Sometimes a painting is so awful it’s beyond repair. I spent the morning studying a phone; an old-type phone, pink, pretty- interesting. I studied, sketched, re-sketched painted and repainted. Detail, highlight, shadow, shape; I was getting to know this phone and yet (ugh) – everything went to pieces (torn to shreds) and into the garbage. […]
Category: why art? posts & ideas
posts and ideas about art by janet bright
and so I paint
“Life obliges me to do something, so I paint.” ~Rene Magritte Colour. Draw. Paint. (digital) Create. An excellent obligation.
destroy it
Have you seen Season 3 of House of Cards? (don’t worry- no big spoilers here). On Episode 6, as Claire and Francis race through the chaos of their Washington lives, the White House hosts, in its public space, the activity of four buddhist monks. Over the course of the show, the monks create an extraordinary […]
how do you feel
From the moment we are born, every human feels. Whether it’s cold, hunger, warmth, joy- feelings are there, unlearned & basic; emotions that drive our every action. The purpose of ‘feelings’ (physical senses), as evolved over millions of years, is to alert us (all humans) to threatening situations that may impact our survival; the evolution of […]
get the job done
There’s an old song from the eighties about words getting in the way (Words Get in the Way, by Gloria Estefan) Gloria says, “…There’s something I’ve been trying to say to you / But the words get in the way / There’s so much I want to say / But it’s locked deep inside…I tried […]
i know nothing
Last month I went to an art show that knocked my socks off. What I saw was the work of Jean Michel Basquiat (at the AGO), where close to 85 large-scale paintings and drawings from private collections and public museums were exhibited. Every piece in the exhibit expressed a clear and precise message; true, honest and unselfconscious. This is art […]
does it matter?
If I told you my name was William B. Duke, would you read (or see) my work differently than if I had another name? What if my name were Elizabeth? Elizabeth B. Duke. In the first chapter of the book, “How to be both” by Ali Smith, the main character is asked to consider a […]
it’s PERFECT!
“It’s perfect! “ …said almost no one about anything because, come on- NOTHING is perfect, though not for lack of trying. From elementary school and beyond we are urged enthusiastically to “exceed expectations” (a common report card credential) and differentiate from the crowd. To surpass, transcend and excel; to be better than anyone else such that […]
you will amaze yourself
Everyone likes a sound bite. A short phrase that summarizes information, conveys a certain feeling and entices readers or viewers to think further about broader issues. Since the term was coined in the U.S. media, ‘sound bite’ has been associated largely with politics and the wily business of selling (or manipulating) one’s point of view […]
there is no punch-line
Going to an art gallery is like going into a room full of strangers; you never know what to expect and you may not like anything you see. Unlike a movie theatre or sports events where the actions about to take place are more-or-less predictable (i.e. in sports, someone wins and someone loses; at a movie, […]
the road to hell
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. -proverb So often we try to do the right thing and it just doesn’t work; something goes wrong and we realize (far too late) that so many problems could have been avoided if only we’d stopped to think. […]
a practical course of action
When you head out for the day, do you ever stop to think about the spaces and people around you? Most of us don’t. Our every day worlds and the places we live have been reduced to spaces of liminal ‘docking’; where we spend our time waiting, in transition, impatient, uncertain. There is opportunity for encounter, interaction […]