This is a post dealing with America, not the America we hear about by our media and the government instead the real America that seems lost in translation. I watch Sunday Morning as often as I can get up early enough on a Sunday to watch. I enjoy the fact that they don’t tell us what to think about the story, don’t try to sway us politically or religiously about the issues and just simply tell a story about Americans, interesting people from around the world, pretty much what is happening around our world in small vignettes about people and places of interest.
This morning there was piece about the new World Trade Center and what struck me is the hope that is instilled in the America that I love. We face hardships and we rise to the occasion. Too much we are bombarded with how we are victims and are dependent on a government that knows what’s best for us and we are helpless, I believe this is agenda driven. In real life-Americans face the hard times and we rebuild, we join together and raise money for our victims of natural tragedies, we reach out to our homeless, to other countries like Haiti and Indonesia that go through their natural disasters. I’m not saying we have it all under control, there is more suffering than there needs to be and there are more people isolated and rejected but that goes with an increased unraveling of a community based society which has taken on the media and government as its support system. We have seen over the years that the government doesn’t do this as well as we do.
The concern the family and friends have for each other can not be replaced by a government that seems more intent on dividing us than supporting our needs. We can rebuild, we can rise again as America, the great nation I know we are capable of being but it’s going to take a rebuilding of a community, a disconnect of the constant connection to our electronic devices and state of mind where we look to each other for support and stop letting the media and the government keep us divided and distracted form our core principles,
I was looking on Roadrunner this morning and they have news blurbs, as if we don’t have enough places to read news, I noticed what I felt was an odd flashing of very different things all simultaneously. The first news blurb was about a woman who had her face axed by her brother and the next thing is a beautiful picture of the princess.
So who cares? What’s the problem? To me it’s the realization that we are constantly bombarded by media; violence, beauty, murder, rape and tabloid trash- everything rolls at us in a whirlpool. It’s hard to decipher what is real or fabricated and our emotions are in a constant switching between sadness and horror, beauty and discordant emotions.
From a strictly unprofessional observation, it is no wonder most of us are on some sort of antidepressant or mood altering drug. We are constantly being overwhelmed with emotions, images we shouldn’t probably see-both violent and bordering pornographic, mixed with the tabloid garbage and images of societies’ view of beauty and what is expected. Our brains are constantly switching from all different emotions meanwhile we are yanked around by the media by fear and apprehension of impending doom-it’s no wonder we aren’t all crazy-all things are relative who knows how to live or react to the outside stimulus that we can barely escape from on a daily basis.
En plein air(French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ plɛn‿ɛʁ]) is a French expression which means “in the open air,” and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors, which is also called peinture sur le motif(“painting on the ground”) in French.
I have recently started painting soon after initial inspirations, the spontaneousness of my work is actually almost like painting from life. Today I saw a tree in a field that was surrounded by puddles reflecting the rain, I started a painting this evening and the movement of the paint and the clear intention was as if I was painting from a photograph or on site.
I realize that I have gotten into a habit of sketching out an image and than putting it aside for what turns into years. The images from the previous series have a soft edge to them and a lack of details where the series I am working on now is more detailed and the idea is more on point. In this particular process I have been able to start a painting and finish it within a short matter of weeks instead of years as the ideas are so close to me that the painting pretty much paints itself.
I have felt a great immediacy of the image, it literally barely waits for the underpainting- and I am less likely to stall lost in details. I am more in control of the places I need detail and more methodical in the place that need less detail-creating work so quickly after the inspiration is something that is leaning me toward actually trying En Plein Air-something I have only done a few times-one time on the Appalachian trail, I painted the view of the Delaware River, I definitely intend on doing more on site painting but for now-the immediacy of painting from recent memory is the next best thing to En Plein Air.
This is probably the strangest painting I have done, let’s call it a momentary departure. This is the first of a series of dreams, I had this dream when I was like seven or eight and the willow tree that was in the back yard in my childhood house in New Jersey was struck by lightning in a storm. I ran to the tree to see that my Grandfather was freed as the tree shattered, i remember the powder of the pulp streaming all around and my grandfathers’ face was unmoved. It is amazing the dreams we remember so vividly.
