Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Quote’ Category

A Year of Augusts

Posted in Biographical, Opinion, Quote, tagged , , on September 1, 2020| 4 Comments »

pablopicassoskeleton******************

Your willingness to wrestle with your demons

will cause your angels to sing.

—August Wilson

******************

Aah, September 1, 2020.

In most years, this would be a day where I begin to feel some sort of relief from the grim cruelty of August, my least favorite month. That is putting it mildly because, truth be known, I hate August. It’s something I’ve written about before here on the blog, as seen in the enclosed posts below. It seems to seep out every five years and since its last appearance there have been several more other awful Augusts to further make my case against it.

The funny thing is that this year I wasn’t even cognizant of my deep hatred for August. Oh, it was as difficult and stressful as all Augusts are for me. Instead, I realized that my recognition of it was hampered by the fact that this entire year has been comprised of Augusts. Every month has been filled with the same sort of tension and uncertainty that normally mark Augusts for me.

March was an August, April was an August and so on.

So, though we have passed the threshold into September, I don’t feel the same sort of relief it might bring in a normal year. This is obviously no normal year. It might say September on the calendar, but this year it’s just another goddamn August.

Man, what I would give for a year with one August. Or better yet, none.

From August 12, 2015:

As the post below from back in August of 2010 points out, most years I struggle with the month of August and this particular one is no different.  The doldrums set in and I am filled with an anxiety and a stifling restlessness that combine to create a sense of desperation within me. If I hadn’t experienced this before, this feeling would seem unbearable.

But it’s not something new so I realize that it’s just a matter of hanging on and letting it pass, all the while trying to pull something from it that will show itself in my work. I have found that such keen desperation is often the source of great work, much as playwright August Wilson —a fitting first name!— points out so eloquently in the quote above. So, while I find myself fighting through the cruel days and demons of August, I do so as I listen for the song of angels to begin.

And from experience, I know they will begin soon enough. Sing, angels, sing!

From August 18, 2010:

This print from Picasso [ Above] very much sums up my feelings for the month of August. 

I have never been a fan of August. Memories of the so-called dog days of summer spent as a child. Hot from a relentless sun. Bored. Burnt grass crunching underfoot. The coming school year hanging overhead like the sword of Damocles.

August has always had a faint aura of death around it for me. I remember the death of my grandfather in ’68. My beloved dog Maggie years later. Several friends over the years, from a variety of causes. Elvis. The bright glare of the August sun seeming to taunt the grief of the moment.

August.

We were watching something on television the other night, perhaps Mad Men– I can’t really remember. Anyway, the character in the scene that was on said, “I hate August.” 

It made my ears prick up and I couldn’t help but mutter, “I’m with you there, brother.”

August.

Well, I’ve got a lot to do this August  morning. It takes a lot of work to keep busy to ward off the cruelty of  August…

Read Full Post »

Morning Terrors Nights of Dread

Posted in Music, Opinion, Quote, tagged , on August 31, 2020| Leave a Comment »

******************************

“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.”

―H. P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories

******************************

I have things that have to be attended to this morning so this will be short. I have watched the first three episodes of HBO’s Lovecraft Country and am still trying to decide whether I like it or not. I am not a horror aficionado nor a big reader of H.P. Lovecraft so I don’t look at it from that aspect. But it has been interesting enough to keep me coming back thus far. So we’ll see, I guess.

That brings me to the snip above from Lovecraft. It sort of reinforces my own belief that most things– civilizations, technologies, movements, etc– eventually evolve and grow until they reach an untenable point, Basically, that comes down to meaning that there is a beginning and an end to everything.

Nothing lasts forever.

Lately this thought fills me with dread and it may be that this feeling comes about because my fear of our desire as a people to enter into, as Lovecraft put it above: flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.

I was hoping to not be around when that happened again. Bad timing, I guess.

Anyway, this is just a prelude to sharing a song from Shilpa Ray, who I introduced here last week singing Pirate Jenny with Nick Cave. Here’s her song, Morning Terrors Nights of Dread. It caught my ear and the video has a cheesy appeal for me. I have caught myself humming the tune every so often this past week so I figured it must be worth sharing. Give a listen and have a good day. Got to run  now. Bye!

