Seeing verses Visual

I am trying to get my blog life back to some sort of reasonable normal here. I have missed you all, but I have so very enjoyed having my family home and spending time with my children. Thank you all for being patient with me.

Some of you had some questions about the eyes on the last post. You were wondering if they were mine... :), remember I am 50 years old and am not one who is really into plastic surgery. These are my eyes without any make up, I might add!Do you think they look similar to the eyes on the last post? Older, maybe? Well, Babs gave a tip because she guessed they were Elizabethan, and she was right. The eyes on the last post were my daughter, Elizabeth's. Some people think she and I look a lot alike...even Elizabeth. We often put our heads together and snap a photo, so I have decided to show you our eyes together. Here you go:
You guessed right, I am the one with the glasses (which have since been changed, too).

These photographs of eyes have had me thinking about how much we, as visual artist, rely on our vision. In many cases, our eyes are our living. Several painters have become blind later in life, like Claude Monet. I can't imagine how difficult this must have been. A few months ago, though, I read a lot about Esref Armagan who has been blind since birth and paints in a realistic style! Can you imagine? I actually watched him draw, in perfect perspective, an old Italian building on a television show once. When you visit his web site and see the paintings he produces, you will probably wonder how in the world he does this since he has never seen these actual images...or has he? So here is today's question...do we have to see in order to be visual?

Looking Forward and Reflecting

Here we are looking forward to 2009! It has been a year of ups and downs for many of us, but we have come through it with lots of love and cooperation. I am feeling very hopeful for all the wonderful things 2009 will bring. I hope you are also looking forward.

On the last day of the year many people find themselves in a reflective mood. I am feeling this way, too. I will spend some time with my journal and my sketchbook later today. I know many of the things which will come from that will probably be transitional for me...lists and doodles to remind me of 2008 and all of the year's challenges and joys and more of the same as I look ahead.

Earlier this week, Soulbrush gave me this award:

So to end the year, I would like to offer this same award to you, my faithful readers and commenters. I look forward to many insightful discussions, lots of wonderful art, great sharing and lots of love to spread around the earth in 2009!

In Love and Peace, I leave 2008 and in Love and Peace I go into 2009 with each of you!

Talk to you Next Year (okay, I might respond to comments before midnight tonight).

Love,

Kim

Sometimes It Takes Me A Long Time...

I know many of you have seen these paintings before. I have been doing this Horizon Series for several years now. You can see others here.This is one I call "It's About Time". It has a lot of my clear glazes applied.
This one I call "Pondering The Light".
This one is only known as "Horizon 3". It was painted when we still lived in England and that is when this series began.

Now, until yesterday when I was organizing some photographs, I never really understood where this fascination with horizons came from. I have felt as though I truly began to contemplate what was beyond the horizon when we moved to England, but I was not sure I fully understood why. Then I ran across these:
This was taken early one cold morning on Omaha Beach when we were visiting Normandy, France. Isn't the horizon beautiful? I am completely drawn into the area where the sky and the sea meet. What does lie beyond? In this case it is England and I was becoming familiar with life there.
This photograph was taken just a few moments earlier. When I saw these photos I realized the catalyst for my obsession.

Does this kind of thing happen to you? Does it sometimes take you a long time to understand why you have to continue to explore a particular image? My obsession has changed, but I have continued to explore this idea of the horizon in my life. I hope this does not change, because I really like exploring this subject and hope to continue. I think now, I just want to make it bigger! I am so glad I found these photos...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and how this works for you, too.

Happy Boxing Day

I just can't resist showing you this photo of the first cottage where we lived in England. It is such a sweet photo and also might remind some of you of a summer day.
Thank you for all of the lovely holiday greetings. As you can see, I have not gotten to my comments or blog visiting as of yet, but I promise to get there. I have been enjoying every moment with my family while we are all together. Sooner, rather than later, we will all be back to being spread about. In other words, I have been focusing on the many beautiful gifts of my life over the last few days...and all my blogging friends are not an exception.

In the meantime, have a Wonderful Boxing Day and Bask in the Glow of the Season!

Happy Holidays!

I had to share this little photo of dancing holiday lights in the window as it looks out onto our back garden.

Over the next few days I am going to be up to my eyeballs in holiday prep, so I wanted to take this time to say I wish each of you a VERY HAPPY AND SPECIAL HOLIDAY SEASON! I may have a post from time to time over the next two weeks or so, but probably it will not be anything regular. I will be visiting blogs throughout the season and look forward to hearing from each of you, and I will be responding comments on this blog. I also will be answering emails on most days.

