JaZzArt en València

Andalucía is a precious part of Spain. It is a large comunidad with many interesting and important cities. During our tour of Andalucía, last March, we started with three…which are very close together…Úbeda, Jaén and Mengíbar.

CHEERS

Summer is a special time of the year for my family. I am sure it is for most of you too. So what do we do in the summer? Well, we go to the seashore, to the beach. Personally, unless it is sailing, which I love, I do not care for sand or for beaches, I would prefer the coolness of the mountains, but… In any event, I do not look at my change in location (in the summers) as a holiday (vacation) but simply as the course of my life. So what do I do? I paint, I write and I continue on as I do in the winters. But it is not the same . There are many friends to see in this part of the world, and other entertaining things to do as well, and I have never been a fanatic about work, so I enjoy!

So, I just want to share some of the work I have done this summer…

The one above came after the video…

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Well, about some things that I find I do not understand or know why they are or why they are happening. As an artist continually engaged in the search, I need to know about everything. But these things I will ask you about are a mystery to me, and maybe to some of you too. But you are a wise and knowledgeable group, so do you think you can give me some answers?

1) Why do women open their mouths when they are doing their eye make-up?

2) How does one write «zero» in Roman numerals?

3) When «they» invented the clock, how did they know what time it was to set it?

Let me know if you know the reason/answer to any of these mysteries of humanity.

MORE TO COME SOON…

CHEERS

I raise my arms to touch the blessed air that gives me life,
and I feel its heaviness…

Filled with music, thoughts, ambitions, and prayers,
I ask for compassion.
I have many faults, but with these faults I was born and
yet, I ask forgiveness…

I open my eyes wide to look upon the resplendence of the sun,
and I know that you desire sincerity…

(please follow the link to Spillwords to finish reading «51», thank you!)

Spillwords.com presents: 51, poetry by Francisco Bravo Cabrera, a poet who uses words, music and paints on a canvas …

Source: 51, poetry by Francisco Bravo Cabrera at Spillwords.com

En el sur, en el Mediterráneo, una bella ciudad andaluza…

GRACIAS

Greetings folks! Hope y’all are having a smashing good summer! Now I know many of you are on holiday or thinking about it, and I am too, for sure, but work, what we call in Spain «faena» never really stops, does it? Well, maybe for you…

In any event I’ve some questions for you:

I have fully expressed who are my favourite painters, musicians and dancers, as well as my favourite album, my favourite movie, my favourite food and favourite drink. If you do not recall, or know what these things are, I will tell you…

1. Picasso is my favourite painter, heads and shoulders above the rest.
2. The Beatles are my favourite, superior to all the rest.
3. Nureyev over the others is my favourite dancer.
4. Revolver by The Beatles is my favourite album.
5. Mary Poppins is my fave pic.
6. Grilled Yellowtail is my favourite food (with tostones…do you know what tostones are? No? Ask a Cuban from Miami. 😁)
7. Wine is my favourite drink (besides water, naturally)

SO NOW IT IS YOUR TURN.

Tell me what are your favourite things. In part two (coming soon) I will tell you my least favourite things and I will ask you about yours.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IF YOU ACTUALLY READ THIS POST

cheers

As a fine arts graduate myself, I think I can proffer a valid opinion. If you are thinking about enrolling in art school at uni, I would suggest that you think about it two or three times before committing.

Now I know that you are going to ask me why? And I will tell you. First, think about the fact that your professors…for the most part and as a general rule…will not be functioning, professional artists. They graduated and entered the ranks of the docents immediately. They never worked their art as a profession. They exhibited mainly in university galleries. They do not know how to sell their work. And let’s face it, the job of an artist is to sell art. So how can these professors, with only academic, theoretical experience teach you how to live off your art as a pro? The reply is short and sweet, they cannot.

Two, most of the docent staff follows the pied piper that leads them to whatever is the flavour of the month, or of the year. Most of the time they try to steer you towards what they have been taught to like. For example, when I was in art school they would talk to me about the great surrealist painter Joan Miró and the great Frida Kahlo. I, naturally, thought they were right and for a while I actually admire those two whom I now know they are the worst artists I can think of. Why did not they simply open my mind to great art and let me decide who I like or who is good? They do not because they were taught that way. They follow the piper and sing his melodies, nothing more.

Three, they make you waste too much time on things that you might not want or even like. The art field is quite large and the artists choose which path, or which modality they want to specialise in. So why do they have to be wasting time with others that are not going to serve them well. Yes, I know, you will say that an artist should have knowledge of everything to be well rounded. And I agree, but spending one year (first year) drawing with pencil a classical form when what you want to do is create abstract oil paintings, to me is a waste of time. Why not guide students according to what they prefer. If I want to be a pastel painter I should be taught all about that medium, composition and colour theory, rather than teaching me how to mix oil paints.

Conclusion? I would look for a private academy, maybe even start with an online one. And one that would allow me the freedom to choose and develop as the artist I want to be. I do not want my professors wasting my time, especially with bullshit like conceptual art…

CHEERS

Las palabras de moda (más o menos) a veces confunden a la gente y mira que a la gente les encanta usarlas. Aquí una de ellas, «evolución». Los expertos…ah los cabrones expertos…dicen que la evolución es la selección natural que elige al más apto para las condiciones dadas, cambiándole la forma a las especies para que así puedan vivir en un nuevo habitat, o en un nuevo planeta, que se yo… Yo, por supuesto, digo que no son más que gilipolleces. Dicen que el hombre moderno (Homo Sapiens) evoluciono de un simio, o sea, de un mono. Pero entonces hemos de-evolucionado porque los monos estan mas aptos para vivir en la Tierra que nosotros. Son más fuertes, resisten mejor el clima, no se les quema la piel con el sol, no sufren de problemas en la columna vertebral y no necesitan tantas cosas como las que necesitamos nosotros. Sus comunidades se autogobiernan, no tienen Ministerio de Hacienda ni parlamento ni un presidente. Tienen su jefe mono y a tomar por culo con todo lo demas. Venga, se han cagado en sus madres los expertos porque no saben ni lo que dicen.

Ahora me preguntaras ¿El arte ha evolucionado o no? Pues claro que no. Desde las primeras pinturas rupestres halladas en las cuevas a los decorados y pinturas de los egipcios, romanos, mayas, aztecas, chinos, indios, japoneses, etcétera, el arte es arte, se presenta como fait accompli, cosa completa, que no cambia, o sea totalmente evolucionada. El arte no tiene necesidad de evolucionar para que la historia del arte pase de etapa en etapa.

Si nos aferramos (tontamente diría) a la definición de los «expertos» también tendríamos que concluir que no evoluciona porque el arte no ha desarrollado aletas para nadar ni alas para volar, ni pies ni cabeza. Los estilos han cambiado, por qué no, cada época ha desarrollado el suyo, pero eso no quiere decir que los de las épocas anteriores han desaparecido o que ya no tienen valor. Tío vete a una subasta de Christie’s (o Sotheby’s) para veas lo que pagan por un cuadro del renacimiento.

El arte es y siempre ha sido un producto completo, no uno en vías de desarrollo o en vías de evolución. La evolución no existe, es otra tontería que te han metido en la cabecita para que no pienses y te piensen. Es el cachondeo de los expertos con nosotros los prosaicos.

Os dejo un vídeo de arte muy antigua para que me digáis si es arte completa o si le falta evolución.

GRACIAS

This Russian painter and sculptor was most certainly a very odd gentleman indeed. According to his friend and colleague Konstantin Korovin, «Once he sold a wonderful drawing of Don Juan from ‘The Stoned Guest‘ for three rubles…and bought for himself white kid gloves. After putting them on once, he threw it with words: «How vulgar»…

Vrubel was born in the Russian Empire in 1856. He was a very prolific artist, specialising in theatrical design, illustration, painting and sculpture. He sort of led the way towards Modernism in Russia and was definitely considered a symbolist painter. But…

In the 1880’s he studied in the Imperial Academy of Art… Then he moved to Moscow and painted «The Demon Seated«, in my opinion, a phenomenal painting…

And «The Demon Downcast«…

Tragically, from 1903 to 1906 Vrubel was suffering severe mental illness. His health was greatly affected and he grew quite weak. His physical and intellectual activities were totally compromised. His illness was thoroughly debilitating, leaving him blind and for the last four years of his life he basically just existed because he was still breathing.

Yet, I find him an extraordinary painter, both in style and technical abilities. These are some of my favourite of his paintings:

Vrubel died in 1910 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

So, what do you think?

CHEERS