****************************

Read Full Post »

2 + 2

Posted in Current Events, Quote, tagged , , on August 28, 2020| 3 Comments »

****************************

In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy.

― George Orwell, 1984

***************************

Two plus two still adds up to four.

But just barely.

There is ample evidence that there are some out there right now who are most likely thinking, “Why shouldn’t 2 plus 2 equal 5? If our great leader say that it is 5 and I feel that it is 5, who has the right to tell me that I am wrong?”

Based on what I have seen over the past four nights from DC, the world of George Orwell‘s 1984 is just a little too close for comfort.

There is already the embrace of its concept of Doublethink. That’s where one holds two contradictory beliefs to be true at the same time. For example, there are people out there who believe that it was our government who actually flew the planes into the World Trade Center in 2001. Or they might also believe that the current pandemic is the result of a huge Deep State conspiracy.

These same people believe at the same time that this same government, one that is capable of a huge, complicated conspiracy that would require the silence and complicity of literally thousands of accomplices, is totally inept, too stupid and flawed, to do anything well.

We have become people who believe what they hear so long as it doesn’t involve critical thinking and aligns with what they want to believe. But because there is no critical thinking, most don’t even truly know what they want to believe.

They wait for The Word from some elevated other to tell them that.

The Word shall be whatever strokes their egos and stokes their fears.

It is a scary time, one that is not normal in any sense of the word, and we are rapidly descending down a very slippery slope right now. Who knows where we will be when this plummet ends?

Or if it will end.

As Orwell asks: For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable – what then?

Use your mind. Think critically. Speak out. When they say 2 plus 2 is 5, tell them they are wrong. Our world is depending on it at this moment.

Read Full Post »

In Prep

Posted in Event, Quote, tagged , , , , on August 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

*****************************

“A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.”

― Winston S. Churchill

*************************

Still busy getting ready for  tomorrow’s Virtual Gallery Talk from the West End Gallery. Still a lot of work to do, especially on my acrobatic entrance where I do a series of backward handsprings into the gallery culminating in two twists and a stuck landing.

I have so far broken three windows, four coffee cups, stepped on Hobie (my mighty studio cat) and put my foot through a painting while practicing.

I might have to cut that part of the presentation.

Oh, well. I guess that help in adhering to the words above from Winston Churchill. I do try to follow this bit of advice and keep my  speech short even though there is always that temptation to keep blabbing.

Win This Painting!

Hope you can tune in tomorrow. I am a little nervous, doing this in this online format that is new for both myself and the West End. But I think it’s going to go off pretty well and will be, hopefully, interesting for you.

Plus, we’ll be giving away TWO paintings of mine at the end of the hour and maybe there will be anther surprise or two. So, there’s that.

And I heard there will be pie. But I guess that won’t help you since it’s a virtual talk. When they can teleport pie via the interweb, that will be a great thing.

But I doubt it’s going to happen by tomorrow.

Well, that won’t stop us.

Hope to see you tomorrow.

************************

See yesterday’s blog for more details and register below:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE GALLERY TALK

Read Full Post »

Hard Work!

Posted in Event, Quote, tagged , , , on August 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

*******************

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”

― Beverly Sills

********************

I guess Beverly Sills is right but this is a lot more work than I thought it would be.

I am talking about getting ready for the Virtual Gallery Talk I am giving on Saturday from the West End Gallery. There is, of course, always a certain amount of preparation for any talk. But this year’s talk without an audience has me scrambling. There’s a whole new layer of technology to adopt in a short time while trying to make it look cohesive and somewhat smooth.

I don’t want to look like a complete idiot, after all.

But beyond the technological hurdles, my presentation as to be changed to account for not being able to interact with a live audience. Normally, I try to have a few things ready to discuss and begin with a pretty short intro before moving quickly to questions from the audience. I try to get into questions and answers as soon as possible because I think that my reactions to questions are one of my strengths.

I could be wrong there. I am hesitant to say any quality of mine is a strength for fear of being that guy who over esteems his prowess at far too many things.

You know the type.

But if I had to say I had a strength it would be in my willingness to react to and honestly answer questions in these situations. At least, I am better at it than I am as delivering prepared remarks. But because of the remoteness of the talk, I really have to prepare to deliver a short address, of sorts, fully worded and thought out beforehand. Without the benefit of being able to react.

