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"Her green plastic watering can

For her fake Chinese rubber plant

In the fake plastic earth"

 

These are the first lines of the song "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead. The song goes on to talk about fake societal ideals, fake people, fake relationships, etc. And in the chorus is the sentiment: "It wears her (him/me) out."

 

Yes, we do live in a world where much is fake. We live in a world where much seems to be molded polystyrene - even people (to borrow another thought from the song).

 

But, it's refreshing to know that not everything is fake or plastic or from a mold. Much in this world is real and genuine and unique. Original art is one of those things.

 

I enjoy the real and the genuine. I love family. I love nature and I love art.

 

In a world where so much of what we consume is disposable and mass produced, there is a greater and greater need for things that last. There's a need for things that have real value. Objects that aren't mass produced, but rather are crafted with care. Things of beauty. Things of art.

 

Look around many people's homes. Many have mass produced disposable prints that speak nothing more than "I match the couch." Some have original and unique works of art that speak to them on deeper levels. Some hang prints that will fade and need to be replaced when they buy a new couch or paint the walls.

 

What about you? Do you have works of beauty, created by passionate hands, that has a palpable spirit which enriches your home?

 

Don't get me wrong. Not all prints are bad and not all original art is good. But, I'm speaking of the broader philosophy.

 

You are reading this because you do seek out things of beauty. You do seek out things that have deeper meaning. You enrich your life with things that speak to you.

 

It doesn't matter if you have just arrived at this point or if you have been here your entire life. It doesn't matter if you own hundreds of original works of art or if you are saving up to buy your first piece. The point is you are here because you know the value that art brings (or can bring) to your life.

 

Whether it is handmade jewelry, a hand-turned wooden vase, a quilt, handcrafted furniture, or an original painting (mine of course!) - when something speaks to you, you know it. You feel it. Those are the works you should bring into your home. They can add meaning to your life.

 

They won't replace real and genuine relationships. But, they will replace the fake plastic trees. They will enrich your life.

 

Best Wishes,

Keith Bond

 

 

Sometimes a piece of artwork has such a profound impact that you remember it for years to come. I can easily recall how I responded to a charcoal drawing of a funeral procession. The title of the drawing was The Dirge, but I cannot remember the artist's name. I haven't seen that drawing (or any image of it) for more than 14 or 15 years. But the image is ingrained in my mind. More importantly, the feeling is deeply ingrained. I remember staring at it for what seems like forever. It was probably 45 minutes or so.

 

Other times art is quickly forgotten. Even art that you like is often forgotten before long. Other art is dismissed as soon as you see it because it doesn't move you or perhaps you even dislike it.

 

My question is why? Why, or maybe a better question is how can some works of art move us so deeply while some are forgotten and others do absolutely nothing for us?

 

I think there are multiple reasons.

1. Language of Emotion. Art is a language that communicates on an emotional level. No words are involved, but there is a dialogue.
2. Subconscious Response. Something in the artwork taps into the subconscious of the viewer. It usually involves a memory, but it could also be an ideal, philosophy, or emotion. Often it is a combination of all of these and more.
3. Common Connection. One or more of these subconscious responses are shared between the artist and viewer. That shared connection was felt by the artist when the work was created and also felt by the viewer.
4. Genuine Sincerity. For that reason, it is important that the artist create with sincerity. The art needs to be a genuine expression. The subject needs to be felt. There should be deeper meaning for the artist. Only then, can a common emotional or philosophical connection exist between artist and viewer.
5. Unique Interpretation. This does not mean that the artist and viewer are the same. It does not mean necessarily that the emotion was felt in the same way. The interpretation may be completely opposite from one another. But, the key is, there is something that resonates within both parties on a deep level.

I want to be clear. I am not saying that art that doesn't move you deeply isn't good art. It may very well be. It may even be superb. But, we are all unique. We are each the product of our life experiences and philosophies. These combine in complex ways to contribute to who we are. We each respond differently because we are different.

