Merry Christmas to all, and to all... boy i'm tight.
Tuesday, December 21
Thursday, December 16
Monday, December 13
Dare I ask it...What is GOOD art?
One of my good friends who happens to be an art teacher at a Christian school, recently gave a lecture to her colleagues about how to look at art and judge for yourself whether it is "good or bad" from a strictly Christian viewpoint. The lecture was given at the request of her colleagues, as many of them had little or no background in art, art history, or art criticism of any kind. The questions being raised were, "How does one define 'good art' or 'bad art?'" and, "How can I as a Christian protect myself from 'bad' art while uplifting and supporting that which is 'good'?"
Truthfully, many Christians either buy into the attitude that all art is subjective, and it's really up to the viewer to decide whether it's good or bad, OR they steer clear of art altogether, seeking shelter in self-imposed gated Christian communities of sorts, and leaving the subject of art to the world, which seems to have firm possession of the arts as a whole.
Now, I could get a lot of flack for this post, but I was very moved by my friend's exploration of this topic, and realized that without advertently saying the words, I too have been on a mission to discover ways for truth and beauty to be once again manifested in art, to be shared for the common good and benefit of all.
Even from a secular viewpoint, I'm not alone in this. A well-known group of painters in California, including Jeremy Lipking, Tony Pro, Ignat Ignatov, and Alexey Steele, have started a movement they call "Novorealism," a style of realism that is attempting to userp Modernism's power in the contemporary art world. Another of my favorite painters, Scott Burdick (who is an atheist), recently gave a slideshow lecture for American Artist's "Weekend with the Masters", appealing for the return of beauty in the arts. You can view the video on his YouTube Channel by clicking below:
I'm not going to attempt to answer the above questions in a single blog post; instead, I will explore these questions, and more, over the next couple of months. In the mean time, I will say one thing: good art, from a Christian perspective, MUST do two things. It must (1) glorify God, and (2) manifest beauty. The interpretations of these conditions are vast and diverse. To be continued...
Sunday, December 12
Saturday, December 11
FemGas Attack!
You may have noticed that my TG captions are shorter than many others. This is by design. Just allows for people to decide between the full stories that others tell, and my quick caps.
Friday, December 10
Panty Hypnosis
Watch it again and again and again and you'll never take your panties off.
My Panty Hypnosis Flash (It is now available at a more reliable link.)
Don't blame me if it changes you forever.
My Panty Hypnosis Flash (It is now available at a more reliable link.)
Don't blame me if it changes you forever.
Pentagram Panties
Here's one for the TG caption fans out there.
You know how to make it bigger, don't you?
You know how to make it bigger, don't you?
And my namesake...
The luscious Lisa Ann, porn star extraordinaire. This woman should be the prototype for every woman on the planet. How hot is she?
Tough to find a pic where she was actually still in her panties though.
Tough to find a pic where she was actually still in her panties though.
Ooo, this makes my panties sticky.
I finally decided to get off my bubble butt and show off my passion for panties. Love 'em!
Hope you all enjoy taking a peek. As long as I'm here, I'm gonna show a favorite panty pic. She is so amazingly hot. Just wish I could look this great in a few years. Yum!
Check back for more later.
Hope you all enjoy taking a peek. As long as I'm here, I'm gonna show a favorite panty pic. She is so amazingly hot. Just wish I could look this great in a few years. Yum!
Check back for more later.
Sunday, December 5
On Music and Color
Since the inception of "Twin Arts," I have realized what a powerful hold the theme of music and art, or art in music, have upon me, and how I wish to continue exploring them my work. Actually, these themes were fascinating to me and vital to who I was, long before I became a professional painter.
I grew up playing piano, and often found musical instruments to be aesthetic wonders, not just for the sounds they produced, but for their graceful forms and shapes. To take it a step further, a human being playing an instrument is a joyous thing to watch, as though that instrument were an extension of the person's own self. Translating that connection to a painting is both a challenge and a joy.
