"Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." (Pablo Picasso)

"Why do you paint such dark paintings?" she asked.

"Dark? What do you mean with dark?" I asked.

"Well, you seem to use so much black in your paintings" she continued.

True, I thought, I do tend to use a lot of black in my work.

I thought about it for awhile, then answered her: "I use black because it accentuates light the best."

Light. Where would we be without it?

During a violent storm which resulted in a black-out, I found myself pondering what life may have been like before we learnt how to harness energy and convert it into electricity, electricity which has given us access to "light" whenever we want or need it. Fumbling about in the kitchen cupboard, I found a couple of candles, but before I found some matches to light the candles with, I managed to step in the cat's water bowl, trip on the living room rug, and scare the cat half to death while flaying about trying to steady myself. Eventually I found some matches and as the first flame flickered into life, I was reminded of the importance of light.

(Some see it as a fact that virtually all living organisms need light in order to survive and thrive.)

With only a few candles to light up my downstairs living space, suddenly the very familiar seemed un-familiar and it then dawned upon me that it was the way light fell on objects, that made it possible for me to surmise what those objects were. 

According to some, human beings have a fundamental attraction to light because it aids our mechanism for survival.... whatever danger may lurk in the shadow, throw some light on it and we will know what we are dealing with and how to respond.

But what about fire works, Christmas lights, sparklers, star gazing, city lights, fairy lights, staring at an open fire, etc.? Why do we seem so fascinated by those?

Some suggest that the reason we are attracted to light is as simple as this: visibility, okay, but....that doesn't really explain to me why so often "sparkling" lights seem to be able to trigger responses such as excitement, joy, pleasure, and or a sense of wonderment and awe in many of us when we see sparkling lights.

Some suggest that we are attracted to "shiny, sparkly" things because they sparkle and shine like water.....and water is something humans can't live without.  Hmmm....

Light, when it comes to painting (art, in this case) emphasizes features through highlights and shadows and bring depth to a painting, sketch, water colour, etc....and when used masterly as by for instance Rembrandt, Van Gogh, or many of the Impressionists, can evoke a multitude of emotions in the person viewing the painting. By studying works by master painters, it became very clear to me just how important the application of light is, and the starker the contrasts, the more effective and direct the communication between the image and the viewer becomes... in my opinion.

Light shines brightly against the darkness, the darker the darkness, the brighter the light.

Often black (or any dark colour) is associated with something "bad", sad, or dubious, whereas white/bright colours are often associated with something "good", cheerful, friendly, and happy.

(According to those in the "know" this stems from a long tradition of metaphorical usage of black-and-white dualism; symbolically white representing good and black bad.)

Mark Rothko, famous for his colour-field paintings: "Bright colours sort of stops your vision at the canvas, where dark colours go beyond". In themselves, colours, including black and white, do not possess any moral values, it is us that attach such to them. A colour, so say those in the "know", is merely a property of light as seen by human beings. 

Having said that, isn't it amazing how we somehow already at toddler age if asked what our favourite colour is, know the answer?

"Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions." (Pablo Picasso)

This post is for you........my global friend

Snow. 

I love it. Sure, it's just frozen water, but snowflakes for me are amazing little pieces of art.

So beautifully constructed, each different snowflake a unique tiny piece of "sculpture".

 I guess for me what is also so wonderful about snow is how it can transform any landscape, or 

city-scape, or village, or mountain range, into glistening, sparkling, and enchanted spaces.

Snow, as it falls, transforms sharp and pointy things into rounded and "soft" things.

For many of us, snow is also something we often associate with Christmas celebrations together with family and or friends. 

Some of us are very fortunate and have families and friends we can celebrate Christmas with, but for many, Christmas time is possibly the worst time of the year.

Even if Christmas means little more than a "commercially driven event in favor of those who profit monetary from it" for some of us, those of us who have no families or friends to spend Christmas with can easily feel "left-out" and lonely during the Christmas celebrations.

Whatever Christmas may mean to you or me, traditionally in Western cultures, (probably in other cultures as well) the common sentiment is "love, peace, harmony and goodwill to all mankind".

One definition of goodwill is: benevolence, compassion and good-heartedness, another is: being friendly, helpful, and having an attitude/feelings of cooperation.

Even if one may view Christmas as a merchant marketing ploy, or an excuse for all manners of gluttony and greed, what about the "love, peace, harmony and goodwill to all mankind" part?

What about setting aside a few days out of the whole year to "love, peace, harmony and goodwill to all mankind", couldn't that still be a good idea?

