Managing delay

Greetings! Frank Partnoy in his book, Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, tells us that procrastination is a winning formula. The idea that procrastination is evil came along with the Protestant work ethic and the Puritanical era, he claims, while most of the greats in ancient times sat around delaying decisions until they became obvious. Wise folks throughout history have waited until the last second, he says. As artists, perhaps we can take some wisdom from this. The art-vetting process: Delay tactics around the secondary easel--the place where finished works are gathered and contemplated. If you're like me, with more than a dozen galleries handling your work, there's fair pressure to deliver. I've learned to be absolutely positive about the quality before shipping. Many a time a major boo-boo is picked off the FedEx truck just in the nick of time. Further, collectors are known to hold onto works for generations, while we creators look at our work for relative nanoseconds. We need to look well and hard right up to the last minute. It's also good to delay the commercial decision as to which works to send where. Many artists take into consideration geography, personality, and buyer sentiment. Fitting specific art to specific agents can be an art in itself. Creative delay is when you look at your work-in-progress and are unable to decide what to do next. While audacity and "seizing the day" can be valuable, also acknowledge times for prolonged reflection and consideration. During this delay the mind subconsciously continues to sort options and devise ploys. A few hours--or days or weeks--can be needed to disclose a solution. The beauty of delay is that solutions are often simpler than you originally thought, making it possible for direct and cursive flourishes that often triumph over unsure noodling. What to do with yourself while being delayed by others: I've found it particularly valuable to go prepared with basic materials. Ferry lineups, airport delays and the annoyance of dawdling companions can be turned into creative bonanzas. "An inconvenience," said Confucius, "is an unrecognized opportunity." Car-based canvases languish in the trunk calling, "Choose me, choose me." It's also one of the great principles of life: Keep busy while you're waiting for something to happen. Keeping busy is not something you want to delay. Best regards, Robert PS: "Wait for the last possible moment to make a decision." (Frank Partnoy) Esoterica: Delay is one of the great negotiating techniques. The controller waits patiently until his adversary has shown all his cards. If you, as the artist, are controller, then your work of art might be the adversary. "Let the painting tell you what it needs," says Charles Reid. Unfortunately, most of us find that sometimes a work is not always ready to let you know what it needs, and you must postpone. This waiting game can be one of the great joys--when the work finally speaks, it often does so loudly and clearly and in a way that is both beautiful and motivational. Current Clickback: "In praise of sleep" looks at getting the right amount of sleep. Your comments will be appreciated. Read this letter online and share your thoughts about patience and procrastination. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to The Painter's Keys website. Subscribe Free! Your name and email address will be kept safe. To Unsubscribe or Change Your Email Address, please click Safe Unsubscribe or Update Profile/Email Address links found at the bottom of this email. (c) Copyright 2012 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writing rgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

Raoul Dufy on artnet Auctions

Fauvist French painter Raoul Dufy often painted with foreshortened perspective and cheerful colors, depicting optimistic themes such as parties, musical events, and views from the French Riviera. His beautiful Interieur aux instruments de musique (c.1940) is now live for bidding on artnet Auctions.

Guerrilla street art is popping up around the London Olympics, including this sarcastic riff on the iconic rings.