This is my first attempt to actually capture the image after so many years in my subconscious, I’m not sure what the dream meant but the tree did get struck by lightning in the years to come and this tree was struck and my grandfather-no that’s just the beginning of a great tale, but the tree did really get struck by lightning.
The blackbirds were kind of an afterthought but they are symbolic of the not so comfortable aspects or atmosphere of some of my paintings. I write about them as well and they represent the impending doom or feeling comfortable with the presence of darker scarier things. I hope this painting brings about images or ideas from the viewer, maybe the viewer could create a story in their mind or perhaps inspire the idea of writing or paintings. So my challenge would be to write a short poem, essay, what ever you would enjoy adding to the picture and included it in the blog or on words and pix. What I would love to see from this post are others with dreams, their oldest or most vivid dream, include a picture on words and pix or writing or even Google plus or even simply comment-what is your most vivid dream you can remember and how long back did it occur?
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Eucha Lake, another clear lake where bass are plentiful, of course I’m going to have to take the locals word for it as we were skunked again. Smallmouth bass tend to be kind of finicky, you pay attention to the locals and where they go to catch the fish and we were right but we were about an hour early. This time of the year they catch them mostly at night, so as we were on our way out as the light of day faded boats were just coming in to position themselves in the same place where we were fishing.
I am getting more relaxed with the idea of being on a craft on the middle of a lake, even a ridiculously cold lake where the exit could be fatal with the onset of hypothermia. I was really uncomfortable on the windy wave swept Lake Murray but this lake and the day is completely still. There is a sound that is amazing that you never hear unless you get off the grid and into nature for a while. You hear only the birds and the movement of the water beneath the kayak. I have always said if there was a mountain near me I would exercise all the time well I guess I just found my substitute for the mountain; an open area of cool blue water on a still spring afternoon.
You exercise for hours and never feel like you are intentionally exercising. A stationary bike is boring to me-I want to get somewhere, explore somewhere. Earlier today we went to Natural Falls State Park, an incredible state park off the beaten path. We climbed the steep rocky ravines and enjoyed all the trails. You defiinitely realize how out of shape you are, which is something I am working on daily. Another aspect of the exercise is the piece of mind you get, there is something about those endorfens they talk about.
I relaxed and listened to wildlife and wrote for a while. I love to sit in the woods and finally for the first time in a while I was able to stop and enjoy it. There were woodpeckers making their nests in the trees or looking for dinner, couldn’t decide but they were definitely noisy. There were slate colored juncos, Eastern Bluebirds and many warblers. Matthew fished while I just sat and took everything in, he didn’t even want to go to this park being so intense about kayaking but now I’m having a problem getting him to leave.
After a full day of running around the area, exploring lakes and the falls, we are in the final hours of daylight, the chore that it was before doesn’t even exist any longer. We have perfected loading the kayaks on the car and getting in and out is getting easier every time. Next lake we will kayak is Ten Killer Lake-we are just starting to see the edge of the Ozarks, it’s been a wonderful trip so far. Until next time, get out and explore.
This post will end with a challenge, a challenge to capture something you see merit in and share it as one artist to another. Here is the idea-finding interest in the normal everyday things we see. Another aspect of this post is opinion-some of you may see nothing in this image, others will see the idea of something either haunting or of whatever interest or memory it sparks. The reason I photographed and retouched a bit-I will admit as not to mislead, I liked the texture and I liked the fact that you were looking outside into the country, it is an inspiration for a new series that is on my list-beautiful windows, this series will include a self portrait, an image of views through windows into ourselves, our families and life in general, not to be too artsy but the idea is a continuation of another new series I am finishing which is new perspectives capturing different vantage points in nature for the viewer to explore. For the first time in the last forty six years I am certain of what I need to paint and the information I need to decipher and share with the viewer.
This image was a revolt against logic, I saw it in a hotel room on a recent trip and usually I would just look at it and think it was interesting but not take the time to photograph or sketch it. I have explained that in the past I photographed things for the sake of interest and the minute I started thinking about why I photograph or paint or how would it sell or be received, my vision and uniqueness of seeing dissolved. This is a point and shoot photograph but I loved the texture of the sheets, it reminds me of the late evening on waves at the ocean. The curtains seemed haunting and the view outside was rough and rugged-I found interest in the light and texture and instead of letting it pass I captured it for the viewer to maybe stop and see something they see everyday and perhaps see something different.
