Breaking rules....

I'm not a fan of art from the Renaissance or Baroque periods. Instead, I prefer the Romantic and Impressionist periods. I don't like it when I can't use my imagination and I feel that it is better put to use by the mystery and intrigue of the later.

My tastes have been met with criticism. "Where is the skill?" I have been asked. "I could draw that" or "my child could do a better job" are also popular comments.

I have been quick to come to the defence of my art but have not really known what to say when it came to even more abstract art like that done by Picasso or Warhol. Until now.

I had the pleasure of visiting Picasso's gallery in Barcelona. It was a fantastic collection of work from the beginning of his study (yes, he studied!) to the end of his career and included sketches that were probably never meant to be public. I also recently saw even more of Picasso's art while in New York. I was blown away.

I think many people associate Picasso with his later work. Not known by many (including myself) is the fact that this boy could paint. He did the sketches and was traditionally educated. And he was good. So what happened?

My theory is that Picasso got bored.

I tried to find examples on the internet but none could be found.

Take my word, instead, that while sketching in art class and drawing as he was "supposed to" he would doodle. Most doodles included goats or cartoon flowers randomly placed somewhere on his sketch pad.

Did he not want to be there? Afterall, his father was a painter and his teacher. Did his father see his talent and encourage him to continue? Was Picasso just going through the motions? Did he really just want to jump out the window?

Then Picasso went to Paris.

He didn't have money and he developed a taste for the "forbidden." Of course this translated to his work.

Looking at this one (mild) example, I wonder if Picasso ever meant for these doodles to become public. Did he care? Apparently during extreme periods of poverty he burned his art to keep warm. Was he just so creative that he didn't think twice about it? Did he paint like some people write? At least he still had all of his ears.

There is a marked progression in Picasso's work from his traditional training to what is now referred to as Cubism.

Genres change and develop. Like building blocks, each period uses what was good from the period before and changes just enough to make it distinctive. If rules were broken a new way would never be recognized.

So was it easy? Definitely not. Picasso spent just as much time on his later works as he did his earlier works. Did he get the recognition he deserved? Probably not, although he did enjoy more wealth than other artists.

The moral? Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it should be dismissed. Just because you're told to do it doesn't mean you always should.

If rules were always followed Picasso would never have created.

While electric guitar plays in the background...

The good side of the tape is playing and the wine is going down just a bit too easy. Yes. The tape. The mechanics of the Lakeshore waste containers continue to impress and evening outdoor Shakespeare shows remind me of younger days …

Watermelon on the grass for a quarter and literary summaries so as to not lose the finer points. Don’t forget the chair. Blankets are inadequate.

It’s like corn on the cob. Innocent and sweet. Plentiful and satisfying. Daddy’s little girl.

Could it bring you to your knees?

That was always my least favourite part of church. I preferred the music.

But do I really want to return?

Perhaps it is about time. This vacation is for the birds.

Running through their crap is frustrating. It ruins my flow. I imagine what it is going to be like to remove.

You Can’t Do That On Television.

I didn’t like that green goop, either.

Here we are with our running and confusion, and I don't see no confusion anywhere.

random things...

... make me weepy.

The list includes but is not limited to certain types of music and songs, certain books, certain personalities, unexpected kindness (both to me and to others), when my father skins a knuckle (he does it regularly because he is always building something) and moments of heart-stopping pain and happiness.

Yep. Heart-stopping. Ironic, no?

Misbehaving...

... is what I have been doing in regards to this blog. It has been neglected due to time consuming exams, licensing courses and a move. The good news is that now I am in a hub of activity, a mecca of entertainment and in a location where art and culture is born.*

I say that Toronto is more exciting than Ottawa but that isn't without exception. In addition to participating in other silly tourist activities, I saw Feist (and Shaye and the Cowboy Junkies and others) on Parliament Hill on Canada Day.

Feist is exploding.

I was first introduced to Feist with the release of her album "The Reminder." I fell in love (and I don't do that easily).

The beauty with Feist is that she has achieved mainstream notoriety with a very non-mainstream sound (dare I say it is still fairly "indie"?) Her single "My Moon My Man" has been a regular feature on Much Music's Video Flow and both the video and the sound of the song is very much like "Mushaboom" from "Let It Die" (2004) (which was only recognized in certain crowds). Her Ottawa concert date sold out and she closed the Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill. I don't know if such things are qualities of "mainstream" and "top-40" artists but I bet it helps. And if you still don't believe me, take a look at the records sales.

I recognize that her sound isn't for everyone but her vocal ability, however, is worth noting. And the music is clever. What more could one want?

But do all artists want such success? I would imagine they do. Even if it isn't good for them. (see the story of the late Michael Hutchence from INXS for an example). Is there ever a happy medium? I may have to search for an example.

I have nothing but time.

There's nowhere to go but on Heart on my sleeve Not where it should be The song's out of key again

*I admit that this sentence may be a bit of an exaggeration.