The People have Spoken; it is Time for Acceptance

This was a tempestuous election. I think the media was responsible for fueling most of the misinformation and angst. Their failure to report the truth, and to manipulate polls and push their own bias rather than straight reporting caused much of what’s happening in our streets today. In any case, those who lost are displaying sour grapes as they gnash their teeth in disgust like naughty, spoiled children.

Whether these agitators are professional protesters paid to stir up trouble is in question. Many of them come from other places and are being transported to different areas. I can understand their disappointment, but I do not excuse their violence and property destruction. Protesting is one thing; rioting or breaking the law is quite another.

Before the election of Donald Trump, Hillary’s campaign message was “We will build bridges not walls.” Now that the election is over, I ask, where are those bridges? Was this just hyperbole? What I’m seeing in the streets looks more like “Our way or the Highway.”

Brute force should never be used to get your own way. Have you ever seen conservatives riot and destroy? And when did liberals stop defending “free speech” except for themselves? When did the press start publishing opinions and stop reporting the news?

In times like these, artists need to be more productive not less. How would you paint chaos? What colors would you choose to explain violence, protest, and hatred: black, red, orange, and white?

Would you illustrate politics using angry reds with shades of bittersweet? Would your depressed psych slather on rainy grays and blue blues to represent your sadness? Wouldn’t it be great in our divided world if people could express their anger or sorrow in words or in artistry instead of unproductive and destructive demonstrations that only add fuel to the fire?

"Victims of War" 24 x 18, Mixed Media on canvas

When the Iraq war was at its peak, I chose to illustrate my feelings on canvas. Who are the real victims in the wars that are usually started by men? The women and children. My purpose was to show how history, especially in the Middle East has a tendency to repeat itself, over and over again.

Most fighting in the Middle East begins as religious wars between Sunni and Shiite. Why the U.S. inserted itself into these cultural wars was never fully explained. Was it to help the people become a democracy? At least that would have been a noble endeavor. No. the real reason was likely oil; and efforts to protect our own selfish interests.

Driven by men with big egos these wars have lasted far too long and seem to have no end. The countries have dissolved into terrorism and vicious hatred toward their liberators viewing them instead as captors.

Many called President Obama the “Divider in Chief” because he spawned racism and created an underbelly of lawlessness. Now the Left’s protesters are blaming Trump for the division simply because he won. We are not a democracy, but a republic, friends. As in sports, the best team or man always wins. This is the will of the people. Trump won by a landslide. He has been given a “mandate” and the will of the people must be respected.

When the infighting in Iraq was at its peak, I painted “Prayer Circles” out of respect for those around the world who worship in this way. Respect, tolerance and understanding are the hallmarks the left espouses at least until they lose. Come on people – you are better than that! Get a grip.

"Prayer Circles" 24 x 18 Acrylic on canvas

A Walk on the Wild Side

I’ve never been to Africa. Wilderness parks and my own neighborhood provide a glimpse of wildlife. All I have to do is put on my walking shoes, grab my camera and head out the door.

On my journey, I’m also looking for palm masks which eventually drop from the Queen palm tree. My hope is that it won’t be damaged by the fall or partially rotting from too much moisture. The possibilities expressed in the unique shape and markings of these masks lead me into the far realms of imagination.

I may see a golden panther waiting there or a grizzly baboon with a blue nose. Sometimes a chunky contemporary face beckons my brush to let go and have fun.

I’m also surrounded by ideas and the creatures I may pass on my morning walks: an armadillo, a coyote, or even a black bear. There are herons, egrets, ibis, roseate spoonbills, wood storks, Sandhill cranes, eagles, hawks, ospreys and feral pigs just to name a few. They all become inspiration for paintings, illustrations or masks.

With Halloween coming up, one of them may even end up in black and orange. The woody masks must be treated with care. As they dry out, hairline cracks may form in the wood. The grain is so porous that it soaks up layers of paint. The hairy dry strands that fringe the edges sometimes get bumped off as I work.

(This is odd shaped and contemporary)

(Could make a funny face?)

People love to wear masks. Children enjoy the game, too. We like to become something we’re not or pretend that we’re a celebrity or a monster. Our real feelings are usually hidden behind a frozen face that refuses to give any clues as to what we’re thinking. But during this one time of year, we put on a new face and “let it all hang out.”

Politicians wear a mask while campaigning; but once the election is won, they forget their promises and become just another “Washington Insider.”

Lovers may wear a mask in the beginning of a new relationship. Looking our best, showing only those traits that we feel might be acceptable. If the bond is solemnized too soon, the “coming out party” may be a shock or at least a jolt of reality.

     

   

 

Caught up in the glitter and dazzle of romance, the nitty-gritty everyday struggles are masked. Once the make-up is off and the real you comes forth in all its fury plus a boat load of attitude, the feel-good veneer of the honeymoon period is gone. Some couples come crashing down only a few weeks or months after the marriage.

For those unwitting spouses, the fall is long and deep. For couples with children, the entanglement may take longer. Often in the bloom of initial romance, the red flags are ignored or not revealed. Dishonesty becomes a giant hurdle that can’t be overcome.

(This very large mask could end up a fish or . . . )

(a funny-faced baboon or water bird?)
What do you think?

  

It’s great fun to wear a mask when a mask is called for on Halloween, at Mardi Gras time or during other annual celebrations. But all bets are off when the masks come off. An old saying comes to mind: “Lasting love is not about finding the right person, it’s about being the right person.”

It’s All About Space

(The wide open spaces of the West -- original photo)

Space – there’s so much of it! We want to explore it, name it, and conquer it. Our curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to defining, understanding and controlling our vast universe.

Personal space makes us feel comfortable and safe. If someone invades that area or gets too close, we pull away. Space helps define the parameters we use in dealing with other people. We use different constraints with family members than we do with friends. The restrictions widen when we deal with strangers or other people socially or in a business setting.

In a crowded room or a queue of people, we may feel confined, but we deal with it. There are checks and balances constantly at play as we learn what is acceptable or tolerable. Sometimes there are no choices like on a crowded bus or waiting in line at the theater. This is when restraint and caution must help us counterbalance the situation.

"Fish Market" mixed media on canvas

Artists must control the space on their canvas and define its boundaries. Space can enhance distance and size, and help to explain shapes, objects and lines. To illustrate this point, a simple drawing of a tree is much easier to define when you focus on the space between the branches and in the background, not on the shapes in the foreground. The detail and the busyness can clutter your mind and vision. When you focus on the large and simple spaces and objects, clarity comes at once. Details should always come later.

Shadows may be defined, by analyzing the patterns of light on the ground. These shapes usually consist of circles or oval shapes between the leafy branches that are cast by the sunlight. Elongated shadows become shapes unto themselves as do the light spaces between them and surrounding them.

"Belly Dancer" 11x14 acrylic on canvas (with jewels)

When I created the “Belly Dancer’ I wanted her hair and costume to create movement. In order to achieve this, her hair had to move in the same direction as her hips, and her skirt had to swing in the opposite direction. Faded, extended color from both gives the feeling of motion. The space between her arms and around her body help to define that movement.

When my children were taking piano lessons, their teacher taught them about phrasing. Phrasing is like taking a breath between sentences or musical phrases. Phrasing helps to define the music in much the same way that space defines a painting.

Once your center of interest has been chosen, everything within the painting must draw the eyes to that point. The space on your canvas may also help you control eye movement. The adage “All roads lead to Rome” applies to the spaces, shapes and values of color on your map or canvas. “All roads lead to the center of interest.” If they do not, something is wrong with your composition.

(Belly Dancer - work-in-progress)

Gauge how your eyes travel and what they are drawn to. Too many colors and lines, or too much light may scatter your vision and allow your eyes to fly off the canvas. Fix it! There must be no distractions. Your composition must hold together and have continuity of purpose and direction.

