I need more art in my life...

Last weekend I went out with a friend. We had no idea what to do but when you're in San Francisco, it's rather easy to find any number of interesting things. We ended up just talking about random things and hitting different galleries.

I am always in awe of artists and their ability to express thoughts and emotions in different mediums. Whether it's glass or paint or digital, art has a powerful affect on my moods and introspection.

One gallery (Hanson Gallery) was showcasing Mackenzie Thorpe. I had never seen his work before but the original pastels in the gallery were incredible. I typically like images that show a single individual in a situation...maybe I can more easily put myself in that place. Anyway, the two pieces that I really liked were...

Winter


Falling in Love


Of course, you can't really see the detail from these images. They and other images were so expressive that I had to just smile. I could feel the cold air on my face and hear the crunching of the snow as if I were walking in the woods. The air in a snowy forest can sit so still that even a mouse's twitch can be heard and felt. I also really like the moon in the clouds. It was kinda peeking out and watching over the little guy... giving him light and hope in the cold night.

And the "Falling in Love" just made me smile at that weightless bounce of joy you get when you meet someone special. Who hasn't felt that type of joy in secret or hopefully within a relationship. I haven't quite felt that feeling in a while but to see it literally represented made me smile...

In the same gallery, there were some sculpted works by Frederick Hart. He was the artist who did "The Three Soldiers" near the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

There was a head-torso piece titled "Adam" just inside the front door that captured me. Adam's visage and presence really struck me. I had a great time looking at the other pieces. It amazes me how sculptors can evoke and embed emotions in their works. Sure, they are perfect anatomically but wow... Adam had me staring and thinking about the genesis of so many things in my life. All from just a head and torso...

Today, I got a message from a friend to look at an article about an artist named Juan Francisco Casas. I am not much about reproducing life-like images but this guy can really.... er... use a pen.

He creates large images using blue Bic pens. They really look like photos. His images don't really do anything for me emotionally but it's pretty neat to take such a mundane object like a pen and create something so interesting. That reminds me of some performance art I am working on... I want to make a giant pile of clean laundry with my washing machine....