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Month: December 2013
Colorful Fridays–Impressions of Heavenly Blue
“Let the blue sky meet the blue sea and all is blue for a time.” Moncy Barbour (from The Painter’s Keys)
How can a blue go from the color of heaven to the definition of depression? Cerulean Blue has an array of descriptions that run the gamut from peace and harmony to gloomy moodiness. Pantone.com claims Cerulean as the color of the millennial year because it is very calming. The Urban Dictionary implies Cerulean Blue is the color of depression and cites this sentence as an example: “Why do you look so cerulean, man?” Does that mean he’s looking heavenly, moody or calm? Sounds pretty sad, in any case.
Though the discovery of Cerulean blue dates to around 1805 in Germany, it didn’t gain wide popularity until the 1860’s. Several sources attribute the name “Cerulean” to the Latin word for “sky” or “heaven.” Winsor Newton calls Cerulean a “pure blue pigment” that is opaque and says today’s Cerulean is “an inorganic synthetic mineral pigment made by calcination of tin salts and silica with cobalt sulphate.” Thick applications of Cerulean to the sky in the landscapes of the Impressionists led to its popularity today. However, Cerulean’s opaque-ness does not lend itself well to the transparency of watercolor.
Metaphysical people claim Cerulean is the color of peace, harmony and all things Zen. Yet the serial killer, Pusher, from the X-Files uses the line, “Cerulean is the color of the gentle breeze,” as he deceives the police into driving into the deadly path of a large Cerulean Blue truck. Pantone claims Cerulean is calming. The Urban dictionary implies Cerulean is the color of depression, even profound depression as in “you’re not just blue, you’re Cerulean.” Perhaps Cerulean will leave you harmoniously depressed. Or you could be a calmly moody millennial. We won’t even consider it in the case of the serial killer. But whatever your situation, you can be sure with Cerulean Blue, your skies will always be heavenly.
A description of Pusher, the X-files serial killer is here.
This following clip has a wonderfully confusing description of Cerulean Blue from the world of high fashion:
Happy Thieving
“Bad artists copy. Good artists steal” Picasso (from Austin Kleon)
Did you ever think you would like to own the work of a major artist, like say, Picasso? What would you do with your Picasso? Would you have friends over for cocktails and appetizers so you can show off your newly acquired masterpiece? Would you hang it in the foyer where everyone entering your home would be able to lay eyes on your Picasso as soon as they set foot inside your house? Would you decorate your home in a color scheme to match the colors of your Picasso? Before acquiring your Picasso, you must take these things into consideration. And there are other important details you must consider.
For around 100 euros you can buy a raffle ticket from a charity for the chance to win your very own Picasso. Imagine that! Say you are the lucky winner, what do you do next? Eleanor Steafel, writing in The Telegraph, gives you the details. The first step Steafel recommends is to get insured. Most homeowners or renters policies likely won’t cover a million dollar work of art so you’ll need a better policy. Why so much? There just happens to be a major international wave of art theft crime.
The BBC will be airing a new film by Alastair Sooke on the growing worldwide problem of stolen art and the black market it thrives in. Most of these major art works disappear into the black market never to be seen again. In an article for The Telegraph, Sooke explains why. When major drug cartels and other criminal gangs, can’t deal in currency, they turn to art. Art is often a better bargaining chip. Your newly acquired Picasso just became a target. Whatever security you have is not likely to equal that of a museum, so hopefully you have that insurance up to date.
Or you leave the real Picasso’s to the museums with their better security and just steal a fake one. How can you do that? If you’re an artist, Austin Kleon tells you how on his blog post, “25 quotes to help you steal like an artist.” “I don’t steal!” you say. Sure you do. If you learned any techniques in painting by copying another artist, you’re stealing. Only this is good stealing. Yes, there is good stealing! And good stealing is a whole lot cheaper than buying the real thing. Plus no criminals are going to want your “stolen” Picasso meaning you won’t need that extra insurance.
Once, I needed some doughnuts so I stole them from Wayne Thiebaud. I didn’t actually steal a Thiebaud painting. Just a few doughnuts. He didn’t miss the doughnuts and I didn’t have to insure them. Next time you are inclined to buy a multi-million dollar painting, don’t. You’re an artist. Steal it. And while you’re stealing it, you can smile at all the good you’re doing by stealing your own. No criminals will come looking for it. Your insurance agent is relieved. The new security system won’t be needed. Everybody’s happy.
Pearls of Rebellious Creativity
“I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.” Albert Einstein (from Goodreads.com)
Where, oh where is today’s creativity? Is creativity the new buzzword so mainstream it has lost its true meaning? A number of town criers are raising the alarm of an acute loss of innovation due to an epidemic of destructive or dying creativity. The community of artists, writers, musicians, photographers and other creative types are traditionally the keepers of creativity. Is it possible the keepers are letting innovative creativity sit around and get soft and flabby?
