Make your Voice Heard -- Vote your Conscience!

"Looking Outward" 16x20 acrylic canvas; Old window frame, painting on glass = 3-D experience!

“It’s all about perception.”  This statement has become a political strategy. The meaning is clear: “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you stand for; what matters is what other people think you stand for and how you are perceived.”

In other words, if you can pull the wool over people’s eyes some of the time, you may just fool them into voting for you. After the election, all bets are off!

Unfortunately, this has become the norm in politics making our decisions at the polls more difficult than they have ever been before. Politicians say one thing and do another. There is inconsistency between their behavior and their words; but there’s one little secret they won’t tell you. If you examine their record, you can see exactly how they vote in Congress, what legislation they support and whom they side with. Those are the facts they can’t hide from.

Perception colors our choices and our responses to other people. The words people use to communicate are linked to past experiences. Two people may use the same word, but have an entirely different meaning attached to it. Relationships, environment, and family influence determine how we see the world and how we communicate with each other.

"Sea Swirls" acrylic drawing, work-in-progress (3rd in my Seaside Series)

The best way to illustrate the power of perception is taken from a familiar story by John Maxwell in  Developing the Leader Within You.

“After World War II, a general and his young lieutenant boarded a train in England. The only seats left were across from a beautiful young lady and her grandmother. The general and the lieutenant sat facing the women. As the train pulled out, it went through a long tunnel.

"For about ten seconds, there was total darkness. In the silence of the moment, those on the train heard two things — a kiss and a slap. Everyone on the train had his or her own perception of what happened.

“The young lady thought to herself, I’m flattered that the lieutenant kissed me, but I’m terribly embarrassed that Grandmother hit him!

“The Grandmother thought, I’m aggravated that the young man kissed my granddaughter, but I’m proud she had the courage to retaliate!

“The general sat there, thinking to himself, My lieutenant showed a lot of guts in kissing that girl, but why did she slap me by mistake?

“The lieutenant was the only one on the train who knew what really happened. In that brief moment of darkness, he had the opportunity to kiss a pretty girl and slap his general.”

"Sea Swirls" acrylic on canvas; 2nd work-in-progress (It's all about layering)

Another interesting story comes from http://Sulekha.com (Delhi)

“One day a man opened the garage door, which startled a large butterfly. It flew immediately to its perceived escape, the circle-topped window where it frantically tried to exit through the invisible wall of closed glass.

“The man raised the third-car garage door in hopes of aiding its escape. This caused the butterfly to fly higher and higher and become entangled in a spider web.

“Fearful that it would remain entangled in the web, the man selected a long-handled broom to assist him escaping the tangled threads.

 “At this, the butterfly returned to furiously pumping his wings and banging into the glass, which was, in his perspective, the pathway of escape, but remained his cage.

Success Principle

 “By simply turning his focus to one side, the butterfly would have easily exited his prison. Rather, due to his intent on one direction, he remained confined, captive.

“Every day in our lives we focus on one side of the problem, not looking at it from others points of view. If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own.”

This is true in life and in many other endeavors at work or at play. When we create we never know how our work is perceived? People view it from the vantage point of their own experience. What may seem beautiful or interesting to the artist may trigger something entirely different in someone else.

"Sea Breeze" acrylic on 30x24 canvas; First in my Seaside Series

This is why juried competition is often frustrating on many levels. The judges see the canvas from his or her past learning experiences and their personal expertise and vision. The artist creates from his own internal perceptions. Each has a different perspective on what they see. A determination is made, but it is more subjective than objective. 

The best an artist can do is to keep painting from his or her own passion and life experiences until others share the joy and excitement the artist felt at creation.

Taking Pot Shots at Hot Shots -- is it Fair Game?

"Fuchsia Fantastic" will be my next painting; I'll adjust composition above --  a photo I took in Minnesota.

Have you noticed that in the arena of life, it is those that “haven’t made it” who throw hateful darts and arrows at those who have? Envy? Sour Grapes? Both?