What if for a few days of the year, we were to acknowledge the "glass people" in a spirit of goodwill? "The glass people", as in those people we somehow just don't seem to "see" unless they ask us for money, or talk too loud, or smell, or dress funny, or talk funny, or talk to themselves, or seem drunk, or "high", or strange, or foreign, or scary, or different, or sick, or....etc.etc..

(My son first introduced me to the term "glass people" a few years ago and when I asked him what he meant, he answered: "I call them the "glass people" because nobody seems to see them.")

Small gestures of kindness can have amazing outcomes, so can words of encouragement to someone who seems a bit down, a friendly "hello" can make a huge difference for a person feeling lonely, a phone call/text to someone you have lost touch with can make their day, an offer to assist someone struggling can boost that person's morale, lending a hand to an elderly person carrying a heavy bag can make his/her day, .....a bit of goodwill and compassion, may I suggest, goes a long way.

In my view, "gifts" comes in many shapes and sizes and some of them have nothing to do with money.

Some suggestions of "gifts" that we can all give: a kind word, a listening ear, some quality time, patience, a warm embrace, a strong hand, being present (=being there), an offer to help clean, cook, carry, etc. for someone, an offer to take someone for a walk, an offer of comfort to someone struggling, or.....(insert here your own suggestions)........sometimes just asking a person "can I help?" can be the most precious and generous of gifts we can give.

If you believe in love; be a loving person

if you believe in peace; be a peaceful person

if you believe in harmony; be a harmonious person

if you believe in goodwill; be a good-hearted, compassionate person

"It was only a sunny smile,
And little it cost in the giving;
But it scattered the night
like the morning light,
                         And made the day worth living." (Unknown poet)

Christmas is just around the corner, and fortunate as I am, I have a family to spend it with...

but if you don't have one...let me first thank you for visiting this blog,

then wish you much  love, peace, harmony and goodwill.

Truth? Or opinion? Or belief?...the dilemma

Six blind men are asked to touch an elephant, but only one part of the elephant.

The first one who feels one of the elephants legs answers: "It feels like a pillar."

The second one who feels the tail answers: "It feels like a rope." The third one who feels the elephant's trunk answers: "It feels like a tree branch." The forth one who feels the ear answers: "It feels like a hand fan." The fifth one who feels the belly answers: It feels like a wall." The sixth one who feels the tusk answers: "It feels like a solid pipe." 

This is a story used in Jainism, an ancient Indian religion, often used to reveal the precariousness of the concept "truth".

"Truth" is a topic which has been discussed for many years by many people, and according to philosophers, it will probably keep on being discussed for many more years.

In conversation with someone just the other day I asked that person what he is passionate about in life and he answered: truth.

When I asked him what he meant with "truth", he answered: "What do you mean? Truth is truth."

This is an answer that I have come across many times and for many of us perhaps it's a simple as that.....but for some of us.....not so much.

It seems to me that we often deem something a "truth" because to us it IS truth, but pondering the issue, I have come to believe that we often call something "the truth" when perhaps it is more of an "opinion" rather than a truth.

Some say that truth is something that is supported by evidence. Well, what kind of evidence? 

Evidence based on the scientific method? Oxford Dictionaries: "scientific method is a method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses". Experiments need to be designed to test hypotheses. The most important part of the scientific method is the experiment." Hmmm...problem: scientific method can not be applied to everything ..... 

"Are you speaking the truth when you say that you love me? Well, let's observe, measure, test, and experiment, and come up with a hypotheses......"    Although we use the term "mind" as if it is "real", nobody sofar can verify through "scientific method" that such exist. I mean, can we really "loose" our minds, be out of our minds, or be mindless? We can't touch, see, hear, or taste it, yet most of us would agree that "mind" exists, so....can it somehow still be the truth?

What can be tricky with differentiating between truth and opinion is that something can "feel" like the truth but when scrutinized, prove to be an opinion. On top of that dilemma, sometimes something we believe very strongly can also feel like the truth. 

Well, what about "absolute" truth's? An absolute truth, also at times called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact so the definition goes, however, the existence of such has been debated, and is still debated among different groups of people. Okay then, so, what about "relative" truth's then? Facts can vary depending on circumstances: gravity used to be viewed as an absolute truth, however, today's scientists would probable deem it more of a relative truth. (There are many more examples to be found if you are interested)

Opinion: "a belief that a person has formed about something (topic, issue), .... a view or judgement formed about something, .....opinion is commonly the result of a person's perspective, understanding, feelings, beliefs, and preferences." 

Opinions can be problematic, because even if we can find facts to substantiate what we hold to be true, we are often biased without realizing it ....... we hold on to the facts the supports our opinions and often ignore, or just don't "see", those that don't. 

