Racial Tensions are created not Born

"Celebration" 20 x 16 acrylic on gesso board

I’m always attracted to scenes comprised of people; especially of other cultures and races. I find people of color to be interesting and attractive; they manage to tell the most amazing stories like my latest painting, above, “Celebration."

How many times do you take photos of friends and family at special events or significant occasions? Most of us enjoy celebrating birthdays, graduations, promotions, weddings, engagements, births and deaths with our favorite people. The photos save the memories and document the life processes of the past. Sharing special times with those you care about creates bonds of love.

"Tansy's Pride" 9 x 12 Pastel on Bristol

Painting an intimate scene that reminds others of those joyful times gives me pleasure. If my artwork can help bridge the gap between racism and understanding then I am fulfilled. 

Each culture and people we come to know adds to our knowledge. Seeing people in new ways may eventually bring acceptance. We humans are more alike than we are different.

Creating meaningful relationships between people is a slow process. If I can help others see similarities rather than differences, I have achieved my goal.

Hatred is not born, it is taught and nurtured. Children show us the meaning of acceptance when they play. They make friends easily and seem to take people at face value in non-judgmental ways.

"With these Hands Hope" 16 x 20 mixed-media/canvas

Oppression and discrimination are learned traits that fester in a climate of fear. Why do some people think they are better than others or that white skin is somehow purer or better than colored skin? Why do some people think they are spiritually or religiously better than anyone else? Most likely they were shown this through ignorance and example; but in the eyes of God we are all equal.

I may not agree with everyone I meet, but I can certainly accept their uniqueness and the value that they bring into the world. My religion and my faith bring me joy and salvation, but someone else may have their own set of beliefs that I must respect and acknowledge.

When you judge others, you lose sight of your own faults and failings. Being self centered or allowing our own feelings and opinions to get in the way puts up a barrier that is difficult to remove. You come across as arrogant, unapproachable, and rigid.

"Fish Market" 24 x 18 acrylic on canvas

Everyone on this earth has their own perspective based on their environment, upbringing and life experiences. Rather than quarrel and try to disprove “the other guy,” we should listen and hope for understanding. We will never all agree. But we can become peacemakers, and listen with our hearts.

If other people are unwilling to meet you half-way or they become aggressive toward you and invade your space, you have every right to defend yourself. Better to “agree to disagree” than to come to blows. Don’t marginalize your own principles and beliefs out of fear or to assuage someone else’s anger. Stop this kind of behavior before it escalates. Get help if necessary. Walk away!

Success is a Lonely Walk we must take by Ourselves

"Siesta"  8 x 10 original drawing (reminds me of Key West!)

Being an artist is a lonely pursuit. Remembering what you know and putting it into practice requires self-motivation, skill and continued study. I’ve known artists who are professional students. They constantly take classes, but never quite get beyond the stage of exploration. They think that the next great class will surely make the difference between success and failure and in their ability to paint that perfect painting. Sadly, it never happens.

Only you can develop your brush strokes and style. You may learn value and color, you may understand another person’s technique and recommendations, but unless you continually practice your brush strokes and develop your own process for painting, you’ll be stuck.

"The Neptunes -- Octoband"   http://etsy.com/shop/anfinsenart

Plugging away and working while everyone else is at play is difficult. In order to climb, you must put in the time. It is by doing that we learn. We can read every book on the planet, and take all the classes available to us, but if we don’t put into practice what we have learned, our dreams of success remain in limbo.

"The Neptunes -- Trumpeteers" http://etsy.com/shop/anfinsenart

The biggest hurdle for most artists is finding time and space. Don’t wait until all your ducks are in a row. Don’t put off painting until you have the ideal space or allocated chunks of time. Delays are excuses. They keep us from making commitments.

