Alyson Shotz at The Broad Art Museum

       I am sitting at my computer looking at a new painting, well not new in the sense that it was just completed, but a painting that we rescued from a slow but sure demise. We like to go to estate and yard sales and sometimes buy interesting art that moves us. Today’s find was old, so old the sale manager guessed that it was over a hundred years. It is in very rough shape with over a hundred years of grime on the surface. Yet, the artist’s bowl of white roses is still shining, lo after all these many years.

       This experience dovetails nicely with an experience we had a few days ago. The Broad Art Museum had an evening meeting with one of the fine artists who had built an enormous wall installation that was over a hundred feet long. The beautiful string and nail drawing would be coming down in a few days. Though the art community enjoyed and marveled at the artistic endeavor, there is a sad sense about the loss of an art object so much respected and visited so many times in its short life in the museum.

Close up of Shotz string drawing, White Wave

       The artist, Alyson Shotz and her string drawing, White Wave (2013), became a conduit for heated discussions about the permanence of the art object that we all marvel over. We first think about the sincerity and beauty of the Buddhist mandala sand art that takes days to create but lasts for such a short time. In contrast, on the boulevard near the Broad stands a bronze dancing female figure. She will be dancing for many centuries to come because of the permanent materials used.

Portion of White Wave (2013), Alyson Shotz string drawing at the Broad

        The question of ephemeral art is very thought provoking. I lean toward more long-lived art. A few weeks ago a young artist asked me how he could get started in oil painting. That is a life time journey but the short answer I gave was use the very best materials you can afford and hopefully you will create meaningful art that you will be able to visit in the years to come. I said this based on my own history of many student art projects that we so loved, but are now dust in some forgotten closet.

       And yes there are those messages from the distance past left on the stone walls all over the world. Some are in caves while others are on rock surfaces just above the water line of Lake Superior. We can only imagine the early artist sending greeting messages from another time.

       And what about the white roses on the deteriorating canvas?  In the sun light we found a few faint red roses hidden in the decades of grime. We create because, well excuse the cliché, we have to. The artists from the past even the distant past were moved to communicate with present and future peoples. We’ll try to help The Roses to live a few more years to bring us beauty. Maybe some restoration will help us to appreciate the artist’s touch from the past and help us see our own world in better light. 

Joel

Blue Nautilus, Joel Ellis 24x24 acrylic on canvas

 www.joelellisart.com

  

Something About Flowers, Joel Ellis  20x24 acrylic on linen

Henry James - Three Big Questions

Purple Pair

Today we had the opportunity to meet a young recent M S U grad at the new Broad Art Museum. She will be starting her teaching career teaching science and art. What a great subject marriage. Her enthusiasm for both subjects will carry her far in her new beginning. 

We discussed the lack of foresight by the cash strapped school districts and how the arts programs are the first programs to be downgraded or outright cut. Just to confirm our gut feeling I looked up- the value of art- and let Google gather the evidence. The Google survey shows that most citizens, too, have a gut feeling about the loss of arts in public education and backed up the evidence with some very substantial citations confirming this point. There are measurable outcomes which the art community has known and supported for years, ARTS BELONG IN THE SCHOOLS.

The writer Henry James proposed three questions to help define the artist work …1, what was the artist trying to achieve…2. Did they succeed ... 3. Was the effort worth doing?  In researching the merits of the arts programs in schools we must look at the findings that are very conclusive and I invite you to also take the few minutes and Google this topic. It’s affirmimg to find support for your point of view and pass the word along to those hard working and often misunderstood public servants who manage our schools.  

Descending Day

We can use James’ art analyses by replacing artists with art patrons to help us grade our efforts and stay on track in keeping the arts alive and enriching lives for the generations to come. If we get an A+ for our efforts, we can say we presented the best positive aspects of our culture to our children, our future replacements.

