One reason I write this blog is to think my way through situations. I say situations instead of problems because a wise friend once pointed out to me that we, humans, tend to think of situations as problems because we seek definitive solutions. Not every situation needs a solution. Sometimes it just is. And sometimes we just need to look at things in a different light. Many times when painting is taught, it is approached as a series of problems that must be solved. This seems like a terribly negative view. Why not think of art as a series of opportunities? Thomas Eddison said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Hmmm.... Lots to think about. |
I have included four examples of naive art below. (Click on images to see them in a larger format.) Left to Right: The Snake Charmer by Rousseau, Country Fair by Grandma Moses, Tuscan Olive Tree by Claudia Vecchiarelli, and a portrait by Daniel Johnson, who happens to be from the Austin area. (Click on his magic marker drawing to read an interesting article about Johnson in the New York Times, titled "Man-Child in the Promised Land.")
Strangely enough, TUMBLR offers 977 examples of this type of logic. (Click on the fries below to go to the list.)
I close with this:
"If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first."--Mark Twain