For a lazy slob like me, that is a tough task. Makes me truly admire those folks I know who deliver speeches and prepared remarks.

But I am working at it and hopefully you won’t even see the rivers of flop sweat running down my face during the talk. I am thinking of doing the old  trick of smearing vaseline on camera my lens so that it gives me a soft gauzy look. I think they used to do that for Doris Day at some point. If it works for Doris, then dammit, I am willing to give it a shot.

All kidding aside, it is hard work and we are really trying to send out a Gallery Talk that is rewarding for everyone who takes the time out of their busy lives to spend a little time with us on Saturday.

I am giving away two original paintings so I hope you can be there!

Here are the details:

  • Virtual Gallery Talk with GC Myers
  • Streaming from West End Gallery via Zoom
  • Saturday, August 22 Beginning at 1 PM EST
  • You do not need a Zoom account but you do need to register to participate
  • There will be a drawing at the end of the Talk (approx 2 PM EST) to award two GC Myers paintings
  • Participation n the Talk is limited to 500 viewers but the prize drawing is limited to the first 100 registrants for the Gallery Talk
  • Eligible registrants must be present online in order to claim their prize and the Gallery Talk will be locked to new participants at 1:30 PM
  • The winning paintings will be shipped free within the US and Canada to winners residing out of the area. However, if an international entry wins, the winner would be responsible for shipping costs.
  • The regular Gallery Talk ends after the drawing for the two paintings which will be approximately 2 PM EST
  • At that point, about 2 PM, the meeting will be unlocked and there will be a Gallery After Talk, an  additional period of Q & A after the regular Gallery Talk for anyone who cares to talk a but longer. This period can run to 3 PM, if need be.
  • There will be a Waiting Room on Zoom 10-20 minutes prior to the beginning of the Talk. You can check in and chat with other participants at that time. While muted, you can still submit questions or comments via the Chat.

 

REGISTER FOR TALK BY CLICKING HERE!

 

Read Full Post »

Magistrum

Posted in Event, Painting, Quote, tagged , , , , , , on August 18, 2020| 3 Comments »

“Magistrum”- You Could Win This Painting at Saturday’s Virtual Gallery Talk!

****************************

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”

― T.H. White, The Once and Future King

***************************

At a size of about 11″ by 15″ on paper and under glass, this painting is the second of the paintings that will be awarded as part of a free drawing at the end of my Virtual Gallery Talk this Saturday, August 22. It is titled Magistrum which is the Latin word for teacher or master.

It’s fitting that the snip I am using to start this post is from The Once and Future King from T.H. White. Reading was a big part of my childhood, a connection to the wider world and the key to unlocking the secrets of it. Books were the teacher, the master, I never had in any one person and I remember it well when I first came across this book. The story of the education of the young King Arthur by Merlin, it was delightful tale that really excited my imagination and, with its emphasis on learning and observing, reinforced my own quest to learn.

Merlin is correct, learning is the best thing for being sad. It changes the mind, building new structures upon it that make the whole thing so much stronger. In these days where, as Merlin points out, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, it is indeed a good thing to not wallow in sadness. Best to learn something new, expand that mind and see the world with wiser eyes.

That’s kind of what I see in this painting. The Red Tree here is the teacher urging its students to come out into the light, emerge from their state of blueness.

So, if you feel blue these days, open your mind and try to learn something unknown to you. Read something new. Look at things closer. Imagine the world through the eyes of others.

It’ll do you a world of good. That I can say with certainty.

Now the Virtual Gallery Talk from the West End Gallery takes place this Saturday, August 22, from 1-2 PM EST. Tomorrow, we will be posting the information on how to preregister for the Talk with Zoom. You do not have to have a Zoom account but you will need to register to participate and view. Though the Talk will be open to all, the drawing for the two paintings will be limited to the first 100 registrants. The chosen winners will have to be present (online!) at the Gallery Talk to claim their prize.