A number of writers have taken up the subject of The Death of Creativity in the last few years. In an article for FastCompany.com titled Death of Creativity=Death of Innovation, Kaihan Krippindorff laments the loss of innovation as the inevitable result of the lack of creativity. Krippindorff highlights an article that appeared in Newsweek in 2010 on the subject. Some alarming statistics are beginning to show up. According to both articles, creativity in the U.S. has already sharply dropped and does not appear to be slowing its decline anytime soon.
On the other hand, books on creativity are on the rise. However, instead of addressing the problem, these books seem to be sugar coating the issue by offering simplified pat answers. Acculturated.com has an article by Mark Tapson, titled The Death of Creativity. Tapson discusses an article for Harper’s by Thomas Frank, saying, these happy creativity -encouraging books are leading to a “monetized and commercialized creativity” that will be equally destructive to the process. Tapson puts forth the theory that creativity is born in rebellion. To mainstream the idea of creativity will make it less innovative. These books, according to Tapson, are “de-radicalizing” creativity leading to an acute flat-lining of the source of energy needed to incubate ground- breaking innovation.
Creativity as a mainstream buzzword lacks the resistance of rebellion. It moves with the flow instead of swimming upstream. For creativity to produce pearls of innovation, it must be formed in the friction of the oyster shell. As long as we are comfortable in our smooth grey creativity, there will be no irritating bits of sand to cause the formation of colorful pearls. How boring is a life without pearls! Time to throw some sand.
The Granddaughter’s Residual–UPDATE
“Do your job and demand your compensation—but in that order.” Cary Grant (from Brainyquote)
In two of my previous posts, the lack of resale compensation for visual artists, illustrators, photographers and sculptors was discussed. The United States Copyright Office has now partially reversed the previous ruling on resale royalties for visual artists. Visual artists have not had the same rights to royalties as composers, playwrights and screenwriters. There is a bill coming up in congress and the senate to grant full residual rights but this move by the Copyright Office signals a hopeful direction.
Judith Dobrzynski has covered the issue for the Arts Journal blogs and has a full report on what these changes mean. She received a report from the office of Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) on his upcoming bill. Please go to her post for the full story here. There are also links in her article for the U.S. Copyright Office report on the reversal.
“Droit de Suite” is the title of these laws in Europe that came about from the destitute state of the granddaughter of artist Jean-Francois Millet (1814-1875). Millet sold his painting, The Angelus for 1000 francs in 1865. 14 years after his death the painting was sold for between 553,000 francs and 800,000 francs depending on the report, while his family lived in abject poverty. His granddaughter was found selling flowers on the streets of Paris to survive. The laws only granted a very small amount to the artist and/or his family negating the complaints from art dealers about loss of compensation for the dealers and galleries.
The United Kingdom has very recently enacted a “Droit de Suite” law but the U.S. so far has not. This hopeful sign from the U.S. Copyright Office may signal an approaching change in this process for artists in the U.S. One can hope. And one can also contact his/her representative and senator to suggest they support “Droit de Suite” in the U.S. Perhaps visual artists dying in penury will soon be a thing of the past. No more granddaughters selling flowers on the street for survival.
Previous posts by me on “Droit de Suite” laws:
The Case of the Destitute Granddaughter
Other blog posts on the subject:
The Farce of a Superficial Theft
“Well there are times when one would like to hang the whole human race and finish the farce.” Mark Twain (from Goodreads)
Falling under the category of “you can’t make this stuff up,” was the report of the recent theft of two Damien Hirst dot paintings from a gallery in the Notting Hill district of London. The two paintings were rather simply lifted right off the wall in plain view of a video camera and multiple street windows. What I can’t get over is why? Someone just needed to have some dots really, really badly, I guess. These dots weren’t that valuable compared to other recent art heists. Maybe we have been light of entertainment lately in the art world?
The video of the theft is hilarious at the very least (see below). Even a six year old could have done this heist. Unfortunately, illusionist Derren Brown (story from The Drum) was forced to disavow any knowledge of the heist because of an ill timed Tweet. Judging by the video, it would be a major stretch to accuse this thief of being anything remotely resembling an illusionist. Had Brown been part of this theft, his vociferous denial would be from a need to save his reputation from accusations of imitating an illusionist than from the commission of a crime.
Digging a little deeper into Hirst’s recent past, unearths a spat between the artist and a teenager over the lifting of a few pencils from a Hirst exhibit at the Tate. (The Independent has the story.) This spat also conjures up visions of six year olds. It seems the teen, who goes by the name Cartraine, had used an image of a Hirst artwork to make collages he then sold over the internet. That had set off a firestorm from Hirst leading to legal action against the teen. In retaliation, the teen stole a few pencils from a large Hirst installation (seen in the photo from The Independent) on exhibit at the Tate. So incensed was Hirst over the pencil theft, he had the teen and the teen’s father arrested and charged with theft of the pencils. Seems a bit like killing a mosquito with a sledgehammer, to me but it’s been a long time since I was six years old.
