An Artist? What do you really do?

 We’ve had a busy beginning to the graduation/summer season visiting friends and family. Often  folks at these get-togethers look at me curiously and ask how things are going.  Are they waiting for the confession - yes I am an artist doing what artists do, whatever we do in the studio. Maybe they wonder: Could there be nudes in the studio? Wild parties, loose women, drinking strange substances and cutting off earlobes? No, nothing so dramatic in this life as an artist.

I pulled out an article I wrote a few years ago about confessing to an upscale art gallery that , yes I am an  artist. The gallery liaison looked me over and stifled a snicker – no funky clothes, no beret. I wanted to defend my statement but that would have taken that incredulous look off her face.

 It is not easy putting your hopes and dreams out there for people you hardly know to examine your soul. But look how far I’ve come, me, writing a blog on the creative process for the whole world to see. That process includes endless questioning and self-doubt, rushing me back to my worn copy of Art and Fear – Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking  (Bayles & Orland).

Yes, I am an artist, I can tell by all the painted clothes hanging on hooks in my studio, by the storage bins swelling with comfort smelling oils on canvas, with a bookcase full of painter’s catalogs, and best, the genuinely positive comments from dear friends, family, and customers regarding the new works displayed on the website (www.joelellisart.com).  Most importantly, I think I am an artist because I know creating the forms and colors is really fun and exciting, even though I still have all my earlobes (with apologies to Vincent Van Gogh, who I greatly admire). 

Enjoy these lovely days of summer,

Joel

                                                     Cooling of the Dunes by Joel F. Ellis

                                                       Best of Show, Mid-Michigan Art Guild, 2012

DIA, FIA, KIA, and SAC Art in Michigan, Check It Out!

Summer is finally here with all the ballgames and family gatherings. Travel to and from these fun times will be a blessing and a lots of fun. In summer, we move around the state a great deal. Along with the family and the drop off and pickup of art entries, we accumulate a whole lot of miles on the road. There is also the bonus of new sights to explore.

Michigan is a very diverse and beautiful state that never fails to amaze the serendipity explorer. As we travel this northern U S state we are amazed by the bountiful natural water reservoir, the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan, I think, is the jewel in the Great Lakes crown. With its broad sand beaches and dense emerald forests and inland lakes that give the nature lover a superb blend of natural beauty.

If your fair is the urban life don’t miss the many charming small towns. The small cafes and bakeries with their friendly locals are as pleasant as any town in Europe. Check out Northport, Michigan - great cinnamon rolls! 

If your travels take you on the many miles of expressways don’t forget to pull off at some world class art venues and fine art galleries throughout Michigan. Detroit with it diverse ethnic population can be a lot of fun to explore. Don’t forget the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA), one of the best in the world. Be sure to stop and marvel at the grand historic and masterful Diego Rivera mural. There are many art communities that are a must see for a Michigan art tour.

Flint Institute of Art (FIA)  is as classic as any urban art venue in the country, with an exceptional permanent collection as well as classy travelling shows. Kalamazoo Institute of Art (KIA) rests in a very artistic region. The exhibits are world class. That was where we first became aware of Tunis Ponson’s work which is now under the curatorial protection of Roy Saper of Saper Gallery in East Lansing. Yes, right here in this artsy little town with big visions for art.  

A great example of smaller community superb art exhibits is Shiawassee Art Center (SAC) in Owosso where art thrives through an enthusiastic collaboration between staff, volunteers, friends of, and the community businesses and individuals. Many communities throughout Michigan have this same enthusiasm for the importance of art in the health of the community. Check them out as you travel.

Saugatuck-Douglas has some of the best art venues in the state, and a little further up the west coast of Michigan you can find other fun art communities: Traverse City where original art abounds, Manistee, and Charlevoix with contemporary galleries and old world classical paintings. These are just a few.

