The Enemy you Know is usually better than the One you don’t

#hopeful in India, 24x18 acrylic on canvas

I have a curious mind. As a writer, I delve into various subjects and interview interesting people as I pursue a story or simply to satisfy my curiosity. Friends and relatives caution me about going in the wrong direction; but what I’ve discovered is that I become even more self-assured in the anchor that holds me to reality and truth.

In my moves and travels around the world, I’ve gained a sense of appreciation for all human beings. The majority are simple, good-hearted people who just want to live their lives in peace. By the ongoing turmoil and the natural disasters that occur many have far more struggles than they can handle or even deserve.

Giving life meaning and purpose is important to many. Participating in a good “cause.” Helping a neighbor or friend. Feeling good about yourself at the end of the day. These simple pleasures ranked high on their “satisfaction” list.

In the oncoming weeks, American’s patience will be tested again by the influx of 10,000 Muslim refugees. Less than three years ago, we were asked to welcome 1.8 million immigrants under the age of 31 from Mexico. The so-called “Dream Act” or “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” (DACA) program. Created to suspend the deportation of this sizable influx of illegal Mexican runaways.

America is a sinking ship. We are nearly 20 trillion dollars in debt to a powerful communist regime that could annihilate us if they so choose. Now we are asked to accept an even greater burden while over 50% of our own citizens are on welfare. American debt keeps rising, our own people are hurting and now we are expected to do the "humanitarian” thing and bring more people aboard.

To politicians, these “potential voters” are desirable cargo. Made me think of those Titanic survivors who clung to their life rafts. Extra people tried to get aboard, but the rafts would sink losing all. There were simply not enough rafts to support any more people. Hordes of people drowned. A few survivors were left to tell the tale.

The discussed refugees are also from countries that have repeatedly sworn not only to hate America, but to destroy her. Diabolical as it is, most nations and  countries are usually destroyed from within. Inviting our enemies to slowly take over our country is not the same as feeding them and sending them first aid supplies and help. Think about it. Saudi Arabia won’t take these refugees into their country, even though they are of the same ethnic background.

"Prayer Circles" oil on acrylic background

History and current affairs around the world have shown us that their intentions are not “peaceful.”  They have affected the freedoms of every country where they have infiltrated. No I am not advising hatred. What I am saying is that we should offer them food, clothing, health assistance and protection, if necessary, but leave them in their homeland.

We should also encourage other Arab nations to invite these refugees into their tents and living rooms. Perhaps if we had left well enough alone in the first place, Isis would not have taken over the Middle East. Sometimes the “enemy you know” is better than the enemy that rises up to take over the void.

"Belly Dancer" 11x14 acrylic on canvas

Censorship is a Dirty Word in a Free Society - - a Way of Life under Tyranny

"India Rising -- the Lost" oil on acrylic background

Artists like to talk about passion and freedom of expression, but what if your hands were tied, literally. What if every brush stroke, each swathe of color, and every word you spoke was censored and shaped for you by the ruling body, the government or the proletariat?

How would you like to serve jail time or worse for breaking the rules or being accused of sabotage or treason? In many countries this is what happens to those who dare to speak out against their leaders through their work. They face suppression, ridicule, subordination and sometimes exile.

According to the National Art Education Association (NAEA) “The freedom to create and to experience works of art is essential to our democracy. At present this freedom is under attack. Private groups and public leaders in various parts of the nation are attempting to remove certain artworks from public display, to censor exhibitions, to label particular works as “controversial”, and to identify some artworks and artists as “objectionable”. These actions arise from a view that censorship is needed in order to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals.

“Moreover, it is not only artworks that are being subjected to efforts at suppression. These efforts are related to a larger pattern of pressure being brought against education, the press, film, and television. It is important to note that even when such efforts do not actually suppress particular types of expression, they cast a shadow of fear which leads to voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy. The arts cannot thrive in such a climate of fear.

“Freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution. This freedom of expression includes both verbal expression—speech and writing; and non-verbal expression, which includes the “language” of the various arts. Free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture.

"Prayer Circles" oil on acrylic background

“Now, as always in our history, artworks—literature, theatre, painting, sculpture, music, and dance, are among our most effective instruments of freedom. They are powerful means for making available ideas, feelings, and social growth, the envisioning of new possibilities for humankind, solutions to problems, and the improvement of human life.

 “On the other hand, suppression of ideas and of artistic expression leads to conformity, the limiting of diversity of expression to a narrow range of "acceptable" forms, and the stifling of freedom."

The NAEA’s declaration continues:

“As art educators in a free society, we confirm the following:

• Freedom of expression in the arts must be preserved.
• The individual has the right to accept or reject any work of art for himself or herself personally, but does not have the right to suppress those works of art to which he or she may object or those artists with whom he or she does not agree.
• The free individual and the free society do not need a censor to tell what should be acceptable or unacceptable, and should not tolerate such censorship. All censorship is contrary to democratic principles.
• It is the duty of the art educator to confront students with a diversity of art experiences and to enable students to think critically. The art educator need not like or endorse all images, ideologies, and artists he or she makes available to students, but should allow the individual student to choose from among widely conflicting images, opinions, and ideologies. While some works of art may indeed be banal and trivial, and some works may be repugnant and unacceptable to some individuals, the art educator should insist upon the right of every individual to freely express and create in his or her own way and to experience, accept, or reject any particular work of art. 
• The art educator should impress upon students the vital importance of freedom of expression as a basic premise in the free democratic society and urge students to guard against any efforts to limit or curtail that freedom.”

