Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I Have MOVED!




My new websites and blogs have been established!
I thank everyone who has followed and posted here. I must evolve, change and grow and this has spawned 3 blogs as well as a website hosting change!

In fact, if I come to post on your blog it wont be epiphany art anymore -- it will be me:

tlwest or Terri West

Here are the new links please stop by and say hello!
Terri

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Hate Is Alive and Well in the World

As I look back on the last year or so there have been times when I felt the full brunt of hate- either for my religion, political views, my color, my sex, my status in life, my art, etc...
This actually is not new to me as when I lived and grew up in Hawaii in the 60s and 70s- I was introduced to hatred, fear, and persecution in the local public schools. I had blond hair and white skin. "A haole."

In the 20th Century, in some schools in Hawaii the last day of school was called "Kill Haole Day" when they were teased, called names or beat up.[1] This is the life I lived from 1968-1976.
Apparently the tradition still lives: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?294d9da5-dbb5-40e9-8f94-13712a73408c

In Elementary school I was placed in the back of the school room in the last row in the corner - in front of me was a sea of dark haired children that ostracized me because of my race. In junior high I was bullied and never went to the bathroom for fear of my life from gangs of girls toting numchucks and knives- these "children" a combination of Samoan, Hawaiian , Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino, ruled the schools with terror- the public school system there at the time was no better than any poor inner city school in America. High school was no better -drugs and alcohol were everywhere along with the violence.

Now days people ostracise and persecute for even more reasons or no reason at all. You can find it even within your own church--- any church, mosque, or temple. It is even prevalent in the vocation of pursuing art.
Some of the deeper teachings of my faith teach me to to radically forgive people and to pursue a life of obscurity and humbleness- to not cry out even if they are wrong -to show nothing but love even up to death.
I realize this is a great painful truth and yet if I embrace it- I am greatly consoled. Freedom within this practice brings peace.
It saddens my spirit deeply to see this world in every corner and dimension so polarized - so ready to argue and fight, backstabbing and employing subterfuge to obtain superiority only to realize that it is elusive.
I constantly wonder when accosted by this hate- where does this come from?- what have I done? I would gladly make amends for peace if I knew how I might have offended these people. It occurred to me that I don't need to know for the reasons are sometimes not even known by these people. Ultimately I am the same as them: a sinner like all

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1
1
1 The words of David's son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem:
2
2 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
3
3 What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?
4
One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays.
5
The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises.
6
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
7
All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full. To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going.
8
4 All speech is labored; there is nothing man can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear filled with hearing.
9
What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun.
10
Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!" has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
11
5 There is no remembrance of the men of old; nor of those to come will there be any remembrance among those who come after them.
12
I, Qoheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem,
13
and I applied my mind to search and investigate in wisdom all things that are done under the sun. A thankless task God has appointed for men to be busied about.
14
6 I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after wind.
15
What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is missing cannot be supplied.
16
Though I said to myself, "Behold, I have become great and stored up wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my mind has broad experience of wisdom and knowledge";
17
yet when I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly, I learned that this also is a chase after wind.
18
For in much wisdom there is much sorrow, and he who stores up knowledge stores up grief.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Next Workshop -February

My next workshop starts online February 1st or so.. it has to do with manipulating photo images and then painting on that -- should be interesting!
Artist Workshop Retreat
March I am going to be in St. Augustine for my annual vacation with the hubby --this time I am taking pictures AND bringing my sketchbook and may be my plein air set up. Don't know if there is a workshop or not close to home for March. I am also looking for one as far as Texas for May or April.
I might buy an artist video that I have been looking at and use that as a self workshop as well. We shall see for 2009!
You learn more quickly under the guidance of experienced teachers. You waste a lot of time going down blind alleys if you have no one to lead you.
W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge, 1943 English dramatist & novelist (1874 - 1965)

Linda Blondheim's Workshop











Here is a nice mug shot of my dear friend Linda and pictures of the work I did while at her Gainsville studio workshop. I was treated so well and FED great food! I need to go back on my cabbage soup diet now LOL! I have a whole new perspective on color and with the trusty notebook with more exercises she gave us, I am going to learn more and hopefully it will improve my work! The one think I found so cool about these color charts is they are invaluable to me for how to get to a certain color especially if you are using a limited palette for any reason. The little paintings while just fast paintings-- the colors all "go" there is not a screaming in congruent color in there! Here is Linda's post on her workshop. I wish I lived closer to Linda -- I would probably be stalking her at her door for her knowledge and her food :) Oh well, I do plan to go back up there again soon and may be force my brain to learn something else while hugging studio dog :)

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

The Perfect Pick for Dad

Dad picked a collage painting that I had completed a few years ago. He has remarked about this piece more than once. I applied a hanging wire for him to hang it horizontally as it just seems to need to go that way.

Today I Am Giving

Comma gallery December Show "Adored Artist" -there is my "Vesper Sunflowers" Painting!