So make sure you get your name in when we roll out the info tomorrow. Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Heart of Light

Posted in Event, Painting, Quote, tagged , , , , on August 17, 2020| 4 Comments »

“Heart of Light”- To Be Awarded At This Saturday’s Virtual Gallery Talk

**********************************

“A fight is going on inside me,” said an old man to his son. “It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you.”

The son thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf will win?”

The old man replied simply, “The one you feed.”

— Wendy Mass, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

***********************************

This is a battle that I know well. I don’t know about you but I suspect many of you have witnessed this same conflict within yourselves.

Experience has taught me that, indeed, feeding and nurturing one wolf makes it stronger so that the other one that is not fed slinks into the background. That other evil wolf remains always just far enough away in the shadows, however, waiting for a sliver to fall its way that will strengthen it, allowing it to once more fight for dominance.

Which wolf are you feeding today?

This is a roundabout way of getting to the painting shown at the top, It’s a 12″ by 12″ piece on canvas called Heart of Light. and is one of the 2 paintings to be given away at the end of my Virtual Gallery Talk that will be streaming online from the West End Gallery this coming Saturday. The Talk begins at 1 PM EST and runs until 2 PM. Details on registering for the drawing will be forthcoming tomorrow or Wednesday.

I would like to think I am feeding my good wolf with this but it seems pretty arrogant to call this annual giving away of a painting an act of generosity.

And that is feeding that evil wolf.

Maybe I believe I am feeding my good wolf because it brings me joy to express in this small way the gratitude I feel for those folks out there that have allowed me to have this life an artist, one that allows for my many shortcomings.

Who knows?

Good wolf or bad, I know that this painting will be given away on Saturday. Hope you will be there.

In the meantime, feed your good wolf well. I will try to do the same.

 

Read Full Post »

Optimism?

Posted in Current Events, Music, Quote, tagged , , , on August 13, 2020| 6 Comments »

“From a Distance”– Currently at the West End Gallery

***********************

The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy.

–Dietrich Bonhoeffer

***********************

Yesterday, for the first time in many moons, I felt a sensation that seemed distinctly out of place for the feelings that have been swirling around inside me lately. It was a twinge, a pang, a fleeting pulse of optimism.

I think it was the announcement of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden‘s running mate that did it. I had been expecting– and hoping– that she would be the pick. The daughter of immigrants, she’s smart, tough, and forward looking but also warm and engaging. What’s not to like?

But even expecting it, I was surprised at my own reaction to the announcement. It made me happy in a way that I haven’t felt in some time.

Optimistic.

It took a while to recognize this long lost feeling, this optimism. It’s been gone so it seems almost foreign and I have found myself more apt to use words like pessimism and cynicism to describe my feelings about the future.

But the truth be told, I kind of like it.

I like the idea that there are responsible adults stepping up to face the multitude of problems facing us at this time. As daunting as the situation, this little bit of newfound optimism makes me think we can find solutions going into the future.

It’s like the torch on the Statue of Liberty has been dark for the past four years– it sure feels that way—  and there’s talk that it might be set ablaze again. Eyes look up again.

Like I said, I like this feeling but it still makes me a bit nervous. I fear that others who feel the same thing will think that this optimism somehow replaces the need for hard work and attention to detail in the coming months.

Pay attention. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s, people. Make sure you’re registered and vote even if it means standing in line for hour upon hour.

This is the most critical election of our lives. That is not hyperbole.

We are still down in a dark pit but at least our eyes are looking up a bit now. And there is light up there.

Like the great Curtis Mayfield song they used after introducing Biden and Kamala’s partnership, let’s Move On Up.

Have a good day and keep your eyes up.

PS: The quote at the top is from Dietrich Bonhoefer, who wrote an essay that I used in a blog post, On Stupidity, which is easily my most visited post.

 

Read Full Post »

Center of Gravity

Posted in Current Events, Quote, Recent Paintings, tagged , , , , , , on August 8, 2020| 1 Comment »

“Center of Gravity” Now at the West End Gallery

*******************************

In the center of an irrational universe governed by an irrational Mind stands rational man.

― Philip K. Dick, Valis

******************************

You could possibly substitute the word country for universe and it wouldn’t much change the meaning of this quote. At least, not here in a land that feels more and more Kafkaesque with each passing day.