 

The works that move you the deepest are the ones that you should add to your collection. I'm not saying thta you should only add works that you connect with at that deep of a level. There is enjoyment and enrichment that comes from any art that you like - at whatever level. But don't let those that you connect most deeply get away from you. They will be the prized pieces in your collection. They will bring your life a higher level of enrichment that you will cherish.

 

A World without Art

By

Keith Bond

 

 

Imagine a world without art.  Would the piazzas of Rome have such romance?  Would people from the world over flock to the Sistine Chapel just to look up at an unadorned ceiling?

 

Imagine a world that had never known Mona Lisa’s smile.  Consider a world without the vision of Monet or Rembrandt. 

 

Art has, both directly and indirectly influenced business, politics, industry, and international affairs.  It has shaped cultures, nations, and even world history.

 

Let’s bring it closer to home.  How would your home look without art?  What, if anything, would you put on your walls?  Would your house feel like a home?  Cereal boxes would be generic.  Your kitchen table would be completely utilitarian.  Your clothing might resemble something from centuries past – or worse.  How much variety would there be in automobiles?  Would car designs ever change or would we still be driving Model Ts?  Would the Model T look different?  

 

Our world would be drastically different without art. 

 

I know my life certainly would be different.  I am not just talking about my own art (although that is a hugely significant part of it).  It’s much more than that.  Art has moved me in many ways.  It has touched me deeply.  I have been taught.  I have been uplifted and enlightened.  I have been consoled.  My imagination has been sparked.  At times I have been confused or even agitated by art.  It causes me to think, to wonder, to dream, to act.  I have laughed, I have cried. 

 

The world is a better place because of the power of art.

 

What does art mean to you?  What do you do about it?

 

It matters not if you are an artist, collector, or simply an admirer or art.  It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor.  You may be well versed in art, or feel that you don’t know anything about it.  If art means something to you, you can act on that and make a difference in the world.  You can contribute to the betterment of society with your involvement in the arts.

 

There are many ways to be involved and supportive of the arts.  Just a few examples:

 

• Visit galleries and museums
• Become a docent at a museum
• Volunteer at a local school and teach children about art history
• Encourage art education in your schools
• Share your passion of art with your children or grandchildren
• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper
• Encourage public art in your communities
• Sit on a board of directors or become a committee member with some organization which has involvement in the arts
• Become involved in your local arts and crafts show
• Read about art
• Attend an artist’s open studio night
• Host an artist’s exhibit in your home
• Surround yourself with art
• Purchase art that has meaning to you
• If you are an artist, create and share it with others
• The list could go on and on

 

Art is powerful.  Art is meaningful.  It enriches our society.  What does art mean to you?  Share your thoughts by commenting below.

 

Best Wishes,

Keith Bond

 

 

 

I enjoy teaching.  Just this past week, I taught a week-long plein air workshop.  I always come away from them tired, but also somehow invigorated.  I am always excited to push myself to new heights after such focussed examination of art principles. 

It is said that the teacher always learns more than the students.  Perhaps this is true (but I do hope the students learned just as much as me).  There is something about analyzing and articulating principles of art that reinforces concepts in my mind.  To expain why things are working and what can be improved forces me to think deeper about the art.

Another benefit to teaching is that I get to rub shoulders with so many eager and talented students.  Each student during this workshop was really wanting to learn.  They brought a great excitement and energy to the class.  They brought their own strengths and points of view.  It was a great blessing to view the world through their eyes; to see what they wanted to express.  And it was great fun working with them to help them find the means to express their ideas.

During one of my demonstration paintings, I painted a quick little study for the studio painting, Pleasant Valley Farm, (shown above). One of the students commented while I painted that I must be excited about the scene.  Indeed I was.  There is something  peaceful, even restful about grazing cattle.  Yet the early afternoon light made for a joyful expression.  I think there is a nice balance between joyfulness and peacefulness.  Surely there is a correlation between peace and joy. 

This painting is one of those rare occasions when I remained quite literal to the plein air study.  Only minor adjustments where needed.  It was the first studio piece after the week-long workshop.  It was pure joy to paint.

