The Outside Blog Minion Report
Monday, February 23, 2009
Club Chaos Agents Ward Nasse Gallery TannStarr.com
A picture is worth a thousand words... but what do you do when you own thousands of photographs? My private collection may be an oxymoron (LOL). Most readers would assume this is a rhetorical question; however, I assure you it is not. When ever I go through the files I always feel as if I am about to have a Dr. Seuss moment for one could get lost playing in there if he or she is not very careful (and the fact of the matter is my friends frequently do).
We are so into eye candy, we can spend an entire day just hunting around for something beautiful to obsess over and capture for later use. I don't know how your friends feel about your photographs, but my friends go wild because I take very interesting pictures and they always want to know how my shots come out "like that" when theirs look so much different. We can talk about focal points, film, digital cameras and lens apertures for hours on end. Do you know why? It's because we are passionate about our photography. Talking about Photoshop is not something the average person in the street would want to hear about, but I do and frequently read text books on the subject. God wired artist differently on purpose, HE stamped our DNA with that extra wire that helps us see the world differently through our mind, will and emotions. We're "gifted." Our left and right side of the brain function very differently. We've got that switch we can flick to channel our creativity.
There are so many ways to define passion. Each definition has an intimate meaning for the person experiencing it, but it's an intangible quantification internalized that one may not always be able to articulate to another person who has no interest or appreciation for the gift set before them.
Every work of art is a gift of expression. If you don't have a meeting of the minds, you will not experience the meeting of the soul. You will risk missing the very quality that makes the work beautiful.
Artist are people who want you to see what they see how they see it, not necessarily how it really is. If realistic in the rendering, then it is the detail and point of view we obsess over, manipulating the colors, textures and contrasts as best we can to share a special moment in time that will never quite ever be exactly the same because time marches on and the moment has passed. The more unique the imagine, the happier we become. That's why I love creating paintings. I start with nothing and turn it into something and people are always amazed at what it is I am able to make them see.
Part of my passion for creativity is enjoying the reaction of surprise when a patron observes a work of art for the very first time. To transform what people can define into something they can embrace and admire but not articulate makes the effort worth while. When I create a portrait I am trying to catch my subject's personality. I am looking for a quirk or expression that makes them unique and readily identified to anyone who knows what that look means. The ability to read people means one has the ability to recognize when a friend is smiling nicely or giving you a smirk or a secret, sly smile. Why do you think the Mona Lisa is so famous? It's because the artist captured the essence of her smile...
Will I publish my photography and painting collections? Maybe... maybe not. It depends upon the project and I will quite happily confess to being in Copyright Heaven because I have taken a photo, sketched and/or painted just about every category of item, person, cityscape, landscape, seascape, fauna as well as traveled to interesting geographical locations throughout the tri-state area. My sketch books are getting marked up by the two year old, so I think it's time for me to start preparing for another gallery show. I am way overdue and need to move some of this inventory because the little minions have already disposed of 22 paintings while "fixing" them (LOL). I am in the middle of 15 new paintings and I may be giving AR an exclusive sneak peak as I roll along with my projects. After all, a few of my blogging buddies are this years Gallery Guide victims (LMAO). Not everyone is going to be able to fly into New York for the show. :-)
My passion is art and I am always an artist. It colors how I think and everything that I do. It's a lovely gift from God and I think I am so passionate about it because when ever I create something out of nothing I always find myself thinking HE does that... I'm taking after my Daddy in Heaven... What a lovely feeling. :-)
Carolyn, Your photos are spectacular and such a treat for those of us who get to see them. One would have to be crazy to debate that...
You are a woman of many talents Sista C. I love your paintings and photos. Maybe you should have some "repairable" works around for the nephews and hide the rest! Have a great week.
Carolyn, My passion is art - well the artistic side of photography. Anybody can snap a picture, but it takes talent to take a photograph...
What a wonderful passion - art! My best friend is an art instructor in a local high school - art - you give so much of yourself to what you do!
C, you are a woman of many passions! Great job here!
For me to be saving photos I really need a better camera and that is my next purchase. I do enjoy your day trips around your area and all of the pictures that you so freely share with all of us.
Thank you, Barb. ;-)
Thank you, Paddy. I'm trying to ween them away from the canvass (LOL).
Michael, sometimes it can be more tricky than people think. :-)
Barbara Jo, I enjoy it so much it isn't hard to throw myself into it full steam ahead. :-)
Susan, my love, the list is rather interesting and a wee bit long (LMAO).
Don, I love the fact that when I am running around I'll have something to share with my bay-bays later. :-)
Art is really something to be passionate about. Love what you create. My new collection is waiting to be created. Maybe now that I have my big goal off my plate I can start again.
I clicked on your link to the Ward Nasse gallery and I have to say that "Luke" is a hottie!
I would love to see more of your paintings and sketches! You will definitely have to show us a sneak preview when you exhibit them. But why wait that long? LOL. When you do exhibit again, please let us know. I'd like to tell my son about it so that he can go and check it out since he's living right in the W.Village. If I can make it with enough notice, I'd love to attend too ~ I can get to see him and get to visit the gallery in one shot!
Carolyn ~ Your art is fantastic! I love those pieces that you have highlighted in your post graphic. I absolutely hope you will share some more of it with us.
Lizette, I can't wait for you to start again. When I come for a visit you are gonna have to show me a few really nice river spots to collect some KY eye candy from. I love your photographs and am very excited about hanging at Bennett House. Maybe we can do some abstract work together while I'm playing hookie from NY (LOL). That would be mad cool! Wanna trade paintings? I'll do one for you and you can do one for me. I love your use of color. I'll hang it high so the shorties can't "fix" it. My boys think they're being "helpful." :-)
Jeannie, let me know when you think you might want to go on vacation and I'll see what slots are available for me to jump into a group show. There's always something going on over there (LOL). I was hoping to get the late Summer so the little minions would be happy, but we shall see. Seems like I am always scheduling around their social life (LOL).
Kathy, for you, anything. I'll go unwrap something interesting... :-)
C, Thanks for including your art. I love art too and I think yours is great; especially the one you are standing in front of.
Hi C! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this post! Your artwork is certaily primo! I love your passion and we all know that you are ONE passionate woman! Best of luck in the Passions contest--this is a fantastic entry!
Hi Carolyn, My oh my, your artwork is divine! It's so cool that you have tapped into what you are most clearly passionate about?!
Carolyn, I hope you share your work with us. It is a gift from God for you to have artistic talent, it is a present to us to be able to admire it. You are very blessed my friend.
CTS ! - Clearly we can tell from your words what an important part 'art' plays in your life - in it's many art forms. Your work is fabulous and as we have seen, you are the queen of eye candy !
Terrific post !
Carolyn -- what wonderful work! I can relate to the thousands of photos and pieces. Your passion is clear! I too have learned something about you -- thank you.
Thank you, Robin. That's Noah's favorite painting. He's contributed to the work (LOL).
Thank you, Debe. It was fun entering. I have to go read all of the other posts and say hello. :-)
Than you, Marian. I have been having a love affair with paint since Kindergarten (LOL). How's that for being an obsessive kid? ;-)
Audrey, thank you. I will share the whole show. I've gotten quite a bit of e-mail behind this and may be doing a little film on the subject. I was asked to time lapse one of my preliminary sketches so they can see how the creative process develops over time.
I think that would make a lovely Active Rain Exclusive. I shall do one for Stephen and one for Noah. :-)
Thank you, Sheldon. I appreciate your kind words and have every intention of introducing all of my bay-bays to the art of capturing eye candy (LOL). Can't wait for Spring so we can have our Landmarks eye candy contest (LOL). We're going to be hooking up with some cool groups to run the next set of eye candy contests, along with out regular faves of course. :-)
BTW: I WANT MY VIDEO PEOPLE! You guys left me with two open video slots last time. What on Earth were you thinking? Stop squandering points! Use those Flips phones and go show me something hyper-local! Seriously! (LOL)
You know how I feel about my eye candy... (LMAO)
Alexsandra, thank you. I love art. I live and breathe eye candy. I've been that way since I was little. My Dad used to wonder what was wrong with me because he'd give m a new toy to play with and I'd sit and stare at it, obsessing over the detail before getting down to the business of playing (LOL).
One time, when I was a baby he found this beautiful rattle that I refused to rattle. He'd hold it up, shake it, hand it to me and I'd stare at it in awe with my head cocked to the side. He's take it back, shake the rattle, hand it to me but I kept refusing to do it. I'd trace the pattens, look at the colors and turn it every which way in awe and ignore him (LOL). My parents realized what was going on with me later and kept me supplied in arts and crafts from Kindergarten right up until the end of High School. That's why I take my kids with me as much as possible. They are developing a love for film and photography, like the art galleries and botanical gardens, have paint and crayons everywhere (my poor paintings and apartment walls - LOL) and I am hoping they will be very creative little people. :-)
Carolyn, I really enjoyed this post, Art and Artists are an integral part of our life and in our community and your story about the wonder of the beautiful rattle as a child is beautiful and telling at the same time!
Thank you, Russell. I am very thankful that I never ran out of that curiosity (which eventually turned into anal retentiveness with detail -LOL).
C~beautiful post my friend. YOU ARE A WORK OF ART.
;-) Deb
Thank you, sweetie. So are you and a very lovely one, indeed. Love, C. :-)
Hi Carolyn, I too agree that you are a thing of beauty! Anyone can plainly see that you live and breath art. It's a part of your being. I am so glad of that! Be well. ~ Marian
Hi carolyn
i too am a lover of Art..i enjoyed your passions...
Thank you
Carolyn- Artists are a unique breed for sure...and I love your passion for photography. You are so right about being able to talk for hours about things most people would find very boring. The way you use color fascinates me .....
Thank you, Marian. :-)
Thank you, Hannah. :-)
Thank you, Kathy. I love playing in my paint. I could do that all day and it would never feel like work. :-)