For those of you not familiar with the writings of Franz Kafka, Kafkaesque is described in Wikipedia this way:

The term “Kafkaesque” is used to describe concepts and situations reminiscent of his work, particularly “The Trial” and “The Metamorphosis.” Examples include instances in which bureaucracies overpower people, often in a surreal, nightmarish milieu which evokes feelings of senselessness, disorientation, and helplessness. Characters in a Kafkaesque setting often lack a clear course of action to escape a labyrinthine situation. Kafkaesque elements often appear in existential works, but the term has transcended the literary realm to apply to real-life occurrences and situations that are incomprehensibly complex, bizarre, or illogical.

As suggested by the painting above, Center of Gravity, I am going to shelter in place for the day and simply let the world turn on ts own.

And that’s enough for today.

Stay centered, folks.

Read Full Post »

No Gallery Talk? How About a Studio Talk?

Posted in Event, Quote, tagged , , , on August 6, 2020| 14 Comments »

******************

All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.

–Sally Ride

******************

This year’s Gallery Talk at the West End Gallery was originally scheduled for this coming Saturday. It is obvious now that this year’s talk just can’t happen in the same way as in the past. As much as I enjoyed the one from last year, one where we jammed as many people as was possible into the gallery, the idea of replicating it seems downright crazy in the time of the virus.

I am not willing to risk my own health to do such a thing and am even less willing to put anyone else in harm’s way.

To be clear, this year’s Gallery Talk ain’t happening, folks.

At least, it can’t take place in the way we know it.

I am working with Jesse and Linda at the West End Gallery on a way of doing some type of online Gallery Talk, something through Zoom or other web meeting service. It would actually be more of a Studio Talk, a visit to my space and maybe a little tour. It would still have some of the same elements as the normal Talk–the annual giving away of a painting, to be exact– and would be missing others. That would be a live crowd.

There are plenty of pros and cons on doing this.

The pros for doing it are:

  • It would be safe and convenient–No crowds and no having to find parking
  • Everybody gets a seat! Unless, of course, you feel like standing in front of your computer
  • Because there are no space limitations, more people could participate  and it would allow people who are not able to normally get to the Talk, people from out of the area, to participate. We might be able to go international?
  • It would be a different experience, a changeup from the norm and that’s a good thing once in a while
  • No Masks needed, though I might wear one just to cover my face
  • I could show some stuff from my studio that I can’t easily do at a regular Gallery Talk
  • It would shame me into straightening up my studio
  • If someone doesn’t like it and wants to leave, they can just turn it off. That sure as hell beats having to worry about how they could creep out of the gallery during the talk.

The cons are:

  • No living, breathing people. Well, they will be out there, living and breathing. Just not in front of me. I don’t get to see immediate reactions and react to those. It makes any attempts at humor a bit harder for me.
  • No oohs and aahs. I can’t overstate the impact of the oohs and aahs.
  • My own ineptitude with technology and inexperience with online broadcasting. I would have to bone up on doing this in the right way so that the experience is not painful– for you and for me.
  • I lose the ability to interact one-on-one with folks before and after the talk, which I very much enjoy. I get to just talk with folks I might not have seen in some time plus it loosens me up beforehand and eases me down afterwards.

There are most likely many more pros and cons that will come to mind. If you think of any not on this list, please let me know. Any additional info or opinion I can get will be helpful.

I have to admit, I am more than a little nervous about doing this. Worried about technical glitches. Plus, I’m not used to talking in this manner and am afraid I am going to be left hanging in the breeze at some point. You know, where your mind goes absolutely blank. During a normal talk, I can turn to someone in the audience and make a comment and that sets off a whole new line of reaction and discussion. Alone in my studio in front of a camera, I won’t have that luxury.

The whole thing scares me a bit.

But it’s like late astronaut Sally Ride said: All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.

Of course, she was talking about being strapped inside a damn rocket to the stars. I am just talking about sitting in my studio and talking into a camera. I guess I better just quit whining, put on my big boy pants, and just do it.

So, keep an eye out for details. We are going to work on this in the next few days and will hopefully have something to announce next week. If you have suggestions, hints, ideas, questions or even just crackpot comments on this, please let me know. I can use all the feedback I can get on how to do this right.

Have a good day!

 

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »