Alex Alvis Art

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Web Blog Vacation (sort of)

I am taking a bit of vacation from my daily blog and may or may not be back to it until the 13th or 14th of September. It happens sometimes that there just is not enough time to do this and everything else I must do. Part of this time I will be out of town in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at Turpin Gallery. That's right! It is Fall Arts Festival time in beautiful Jackson, Wyoming!

This is the first gallery to represent me and they are having a reception for me and my work on Wednesday the 10th of September.

If you are going to be in Jackson during this time I hope you will stop in and say "hello". I will be starting a new sculpture during this week. It will be the second sculpture in The Party Animal Series and it will be even bigger than the Elk I've been working on.

This will be a horse (I have to always be sculpting at least ONE horse...of course!)

I am looking forward to this week so very much - it will be so exciting and I hope to see you there!

I will try to post some photos of the goings on on the days I'm there and while I'm getting ready for the trip in the next few days and while we're on the road too...so that will be fun - but I probably won't write much.

I will be back again with our fun and informative art and art business education soon, though. No worries!

'Til then!

~Alex

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Matisse and Artistic Exploration

Henri Matisse came from an extrodinary time in art history when the world was in a great deal of flux. Picasso was out there doing his thing but Matisse wanted to create art that had no angst. He wanted it to be joyful and as comfortable as "an old arm chair".

While that doesn't conjure up any visions or beauty to me really - I don't like the looks of an old arm chair I guess...but the comfort one provides is pretty nice.

Matisse painted realistically in the first part of his career. Wonderful oil paintings; vibrant still life paintings and others.

I think this is the way all artists start. Learning to create what you see - not what your mind interprets as what you see. It isn't until many years later, usually...that sometimes, the way an artist creates and what their creations look like begins to change into what could be described as "a style" - one that is truly original to that particular artist.

Many times when an artist begins and is popular early in their career, their staunchest supporters; friends, spouses, gallery owners - are resistant to this natural evolution of their artistic style. It is very human to be resistant to change...after all.

Let me share with you a sample of Matisse's early art works and art that we would not have of Matisse's today if his style had never evolved. (These images represent his work over 63 years of creating and is only a sample of all he created in increments of approximately every 5 years),

And just as a side note: that his style changed over the years has not decreased the value of the original works he created, but rather made them an invaluable record of his artistic journey, and thereby invaluable works to the collectors of his works.

These works span the years of approximately 1889 to 1952. Two works are from 1943; the cutout called Fall of Icarus and the painting Tulips and Shellfish on a Dark Background.

A great many of these images came from the Wikiart website. They are doing great things bringing the art world to all of us on the World Wide Web. I hope you will visit their site and check it out. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you showed them some love and sent them some coffee money.

Well - that's all for today. Wishing you an evolutionary day!

'Til tomorrow

~Alex

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

The Science of Beauty Everywhere

I have posted before from Rollo May's book, The Courage to Create. For those of you who have never heard of Rollo May, he was an existential psychologist who studied with Alan Adler at one point in his career. He was humanist psychologist, a faction of psychology which studies the whole person and how/why (s)he relates to the world.

Anyway. Pardon the background of May. I make mention - just in case you might be interested. He wrote several books, I only have the one...and I wanted to share with you today what is written on pages 131-132.

Before this part of the book he is talking about mimes.
Yes, mimes...those people that get caught in invisible boxes all the time?

Marcel Marceau

Yeah. Not quite as creepy as clowns - but close.

So. May brings mimes up to illustrate a point that mimes make a few motions, (and he gives the example of "walking a dog on a leash" that even though there is no dog and no leash) and our imaginations will fill in the gaps.

And he says the reason we do this is because human beings have a "passion for form."

The human imagination leaps to form the whole, to complete the scene in order to make sense of it. The instantaneous way this is done shows how we are driven to construct the remainder of the scene. To fill the gaps is essential if the scene is to have meaning. That we may do this in misleading ways - at times in neurotic or paranoid ways - does not gainsay the central point. Our passion for form expresses our yearning to make the world adequate to our needs and desires, and, more important, to experience ourselves as having significance.

The phrase "passion for form," may be interesting, but it is also problematical. If we used just the word form, it would sound too abstract; but when it is combined with passion, we see that what is meant is not form in any intellectual sense, but rather in a holistic sense. What is occurring in the person, hidden as it may be by passivity or other neurotic symptoms, is a conflict-filled passion to make sense out of a crisis-ridden life.

Plato told us long ago how passion, or, as he put it, Eros, moves toward the creation of form. Eros moves toward the making of meaning and the revealing of Being. Originally a daimon called love, Eros is the lover of wisdom, and the force in us that brings to birth both wisdom and beauty. Plato says through Socrates that "human nature will not easily find a helper better than love [Eros]." "All creation or passage of non-being into being is poetry or making," Plato writes, "and the processes of all art are creative; and the masters of arts are all poets or makers." Through Eros or the passion of love, which is daimonic and constructive and the same time, Plato looks forward to "at last the vision...of a single science, which is the science of beauty everywhere."

I love that. The Science of Beauty Everywhere.