Countless artists have been inspired by music in their work; countless musicians are often inspired by art. During my junior year of college, I wrote a paper about one such musician, Olivier Messiaen. I felt a connection to this great 20th-century composer because he was heavily influenced by color and nature in his work. You can read the paper here.
I often found that "coloring" directly onto my musical scores helped me understand the music on a much deeper level. Musical tones, like colors, can have their own "temperature", "value", or "hue." It's a little hard to explain, but perhaps if you look at these copies of my score, you'll see what I mean...
Here is a page from Debussy's prelude, "Bruyeres (Heather)." I indicated its overall feeling by using pastel colors in warm and cool.
Here is another page, this time from my old score of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G# minor - a much more intense piece. I only used two colors, but indicated how the piece "heats up" and "cools down" throughout in varying degrees.
I'm not sure my brain interprets musical chords in the form of color to the extent that Messiaen's did, but there is definitely a connection. I would love to hear from other artists out there whether or not they experience a similar sensory reaction to music. Comments are welcome!
I grew up playing piano, and often found musical instruments to be aesthetic wonders, not just for the sounds they produced, but for their graceful forms and shapes. To take it a step further, a human being playing an instrument is a joyous thing to watch, as though that instrument were an extension of the person's own self. Translating that connection to a painting is both a challenge and a joy.
Countless artists have been inspired by music in their work; countless musicians are often inspired by art. During my junior year of college, I wrote a paper about one such musician, Olivier Messiaen. I felt a connection to this great 20th-century composer because he was heavily influenced by color and nature in his work. You can read the paper here.
I often found that "coloring" directly onto my musical scores helped me understand the music on a much deeper level. Musical tones, like colors, can have their own "temperature", "value", or "hue." It's a little hard to explain, but perhaps if you look at these copies of my score, you'll see what I mean...
Here is a page from Debussy's prelude, "Bruyeres (Heather)." I indicated its overall feeling by using pastel colors in warm and cool.
Here is another page, this time from my old score of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G# minor - a much more intense piece. I only used two colors, but indicated how the piece "heats up" and "cools down" throughout in varying degrees.
I'm not sure my brain interprets musical chords in the form of color to the extent that Messiaen's did, but there is definitely a connection. I would love to hear from other artists out there whether or not they experience a similar sensory reaction to music. Comments are welcome!
Friday, December 3
Enter the Christmas Season
Painting most certainly isn't the only kind of art I appreciate...
I was flipping through one of my most beloved college textbooks last night, an anthology of English literature, and I happened to stumble across a favorite poem by the early 20th-century poet, T.S. Eliot. I couldn't help but think, "What a great way to welcome in the Christmas season!" I love his poetry because it's filled with flashing imagery and astounding truths. I find something new and profound to dwell upon every time I read it. The poem is thoughtful, and a little sad, but oh, so beautiful! Here it is, T.S. Eliot's, "Journey of the Magi."
A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times when we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wineskins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
I was flipping through one of my most beloved college textbooks last night, an anthology of English literature, and I happened to stumble across a favorite poem by the early 20th-century poet, T.S. Eliot. I couldn't help but think, "What a great way to welcome in the Christmas season!" I love his poetry because it's filled with flashing imagery and astounding truths. I find something new and profound to dwell upon every time I read it. The poem is thoughtful, and a little sad, but oh, so beautiful! Here it is, T.S. Eliot's, "Journey of the Magi."
A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times when we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities dirty and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wineskins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
Wednesday, November 24
Being Grateful
Thanksgiving is tomorrow already! I'm ashamed at my lack of communication with the outside world these past several weeks. I've been so busy that the blog, social networking, and e-mails have gotten shoved to the wayside. But, I am back, and just in time for the dawning of my favorite holiday! Why is Thanksgiving my favorite? Well, not because of the amazing food and relaxation (although those are certainly great things! A huge plateful of turkey always makes me crave a good nap...). I love Thanksgiving because it reminds me of all the blessings in my life - all the good things that make the bad seem small and incredibly insignificant. On Thanksgiving, I'm reminded that I am blessed beyond all measure to have a wonderful family, friends, and the ability to work with my own two hands doing the thing that I love.