Topping off the hilarity is the article on the heist for The Guardian by Jonathan Jones. To add insult to Hirst’s injury, Jones states, “Will history miss these pieces?’” My guess would be, “No!” Who’s going to miss a few dots? But its Jones’ final bit that deals the killing blow to this heist. “Hirst’s spots are icons of superficiality for a superficial age. In that sense, they are contemporary classics. But I wouldn’t cross the road to nick one.” Neither would I. Or I doubt you would either, for that matter. Cue the clowns. It’s time to end this superficial farce.
Youtube has the full theft video:
More from Sky news: here.
Top photo from The Guardian
Award
Thank you very much to:http://belsbror.wordpress.com/ a great blog with short stories and other fun things, for this nomination. I hope you will take the time to have a look at this wonderful blog! I am deeply grateful and wish I had more time to do it justice by thinking of 7 things to say about myself. But in the interest of “pass this award forward,” I am listing these great blogs (below) and hope you will stop by them as well. Hopefully, I can come back later to think of 7 things!
Beautiful verse
http://britpref.wordpress.com/
Art and other fun stuff
http://brushespapers.wordpress.com/
Wonderful watercolor
http://albastrude.wordpress.com/
Art transcends language
Always has fun information
http://wildersoul.wordpress.com/
Fun coloring!!
http://stillwalks.wordpress.com/
Spend some time in nature without leaving home
A beautiful look at Australia
http://iamlostinthot.wordpress.com/
Beautiful nature photography
Fun digital manipulation of art
Art and light
Beautiful painting
http://spygarden.wordpress.com/
Gardener, mom and RN
http://musiqdragonfly.wordpress.com/
Music, literature, art and other cool stuff
Sunday Slideshow–Cross Creek
“Madness is only a variety of mental nonconformity and we are all individualists here.”
― Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Cross Creek
Here is a look at the home of one of my favorite authors, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
Weekend Inspiration–Gratitude
Do we, as artists, reveal to the world what there is around us to be grateful for? We see, hear, and feel the beauty that may be missed by others, especially those caught up in the rat race of the busyness of life. For myself, I forget to approach each canvas as an opportunity to express gratitude for the beauty I see. When searching for inspiration, perhaps the best beginning is to start with an expression of gratitude for the good fortune of artistic creativity.
Colorful Fridays–Red-less Monkey Yellow
“Happiness is Gamboge, ennui is grey…” Jonathan Meades (The Times of London by Wordsmith.org)
The most beautiful warm glowing yellows in paintings are often the result of the liberal use of the orangey yellow Gamboge. So warm and glowing is this color that it is said to be used to dye the robes of certain Buddhist monks giving the robes a rich saffron color. Gamboge is the color of the ripe wheat fields in Flemish artist, Pieter Bruegel, The Elder”s 16th Century painting of peasants at the harvest. Gamboge is the sun on a bright afternoon in late September.
Gamboge was originally derived from the resin of the Garcinia tree growing in Cambodia, Thailand and other Asian countries of the region. The resin is collected in bamboo shoots until dried when the bamboo is then cut away. The resin of the Garcinia tree is considered a controlled poison in some countries due to the cathartic (according to Britannica,”drastic catharic”) properties of the fruit. However it is frequently found in small amounts in some herbal products used for weight loss and other physical issues. It is relatively harmless in small amounts.
Modern Gamboge paint is no longer made with the resin of the Garcinia tree. Original Gamboge has a very poor lightfastness. Daniel Smith’s New Gamboge claims an excellent light fastness, “more staining than Yellow Ochre and equal in tinting ability to Raw Sienna.” New Gamboge lacks the fugitive properties of the original. Beautiful, glowing warm yellows can be “poured” over any paintings with no worries of fading.
RadioLab.org has a podcast titled “The Perfect Yellow” that tells the story of the origins of Gamboge along with some other interesting tales of the use of this versatile yellow. RadioLabs website discusses the use of Gamboge and other colors in experiments for teaching monkeys to recognize red. One wonders why on earth we would want to teach monkeys to see red? It’s bad enough when people see red. Just image being overrun by rampaging monkeys seeing red! And what if the monkeys start eating the Gamboge resin? What a mess we will be in then! Perhaps it is better to keep the Gamboge for paintings and leave the monkeys to their red-less vision.
Gamboge is the yellow of warmth and happiness in many paintings. Its addition will add a beautiful golden glowing tint to many colors. Today’s Gamboge is free from the potentially harmful side effects of the past. Though today’s mixes lack the poisonous resin of the Garcinia tree, you probably wouldn’t want to eat it and please keep it away from all monkeys. Otherwise you will be able to experience the “happiness of Gamboge” in any painting.
Some quotes from others about Gamboge:
Mcspiky says, “I would describe this colour as a form of mustard with little bit more zest and vibrancy to it (trying not to be pretentious here).”
http://mcspiky.blogspot.com/2012/08/gamboge.html
Ferrebeekeeper says, “Here is a gorgeous warm color for Thanksgiving week.”
http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/gamboge/
You can order your own Gamboge pigment for mixing at:
For more on Pieter Bruegel, The Elder: