American Fine Art Company artist Marcella Rose

What admired me most about her work is the texture ,shape and colour that demonstrates through her painting.

Geek and Poke

Someone sent a Twitter message with a interesting webiste called Geek and Post.
I thought this was hilarious.
Fitting in with current mainstream culture.
I am sure t become a fan.

Happy Holiday.

ArtSlant

Reflection: A visitor studies a René Magritte painting at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
AL BEHRMAN/AP


Art: a basic necessity of life
The unique individual expression of the qualities we all have in common is true art.
By Barbara Cook Spencer
from the March 2, 2009 edition

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I can't remember a time when I wasn't an artist, and so I can't remember ever thinking that art and beauty weren't completely necessary to life, as important as daily bread. But I never thought too much about the place of art in others' lives or how important or trivial it might be to them. Over the years, though, I began to perceive that art was considered by many, even most, people, to be a luxury – caviar – and not daily bread at all.

My rudest awakening on this subject came when I was visiting Britain years ago. I loved driving through the countryside, staying on farms and in small bed-and-breakfast places, and visiting country stores. One day, I stopped at a little store that made its own cheese every day.

There was only one salesperson there, a young woman with snappy, black curls, who had the look of someone with a cheese doctorate. I decided to ask a few questions, but the more I asked, the more amazed she became that anyone could be so ignorant of dairy products. I think my fatal question was the one about whether or not they sold the cheese they had made that very morning. A look of total exasperation came over her face. She stopped weighing my wedge of cheese, arched her back slightly, and said with a snap that matched her curls, "Don't you know nothin' about cheese?"

The whole thing was so incongruous, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Suddenly, and without thinking, I blurted out, "No. Do you know anything about art?" I thought perhaps I'd had the last word. But she looked at me for a moment and then said, "No. But that's not something you have to do with every day, and cheese is!"

That made me finally realize that art, to most people, wasn't a basic necessity at all. For most, it wasn't inseparable from day-to-day experience. It wasn't the equivalent of "daily bread."

And yet I knew that people could no more survive this human experience without our "art food" than we could survive without eating. Is it possible to imagine all of the basic forms that surround us without their characteristic clothing of uniqueness? What if trees, animals, and human beings, for example, were all the same, with only generic identities?

It may sound as though I'm describing a world without individuality and that I'm inferring that a world without individuality is a world without art. But isn't it? Isn't individuality really life's art? After all, we share identical qualities, have identical feelings and longings, so we'd all be exactly the same if we didn't each express these qualities, feelings, and longings differently from everyone else.

And isn't that what paintings and sculptures, symphonies and songs are all about? They are microcosms of the universal fact that we're all the same but we're all different. Works of art and music highlight and emphasize the fact that the unique individual expression of the qualities we all have in common is true art. The paintings of El Greco, Vincent van Gogh, and Jackson Pollock, for example, impart the most intense vitality – but in original ways.

Throughout the history of art, paintings have included much the same subject matter – religious, country, and domestic scenes, for instance, and portraits, including portraits of the same individuals – by different painters. What artists are trying to say might not be particularly original. How they say it is through art. In fact, the truly original subject of every painting is the artist himself or herself, the unique fingerprint of original style left on each and every painting and sculpture.

How well I remember trips to the museum as a young painter. I was a student at the High School of Music and Art in New York and traipsed down to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after school. At that time, museums were temples of genius to me, housing the art of the few great painters whose work was represented there.

Now I see museums and the work they contain as fingers pointing to all of us, focusing light on the universal truth of individual uniqueness – a truth that is often lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Museums reveal the fact that originality of expression is the real art and value of life, no matter what we're doing. They inform us that if we're not being our unique selves, we're not fully alive. They show us that our inimitable selfhood is the art of our being.

Art is what each of us is, deep inside – our own beauty. And while we remain related to our fellow man by those infinite qualities we all share, our art is what makes us different. Art is expressed in the way we cook, arrange flowers, place furniture, raise our children, chair a meeting, close a business deal, or gather our friends. It's having our own voice. We challenge drabness and boredom by resisting the pressure of comparison and preserving our own individual beauty.

The great naturalist, John Muir, wrote in "The Yosemite": "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread...." So to the English cheesemaker who made me think more deeply about the place of art in daily life, I say: Yes, art is "something [we] have to do with every day." It is universal, individual, basic truth – it is daily bread.

I came across a great website.
The name of the website is called Painters for Human Rights.org.
I was thrilled to find the site in which artists have a chance to represent their creative
ideas in realtion to human rights issues.
I recommend to take a look at the site and see for yourself what it is all about.
Human rights must be defended ,and never be forgotten to how rights and freedoms
is a viable part of healthy living.

Save Our Arctic Refuge.

We have only Arctic,and Polar Bears are going into Extinction.

Art and culture not IMPORTANT?

As a fellow Canadian i always thought art and culture was important.

I always respected the creative intelligence of my as centers,and learned to value the culture that help me create and think objectively.

As it dismays me to see the Canadian Conservative government has cut many art grants and programs i cannot comprehend why?

I have come to understand that sure we live in tough times and there are more important issues to discuss,but the issue of our Canadian culture and our artists have always been a topic for political squander. Why does this always have to take a beating?

In the eve of the opening of the Toronto Film Festival lets realize if it was not for those who took the time and effort to create a forum for artist filmmakers there would be no outlet.

This is called the people's festival to share with the world ,and the amazing talent that has put together their art.

How is Toronto suppose to be a great centre in the world if their artists cannot even travel to share their cultural experiences with the rest of the small world

What the hell is wrong with these people? Meaning our Federal government.

Hey i am not one to go on about politics but this has hit home to me a little bit close,and i have to say artists deserve much more respect.

This is not a artist friendly town,and until more people stand up for art and culture in this town there will be a dry dock in the house meaning same old slong.

Sure we need to help other countries and people to strive for a better life and opportunity but what about those who do pledge allegiance to the Canadian flag born and raised here and want to share their creative talent with the rest of the world?

I have heard this all before for many years. Same old story.

CREATIVE ABILITY AND ARTISTRY DOES BRING IN MONEY AND INVESTMENT INTO ONTARIO, and those who are able to get work.

I am sure not a conservative by any means, but i must say that this is cutting a bit thin.

Toronto has so much to give ,great culture.

Some say no culture at all ? Well wonder why?

Do artists have to suffer under this right wing government and stand for this kind of nonsense in a society which is becoming a plain as a chalk board.

As a real Toronto native,i too came from a immigrant family.

Appreciate Toronto for what it is. It has gone haywire with no real direction at all.

Cannot let our governments cut art and culture from our lives.

This helps us breath live where there is none in the first place.

Whether a professional actor ,musician or starving artist we all have something to share and give.

It is time to stop this elites view that art is a flimsy issue not important to one's intelligence and thoughts. 7 billion has been spent in a Afghan war that has not really succeeded in a positive way or has improved the situation from since it began.

As far as i know there were also art that was drawn from WW 1 AND 2 TO THE CURRENT SITUATION.

Does it mean that money spent is better to serve for war purposes i think not. I believe Canada can do better and since money is cut and money is spent to serve other purposes that could improve our people at home and in a more positive light.

I do not understand the Chaos that we as Canadians have to tolerate for a Prime Minister who thinks this issue of arts funding cuts will go under the carpet.

7 billion dollars?

Money that can be used to help many of our social programs,schools,art and culture.

To improve the life for Canadians okay and Afgans too but money that will improve and strengthan reasons for being there as peacekeepers. That is not happening at the moment.

I have no patience for one who will not even begin to understand why art and culture is important,but i can understand that they never had any in the first place.

So much for my ignorance.

So i support many of those trying to have a life or a job in the arts.

As a artist i am offended and saddened by this news only to have the same old story repeated.

Artists are not important in our society?

We are taxpayers like everyone else.

It may be ones calling or a hobby. There is always a creative person behind many things that are created and seen in many areas of work life.

If we block those minds that have great creative potential and not allow them to aceed we will not have any life cultural life at all.

What is Canadian Culture?

How is it defined?

I ask myself this question and i am still wondering where it fits in. In a society that does not flourish and encourage,support art in the first place.

Now the issue of Censorship bill, i think there are many misunderstanding that it is the viewers choice to see what they want and how they interpet it.

Who has authority to tell us what we can and cannot see?

I believe it is up to people to take responsibility on what boundaries they wish to exceed in terms of what they like or do not like,but to push their ideals onto others without any real clarification is ridiculous.

I guess if art is not important than our cultural differences will not be explored in Toronto and the rest of the world will not learn about who we are as a city.

Toronto is multicultural and yet there is so many tales to illustrate and tell.

Do not let our governments take that away from us.

We all suffer in the end and no one wins about creative art and cultural art diversity.

O h did i forget one must always have a chance to start and nuture our culture and art before it dries off in the surface.

Lucy Drumonde

The Line and Colour of an Artist.

The provocation of line and colour have been the subsequent value in the relationship of the art and the artist.In future representation of the model ,and the artist's art harmonizes with the intensity of colour.
History illustrates the value of design as to view some examples such as, Egon Schiele,Gustave Klimt,Peter Max,and Alexander Caldwell.
It is not hard to reissue the theory of line and colour.Simplicity is the key to equal balance.The balance is in the drawing of the with the paper and pencil.Equating the intensity of the human form,I the artist feel the need to examine the rhythm,and the lyrical aspects of its surface.
In the past,I came to appreciate Peter Max's style,and useful technique of colour.
As well have come fond of Egan Schiele's drawings,and Gustave Klimt's whimsical patterns. In every respect ,most of these artists I have mentioned above have influenced and have given me guidance into my own unique style; of course this to me comprehends true love with linear observation ,and the affair with the uncanniness of colour.


Lucy Drumonde