At the end I have included images that were unretouched just to show the basic inspiration.
it is a facebook fan page-introduce yourself and show a picture or painting or really anything creative and explain why you captured it-the idea of this is the celebration or beauty of the mundane. I would love to see what others can find from the most simple everyday objects or places-so there’s your challenge, lets the words and pix begin.
Notice the crystal clear water and the waves-beautiful and intimidating.
This is the first kayak trip of our road trip and at this point I am rethinking the whole idea. I can’t say it was wonderful. I have gotten to the point where every kayak trip lately has been amazing and relaxing but not this one. It was cold, windy and the water kept threatening with extreme winds and higher waves. It’s a bit unnerving to be on a kayak drifting very quickly away from the shore. Of course, my son seemed indifferent to our impending doom as there were small mouth bass to be caught and that’s all that mattered.
I never did get to the point of being relaxed, I was watching waves smash the front of the kayak and thinking the swim back would’ve been rough if not impossible. My son’s idea of grabbing on to the kayak and just towing back to shore didn’t seem like a working process either as feeling the icy chill of the water, we realistically wouldn’t have the physical strength in our hands nor the clarity of mind to hold on to a kayak and be towed to shore, all of these thoughts kept me a bit on edge to say the least.
I have mentioned before my lack of comfort on open water-again why am I kayaking with a fear of open water? I have gotten mostly past this idea and that fear seemed distant at best with the reality of the peace that kayaking brings me. The fear was back and rampant and maybe for good reason-instinct to survive. Being out on rough water reminds me of riding a horse, you have to show the animal that you are in charge, right up until it bucks you and shows its not only not buying it but can throw you with very little effort, so is the lake water. The waves smash against the front of your boat and as much as you act like your in control it shows you very quickly how fast it can turn you over and change the whole day.
The water is clear and amazingly fresh-there is a sweetness you can smell- a fragrance I can barely describe. The waves are almost a pale malachite color-so beautiful and yet still rather grumpy this early March afternoon. My legs are still sore from standing in the fifty degree water and in an attempt to keep warm I have over layered myself with jackets, now you start to sweat and at the same time the awkwardness of being wrapped up too tight brings back that familiar awkward feeling. I stop along the way only to get slammed into the rocks and tangled up in my fishing line. Like I said, a bit uncomfortable and most intimidating.
Another problem we were both experiencing was the lack of energy. The eggs we intended to have before kayaking turned into grey mush with a very strong wind and a lack of good firewood or charcoal. We ended up having to charge our engines with sunflower seeds and cliff bars-tasty and all but we needed more nourishment to keep up strong against the winds and waves. It ended with an exhausted kayaker still hungry and a son who was disgusted with the fore mentioned kayaker unable to maintain body heat and interest in kayaking.
The rest of the day was wonderful and an amazing thing happened, I found my relaxation. My son went fishing while I sat down and wrote, sketched and took in all the amazing nature that surrounded me. I photographed what was around me and just had an incredible moment to find my inner self that needed so much to feel the silence and beauty of the outdoors-my first feeling of being detached and peaceful.
Okay I’ll admit it, my body does not like the cold ground or the ground doesn’t appreciate being laid on all night-one of the two. The final conclusion is that we are not friends and I nor my back are as young as we used to be. I feel like someone has beaten every bone in my body. It only lasts a short time after waking up but the time it lasts is brutal. One positive thing about the ground is that it must have a chiropractic effect because although my muscles are sore my back has never felt better. A solid support is good for the back, it must be the cold that effects the muscles. I realize with age that I have a bit less tolerance for cold as well a truth that is lost on my son who seems indifferent to my plight. Another problem with age is the need to sleep, not the quick realization of the sun and running out to see whatever wildlife I can find, instead I want to sleep trying to hide my eyes from the sun.