In Praise of Sleep

Greetings! After a week of wildness and goofing off while at art school, I stayed up for 48 hours to complete a particularly tough assignment. My classmate and best friend, Jim Ferron, on the other hand, had stayed off the streets and worked at the project in a measured, systematic way. Jim aced the job while my effort earned me a trip to the registrar's office. "You look like a hoot owl," said the registrar, "Explain yourself." Current research indicates that most people need seven hours of sleep--no more, no less--for best mental sharpness, effective workdays and long-term avoidance of dementia, stroke, etc. This was recently disclosed to 4,000 delegates who attended the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. In this conference, sleep was mentioned frequently. RLZ is a system suitable for creative people. "Regulated Life Zones" permits folks to go for days or even weeks in steady and energetic creativity. Also paying dividends in growth and productivity, the idea is to sleep regular hours, eat moderately, minimize social events and not move far from your work area except possibly for exercise. The RLZ program fizzles when outside stimulus is once again needed. Self-understanding determines time and duration. All artists need to know their own speed. The prospect of solo shows, like the meeting of school deadlines, need not deflect this sort of regularity. Work goes best when it is paced, contemplated in good time and infused with focus and the internal excitement that the work itself evokes. Going to bed about the same time every night sets the inner clock to coincide with the next dispensation. Good work and a satisfying, simple lifestyle induce efficient sleep. Mental sharpness studies also show that the seven-hour rule applies when part of it is a midday nap. Many artists report "two days for the price of one." Rising again in midday they are revived and refreshed. I recommend snoozing in a quiet sanctuary outside the studio where you can rest undisturbed. The use of mechanical alarm clocks in the morning or afternoon is the only reason I know of for the carrying of firearms. Best regards, Robert PS: "Extreme sleep durations (too little or too much) may contribute to cognitive loss." (Elizabeth Devore, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston) Esoterica: When the registrar asked me to explain myself, I unfortunately let out a little hoot. Come to think of it, it's amazing this was not my last day at Art Center. I told her I now realized the marathon thing was not working for me, and I was too tired to explain why. But I told her I was one hoot owl who would change its spots. Looking back, it was an important moment in my art career. Jobs worth doing are worth doing well. Take the time and love the work. The monk-like lifestyle has lots of epiphanies. Be as sharp as you can possibly be. Get sleep. Current Clickback: "The fine art of hoarding" looks at loss and hoarding. Your comments will be appreciated. Read this letter online and share your thoughts about getting the right amount of sleep. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to The Painter's Keys website. Subscribe Free! Your name and email address will be kept safe. To Unsubscribe or Change Your Email Address, please click Safe Unsubscribe or Update Profile/Email Address links found at the bottom of this email. (c) Copyright 2012 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writing rgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

oak silhouette (by Marc Crumpler (Ilikethenight))

Lean With It. Mark Lobo

Meta

Artist...draw thyself....

Ex voto - In hoc signo vinces (150 hands casted in cling film); Fabio Lattanzi Antinori

in the year 3012

Disruptive innovation

Greetings! It's been fifteen years since Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen's much quoted The Innovator's Dilemma was first published. Countless corporations, governments and technological organizations have applied his ideas in attempts to improve bottom lines and minimize failures. Disruptive innovation describes how steamships disrupted sailing ships, autos disrupted railways, mini-computers disrupted mainframes, Wikipedia disrupted paper encyclopedias, digital photography disrupted film photography, etc. To put it in the Christensen vernacular, "Start-ups often provide disruptive innovation and readily eat into the market share of older value networks."

Disruption, it would appear, is one of the natural keys to invention and success. I've been curious how Christensen's principles might apply to art.

Impressionism disrupted academicism, abstraction disrupted realism, etc. While there are many artists who work diligently to create the next "ism," some among us think that realism is currently re-disrupting abstraction.

But let's face it, many of us are happy to produce what we think are safe, middle of the road, non-disruptive art that thrives on the comforting repetition of traditional forms and sentiments. I'm not making a value judgment here, I'm just reporting. But I do invite artists to look at their work and try to measure just how disruptive it might be or become.

Works of art that vary from standard conservative norms tend to attract attention. Damien Hirst's formaldehyde shark, sliced cow and diamond-studded skull come in high on the Richter Scale of "shock and awe." At the same time, subtle variations and stylistic nuances also draw quiet attention. Evidence of newness and novelty intrigues, puzzles, amuses and motivates viewers. In a competitive world (of which the business of art is one) the conscious or unconscious attention to this phenomenon may be vital to both survival and thrival.

Here are a few questions worth asking: Are all disruptive art forms art? To be disruptive in your art, is it necessary to disrupt someone else's? Why do humans crave novelty? Is "shock and awe" necessary? Why does Damien Hirst make so many folks upset and annoyed?

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Breaking an old model is always going to require leaders to follow their instincts. There will always be persuasive reasons not to take a risk. But if you only do what worked in the past, you will wake up one day and find that you've been passed by." (Clayton Christensen)

Esoterica: Cruise your work-in-progress and ask yourself a few further questions: How could this work be more imaginative? How could this work have a beguiling subplot? Where in this work have I sunk into normalcy and complacency? Is this work dull, boring, yawn-inducing? In what way is this work different from what I've previously seen or done? If I were a "start-up," what would I do? Courageous, outrageous, audacious, bodacious--where art thou? Incidentally, if you're interested in pursuing this subject, you might take a look at "Innovation" in our own Resource of Art Quotations.

