High School Musical

Okay, just so you know- I haven't lost my mind. Yes, the title of this post is indeed "High School Musical". I think Disney has done a great thing with these movies. Here's why: Disney has just turned a crazy, insane amount of kids and pre-teens into new fans of musical theater. That's a great thing! Think of how many kids out there across the continent who now aspire to be singers, dancers, actors, choreographers and composers because of the mega-success of these movies. What a great influence! This is good for the arts. Hopefully this will encourage more kids to pursue theater, drama, music, dance, etc. Hopefully this will influence kids to develop a greater appreciation for the arts, to be active members of the arts community in the future and/or to become patrons of the arts.

So you see, I'm not crazy afterall!

Have a great night. Thanks for all the great comments to follow the Bucket List post. I loved reading them. Have a great New Year's Eve and be safe.

Ciao!

Bucket List

I like the idea of a bucket list. Here are the items I have checked off my list so far:

-see Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra and Paul McCartney in concert
-visit the Eiffel Tower, the remains of the Berlin Wall, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the home of Leonardo da Vinci, the Sistine Chapel, the Swiss Alps, the Italian Riviera, Vatican City, Pompeii, Amsterdam (wow), London
-study painting at an art studio in Florence, Italy
-take a gondola ride in Venice
-see the Vienna Philharmonic perform in Vienna
-backpack through Europe
-study martial arts, meditation and zen
-earn a masters degree
-have my artwork hang in a major museum (Warhol Museum)
-appear in a movie (Hoffa)

Things I haven't checked off my list:
-ninja training in Japan
-start my own clothing line
-publish a book
-learn to speak French
-visit Greece
-reach enlightenment

I'm sure the list will grow as the years progress. I don't ever want to reach a point where the list is complete. I would love to know what is on your list. What do you need to see, to experience? I would love to know.

Random thoughts

Last night I had the pleasure of spending time with fellow artists Mike, Ray and photographer Leah, while watching live acoustic music by Dave Pahanish.

Today I made it to the Carnegie for a little while. I have to say, the Christmas trees sucked (note to the Carnegie staff: din't use the laserjet to make decorations). If you know me, you know I love the Carnegie, but I don't know what they were thinking this year. Regardless, any day that includes a visit to the museum of art is a good day, especially when it ends at Starbucks.

Tonight I spent time with my friends at the dojo. I was introduced to sake-not what I expected. The unfiltered sake definitely tastes better than the filtered, but the debris (rice) is a bit distracting. I didn't get home till 4:30am yesterday, so tonight is an early night for me. It's 11:50 and I am already on the computer. Not exciting, I realize, but I'll make up for it tomorrow.

On my drive home I was thinking about money. People are obsessed by it. It's a necessary evil, I know. I think you can call it the new slavery. People are enslaved by money. Think about it. It's true. It's just money everybody. Here's a thought that will put it all into perspective: we're all going to die, no matter what, nothing will change that.

On that note-have a great night everyone-
Ronna- I hope to see you before you leave town (she's brilliant- I just love her to death). Ali- I hope you got your chocolate fix. We'll talk about that whole tattoo thing (probably not a good idea- a bumble bee???), Maggie, I loved the last blog entry- looking forward to the next one.

Ciao!

MyArtSpace

I don't have a MySpace or Facebook account, even though everyone tells me that I should. I may still set one up. It's good for musicians and small businesses, so I assume it's beneficial for visual artists as well.

I did recently set up a MyArtSpace account and I have to tell you that I love it. I can browse through different styles of art and view artist portfolios from all over the world. I have been having great conversations with artists from France, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Italy, etc. There are so many warm and open minded people in this network- I just love it. I have had so many people look at my art and leave kind and complimentary messages already- there are some great people registered on this site.

If you're an artist, you should check it out.

Merry Christmas!

Warm wishes for a happy and safe holiday!

Support the Arts

Thought of the day:

If artists don't support the arts, how can we possibly expect the general public to do so?

As an art community, we should be buying our art from artists, not from Ikea, we should be attending live performances rather than sporting events, attending openings to support our peers, patronizing the coffee shops that host readings and book stores that support local authors, etc.

That's all for today. As you were.

Mark Lawrence

It's time to take a look at another artist website. I found a fantastic mixed media artist online that you have to check out. His name is Mark Lawrence and his website is http://marklawrencegallery.com/.

It's interesting that he finds inspiration through faith, specifically in Bible passages, yet his work is abstract expressionistic rather than figurative. That makes his work very different from other artists, and also quite powerful.

I love these artworks- I think I will be looking to buy one when I redecorate next time. They possess great use of color and texture but also maintain a fluid feel to them. They are very peaceful, but still maintain an exciting energy. Do yourself a favor and take a look at his art-really great stuff.

Now have a great day! It's the holiday week, so be happy....damn it!!!

Life, Death and the Funeral Home

A friend was just telling me how she had to visit a funeral home. That got me thinking about how I hate the rituals we observe when someone dies. It's a primitive custom to have the body on display, isn't it? I don't want people coming to look at my dead body! Seriously, it's morbid and I'm too vain to consider what I would look like.

I think we need to change that custom. It should be a celebration of the person's life, it should be upbeat. Here's what I'm thinking - People would come to an art gallery for a reception with wine and cheese, just like an opening (I guess this is more of a closing reception!). There would be acid jazz playing, a retrospective collection of art would appear on the walls and it would be Fabulous. My body wouldn't have to be there! Hang a photo on the wall, maybe have a 5 minute video loop- no casket though. The after party would take place at a night club with a wicked dj and plenty of vodka. I wonder if a vodka company would sponsor my after party? After Party is a much better name than 'a wake', isn't it?