I remember when I was very young, I used to go outside as soon as the light came through the window. We used to stay in an A-frame house in Promised Land State Park. While the adults were drinking coffee and enjoying what to me was mundane conversation, I was out there enjoying every bit of nature I could find, including the occasional deer, bear and raccoon. Now I sure could use a great mundane conversation and a cup of coffee would be great as well.
One final post about the ground, as not to beat a dead horse, or a cold solid -well you get it. My son has never seen a shooting star, it always happens in his peripheral view and he always seems to just miss it. He talked me into something that was both childish and uncomfortable but an amazing experience we will both remember. He wanted to lay on the ground at night and watch the stars trying to catch a glimpse of a shooting star. It would be a great idea and one I would be all for if it wasn’t for the fact that the landscape around the lake is all stones and cold wet sand. We compromised, we sat and watched and than laid down on a couple of rocks and watched the stars. I assume neighbor campers must have thought we were crazy but it was very cool. I used to lay on the hood of a car up in Pennsylvania and watch for shooting stars, but now we were on the soil with a softer rock-not really-under my head watching a great expanse of lights stretched to every direction we could see. I guess so much for me and the ground not being friends as it was quite enjoyable and my back remained intact, even though the muscles were a bit aggravated for a bit of time.
Original photo sketch for the fishermen
Initial sketch for the fishermen
All I can say is the universe and all of its amazing attributes is breathtaking when you stop and look at it. Not only is it amazing on the first look but it is changing constantly. At first there were a faint pepper of light stars that looked like celestial clouds with a deep blue aura broken only by the moonlight. The lake reflected the light so perfectly and the trees framing it was simple and stunning. We discussed the universe and the fact that many of the stars we see have long since perished. I saw three shooting stars that he barely got a chance to see-again in the peripheral view. We discussed the Milky Way and I realized how little I know about Astronomy and how much more I need to know. Next time we take a trip like this we will have a telescope and a bit more knowledge.
I plan on painting this scene as well-a star filled sky with accurate depiction of the star layouts-I’ll let you know how well that goes. I will post it as an update but there will be several moon scenes both in pastel and oils. The image I included on this post will be the reflection of the stars and be created as a night scene. Two other images that will be taken from this trip is a painting of the fishermen, an image of the light reflecting off of the water with just silhouettes of several fishermen or woman for that matter.
It’s amazing how much you talk and the interesting things a father and son can talk about when you stop and observe, so many things we have interests in learning more about, so many thoughts and ideas you never get a chance to talk about when we life such a busy life. We found a bit of ourselves under the stars and we will both never forget it.
Spring break 2013-go out and find nature and maybe even some peace and understanding along the way. We loaded up the kayaks and we’re off to Grand Lake of the Cherokees in far north Oklahoma. Every time I plan one of these trips there are always so many options for the trip to go south and believe me I think of every one, car trouble, bear attack-ok maybe the roaming serial killer but this trip I would say was pretty amazing. My son and I had planned this for the last six months. Sometimes I equate a trip like jumping out of an airplane-you plan for it, train for the jump and learn about your parachute but there is always that moment in the airplane where you hesitate so embarking on a trip out in the middle of nowhere and camping for the next week-it’s a bit intimidating.
Our original plan was to go straight up to Grand Lake but leaving later than expected and an inability to get myself into that checked out feeling made us change our plans. We ended up going to Lake Murray near Ardmore Oklahoma. We found a spot to camp on buzzard’s roost. We met these two wildlife biology students and really enjoyed their company. We brought steelhead trout, they brought the s’mores we forgot to bring-what’s a camping trip without s’mores right? We shared much about our interests in wildlife and shared a fire. All I can say about camping is if you allow it, you can meet some great people and learn about other peoples lives and interests. I think camping brings out the sense of community we have lost in our daily lives and from the looks of it most of us are very anxious to be social even if it’s a bit of an awkward skill.