This painting will be part of the Mountain Oyster Club Show and Sale in Tucson, Arizona - November 21, 2010.  Request an invitation to the show (November is a great time to visit Tucson).

Click here to view larger image.

Click here to request more information about this painting.

Painting and text: copyright, 2010, Keith Bond.  All rights reserved.

  The Divine Proportion

By

Keith Bond

 I find it interesting how a single number has had such tremendous influence on me that it has opened my mind to a new way of thinking and a new way of seeing the world. I am not alone in this fascination with a number. Throughout history, many have discovered the mysteriousness of the number Phi. 

Recently, I have been reading a book about Phi entitled The Golden Ratio by Mario Livio. A while back, artist Skip Whitcomb turned me on to a study of Phi and encouraged me to consider using it to develop my compositions. Also known as the Golden Ratio, the Divine Proportion, the Golden Section, and the Golden Number, Phi is fascinating in both its unique mathematical properties and its manifestations in countless diverse places. It, along with closely related Fibonacci numbers, can be found in the patterns of a sunflower, the pedal arrangement of the rose, mollusk shells, and in the Milky Way. It is abundantly found in nature. With great aesthetic appeal, many artists, architects, musicians, and others throughout history have used it to their advantage. 

I won’t bore you with a discourse on Phi. If you want to learn about it, check out a few books on the subject. 

However, it has been so enlightening to me that I decided to share with you the growth I am seeing in my artwork. My compositions are becoming stronger and more dynamic as a result of using the ratios inherent with Phi. I now use the Golden Section to determine the placement of the major elements of the composition. I divide up my canvas based Phi. My center of interest in a painting is now placed on the Golden Section or at a derivative of it. I don’t want the work to look mechanical, but rather harmoniously pleasing to the eye. I want the compositions to look natural. 

I used to compose my paintings more intuitively.  I did what ‘felt’ right.  Looking back at older compositions, I find that many are coincidentally close to Phi. Some aren’t. I do realize that this won’t guarantee a stronger painting. It is however another tool I can put in my toolbox. 

So profound are the possibilities that it will likely take a lifetime of study to even partially incorporate them into my artwork. Most of what I have learned still needs to be sifted through. And there is more still to be learned. It is a wonderful road of discovery, experimentation, and artistic growth.

Sincerely,

Keith Bond

PS. As the most irrational of all irrational numbers, I am intrigued by the prevalence of Phi in the natural world. This number, which is farthest of any number from being expressible by a fraction, has qualities which make it far from random. There is order to it. It supports my firm belief that what may appear to our limited, finite minds as chaos is governed by a higher law which we don’t understand. 

You are the sum total of all of your experiences.  Take this experiment and multiply it by every experience (good or bad) that you have ever had in your life.  These are the things you (and I) bring to the conversation.  How?

 

If an artist creates a work of art that communicates with you, it has most likely triggered a memory of something you have experienced or has struck a chord with your philosophies or your ideals.  In short, you respond because of the cumulative experiences that have made you who you are.  You don’t need to know exactly how or why a work of art spoke to you.  The artwork may even appear very foreign to your life experiences, but something in the artwork communicated with something within you.  A work of art is incomplete without your side of the dialogue.  You as the viewer complete the communication process. 

 

Now ‘listen’ to the artwork.  The message that you are taking from the artwork is probably not what the artist was saying.  Even if it was close, it would be viewed through your eyes, not the artist’s, and therefore would different (even if only slightly) from the artist’s point of view.  Therefore, if you engage yourself in the process, you can gain deeper insights by listening to what the artist is trying to say.  You may not be able to completely understand the artist’s intentions, but the conversation does not have to end with the first level of communication.  Art has the ability to go much deeper.  Look for it.  There is no right or wrong. 

 

Art is a very complex language, but it is magical.  It does have power to speak deeply.  If a piece speaks to you, engage yourself in the dialogue.  Go deeper.  Listen.  Respond.  It will enrich your life.

 

Best Wishes,

Keith Bond