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.

Do-Over and other juvenile expressions

When you were a kid, did you sometimes allow do-overs on the playground? You know, you go to serve the volleyball, the class clown belches your name so you drop the ball instead of hitting it, and you get a do-over because it wasn’t fair?

I began a painting of pumpkins several years ago. It was to be a gift for someone who did me a favor, but the favor went south and the friendship did too. I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I tried and tried to disassociate the painting from the incident, but every time I looked at it, I felt yucky.

Wow, this is a juvenile sounding post. “Do over” and “yucky”. Wonder what’s gonna sneak out next?

A customer requested a painting of Sawtooth after she saw my cards with that scene. I am always willing to paint something again, so I thought “Do-over? Sure!”

When I went into my canvas stash, I saw that dreaded pumpkin painting. Hmmmm, I wonder. . . Then, I couldn’t find the photo. No problem, because it was part of the first calendar of paintings I had printed (the 2013 calendar).

Look! Something weird is happening to those unfinished pumpkins!

Isn’t that weird?

I think it worked! The colors will be a bit brighter on this second version of Sawtooth because I am working from the printed version, which has exaggerated colors. I think it is funner this way.

There! Got in another juvenile expression!

When this dries, I will detail the branches in the foreground.

P.S. Sawtooth is the name of a prominent peak in Mineral King, the part of Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada where I spend the most time.

New Mineral King Paintings

It’s Friday, so here is what I have that pertains to Mineral King. These are new oil paintings, some of which are already sold!

Mineral King Flowers, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, sold

 

Mineral King Big Rock, 6×6″ oil on wrapped canvas, $50

 

 

Mineral King Cottonwood Trail, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

 

Hiking Mineral King, 6×6″ oil on wrapped canvas, $50

Painting for a Show in a City

With the first fall show coming on October 11, the pressure is on to get some paintings finished, signed, dried, scanned and varnished. Let’s see what is in the painting workshop.

Yikes. This photo shows me that my Mineral King mural needs to be freshened up. Wouldn’t it be fun to repaint it every 3 months to reflect the actual season? Forget it – I have to finish paintings that can be sold!

I had no trouble finishing these pumpkins. The bridge might be finished. The poppy fields are rough – this is after one pass over the canvas. The orange wants a few more blossoms.

I thought this would be too hard, because it is a challenge to turn 2 rectangular photos into one square scene, and real life is very messy so I’m trying to clean it up here. The rocks and background trees have been really satisfying. I love detail – did you know that?

On the advice of a trusted friend, I added more foliage to the poppies. It probably isn’t enough to suit her, but I like it. Those 4 orange poles will become The Four Guardsmen, 4 sequoias you pass among as you enter Sequoia National Park from Three Rivers. There is Farewell Gap (Mineral King) as it appears in early fall – leaves changing a bit, no snow, and very low water. Getting the water and rocks to look right is stretching my limited abilities. And the bottom scene is the trail to Farewell Gap. The light was wonderful that day! It isn’t finished in this photo.

Upcoming Show: Taste the Arts, Saturday, October 11, 11-5, downtown Visalia on Garden Street from Main to Oak Streets. (no idea where I will be – I’ll just follow directions like a good soldier when the time comes.)

Woohoo, world, I’m going to the big city of Visalia to meet some people and sell some art!

Yeah, I know, I really don’t get out much. Visalia is the county of seat of Tulare County, population around 125,000. “City”? It is to me! Three Rivers is 35 miles east and has about 2500 people, including all the part-timers. Just sayin’ so you can keep things in perspective from where I live.

 

Fall Shows Ahead

Last year I couldn’t do any shows in the fall because I spent the entire year drawing for The Cabins of Wilsonia (WHEN WILL IT BE HERE???)

This year I am painting again, because paintings sell best at shows. Truthfully, cards, tee shirts, and calendars sell best, but if one is an artist, one needs pure art to set the stage, provide the atmosphere, supplement and be a backdrop for the small stuff.

Here are paintings in progress:

The raven is for an upcoming show for which I lack information. The oranges are in progress.

My favorite bridge in progress on this 10×10″ canvas because I love to paint this. The rocks are always challenging, as are the arches. Each time I am sure that I am making a dog’s breakfast of the scene. Each time I persist, and then I almost break my arm patting myself vigorously on the back.

The beginnings of another Mineral King scene and some pumpkins that I have been reluctant to finish for about the past 6 years. If someone said, “I love that and want to buy it!” – that might light my fire to finally finish it.

Earning a living as an artist, particularly in a rural place like Tulare County (3rd least educated and 13th poorest county in the state) is a balancing act. It would be just grand to be able to paint anything I want and have a large population base from which to find the buyer. The reality is that I paint what people want because that is the way to please customers.