I can tell you some exciting things are playing around in my head for 2009. I think it will be a great deal of fun.

I hope for you a season filled with peace and love. A time to spend just how you want to spend it. I also hope you have a bit of time to make a bit of art.

Have a Beautiful Holiday Season!

You May Have Heard...

Mike from Devon, England has sent his two sheep, Esmiralda and Ermintrude on a tour. They first visited Andrea in Paris, then they decided San Francisco was calling them and visited Lynn. Recently they spent a few days with Cris in Oregon where they had a tea party with Annie. Today, they decided to make a stop here in the Washington, DC area before heading up to the North Country to visit Suki.

Earlier today I received a call from Reagan National Airport, and the woman on the phone said two fluffs with purses were asking for me. I said I would be there soon. So I headed down to Alexandria to pick them up. Right away they wanted to go into the city. We hopped on the Washington Metro right at the airport and in 15 minutes we were on the National Mall.

Let me tell you these two are chatty. Here is the conversation I overheard on the Metro:

Ermi: Do you think she will take us to a proper pub? I would love a pint.

Esmi: I hear they do not have proper pubs here. These buildings are far too new.

Ermi: Really? Where where do you suppose they meet their mates?

Esmi: Do I have to tell you everything, Ermi? They use a Blackberry to meet their mates.

Ermi: I have never been to a country where you meet your mate on a fruit. These people appear far too large for that. A banana would make more sense.

Esmi: You are a fruit, Ermi! A Blackberry is a mobile. You know, Mike will not let us have a mobile.

Ermi: You have lost your mind, Esmi.Then we are walking across the Mall near the Washington Monument when this brief conversation took place:

Ermi: Do you think we can see Baaa rack O' Baaa ma?

Esmi: I understand George Bush is making him stay in Chicago until next month. One more thing, Ermi, no matter what Cousin Sally told you, Baaa rack Obaaa ma is not Irish.

Ermi: Someone needs to throw a shoe at George Bush for doing that to Baaa rack.

Esmi: Ermi, you are so slow - that happened days ago.

We had some fun, seeing the capital and the White House (although they did not want to go in). They enjoyed The East Wing of the National Gallery, too. Later we wondered over to the train station, because they thought they should begin their trip north. It will take them a while on the train, then a bus and finally Suki will try to get to them by car. It will be Friday before they can get to her place in the North Country.

They collected their tickets and the last I saw them they were headed for the platform towards New York City - Starbucks in hoof!

What a lovely duo!

Thanks Mike for allowing them this whirl wind tour!

The Euphoria of Creativity

San, who writes A Life With A View, handed out this award. I am going to hand it out to anyone posting a comment to this post. Enjoy and share the love.

Last night some thoughts kept nagging at me - again...I have got to get these things out of my head so I can get some sleep (thank goodness for my journal, right?) All of the lovely comments to my last post kind of got me going...mainly for myself last night, but this morning I am interested in what is true for you.

Do you feel as though all parts of your life are your art? Is each day an artistic expression? Do you create art when you are paying the bills and emptying the rubbish bin?

As I said in the previous post, I think I believe art is the perception of the person experiencing the work in question - the creator or the viewer. I feel as though it is the state of mind at the time of creation or experience. If this is true, then I could find the art in everything, though. I am not quite sure that happens for me. So maybe my idea of art is not quite right.

When I paint a canvas I feel a euphoria which cannot be explained, and I call it art. I can only hope anyone who sees my work may also consider it art, but I am not assured of that fact.

When I go to a gallery , I am told I will see art there. I have no reason to doubt that and enter with a sense of anticipation I hope will evoke that sense of euphoria. Sometimes it really happens and other times it leaves me wondering how some things get away with being called art. The thing is I am certain to another viewer it is without a doubt art.

There are times when I sew, cook or plant a flower when I feel as though I am creative or artistic. I have said before that being a mother is the most creative and rewarding experience I have ever had. I feel creative when I do these things as well as when I paint. Here is the rub, though, I can tell you without a shadow of doubt I DO NOT/HAVE NOT EVER felt creative when I write checks, clean the house or do laundry.

How about you? What tasks completely fill you with a sense of creativity and artistry? What tasks do not?

Have a Beautiful Day!

note, my posts and comments on your blogs may be a little less frequent over the next several weeks, but I will be getting to you.