 2008| 4 Comments »
This is from the wordless graphic novel, Madman’s Drum, from the mind of the talented Lynd Ward, done in 1930. It is a self-described novel in woodcuts but to me has the feel of the truly great silent films from the years prior to its publication. When I came across his work 13 or 14 years ago I was blown away by the feel, by the dynamic compositions and by the rawness of the storylines. Each frame was put together so beautifully. I am at a loss for words to describe how his images spoke to me, how his handling of light and dark told more than words.
His first and perhaps more famous graphic novel was Gods’ Man, published in 1929. This was actually the first Ward work that I saw. I have a newer edition from Dover that is very nice, very sharp, but the first book of his I saw was an older edition in the library from the 1930’s. It was a bit yellowed and the paper slightly rough, the spine rubbed and worn. It all contributed to the overall feel of the work. It felt like I was finding a certain truth, something that was tucked away, a spirit voice waiting to be heard.
The boldness of the lines and the way the shapes and forms filled the picture frame boggled my mind. It was so cinematic, so stylized. Detail was stripped away but each frame lost no emotional impact.
It was everything I wanted in my work. But I knew that could not be. He is a true individual and his work is his and his alone. I didn’t want to emulate. I wanted to absorb the feel and use that feel to create something that was my own. It showed me the possibility.
Great stuff…
New Links
Posted in Favorite Things, tagged Madara Hill, Mark Reep, Scott Coulter on December 2, 2008| 2 Comments »
I recently added a few useful links to this blog so if you’ve a moment, please check them out. The piece to the left, Still, is by artist Mark Reep. His works are painstakingly crafted and incredibly evocative. I have always admired his work. His site and his blog are chock full of info about his work, the process and much more.
Then there is the site of old friend Scott Coulter. I have known Scott since I first started showing and he has always been most encouraging. He’s a good guy and his photo-realistic landscapes are atmospheric and striking.
Finally, there is the blog of Madara Hill. The work is bold and full of color with a bit of whimsey and the blog is, like Mark’s, an interesting look inside the process of an artist.
Christmas Time
Posted in Favorite Things, Television, Video, tagged Andy Griffith, Charlie Brown Christmas, Television on November 28, 2008| 2 Comments »
I am a product of television and pop culture, having spent innumerable hours as a child glued to the tube. It was in many ways a classroom where I picked up many details about the outside world that didn’t seem to exist in my world at the time. That may be a sad commentary but luckily, when I was growing up, many shows had moral compasses and had lessons to teach through their humor. Shows like The Andy Griffith Show come to mind.
Well, a great part of TV watching as a kid were the Christmas specials and since today marks the start of the season I thought I’d show a clip from one of my favorites, one that started when I was a kid and one that I try to catch every year. Great music, great story and the greatest characters– It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas.
Sunday Morning Music
Posted in At the Movies, Favorite Things, Uncategorized, Video, tagged The Third Man on November 16, 2008| 1 Comment »
I wanted to leave the week with a little something other than painting. I was going to have a clip of the great film, The Third Man, starring Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard. While searching for a clip I came across this, the Crazy Rockers, an Indonesian rock band from the early 1960’s doing their version of the unmistakable title theme from the movie. It’s pretty cool…
Saturday Morning Roundup
Posted in Favorite Things, Influences, Recent Paintings, Video, tagged Bob Dylan, Haen Gallery on November 15, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Well, it’s Saturday morning and I’m plugging away in the studio, finishing up the last details for my upcoming show at the Haen Gallery. There’s always a sense of relief and gratification in finally having a show completed but those feelings are soon replaced by slightly shaky nerves. You see, in the studio while the work is in process, the work is completely mine and in my control. Once it leaves to go to galleries it changes and becomes something quite different, something new and out of my control. It’s exciting in a way but there’s always that fear that people won’t see what I see in the work and they won’t connect with it. All I can do, however, is put the work and myself out there and let the chips fall where they may.
The piece above is Island of Hope and is a 10″ by 30″ canvas. I use the island often as a representation of a safe haven or a place that other aspire to from afar, a place of hope and desire. I particularly like this piece , especially the feel and atmosphere of it.