Today I Am giving

I rarely just give paintings especially my originals. This past Christmas a whole bunch of people got signed numbered framed aceo prints of some past paintings, including those that visited my gallery show in December at Comma Art Gallery.

January 19th is my father's 70th birthday and my grandmother's 90th... woo hoo! If only I should make it so far! My grandmother has an original painting of mine. She is getting another special handmade gift this year which I will show later. But my father does not have a painting.

So today when I meet him for lunch I am taking him down to my gallery and then to my home studio to pick out a painting for his birthday.

I do and always have a stipulation when I "give" a painting... if for any reason the person doesn't want it any more - for any reason or upon their demise -I wish it to be returned to me. In this way I can give any of my most cherished works of art that sometimes I don't sell because they do mean so much to me with a free hand. Like most artists I have a conglomeration of art I just don't sell. May be its sentimentality or deeper but in my heart giving a piece of my creativity and dreams is a huge gift of sharing. I only hope that the person who receives it cherishes the gift of creation as much as I do.

The great art of giving consists in this: the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly appreciated.
Baltasar Gracian

Monday, December 29, 2008

2009 January Book and Studio CD List


Memoirs of a Geisha
I cant believe it took me this long to obtain this CD... but I am going to so enjoy listening to this soundtrack for my January 2009 Studio CD pick. I have yet to see the movie!





The Shack
I received this book from my father (he gave it to everyone) as a Christmas present this year. I have investigated it and it seems that it has mixed reviews ... So I am going to tread lightly with this and go back and reread the review on it.
As with The Secret and other popular books the general population tends to go overboard in believing all that is in any book or newspaper as the God's Truth-- Seems like our world is starving for something to believe in. With Israel and the Gaza Strip heating up who isn't looking?

Sunday, December 28, 2008

New Year's Resolutions

Tonight we are going to celebrate New Years Eve Scottish style. Here in Orlando area, Big Ben rings in the new year at around 7 PM. We are going over to my daughter's fiance's Grandparents house for Guinness, Scottish Whisky and all kinds of traditions will abound :)
Some years I have been pretty good at picking some of my resolutions -- other years, not.


So in my aged wisdom I have learned to make better resolutions...

Not in any particular order:

General New Year's Resolutions
  1. Eat a healthier diet more often--- I can do this...New Years day I am starting the Cabbage Soup Diet - yes I know- that's not a great diet but Its only for one week and I am trying to jump start some fat loss okay?
  2. Try to quit smoking .... AGAIN...
  3. Quit biting my nails... OK I have already done this-and have a nice set of nails! -except for my thumbs- so those two have to go on the nail biting diet
  4. Take more art work shops--- I am already signed up for one with Linda Blondheim
  5. Read a new book once a month- I am starting a little early with this one - The Shack
  6. Walk more --- note I didn't say how much or when....:)
  7. Make home made gifts for Christmas next year- I can do this-- I like to do the crafty thing while watching mind numbing TV
  8. Get a marketing plan done and implement it
  9. Make a flexible studio /administrative work schedule
  10. Start posting my small works for sale on my new blog : http://paintinglandscapes.blogspot.com/ or
    Paintings of Ambient Nature and Tranquility
    A Tranquil Path for Landscape Collectors

  11. Post on this blog at least three times a week---I have started doing this- need to make this a habit
  12. Study and copy a master painter- I choose Van Gogh and may be a few impressionists
  13. Twitter once a day after posting on one of my blogs with paintings or content
  14. Make and send quarterly newsletter-- this is going to take some doing....
  15. Drink more tea and drink less coffee -- easy I love ginseng tea, chamomile tea and "Tea Earl Grey HOT" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHSD0tR2IOU

    And I may add any other pipe dreams I may care to add on to my list :)
You have to find a way of working that makes it dead easy to take full advantage of your inspired moments. They never hit at a convenient time, nor do they last long.
Hugh Macleod, How To Be Creative: 24, 08-22-04

Storm Received Third Place!


I feel pretty honored :)
"Storm" received third place at the last ALOC (Artists' League of Orange County) Meeting- the Annual Christmas Party and show for 2008.
If you live in the Central Florida area come on out- the group is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds and it is over 50 years old!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

New Red Moleskine Journal

My New Red Moleskine Journal!


One of my New Years resolutions/goals for 2009 is to keep an art/art business journal. I am curious whether other artists here in blogger land do this. I have written a few things in there and I want to make little thumbnail sketches of ideas for new paintings. I thought that may be I would get little tab stickers to mark pages with painting ideas and use another color tab for marketing ideas etc... I would love to see other artist's journals. I notice there is even a few books about this subject!
This one caught my eye:
1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations (1000 Series) (Paperback)by Dawn DeVries Sokol (Author)

Feel free to post a link in comments to your photo of your artist journal pages! I will post some of mine occaisionally as well!

We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.
John F. Kennedy, October 26, 196335th president of US 1961-1963 (1917 - 1963)