Traverse Morning

And to the first year teacher and her grand adventure in teaching, keep your enthusiasm and remember the arts community is counting on you for the next great link from past to future. Remember James’s third question? Was the effort worth doing? Think of the lives this new teacher will touch. Let’s all keep the cultural beacon shining. 

Joel

www.joelellisart.com

 

A Lesson in Mastery: 10,000 hours practice

       Spring is here and the outdoor art shows begin in the northern states. We have a very good show coming up May 18-19, the East Lansing Art Show. I always remember asking an artist at the show how long he had been painting. The day was hot and near the end of the two day event so his remark was rather terse and had a bite to it. Not looking at me, he said, “acres and acres of canvas.” I thought I got the message, but year’s later after reading, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, the art fair comment made more sense, acres and acres, that’s a lot painting.

Summer Sunset 12x16 acrylic, mixed media 

      Gladwell gives examples of people who have mastered their chosen endeavor and are recognized for their accomplishments. The one common element they all have going to reach the top in their field is 10,000 hours of practice, think of it 10,000 hours. That is a lot of time at the piano or at an easel. Even Mozart was very good at a young age but the more he composed the better he became until he reached his 10,000 hours later in his life.

Summer Fusion 20x24 acrylic on canvas

      The Beatles, too, had to perform eight hours straight on stage for weeks at a time perfecting that special Beatles sound. We see the practice/ achievement connection as a baby starts to walk. It takes a lot of tumbles to get the skills worked out.  We marvel at the major events in our lives as we too put in those 10,000 hours to reach the goals we set for ourselves.

Coffee at the Beach 11x14 oil on linen board

      When we go to the outdoor art shows this summer, remember the artists are hot, tired and wanting to get back to their studio to put more time on the art, valued time toward 10,000 hours to mastery. Enjoy the outdoor art scene and remember to support the arts as we enjoy this beautiful summer.

Joel

  www.joelellisart.com  

Children and Art

       A few weeks ago we got a call from my daughter saying my five-year-old grandson wanted to paint with me. After a gulp and a vision of a paint smeared chubby hand settled, I realized he was many miles away and he must have something else going on in his very active mind. “We can paint at the same time,” he said. What a pleasant thought, the two of us painting at the same time.

Grandson's first Abstract

       Then a few days ago he made the trip to my studio. After a quick check of the studio he asked, “Can we paint again?”  “Yes,” I said, and did we have fun! His eager hands were receptive to tips and suggestions. Before his first masterpiece piece was completed, he was on to his first advanced technique: the eye dropper for that single water drop that traveled down his painting. He squealed with the thrill of excitement.

       Next, the drinking straw. His little boy puff of air sent paint in exciting shapes and patterns. Each puff of air brought a cheer and a growing sense of pride in his creation.  As his paintings were drying in color patterns on counters, he looked up to me and said, “This is the best day of my life.” That was also one of the best days of my life, dear grandson. 

Hoping you enjoy all the art around you,

Joel  www.joelellisart.com

   

What is Abstract Art?

        It all started with phone calls. Would I like to exhibit several paintings at one of my favorite art centers? That was the first call, the second call from another art venue: would I like to give a talk about abstract art. The answer yes to both and, boy, was it a good learning experience.

Through a Kaleidoscope

       I have had work shown at Shiawassee Art Center (SAC) before and the experience was favorable so I knew this show would be fun. A short time later I got another call from SAC. Would I like the bigger gallery? Yes again. So for weeks we put together a larger selection of paintings, framing and preparing a catalog. We were so busy actual painting was set aside for the business of art.

     The talk and demonstration was always on my mind during the show preparation - what is abstract and do I even do abstract? While preparing for the thirty piece show I kept questioning - why do we create? What is real art and all the subsequent unanswerable questions dealing with the philosophy of art.

Lake ice bubbles frozen on Spring morning

       The SAC show’s opening reception included a short talk that I tried not the think about until the moment arrived. The mike felt natural in my hand as I shared the stories about the exhibited paintings. Because most of the paintings in SAC might be considered abstract, this few-minutes talk was a good warm up for the upcoming much longer program.   