I forgot how much I missed the electric hour and how the light plays on the water and makes the mundane amazing. Tucker tower was lit in the distance, an amazing sight as the sun went down and we pitched our tent. We have a really small simple tent, very easy to setup and comfortable to sleep in. My son was embarrassed by my need to have a blow up mattress-I am wimp by his view but a wimp with a really bad back-I lost the fight the first night but the second night with the arrival of another camper next to us that just happened to be blowing up their mattress found it appropriate to blow up ours. It kept us warm and comfortable above the ground but soon left us on the cold, solid and very uncomfortable ground. We definitely need to check to see if we can find the leak as I like waking up being able to move and the ground tends to be a bit cruel on a back that is out of alignment.
In the morning we felt the cold windy day we had in store for us, even the geese seemed a bit uncomfortable going into the water. We met several friends that kept us company along the way, several Canadian geese. The water seemed cold, rough and unfriendly to me, the idea of getting wet did not seem like a good idea at all. Being less of a wimp than my son gives me credit for, we did it-the only ones out there beside one boat, everyone else was hiking dressed all warm and we were getting into the water.
I have a description of the first kayak trek which will be in my next blog post. It wasn’t the most enjoyable and was more exhausting and stressful than I would have preferred and I believe I was still in city in my mind-not quite detached and relaxed yet. My son loving Lake Murray as he does wanted to stay two nights, which was fine with me but I really wanted to get up to the north and closer to the mountains of the Ozarks but I think I needed the ease in to the vacation and it was helpful to allow me to find that sweet spot of relaxation going into the trip. There needs to be a buffer between your life and stopping your normal tendency to stress and pay attention to all things not peaceful, Such is life I guess.
Stay tuned for the next installment-getting wet and loving it? It’s windy and cold, let’s get in the water? It’s so cold even the loons are looking at us strange, can I change my mind???? It’s cccccold and windy? All of these are possible titles but it all works out. Until the next get out and explore. Are you ready to explore? Map a place on the map, find several places of interest and get out there.
Well I’m in an odd place in the series which I would almost call an addendum to the previous series. It would be adequate to use that term if it weren’t for the fact that this series is taking off in a great departure from the previous and will stand on its own as a new series for 2013. Here is the strange place as I have in the past mentioned that there are points in the creative process where you feel like you are painting someone else’s painting and it has always been an awkward and never a positive place to be which usually hints to the end of a great creative state. I am having the same feeling with this series only with an amazing positive twist.
Now I feel like I’m painting someone else’s painting but instead of being awkward and tagging along I feel I am looking over an other’s shoulder. You can call it anything you want but I consider it a divine intervention. I am painting from perspectives I have never even tried to attempt and for some reason-right now, it’s working. As not to bore the reader I will explain three paintings that I just worked with today and try to not go into too much detail about any one.
First, I started painting today without a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish, I just knew I wanted to paint and had a bit of time available for it. I started on a completely new painting called moon flower. It is the view of a large tree from the bottom of its trunk. You are looking up into the moonlit sky and the peripheral images are faded and dark. Your attention is taken by the large, almost surreal moon flowers- I am right in the middle of detailed and accurate detail and soft dreamlike areas without much detail. I want the viewer to feel the dreamy affect of the background and the moon but still can ponder on the detail and accuracy of the moon flowers which glow in the moon filled sky. The view of the image is already awkward and you feel a bit off balance and I haven’t even filled in all of the detail and added the visual cues to show you how high the tree is from your vision.
The next painting is a bridge-it’s a simple bridge image and that is the beauty of it, it kind of painted itself, it is from a walk I took with my son. It is almost monochromatic blue, again detail in the extreme close up of the rocks and than it fades into the distance of an overcast sky. It is a basic landscape but the light and shadows are extreme and atmospheric.
The last painting is a field, the same I have driven by for so many years and have captured in my memory and have attempted to capture in previous images. Now the image is all about detail and the light in the sky, a road comes up to meet you as you look through a deep mesh of wild sunflowers reflecting the last bit of light from the sunset that is disappearing in the pink and amber sky.
I am excited about the direction and the intensity of colors and lights balanced with a darkness that was previously common in older works. I also intend on working more extremely cold and detailed images of rivers in Yosemite and Montana so stay tuned. I look forward to the next series and look forward to your comments and critiques. Thanks for reading.
Artbygordon: Original oils on canvas, Original pastels on paper celebrating the beauty and mystery of nature. Water and night skies are my specialties.
