Does language ruin art?

I was reading an interesting book the other day called ..... and in the book they talk about how kids learn to draw, how the simple act of taking something, a pencil, a crayon, a stick in the dirt, whatever and making a mark is a profound event in development. It is a statement that I have impact exterior to myself. That I can create something that stays even when I'm not there. Then kids learn to make marks more or less on purpose, they will make what seems like random marks but those marks represent something to a child. a feeling, an emotion, an item. The book discussed that we as adults are the ones who assign verbal meaning to those marks. Asking "are you drawing?" or "are you writing?" gives a definition and a purpose to those marks. If we assume or encourage that the marks are 'drawing' then we reinforce the creation of art. My feelings, translated into these marks equals art...I MADE this. where as 'writing' narrows the creative field to a set of rules and parameters. We have 26 letters in our language. therefore, no matter what my marks look like, the adult is saying "what you are making must be one of 26". That's pretty limiting wouldn't you say?

What if the questions asked of a child was "what are you creating?". Then the child could explain "this is a dog, this is my name, this is you". Those marks then might represent an object, a word or name and a concept or relationship.

It is more than possible that by the time children learn to complete whole sentences that we have already formed in their minds what is 'art' and whether we value the act of creating and creativity. Do we use words like 'good, pretty, fun, bored, do something, alone, creation, wasteful, careful, colorful,etc". What do those words connote about the act of creating. Children are taught and told pretty early whether being creative is not only acceptable, but within their reach. It's very sad how many adults I know who say that they are 'not artists' or 'can't draw' and can tell you about an adult early in their life who either discouraged art and creation or flat out TOLD them they were not artistic. When people tell me they 'can't draw a stick figure', I want to ask them 'who told you that?"

The book goes on to say that as children age into older adolescence, they tend to imitate what will bring them acceptance even in art. Are they encouraged to create or re-create? Are the parameters for creation too limiting? Teens tend to copy things. Japanese Manga art is a great example. So many people learn to draw in this socially recognized and accepted 'style' that they are limiting their creations to a sort of category, not unlike the 26 letters. The eyes are big, the features are feminine, the proportions are distorted. As an art teacher, I've given teens a mirror and told them to draw what they see and they will reproduce a Manga-ized version of what they see...big eyes, tiny mouth. There is a disconnect between what we actually see and what our brains then translate into what is the accepted representation of that thing.

The opposite can be a problem too. I want to chafe at this because I enjoy and am good at photo realism, but the exact copying of a photo or even something from real life like figure drawing or still life is limiting in the fact that if it's not really right there in front of me, I'm not going to reproduce it. It's unacceptable to my image. For example, I would have a hard time if I were drawing from life and someone said "include in your drawing what is behind that vase, or through that wall, or in that person's pockets or what the model is thinking'. If I can't SEE it, it is not worthy to be in the work.

So, returning to the question posed 'Does language ruin art?' it raises the question whether the labeling of things, even the act of creating itself limits what is or even can be created.

Beyond the age of speech, when we can and are asked to justify 'what are you doing' we are rarely encouraged to stop using words and labels and just make it up. To make a series of marks because it makes my muscles relaxed to make a certain mark or because I like the sound of the instrument on the surface. Even if we are encouraged to put in to visual form an idea or concept, we are still limited by the acceptable definition of that idea or concept. If you were given a black marker and told to illustrate the idea of BLUE you are already shackled by the parameters of the word 'illustrate' and the preconceived ideas of blue. Blue things? Again, words in a category, or the feelings attributed to blue-rest, peace, cool etc. If asked to illustrate BLUE and I drew a bunch of spirals, ripped off a corner of the page and drew a chicken with a gun, is that wrong? Maybe psychologically, but clearly that would 'buck the system' of what is acceptable in relation to the label 'BLUE'.

Even abstract artists, so labeled 'Professional Abtstract' artists are using labels at least as much as any other artist. What does this giant red canvas 'say?' What does the artist 'mean' by this? The artist might have chosen every single step of the process because of what will be inferred or connoted by those choices. How big is it? Where will it hang? who will I offend and why? How much will I charge for this?

I wish I could somehow be the 'art fairy' in a club with the tooth fairy and Santa Claus and get to visit every child pre-speech and plant the idea in their head that the stuff that comes out of their head and the physical act of transferring that to a visual representation is OK and no matter how old they get, those marks are as important and as much an exterior projection of identity as those first scribbles. That if the act of creating is pleasurable, then do it for that reason. If it's not, then find something that is, but not to let the labels of 'artist, artistic, talented, creative" etc. determine whether or not they have permission to create.

So, what's the point? If you are reading this, it's too late to implant the filter that will allow you to create as you did pre-language. I don't know, I think though that it makes me think about the words that I assign to creation and how every one of those words says loads about how I was encouraged or discouraged as that age. If there's a pre-language child in your life, maybe chose your words carefully, or better yet, use fewer.