And, perhaps the busyness and the hard work are paying off. I was recently named a finalist in Raymar Art's monthly online competition for "Twin Arts." (To see the other finalists, click here)
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The same painting was also made a finalist in International Artist Magazine's "Portrait and Figure" competition, and is now featured in the December / January issue. It is wonderful to be recognized for my work, and I find myself encouraged and motivated to produce work that is equally or more exceptional than "Twin Arts." It is both an exciting and scary time for a young artist still trying to get her foot in the door!
There is so much more to mention (and SO much more to express gratitude for!), but I must save that for another time. Meanwhile, have a very happy Thanksgiving!
And, perhaps the busyness and the hard work are paying off. I was recently named a finalist in Raymar Art's monthly online competition for "Twin Arts." (To see the other finalists, click here)
The same painting was also made a finalist in International Artist Magazine's "Portrait and Figure" competition, and is now featured in the December / January issue. It is wonderful to be recognized for my work, and I find myself encouraged and motivated to produce work that is equally or more exceptional than "Twin Arts." It is both an exciting and scary time for a young artist still trying to get her foot in the door!
There is so much more to mention (and SO much more to express gratitude for!), but I must save that for another time. Meanwhile, have a very happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, October 29
Clutter-Free Studio and Mind!
After a successful art show this past weekend, the question remained: "What to do with paintings that didn't sell?" Steve was gone on business on Monday and Tuesday, so I was able to spend two full days taking a break from painting, cooking, and the usual weekday activities and recuperate from the weekend. Actually, I needed to recuperate from the weekend AND the two months before it which were consumed with LONG hours in the studio preparing for the show! Instead of laying around for two days (tempting though it was...), I ended up being very productive - it really felt good to give my work space and home a "makeover."
They say that artists, by nature, are messy...but I have discovered that I always feel more at ease and able to sit down to paint when the space around me is clean and orderly. Too much clutter makes me feel distracted, uneasy, and unable to focus on my art. Now, my studio looks great - I have all my paintings hanging in new places around the house (although some will be delivered to the gallery soon), and I'm able to move on to new projects without feeling stressed. So this is my challenge to other artists: if you are creating beautiful works of art, why not apply the same care and attention to detail to other aspects of your life? You'll be a happier person for it, I promise... :-)
They say that artists, by nature, are messy...but I have discovered that I always feel more at ease and able to sit down to paint when the space around me is clean and orderly. Too much clutter makes me feel distracted, uneasy, and unable to focus on my art. Now, my studio looks great - I have all my paintings hanging in new places around the house (although some will be delivered to the gallery soon), and I'm able to move on to new projects without feeling stressed. So this is my challenge to other artists: if you are creating beautiful works of art, why not apply the same care and attention to detail to other aspects of your life? You'll be a happier person for it, I promise... :-)
Tuesday, October 19
Autumn Joys
I've been consumed with painting projects lately (and consequently, everything else is kind of falling apart...phone calls, emails, cleaning, etc., will all have to wait!). My attempts to finish nearly a dozen paintings in less than two weeks, so far, have been successful. I still have until Friday. All these paintings are in preparation for the only art festival I'm participating in this fall, Huffhines Art Trails. I'm giving you a sneak peak today...