I wonder what our world would look like if that was mankind's single science?

It was that single beautiful thought that I wanted to share with you before you and I begin our day today. I hope you have a good one!

'Til tomorrow.

~Alex

Monday, September 1, 2014

Procrastination and other Frustrations

I have been working on my website. This is a frustration for me because I am not in the studio and sculpting when I am doing anything else. Because I get frustrated I procrastinate and then I get further frustrated because I KNOW I am procrastinating, of course. It's like walking around in circles. I'm not getting my website done...I'm not sculpting either....

Just look at that floor. Really, when did I last vacuum? It will just take a minute...

There is a really good book I've downloaded and listened to recently called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. There is another one I want to listen to as well called How to Conquer Your Frustrations by William Knaus.

Unfortunately it is not a recorded book. Fortunately - it is a free one and you can read it by clicking on this link.

I love the post, How to Tackle Resistance to Make Positive Life Changes, written by psychotherapist and Holistic Health Coach Angela Marchesani on the Tiny Buddha website.

In it she writes:

I felt as if I was fated to feel unfulfilled and discontent for the rest of my life. I felt like maybe everyone was fated to repeat maladaptive patterns and self-sabotaging mistakes.

My, how things have changed.

Since then, I’ve taken significant steps toward major changes in my life, all bringing me closer to a joyful life based on my “anchors,” or values. My life continues to open up and I am presented with new opportunities daily.

But tackling something like resistance is tricky. I think this is mostly so because of the time it takes ...and the word, tackle, seems to imply that something will change right away if you do this overcoming resistance thing...my dad's expression was "take the bull by the horns."

It's bull that taking resistance by the horns will cause immediate change, that it will help you on your journey to yourself, to your joyful life based on your anchors and values.

This journey is more like walking down a long hallway toward an arch at the other end where you will reach that goal of You you are walking toward. The hallway you're walking down is pretty dark.

Through that arch is some really nice golden light...it is a compelling soft and warm glow. In there is You - the you deeeep waaay deep down inside you know is you.

You're scared. What if, once you get there it's just you and...well. You?

On your way down that dark hallway, a door opens and someone tries to grab you...or a door opens and a huge wind blows you down...another door opens and the smell of wonderful food and laughter are inside...another door opens and someone hands you a telephone...or tickets for a cruise...or so much money you won't have to DO anything EVER AGAIN...why YOU have won the LOTTERY! Oh goody!

You know. You can say to yourself. It's life! And you can just say that - through that arch is who you are and what you are and what you are meant to be but ONLY once you experience what is coming at you through those doors...you know...on the other side of those doors! It's Life! Life Happens (or...was that expression...what was it??? ....oh yeah....I think really it was......shit happens!?!?!?)

Have you ever heard someone say "My LIFE has TURNED to SHIT!!"

Maybe that person might have done better by grabbing the doorknobs of some of those doors, slammed them shut and then and walked on...because resistance to you being who you are supposed to be...well. It really will kick the shit out of you.

It's Tricky...so so - ah...So Slippery...

Do you really think what you could experience walking through all those doors are the things that make who is through that arch at the end the REAL you? Are you sure what is behind those doors aren't just ...manifestations of resistance?

Here's a thought for you (and me...) Maybe the way it works is this: Once you walk through that arch and step into that golden light of You...what if that Chamber of You is lined with other doors? Doors that open to things that are more appropriate to the you who is You?

Hmmm.

So here you are, in a chamber full of golden light and a door opens...and nothing inside wants to distract you from You...nothing kicks the shit out of you.

'Til tomorrow, hope today is day is a day of you for You...
come on, do it for yourself. And for us too...don't deprive us of who you really are :) ...please?

~Alex

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Inspiration Sunday

Well, it is the Sunday of a long weekend and the beginning of a short week. I hope you are enjoying your weekend, as I am mine.

I have 10 inspirational quotes from the Artist to Artist book today. I hope you find them as inspiring as I do!

'Amagansett Oct 2002 J Bartlett'
oil pastel and pastel on paper

But it's the physical properties that are paramount - the marks that a person has put down. And those marks have been throughout our history incredibly powerful things....It's that very inappropriateness of art, that it's a shock, that it's something made by human beings and it's not natural, that makes it interesting. ~Jennifer Bartlett 1941-

Creation is the artist's true function; where there is no creation there is not art. ~Henri Matisse 1869-1954

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost mothering. ~Marc Chagall 1889-1985

I have never been able to carry out any work coolly. On the contrary it is done, so to speak, with my own blood. Anyone who looks at my works must be able to sense that. ~Kathe Kollwitz 1867-1945

The real artist's work is a surprise to himself. ~Robert Henri 1865-1929

The artist has only to remain true to his dream and it will possess his work in such a manner that it will resemble the work of no other man. ~Albert Pinkham Ryder 1847-1917

Imagination makes you see all sorts of things. ~Georgia O'Keefee 1887-1986

Between beauty of expression and power of expression there is a difference of function. The first aims at pleasing the senses, the second has a spiritual vitality which for me is more moving and goes deeper than the sense. ~Henry Moore 1898-1986

I go to my studio every day. Some days the work comes easily. Other days nothing happens. Yet on the good days the inspiration is only an accumulation of all the other days, the non-productive ones. ~Beverly Pepper 1924-

Inspiration is indispensable to my work, but it is hard to come by. It is there or it is not - it is a gift of the gods. ~Louise Bourgeois 1911-2010

'Til tomorrow - may the gods gift you with creative ideas and the energy it takes to manifest them today (and every day).

