Favorite Artist

John Henry Campbell
A highly respected water colourist of his day, the Irish artist John Henry Campbell was born in Dublin in 1757 and studied at the Royal Dublin Society school of art. He is the BEST Irish landscape artist I have ever learned about. My grandparents were Irish immigrants and I am 2nd generation. It is close to my heart I am visiting for 5 weeks this summer.

Art?

In no simpler words, art is attention. Not everyone has to find something beautiful, or fascinating, but if there is something that attracts the attention of anyone then it is art. There is art in life, and death, in youth, and age. There is art in architecture, in fire, in movies, religion, books, television, in music, dance, fear, Love.
Art is the world around us that can not be computed by numbers but only beauty. Art is the power to attract attention.

Art in schools

I attended Tallulah falls Boarding school in north east Georgia. This school is very strongly academic based and over the last year we had a very big problem with our fine art program. The head of the Music Department Mrs. Joanne Harwell was very in love with what she did, she had various classes – Piano, Vocal chorus, and of course hand bells, our school was very small, and she had almost every student before they left the school. She had a tendency though, to think her classes were much more important than academics and athletics, and the school disagreed with her, I personally got behind in chemistry, and missed a cheerleading tournament just so I could practice a dance routine for the Christmas show. These problems only got worse and I remember Joanne telling me, you cant take the art of the schools or you will take the heart of the schools. She left our school, and it was never the same. We were loaded with more academics and no ways to express ourselves it was like prison. Art must be kept in the schools or children will go insane, okay?



Picture is from The Tallulah Spectacular 2007/08 :)

Star wars is culture

Star wars is a culture because people use it to define who they are. Regardless of age, race, gender, or religion, it brings people together to share the same culture. My mother is die hard star wars junkie and she has been her entire life. She was out cast, and made fun of in high school but she didn’t care because she loved the story that George Lucas created. She was able to enter another world that she loved, and this is the case for many fans. They come together at many festivals, and cons where they trade, sell, buy and learn from each other, and they are very happy doing it. It is not just another culture, but another world. I could talk for hours about how people make this the culture they live by, but then, I just sound silly.


Picture above is actually my mother in the middle there.

Human struggle

I believe this photo could show human struggle, I feel like this woman doesn’t know if she wants to be herself or put on her mask. I feel that at some point in life, almost everyone will have to put on a mask. And its sad, to struggle with yourself- it is the very hardest battle to fight.

Interview with an artist

My cousin Savanna Fulmar, is the most beautiful folk artist I have ever met. Savanna had the choice to study fine art at the University but, due to her families’ belief system and other issues, Savanna returned home.
When we were younger I was always jealous of savanna because anything we ever did having to do with any art- play doh, coloring books, paint by number, ballet, needle work, sewing, ceramics, and even cooking- she excelled past me in every way.
I conducted a small interview with her:
Shauna: Okay, so tell me how you felt when you were enrolled at school studying art.
Savanna: I didn’t feel like I was studying art, I felt like I was studying History, communications, algebra, and , Geology, with one measly art classes added in there I was not in search for education like I thought I was. I went to school to learn about how to excel in my art, I didn’t want to go learn about the history or study pointless things that mean little to me, I know how to draw a straight line, and how to shade, I can even make things look 3D. I quickly learned that folk art was the only art for me.
Shauna: What famous art work means the most to you
Savanna: My favorite art has always been stained glass windows, they always tell a story, of beauty, and color, I have always enjoyed making stained glass myself and it is one of the hardest art projects I have ever done.
Shauna: Do you regret not seeking your degree in Fine art
Savanna: I don’t plan to have a career in art, so no. I am glad that I have the talent and love for it that I do. I like being a “folk artist” it makes me feel special, like the things I create, are all me, no one taught me how to draw it, I taught myself, my work, is MY work.

Human condition

Human condition, There are so many things that define human condition, to me one of them – the thing I find myself doing the most, Is missing.
I went to boarding school, some of my friends are still there, some in Korea, Pakistan, Africa, some only in Florida, California, Alabama, or just a few hours away in Georgia. I find myself hurting from endless miss and desire to be with them again.