Who knew that Vincent van Gogh was a mixed media artist? Turns out that he incorporated some unusual components in his work. It is know that he liked very much to paint en plein aire, so it’s actually not that much of a surprise that he incorporated wildlife into his paintings, along with dust and sand.
I thought that this article was very interesting. About 3500 years ago, a Minoan warrior was buried along with some stone carved artwork. Now that it’s been unearthed, the details in the artwork suggest a level of artistic knowledge beyond its time.
It is certainly a detailed piece of realistic carving!
There’s something to be said about global warming – like ‘it’s real!!!!’ – when even art museums are changing the way they choose and store art because of it. I found this article very interesting. Maybe art that is destroyed when it becomes too wet is going to be ‘ephemeral art’ in the not too distant future. Perhaps I should start sculpting in stone…..
I always figured that the oldest known art work was the paintings on the caves at Lascaux, but it appears there is another category in the ancient art world – the studio! Or perhaps it is best described as the paint manufacturer. I think many people forget how much chemistry there is in art – here’s an article about some of the pigments that they worked with about 42,000 years ago.
It seems though that they hadn’t gotten into being muralists at that time, likely just body painting. So that classifies it as time-based art. Or beauty products…..
So sad – a recent Artnet post outlining the (known) destruction of timeless art that has been lost not just to the countries where this war is, but to all humanity that appreciates it.
One of the artworks at the East Jesus Sculpture Garden in Slab City (by Niland), California. Perhaps best leave this one until the fall.
Just when you thought it was safe to take a stay-cation and relax in front of the tv, ArtNet recommends a lot of travel-worthy art museums to visit.
(And just in case you were wondering, no, my refracturing technique is not a copy of David Hockney’s photo collage technique, despite some of the similarities in appearance.)
If nothing is close enough to go to, maybe there’s one closer!
Not many people think of Imperial County California – one of the poorest counties in the nation, and one of the more sparsely populated – as a tourist destination. But there’s actually an amazing amount of things to do here. Yesterday Doug and I went to fill him in on some of the places I’ve taken others when he’s not been with me. First we visited the mudpots, then stopped in Calipatria for lunch. We recommend Archie’s – on the east side of 111 about a block north of the stop sign. You can’t miss this totem pole!
Not only did we have a fun time, but we found an new spot – the Gold Rock Trading Post and Museum.
Sadly the extra time we spent exploring Gold Rock meant we had little time at the Center of the World, but they’re both places we’d go back to. I’m compiling a list of Touristy Things in Imperial County on my website which I’ll update from time to time as I find new things – and I’ll work on timings and places to stay in between. I am figuring it would be very easy to spend a week here if you’re not into simply lounging by the pool.
This is at the State Park, just south of North Shore
If you are, then in answer to a question many people ask – YES! – you can swim safely in the Salton Sea and here is Park Ranger Jose Renteria who does just that quite often.
Beyond Salvation Mountain, at the back of ‘the last free place’ – i.e.Slab City – is the East Jesus Sculpture Garden. It was my first visit. To get there, you have to go through Slab City, hang a left and loop round until you get to the Fork in the Road.
If you get to a fork in the road, take it….
Taking the right path, obviously we arrived at a collection of large scale upcycled assemblage art. One of my favorites was the life-sized Ele. I don’t know if it’s officially called that at the moment, but I figure they’ll be working on putting in the phant as materials allow.
Ele – waiting on phant
As with all art, it provides something of a different window on the world.
One way of looking at things is always through a bottle. Just sayin…..
I couple weeks ago a fan of mine (she had discovered my work when seeing one of my poetry and painting books in Borrego Art Institute) emailed to say she and her husband were in the process of selecting new artwork for their new home in Borrego Springs, and liked my work. They had a large wall on a stairwell that needed the right painting, what suggestions could I make?
I have some acrylic paintings that rarely get to see anything other than the inside of my house, as their size and weight makes it difficult to take them to shows as they don’t easily fit once all of the ‘booth’ is in the truck. They had been in Wang’s in the Desert since October (one of their number had found its Forever Home), but I was bringing the show home at the end of April. I sent them a list. There was one that they liked, but when she described the space a little more I thought the one vertical one might fit the area better. Anyway, we agreed I would take them both over this morning to try them on for size.
She loved both. Hmm. Either worked well in the space – and then there’s this other wall. Nothing for it. When you can’t decide, get both!
She and her husband hung them up this afternoon. I had planned on doing this for them, but did not know the wall was stone; fortunately they were able to handle this.
“The other side of Sunset”
“August Afternoon” – the one that was the original first pick