This phenomenon was birthed by the Internet. A recent study said that this spiteful and destructive behavior was spawned by the “anonymity that the Internet provides.”

People concoct pseudonyms to hide their real identities, and then take pot shots at those they hate, dislike, or are jealous of. It’s one thing to harp at policy or behavior you disagree with; it’s quite another to defame, bully, bash character or reputation in the name of truth and justice or simply “getting even.”

Civility is not only a little used word its meaning from lack of use is almost meaningless. It is more fun (at someone else’s expense) to gang up on someone and hammer away at their faults and foibles. It’s not cool to “play nice” anymore. It’s hip to be first to notice a fault and to throw the first stone.

“Ah so,” the people say, "that’s true; and have you noticed that pussy pimple on his fat ass?”

Before you know it a barrage of negative ugly thought gains strength and is propelled in a slew of wicked words and e-mails intent on bringing the intended target down; down to the level of the insidious few who sling bad fortune and bad taste for fun.

How do we put a stop to this kind of mudslinging that in some cases has resulted in the death or suicide of the recipients? 

Some would have us outlaw “hate speech!”  But hate speech changes over time, depending upon which side you’re on? Should the government be the judge? Should the democrats? The Republicans? 

I loved the yellow sunflowers against the blue cloth, and the shadows! May paint this one, too!

Should women be the judge of hate speech if a man is the speaker? Should men be the judge if a woman’s speech is suspect? Should a thin person judge someone who is fat or vice verse? Should a government in the process of taking its citizens rights away accuse another government of Human Rights violations?

You can see where this triangulated thinking leads. We’d all end up in jail eventually. You can’t control everyone’s speech, and you certainly can’t control anger even with fines. In a free society, people have opinions and free speech not just for a few, but for all.

I'd like to paint this, too, but would anyone buy a painting of sea gulls?

Would that everyone was kind and tactful, but they’re not. Sometimes people get “hoof and mouth” disease, as my mom used to say when I’d speak out of turn. We can’t punish everyone. But we can use common sense. We can be more tolerant and forgiving. We can put our verbal and physical weapons away and try to salvage common decency and good sense.

My granddaughter, the cook, would be fun to paint!

Composition Tips from the Best in the Business

"Moonshines"  24x18 mixed media on canvas

After entering several juried competitions – winning some and losing some. I usually ask for the reason I was turned down, hoping that I’ll learn from my mistakes. One of the comments that threw me for a loop was “the judge said, composition.”

Of course, the reason is never explained. “What was it about my composition,” I ask? “Did the judge give an explanation? No answer. My most recent criticism: “Conflict of color.” Whatever that means? I had to do some research to find out.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not always a loser. I have had many paintings accepted into juried galleries or competition. But it still smarts!

I went to http://painting.about.com  one of my favorite sites. Here’s what they had to say: “Strong composition in a painting can be very intangible . . . if it’s done well, you don’t notice it; you just know that there’s something appealing. When a painting’s composition is done badly, the painting just feels awkward.” Pretty nebulous, if you ask me! Always remember that it’s one judge’s opinion.

"Victims of War" 24x18 mixed media (accepted into juried competition)

 I do know that juried judges go through considerable education to achieve the honor and distinction of judging art shows. I also know that their concepts are hundreds of years old and proven. On the other hand, art trends are constantly changing. What becomes popular, trendy, and saleable, seldom appeals to traditional judges.

It’s nice to have some juried shows under your belt. It looks good on a CV. But it doesn’t necessarily equate with sales and money in the bank.

"Skudeneshavn Norway" 16x20 oil on canvas (SOLD) Prints available

The web link above goes onto provide 10 painting tips for strong compositions. I selected only a few to share with you:

1. Where’s the focal point? The focal point should draw the viewers eye to it. Remember the rule of thirds? Locate the focal point on one of those intersection spots. Avoid the center. Make certain your eye is not led off the page; bring it back.
   
2.  Isolate the key elements in what you want to paint, whether it’s a still life or a landscape piece. Use a view finder, if necessary, to zero in on it. Know what your focal point is and what you’re trying to say.
   
