Category: SHARE TO SOCIAL

Every once in a while I am reminded of how awesome it is to be an artist. Sure, we have our ups and downs like any other field of work. In fact, many artists believe that it is their unhappy periods that generate their most powerful work. This results in artists being moody, disgruntled, argumentative, aloof, and weird.

Of course, not all artist believe that you have to be sitting in the shower crying in order to find inspiration. I can’t create anything that I like if I hit a low point in my day, let alone crying in the shower. My personal way of finding inspiration daily is to remind myself how awesome it is that I create my art for a living. I call this “Arting it Up Like A Boss.”

You know, I’ll do the thing where I wear a hat and sunglasses, so I don’t get recognized by the paparazzi. Sure, I know they may not be looking for me in the first place, but hey you never know. Besides, I’m a creative, and I believe that the most powerful thing any of us have up our sleeve is our imagination.

Oh sure, it’s easy to say “I don’t have a vivid imagination and I’m not creative” but that’s bullshit. Next time you are picturing something going horribly wrong, and you are terrified to speak in front of a group, keep in mind that all that fear is coming from your imagination. The really cool thing is that you can use your imagination for good.

For example, I like to believe that I am making a huge positive difference in the world with my art. I picture all of these scenarios where people look at my paintings on their wall, causing them to feel good, empowered, or just happy. I keep that in my mind and my imagination when I’m creating a piece.

Why would someone picture people hating them or hating something they’ve created simply because of fear of fooling themselves? That just seems really stupid. The truth is, some people will feel really good and others will simply not like my art. The question isn’t “what is true?” there are a lot of truths, the question is “what would you prefer to focus on?”

As for me, I’ll focus on Arting It Up, Like A Boss!

This year I’ll be donating a piece of art to an event that is raising money for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.™ they are dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.

You can find out more at http://www.projecthealingwaters.org

The Event is called Blasting For The Brave. Right Click on and print the picture below to register or become a sponsor for the event. You can also register by email or phone.

This question pops up often, or maybe I just notice it more because I’m an artist now. I’m always interested to see how people answer this question and am usually surprised by the many answers.

Usually, art is considered the process of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. That way it can encompass a diverse range of activities, creations and ways of expression, including music, literature, film, dance, sculpture, jewelry and paintings. I kind of like this as a definition but I believe it’s a little simpler than that. Also, sometimes the arrangement isn’t all that pleasing to the senses and the piece could still be a beautiful work of art.

Some will argue that art cannot be defined. As an artist, I think this concept is a little hard to follow considering it would mean that I have a career in a field of undefined products. It’s just a little too scattered for me, although I agree that the definition of art could be different in each artist’s interpretation.

Art is also considered an activity or product done by people with a communicative or aesthetic purpose—something that expresses an idea, an emotion or, more generally, a world view. I can dig this, but I think it over complicates the meaning of art to need a large world changing purpose. It’s one of the reasons that some very popular artists within their collectors are not popular in the museum scene.

I don’t know, the fact of the matter is that Art historians and philosophers of art have long had classification disputes about art regarding whether a particular cultural form or piece of work should be classified as art.

The definition of art is open, subjective, debatable. The truth of the matter is that no one really has a definition, just a bunch of opinions. People will continue to have opinions about what is art and what is not art because there is no one way of looking at a piece of art.

I’ve seen some installations that look like someone just threw a bunch of garbage in a corner, which causes me to scratch my head. I can say “That’s not art, it’s just a bunch of garbage.” MOMA would say “It is the artists representation of our culture and wastefulness.” Who’s right? Me or MOMA? Some people would say MOMA is an expert establishment so it must be art. Others that love my art would say Rafi is an artist so he must know what art is. People that don’t care would say it’s garbage, but then again those people could look at a Picasso or a Jackson Pollock and say that is garbage.

Honestly, I think it doesn’t really matter. If people connect to the meaning of something on some level, and they consider it a work of art, then who’s to say it’s not. I won’t be putting any deliberate garbage installations in my house any time soon, although my father has a few of his own installations in our yard. Truthfully, once a pile of garbage had a deliberate purpose and placement, it did make me think a little, so maybe, just maybe I can think it’s art.

That being said, I think everyone will either find value in something someone created or not. Whether or not something is considered art by the masses is not important. I think the important thing to remember is that no one can tell you what is or isn’t art. If you like something and you want to display it proudly in your house, then it is art. Simple as that… Of course that’s my opinion.

This piece was created for someone who’s son passed away.

She has a special bond with him, and dragon flies constantly appear in her life to show her that her son is still there.

Her son’s inspiring wisdom also lead to the words and the name of this particular piece “It Just Is”. I think we can all learn from this wisdom when ever we start making a mountain out of a molehill.