"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions." (Leonardo da Vinci)

The parable about the blind men and the elephant can show us how one person's experience of "truth" may be just a part of the "bigger" truth; each of them knew something about the elephant through touching parts of it, but neither one of them were able to determine the elephant's complete nature.

If we base our understanding of truth solely on our own experiences, beliefs, and or information, although we may experience it as the truth, more likely than not we may find it difficult to respect and value other's points of view. If we want others to respect and value our opinions, a good start in my view is to do the same for others.

"It's not whether you agree with the opinion of another person that matters as much as how you respect it." (Rybird)
(Sorry for the look of this, something has gone crazy and doesn't want to be fixed)

Want to feel the words you write?.....use a pen...

Many things that probably used to be common place tools when we wanted to write something such as type writers, fountain pens, pencils, etc. are nowadays almost novelties, replaced by computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc.. Things change and mankind keeps on inventing new tools, tools that in many instances makes life "easier" and more efficient.

But, perhaps although we gain efficiency and "ease" through our new inventions, perhaps we also loose something?

The old type writers tended to "stick" and were noisy; they made a "clacking" noise when the keys were pressed; clackety-clack, clackety-clack-clack, clackety-ding, whereas computers, tablets, and phones are very quiet, well, except for occasional; oops, what? no no no no no, that's not what I meant to do.

Fountain pens had a tendency to leak so the user had to become very good at using blotting paper and or other methods of covering up unwanted ink stains. A pencil, though a very cheap (cost effective) writing implement, needed constant sharpening, and the lead in the pencil smudged easily.

So far, thumbs up for electronic devices, yeah? Well,....there are drawbacks methinks.

To use a type writer is both an auditory and physical experience, each letter that you type makes a noise and requires more physical input than tapping a screen or a computer keyboard, which in my view makes me wonder if perhaps the old type writers could possibly be viewed as "percussion instruments" as well as writing tools? I am old, and fortunate enough, to have experienced the sounds of a "typing pool" (a group of people all using type writers) and I found the sounds exciting. To me, it sounded like a kind of music.

I can't help but wonder if as many "poisoned letters" (nasty, mean-spirited comments) would be written today if to do so a person had to get a sheet of paper, load it into a type writer, clack away, then pull it out, get an envelope, write down the address and then finally go to a post office and post it. Using an electronic device, anyone can dish out vitriol (bitter criticism, malice) faster than a speeding bullet, remain anonymous, and all with minimal effort.

A type writer written note/letter, as well as a note/letter written with a fountain pen or a pencil, carry with them "bits" of the writer's identity, and this is something which science confirms. When we write using a fountain pen/pen or a pencil, we leave "bits" of our personalities behind.

In short, may I suggest that although there are many, many, many, great aspects to our electronic devices.......... being able to anonymously write mean-spirited, down right nasty and vitriolic things to and about others with the help of the internet rather than a great aspect, is a drawback.

Using pens or keyboards, according to those in the know, uses different cognitive processes.

“Handwriting is a complex task which requires various skills – feeling the pen and paper, moving the writing implement, and directing movement by thought,”  Edouard Gentaz, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Geneva, says. Using a pen requires precise motor skills; as in pressure of the pen, control of the pen, being able to follow through in action what a thought suggests. On a keyboard, regardless of the letter, the action/movement is the same.

"Drawing each letter by hand improves our grasp of the alphabet because we really have a “body memory” says Gentaz.

Roland Jouvent, head of adult psychiatry at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris:  “There is an element of dancing when we write, a melody in the message, which adds emotion to the text. Handwriting is the result of a singular movement of the body, typing is not."

(Perhaps, in view of this, it may be interesting to find out how many of the "trolls" who regularly voice their opinions and discontent on the internet, would be prepared to sit down with pen and paper and write it down and then send it off in an envelope to the appropriate recipients.)

Some writers who don't use electronic keyboards to write: Quentin Tarantino, (uses a pen), George R.R. Martin (uses an old word processor), Joyce Carol Oats (uses a pen), Tom Wolfe (uses either pen or a type writer), George Clooney (writes by hand) to mention a few.

For some, people choosing to use a fountain pen, ball-point, pencil or an old type writer may perhaps seem a bit "old-fashioned" in todays world of technology, but it is a choice no less. There are aspects of those tools that are quite practical in my view: with a pencil and a bit of paper you can write anywhere, even in a space shuttle floating upside down. A fountain pan is not only excellent as a writing tool, it is also an excellent tool for artistic endeavours (especially pen and ink works), a ball-point pen can also be used for sketching and drawing, gel pens have an incredible array of colours to chose from and with the event of "Mindfulness Colouring in Books" they are handy indeed. For those of us into "sounds", using an old type writer can be an auditory experience as well as a "physical" one. One thing these tools all have in common in my opinion, is that they somehow make you "feel" closer to the words you write, then when using a generic keyboard or a touch screen. Give it a try, get a pencil, or any kind of pen, and write something that means a lot to you on paper. Then write the same thing on the keyboard.... now do the same thing again but write something really vitriolic, insulting, offensive on paper, then on the keyboard.......and see how that feels.