ArtPrize (in September), in Grand Rapids, has grown into international importance with its size and diverse venues throughout the city. One of the main attractions for huge sculptural art and smaller works in the main building gallery is at beautiful Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. That is where we became reacquainted with the excellent kenetic sculptor, George Rickey.

I’ll keep you posted on the various venues and paintings we deliver, and here’s hoping we do a lot of traveling this new art season.

Happy art travels, Joel

Sharing the Joy of Creating Art

People often ask very interesting questions when they find that you are an artist: how long does it take to paint a painting, why did I do this or that to the painting or where did I get the idea for the painting. These plus many more questions are often fielded at unusual times, not always in the exhibit.
My artistic grandson one day asked me more specific questions. His curiosity was more to the point, when did I get started in art and why?

                                                     A drawing by my grandson, Tyler

These bold questions can make a fellow take pause for a moment and look at the sweet innocent face asking these profundities. Ahh, an opening for me to share all the unsaids about this career. Here was my chance to imprint a little of myself on this fine young specimen.

I got started many years ago when I observed my father finding relief from his own hard physical work through painting calm scenes. I observed his process of setting up his handmade easel, laying out the paints on his handmade palette, and creating right before our eyes. The paintings were just for him, when they were done many became a patch or other in his handmade factory of producing cement blocks. What I learned most from my father, the artist, was the pure joy of creating. He was not hindered by critics or financial gain.

The image of my father painting remained with me as I experimented with pure-joy-creating in various artistic ways – photography, sculpture, sketching. I learned so much more in college with a series of art experiences on my credentials. Then I learned that it is very difficult to raise a family doing art, though I have close friends who worked hard at their sculptures and have made a name for themselves in the art world. For me, I chose education as my day job. Career transitions come with time and I was provided with a good amount of time to experience the pure joy of creating. Unlike my father’s choice of retaining the moments of creating his work, I decided to also share the work and I have thoroughly enjoyed that part of being an artist. So my dear grandson, I am doubly happy to have chosen to be an artist.

After that quick exchange of arty conversation, we moved as all good conversations do to other subjects like philosophy and music and the combinations of the two. I learned some things about his progress and curiosity in art and the role it plays in his world. This could be a beginning for us. I know I am just a link in this great big journey of time and hope good can come from it. We’ll keep the color pencils, words of encouragements, and a little guidance flowing in hopes of insuring the next generation of artists.

Joel  (www.joelellisart.com  ) 

The Perfect Painting - What Do You Think?

What makes the perfect painting?  Is it a landscape with trees and lakes, perhaps with a sailboat gently bobbing on the blue lake? In 1993, the People’s Choice project by Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid described in The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution (Dennis  Dutton ) studied the artistic preference of folks in ten countries. In the study they want to town hall meeting to hear just what makes the perfect landscape. A worldwide poll conducted by various public opinion firms of simple artistic preference questions covered close to two billion people’s opinion.

Take a moment and think what you feel would make the perfect painting.

What did you picture? Did you have a blue sky, trees, water?  If you did you would be on track with the findings of the research.  Universally the ideal painting was a landscape with water, people and animals. The ideal color almost exclusively is blue. The researchers even noted a link back to our early ancestors who were looking for a cozy safe place to live. We seem to carry this image deep in our brain that comes out when we look for that perfect landscape.

A bitter side note… the esteemed researchers warned that the most disliked paintings described in the research were abstract designs. Sadly, the product of my new artistic excitement – brilliant abstracts,  will never be accepted by the masses. Fortunately, I still also love the dunes and forests, close enough to the perfect landscape. I think times are changing and the viewers and supporters of modern art, in these very fascinating art times, have already proven the People’s Choice project prediction regarding abstracts as weak if not faulty.

So keep looking at the beauty and changing earth we call home and find your perfect landscape, then squint at that sunset and just maybe you can make your own abstract. 

 This piece called Little Lake, or

 Spontaneous Bloom? What's your choice?