Adoption: Adopted by the National Art Education Association Board of Directors Motion #17, September, 1991

Communist countries, dictatorships, or religious or police states regularly interfere with the rights of free expression and seek to enforce their dogma on all avenues of expression.

Freedom is not just a fancy word ….it is a precious gift that must be preserved, respected, and fought for at all costs. Check out the link below for famous Middle-Eastern painters.

Famous Middle-Eastern Artists

Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone

"Hey, Coconut Mon!" mixed media on canvas

When we’re young, we test the rules and skirt the ragged edge of danger. We experiment. We try on different styles and personalities. Some of us flaunt the rules and go into the unknown only to reap the consequences of our experimentation. But for most of us, somewhere along the way, we settle into what seems right and comfortable.

Don’t you wish that for a brief moment you could step out of the present paradigm and slip into another? Do you wish you were more daring and less predictable? A few days ago I decided to give it a go. I had a vague notion of what I wanted on canvas. I made no sketches. I didn’t even test the waters of my idea.

Work-in-Progress "Sea Breazes" acrylic on 30 x 24 wrapped canvas

I started to brush. It felt good! I slathered on paint and let my muse lead me. Swept along by intuition, I dabbed on color and highlights. Now I’m letting it rest while I contemplate my next move. Will the canvas require more changes? Probably. What will I do if it’s an utter failure? I’ll likely paint over it and start again. We all need to have that feeling of freedom. You know, when you just allow what you have learned and what you yearn for to take over?

If your idea doesn’t bloom and grow, it doesn't matter. You are experimenting with feelings, shapes, color and texture. The context is the story you are trying to tell. My current work-in-progress was inspired by my love for palm trees and my fondness for living near the ocean and the Gulf Coastal regions.

I added more color, but did it work? More contemplation!

The colors are those that I live with every day. I hope I can find the right combination of dazzle and sizzle to make my creation work. I’m calling this piece: “Sea Breezes” because that’s exactly what’s happening as the soft warm air flows across the Gulf through the palm fronds and into my world.

Take time once in awhile to leave your comfortable habits behind and open yourself to discovery. Switch things up. Change your usual canvas size. Go bigger (or smaller). Use a larger brush. Try a new color combination on canvas. Add a collage or two and a smattering of design in the background. The point is to do something different from the norm.

I recommend these books. They will not only inspire you, but dare you to experiment and then show you how: “Experimental Painting” by Lisa L. Cyr; “Art Revolution” by the same author (see Youtube fideo below), and “Journeys to Abstraction” by Sue St. John. 

If you discover something new about yourself in the process, please share it with me. I’d love to hear what happened when you crossed over into that ethereal place where things of wonder are created and magic happens!

"Window" oil on oval canvas

Will Libraries be Obsolete in 2020 and beyond?

"An Open Book" acrylic on canvas SOLD (prints available)

I haven’t checked out a library book since I purchased my Kindle a few years back. I must say, my experience was a refreshing change. I’m more at home in a library than anywhere else in the world next to a paint store or an Office Depot.

I love the smell of books, the excitement of having the world at your fingertips, and the thrall of people with the same sense of drama. Today was no exception. Our library is adjacent to the local high school, and is home to a poor but diverse community.

"Broken" mixed media on canvas SOLD (Prints available)

On this Saturday, every computer, every chair, every table was filled with students and adults reading magazines or searching for books, and parents helping their children find books for themselves. Movies were being checked out in abundance. Non-fiction books seemed more popular than fiction.

I was struck by how vital a library is to a community; especially one with few resources. I sensed that this weekly or monthly trip to the library was an exciting part of each family’s agenda. Eager smiling faces added to the vibrancy that filled the building.

I waited in line with my books: two on pastel techniques, and two on general basics; my way of taking a refresher course in between regular painting sessions and classes. A woman next to me said, “Oh, you’re an artist, too!” Then she proceeded to tell me all about the class she was taking and how she picked up some books to reinforce what she was learning.

"Victims of War" mixed media on canvas

I hope the public library will always be with us. It meant so much to me as a child. I’d walk a few streets on my own and spend the whole afternoon in its warm embrace reading books, sniffing their wonderful pages, and settling into an imaginative world that took me from my small town roots into an adventure with other worlds and cultures.

In some regions, they are already phasing out the library as we know it. Books are being replaced by computers and digital books. You can download books and never have to return them. It seems to be catching on.

I’m sad for the children who will never experience what it feels like to curl up with a real book and smell the wonder of its pages. As a child, I’d sneak a flashlight into bed. After my mother left the room, I’d read under cover for as long as I could. When she discovered my secret, the magic ended, but not my love for books.