---

Current Clickback: "Cataloguing for life"looks at keeping a catalogue of your work. Your comments will be appreciated.

Read this letter online and share your thoughts about innovative art. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com

The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show.

The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge.

The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator.

If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email.

You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter

Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com

Vintage 1930s news service photo of Zorita ’walking’ her indigo snake.

Nobody like Marilyn!

Sam Zalud — Ostrich Woman — 1918

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Albert Marquet, Paris Under Snow, 1905-06

From the National Gallery of Canada:

This view of Notre Dame cathedral and the bridge of Saint-Michel was probably captured from Albert Marquet’s studio. He painted similar scenes tirelessly, from various angles and during different times of day and different seasons, creating diverse moods according to the effects of light. Though Marquet’s use of broad, simplified forms is typically Fauve, his use of colour is more restrained, as is clearly evident in this painting. He has captured the gloomy atmosphere of a dull winter day with sombre colours painted in muted tones. Note how the human beings and horses are represented by simple and gestural brushstrokes to convey form and movement.

Albert Marquet, Posters at Trouville, 1906

We visited Trouville, Normandy last summer.

Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait of Maude Abrantes

Love his portraits...

Albert Marquet, St. Raphael, the Terrace, n.d.

Lovely mood....

John James Audubon, Two Cats Fighting, 1826

Mr Bingley and Henry are now the best of friends!

Cataloguing for life

Greetings! Yesterday, Dennis R. of Aspen, Colorado wrote, "I read with interest your letter on why you shouldn't put dates on paintings. What are your thoughts about catalog numbers on paintings? Assuming an artist uses some sort of sequential system, an astute observer may be able to guesstimate the date. Or is this taking things too far?" Thanks, Dennis. Several times in my life I've started cataloguing and failed. I once got as high as 75 before zoning-out. If I had to do it all over again I'd have had an early lobotomy and given #1 to my first parent-noted drawing at age four and carried through to this morning's effort at #23,865 (just guessing). Fact is, I was absent from class the day they covered sequential systems. You may have better luck. In my studio at least, an insider-accessible, comprehensive cataloguing system would be worth a boxcar of gold bricks. I can see an entry now: #1678, Whistler Mountain, Oil/C, 16"x 20", Jan 17, 1978, "It was a dark and stormy night and the ski-hill was a ribbon of ice. Sara hit a mogul and broke her leg." But alas, unpleasant associations like this will forever be difficult to pinpoint. Recently, an old painting came in for cleaning and I noted #43 in my writing on the back. I would have loved to tell the owner something about it, but I've lost the catalogue. Personally, I like the idea of an old fashioned journal--a sort of Pepys' Diary with cryptic tweetlets and insider asides. ("Particularly bad day for bears," kind of thing.) Just out of interest, I'd also like to know the time I started and the time I finished. Oh, and the amount of paint I used. I guess the main argument against keeping track is the possibility it may turn perfectly lovely chaos into bookkeeping.     I took a chance and asked Joan Morris who works with Mark Zuckerberg if they might come up with an app just for us, but they were all too busy watching the stock.    Dennis, don't do what I did, do what I say. Get yourself a big handsome book and start cataloguing and notating everything you do. It's too late for me. I'd look even more stupid starting at #23,866.    Best regards, Robert PS: "Chaos breeds life when order breeds habit." (Henry Brooks Adams) Esoterica: There are 7,650,000 Google destinations when you type in "computerized cataloguing systems." I've heard of artists using commercial and library applications like "Catalog Builder" and "E-catalog." A long-time standard is "GallerySoft," designed specifically for art galleries to keep track of inventory, but in use by a few artists. Some catalogue systems have search capabilities. Type in "broken leg" and in my case I would have been whisked to the unfortunate memories associated with #1678. We're now in the 21st Century, folks. Ya gotta love this stuff. Current Clickback: "What photography isn't" looks at digital photography and painting. Your comments will be appreciated. Read this letter online and share your thoughts on keeping a catalogue of your work. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show. The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge. The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator. If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email. You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter Dennis R. is at dennis@aspenweaver.com Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to The Painter's Keys website. Subscribe Free! Your name and email address will be kept safe. To Unsubscribe or Change Your Email Address, please click Safe Unsubscribe or Update Profile/Email Address links found at the bottom of this email. (c) Copyright 2012 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for permission by writingrgenn@saraphina.com. Thanks for your friendship.

