Monday, January 26, 2009

A Musing







I'm calling this blog a "musing". I started to call it a lesson. Duh...like I'm qualifid to give anybody a lesson. So I went and took a cold shower and came to my senses.
Pictured above are 3 images. The first one is my offering for the current Karin Jurick's DSFDF project assignment...A Victorian House. But...with my warped sense of humor, I added the distracted nursemaid and the old codger (yes, I used myself as a reference, thank you) freaking out and barreling down the sidewalk. Now, can this change the title of the piece from "Victorian House" to "Runaway Wheelchair" or "Negligent Nursemaid". Of course it can. It is one thing to take a reference work and duplicate it in the artist's personal style. It is another to add elements to the reference and emerge with what I consider a work of art. I usually emerge with something that could do double duty as a dartboard.

Now the second image above is of three of my friends on their mark to take off down the streets of Athens. I won't say much about them cause they didn't bring me along :-P The photo itself would make a nice painting, but..... Look closely on the upper right in the background. The third image is a blow up of a "Cat Lady". I'm painting that image. I hope my painting will say "Here is a nameless, faceless woman who, due to the cruelty of time, will pass wordlessly into tender oblivion, but her kindness will be be etched permanently into the memory of that cat's remaining 5 lives". Or something like that.

And my point is...this is the musing part....our lives, like the paintings, are so greatly enriched by the details. It is so sad that so many of us are so busy to notice and appreciate the small wonders of the creation around us. It leaves us hollow when we could have been filled with treasures beyond measure

13 comments:

  1. James Parker, your painting is an absolute riot! I was just skimming through the Different Strokes site (it's my second week participating) and I was thinking, well, these are nice, but a little tame, and I nearly went by yours... but I've been thinking that it's time for me to start putting people in my landscapes, and your people looked like they were the right size, compared to the buildings.... and then I saw the guy in the wheelchair! It's not even 8 in the morning, and you had me just howling. So, thanks! I really like the blog, too.

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  2. And, dear Carrrie, it is comments like yours at 8 in the morning that brightens a day as much as the dawning. :-)

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  3. Great painting, James! Love the injection of humor. The title could be "Ménage à trois Abandoned". :) Don't mean to offend...just a harmless humorous thought.

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  4. Great title James Your picture is Very aaaaaaaaamusing. I love your sense of humor. Between you and Sheila you keep us entertained in the art blog world. Dean 's title is good too. I 'm looking forward to the extras blogs from you James. Keep painting and posting, we need more !!!

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  5. Hysterical! I love what you bring to this.
    Kathleen

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  6. Great shot at this one James-I love it, epecially the children playing too adds spice to the piece!

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  7. I really like the painting AND the title - very A-MUSING!!!!!

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  8. Mr. Parker, no one would turn the lights down your work sir. Hey, which Windows/words blog am I supposed to follow? I see 3 listed under your profile.

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  9. You are so right! I didn't even notice the details until I read your explanation. Wonderful painting!
    ~Rachel

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  10. James, this painting is nice. I like your last paragraph too. How true!

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  11. James, way to shift gears on this last post. Runaway wheelchair to stopping and smelling the roses. I pick the latter, (most days) but life does throw a few curves once in awhile. Great take on a fairly somber challenge Klatu.

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  12. What a DELIGHT to see your contribution to DSFDF and so happy that I didn't pass it by! Priceless!

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  13. Thanks for your unique painting.... it was a stopper when I first scrolled through. I like your choice of color for the house and the people add so much to the image... I love a story. I'm enjoying reading your other post too.

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