Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Hey Diddle Diddle Animated Gif of Book
Whew I just finished the animations for my latest books. Here is the first one, Hey Diddle Diddle, published by Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
W.B. Yeats Reminds Us to Not Tread on Others Dreams
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
By W.B. Yeats
Art is a Job
Sadly there is a lot of misconception about artist and their creativity. I know I am blessed to be able to be an artist for half my adult life, the other half I worked in the banking industry, I am sure most artists feel a double edged sword if they have chosen to try to eek a living out of their art.
Before becoming an artist for a living, it took me many years of practice and going to college before I started on my art career, I used to think that artist were given their talent by God . . .and some are. That alone is probably the reason I didn't become an artist in the first place. I didn't feel I had enough talent to succeed so I didn't give it a go. My talent needed to be developed through classes and many hours of study. I believe that in most cases God has given the artist the desire to learn how to paint and draw. It takes many hours of long hard studying and work. Once I did get through art college I found that the daily structure of having to do it for a living with long days and nights of hard deadlines, somehow hurt that romantic flavor of creating. Not saying I don't enjoy it, I do and I do feel blessed to do it, and I am thankful to God for giving me the drive to succeed. But it is hard. . .it's a lot of hard work. . .and it's just that work. I feel that those who do succeed in having art as a career succeed not only because of their talent but because of long hard hours that other artist may not have put in. Some are given a gift from the get go of being able to create beautiful illustrations, but for most of us it's a long hard journey. One last note. Most artists also find it hard to turn the art machine off, which might be the reason so many of us burn out. It's an addiction to create.
Before becoming an artist for a living, it took me many years of practice and going to college before I started on my art career, I used to think that artist were given their talent by God . . .and some are. That alone is probably the reason I didn't become an artist in the first place. I didn't feel I had enough talent to succeed so I didn't give it a go. My talent needed to be developed through classes and many hours of study. I believe that in most cases God has given the artist the desire to learn how to paint and draw. It takes many hours of long hard studying and work. Once I did get through art college I found that the daily structure of having to do it for a living with long days and nights of hard deadlines, somehow hurt that romantic flavor of creating. Not saying I don't enjoy it, I do and I do feel blessed to do it, and I am thankful to God for giving me the drive to succeed. But it is hard. . .it's a lot of hard work. . .and it's just that work. I feel that those who do succeed in having art as a career succeed not only because of their talent but because of long hard hours that other artist may not have put in. Some are given a gift from the get go of being able to create beautiful illustrations, but for most of us it's a long hard journey. One last note. Most artists also find it hard to turn the art machine off, which might be the reason so many of us burn out. It's an addiction to create.
Friday, September 2, 2011
In my InBox this morning: Letter from the CEO of Starbucks
Dear Starbucks Friend and Fellow Citizen:
I love our country. And I am a beneficiary of the promise of America. But today, I am very concerned that at times I do not recognize the America that I love.
Like so many of you, I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failure of leadership in Washington. And also like you, I am frustrated by our political leaders' steadfast refusal to recognize that, for every day they perpetuate partisan conflict and put ideology over country, America and Americans suffer from the combined effects of paralysis and uncertainty. Americans can't find jobs. Small businesses can't get credit. And the fracturing of consumer confidence continues.
We are better than this.
Three weeks ago, I asked fellow business leaders to join me in urging the President and the Congress to put an end to partisan gridlock and, in its place, to set in motion an upward spiral of confidence. More than 100 business leaders representing American companies - large and small - joined me in signing a two-part pledge:
First, to withhold political campaign contributions until a transparent, comprehensive, bipartisan debt-and-deficit package is reached that honestly, and fairly, sets America on a path to long-term financial health and security. Second, to do all we can to break the cycle of economic uncertainty that grips our country by committing to accelerate investment in jobs and hiring.
In the weeks since then, I have been overwhelmed by the heartfelt stories of Americans from across the country, sharing their anguish over losing hope in the strongest and most galvanizing force of all - the American Dream. Some feel they have no voice. Others feel they no longer matter. And many feel they have been left behind.
We cannot let this stand.
Please join other concerned Americans and me on a national call-in conversation on Tuesday September 6th hosted by "No Labels," a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering cooperative and more effective government. To learn more about the forum and the pledges, visit www.upwardspiral2011.org
America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history. We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world. And while our Founding Fathers recognized the constructive value of political debate, we must send the message to today's elected officials in a civil, respectful voice they hear and understand, that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now.
Yours is the voice that can help ignite the contagious upward spiral of confidence that our country desperately needs.
With great respect,
Howard Schultz
chief executive officer, Starbucks Coffee Company
I love our country. And I am a beneficiary of the promise of America. But today, I am very concerned that at times I do not recognize the America that I love.
Like so many of you, I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failure of leadership in Washington. And also like you, I am frustrated by our political leaders' steadfast refusal to recognize that, for every day they perpetuate partisan conflict and put ideology over country, America and Americans suffer from the combined effects of paralysis and uncertainty. Americans can't find jobs. Small businesses can't get credit. And the fracturing of consumer confidence continues.
We are better than this.
Three weeks ago, I asked fellow business leaders to join me in urging the President and the Congress to put an end to partisan gridlock and, in its place, to set in motion an upward spiral of confidence. More than 100 business leaders representing American companies - large and small - joined me in signing a two-part pledge:
First, to withhold political campaign contributions until a transparent, comprehensive, bipartisan debt-and-deficit package is reached that honestly, and fairly, sets America on a path to long-term financial health and security. Second, to do all we can to break the cycle of economic uncertainty that grips our country by committing to accelerate investment in jobs and hiring.
In the weeks since then, I have been overwhelmed by the heartfelt stories of Americans from across the country, sharing their anguish over losing hope in the strongest and most galvanizing force of all - the American Dream. Some feel they have no voice. Others feel they no longer matter. And many feel they have been left behind.
We cannot let this stand.
Please join other concerned Americans and me on a national call-in conversation on Tuesday September 6th hosted by "No Labels," a nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering cooperative and more effective government. To learn more about the forum and the pledges, visit www.upwardspiral2011.org
America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history. We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world. And while our Founding Fathers recognized the constructive value of political debate, we must send the message to today's elected officials in a civil, respectful voice they hear and understand, that the time to put citizenship ahead of partisanship is now.
Yours is the voice that can help ignite the contagious upward spiral of confidence that our country desperately needs.
With great respect,
Howard Schultz
chief executive officer, Starbucks Coffee Company
Thursday, September 1, 2011
It's Finished!
Here is my next painting. Not sure why it looks washed out a bit on the right side. . .it is 24 x 25 acrylic on hardboard with a crackle medium undercoating before painting. Odd size I know, but it's that size, because that is how big the guy at Home Depot cut it. I had asked to have the board cut in half. . .the other one is not square either. That's okay. . .I like it. These are totally not real plants or birds. . .felt very creative so I invented my own.
I love that crackle finish!!!!!
Now onto the next painting. I am going to try my hand at more of a painting collage with maybe some other things attached to it. Onward and upward! Might use the crackle finish again. . .but maybe not.
I do have a smaller canvas 12 x 12 all crackled and ready to go too and I might do that one first. Square. . .I am attracted to square art at the moment.
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