Does Art Have A Purpose?

This is a reprint of an article that I wrote for LinkedIn.

1441 MK Trail

Mineral King Trail, 11 x 14″, oil on wrapped canvas, $175

In the art world, one can always find a discussion about the purpose of art. Is it to decorate? To enhance? To inspire? Or, is its purpose to disrupt, to cause one to examine one’s life, or simply to disturb?

The latest news flash disrupts. The top of the hour news causes one to examine one’s life. The all-news-all-the-time reiteration of gross events in the world is disturbing.

Be honest now: is this what you want on the walls in your life? In my humble opinion, disruption, self-examination and disturbances are more the purview of news than art.

I live in a poor rural county in the center of California. Art is a strange way to earn a living here, and it is a hard haul at times. No matter how difficult it is, I am motivated, nay, DRIVEN to find and show the beauty of this place I’ve always called home. Sure, I could make art about stolen vehicles, meth, teen pregnancy, poverty, diabetes, obesity or bad air, but who wants to look at that??

Artists are told by professors, publications, websites, seminars, workshops and other artists that we must convey a message, tell a story, incite people to think.

As an artist, my response to this “must” is two-fold: first, an automatic internal reaction that I may not have anything worth saying other than “Ooh, how beautiful”, and second, perhaps that message of beauty is irrelevant.

Recently, I became aware of a transcript of a talk given by philosopher and writer Roger Scruton, called “Why Beauty Matters”. (http://www.facetofaceintercultural.com.au/a-fading-beauty/) He points out that beauty is a value, one that is as important as truth or goodness.

Scruton quotes Oscar Wilde, who said, “All art is absolutely useless”, and he opines that Wilde intended this as praise. How can uselessness be viewed as a compliment? He actually viewed beauty as having a higher value than usefulness.

What a contrary concept in this age of edgy brashness, outrageous trendiness, and ever-increasing audaciousness, all for shock value.

Once again, I admonish you to be honest: do you want to be shocked as you pass down your hallway? Disturbed while waiting for your coffee? Upset as you settle in for the evening?

Beautiful art can bring grace to your home and peace to your life. We all know that life can be hard. Have you ever considered that beauty soothes the troubled soul and takes the edge off the difficult times? It can momentarily transport us away from our daily harsh realities, and it is an immeasurably great quality that we cannot overdose on.

I’ll take soothing over shocking every day. Art serves in that capacity for me, both in its creation and in its display. Like goodness and truth, I need beauty in my life. Art helps to fulfill that need.

New Year, New Challenge

I met a guy who likes my art. He is in an art related business, studied architecture and has similar ideas to mine about what makes good art. He told me that he has decided I am an “art-itect”. I understood the term immediately.

A few weeks ago he asked me to bid on a mural for a wall inside his business. We talked awhile about what he wanted, and I came up with ideas for him. Scenery, trees, sort of a tunnel feel, autumn type colors, light in the distance. . .

Then, he popped up with this “art-itect” thing. I should have sensed trouble coming. Instead, I felt flattered, and understood, and appreciated.

visalia granite

Oh my! This is what he wants painted on his wall!!

I’ll keep you posted.

 

New Year, New Website!

1432 FG Alpen Glow

Farewell Gap Alpen Glow, 11 x 14″, oil on wrapped canvas, $175

Happy New Year! It’s a cliche, a greeting, a wish, a cultural norm. We are generally an optimistic society and I am an optimist too, so it is with high hopes for 2015 that I express this heartfelt wish to my blog readers who haven’t given up on me.

There are lots of web designers out there, sort of like “lots of fish in the sea”. However, finding the right one is a trick. It took me 2 years, and then I met Adrianne Abel Gosselin of Pyramid Graphic Design through another artist on LinkedIn. She is EXACTLY who I’ve been seeking to repair, redo and replace my increasingly broken website and blog. What you are viewing is the result of her expertise and my monkey work. She trained me to enter all my projects, sold and unsold pieces on the site so that I didn’t have to pay her the big bucks to do what I could do myself. She listened well, organized things, was concise and clear in all her training, and did just what I asked for.

