To make the collage I added the hand and the other two elements and some shapes and colouring. Taking an existing image of simple beauty sanpped along the way of my daily travels and making it into something dynamic and different is one of my daily pursuits and thrills. All done on my Samsung Galaxy Note with a pared down PS program and a stylus. I sit there in a cafe, at the library or in my car having a wonderful time doing my small bit to transform reality.
I took this picture down the bottom of Crown St in Woolloomooloo yesterday after a coffee at Toby's Estate. It was a beautiful sunny sunday and a big tree was casting a grand shadow on the building.
To make the collage I added the hand and the other two elements and some shapes and colouring. Taking an existing image of simple beauty sanpped along the way of my daily travels and making it into something dynamic and different is one of my daily pursuits and thrills. All done on my Samsung Galaxy Note with a pared down PS program and a stylus. I sit there in a cafe, at the library or in my car having a wonderful time doing my small bit to transform reality.
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What would happen if I didn't have this forum to write my thoughts in? I would probably still think them but maybe not take the thought train as far as I do in each instance. Writing stuff allows you to record then move on to the next thought without getting a cluster or having a mental train pile up.
If I didn't write this stuff, I would not be able to reread it later. Not that I do - but I could and likely, one day, will. Also, if I didn't write this stuff, nobody else would read it. So, there would be no effect on anyone else's thoughts. Which makes me think - what would take it's place. I hope nobody is sacrificing or missing out on anything more worthwhile by reading these posts.... like having sex or doing the crazy dance or conjuring up a brilliant idea of their own. I hope I am not sabotaging important minutes of anybody's life with my experimental, stream of consciousness, cheaper than a psychiatrist, bla-di-bla ramblings. If I am, I apologise. In advance and profusely. How dare I right? You need help! Should I shut up now? I can't. Sorry. The UN and WHO charters state that every world citizen on w.w.w is entitled to a blog - gratis - - in which they can express their thoughts and feelings freely and without censorship - or guilt. One thing I like to do in the mornings when I wake up is just to lie there for a while and think things. Let thoughts dance across the horizon of my sunrising awareness. Their shadowy movements sometimes delight and sometimes uncover or inspire thoughts that will be creative and useful. Things commonly referred to as 'good ideas'. Things I can do that day maybe, things I can write down to do another time, things that I can mentally note to think about some more later - i.e next time I am lying down doing nothing - probably not long to go! Each day I like to think about what I have to feel grateful for. My health, my freedom, relative safety and comfort, something to look forward to coming up, etc. By acknowledging what is good and being thankful, I find that I can feel more accepting of life's general anguish, less expectant or needing, available to take things as they come and make the best of the day ahead - not in a self-help/upbeat way - but in a casual/shrug way. There is so much clutter and chaos in daily life, it's important to have quiet, alone-time to just be. No input from the outside world, just some serene, relaxed contemplation. Just being. Acknowledging the wonder of basic existence. Then, get up, do a wee (if you need to - don't force it! - bladder implosions are painful!) - and the - blog some bullshit of your own! It's your right! Shhhhh.....! I had to cross the fjord
Enter a new realm Dance with fools Be reborn I found a new love I lost all I had On a deadman's gamble And it wasn't so bad I lifted some spirits I spat in fear's face Without too much effort I avoided the race The sunshine was sparkling The water was chilled Art and music were playing My inner child was thrilled We all love the weekends When we can be free Frivolous and festive The way we're born to be Dedication. Commitment. Passion.
Mix together. Be consumed. It's easy - after the first 30 years! Devote yourself to expressing your truth and vision through the arts - and whatever else happens in your life, there will always be a reason to live. (This has been an unpaid announcement.) In social terms you may be a povo, but in your heart and mind you will be a king! Some days are big magic - like on an adventure or falling in love kind of days - but other days are little magic.
Days that appear normal as they are happening - most likely you'll be doing a simple shared activity with someone close to you - could be walking along the beach, shopping, going for a drive, whatever.... Then afterwards, that evening, on reflection, you realise that in it's own way, that simple little day was full of love and life and a gentle, murmuring happiness. You realise how lucky you are to have people close to you who know you and who you know and it's easy and there's a natural rhythm and the day unfolds and there's plenty of warmth and laughter. Those are the little magic days. Those are the real magic days. ... spoil the burra.