Oh, and one of the really, really good things about the "old" writing implements is that whatever we may have written, can't be "sent" off accidentally......

“Irony, we want our handwriting to look like typed fonts, and our computer fonts to look like handwritten text.”
     (Vikrmn Corpkshetra)

(By the way, the image I have used as an illustration was made with Parker Ink, a fountain pen and a little bit of acrylic paint.)

On finding yourself............

 

Not long ago, my son and I had a joint exhibition called "Cinefiend" which was an homage to movie poster art. To promote the exhibition we made a "mock-up" of what a wall covered with different posters could look like. Except for the Frankenstein's monster, which is a large original acrylic painting on canvas, all the different posters are painted on large water colour paper and true to the original posters although as interpreted by us. Our aim was to pay homage, not "re-engineer", or improve, ..... we already considered them as amazing works of art.

What is art? Wikipedia: "Art is a diverse range of human activities of creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts." (Artworks)

The Urban dictionary has this to say: "The purpose of art is to create an emotional response in the person who is exposed to that art."

My definition is: "Art is an outer expression of an inner experience."

To which some of you may respond with: From the artists perspective perhaps, but what about those of us who are not artists?

What can art (music, sculpture, dance, literature, etc.)  do for us?

A few suggestions:

It can assist us in remembering. And we do so by buying(downloading) movies, books, images, concerts, ballets, TED talks, etc.etc. Most of us probably reach for the camera/phone when something that matters to us takes place. By having an image of that event we can return to it over and over again and be reminded of that experience. Which also applies to music, movies, etc..

It can assist us to preserve a sense of hope and optimism in the midst of all the troubles that befalls us

with the help of a beautiful landscape painting, a clever stand-up comedian/comedienne, a funny movie, music that makes us want to dance, and or words on a page that brings comfort to our souls, etc.etc.

It can assist us in our times of sorrow and pain. Do you know the song "Hallelujah" written by Leonard Cohen and made huge by Jeff Buckley? According to many people it's a sad, sad song, yet somehow also very comforting. When we are suffering, somehow "dark" paintings, sad music, movies with sad endings, dramas, tragic operas, sad poetry, etc. etc. often helps us getting through those difficult times. The artist's outer expression  of his/her inner experience made available to us through his/her art form offers us an opportunity to connect emotionally with someone else through their art.

It can assist us in awaken and connecting us with parts of ourselves that our everyday lives keep hidden from us. I can still remember exactly what time, where I was, and what I was doing when I first heard the song "Bring me into life" by Evanescence. The song somehow found its way straight into the most hidden parts of myself and made them visible to me. Many I have spoken with have had similar experiences with movies, documentaries, paintings, books, poems, or other art forms. Maybe you have too.

"We are not transparent to ourselves. We have intuitions, suspicions, hunches, vague musings and strangely mixed emotions, all of which resist simple definitions. We have moods, but we don't really know them. Then, from time to time, we encounter works of art that seem to latch on to something we have felt but never recognized clearly before." (Alain de Botton, "Art as therapy")

At times, we may reject artistic expressions because in our view they come in the "wrong" wrappings: "I don't like modern art, heavy metal, jazz, classical, country, etc. music, I don't like ballet, musicals, opera, street art, performance art, installations" and so on... unwittingly becoming prey to unfounded prejudiced judgements and missing out on valuable experiences.

"I don't like contemporary art, there's no real skill involved." 

"When you say contemporary art, what do you mean?"

"I mean that Pollock guy, Picasso, and those artists that just throw some paint on the canvas. Anybody could do that, no skill required."

"Would it surprise you if I told you that they are not classified as contemporary artists, but

Banksy, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairy, to mention a few, are regarded as contemporary artists, and they are all considered by most art connoisseurs as highly skilled."

I recently had a conversation similar to this with someone, I asked him if he was willing to have a look at some of my work as I see myself as a contemporary artist. He did. His comment was: "I guess I like contemporary art after all."

Alain de Botton again: "We grow up with a canon of art: a widely accepted list of art we should revere ..........." but what if we ignored that list and our own  "wrappings", what if like children we allowed ourselves to just emotionally experience the art before us whatever it may be?

The mind boggles.

"Art enables us to find ourselves and loose ourselves at the same time" (Thomas Merton)