Anyway, when my college mentor and good friend Martha Fairchild passed away, I organized the art show that we planned together and never had the opportunity to exhibit. The show was a tribute to her- it was a great opening reception, there was good press coverage and it was elbow to elbow on both floors of the gallery. Everyone talked about how wonderful she was all evening and looked at her art on the walls as they sipped their wine.

Everyone should have a tribute party rather than a viewing. This could change the way people think about death, or more importantly, the way people think about life.

Controversial Art

I was looking at artworks today that have gained instant fame due to their shock value. There was a life-sized, naked, chocolate Jesus. It was seriously made of chocolate and displayed over the Easter holiday. There was a tank of formaldehyde with a life-like replica of a dead Saddam Hussein floating in it. Another one, which I thought was simply disturbing was titled "The beauty in death" by German artist Gregor Schneider. The work is currently incomplete. It requires a volunteer who is willing to die in a museum.

Is it irresponsible for members in the art community to use shocking, disturbing imagery for shock value, or do we need those artists to explore the dark side of humanity the same way that a film maker may produce a movie about a serial killer?

What I love about art is the powerful means of communicating directly from the soul. Art can convey emotions that words cannot express. It's romantic and idealistic. Are these works just parlor tricks to generate instant fame or is there merit in art that forces us outside of our comfort zone?

Life is better with the Arts

I went to the Nutcracker last night. You know, there are very few things in this world more beautiful than a ballerina. I understand why Degas spent so much time sketching and painting dancers. How disciplined an adult ballerina must be to maintain such gracefulness. What I find most impressive about the performing arts is the passion. Like the visual arts, it's passion for life, for the art, for the subject that makes the impact.

When you go out this weekend, go out and experience the arts. It's good for your soul. Here in Pittsburgh you have your choice of museums, musical theaters, the ballet, a play, galleries and plenty of live music. Life is simply better with the arts in it.

Quote of the Day

"I think everybody should like everybody".

-Andy Warhol

Happy Friday

Thursday midnight... It's been a busy week for me so I haven't posted anything since Monday. I did complete a few new pieces that are now posted in the gallery. I'm happy with how they turned out- I hope you like them. I also had time to get to the dojo. It's funny how training in a combat art can bring balance and peace to your life - I love it.

Best wishes to everyone for a fantastic Friday, even with the nasty weather. Ciao!

Time Machine

If you had a time machine and could choose any time, any event, anyone in art history to visit- what would you want to see? Who would you want to meet?

I can't decide....maybe see Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel, have beers with Picasso, help Matisse assemble 1001 Arabian Nights, hang out at Studio 54 with Warhol's entourage..... it's impossible to pick just one moment. There's also the chance to sit with Van Gogh while he painted outdoors, visit Toulouse-Lautrec at Moulin Rouge, see Jackson Pollock paint in upstate New York in his barn/studio.

I know what I would choose- the opportunity to live as a Bohemian in Paris and witness the birth of Modern Art in Montmartre. That would be an exciting time. It would be an exciting conversation.

More on Picasso

I love the Picasso quote from Friday's post. I used to have that in a place where I could see it every day. Speaking of Picasso- it seems as though there are an equal amount of people that love his work as there are that dislike his art.

For those of you who don't like his work, here's something to consider: since the invention of the camera, artists were no longer required to produce portraits and visual records for history sake. Artists could explore and re-interpret their subject.

So do you think that Picasso would have made a greater contribution if he simply painted apples, dogs and people realistically, making them look like photographs? He could, by the way, he had the ability to paint and draw realistically. He chose to paint in the style that made him famous because he felt that it was a better representation of the world we live in. He decided that it was better to paint what was behind a person's face rather than what was in front of it. I agree and I am so glad he decided to paint more than the obvious. Afterall, what if Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Andy Warhol, Edgar Alan Poe, The Sex Pistols, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson (this list can go on for ever) all decided that they wanted to be like everyone else?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thought of the Day

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. "
-Pablo Picasso

Charles Schulz

So if you would have met me as a 5 year old and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I think you would have found my answer to be rather surprising. My friends wanted to be astronauts, firemen, policemen, super heros, baseball players, etc. Not me. My answer: I was taking over for Charles Schulz. I was going to draw the Peanuts comic strip. That's the truth. Schulz was my childhood hero. I wanted to be an artist because of Schulz. I drew every character in every setting and every pose a thousand times before my 8th birthday. As a a kid, I loved to draw. I especially loved to draw the Peanuts characters. By the way, I love the fact that at the age of 5 I knew that I wanted to be an artist.

Here's something amazing- I remember hearing about Schulz announcing his retirement in late 1999. I hated the thought of him quitting, so as February, 2000 approached, I would complain to friends that Charlie Brown would die on February 13. I would tear through the newspaper every morning to to get to the new Peanuts strip. My 15 second morning ritual was about to end and I wasn't happy about it. After all, this was my childhood idol.

On the morning of February 13, I turned on the radio, poured myself a cup of coffee and was about to open the paper to read the last original strip written and drawn by Charles Schulz. I thought to myself that today is the day Charlie Brown dies. I know it sounds a bit morbid, but I had a personal connection to Schulz and the little round head kid that we all love. Just then, the announcer on the radio said that Charles Schulz died the night before. How surreal. Schulz and his creation, the beloved Charlie Brown died together -within hours of one another. I will never forget that.

Kettle

I was surfing the net, searching for new and exciting artwork and I stumbled across an artist known as Kettle. Check out www.kettleart.deviantart.com/ to see his work.

What cool images! I love the works on vintage paper-the robots are my favorite of the series.

Take the time to look through his gallery, he has created an entirely new world. Great use of line accompanied by a color palette that brings his art universe to life. I love the personality of the characters! I love the mermaids, love the expression on the faces of the girls, love the bunny.... go check out his stuff. It's cool, it's fun, it's expressive. Enjoy!