Robert Genn’s twice-weekly newsletter is being done by his daughter, Sara, in his absence. Sara shared this gem a few days ago:

“Here's my version of English author and illustrator Neil Gaiman's Eight Rules for Writing. I've modified them for painters:

1. Paint.

2. Put your first stroke down and move on with another stroke. Work your strokes and let your strokes work you.
 

3. Stop the painting before you think you should.
 

4. Put your painting aside and start another painting.

5. Always keep in mind that you are your own best critic.

6. Perfection in painting is probably not possible. Excellence in painting is for people who appreciate the poetry of your soul.
 

7. Your style is what you're doing academically wrong. Radicalize yourself -- you only have one life to show you've got style.

8. You need to paint with enough assurance and confidence to know you can do whatever you like. So paint your story and make painting your life. Be honest with yourself about your progress. Always try to do a better job than you did the day before. I'm not sure there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.”

And finally another quote from Gaiman’s book: "I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes," says Gaiman, "Because if you're making mistakes... you're Doing Something."

That’s all we can really do, friends. We can keep on making mistakes, and sometimes we may get lucky. (Below: work in progress "Fuchsia Fantastic #1, #2)

Kitschy, Kitschy Koo is no Longer Baby Talk – It’s a Meme

"The interior of a Mexican Restaurant" Kitschy or Cool?

The term “meme” has been around since 1976; yet, for some of us, it feels brand new thanks to the Internet. The word, first coined by Richard Dawkins was used to describe the behavior of genes. Later he referred to the internet’s use of meme as “deliberate and altered;" In other words – a high jacking of the original content or idea. #stolenstuff 

Pronounced meem, this term refers to any idea, style, action which spreads, often as mimicry, from one person to another on the Internet. Like a plague or a disease, a meme may take the form of an image, hyperlink, video, picture, website or hashtag. Even an error or misspell can become a meme that catches on and spreads until it becomes popular and accepted usage.

"Kitschy" or Flashy?

I’ve seen it in the art world. A popular composition or theme gains momentum when it is shared and soon there are countless variations or knock-offs from that first original idea. Like rabbits, these alterations spawn additional copycat versions earning the title of “kitsch.”

What exactly is kitsch? In the 19^th century it was art that conveyed exaggerated sentimentality and melodrama or “camp” if it was humorous or ironic in nature. Today kitsch is simply tacky or in bad taste. The word “gaudy” is sometimes used to describe work that is calculated to have a popular appeal. But beauty and worth are both in the eye of the beholder. "One person's trash is another man's treasure," so who's to judge? #Lovemyjunk 

Kitsch is not a new word. Originating in Munich, Germany around 1865, it described any artwork that was cheap, popular, and marketable. That still holds true today. The reason artists resort to kitsch in the first place is because it’s fun, quick, and lucrative. Kitsch brings in the cash and butters the bread.

Kitschy or Catchy?

Critics argue that the essence of kitsch is imitation. The purveyors are merely copying the beautiful and the popular to make money, but the good and substantial part of the work is missing.

Kitsch becomes “cliché” when it is overused to the point of losing its original appeal. Salvador Dali once said: “The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot.”

Ironically, Dali stole that phrase from Gèrard de Nerval who said: “The first man who compared woman to a rose was a poet, the second, an imbecile.”

"Couldn't resist adding an Internet joke." #nothingpersonaldear

The old fashioned game of “Whisper” where you passed a secret from one ear to another seems minuscule compared to the scope of the “world wide web” of today’s Internet. Like the flash of a speeding bullet, ideas, artwork, and photographs race across cyber airways adding fodder to meme, kitsch, and consequently the trash that ends up in our inbox. #damspam 

The Jewish culture has long had a word for this aberration: “Schlock” which refers to something shoddy, cheap or inferior. In this day and age of information overload, perhaps we should use more discretion in our choices and focus on quality not quantity. We’ve all heard this before, but does anyone ever follow this advice? #turnsadeafear 

Stay tuned for a discussion of an art movement known as “Pop Surrealism” and why some consider this a “lowbrow” alternative.

mixed media -- "That's my Baby"