Still Life with Napkins and Apples

Still Life 

This Photo was one of many I was taking around the mountain studio and I had not thought about it turning out particularly well until I was reviewing the photo's on my computer.  There is no enhancing of color, that is the way it looks.  Sometimes by accident you just get a great shot.  I love the richness of color. 

 It made me think about great still life artists of the past.  One I have always loved is Cezanne.  When I was in high school he was the very first artist I choose to study when we were ask to do a still life by our art teacher.  

And then there was Van Gogh's Sunflowers, again I was captivated. The term still life comes from the Dutch Stilleven meaning bits of fruit or flowers.  I also ran across a surprising piece when researching this for the post.  It is a still life done by Carivaggio in 1595.  I had never seen a still life of his before, only his paintings of people with the drama of pain and struggle. This was such a different look from him.  

So on one day for an artist's date as Julia Cameron calls it take out your sketch book or your camera and look for still life shots! Have fun, you just don't know what will turn up.  If you want to share your results here with us at Rabbit's Moon studio we would be honored.

photo by Elizabeth Gordon                                            Asheville Studio

Cezzane                               from google image

Van Gogh Sunflowers               from google image

Monet           Still lire with Melon   from google image

Carivaggio       1595          from google image

Some of the Best Artists you Never Knew!

Martin Stynes

Sean Starwars 

Christopher Burdett

Nathan Mark Phillips

Monica Guerrero

Cassandra Gordon-Harris

Michelle Varley Crosby

You don't know these artists and teachers?  Well, you should!  They are exceptional people that we admire here at Rabbit's Moon and who are achieving wonderful things with great persistence in art and life. 

 They all have some common traits: Hard work, Courage, and persistence to rise over all the struggles and excused that the rest of us use not to succeed or give up.  They are prolific, they are impassioned, and they are present doing their art. Some are better known than others and some are just starting out. Artists do not have to be famous to be important, to be noted, to be cherished and to be admired.  Look around you and you will see new artists and career artists all taking the risk to express themselves, believe in themselves, and share their talents with us all.  Lets take time to honor those individuals in our lives and let us learn from their success.

Martin Stynes(click for more info.)

from google image

Ireland/Manchester, England. Professor, Abstract landscape artist. Career Artist. Prolific with an amazing output and body of work.  The sky and the horizon take on new meaning as Martin shows us how to look at our world with fresh eyes. Exhibits widely. Soul of a poet. Amazing communicator and mentor to others.

Sean Starwars(click)

from google image

Mississippi/Louisiana Printmaker of the Outlaw Artist School. Edgy prints with an attitude and humor, High school art teacher, endless energy, impassioned,exhibits widely,
huge body of work.  Wonderful advocate for art and print making!

Christopher Burdett(click for link)

Chris  Burdett's Monsters   google image

Christopher Burdett at Comicon                      from google image

Tallahassee, Florida. Fantasy/Sci Fi illustration. Relentless worker, Highly creative, remarkable draftsman,illustrates and designs for Dungeons and Dragons and many more..Constantly challenging himself, constantly educating and honing his already tremendous skills.

Nathan Mark Phillips(click for link)  

Mark Nathan Phillips   photo by elizabeth gordon

from google image

Mark Nathan Phillips is a Photographer, Artist of Digital collage, dedicated, persistent pursuit of his art and excellence, step by step self determination and courage in self expression. Letting art take him on the path it leads him to. New artist, one to keep you eye on!

Monica Guerrero

photo by elizabeth gordon

Peruvian artist/Tampa,Florida Art Historian, Museum educator, pottery, glass fusion artist, meticulous, detailed, persistent, great courage and determination in taking the risk of being a successful artist, amazing output of work.

Cassandra Gordon Harris

from google image

from google image 

Born in New Orleans, raised in South America, educated in Europe, lives in New Mexico, amazingly talented creative painter, she paints the soul of women and the feminine mystique, landscapes with an air of other worldlyness and wonder. Huge body of work, courageous in her journey into her own self and being as an artist, determined hard working artist

Michelle Varley Crosby

from google image

St. Petersburg, Florida. Potter, teacher elementary magnate school, creative, energetic, compassionate, art advocate and teacher extradonair..awarded Teacher of the Year/Elementary for the State of Florida, amazing teacher who teaches the love of art. The art of being an exceptional teacher is truly that...a fine art..honed over a lifetime of caring, overcoming obstacles and succeeding with greater passion than before with a love of art and children and learning.

THE DETAILS OF LIFE

Hattiesburg, Mississippi  

Look with Fresh Eyes, Look for the gifts hidden in looking closely

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

For only then do you truly start to see.  Look beyond what your brain tells you, do not name what you see...only look for its beauty in line, color, shape and pattern.  There is so much to discover when you let yourself learn to really look and to really see.

Hattiesburg,  Mississippi   Old Car   photo by Elizabeth Gordon

Detail of a fanned Palmetto Leaf

Detail of old dinner awning

Palmetto detail 

Detail of parking money slot metal

Business name detail on outside of building, Wren's Nest     New Orleans

New Orleans post, photo by elizabeth gordon

Detail of New Orleans drain spout on building

photo's by elizabeth gordon

Wires left hanging after Katrina looking very Darth Vadar
New Orleans

Electric wires against a sunset sky,  New Orleans
photo's by elizabeth gordon

Tools and hooks on the side of an 18 wheeler truck
photo by elizabeth gordon

It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it. 

