Thursday, April 5, 2007

Art muse

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Coconut Point Festival of the Arts

If ever a Genie offered to grant me one wish, I would not hesitate for a second! I'd wish I could paint! My entire family is very artistic - painters, sculptors and designers. I am the only misfit - I can not draw a circle...And sadly, I do not have any other talents to compensate for it ;-)

I was musing on the subject this week-end, while attending the Art Festival at Coconut Point. The pure talent and the creativity of some artists is astounding. But in the end, what drew me the most was this booth; it was the only one that stirred a myriad of (private!) emotions in me.

Sure, a photograph might preserve the moment, but only a painting can safeguard the
sentiment...

Update, in response to many of your comments:
Well obviously, I did not express myself well enough, as happens often ;-).
Undeniably, I can be moved by viewing a photo as well as a painting. But I am talking about the creative part of it - by taking a photo I capture the moment, but if I was to paint the same scene, I would put my own interpretation into it…my own feelings…my remembrances...my own spin on it...Do I make sense?

29 comments:

TOG said...

I meet my wife in an oil painting class. We painted after we married. Our home is full of our own art. But when my wife was pregnant we put the oils up. When we retired my wife went back to painting and I went to the camera. You jpgs are just as much art as any painting no matter what the media.

Carol E. said...

I disagree... I have seen many photos with strong sentiment and very artistic. You have a talent. Celebrate it!

Ming the Merciless said...

I disagree! Your artistic talent is photography, esp. wild animal photography. :-)

Felicia said...

Well, your photos and sentiments are evoking quite a bit from all of us! Don't deny your talents and thanks for sharing them with us!

Susan said...

Those are lovely paintings. But I believe that photography is its own artform. Any fool can use a camera, but it takes talent and a good eye to capture a wonderful shot. You have many lovely photos. Dont sell yourself short!

Anonymous said...

you have great eyes to spot this booth, the artworks are gorgeous!

oh, i think you're good at writing, honestly :)

Olivier said...

les peintures sont tres belles sur ta photo. mais je ne suis pas d'accord avec toi, une photographie c'est de l'art, quand tu vois les oeuvres de Doisneau, berenice abbott, yann arthus , etc... ect... cela vaut beaucoup de grands peintres. Bon nous nous sommes des peintres (euh des photographes) du dimanche, mais nos photos representent souvent des emotions, des souvenirs, des instantanées de la vie, tout comme une peinture.


paintings are very beautiful on your photograph. but I does not agree with you, a photograph it is art, when you see works of Doisneau, berenice abbott, yann arthus, etc… ect… that is worth many great painters. Good we are painters (euh photographers) of Sunday, but our photographs often represent emotions, memories, the instantaneous ones of the life, just like a painting.

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

I totally disagree me too Isabella. May be more art in a shot taken by mobile phone than in some questionable paint.

Anonymous said...

Hi Isabella, Thanks for visiting Asheville and for the warm welcome, too. Naples looks like an interesting place to visit, and probably warmer than Asheville today! I'll agree with the others about the art in photography; I use the camera as a tool for expression in my artwork

Anonymous said...

Hello Iizzy, Please see my new abstract art website. I would like to be contacted by other artists or art bloggers in regard to link exchange if they have abstract and
contemporary art content.

Anonymous said...

Your photos are Art. So, maybe you're an artist but you don't know it? Yet...
Now you do!

Deb said...

you may indeed be a misfit, but this blog proves you're most definitely NOT talentless!

Chuckeroon said...

Happy Easter, Izzy and tks for all your good company

isa said...

Well obviously, I did not express myself well enough, as happens often ;-).
Undeniably, I can be moved by viewing a photo as well as a painting. But I am talking about the creative part of it - by taking a photo I capture the moment, but if I was to paint the same scene, I would put my own interpretation into it…my own feelings…my remembrances...my own spin on it...Do I make sense?

Anonymous said...

I thought sure your wish would be a muse for an artist ... Personally I agree with you. As much as I enjoy photography what I want to hang on my walls are paintings ... One photographic artist I met put his own interpretation into photos by photographing Mrs. Davis' Chair in all fifty states in the US.

Anonymous said...