~Alex

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Farm Girl Saturday Morning

Yes, it's true. My husband has prevailed upon me to help him finish fencing the south pasture this morning. As of today, we have no real horses, although this was the intention of moving away from the burbs. As fate would have it, my horse sculptures turned out to be more popular with the world at large than I would have ever thought possible.

Mark loading up the flatbed with the equipment we need to make fences

I'm not complaining. I was up at 5:30 this morning specifically so I could get a package ready for a collector in Indiana. Her Certificate of Authenticity for the sculpture she bought at Sculpture in the Park was long over due. But I wanted to send her other things too. A personal note and some photos of us taken together at the show. Create a nice presentation...it takes time...a rare commodity in my life... but I cherish my collectors - whether I meet them and know them personally or not - as much as they cherish my sculpture.

So, I don't have enough time in my life to devote to the care and attention a real horse would require. As luck would have it, we are surrounded by horses owned by our neighbors and they are happy for me to visit with them any time I wish. Sometimes, if they go out of town, I even get to spend some time taking care of them. I love that.

So, what are the fences for? You may be wondering. We have cows :). Mostly Dexters.

Well. I have to go - farm girl morning - sculpting girl afternoon. That's my day.
Hope your Saturday is productive and fun. Tomorrow is Inspiration Sunday!

'Til tomorrow!

~Alex

Friday, August 29, 2014

AAHHhhhhhUGggg! Image Compression !!

So, maybe you knew this - maybe you didn't. But, if you have a website for your art business and you DON'T know this...you may want to pay attention.

Google makes the speed at which a website loads part of their ranking algorithm. So what? ...you may ask. Well. If you were intrepid enough to put your own JPEG images into your website, as I was...chances are they are pretty big files so that you could keep your image quality high.

Problem: you are taking up a LOT of bandwidth if you do this and it makes your website load slower. With internet speeds the way they are these days, and 3G and 4G phone connections so very nice...the slower website load is not as much of an issue as it once was...but the bandwidth thing causing Google to rank your page lower?...not useful.

This is probably not new news to you younger artists out there; or those of you who have hired someone to create and maintain your website - I'm sure you have other things you are spending your time doing - that don't include working this aspect of your art career.

But I'm the one doing this...emerging new artist that I am. And, since I'm not QUITE as old as dirt... but was alive before the advent of personal computers...ah, and cell phones..., maybe even electricity...(kidding). Well. The point is...I'm not as computer savvy and I wish I was or probably should be...so I'm always learning something new. Aren't you glad you're here so you can learn with me? :)

Today I have learned the difference between JPEG images compressed and PNG (Portable Network Graphic - invented to replace GIF format) images compressed.

Here's the visual that helped me get it:

So, let's say that you have professional photographs of your work made and the photographer saves them for you in TIFF format - I hope... (if your photographer doesn't do this, you should ask that it be done).

A TIFF file can be opened with most every image program as it's an extremely common format. It can save 16 bits per channel scans, store all the metadata, hold all the color and for all you Photoshop folks out there, store layers and most importantly, it can be saved compressed or uncompressed.

What then is a JPEG? Well. For one thing, it is most likely what you save all you photos as, what your camera maybe saves your photos as, and maybe what all your digital photos already are.

I have learned today to be sad about that. Why? Because a JPEG is a compressed file. Okay. A PNG is also a compressed file. The difference between the two lies in the difference in the type of compression. One type, the JPEG is compressed with a Lossy compression. The PNG is compressed with a Lossless compression.

Both compression types mean your image is being compressed using mathematical algorithms...but JPEG is (unless you are very careful and don't compress it too much) a much more severe type of image loss than PNG because it's just removed image information...and once that detail is gone. It stays gone. Re-save it again as a JPEG and you loose even MORE image information! YIKES!

Now if you have a very precious photo taken long ago and you want to compress it...scan it as a 600 DPI TIFF file First and then save it as a very high quality JPEG. This will make it somewhat smaller than the TIFF and the image information it looses will be pretty much imperceptible to the human eye. You don't want to put this high quality (big file) image on your website though...

You want to save bandwidth on your website, remember?...at least if you care how the Google Gods rank your page! Throw that TIFF image into a compression utility software program like the one I will be trying today - PNGOUTWin - (free 30-day trial !)

It will transform that TIFF image file into a PNG file. Lossless compression...tada! I hope it works as well as I have been reading it does...we shall see :)

Okay. I've got to get back to work! Hope you enjoy your Friday and have some time to create today! I'm going to go out to the studio myself after I let the computer pickle my brain for awhile.

'Til tomorrow!