White space on a page allows the reader’s eyes to breath or rest. In a painting, at some point, the viewer’s eyes must rest on the center of interest. That rest gives him or her pleasure, and keeps them from getting bored or wandering off to another painting that may better hold their interest.

A highway divides the "Great Salt Lake"

Happy Helpers Ring in the Holidays (Success Tips for Team Leaders)

Non-profits and small businesses often depend on volunteers to “make the Season bright.” You may get a group of happy, good-hearted people who willingly and freely give of their time; but sometimes you end up with a bad apple or two. When that happens, it takes skill and patience in order to mend fences and hurt feelings

.

No one likes to be told that their work is deficient or that they are too slow, especially when they’re getting paid zilch! Appreciation and tact go a long way. It seems that in every group, there’s a “know it all;” a person who understands exactly “how things should be done” and when.

The leader (that’s you) must know how to keep that person on task and divert attention when necessary to keep things running smoothly. Encouraging cooperation, and making a tense atmosphere fun is all part of a team leader’s job description.

(Wolf in Sheep's Clothing)

When volunteers get hot under the collar and sharp words start flying, a wise leader knows when to insert himself or herself to stop trouble before it happens. Taking a busybody aside and thanking them for their insight can allay hurt feelings. When they sense that you’re aware of their keen observation skills, you can remind them that volunteers are here, not because they have to be, but because they want to serve. Their efforts should always be welcomed and acknowledged.

Many of us hire helpers during the busy holidays to get our projects out the door on time. These assistants may be friends, strangers, or family members who work for free. The same rules apply, perhaps even more so, when you’re close to the staff. A pleasant working atmosphere removes the tension between family members who are caught between rigid deadlines and their own hectic lives.

Put a group of people in a room, give them work to do, and there’s bound to be petty squabbles. In the beginning, allow people to work out their own rhythms and procedures. Insert yourself only if the “rage” level rises. Staying ahead of problems and anticipating needs requires tact and gut instinct. 

If you are prepared in advance by having your project organized and well defined, there will be fewer mistakes and less resentment. Having a happy and successful holiday depends entirely on what you bring to the table in the way of vision, preparation and leadership.

"Serena Shines" 11 x 14 Pastel matted and ready for framing

The Quiet Strength Among us: People who Face Trials with Courage and a Smile

"The Dregs of Winter" original drawing; prints available

They are all around us. You won’t read about them in the newspaper; unless, of course, they serve somebody else’s personal or political agenda. You won’t hear them complaining or whining for attention, either. They go about their business quietly without fanfare.

They are you and me. They are our neighbors, relatives and friends. They are heroes and role models. They are silent lambs who suffer courageously regardless of what life throws at them. Most do not deserve their fate, “for the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.” (ECC 9:11 KJV)

Life on earth is a challenge. Our bodies may become diseased. We may suffer accident or illness. We may be maimed, disabled, or made infirm. If it’s any comfort, we are not singled out by life or by God, but as Ecclesiastes states: “time and chance happens to us all.” The crux of the matter is: What will be our response?

"A Joyful Heart" original pastel drawing

A video presentation on www.godvine.com features a courageous man named Charlie Parker who was born without arms. His remarkable parents decided from the get-go that they would encourage Charlie and instill in him the belief that he could do whatever he set his mind to. Charlie’s father said: “We wanted his childhood to be as close to any other child’s as possible.”

As a result, Charlie learned how to ride a tricycle, a bicycle, and later a car. He graduated from high school, from college, and he did all of these things by learning to do things his way. Without arms, he used his feet to steer and his mouth and the space between his cheek and shoulder to manipulate the controls. His first automobile at age 16 was an Impala. He helped adjust the controls to meet his needs.

“Every step of the way in life there have been people who said that I can't do things,” said Charlie: “Said that I couldn't ride a bicycle; Said that I couldn't live on my own. Couldn't get a good job and support myself or I couldn't go to college and graduate. I don't listen too much to people when they tell me I can't do something.”