"Fish Market" acrylic on canvas; Uganda

That day in the library, I was happy to see parents and children who still had the excitement of books written on their faces. They renewed my hope in America and in the world. Hunger and thirst for knowledge is a good thing. I hope we never lose it!

The freedom to ask questions and search for answers is what keeps us alive and thriving. Without it, we would become puppets of the state and emotional zombies unable to appreciate a world of wonder and beauty.

"A Joyful Heart" 9 x 12 pastel on Bristol; man from Uganda

Posting Online doesn’t guarantee Success

"Sand Crane Dreams" mixed media on canvas (Done free-hand with brush to create dream-like images)

When friends learned that I had been selling online, they were all determined to follow my lead. I was delighted, because I wanted them to feel that element of success when you overcome your fears, conquer the inevitable learning curve of uploading photos correctly, and then seeing your paintings online.

News Flash! It does not stop there! You can’t just prepare a website or blog and hope for the best. You must “work the territory.” What does that mean exactly? You must take advantage of all the apps and opportunities available on each particular website.

"Barred Owl Posing" 16x20 acrylic on panel

If there are contests, you must enter as many as you can. Then you must vote in those contests. If you join a group (I’ve joined many), you must participate in the discussions, comment on other people’s paintings, and generally get to know the artists that are out there. If you develop some relationships, this will bring you votes, a visual platform, and other opportunities to display your paintings.

Many an artist has paid to have someone prepare an elegant website, only to abandon it and leave it to chance. If there are no links or interactive tools to ask questions or make comments, people go away disappointed. Sure they may see your work, but if it’s difficult to find out the information they are looking for, they may never come back.

"Jack's Roses" oil on canvas (SOLD) Prints available!  Done almost entirely by free-hand brush drawing

An artist must still stay active in their home community. If people know you, and become familiar with your name or your work they are more likely to go to your website when shopping for artwork. Collector’s also become familiar with your name as they float from gallery to gallery.

Marketing is a 75% proposition, with a 25% ratio of time for painting. It sounds impossible, but it’s important if you ever want to sell. I never thought I’d sell an original online, but I’ve sold four this past year. Some of those paintings continue to make money through print sales online.

This time ratio means you have to work faster and harder at production. I’m becoming better at drawing with a brush and seeing clearly the painting I want to make in my mind before I begin. I still use models and photographic references, but I’m able to do much of my drawing on canvas free-hand with a brush. The exciting colors and forms that develop intuitively make it a joy to complete.

(8x10 canvas)

"in progress" sorry about the shadow! I painted an acrylic background and have to decide what to put on it!

Marketing is a very slow and upward process. The secret is to “never give up” and “never give in,” even when you get discouraged.

Leaving Your Unique Imprint on the World

(at work on "With These Hands--Wonder" 18x24 oil on canvas

In the past century, the discovery and use of DNA has transformed not only our thinking, but our ability to distinguish one individual from another; a critical piece of the crime scene puzzle. Fingerprint recognition, which can easily be distorted or changed,  has taken a backseat to DNA that cannot be altered and is specific to each individual person.

DNA, the pupils of the eye, the fingerprints make each of us pretty unique. Add to that our physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup; the influences of environment, culture, personality, family, ancestry and genes, and each person has unmistakable characteristics that separate him or her from the rest of the pack.

"India Rising--the Found" 18x24 mixed media canvas

Some people, including governments, would like each of us to succumb to a “pack mentality.” They want us to fit us into little boxes they can label, compartmentalize, manipulate, and tax. Governments in some parts of the world have been successful at doing this; still, the freedom lovers, the pro-active doers and thinkers rise to the top and clamor for “liberty or death” (Patrick Henry).

We must never become a part of the “pack,” especially a group that can be swayed, hypnotized, manipulated, or threatened. If we lose our God-given uniqueness, we lose our freedom. Artists and performers must not be hog tied into conformity or submission. To do so would be to lose our voice, our identity.

"India Rising--Prince of Thieves" 16x20 mixed media canvas

What makes us special is not only our talent and skill, it is the way we think, dream, and achieve. Freedom of speech, freedom to create and build must never be suppressed, unless that liberty begins to corrupt or restrict the freedom of others.

Why am I waxing philosophic? Because I believe that each of us leaves an imprint on the world. From the time we are born until the time we die, we either make the world a better place to live in or we destroy it bit by terrible bit.

"Blending In" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

The choices we make each day are the predecessor’s of tomorrow’s outcomes. We can choose to become a part of a destructive force (the pack), or we can choose to think and act in ways that leave a positive if not jarring influence on others to wake them up from their complacency.

As professionals we talk about “making our mark on the world,” but if our focus is not anchored in truth and individualism, the result may be collectivism. We may find that our freedom and individuality are owned by the State. Artists of all stripes must protect individual liberty at all costs in order to preserve our freedom to make a difference.

Featured Artist
Sam Randall, Brisbane, Australia: “I am a self-taught visual artist based in Brisbane. I have recently made the huge decision to pursue being an artist full time. My previous career was as a Children's Therapist where art and creativity were a key foundation to my practice. I have always needed to be in a creative role or I get bored and dissatisfied.”

"Flora Montage" by Sam Randall