The idea that there's nothing new under the sun may be truer to say that 'there's nothing that we haven't labeled'

Statement of Purpose

I've had over a month to get my change of major paperwork done. Guess how much is done. Did you guess all of it? Fool! No...none of it.

I have to submit all new paperwork. Today I am determined to get my statement of purpose done. There are only 50 students in the whole major. I've spoken to the professors and they know me by my first name, and yet, I have to write all of this nonsense so they can determine if I can join thier major. Pshhhh. It's very tempting to just stay where I am, but...that's the lazy way out. Wish me luck.

Torrit Grey

It seems these days that there are a million new companies that make paint. water soluble oils and all kinds of 'hand made' paint. Some I like and some I don't, but one company that I DO like is also impressive in their recycling efforts.

Gamblin Oil Paint makes paint...duh. For those of you who don't know how different paints are made, oil paint is made from dry powdered pigment mixed with a drying oil such as linseed oil. There might also be OMS, or varnish etc that change the gloss of the paint, but basically, without getting into a scientific discussion of paint, suffice it to say that oil paint is dry pigment mushed into linseed oil.

Well at the Gamblin factory, there would probably be an awful lot of colorful boogers with the massive volume of colors they make. Think about it. Y'know when you pour flour into another container, or sugar...or any powder, it makes cloud, gets in your eyes, your nose...(hence the rainbow boogers). But at Gamblin, they have an air filtration system called the Torrit air system.

This Torrit air system sucks all of the otherwise rainbow shnoz pigment particles into the system and collects them for a year.

Imagine every color you have, mixed together. What color would it be? Well, I can tell you that if you mixed every color that Gamblin made this year into one paint, it would be Torrit Grey. They take all of the dust from all of the pigment of all of the colors that they make and make it into a paint called Torrit Grey. Every year it's a little different. Sometimes, it's a brownish grey. Sometimes, it's very black.

And, not only do they recycle all of the particles (some of which would not be good to work their way into the water system if they were flushed down a drain or thrown in a landfill), but they have a contest every year to paint a picture, using JUST Torrit grey and white and black. There is a small cash prize each year and some of the entries are impressive.

The best part of Torrit grey is that it's FREE. or supposed to be. Some less reputable dealers make you buy X amount of stuff to get it, but if you ask at the counter of better art supply stores, they are supposed to give you a tube. gratis.

Check it out.

Recycling with a cool end product. Can't beat that.

Favorite Pen

The world is going to hell in a handbasket. The economy is screwed, the Earth is FUBAR and I've put on at least 20 pounds since college. BUT

BUT...

There's a bright side. Never let it be said that I can't find something happy. Today's source of happiness boys and girls is a new favorite pen.

Now...if you are not an artist, or an artist who never draws...ahem...read the last entry...then you probably don't or can't grasp the magnitude of a favorite pen.

However, as I DO draw CONSTANTLY...I have been through my share of pens.

First let me say, I'm a pen girl. There's more to that statement then might meet the eye. Some people are pen people and some folks are pencil peeps. Pencil people are more tentative. They like to have an out. A do-over...a mulligan if you will. They sketch or write in short bits always ready to flip that puppy over and wipe out whatever they've just done.

Pen people on the other hand are fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants folks. Permanent ink baby. In the immortal words of Ghandi..."Shit or get off the pot". We do crosswords and Sudoku in pen. Our sketches have no hope of being erased. They're there pal...for all perpetuity. (by the way, pen people with white out handy are just closet pencil people).

Now, Sharpie people are just out there. These are the people who bungie jump and play in traffic and dont care if the writing instrument of their choice will not only mark on whatever they are writing on, but will most likely bleed through and leave a permanent announcement for all future generations that 'a Sharpie person was here".

But...I digress

I have a new pen.

"This is the pen I bought ONE HOUR before my bike was stolen! What's the significance?! I DONT KNOW!!!" -Pee Wee Herman.

I've been partial to a few pens over the years. I ten

d to be drawn. haha. get it...drawn... to almost anything that Pilot makes. I've liked the V5 Precise with the little ink window. So smooth so black..

There was something space age about this pen. No suddenly running out of ink with this baby. Nooo...you had plenty of warning young lady.

But then...it had it's drawbacks. Have you ever taken one of these bad boys on a plane? The air pressure -or perhaps it was the result of appalling service on Delta- would make these puppies leak like yesterday's diaper. They tended to blob a bit.

And...while they say the ink is permanent...it's not. If you used this pen in a mixed media work, and got the ink wet, you know, it turns kind of a cool red. Great if you want that effect, a royal pisser if you didnt.

So, my next pen was the G2. Not to be confused with any sort

of failed government summit, this was another pen by Pilot.