And success has gone to this one's head. His name is Joshuar. He added the 'r' on the end after landing his first contract with fashion house Yoshimoto. Granted he is a fine looking bird, but he knows it. Too much. He has tantrums, demanding only very particular dimensions with his insects diet. Of course, no common worms allowed and heaven forbid he find a dirty cockroach amongst his feed. He has a full time groomer, he gets his beak manicured and polished every day and his feathers brushed and fluffed after waking and before bed each night. He parties in nightclubs in the fun capitals of the world. (What are they? I'm not sure. I've never been rich or a celeb or a model. New York, LA, Monaco... Dublin?... Anyway...) There's no denying he's a fine bird. And his laugh! His laugh is spectacular. It used to be heard across the globe and bring delight to countless species. But these days it is copyrighted. It can be downloaded from iTunes and Android as a ringtone. But it is rare to hear a real one anymore. His managers insist he go into a silence chamber each morning to sing his song, lest the stalking paparrazzi make illicit recordings and sell it. He is one the cover of many magazines and seen, of course, on the siliver screen, opposite the likes of Celine Peacock, Meryl Mockingbird and the much loved Touloula Tweetybird. Still, we lament the new age. We wish Joshuar had no r. We wish he was back on the tree in our backyard, laughing away with glee and joy to greet the light of the glorious new day. We wish the world was as it was before it became a product. I like painting skulls. They have had an allure since I was a kid. Nothing to lose, I guess, when you are already dead. A symbol of our mortality - but also a brazen laugh in the face of death - an invitation to live on the edge.
As can be witnessed by my portfolio of work - I also like painting skulls with meat on them - often referred to as 'faces'. I've been drawing faces - copying them from comics and magazines since I was about fourteen. I find there a few things more dynamic and engaging. Evocative, full of character. Somehow, skulls too, can have plenty of character. ---------------------- I was thinking when I woke up this morning about the process of writing this blog. Why I do it and what I anticipate can be gained by it. One thing interesting, I can say is that I recently found an journal from when I was about 24 - in a poem I was questioning why I write - why I speculate about existence - asking what it all means. I really enjoyed re-reading what I had written from the perspective of nearly three decades later. Some of my questions had been answered, some of the mystery of my future - now lived and revealed - has filled in the blanks of my anticipation from back then. I can really feel the youthful exuberance in my wanting to know what was to come back then. I have done many things, experienced much over the last few decades. Some of it much more exciting and wonderful than ever expected. Some trying times, too. Worse than anticipated. Of course, for every path chosen, there are ten others that are sacrificed. When one gets older it's easy to look back at certain forks in the road and think 'what if..." I have been keeping journals - of my thoughts, poetry, ideas, short stories, comedy bit, etc all the way through. Most of them are buried away in storage. One day it will be fun to read them. I think its a good practice to keep them - I certainly enjoy it/ couldn't do with out it. And now with this blog - a welcome edition to the recorded speculation, headspace diary - I am able to add fresh artworks - often used as a catalyst for free associating / writing whatever comes out. So what is to be gained? It doesn't matter. It's worth doing. It's a form of mining. For what? For veins of truth, profundity. It's rare to strike and the work is labour intensive and a bit messy - but there is a chance of striking gold - a fresh revelation, an epiphany, soulful nourishment. You might even uncover an old skull It's what we are. Organisms. Complex, evolving creatures. Pulsating, vibrating, muscle mass with skeletal structure. Electric impulses and high functioning organs.
Plonked out onto the earth of the planet from between our mother's legs, from dark to light, oozing and screaming - the journey begins. And it just keeps getting weirder.... I think it's true of most of us that you just can't think about it all too much for too long without getting over mesmerised. The colossal conundrum of the corporeal experience. Using what you can pick up along the way, we fumble through, sometimes in glory with grace and precision, other times as mindless neanderthals, myopic goons. Most of the time as sensitive, sentient beings doing our best to cope with input overload and real world demands. Wherever you are on the spectrum, at this moment, my fellow human, I feel for you. It's not easy. Not for any of us. It's a challenge. Existence. To exist is to struggle. Accept this and go from there. Along the way, find and share love, as much as you can, and you'll die happy, pass in peace. And that day is coming - so until then - keep squirming! It's not always easy to keep up your enthusiasm. But it is essential. Just like with marriage, kids and .... you have to commit to your art for it to work out well.
