“What was any art but a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself - life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.”
~ Willa Cather, American author (1873-1947)

Willa Cather, 1936
I appreciate how Cather thinks of life and art, and how [...]

Filed under: Art, Artaissance, Artists, Inspiration, Quotes on November 18th, 2009 | No Comments »

I am an artist. When people ask what inspires me, it isn’t always easy to put my thoughts into words. Recently, though, I came across a quote that does just that:
“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Inspiration, Quotes on November 3rd, 2009 | No Comments »

I have long been fascinated with Claes Oldenburg’s art. In his sculptures, mundane objects become iconic - perhaps even glamorous. Recently, I read this quote by Oldenburg:
“I am for an art that is political - erotical - mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum.”
I had to laugh, because Oldenburg’s works [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Exhibits, Installations, Quotes on September 9th, 2009 | 6 Comments »

I admit it. I’m a Lifetime-made-for-tv-movie watcher. Especially on a rainy Sunday…This is where I learned that “Georgia O’Keeffe - Her Life Was a Work of Art” will premiere on Saturday, September 19th at 9 PM ET/PT.

Starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons, this Lifetime Original Movie chronicles O’Keeffe’s life, complete, I’m certain, with the emotional trials and [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Exhibits, Inspiration, Museums, Nature, Quotes, TV on September 1st, 2009 | No Comments »

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which one to keep” ~ Scott Adams ‘The Dilbert Principle’ - U.S. Cartoonist (1957 -    )

I can certainly appreciate this quote - some of my best creations were built upon mistakes! I’m certainly no artist, but I enjoy creating masterpieces in my kitchen & many [...]

Filed under: Inspiration, Quotes on August 6th, 2009 | No Comments »

I have a deep admiration for any artist who can skillfully create a likeness of a person. For me, Rembrandt created some of the most exquisite portraits ever made. I am deeply inspired by them, but try as I might, I never have achieved the results I keep hoping for in my own work. I [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Inspiration, Masters, Quotes on July 28th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Alberto Giacometti is one of my all-time favorite artists. I was 18 when I first encountered his work and purchased a print. It may have been the same image you see below, to the right. If not, it was very similar to it. I enjoyed it for years but eventually it got damaged in a move.Â
A few years [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Inspiration, Quotes on July 21st, 2009 | No Comments »

Tony Foster’s subjects can’t really get much bigger. 

His most recent exhibition highlights his documention of the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest - two of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World (depending on whom you might ask). Tony Foster: Searching for a Bigger Subject, opened on July 11th at the Phoenix Art Museum and is on view [...]

Filed under: Art, Artaissance, Artists, Exhibits, Museums, Nature, Quotes on July 13th, 2009 | No Comments »

On the heels of Independence Day, as I think of patriotism, family, communities and American art, Norman Rockwell and his iconic images have to fit in somewhere.

Rockwell (1894-1978) created over 4,000 original works, 322 of which appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. He was an illustrator; a storyteller during what some might consider America’s [...]

Filed under: Art, Artists, Exhibits, Holiday, Museums, Quotes on July 6th, 2009 | No Comments »

“Here and there, now and then, lose yourself in nature and find peace.”
~ John Muir

“Zigzag Through the Meadow” by Terry Sauve
It’s always this time of year that I find myself yearning to be outside more than anything. We dust off the grill, bring some of the potted plants back outside and spend as much time [...]

Filed under: Art, Inspiration, Nature, Quotes on June 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »