Old Photographs – Instant Replay

My grandmother

I did a blog some time ago with this title: "Photographs -- Instant Replay" that included many old photos. To date, it is still my most popular blog, and people continue to find it on search engines. I decided to repeat that blog for those who remember and may enjoy reading it again.

The text was written following a tragic divorce and came to me as I sorted through old photographs. Enjoy!

Surrounded by old photographs, my past envelops me with a sudden rush of remembrance. Here we are family and friends captured in a brief, fleeting moment singled out from the countless hours, days, and weeks that make up our lives.

How happy we look smiling for the camera. How hopeful for the future as we pose here together, frozen for eternity in a fraction of a second and the flash of a camera. One click and an infinitesimal moment is recorded for posterity. Tomorrow’s pain and unfulfilled promises are unforeseen, unanticipated.

Photographs are given far more importance than they deserve. We use them to document our lives; perhaps even to define us. Then when relationships crumble and children move on into adulthood with their own lives and preoccupations, the frozen images smile back mocking the reality of what is now – what is today.

The life we once had -- was it dream or illusion? Who are these people smiling at us now – these people caught in a millisecond of time?

Photographs wear with age, their brightness fades and their corners become tattered and yellowed; but the images continue to smile at us as they did long ago when the shutter closed and captured one shared smile, one shared space, and one microcosmic second in a lifetime.

We have all changed since those first pictures were taken. We are older, and perhaps wiser. Photographs provide proof that we have lived, but they can never tell others who we really are. Photographs are, after all, only superficial shards of the life we leave behind.

It’s a Frame Up – the Painting that is!

Photo of Bella a mixed breed I'm going to paint.

Framing is sometimes difficult. What looks good to one person, may not look good to another. Many artists sell canvases and let the buyer select their own frame saving the client money.

Other artists prefer to select the perfect frame for their painting only to find out the buyer has later switched to a frame of their own preference. It’s a quandary.

The only time the frame seems to matter is in juried competition. Here the education and experience of the judge colors his or her opinion. A frame that you think enhances and compliments your painting may be seen through the eyes of the judge to be obtrusive, overwhelming or distracting. What’s an artist to do?

16 x 20 drawing on canvas of Bella

I found a web site that was very informative. I’m sharing the link and some of the content with you here:

"Choosing the right frame for paintings and prints enhances both appearance and value, but choosing the wrong frame does an artwork no favors.

"Frames are rather like film stars' dresses on the Red Carpet. The perfect one flatters the celebrity model and makes headlines. A bad choice is dissected by the Fashion Police. Like the unfortunate starlet, a painting can be underdressed, overdressed, or simply surrounded by something that is not “age appropriate.”

"Auctioneers recognize how frames affect fine art lots on the podium. Leslie Hindman in Chicago emphasizes that the artwork is the most important element, but “a bad frame is jarring and it takes away from the painting.”

“I think private individuals appreciate when a work comes with a very nice frame,” Hindman continued. “If you have something that is good and it is framed in a nice period frame, it can add to the value.”

"In previous centuries, frames were often carefully selected by the artist. Preserving the original frame on an artwork – like an original finish on antique furniture – bolsters value. The borders chosen by an artist may be plain or elaborate, but they are part of the object's history and integrity.

"Joe Standfield of Hindman's Fine Art Department cited the case of an untitled 1945 landscape painting by regional American painter Marvin Cone (1891-1964) that sold in September for $156,400. “For this particular painting, pretty much everyone we spoke with who were potential buyers – museums, private collectors, galleries – commented on the fact that it appeared to be the original frame,” he said.

“That particular painting had been in the family for an extremely long time; the provenance was impeccable. The great provenance and the original frame were the two things that enhanced the value of this beautiful painting.”

"Home at Last" 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

"On the other hand, Stanfield noted, “A more ornate gilded frame would certainly make more sense on a 19th-century French painting.” Frames should be appropriate for the artwork's period and style, not a reflection of current fashions in interior design. In June 2009, Leslie Hindman held an auction devoted to period frames.

"Jerry Holley, vice president of Dallas Auction Gallery, agrees that frame selection can have a subtle but sizable effect on a painting's appeal to customers. “You see nice little Southwestern paintings from the 1920s or 1930s that are in their very simple original period frames,” he explained. “Everybody makes a big deal out of it and comment on the frames.”

“It does seem to affect value. If you see that same painting in an ornate gilt frame that doesn't fit it at all, people just don't have the same perception of the painting. Sometimes people don't really realize what the problem is, but - if you had them side by side in the two different frames – it would be obvious.”