This sleek puppy had the cool window so you could keep track of your ink supply (not to mention some sort of groovy yellow wax looking thing that followed the ink down. Sleek clip, more ergo dynamic, even a comfy grip.

so, what's the downside. For one, these pens are harder to find than a virgin in New Jersey. Everyone steals them. And if you find them on sale, folks gobble them up. They are a bit pricey in my opinion too.

And, they also tend to glob a bit, especially if they've sat awhile, and they are much more of a throwback to the roller ball ink that tends to be a little harder to control when working on a precise drawing.

So...what's the new pen already. Keep your hair on. I've left the ranch and have turned down the Pilot cool aid. My new pen is not a Pilot at all, but a Tul. Go ahead...make your jokes. What a tool. (I think that's why they made the name all...faincy and called it Tul with an umlaut <---SAT word...look it up)

so without further ado, a dew or adieu...The new pen

TADA!!! The Tul needle fine black .5 retractable gel pen. With a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. Ok...not really, but c'mon. This is a cool pen. A subtle ink window. a meh clip, but a point so fine you could take out your own appendix with it. The line is consistent, smooth and sooo fine. Fine as in thin and fine as in...well...fine.

Now granted, I havent had this pen very long and TUL's drawback seems to be that they are their own biggest fan, with space aged packaging that reeled me right in. Forget bubble packaging, these babies are sold in capsules. Screw Tang...if we still had a space program, they'd be taking these pens to the moon.

I'll keep you posted, but for now, along with stock piling Ramen noodles for the 2012 end of the world, I'm gonna buy a crate of these bad boys.

Sketching sketching sketching

**Edit...allow me to apologize ahead of time for the crazy picture placement in this entry. Blogger is messing with me and what I put in place seems to have a mind of its own. So...the pictures in this entry are very Zen like in their random-osity. Deal with it.
I've been really caught up in applying for grad school so I've been slack in much of the online department. I've been painting, and photographing, and sketching...but no blogging.

While I was working on one of my submissions the other day at a local coffee shop, a lady I knew from town came in and we started chatting about drawing (as I'd just seen her at a figure drawing session). She was frustrated with her work and said that she gets tense and doesn't like what she has drawn and it discourages her etc. etc.

I told her that she, and I...and anyone else who wants to improve their work needs to sketch...all...the ....time. Everything. There is no end to what you can draw.

I think the problem is that people wait for something "pretty' or 'picturesque'. Well...if that's the case, you aren't going to draw much. However, if you draw EVERYTHING, then when that great something comes along, you'll have the chops to carry it out and come much closer to what you envision in your mind.

I have a small (8x10)

sketchbook that I take everywhere

with me. Nothing fancy. I think I bought it at Barnes and Noble for like $6. I have a pen I like clipped in the binding. If I'm having lunch alone,

I'll draw. If I'm waiting at an office, I'll sketch. Heck, if I'm sitting on

Marta on my way to the

airport, I'll draw the folks around me. Nothing is off limits.

Don't worry if 'people are hard'. or any other excuse, just draw it. Do some blind contours. Who are you drawing for anyway? Who's going to see it? This is your sketchbook, your artistic gym. Give yourself a workout.

Besides...if you are being constructive and practicing your drawing skills, you can put off getting off your ass and going to the real gym.

Jury Selection

Yesterday, I received a letter from the State of Virginia, where I used to live, about a jury questionnaire. It was all about seeing if I qualified for jury duty in Virginia. Seeing as I have resided in the state of Georgia for the past 4+ years...I'd bet not. However, there was a weird question. It said "have you lived in this state for the past year". It did not however, specify WHICH state it was referring to. The state that was inquiring, or the state to which they mailed it. I answered both YES and NO. That ought to throw them for a loop.

But...keeping in the theme of juries, yours truly was selected by a jury of her realistic peers to be in the 6th annual International Guild of Realism show in Santa Fe New Mexico. I'm pretty stoked. Especially, as I've entered several contests in the past few months and have mostly been handed my hat, so to speak. So...yeah me.

Just goes to show, whatever state you are in ...Virginia, Georgia...or even the state of denial, keep trying.

This is the painting that made it in.

Continuing Ed

Today I went back to school. Well, ok, I just took a tour and spoke to the grad school folks but it's the first step back into the world of academia.

In high school I received a scholarship to Savannah College of ARt and Design. At the time, it just wasnt financially in the cards and I always kind of felt that it was an unfinished...out there.

In 2005, SCAD opened a satellite school in Atlanta. Hello. That's where I live. hmmm...

Everything happens for a reason and maybe the reason we moved back here was its my turn. SCAD has always been my dream school and maybe now I'm ready and SCAD is ready for me. It's daunting. It's easy to say "nah, not right now, it's too expensive, it's too hard, it's too..." but I think it's time. The applications is in. The first born child is signed away. Damnit. I'm goin'.