Happy looking, Joel

  

Broad Art Museum by Zaha Hadid: Cause for Artists' Discussion

A gathering of artists, in East Lansing, were finishing their breakfast when the art topic became heated. The big talk was about the new Broad Art Museum on the campus of Michigan State University by the world renowned architect Zaha Hadid. Most respected artists at the table thought the building too radical while a few brave souls thought the new Broad will be great for East Lansing and Mid Michigan, bringing visitors from around the country and the world.

I have to confess I have been in the cautious group. The architectural design is radically diverse from the general university style. Long metal lines crossing at sharp angles seem to invite a variety of “looks like” comments: looks like a spaceship landing, looks like a truck wreck, looks like . . . you get the idea.  As the unusual shapes have come together over the last several months, however, the futuristic design began to make a statement about being brave and looking to the future. After a virtual tour of the inside of the building where art is displayed, the concept has made a positive impression on me.  See for yourself: http://broadmuseum.msu.edu Check the site regularly for updates on the project and shows happening now through the Broad Without Walls program.

Michigan State University campus will become a destination for the seekers of beauty in the arts thanks to the Broad Art Museum. The opening of the museum should be a grand affair in the fall of 2012.

For most recent views of Joel Ellis Art, please take a look at my website: www.joelellisart.com  Thanks.

Joel

Michigan Dunes, A Great Painting Subject

People sometimes ask me why dunes are often the subject of many of my paintings. There is a long family history going back, way back to family trips to Lake Michigan for a long day at the beach. We packed picnics, fishing poles and blankets and left before dawn, our destination: Silver Beach in Saint Joseph, Michigan. The once thriving amusement park was a fine family getaway but for me the first sight of the truly great lake was breath taking. The sand, so much sand, and how it the met the pure blue water was imprinted on me forever.

                                                  Spring Dune  13 x 17 oil on linen (Joel F Ellis)

Over the years the hallowed visits still mean peace, serenity and a magical transformation from the day-to-day grind of the everyday life. So… this magical spot is what I try to share with the viewer of the dune paintings, sharing my many journeys through the noonday heat or the sunset breezes rustling through the grasses.

Some dune visits may be represented down to each blade of grass while others may convey the swaying wave of green dancing over the floor of sand as water and sky meet to create these magical moments. Every trip to Ludington State Park or sites farther north on Michigan’s third coast bring a dune surprise – little lakes, fences exposed then gone, historic ship pilings, small animals alive and some going back to the earth as my young daughter used to say about a dead creature. We are truly grateful to have the amazing the Great Lakes as our playground. Joel(Spring Rain, 18x24, oil on linen).                                                                    

BEHOLD MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM!

Helene and I finally got an afternoon in the Milwaukee Art Museum. The 20,000 works are displayed in one of the most unusual venues in the art world. My humble words could never convey the scale and impact of architect Santiago Calatrava’s  masterpiece. Facing the bright blue of Lake Michigan’s west coast, the beaming white bow of the building boasts wings, yes wings that lift from the side exterior walls in the opening hour of the museum until the closing hour when the wings gracefully return over the walls. An architectural must see for art lovers.

After hours in and around the magnificent building through the soft curving interior walls we took photos of the building sculpture until it was time to go. On our return ride back to the southwest side of metropolitan Chicago, we played the game of naming all the art museums we have been so fortunate to have experienced. The list grew quite long as we headed south around Chicago. We got so engrossed in our little game we missed a crucial fork in the road and traveled east instead amid five lanes of busy traffic. The Willis (Sears) tower kept getting closer and closer. We turned on the mighty GPS and let the miracle of the modern age get us not so lost.

The art and architecture of the Milwaukee Art Museum should be on your list of great places to view and become part of the grander human experiences. See pictures of the museum below the blog posts.

To know the impact of the structure another valued architect, Rosolini, once said: "Don't watch the building. Watch the face of the people coming to the building."

Enjoy the art around you,

Joel