"Winston" 12 x 16 OIL on canvas SOLD

“It can work the other way too,” Holley continued. “ A good Victorian painting that originally had an ornate carved gilt frame on it – if you see it now in a plain black modern frame, that would do nothing for it at all. No doubt about it, it can have a very significant effect on the look of a painting and – at auction – on the value of paintings.”

LINK:
Read more: http://acn.liveauctioneers.com/index.php/component/content/article/70-acn-staff/1653-art-101-the-wrong-frame-does-a-painting-no-favors#ixzz2GfBPMcl3

The Best Laid Plans often end-up Topsy-Turvy

"Three Juvenile Blue Jays" pencil drawing

There’s always a big “let down” after the holidays. The stress and excitement which builds and then climaxes is over. The tension is released, the fun is gone, and the aftermath of pine needles, discarded wrapping paper, and clutter smacks us with reality.

The best cure is to look forward. Focus on goals and plans. Lift up your spirits by remembering what makes you tick and what provides motivation in your life. Eliminate regrets. We can’t change yesterday, but tomorrow is like fresh fallen snow. What will your imprint be? What mark do you want to leave and how will you express yourself on this pure clean slate?

We all need a fresh start. We need to have purpose and vision in our lives. The New Year is a perfect opportunity to have both. Shame or guilt strangles hope and enthusiasm. Leave it behind and step into the future free from shackles, doubt and fear.

If you can’t walk alone, get help! We all need something to anchor our souls and give us strength. A friend, a mentor, may help you cross over into the realm of possibility. Education can provide knowledge and self-confidence. Skills can be increased through practice and persistence.

My husband’s granddaughter has not only completed her college degree, she is in her third year of dental school. Her goals are clear; her determination is strong. She shared that out of her class, several people have dropped out. So close, yet so far from their goal. To quit that close to the finish line is sad. How many of us stop and get discouraged before we reach our goals.

The New Year provides us with the opportunity to eliminate “could have beens” and “would have beens” from our lives and our vocabulary. Don’t end up looking back on your life and saying “what if” I had done this, or “what if” I had done that. 

As Coach Lou Holtz once said, “Just do it!” He went on to say: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

Happy New Year everybody and forgive this late blog. My computer was down for a few days, but now we’re back!

Here comes the New Year: “We hereby Resolve to. . .”

"And all that Jazz"  11 x 14 acrylic on panel, framed

I can feel it coming: when the celebrating is over, discouragement sets in. A look back reminds me of how many goals were unmet, of how much more I have to learn,  and of how "average" my skill level is when compared to those I admire and try to emulate.

After beating myself up with this big stick, I feel even worse. And yet I do it over and over again at the beginning of each New Year. Why do my dreams, my aims always fall far short of their target? Is it really this hard or is it only a negative state of mind that wraps its tentacles around my slumping creative soul?

Am I alone in this or is it symptomatic of our times? Tomorrow I will give myself a good swift kick in the psych and get on with the business of creating. But for now I will lick my wounds, snack on junk food, and hope that the sun will shine.

"Lucky Lady" 11 x 14 acrylic on panel w/real card, framed

Goals can be elusive. Our good intentions are sometimes not enough in the face of reality and circumstance. The point is to move on. Don’t beat yourself over the head with the same dead stick. Instead, turn it into a paint brush. Like an old friend, pick up where you left off and begin again.

Progress is made one step at a time, not in leaps and bounds. As long as we’re improving our skills, having fun, and dreaming the dream, we’ll achieve our purposes and desires. One of my goals is to create better compositions. I found this lesson plan for children that was perfectly suited to my diminutive brain.

"Shimmy Shake" 11 x 14 acrylic on panel, w/glitter, framed

The 4 main elements of composition are:

^*Picture area: This is the surface within the four borders of your picture that is used for the drawing or painting. The picture area will help you determine placement of objects, and how big they should be.

^*Depth: This is the illusion of distance or a third dimension. Depth creates a three dimensional effect, making objects feel closer, or further away. The finished result will not appear flat on the paper or canvas if depth is created.

"Vamp on a Ramp" 11 x 14 acrylic on panel, w/feather & glitter, framed

^*Line: The line or direction the viewer's eye takes to go through the picture. The objects or forms within the picture should lead the eye to the focal point. When art is viewed, most people will begin in the bottom left corner, and continue through the picture to the right. A good composition will not allow the viewer to keep going right, all the way off the page. The viewer should be lead back into the painting in a flowing motion.

^*Value: This is the lightness, or darkness of an area, or a shape within the picture. It is also used to create the over-all feel of the picture.

"Yes, Sir, that's my Baby! 11 x 14 acrylic on panel w/glitter, framed

Tuck this lesson away and use its simple message to critique your own paintings. In the meantime, please “LIKE” my Fan Page on FaceBook. Thanks and Happy Holidays! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fan-Page-AnfinsenArt/322282160080

Best tutorial on hair made simple and easy!  http://youtu.be/NHewz3JbKrQ

Trauma in America – a Time for Introspection

"Broken Hearted" 11 x 14 Pastel Drawing on Bristol

 In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, CT, people around the country are in a state of panic. Some want stronger gun controls. Others want to ban guns altogether, but let’s look at some facts.

Norway, a socialist country that bans guns, lost 78 people, most of whom were children, at the hand of a gun-toting terrorist, a man with a cause. There was not one person on that island who had a gun or who could defend him or herself. They went down without a fight; innocent victims all.

"Moody Blues" 14 x 18 OIL on canvas

We must not rush to conclusions or rashly amend or change our Constitution in a moment of panic. Once guns are banned or the Constitution is changed, we can never get them back. We will never be able to protect ourselves from terrorists, intruders, or our own government which is why the pilgrims came here in the first place to flee oppressive government, and why immigrants throng to our shores or cross our borders illegally, risking life, limb, and deportation. Our freedom is at risk when the real problem is not guns, but people.

A rush to judgment is never wise. History of the past century shows us that a majority of shooting incidents have been caused by the mentally ill. Perhaps instead of banning guns, we should look at how we recognize and treat the mentally ill among us. Where is the support system that provides a safety net for these people, who happen to be our fellow citizens, family members, or neighbors?

"With These Hands -- Hope" 16 x 20 OIL on canvas

Changing laws makes far more sense than changing a Constitution that has helped us become the greatest nation on earth for the past 200 plus years. Let’s be better neighbors and friends. Let’s reach out to those closest to us and see that they get the help and treatment they need. Before we rush to judgment, let’s examine our options.

Please share your thoughts with us. No matter how you feel, we should all express our views to our Senators and Congress men and women.

"Innset Kirke" Norway, 11 x 14 OIL on canvas SOLD (Prints available)

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.

What drives your engine, propels your motor, and keeps you going?

"Brown Thrasher in Sunlight" 16 x 20 acrylic on panel

We are all like boats, bobbing around on an ocean called life. Sometimes the sea is calm, and sometimes it’s frantic with overwhelming waves of anxiety and trouble. Sometimes we are crushed by grief, by loneliness or failure. We may be overcome by tragedy, death, or guilt. The only way to steady the boat is to have an anchor; a tool, a mission, a purpose or a hope to hold onto.

These items are the opposite of their replacements: addiction, escapism, self-indulgence. Why are they different? Because tools stabilize our lives when the waters get rough. A mission or a purpose keeps us from capsizing, drowning, or giving up.

"Sandhill Cranes at Twilight"  24 x 30 acrylic on canvas

Faith is another component that many people want to ignore. Faith is simply a belief in something larger than yourself which gives you strength and stability. If your faith is anchored on a solid foundation of knowledge and truth, you can withstand the outside forces that come up to battle against you; the “waves,” as it were, of difficulty and rejection.

“I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has blessed our land. We need God’s help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can’t expect him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living.” Ronald Reagan

"Americana" 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

The same holds equally true in our own lives. If we leave our higher power, our anchor on a shelf, how can it help us?

Many people have enough faith and trust in themselves that they feel no need to go beyond their personal or extended knowledge. I’ve often admired people like this who have greater ability and greater strength than me. I’ve also seen these seemingly confident and talented people crumble over things I consider trivial.

I’d really be interested in finding out what gives your life strength and purpose. Your suggestions and your perspective might help someone else.

"Robin Hood" 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas in barn wood frame

To get you started, here is a story about someone we all know: Lady Gaga; just click the link, and then please come back:

http://99u.com/tips/7251/How-Rejection-Breeds-Creativity?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ALL&utm_campaign=MIH%20-%20December%2012&utm_content=Final

Featured Artist
I’m sharing a video from Jon McNaughton, a magnificent artist, who illustrates the meaning of Christmas with his gift.