3.  Have an odd number of elements: three versus two, five versus four; it adds interest rather than sameness. Space those elements unevenly on your canvas. Trees do not grow in nature the way they are lined up in a Nursery. Always vary the space between your elements/images and vary the angles to add interest. Elements must be definitely apart or definitely overlapped; not just touching. 
   
4. Choose your color tones, whether warm or cool, but don’t try to be both. When the judge said one of my paintings had a “conflict of color” was he saying I had used warm and cool colors or was it the wrong choice of color? I will never know. It would be so helpful if a critique were required from the judges.

"Moody Blues" 18x14 oil on canvas

Don't give up on juried shows. Just keep trying and studying the rules of good art. I purposely used both warm and cool colors to accentuate the girls "moody blues" mood. Yes, I broke the rules, and this probably won't get in juried competition. It is trendy and current, however.

The painting below came in third place in a juried show. The judge commented that she would have liked to see more shadows. Yes more shadows would give it a picturesque feel, but I didn’t have a spotlight, and the photograph I worked from was the winner in a contest on my blog. I was still pleased with the third place win.

"With these Hands -- Love" 24x18 oil on canvas, framed

Don’t let Juried Competition turn You into a Coward

(My fellow-artist and friend, Grace, with her watercolor entry)

Entering your work in a juried competition can be intimidating, especially if you’re a self-taught artist. Almost everything you’ve drawn or painted has come from grueling trial and error, and done while comparing yourself to artists with several degrees tacked onto their names or who may have studied abroad.

Ironically, there are many successful self-taught artists. A degree doesn’t guarantee success nor does it immediately make you an artist. In either case, the same principles hold true: practice, practice, practice.

(Third Place in Juried Competition) "With These Hands -- Love" 16 x 20 OIL on canvas

One basic difference between them is that a solid art education provides a foundation that gives the artist an edge. Knowing why a painting works and understanding the building blocks of structure and execution is half the battle. In the end, success is determined by vision, skill, and persistence.

I’ve seen many discussions online about the value of juried competition. Is it worth the money, the time, and the possibility of rejection? The consensus seems to be that it’s rarely worth the money or the 35-40% commission charged for a sale. The value seems to be in promoting the name and the skill of the artist (assuming that they get in the show), and the benefits of adding a “win” to your resume. The odds of winning are somewhat better than winning a lottery, but not much.

(2nd Place Winner -- Juried Competition) "With These Hands -- Wonder" 16 x 20 OIL on canvas

Depending on the judge or juror of the show, your artwork is subject to their particular whims, likes and dislikes, and their own education and past influences. Rejection is somewhat subjective. Even in Art Leagues, I’ve found that the preferences and styles of each artist are effected by teachers in their past.

The thing that bugs me is that if we listened to these voices and followed their suggestions or objections rigidly, we’d all start dishing out artwork in the same dull way without innovation. There would be no Van Gogh’s or Salvador Dali’s; there would be no Thomas Hart Benton’s or Picasso’s.

I love what Andy Warhol said: “Art is what you can get away with!” If we’re always worried about conforming to the rules, or doing something in a particular way, art would become static.

"Fish Market" 18 x 20 Acrylic on canvas

For an artist to stand out, to be unique and to create his or her personal style then risks must be taken; experiments must be tried, rules must be broken. Aah, you say, but first you must know all the rules before they can be broken. Agreed, but the risk is that in sticking too closely to accepted forms and norms you may never get beyond the “copy cat” stage of accepted artistic behavior.

I’m a rebel in my heart of hearts. I’ve always defied fads and fashion. I’ve always created my own style because I couldn’t afford to follow current fashion. What I discovered, even in high school, was that I could create fashion trends by wearing what I had with confidence. Soon others would be wearing something similar.

"Broken" 11 x 14 mixed media on canvas SOLD (Prints available)

The same holds true for artists. Confidently create your own personal vision and you’re bound to be successful.