A Beautiful End to a Beautiful Day
The two Gettys are pretty much my home away from home these days. Each time I visit I tell myself I have been so many times this year I don't need to go for a while, and then I find myself returning to either the Center or the Villa, so I give up. Of all the cultural venues in the LA area (probably hundreds, possibly thousands?), the Gettys are the ones I visit the most. I let my MOCA membership lapse because I found myself intrigued by an exhibit maybe once a year. I do believe in supporting the arts in LA, even the ones I don't necessarily enjoy that much, but my dollars only go so far these days. I remain a member of LACMA because its diversity of genres holds my interest, even though I don't go there as often as I used to, mainly because I keep getting sucked in by the must-see exhibits at the Gettys!

My most recent visit to the Getty Center was on Saturday. I started out in the morning at the Getty Research Institute library to research an archaeology project I am interested in. The time went by too quickly and I realized I had to meet a friend for lunch and then to see the Bernini exhibit which was ending (I had seen it previously but decided as I was there anyway, it was worth a second look). I generally don't like going at the weekends as the crowds are too much for me. On the one hand I think it's wonderful that the Getty Center has retained such a high public interest. On the other hand, too many people can spoil the ambiance for me, so I was glad I had seen Bernini under quieter circumstances.

But my primary reason for writing this particular blog is to mention the Getty's recent acquisition of Gauguin's "Arii Matamoe (The Royal End)." Before leaving for the day I had to take another peak at this painting. Naturally, I have read all the discussions about it. (You can read about it here so I won't repeat any of it.) I recognize all the influences, etc. but I have developed a personal relationship with the painting. When I walk into the room filled with paintings by other favorite artists such as Monet and Van Gogh, this is the one that attracts my attention. I find everything about it to be perfect. (Just a note: I saw the online photo of the painting before seeing the painting in person and was not impresed by it at all. Seeing it "in the flesh," as with all paintings, is a totally different experience.)
The subject matter could be thought of as grisly and abhorrent. Gauguin could, indeed, have chosen to show all the blood and guts associated with it. But I don't believe that was his intention. Instead, the scene comes across to me as serene and harmonious. I feel very much at peace when viewing it, even though, intellectually, I think I should not. The reactions of the people in the background are temporary, and life will go on. The head is surrounded by vibrant colors, exquisite designs and exotic scenery. It is not at all somber. Perhaps that is the message I am getting here: death and destruction are a part of us, but at the same time we must find the beauty all around us in order to move forward.

(Paul Gauguin French, Tahiti, 1892 Oil on coarse fabric 18 7/8 x 29 1/2 in. 2008.5
The J. Paul Getty Trust
© J. Paul Getty Trust)

A New Look
The Culver City Art Group website has a new, fun look. I've been wanting to update the site for a long time but could never set aside a block of time to do it. Now it is done. I'm hoping in the coming year we can upload some new photos of our activities. If you have any photos (in digital format) you would like to see posted, let me know!

We are having our lucky 13th Annual Holiday Art Show on November 15. If you are an artist and would like to exhibit in our show, you must be a member of our group (only $25 a year), be present at the event and be willing to help with a small task. More info will appear on this blog later on. Or keep checking on the CCAG website.

Plaster of Paris Penguins
40 days and 40 nights, yep, that's about how long it's been since I have posted here. I've THOUGHT about it every day but that's how far merely thinking gets you.... absolutely nowhere! Must be a lesson in there somewhere.
I've been busy revising my resume, posting it on various job boards, and updating my portfolio. Because, as the economy is tanking and this is the worst possible time to be doing it, I am looking for a J-O-B! My cats refuse to give up their cosy little lives, so it's up to me...
Over a year ago I quit my well-paying, secure corporate job in order to go lie under a palm tree and gaze at the blue sky... well, not quite. I did quit the job but over the past 14 months I have found myself incredibly busy. I've never been one of those people who can take a vacation to a tropical island, lie in the sun and drink mai tais all day. Five minutes would be all I could take. Which is not to say I never advocate doing "nothing." Although that depends on the definition.
Getting out of bed every morning and not necessarily having to go anywhere or do anything opened up all kinds of possibilities. I was so burned out on my corporate job I really wasn't enjoying the rest of my life. I decided I needed to let life fall where it may for a while and see what came up. I admit that the first few months weren't particularly wonderful. I spent many days worrying that I was wasting time. I think I was waiting for a revelation of some kind. A flash of light and a voice from the heavens to tell me what direction to take. As I wasn't living in a movie, that never happened. All changes in my life have come about very slowly, even the ones that started with a sudden event. The consequences and realizations always take a while to catch up with me.
So it has been with my time "off." Looking back over the past year I realize how very far I have come. And no matter what happens to me from now on, this year will play a large part.
An interesting outcome is that the things I didn't do are as important as the things I did. This has helped to solidify who I am and where I am going. As a child I was extremely creative. I lived every day to paint, draw, write and make Plaster of Paris penguins (getting that beak out of the mold intact is much more difficult than you might think!). I truly believed this is who I would revert to during this year. I bought my own kiln but this did not increase my tile output. I bought canvases and self-teaching DVDs and attended art classes. But nothing could get that creative spark ignited. This was terribly disappointing and frustrating.
Then the revelation came. What I really enjoy, bringing me hours of rapture, is the study of art. Reading about art history, attending art galleries and museums, critiquing other artists' work... that's where I get my jollies! This is a huge relief as I've been beating myself over the head for years for not being more artistically productive! Okay, so I do more artwork than the average person, but not enough to become a really good artist. Or at least, not enough, or any, work that would qualify for the title "fine art." I have always loved arts and crafts more than, say, oil painting, but I have never valued painting tiles or making those Plaster of Paris penguins as much as a "real" piece of art.
Somewhere inside me was always that child who wanted to be a great artist. Perhaps if I could turn back the clock a few decades I could have gone in a different direction, but at the time, the realities of life (or, that is to say, the perception of what life was like) stepped in and took away my paint brush. But we only have the future to work with, don't we? (Speak up, someone, if you know something I don't!)
I realize my entire adult life has been a process of turning the wheel around to where I was in my early twenties, to that point where I closed up shop creatively and let my left brain run my life. During this past year I completed that creakingly slow, torturous process. Instead of looking back to what I lost, I am now able to move forward. I'm very excited about the future. I see very clearly where I want to be, what I want to do, who I am. The ship is headed in the right direction and there is no stopping me now!