Now it is possible for you to subscribe and to comment!

Who would like to try out the commenting? How about a prize for the first one to post the first comment on my first post of the new blog in 2015!

‘Scuse me – I’ve got to go choose something to be a fitting prize. . .

Book Signing December 23

The Cabins of Wilsonia

Book Signing

Exeter Courthouse Gallery

125 South B Street, Exeter, California

12:30 – 5:30

Yes, I know 5 hours is a long time. That is the normal time for drawing lessons, and there are none in December so I decided to use the space and time for The Cabins of Wilsonia. Besides, the more spaced out it is, the more time I have to spend with each guest! Will you be one of them?

The Cabins of Wilsonia, $81 including tax (mailing adds $5)



Odd Job Based on Mineral King

After many years of being an artist in Tulare County, and specializing in Mineral King, people often think of me when they need an artist. I get asked to do unusual things, which I call “odd jobs”.

This one was a first for me – drawing in a manner that could be sandblasted onto granite for headstones. The lines had to be a certain thickness, and little white spaces couldn’t be too little. I learned that black equals blasted, and that Sharpies can really get up your nose.

The designs are for people who were very dear to me, our cabin neighbors in Mineral King.

He wanted Farewell Gap. She wanted Sawtooth. Their daughter and I figured out how to do both on one stone.

Farewell, Jock. Thank you for closing the gap between my 2 front teeth, for giving me to okay to date Trail Guy, for being a wonderful generous neighbor and friend, and for rearing a daughter who feels like the missing half of my brain.

Farewell, Ora Kay. Thank you for helping Jock fix my teeth, for being my first good friend in Mineral King, so welcoming and loving and enthusiastic, for rearing such a great daughter to become my friend when you were stricken by MS and couldn’t come to the cabin much anymore (and I forgive you for running over my foot with your wheelchair.)

The Cabins of Wilsonia Book Signing Today

Five pallets of 1529 books arrived at my favorite store in Three Rivers, the Mercantile. These people truly understand customer service.

Trail Guy backed the Bot-Mobile and trailer containing about 3 pallets of books up the driveway. (We used the other pick-up for the 2 other pallets – don’t worry, we didn’t leave them at the Mercantile!)

After moving all those boxes weighing 31 lbs. each, 2 lovely gracious friends came over and helped put cover decals on enough books for today’s book signing (I HOPE it is enough!!)

The Cabins of Wilsonia Book Signing

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 12:30-5:30

Courthouse Gallery of the Arts

125 South B Street, Exeter, California

 

Stocking Stuffer Recap

“Recap”? What does that really mean? Just another piece of slang that we all accept, like “wrap up”. Sometimes I think I am losing my ability to speak real words, hence “do-over” “yucky” and “funner” in a recent post.

But, I digress.

The Stocking Stuffer Boutique went well. Six of us shared a vacant business space in “downtown” Three Rivers. It was a beautiful day, and after the first 1/2 hour of fidgeting, the people began arriving and didn’t stop until the end of the day.

This means that all my photos happened at the beginning of the day. We did a decent job of drawing attention to what has been a FOR RENT space for a year or two.

The added bonus is that I have 2 poinsettia plants now decorating my walkway at home.

Here is a peek inside the building. (Notice I chose the correct “peek” – I’ve read too many “peaks” lately when there was only something to see and nothing to climb.)

My things are to the left, mostly out the picture because you’ve seen them but you haven’t seen the space we were filling and I think it is interesting! (just be polite, ‘kay?)

It was so hard to stay indoors. I purposely wore shoes that weren’t good for outdoor walking because I knew the siren call of the river would pull me away from the day’s duties. There are limited opportunities for interacting with people with the place and way I’ve chosen to do business, so there is no excuse for trotting off to catch a view in the middle of it all.