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

Today Charlie is an engineer at Hendrick Motorsports, a top tier NASCAR race car design firm. He designs and modifies racing cars for optimum performance. He uses his feet on the keyboard of a computer. He has worked at Hendrick for the past eight years. 

http://youtu.be/ILJGpjdY9U8

Charlie does not allow his disability to hold him back or stop him from living a full and productive life. No whiner here, he never has and never will allow self-pity or the jeers of others to deter him from doing what he wants to do. The family’s faith and their trust in and belief in God provided Charlie with a strong foundation that helped him weather the storms of life.

God is not some cosmic puppeteer, pulling our strings and causing bad things to happen to us either as punishment for our misdeeds, or because he doesn’t care or really isn’t there (the world’s thinking in a nutshell). 

Time and chance happens to us all. Life is unpredictable. If we ask him, God will comfort us, strengthen us, and help us as we go through this turbulent landscape (and sometimes even when we don’t ask). God neither manipulates nor alters the choices that we or other human beings make. How else could justice prevail and mercy reign? If we were only puppets in a great cosmic game, how could we be held accountable for the harm we cause to others? 

We cannot choose what happens to us in life. We can only choose what our response will be. Faith is letting go of doubts and fears by laying our burdens down at the feet of God. The Newscaster, Robin Robinson said it best: “When fear comes knocking, let faith open the door.”

"India Rising -- the Found" mixed media on canvas

Virtual Reality can’t Touch us or Taint us. Or can it?

"A Joyful Heart" 9 x 12 pastel on Bristol

Public Broadcasting recently aired a delightful British Comedy called “Last Tango in Halifax.” I enjoyed the feature immensely. The story revolved around an older couple who met, fell in love, and planned to be married. The catch? They each had their own complex past, their own children and spouses and grandchildren each with their own unique problems, quirks, differences, and weaknesses.

What impressed me at stories' end was that Halifax was a lonely and harsh environment that isolated people from each other. The characters, in spite of all their flaws, were lovable, sometimes desperate, and always unpredictable yet supportive of each other, at least in the beginning.

I wept along with the characters. I felt their pain and their weakness as they bungled their lives simply by being human. As a person of faith, I couldn’t help wondering if the absence of faith was a character flaw and the reason for their downfall. They struggled against life without any spiritual structure or foundation to guide them or hold them together.

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

And yet they survived. In the end, they even triumphed as they overcame their shallow self absorbed inclinations to reach out and embrace those they loved. Rising above their petty and sometimes jarring differences, they brought their bouquets of forgiveness to the simple table that life had dealt them.

What matters most in life usually triumphs, if we let it. We can rise above the cheap and tawdry leavings of this clumsy imperfect existence and replace our shallowness with humility, hard fought forgiveness, and hope.

People in the end are worth the effort. There is dignity and hidden gold even in the worst of us, and surely in the best of us. Pure evil does exist, but at what point is the soul condemned or the door closed? The eleventh hour? The twelfth?

"Broken" 11 x 14 mixed media SOLD

What binds us is our humanity; our need for love and companionship. This alone is the Godly part of our nature and must be nurtured and acted upon if humanity is to survive. Without it, we will incinerate ourselves in a global frenzy.

Keep the candle burning, friends. If the light of love and goodness goes out, our world will be very dark, indeed.

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

Painting Perfect Hair is a Harebrained Idea

Work-in-Progress -- "First Daffodil" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

Imagine that – painting hair can be both difficult and satisfying. To illustrate:  my “work-in-progress” at this stage, simply looks messy. Finding the right color is also tricky. In my efforts to add lightness, my basic color turned somewhat gray, muddy even. I will have to rectify that with warmer tones.

Of course, there is no such thing as perfect hair or there wouldn’t be the expression “bad hair day!” If you study the way hair frames the face and falls, you’ll see that to get the hair right, you have to get the shape of the head in proportion first. Once you have that down, block in the shapes of dark and light hair that follows the contours of the head. The more uneven these light shapes are the better.