       The talk at Jackson Civic Art Association was carefully planned. The folks there welcomed us with enthusiasm and thoughtful questions. I hoped the planning would not make the presentation feel overly worked. Helene and I have a bunch of years teaching experiences and one thing we have learned is to have plenty of material on hand to cover any possible scenario. 

 

Sunlight thru door peep hole on opposite wall

       We showed photos of interesting images in the real world which can inspire so-called abstract work, see examples here. In art discussions “abstract” is often considered a contrast to “real” visuals. Even in the SAC show I would hear comments such as, “Joel has ventured away from paintings of real scenes.”

       In both talks, the same questions came up, what is the inspiration for the various paintings and how did I plan the work. This is where the paint hits the canvas. Telling stories of the painting process could be another blog entry for another time. Let me know what you think about these or any other issues on the life of the artist in the comments.

       Please check the archive blogs as well. I have come to have a deep respect for art educators especially after talking to art teacher friends. See the Fort Wayne Surprise blog. Did you know that according to Arts and Economic Prosperity Report IV from Americans for the Arts, the arts in our country generate 166.2 billion dollars into the economy every year! 

Thanks for checking the blog. I hope you also check my website at www.joelellisart.com

Joel

Shiawassee Arts Center Show is Ready

Island Birth  18x24  oil on linen

       After a sleepless night and the next day packing the transport boxes in two vehicles to deliver paintings, the Shiawassee Art Center show is on its way. The smiling volunteers waiting to hang the show greeted us with warm welcomes. As they worked on their project two reporters from the local newspapers were interviewing for their stories from the participating artists – Karen Kangas-Preston, photography, Douglas Thayer with his strong forged metal work, and me with my curious abstracts and dunes.

Spirit of Three Fires 24x30 acrylic on canvas

       The first reporter worked on the Michigan connection that is behind many of my pieces. He asked if living in the Great Lakes area had an influence on my art. I flashed years of hiking the ever changing dunes, waking to subtle light bouncing off the magnificent Lake Michigan, slipping on a frozen coast just to get that special picture, but I just nodded yes to the reporter. We walked over to a painting titled Spirit of Three Fires, referring to the Anishinabe legend of the Algonquin First Peoples that populate the Great Lakes. The reporter and I both knew the location of the reference photo.

       The other reporter was also interested in motivation and how that motivation influences the paintings. We looked at the painting that was selected for the Michigan Governor’s Residence Artists Program, (see Surprise in Fort Wayne blog) the large Touch of Lavender. This painting has a lot of texture and as we moved our fingers over the thick paint I told the story of a previous art show where a blind visitor moved her fingers over the surface to “see” the painting. Every art piece has its own story, a collaboration between the materials, the creator and the viewer’s perception of the outcome. We all bring to an art show our experiences and expectations.

 

Wheels of Fortune 20x24 acrylic on linen

       We walked around the gallery, she asking for the motivation that jump started the creative experience and me telling the story that helped to bring the visual to life. Both reporters were asking the same basic question, what was my motivation. This is the question most viewers ask when they look at any art. What are the influences behind the finished art work? 

       Some art is an expression used to support a belief or a statement - political, religious, romantic - and some tell a story that is influenced by the times the artist works in. We each create for our own reasons. Even though I have blogged about this before the question always comes up in interviews and discussions, what is behind the paintings. Each painting has its own story as well as its own history but that is another blog post for another time.

       Thank you for your interest in these blog posts. For more paintings you may want to check the website, www.joelellisart.com or better yet, if you are in the area please check out the Shiawassee Arts Center Spring presentation in Owosso, Michigan. The show runs through April 14, 2013. Please feel free to share this blog with friends who may enjoy reading about the artist’s experience. I am still awed by the story in the  previous blog on the Peru, Indiana High School art treasures.