Along the way there will likely be grants denied, missed prizes, flubbed sales, lack of interest, failed exhibitions - this is starting to sound like my resume - and times of self doubt. But cheer up, pup. Stick out that tongue and get back to leg humping (analogy for making art). It's what you do best. Actually, it's pretty much all you are good for. As Henry Mitchell wisely noted: "All anybody needs to know about prizes is that Mozart never won one." (Neither did Henry - but that's another story.) When things don't go according to your (lack of) plans, just shrug (metaphorically is fine) and go back to what it is you love most. Making pictures. It's what you were born for and it will likely be your salvation. Re-ignite your passion, pup! Ahh.. the grand illusion. We live it. It's a divine concoction, a gargantuan giggle just beyond grasp, an immense, epic narration that never lags or falters.
Spellbound! Even in my most lucid moments, I feel like the miniscule fleck I am when I try to comprehend the nature of existence. So why bother?, one may ask. And the answer is - a lot of the time I don't. But it is in my nature as an artist, philosopher and poet - to do so. The eternal quest for meaning, answers, validation. It's clear to see that it is a noble pursuit but one that will never end in any lasting resolution. Don Quixote springs to mind. Glorious madman of resounding sanity! And that's how it should be, damnit! An infinite mystery, that folds in on itself, over and over, forever. Again, so why bother? Because we can. Because we must. Because we like to. Perplexed by the complex puzzle we are addicted to mortal attempts to uncover clues that will get us closer to solving it. It's something to do. Something to enjoy. It makes you feel alive. And what is being alive if not deeply speculating on what it is to be alive? Excuse me, I think I will have some breakfast now. Philosophy so makes thee peckish. Uncovered one of my journals from 1987 today. I haven't seen it since then - so was fun to flick through. I have to be honest, I was hoping for/half expecting some gems of genius - but they weren't to be found. Perhaps they fell out or evaporated over time!
What was inside were a number of poems, some song lyrics, two short stories (one unfinished), and about a dozen 'snippet' single frame comics. It was vaguely interesting to catch a glimpse of the headspace of the 'me' from 26 years ago. I can objectively report that I have matured to a degree since then and that my work has improved in scope and delivery. Other than that - still doing pretty much the same thing - making art, writing fiction, creating comics.... I was reading this article on a site about Art & Design entitled the most important artists of 2013. One of them is cool dude and street artist become fine artist Kenny Scharf. In the short blurb it talks about he was arrested once for graffiti and it struck me that writer's are really looking for a good hook when talking about artists. Something just like being arrested.
This is because art, in many ways, is a kind of if not passive, at least mellow, form of creative expression. It's usually one person in a space on their own in silence, wrestling with the great void armed only with some colours and a brush. It's certainly dynamic is an existential way but not ostensibly. And for a writer trying to drum up some zing about an artist - well, it's challenging. So, I got thinking; what can I say or do, what event can I stage, what kind of plot could I cook up to create some hype for my next show/artistic enterprise? Hmmm... 12 hours later ...and I haven't really come up with anything. Guess I'm never going to be in marketing. A few things I know I do want to do, though, but they aren't about hype or getting attention. They are just ideas for action involving my art. 1.) Do a TED like talk about being an artist. Two versions: one for adults and one for school kids. 2.) Hold a big 'Artistes' party in a warehouse where everyone comes as there favourite artist. Just think of some of the fun choices: Dali, Frida Kahlo (sure to be popular), Picasso in his striped shirts and high, baggy white summer pants, Basquiat, Warhol, of course, Rembrandt, etc. 3.) Hold some classes. Teach artistic mindset, free thinking, expression through the visual medium... 4.) Have a full time gallery of my work in a little shop somewhere. 5.) Publish a book of the top 100 of my recent images. With over 2,000 to choose from this should be fun and worthwhile. And once you have something fun that is deemed as worthwhile - well, it's totally sanctioned by whales and dolphins. 6.) Do more stickers. I have two varieties now. I love stickers and would love to do heaps more. 7.) An original deck of cards with my images. Don't have to be actual playing cards - more like tarots or collectibles. that's enough for now How much control do we have over who we are and what we do? On some levels, it feels like we are in command and make choices from free will. But there are so many factors that influence our decision making... our past, our social conditioning, our parents, our physical needs, our mental predispositions and body chemistry. Most of the time, I think, we are just reacting - to circumstance, urges, outside demands and expectations, emotion...
