Thorns, Thistles, Sweat, Dust & The Vogels

All artist painters struggle under the curse Adam and his race suffers for his disobedience. The gift of creativity comes with the wrapping of loneness, insecurity, mockery and failure. Not very often do you hear that an idea popped into someone's head and voila it was a worldwide success. Yet today we have thousands waiting hours and days in lines all over the country to be an instant phenom with the world's wealth at their feet. Funny isn't it how allure of having it all is connected with the curses in the garden. And yet, "there are none so blind as those who cannot see". Remember that insightful quote. All artists struggle from the great ones to the ones who just do it because something goes off inside that tells them this is something in which I love to participate.

One of the real struggles is the encouragement struggle. Parents today are told to pat little Ethan or Miss Isabella on the head, but not too hard because you'll go to jail as the state is watching, and tell them how great they are from morning to night. It's supposed to be good for them. After eighteen plus years of no discipline and arguing with everybody but the relatives that these are the greatest gift to the world that has ever visited the planet. Both enter into society in some form just a bit misguided. From every walk and avenue in our society we are suffering from this delusion. Many are today's artists and painters who wait at the doorstep of their exhibitions for the accolades to come forth. The struggle is not being patted on the head but having heartfelt truth and reality conveyed in an understandable way that motivates and inspires one to move forward in all their endeavors.

PBS and Independent Lens have given us a glimpse in the heart warming, incredible story of "Harry and Dorothy". A postal worker and a librarian who worked , and studied and started a lifelong journey of collecting art and ended up building and giving away one of today's most unusual and valuable collections. One of the most interesting parts of the story was the sincere, patient, and consistent building of lifetime relationships they had with emerging artists of the time. Without knowledge of their future they chose art that they liked in a work progress selection method with a never ending interest in those they had befriended and those that had befriended them. What's really true about this story is another Biblical truth, "to have friends one must be friendly". Every artist needs friends. Every artist needs patrons. Every artist needs truthful encouragement. Too often, today many artists practice sewing circle encouragement, where they sit around and kibitz back and forth about their latest wonderful endeavor. Or with our culture and society, the meaningless twits, face entries or see my latest video all of which offers no reality in true encouragement and understanding.

Why are these things important?

First, they are important to the process and creation of great paintings. Paintings that were derived form a concept of expression, struggled over, and executed to such a meaningful scope that the results can not only be seen, but are felt. We can and some do spend endless hours in museums viewing the creations of the past. Where that does have a place, there is nothing more exciting than running directly into a work that takes you over, stops everything around you including time and puts you into a zone that you never before have experienced. It also has a quality of great wine, it gets better each time you spend time looking and seeing and gazing deep within it. To me this is the singular goal of each artist painter in his or her true expression of their craft.

Secondly, we will never be able to match the true creations and wonders that have been put before us from the stars, mountains, plains, seas, a single blade of grass, a flower and so much more, the artist in all his or her humanity seeks to let loose the expression that is bundled up inside of them and allow you the viewer to really see anew and a fresh the true reality of the expression that is before you. These expressions allow us to re-engage with truth and reality instead of the superficial relationship to information and self-absorption. The acquisition of these expressions provided by today's painters bestows on one a lifetime of pleasure, positive memories and meaningful moments of a "priceless" gift to mankind.

How about you, have you spent time with an artist painter? Have you looked and seen with renewed vision? Have you taken time to see what you would have missed and would have gained? Don't you think it's time you did?

Douglas Auld
Copyright MMIX Douglas Auld, all rights reserved

By: Douglas Auld

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About the Author: Douglas Auld is a recognized Artist, collectable Painter, published Poet and Internet Writer. His numerous articles and cognitive assessments, introspective writings, and practical procedures dealing with art paintings and our cultu