Even so, I continue to repaint my favorite bridge and oranges. Over and over and over. . .

New Mineral King Painting

It is still summer in Three Rivers, which means it is still nice in Mineral King. But, I have too much work to do, both in the studio and at home to be hanging out every weekend. Summer eventually catches up with me in the form of messes everywhere, incomplete stuff, unfinished business.
I am preparing for fall sales and shows (not that I have a ton, but it is all relative, and compared to what I do in the summer, the fall is cookin’!) This means I have to paint new paintings.

Because Fridays are for Mineral King and I don’t have any new photos or stories, have a look at a recently completed Mineral King oil painting.

Sawtooth XII, oil on wrapped canvas, 11×14″, $175



Yeppers, it is Sawtooth in Mineral King, the peak that is visible from Visalia (unless the smog is thick that blew down through Altamont Pass).

What’s Happening Now in the Work Life of This Artist

Today’s posting is a list of information about what is happening now in my life as a Central California artist.

Mineral King Aspens, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×6″, $50

1. I have another blog –  www.thecabinsofwilsonia.com where I post about the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia.  “Upcoming” as in should be here in several weeks. “Several weeks” as in I don’t really know for sure because the book printer doesn’t really know for sure.

2. This week on my other blog there will be posts about the following subjects:

  • quilt squares in Wilsonia
  • who is interested in buying the upcoming book (and who isn’t – a rather surprising factoid to me!)
  • a story by possibly the most interesting cabin owner in Wilsonia (but he did not end it with “stay thirsty”)

3. I’m still too busy with more important and interesting things to figure out why the comments won’t work and too busy to figure out how to post new work to my website galleries.

4. Maybe I’ll start showing new work on the blog.

5. There is an upcoming show in November called “Hidden in the Leaves”. I could fill the entire space all by myself with this subject, but we are limited to 2 pieces each. It will be here in Three Rivers at Sierra Subs & Salads, preparers of the best food around!

Another Fine Subject of Central California Art

Call me butter – I’m on a roll.

Did you know butter is good for you? Yep. Everything we learned about animal fats and saturated fats is probably wrong. But that’s for a different blog.

This blog is about what a Central California artist finds to paint in a place like Tulare County, the 3rd least educated and 13th poorest county in the state.

Mineral King! I paint Mineral King! I blog about it, paint it, draw it, and live there in the summer whenever I’m not at home painting.

Sorry. Didn’t mean to give you a heart attack with that surprising news. Maybe you should eat more butter to prevent future heart attacks.

Sawtooth Peak is visible from the valley floor (San Joaquin valley, not Mineral King, but it is visible from there too, duh.) except when the Bay Area smog blowing down through Altamont pass is obscuring the vision.

Don’t you think my oil paintings begin with a rough first layer? I show you this in case you are a painter and think your paintings always begins with ugliness. You are not alone – take heart (and have some more butter).

I work from back to front. The sky is first because it is the furthest from us. Then comes the ridge and Sawtooth Peak. I climbed it once. I also got helicoptered off it once. Once was enough for each of those experiences. However, I will paint it over and over. When it sells, I’ll paint it some more.

There are certain subjects that I try to always keep around as oil paintings – Farewell Gap, Sawtooth, the Kaweah River, the Kaweah Post Office, oranges, and poppies. That’s Central California from the viewpoint of a Three Rivers artist. (one who loves butter)

It’s coming along. I might show you a time or two more before it is finished. Or maybe not.

Now I am going to cook an egg in butter.

(Note to self: don’t blog in the future when you are hungry.)

More Oil Painting in Progress

Two years ago I printed and sold a calendar of oil paintings. Last year there was no time to paint because of work on the upcoming (Please God, may it be upcoming soon) book The Cabins of Wilsonia. This year I decided to do a calendar painting each month so that when it is time to print another calendar, I will have 13 new paintings for it.

Thirteen? I thought there were only 12 months in a year.

Twelve plus a cover!

I fell behind. Now I am trying to catch up.

I wonder if this painting will look weird in natural light. I have halogen lamps on, in addition to this magical ott-light (or whatever it is called). Who cares? It is air-conditioned in the little studio, and all the book drawings are done and sealed up, so if I get paint on stuff, it won’t be a disaster.

But what is this on the easel?

Why, it is Mineral King, of course! Farewell Gap to be specific. After it is dry and signed, I’ll scan it so you can see the completed piece. Maybe you’ll want to buy it. Maybe you’ll want to buy a calendar too.

Life’s full of choices.