Anais Nin

When I read this quote about art and writing I thought about how often as a teacher I tried to get my young students to look at something differently so they could see in a different way-in the way an artist might see.  To look not at the object and what their brain might tell them it is, but to look at the shape, the colors, and the lines.  I love rust and old metal objects, worn wood that paint has chipped away on or a siding from a barn that is weathered and bleached from the sun.  I love things that have been used, loved, touched by human hand or nature.  The colors can be more beautiful in a rusted piece of metal than one can ever imagine...it can be so rich and so varied.  The only thing that can make that happen is nature itself..years, rain, sun they become a chemistry lab that creates a unique piece of art from the gods themselves.  But one must look, truly look and ignore what our brains tell us it is. 

It Is by Living We Discover Ourselves.....

Bresson

Bugival 1956   Henri Cartier-Bresson

“It is through living that we discover ourselves, at the same time as we discover the world around us.” 
from the Modern Century by Henri Cartier-Bresson

the illusive moment

We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is not contrivance on earth that can make them come back again.  We cannot develop and print a memory.  Henri Cartier-Bresson   

From google image                                 Bresson

Bresson, Master of Capturing the Moment

Shanghai photo by Bresson

“To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.”  The Minds Eye by Bresson

Henri Cartier Bresson/ The Decisive Moment

Bresson's The Decisive Moment 

Click on the arrow on the screen to view

                                                                                 from you tube

Catching the Moment/Bresson

The Photography of  Henri Cartier Bresson             from google image

The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box. 
Henri Cartier-Bresson 

One Moment in Time or Rabbit's Moon Studio Blog

Pageviews by Countries Entry Pageviews United States 72 Russia 15 United Kingdom 10 Croatia 10 Italy 7 Philippines 7 Brazil 5 France 5 India 5 Israel 4

Thank you so much readers!  This is just one frozen minute of how the views go second by second.  I thought you would like a peak.  I enjoy looking to see who is reading from all over the world!  The Arts are a strong bond!

Henri Cartier Bresson
Father of Modern Journalism

There is a wonderful exhibit of Bresson's work presently at the Tampa Museum of Art.  It is an expansive exhibit with 5 rooms of hundreds of photographs and two videos running clips continuously.  It is its last stop in the United States and is likely a one time event.  If you get a chance to see this exhibit organized by Magnum then by all means do.  I promise you will not be disappointed.
Tomorrow we will begin to look closer at Bresson's work, his influence on photo journalism, and his ideas.

from google image

"The Earth is the Mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon her" 

Weaving design of the Nez Perce
from google image

Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce

Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce

Amazing What the Arts Can Do, Look at These Kids Go!!

I have to thank my friend Joe First for this introduction to the Sleepy Mountain Banjo Boys. Joe was the music teacher at my school, where I was an art teacher.  For 12 years or so we championed a passion for the arts together. Now Joe is a musician in Nashville, Tennessee and I am an artist and blog writer.  But something has never changed for Joe or for me, we are both dedicated to the arts and the difference they make in kids lives.  Joe and I should share with you kids we know that arts have made a huge difference in their lives.  

You are just not going to believe this, turn up the volume sit back and enjoy!

you tube video

WhY Creativity for Kids is So Important!

Spending a life time as a teacher of the arts I know the importance of creativity in all children's lives. This video speaks to that.  I also did much art advocacy at local and state levels.  I met surgeon who honed their skills my doing art, skilled musicians who were doctors, and people from all walks of life who found their arts training invaluable in their lives whether they became artists or not.  The arts are a wonderful conduit for learning all types of skills and build a highly flexible innovative mind.  It is essential in all schools to have quality art education for students and is important as parents to include art in your child's life. 

  I remember a wonderful story about Frank Lloyd Wright's childhood.  His Mother wanted him to become an architect, but didn't want to force it on him.  Instead she put building blocks and creative toys that involved constructing in his room to play with.  It evidently worked, as he became one the true masters of our time!

from you tube

How we Perceive what we See.

 

 The Devastation is so complete and horrible like a bomb went off.  People hope to get right back to their lives, but so much has to be done because so much was effected. The infrastructure, jobs, electricity, the government governing systems...all must be resurrected.  
You might think this is the Jersey Shore, but these are photo's from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina!  They don't look too different do they.  Nature is a tremendous master and global warming is here.  It is time we all speak the truth and say this is our new reality..these massive storms and earth changes.  
New Orleans Artists were on the fore front of bringing the city back, from art projects using the refuse, to musicians playing on street corners just to help people cope.  I hope New Jersey and New York can find the same creative minds of artists to help them cope and recover.  You are in our thoughts East Coast USA! 

Moma's Pumpkin/The Scream

google image           The Scream by Munch

Munch's Scream was carefully carved into the pumpkin shared by the Museum of Modern Art, better known as MOMA.  Wonderful picture by Munch and very appropriate for Halloween.  Last night I was a scrooge, hundred and hundred of people came through my neighborhood for tricking and treating, but I hid aways with the lights off for a little peace.  Next year maybe I will be more hospitable.  I have been and will be on the road a good bit, so I needed the rest more than the drama. I could tell people were having fun and using their creativity and imagination in their costumes and make up.