It's an interesting discussion, and I know what you mean, Isabella. My sister can't draw, but her decorating is an art form. I think each of us has areas in which we wish we could be stronger. I wish I were a painter too, but I got bit by photography, and I express myself that way. You too, and I agree that your writing is always superb.

Anonymous said...

These are wonderful. I love art festivals!

Nikon said...

Hi isabella - I think I know what you mean - but at least your photos are good :)
I can't draw or paint, so I went with a camera - & discovered that I am terrible at design at composition.
So, at least you are a talented photographer.

Anonymous said...

Hi Isabella - You've opened a can of worms (well maybe caviar) by comparing photography and painting. It's a tough old subject but very very fascinating. With paintings we have (as critics) an easy time. We knbow the whole piece is a creation of the artist, even if it's consciously super realistic. With photography it's difficult, because at some point what appears to be someting purely mechanical becomes an act of creation and then of manipulation. Even before the photo is taken, we sometimes have the artist intervening. I've become more and more interested in this in the last few years, even though I am a bit of a purist. I can recommend a good book if your interested, although I don't agree with all of it.

"Criticising Photographs" by Terry Barrett, McGraw-Hill

Deb said...

Isabella-you have indeed opened a forum here! You've been blessed with a superb talent. You paint a story with both your photos and your narrative, and many of us obviously enjoy your work.

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

I came here after the update..so now I understand ur take on paintings vs photography ...hece, i will not enumerate ur talents for u...:DDDand i really liked what u said abt the painting bit in ur update ....my husband's a painter while me the camera-woman in the family....and i really envy his talent....i can see so much of him in his works tho' i wonder if he can see any of me in mine!!! that's a thought..shall bug him with this one now...

angela said...

You may complete sense. I can't paint, sing or make music and I do wish i could do one..
But I have to agree with the others that you do have a talent for photography which is also creative.
Angela

Anonymous said...

Thank you for visiting my Puppy Dog post. I appreciate your comments. And I understand your heartache.

Our latest loss was my Autumn Eve. A Toy Fox Terrier who was my best companion through some trying times. I miss her.

The idea of painting vs photography is something the masters figured out a long time ago. I assume that most people know they all used the camera obscura for many of their paintings. Leonardo did and most believe Rembrandt did also. Most of the Dutch masters used them. But that only transfers the image, upside down, onto the canvas. It takes a real artist or a conceptual artist to be creative with what happens next.

Art. Art shows. Painting. It was something we did for many years here and my children grew up going to art shows much like the one you photographed.

It is an interesting post and brought back a lot of memories of all those friends who are at least my age or older. What happened to everyone?

Monica said...

Have you tried paiting something? Maybe you're better at it than you think. Or you could just call it modern art!

btw, you take great pictures. So there's a talent!

kuanyin333 said...

I've got just the trick for you...go to a recent blog of mine...Way Khool Sites...about one down if I remember correctly...and there is a link to a site where you can paint online...by just dabbing the paint around. I framed mine, and they look...well, interesting and contemporary! :-) If you try this, maybe you'll like it, and find the way to get into more serious painting.

rauf said...

Isabella, after getting your wish granted please send that Genie to me, same number one wish here, but I have a long list of other wishes

Jilly said...

It seems to me that photography is indeed an art form. No question. I agree with Olivier who mentions Doisneau, for example. And looking at some of our DP photographers, it's obvious it's an art form - and you are one of the artists, Isabella.

But I hear what you say. A painter can interpret more than a photographer. I too wish I could paint. A photographer chooses the frame, even the way it is presented once he gets into Picasa, or whatever, but it's not quite the same. Still it can be art.

Two art forms - then there's writing, music and so we go on. I say to some of my friends who live life in a giving way, that their lives are a art form. I believe that.

I do find tho, that since I've been taking photographs for DP, I'm developing an eye for a good shot, and I enjoy it, it fulfils a creative need in me so sometimes my writing and my writing blog suffers. Back to that...

Jilly x

Linda said...

I think photography is just as creative as painting too. You have to have a special eye to take a good photo. I would love to paint as well. I have an eye for what is a good painting, if that is a talent. I bet you are good with colors as well.

isa said...

Thanks for your interesting (profound even) comments! And for your (undeserved) compliments...
Bottom line - let's celebrate the talents we do have ;-)