"With these Hands -- Love" 24x18 mixed media on canvas

The next step in the painting process is painting the strands of hair or the shapes of hair that stand out or seem separate. Texture comes last of all as you fill in the strands and shapes with the “illusion” or appearance of hair. Getting the right color and texture is a matter of practice, trial and error.

For some reason, I find painting texture easier on birds and animals than I do on people. Perhaps because I’m not quite so obsessed with getting every hair or strand of feather and fur right. The patterns must be correct, but the individual strands of hair, not so much. Capturing the sunlight glistening from hair and contrasting that with shadow makes the fur or hair look realistic.

"Raccoons at Sunrise" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

Because of the way people and animals move, their covering is constantly changing. Don’t worry that you don’t get it exactly like your initial photograph or drawing. As long as it looks realistic, it will ring true.

Sometimes a painting can get slightly off as we apply paint. Paint is malleable. It changes and moves depending on the tool or brush we use and the medium we choose.

 I use a ruler to see how much my painting has enlarged from the original drawing. Has the width on either side of the face changed from the hair to the outer eye? Has the width of the nose between the eyes changed? When these distances increase, the shape of the head will change and throw the hair proportions off as well.

Once you fix the proportions, the hair will begin to take shape and form. Some people are genius when it comes to hair. Don’t be upset that yours doesn’t fall into place as you think it should. Practice does make perfect. In order to move beyond self doubt and floundering, keep attacking the problem until you find a modicum of improvement. Learn from your mistakes and you will become a better artist.

"Day Dreams" 11x14 oil on canvas

Art is the Priceless Expression of the Soul

Work in Progress -- acrylic drawing 18x24 canvas

What is the fine line that separates art from pornography? Can you feel it? Sense it? What is vulgar to one person may be beautiful to another. I was surprised and excited when I took my first drawing class with a live model. I blossomed! My linear ink/brush drawing won first prize in an art show.

I took my sketches and drawings; my prized paintings, to a family reunion and shared them with relatives. My excitement waned as shocked and appalled faces looked back at me. They were not only “not impressed,” they were disgusted.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Obviously, my relatives had never had much exposure to art. What they saw and felt was shame for the exposure of the human form. I was crestfallen. Every emotion and skill I had discovered in myself was frowned on by those who knew me. My best was not good enough. I was viewed with disdain.

Did that deter me? Yes, for awhile until I rediscovered myself and the beauty of all God’s creations, including the human body.

Work in Progress -- "Fish Market--You Buy?"

During the transformation of the German people under the leadership of Hitler, Heinrich Heine made this observation: “Where books or art is burned, they will in the end, burn people.”

We must protect our freedom of expression. In China they cannot use the Internet freely or speak freely. Sometimes in government’s efforts to control and protect, they end up extinguishing freedom. Just like blowing on a lighted candle, they diminish the light of truth and the power of the individual to choose.

Work in Progress, 18x24 canvas, Fishmarket

Here are some of my favorite quotes by famous artists: Enjoy!

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college- that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared back at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"	Howard Ikemoto
The more horrifying this world becomes, the more art becomes abstract.	Paul Klee
"Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us."	Roy Adzak
"A painting is never finished - it simply stops in interesting places."	Paul Gardner
"A line is a dot that went for a walk."	Paul Klee
It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.	Pablo Picasso
Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.	Pablo Picasso
It takes a very long time to become young.	Pablo Picasso
There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.	Pablo Picasso
If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.	Michelangelo Buonarroti
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."	Maya Angelou
An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision."	James McNeill Whistler
"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."	Henry Ward Beecher
It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.	Henri Matisse
I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me.	Henri Matisse
I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way-things I had no words for.	Georgia O'Keeffe
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.	Georgia O'Keeffe
"The source of genius is imagination alone, the refinement of the senses that sees what others do not see, or sees them differently."	Eugene Delacroix
"I am an artist… I am here to live out loud."	Emile Zola
"Painting is easy for those that do not know how, but very difficult for those that do!"	Edgar Degas
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."	Edgar Degas
"No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination."       Edward Hopper "Hey, Coconut Mon" (part of my African series)