Scott Burdick's-The Banishment of Beauty

Scott Burdick's well articulated presentation on The Banishment of Beauty  (one of my favorite figure/narrative painters) was presented  at this year's American Artist's Weekend with the Masters event. Narrating his video essay, he describes so clearly what has happened in the last century since the onslaught of modern art.  Using Thomas Wolf's explanation of understanding modern art, Burdick shows how modern art has become just illustrated literary comments where shock value, vulgarity, and egotistical intellectual messages have become highly prized by museums and galleries.  It is obvious to me that these higher institutions of art want and promote what mirrors our current culture . . . rude comments, vulgarity, bullshit, and incivility to the public.  With these last few months of political name calling and outright inhumanity to man, my platform is beauty, love, and hard work.

Halifax Art Show

Life has taken me in many directions these last months--all good.  Gallery sales have improved somewhat but the economic downturn has really taken a toll.  Having said that I am excited about next week.  November 6th and 7th is the Halifax Art Show in downtown Daytona Beach.  Last week the local paper--News Journal--called and asked if I would like to be the featured artist for this year's article in the newspaper.  Don't ask me twice!  Today the article with pictures appeared in the Sunday paper.  They did a great job and their choice of using the portrait of Angel on the cover of the tabloid was very well done.  The article has already brought e-mails asking about the art and prices.  For all of you locals, please come down and say hello.

Beginning Again

    














One thing that has become very apparent to me this last year is an internal struggle with what do I really want to paint.  Having had a full time job for over thirty years with a paycheck coming in every month, I painted what I liked.  It was fun and I learned something with every piece I created.  Things have changed!  My daily life is about painting and I have come to know that what I paint has to be more than just a pretty picture that sells.  It has to be about my passion.  I'm not about making social or political statements.  I'll leave that for the more . . . you put in the word that comes to mind.  The struggle has now formed into the big question.  What do I care about the most or simply stated;  what do I want to share with others that is important to me?  The artist I have featured here is the one person  that has helped me to understand the direction I must go in.
    Last year, as some of you know, I went to the event called Weekend with the Masters in Colorado.  There I met a painter that I have followed these last few years with great interest.  Of all the people I met there and I have to say, most of the painters I know today, she was truly unique.  Talking with her for that afternoon while I was in her group, something came through that I didn't understand until later.  She cared about people.  Her demeanor was unpretentious, quiet, and caring.  That caring seems to come through in each of her paintings.  There was and is an honesty that resonated with me from the moment I met her.  She was just recently feature on CBS Sunday Morning.  I have attached the video for you to see and hear her. It's about 7 minutes long.  I think you will feel what I have been trying to describe.   She is indeed a truly gifted artist and individual.  Sunday Morning with Mary Whyte.

Missing In Action

Sorry that I haven't been posting these last few weeks.  The world has been heavy and I have been in my cave painting and trying to tune out the ills around me.  This week I received news from some of my painter friends about the gallery in Ormond Beach that closed without warning to their artists who had work hanging in the gallery.  Jessie Cook (in the photo) and Peggy Landeen are hoping to get their work back but so far have not had much success.  Hard times seems to be all around me and I'm trying not to let it get me down.  One of my galleries damaged a painting and returned it to me after keeping it for over a year.  Prior to that, it had been in another gallery and wouldn't you know, someone came in looking for that painting.  Since I wouldn't send the damaged painting to them for consideration, I painted another one very similar to the first.  There is no guarantee that they will buy it, but my fingers are crossed.  David and I will be starting the art show circuit again this fall.  I'm trying to stay positive so that it won't effect my work.  Tomorrow is a new day with  wonderful possibilities!

The Uniqueness of One

                      
                                               Majestic  48"x60"
                    
Since my last posting, I have been putting in long hours at the easel.  Here is my next finished shell painting.  Ann Morrow Lindbergh’s words from Gift from the Sea keep me focusing on the one beautiful specimen and looking at all the nuances of color and form.  In her words not mine,  “One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach.  One can only collect a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.   Since the format and design is quite a bit different than my traditional still life paintings, I have had to refocus on creating a strong pattern, eye path, focal point, and above all strong compositional elements that require careful pre-planning.  What has helped me more than anything else is creating a Notan in three different values-white, gray, and black.  I’ve been reading everything I can to understand this planning tool and feel like it has been worth the effort.  More information on this planning strategy on my next entry with examples of what I am talking about.  Sorry for the font change in the middle.  Part of the text was done in Word and the other here on the blog page.  I can't seem to get them both the same size.

Ebb and Flow

                                                                                            




                                                                        It's been quite a few weeks since my last entry.  I've come to realize that my painting, as well as my life, ebbs and flows like the tide and I must accept what that means for me .  After returning from Maine and having the gala opening, I came back feeling lost and void of energy.  With no work at home, I needed to begin again.  Hence the feeling of emptiness and wanting to get excited again about returning to the easel.  I hate it but I'm starting to recognize that angst and accepting that with time, silence, and just letting go of expectations, that the gestation period before a birth of something new will come forward.  In the meantime, our local art league--http://www.artleague.org/Exhibit-Openings/2010/July2010-FigureShow/index1.htm had a show called Figuratively Speaking.  I entered two pieces and a student of mine, Janis Murray, entered three of hers.  As you can see from the newsletter, we both were very happy with the results.  Recognition for my work helped to lift my spirits but I still didn't have a desire to pick up the brush.
     When I'm empty, I read.  Years ago my son gave me a small book entitled Gift from the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindbergh.  I dug it out and began to read it for the second or third time.  She wrote it about 55 years ago when she stayed one month down on Captiva Island just west of Ft. Meyers.  Ann's insightfulness as a woman and the stages of life touched me on many levels.  Road trip!!!! Walking the beach where she walked and collecting the shells that gave her inspiration for the book gave me an idea.  My shell collection is enormous but I have only painted a couple as part of a large still life.  Why not paint shells in an environment.  Just shells.   So for the last two weeks I have worked on this one that is huge for me--36 inx48 in.  Nothing like jumping into it with both feet.  If you don't know about A. Lindbergh and her life,  there is a website about this amazing woman and Captiva Island.  Check it out at http://www.charleslindbergh.com/press/21Sept05.asphttp://www.charleslindbergh.com/press/21Sept05.asp

New eBay Painting

                                    Click to Bid
        Yesterday was open studio and we painted most of the day.  Rainy and muggy outside, it was a good day to stay indoors.  I finished the lemon wedge on Thursday but just now had time to post it.  This lemon comes from my Meyer lemon tree which is prolific this year.
      As an artist, I believe that it's important to always try to push your skills to new levels.  Since the opening, I have been searching for a new direction.  I think maybe visiting the New England area, like Old Lyme, Conneticut, opened my eyes to the beautiful paintings of the American Impressionists like, Charles Hawthorne and Henry Hensche.  I learned recently that Monet started out as a tonalists.  His painting of Rue de la Vavolle, Honfleur, was an early attempt to paint on location.  As you can see, the shadows are brown with little variation.  Once he opened his eyes to color, detail became must less important.  I'm drawn to the beautiful colors of light outdoors but it is difficult to leave my comfort zone of indoor painting.