Frida Kahlo in a hospital bed, drawing on her cast with the help of a mirror, 1951.

Frederic Edwin Church, Twilight in the Wilderness, 1860

Incredible colour!

Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait of Madame Kisling

What digital photography isn't

Greetings! Several artists have written to suggest that the massive growth of digital photography might be de-popularizing fine art. While reports of the decline of painting are suspect, protestors have a point. "Digital photography," said one writer, "is using up everyone's creative energy." The stats are impressive. Last year, one billion mobile phones with cameras were sold around the world. One third of the world's population now owns a digital camera. Facebook alone reports 300 million uploaded photos per day. The recent Queen's Diamond Jubilee resulted in the production of more than 1.3 billion photos. Fact is, people are snapping at unprecedented rates and not taking much time to look and see. "The medium has eclipsed the moment," says journalist Erin Anderssen. Unlike the scrapbooks of old, the tsunami of imagery remains, for the most part, ephemeral. Its commonality contrasts with the relative scarcity of paintings. Paintings are handmade. Unlike the old Kodak ad, "You press the button, we do the rest," paintings take hours or even days of contemplation and hard-won private process. The art of painting can be an "event" that is felt by the viewer.  Paintings are distinguished by texture. Texture is a mark of integrity and passion that the digital world has not yet mastered. Fine artists abandon texture at their peril. Paintings are tangible. They don't float in clouds. Paintings have pride of place in prestigious museums and noble homes. Framed for strategic walls and inner sanctums, paintings become the love-objects of our lives. Paintings, like bars of gold, are assets of investment and hoarding; a treasury that may span generations. "Artists," noted Salvador Dali, "are manufacturers of wealth." Unlike the grinning and contrived poses snapped at barbeques, or the mug-shot of an uncle whose schnoz is memorable but whose name you've forgotten, paintings are true connections with a singular and real person. That person is you. When people collect art, they also collect the maker. Best regards, Robert PS: "The irony is that having a photo doesn't mean you're going to remember. It only feels like you have a vast repository of memories. A number of photos prompt a certain kind of forgetting." (Martin Hand, sociologist, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada--author of "Ubiquitous Photography") Esoterica: Paintings can convey the slowing down, the trance and miracle of human life. Collectors love this understanding. As a perpetrator of both the reality and the illusion, it's lovely for you too. Recently, one of my staunchest collectors had me to his home as a guest, along with many others. While admiring the human scenery, controlling my desire to distantly snap digitals of some of the more rococo faces, I overheard our host confide to another guest, "I've actually got the best work he ever did. He did this one while freezing in a tent at ten thousand feet." While the guy was mildly wrong on both counts, I couldn't help being impressed with the brilliance of our profession. Current Clickback: "Your easel, your altar" looks at how we feel standing or sitting before our easels. Your comments will be appreciated.    Read this letter online and share your thoughts about digital photography and painting. Live comments are welcome. Direct, illustratable comments can be made at rgenn@saraphina.com    The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown until the last day of your show.    The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach, mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge.    The Painter's Post: Every day new material is going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator.    If a friend is trying to subscribe to the Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email.    You can also follow Robert's valuable insights and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter    Featured Responses: Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com

From time to time I am reminded of my journey with unhealthy thinking patterns.  It seems we have to spend a lot of time re programming ourselves and deleting the old tapes that run amok sometimes in our heads to claim some happiness in this world.  I have learned a thing or two from our cat, Mr. Bingley, a creature of 'pure being'.  He just eats, sleeps, grooms and hunts for amusement all day.  Of course he has what I presume is little self-awareness and no sense of his own mortality...and does not ask himself existential questions, so he has little need for worry or anxiety.  


I am reminded of the Scripture passage... 

Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?


²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:25-34

New International Version (NIV)

It seems that Mr. Bingley can show me a thing or two about living....