For our own sanity, peace of mind, we build a suitable story around our existence, past and present, and fit decisions, experiences, interactions and outcomes into a prefabbed mould that we are comfortable with. It is a survival mechanism. A way to cope. In truth, we are fictionalising events. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this but I am extemporaneously contemplating possible alternatives. Nobody likes to be trapped. But the worst trap is to be trapped by yourself. By yourself and beyond your control. Addictions, depression, OCD... to some degree we all experience these. How to gain control - or non-control - liberation? I don't believe it is something you do - like a step by step guide. I think it something that you strive for little by little, each day, quietly and within yourself. Questioning, meditating, practicing healthy behaviour, struggling with humility and grace. You never 'get there' but your journey is elevated through discipline and application, focus. What does this mean in real terms? I think it means to strive to see, express and experience truth and purity. To be humble and grateful, to see the miracle all around us - beyond it's raggedy, common form, to connect with 'the great awesome' - what Indian and Aboriginal tribes did for so many centuries - connect with nature - human nature and gaia with a mindfulness, respect and importantly an all embracing joy. Ahah! One thing to say all this. But how? I don't know exactly. I'm certainly not mr guru. I'm a guy down in the trenches. But for me doing art helps. And having warm, honest connections with people. Going to the ocean and immersing my body after a walk and a stretch each day. Eating fruit and veges. Reading. Noticing the beauty around me... Oh, and playing poker. Yes, you are. This is not you, of course. It is a collage/composite/painting/drawing I did yesterday of a pretty girl. But it represents all of us. It represents the glorious nature of sentient beings. That is one thing that art is good at. It elevates us. It encourages us to use our minds and imaginations to transcend the ordinary. Draws us closer to how we wish the world could be - full of beauty, purity and love.
Actually, looking at the girls face she does seem a little concerned about something in the distance. Don't worry sweet being I conjured up - you have a lovely hair piece and criss-cross necklace! One day I will draw you a prince you can marry - or at least date and see how it goes. (Relationships are challenging in any realm.) It's funny. Just thinking post post. Only an hour or so ago, I wrote my last post and after I write something, I sometimes consider it, mull over it in my head. What have I written? Why have I said it? As I have mentioned before, my M.O with this blog is quite simple and straightforward; to select an image I have created in the last 24 hours, post it - then write something. Whatever spontaneously comes to mind.
I am at times surprised, delighted, perplexed by what comes out. The guidelines are honesty, brevity, humour and creativity. Sometimes there is a message that appears. I do have a certain innate desire not to waste time - mine or anyone elses and also a kind of quality control. I want it to be worthwhile to read, to have some good. Oh, the other thing I should mention is that I also tend to keep things simple. Not ornate or convoluted. One day I hope to travel around schools and inspire school kids to get into art with an audio/visual presentation - and some of it will be based around these posts - so in the back of my mind I kind of am writing to a youngish audience. That being said - I definitely don't water things down or avoid adult topics if they come up. I guess, overall, I want the posts to be some kind of insight into an artist's mind. This artist in particular. So --- I was thinking about the last post. A little worried that it was a bit flat, obvious. But it's what came out, so I posted it anyway. Then, as I was thinking this, I got a 'like' on facebook. A single acknowledgement. Someone had read it and responded. It had meant something to them. I don't need to know what or why. I stopped being concerned. It had meant something to someone. That is enough. A connection. All I need. All any of us need. Ping. |
ART GETS ME HIGHAuthor & ArtistLewie JPD Archives
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