My intent was to capture the connection we have with that stream of consciousness that exist beyond what we think we see. The fact that the only time we are not connected is when we feel the misery of missing someone we believe is not there. We simply cannot see or feel them because our focus is askew.

Well, that’s my belief on the matter of death, I think we are infinite beings and we have no end. We are all connected, always. Whether it is proven or true, doesn’t matter in my opinion because honestly it’s all relative.

Ok, so yeah, I know it sounds a little weird. But if you’re feeling stressed or sad, maybe the best thing you can do is crack a smile.

New research shows that smiling — and especially genuine smiling (where your eyes and mouth muscles are engaged) — may play a part in lowering heart rate after you’ve done something stressful.

Basically they discovered that smiling and being happy is a two way street. If you are happy, you smile and now they know that if you smile, you’ll be happy.

“The next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress, you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment,” study researcher Sarah Pressman, of the University of Kansas, said in a statement. “Not only will it help you ‘grin and bear it’ psychologically, but it might actually help your heart health as well!”

The study included 169 university students who were first trained to hold chopsticks with their mouths (the chopsticks forced them to smile). The researchers trained them to either smile in a standard fashion (where just the mouth is in a smile, but no other facial muscles are being used), a Duchenne smile (where the mouth and eye muscles are used, apparent in a “genuine” smile), or a neutral expression.

Then, the researchers had the study participants continue to have the chopsticks in their mouths as they did a series of stressful tasks, such as putting their hands in ice water.

The researchers found that those who were trained to smile — and especially those who were trained to smile the Duchenne way — had a lower heart rate after the activities.

And while you’re at it, maybe you should laugh some, too. Research shows that laughing has a myriad of health benefits, from lowering stress to easing pain to boosting your immune system, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Plus, a study from researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center found that people with heart disease are less likely to laugh than people without the condition — thereby suggesting there could be a link between laughing and heart health.
“We know that exercising, not smoking and eating foods low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease,” Dr. Michael Miller, director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at UMMC, said in a statement. “Perhaps regular, hearty laughter should be added to the list.”

So crack open a can of smile like a fool and have some fun today!

This Friday (3-20-15) Klee and I will be doing Gallery Night in beautiful downtown Pensacola. If you ever find yourself in the Pensacola area on a Gallery Night, you are in for a treat.

Palafox Street is closed to traffic to allow for visitors to walk the streets enjoying music, food and entertainment. All the local businesses have their own form of entertainment that pours out into the street.

Government Street is also closed and that’s where you will find us, at “Artist Row”.

Time: 5:00 PM TO 10:00 PM

Where: 130 E. Government St.

Pensacola, FL 32502

Phone: 850-434-6211

 

Seville Quarter invites over 70 award winning Local Artists & Vendors to showcase their skills, crafts & artwork in the street in front of the historical complex.

The Seville Quarter’s “Gallery Night Artists Row” has that “Arts Festival Feel” that we love so much. It is seriously a fun time. 

One of the really cool things about Gallery Night is that every event is different. When Pensacon was doing their thing, we had all types of superheroes and storm troopers walking the streets.

 

During the running of the bulls, Seville Quarter had tough girls on roller skates previewing the run.

They recreate the “Running of the Bulls”.  This annual event, made famous by author Earnest Hemingway, has participants chased by angry horned bulls. The Pensacola Roller Gurlz oblige all of us as the “Bulls”.

Klee and I also use the event as an opportunity to debut some of our creations. Mostly we get excited about the opportunity to hang out and have a good time. So if you find yourself in Pensacola this Friday or any other Gallery Night, come out and have some fun with us.

This is one of those questions that I get asked all the time by other artists. They’ll bring a piece for me to critique which always feels a little awkward. The most I could ever do is compliment someone on technique or vision. Sometimes, I really like it a lot and my excitement will shine through and I’ll tell them the piece is awesome, but in all honesty I’m no expert.

There are no experts when it come to determining whether art is good or bad. Art is relative to the person viewing it. I know you’ve heard this statement a bunch of times, it sounds like one of those airy fairy statements that supposed to make you feel good even though someone just said you art sucks.

But it’s true, here’s an example. I totally dig figure paintings, my favorite colors are red, orange, yellow and blue mixed into the background and on the figure. I also love texture and new ways of forming texture that are out of the box. If someone brings me a figure painting with all of those elements, I will decide that the piece is awesome. If the figure looks like someone I love and brings back amazing memories, I will absolutely love the piece. Now add interesting brushstrokes and other unique ways of applying the paint and I am head over heels in love with the piece. If I was judging a competition, that piece would win simply because it touched on everything that I think is in an amazing work of art.

Now, someone who loves a specific technique and really values landscapes, wouldn’t agree with me. In fact if he found figure paintings offensive he would destroy every aspect of the piece in criticism.

The image we all have of an art critic is someone who scrunches their eyes at the work. Their mouth is usually turned down into a sagging jowl and they rub their chin in disapproval. I call this the “Art Critic” face, for some reason, this is how a lot of people think they have to behave when appraising art.

The way I see it… If I like it and think it is valuable, then it’s good. If I don’t like it and think it isn’t of value, then it is bad. Everyone has their own relative point of view of what they like and don’t like. They also have their own measurement of good or bad art.

As long as you know that you are putting valuable, exceptional work out there and putting forth the effort to expand on your talent, then I wouldn’t worry about it.

So, recently I was asked “Why do you paint nudes? Why not paint something else?”

I found this question so intriguing, especially because nudes are just a small part of what I create. I also don’t see my nudes as nudes. True, the subject of the piece has no clothes on, but it symbolizes how exposed they are to the world, with nothing to hide behind.

Even still, I hadn’t really thought about it. Why is it that some people can look at a nude and be fine, and some people will react as if someone threw acid into their eyes.

The other night I approached a coffee house that had art on their walls and said “Hey, I’m an artist do you display local art?”

They said yes, and I showed them some art on my phone, yeah not very tactful but hey it’s what I had.

Suddenly the woman behind the coffee bar said that the owner wouldn’t approve of any side boob. I looked at the phone, one image was my Speak piece where her arm is draped across her chest and you can see side boob.

“I understand, it’s a coffee house, not a gallery. I meant the other pieces that are a little more neutral, like my trees and bird series.”

“Yeah, it’s just that he doesn’t approve of objectifying women.” she said.

“Ok, well I’ll make sure not to bring any of those.” I smiled.

This made me wonder. Do I objectify women? I paint the male nude body as well. Do I objectify men? Is that even a thing? This really bothered me, my pieces are meant to be empowering and beautiful. They are meant to bring value to the world. So, I decided to sit down and dissect the artist in me that is inspired to use nudes as the subject of some of his paintings.

I wondered first of all if it was wrong. Is the nude body repulsive or evil?

No, in fact quite the opposite, it’s one of the most beautiful creations I have ever seen. The muscle structure, bones, curves and silent language are amazing and unique to each and every individual. I think that is very beautiful and pure.

I thought about how no one would be appalled by a landscape, a painting of a bird, or any animal, even though unless it’s a dog with a sweater those are all completely nude in every sense of the word.

Then I wondered if there was such a thing as objectifying women.

I think there is, but it really has noting to do with the nudity or being a woman in my opinion. I think that every situation is different, but I believe it to be when someone is seen as something that takes their humanity away. Not being seen as a person, just an object… like a walking sex toy, but also a wallet, a child care facility, a daily cleaning service, a taxi service, a restaurant, a bar and halfway house.

I think the reason that nudity get’s a bad rap is because most of us are taught to believe it is bad, or we grow up watching our parents hide their nude bodies in insecurity and shame. We decide that hiding and rejecting it in shame is the way we should treat nudity. So, the immediate response is to lump all that is nude into the category of obscene, objectifying and inappropriate. We don’t actually look to see if it is those things or what it is really trying to say.

Sure, some stuff is stupid and simply trying to sell because they believe sex sells. In fact, I’ve been told “Sex sells” by artist who don’t paint nudes. Interesting thing is that my nudes are harder to sell then any other series I create, because they are nudes.

I had a man once tell me “I love the human body, I just don’t want to see it.” A woman once told me “I don’t have a problem with nudity, I just don’t believe it should be in art.” These slightly confusing comments are rare. For the most part people really enjoy all my work, but you’ll never hear someone say “I love trees, I just don’t want to see them” or “I don’t have a problem with birds, I just don’t want to see them in my art.”

The only people that buy my nude pieces are people that see past the fact that there is a naked body in the painting and see the meaning of the piece as a whole. Others see the human body the way I do, beautiful and they are not afraid to express that by owning the art.

The truth is, everyone sees the world differently and I love that. Some people will always see nudity as something bad and dismiss the value, others will see it as beautiful… Others, especially teenage boys may giggle to themselves and point because they don’t even know what to think.

I’ll get lectures, I’ll get kudos, I’ll get stern looks, thumbs up and a giggle or too when I bring my nude pieces out to the markets or galleries. But the reason I create them is because I love the human body and I love the potential we all have to succeed. I believe (Metaphorically) we do not have to hide behind anything, we can be our true selves and we have unlimited power, beauty and grace.