I actually started "Autumn Joys" a year ago, when my parents drove down from Wisconsin to visit, some time around the end of October. My mother, who is known for sharing the bounties of her incredible vegetable garden every summer, of course brought a giant gift basket filled with goodies that she had preserved. She is most famous for her pickles, so she brought those, as well as some blackberry jam from berries picked fresh from the back woods, and homemade salsa, from tomatoes she had grown in her garden. I decided to commemorate her efforts in a painting, which includes the pickles and salsa, and even the basket that she brought them in. This painting, to me, represents so much of the joy in sharing God's blessings with others - something my mother excels in. :-)
I actually started "Autumn Joys" a year ago, when my parents drove down from Wisconsin to visit, some time around the end of October. My mother, who is known for sharing the bounties of her incredible vegetable garden every summer, of course brought a giant gift basket filled with goodies that she had preserved. She is most famous for her pickles, so she brought those, as well as some blackberry jam from berries picked fresh from the back woods, and homemade salsa, from tomatoes she had grown in her garden. I decided to commemorate her efforts in a painting, which includes the pickles and salsa, and even the basket that she brought them in. This painting, to me, represents so much of the joy in sharing God's blessings with others - something my mother excels in. :-)
"Autumn Joys" - 12" x 16" - oil on linen - Available
Soon I will be posting ALL my new paintings on my website. My website itself is in the process of getting a makeover, so keep checking back for updates!
Thursday, October 14
Artist's Statement
I have been working for the past several months on re-writing my artist's statement to better explain my style and choice of subject matter. I think it still needs some tweaking, but here's what I have so far...
Art was once a bridge between the human and the divine. Those things which define a culture relate directly to the work of the artists living in it. When I see the art produced by our culture over the past century, I am both terrified by how close we have come to losing beauty altogether, and grateful to hear a resounding cry for its return. I believe we are in the midst of a rebirth of realism – and my response as an artist is joy and gratitude as I play my small part in this movement back towards what High Art once was.
My work covers a wide variety of subjects, but what remains consistent throughout is a deep love for beauty, especially as revealed by the human face. I am still young, and know little of human experience or tragedy… but when I paint, I feel my brightest hopes and deepest fears all at once. I feel connected to my subjects at a level that can only be obtained through the series of silent questions that take place during the creative process.
I believe that human beings are created in the image of God. When I remember this principle, I’m reminded that a portrait is not really about me, but about the subject and its inherent connection to God’s likeness. Thus, my goal for every portrait is to draw out that facet which most reflects the Divine. In some small way, each portrait then becomes a picture of Him.
My paintings are an expression of gratitude. They often depict men, women, or children in peaceful settings or places that evoke happiness. My art focuses on the enjoyment of life, and is permeated with a love for nature, music, and all things good. My style might be considered “classical realism,” which attempts to idealize the subject while preserving its true essence. I hope that whoever views my work finds their senses awakened as they respond to the use of color, light, and tangible subject matter. I am captivated by those things that go beyond the surface, and I hope to convey this deep and abiding interest to everyone who sees my work.
Art was once a bridge between the human and the divine. Those things which define a culture relate directly to the work of the artists living in it. When I see the art produced by our culture over the past century, I am both terrified by how close we have come to losing beauty altogether, and grateful to hear a resounding cry for its return. I believe we are in the midst of a rebirth of realism – and my response as an artist is joy and gratitude as I play my small part in this movement back towards what High Art once was.
My work covers a wide variety of subjects, but what remains consistent throughout is a deep love for beauty, especially as revealed by the human face. I am still young, and know little of human experience or tragedy… but when I paint, I feel my brightest hopes and deepest fears all at once. I feel connected to my subjects at a level that can only be obtained through the series of silent questions that take place during the creative process.
I believe that human beings are created in the image of God. When I remember this principle, I’m reminded that a portrait is not really about me, but about the subject and its inherent connection to God’s likeness. Thus, my goal for every portrait is to draw out that facet which most reflects the Divine. In some small way, each portrait then becomes a picture of Him.
My paintings are an expression of gratitude. They often depict men, women, or children in peaceful settings or places that evoke happiness. My art focuses on the enjoyment of life, and is permeated with a love for nature, music, and all things good. My style might be considered “classical realism,” which attempts to idealize the subject while preserving its true essence. I hope that whoever views my work finds their senses awakened as they respond to the use of color, light, and tangible subject matter. I am captivated by those things that go beyond the surface, and I hope to convey this deep and abiding interest to everyone who sees my work.