Anyway, it is a Saturday morning and we all could use something to get away to. Here’s a little classic Bob Dylan to help. Enjoy!
Ring of Fire
Posted in Favorite Things, Influences, Video, tagged Doors, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Otis Redding, Rolling Stones on November 9, 2008| 2 Comments »
Just thought on a Sunday morning I would throw out a small bit of Johnny Cash, someone who I have unabashedly idolized for over forty years. This song, though earlier in the decade, reminded me of Cash’s TV show of the late 60’s and the the incredibly diverse talent that would appear. The very best of rock, pop, soul and country would show up every week. It reminds me how our explosion of media access has separated everything into niches, neatly labeled and put apart. As a kid living in the country, I remember being glued to my little radio, listening our local AM station, WENY, and hearing guys like Johnny Cash one minute then the next the Rolling Stones and after that the Doors then Otis Redding, all topped off by Frank Sinatra. Or maybe Barry Sadler singing “The Ballad of the Green Beret”. Or the 1910 Fruitgum Company. What great diversity! And the funny thing is that it seemed to make complete sense, that the transition and flow from one song to another was not abrupt or shocking. It forced the young mind to find the common thread and grab it.
This is not to condemn today or glorify yesterday. Each is what they are. Just a memory. It’s Sunday, so relax and give a listen to the Man in Black.
Benton
Posted in Favorite Things, Influences, tagged jazz, regionalism, Thomas Hart Benton on November 7, 2008| 4 Comments »
These are a couple of paintings from one of my heroes, Thomas Hart Benton, the Missouri-born painter of the last century. I was immediately drawn to the rich colors he used and the complexity of that color. By that I mean, when I look at his colors I see one color but get the feeling of the colors that comprise it. That’s a hard thing to really explain but when I finally understood the concept I found my own work growing stronger and more alive. His colors are always strong and bold, deep and rich.
The first painting also has a great title, The Ballad of the Jealous Lover of Lone Green Valley, which is something that means a lot to me and my work. I think that the title can play an important part in the life of a painting.
The other element that I love in Benton’s work is the obvious rhythm ( a term that I use a lot in describing my work) that runs through his paintings
. In the lower piece, Trail Riders, there is a great flow in the landscape from right to left, that to me is pure music. I have seen Benton’s work described as “Jazz painting” which I fully understand. There is a real musical quality in the way his landscapes roll and even in the positioning of his figures.
His use of deep color and rhythm are two things I took and tried to make my own, which is something I think all artists do with their influences. The trick is making it part of your own artistic vocabulary and not merely derivative. I can only hope I’ve done that.
A Day of History
Posted in Favorite Things, Quote, tagged Eugene Robinson, Obama, Washington Post on November 4, 2008| Leave a Comment »
There are very few days in our lives when we realize that there is history of great magnitude occurring before our very eyes. It is awe-inspiring to see the throngs of voters converging on the polls with steely-eyed determination, willing to stand hours so that history will not be denied. I’m sure each has their own individual motivation but most simply desire a change in our leadership that insures and affirms the fairness and promise of possibility in our country.
You see, the magic of America has always been about possibility.
Eugene Robinson wrote a wonderful article in today’s Washington Post that speaks of this:
“For African Americans, at least those of us old enough to have lived through the civil rights movement, this is nothing short of mind-blowing. It’s disorienting, and it makes me see this nation in a different light.
You see, I remember a time of separate and unequal schools, restrooms and water fountains — a time when black people were officially second-class citizens. I remember moments when African Americans were hopeful and excited about the political process, and I remember other moments when most of us were depressed and disillusioned. But I can’t think of a single moment, before this year, when I thought it was within the realm of remote possibility that a black man could be nominated for president by one of the major parties — let alone that he would go into Election Day with a better-than-even chance of winning.
Let me clarify: It’s not that I would have calculated the odds of an African American being elected president and concluded that this was unlikely; it’s that I wouldn’t even have thought about such a thing.”
One new possibility becoming reality opens a door to an open and endless plain of possibility. And that is all we ask–for a door to open. Get out there and stand in line. Vote.
Redtree Times 