Earth Cycle  18x24  acrylic on linen

Joel

Big Surprise in Fort Wayne Indiana!

Out of the Box  20x24 acrylic on linen

       We have been preparing a show of 30 paintings for ShiawasseeArt Center (SAC) the last few weeks. All the paintings are framed and in shipping boxes waiting for the drop off day. The prep work for any major show takes many hours of caring for details and at times frustrating delays but all is completed as we are looking at our sore finger tips from the hanging wires. Ah, a sigh of relief.  

       Helene and I needed a little R and R so we took a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana to the art center area. The first visit was to Art Link, an old favorite art venue. In one small gallery space we saw young children’s art that was so pure and sweet. We could just imagine the small hands plying with their creations. Art Link shares space in a building of Arts United. Lots of education going on here that includes visual and performing arts.

       Across the street at the newly redesigned Fort Wayne Museum of Art (FWMoA) we were astounded again by young artists from high schools in 54 counties of Indiana and Ohio. The museum offers one of the rare scholastic arts programs in the country highlighting the value of art education. The works of these young people was very inspiring and gave us hope that the new generations will be just fine and the arts will thrive into the future.

      We walked through the American Tapestry Biennial 9 show in another gallery of the museum with intricate beautiful works. We said to each other, “how can this get any better?”

The next large gallery room we glided into under the haze of Stendhal syndrome - too much fine art. We almost zipped through this gallery of large colorful paintings without a closer look. Stendhal on hold our quick glance around the large gallery was stunning. I had to sit and regain some form of composure. While sitting in a stage of utter surprise I let the magnificent paintings come to me, and they came - with their stories and their own histories of survival.

       Closer inspection of images spanning mid-century master works surprised me. Hidden Treasures the sign said: The John Whittenberger Collection of G. David Thompson at Peru Indiana High School. What? A high school collection in Peru, Indiana? What was this story all about? We asked at the desk and got a fragment of the story. Thanks to the internet we were able to piece most of the story together.

       G. David Thompson, a Peru High School alumni back in 1913, called a troubled student, found art and art appreciation through a beloved teacher, John Whittenberger. Thompson left Indiana for Pittsburg where he became a financial investor and an executive in Pittsburgh steel industry. But it was art and art collection that gave him great pleasure. In 1938 he donated 8 pieces of his collection to Peru High School in the name of his mentor, Whittenberger.

       Throughout the years until his death Thompson donated a rich collection of works by Picasso, Dali, Miro, Roualt, Predergast, and dozens of other fine art paintings along with ancient Oriental pottery, 200 items in all. The trouble was over those years that these treasured works became too valuable to hang on the walls of the old high school. When the new school was built in 1970 the works were tucked carefully away in a closet designated as the janitor’s supply room. Art teachers over those years knew about the works and even used a few now and then for their art education.

       It is the students of those lessons that have taken the initiative to present the valued collection to the public and the students of Peru as intended by the gracious donor G. David Thompson. A new gallery is being built in the high school along with high tech security. What a story! What a testament to the value of a good art education in the schools.

       I hope you get a chance to explore art in your area and if you get to the Midwest check out the venues at Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Unfortunately the premier showing of Hidden Treasures will be closing February 24. The student scholastic show continues until mid-April.

       And if you are in mid-Michigan during March and early April please come to the Shiawassee Art Center (206 Curwood Castle Drive, Owosso, MI 48867) to see Joel Ellis Art in the main gallery. Other artists in the building include blacksmith metal artist, Doug Thayer and photography by Karen Kangas-Preston. Opening reception is March 1 from 6 – 8 pm. 

       Hope to see you there.

Earth Cycle 18x24  acrylic on linen

Touch of Lavender  36x48  oil on canvas , Governor's  Residence selection

Wild Summer 30x40 acrylic on canvas

Three of the paintings in the upcoming show at Shiawassee Arts Center February 26-April 14

Opening Reception Friday, March 1 6-8 pm

Look about you, folks and enjoy!

Joel