It was a great space, a nice day, and now there are only 32 calendars remaining!

Beautiful Tulare County

Oil paintings of our county’s beautiful places by Jana Botkin

$15, including tax and mailing

 




THE CABINS OF WILSONIA BOOK SIGNING

The books, The Cabins of Wilsonia, are supposed to arrive today. This may mean they arrive at some truck depot in Fresno where they sit over the weekend or it may mean a big rig comes to the hardware store in Three Rivers. (Bless Mike McCoy and the Three Rivers Mercantile for making their turn-around space and fork lift available to me!)

No matter when they arrive in Three Rivers, I will be bringing them (not all 1529, but a reasonable transportable amount) to Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery on Tuesday, December 16.

Here. Let’s make this easy:

The Cabins of Wilsonia

BOOK SIGNING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16

12:30 – 5:30

125 SOUTH B STREET, EXETER, CALIFORNIA

IF YOU PRE-ORDERED:

  1. If the books come on today, I will begin shipping to those who live far away on Monday. LET ME KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO PICK THE BOOK UP IN PERSON SO I DON’T MAIL IT FIRST!!
  2. If the books come on Monday, I’ll try to ship (Ahem. Most likely I will send Trail Guy to the Post Office!) on Tuesday a.m. before the book signing.
  3. If you paid for shipping and would rather not wait, come to the book signing and bring your receipt. I will refund your $5 mailing.
  4. If you didn’t pay for shipping, bring your receipt and retrieve your copy.
  5. If you live far away or can’t come on Tuesday, I will be there again the following Tuesday, same time.

 

DETAILS FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T PRE-ORDER:

  1. The price is $81, which includes tax BUT NOT SHIPPING.
  2. If you want a book shipped to someone, the price is $86. (Yes, I know it is a weird amount – I often specialize in weird.)
  3. If you want to order the book, you may do so using Paypal (the send money option) or through the mail (I accept checks) to P.O. Box 311, Three Rivers, CA 93271

 

I do NOT accept credit cards – bring cash or checks if you plan to buy a book. 

(This is because I don’t have a smart phone or a Square, because I don’t get cell phone service where I live – unbelievable, I know. Yes, I have AT&T. No, it doesn’t work at my address. Yes, I am sort of glad about that.)

While I Wait

This post was written on December 8.

As the arrival of the book The Cabins of Wilsonia gets closer, my anxiety mounts. This is due to several factors: the printer hasn’t been very forthcoming with information, and the closer to Christmas it gets, the more difficult I know it will be to get it signed, sealed and delivered.

It isn’t as if I have nothing to do. Look at this list:

  1. Figure out how to do some computer baloney (You don’t want to know – expensive, difficult and time-consuming while the company tries to sell me new computery stuff, and nothing makes sense and I have to call the company and be on hold forever to get any assistance while the chirpy voice tells me to just check the (non-working) website!)
  2. Send yet another email to the printer to ask if they know when the book shipped (last info was Dec. 5)
  3. More computer baloney with another irritating company
  4. Check email to see if the printer has answered.
  5. Begin cleaning up studio from slamming in and out for various weekend shows
  6. Check email to see that printer said book shipped Dec. 8, and think cynical thoughts about any info from printer.
  7. Sit in the sunshine with my sweet kitty and knitting to think uncharitable thoughts toward the printer and contemplate how to productively use the rest of the day.
  8. Vacuum the studio, hang paintings.
  9. Take inventory on pencil reproduction prints and find things to throw away, a very satisfying activity.
  10. Scan reproduction prints for the upcoming rebuilt website.
  11. Work on the blog
  12. Gather for another secret oil painting workshop
  13. Remember I have a commission drawing job and finally sit at the drawing table to do work as an ARTIST, for heaven’s sake!

I thought about telling you how really irritating the whole internet/domain/hosting baloney was, but I don’t want you to feel as irritated and stressed as I do.

So, let’s just have a look at the sweet Mr. Perkins and feel better.