The Art of Being Artless, or in other words, Bob Ross

I'm very intrigued by Bob Ross and his impact on American culture.

In the second chapter of The Accidental Masterpiece, The Art of Being Artless, Michael Kimmelman goes into detail about how Bob Ross was a "televangelist painter."And it really is true to some extent.

There's not much I can say that sums up Bob Ross' impact on people better than these two passages:

"Ross thereby touched on a basic reason for making art-- to have a place to indulge your id and comfort your ego, an area of authority, where perhaps, secondarily, with luck and a little effort, you might make something good enough to hand on the wall or show to strangers."

"Ross did not get bogged down in the issue of whether his cheesy paintings were actually good. Nor did he really care whether anybody even painted along with him."

I don't think it really mattered that Bob Ross wasn't a true Picasso; he exposed the general public to a new past time that was no longer exclusively available to the rich and wealthy. Throughout his 30 min. landscape painting episodes, he constantly motivated his viewers to "make decisions" and allow themselves to "find themselves in their paintings." Kimmelman put it the best-- "His purpose was as much to massage souls as it was to teach painting." He essentially sold hope to the American public and they devoured it like the last supper. He realized that even if you don't have the technical expertise of let's say, Leonardo Da Vinci, it shouldn't and doesn't make you any less capable of creating and enjoying art. Art is for anybody and everybody.

Pierre Bonnard & Scene

This is a portrait of Reneé Monchaty, one of the two women that Pierre Bonnard had an affair with while married to Marthe de Méligny (who mind you, isn't even her real name). This is a very peculiar portrait due to several things: the intensity of the color and the more aggressive strokes. There is something about this painting that suggests to me the sheer delight that Bonnard had while putting paint down. The length of strokes are longer than usual; they almost feel more confident and precise. Perhaps Bonnard ended up involving himself in an affair with this woman because she was the complete opposite of Marthe. I mean, it's completely clear- even the way that he illuminates her personality shines through in the way that he portrays her. She's a sunflower, Marthe is a dandelion.

In comparison to the previous painting, Bonnard paints this portrait of Marthe in a more reserved fashion both in strokes and color. He seems more hesitant when painting Marthe (which is perfectly fine because that's how Marthe was; delicate like a bird). Personally, I really love how he depicts Marthe because as a viewer, it's clear that their relationship was soft and patient. The vibration of colors and paint on Marthe's body truly matched his goals: "He wanted to convey the feeling of living human beings occupying a room, so that his work would not be simply a static image of an inanimate object place recorded by a detached observer but a remnant, like lingering perfume, of the interaction between himself and his model in that space, a memory of their being together, which mean, frequently, a memory of him and Marthe, his principal model, " (14). 

Although Picasso would've rather skinned Bonnard than be in the same room as him, I must say that there is some value to the "impressionist after impressionism was dead," (10). The emptiness in Bonnard's eyes in this self portrait is quite haunting...he looks so very distant and preoccupied. I'm curious about what is happening in the background- it's not completely rendered, but rendered enough to identify fuzzy two bodies. It's almost like his desires are split between two women- perhaps between Reneé and Marthe.

*SCENE*

INT. LIVING ROOM

Sunlight is pouring into the spacious yet slightly cluttered living room. Renée is splayed across a couch, seemingly lost in her own head. Pierre is sitting across from her, easel up, painting. Several other unfinished canvases litter the walls.

PIERRE

Oh Reneé darling...you're so beautiful, the way that the sunlight kisses your body.

RENÉE

Oh, darling..

PIERRE

(Hushed)

I'd like to see Picasso get a piece of ass like this.

RENÉE

Excuse me?

PIERRE 

Nothing.

Renée shifts her position on the couch. She is now sitting upright, looking slightly troubled. Her mind feels distant.

RENÉE

Do you love me Pierre? I mean...do you truly love me? And I mean love, love. It breaks my heart to see you run aloof with that pigeon, Marthe. Why deal with pigeons when you can deal with peacock-

Renée's thoughts are abruptly cut off by the front door opening. Marthe enters the room, makes eye contact with Renée and then Pierre. She is wide-eyed and stunned. Her face becomes beet red. Renée realizes who just happened to walk through the door. She puts on a slight smirk and crosses her legs.

PIERRE

(Flustered)

O-Oh Marthe! I wasn't, um, expecting you for, um, another three hours or so! What're you doing home so, uh, early? And oh! This here is erm, my friend-

RENÉE

The name's Renée. He's cheating on you with me, hun. Sorry not sorry.

PIERRE

I can explain.

Marthe becomes quietly enraged and forces a smile. 

MARTHE

Well, okay, Pierre. Have, uhm, fun with your, how do I say it? Oh right! Filthy prostitute. I suppose I'll be back later.

Marthe clears her throat, scans the room once more, and then suspiciously backs out from the living room. Renée and Pierre share an awkward moment.

RENÉE

Sucks to be her, huh. Anyway, are you going to finish painting me or what? I'm not going to be alive forever, darling.

INT.DINING ROOM - THE NEXT MORNING

Pierre is sitting in his kitchen, drinking an espresso and catching up on the daily newspaper. A headline catches his eye. It reads Blond Woman Found Stabbed to Death in Bed of Roses. Marthe sneaks up from behind him and puts her hand on his shoulder. She scares him and Pierre does a spit take.

MARTHE

(Half-heartedly)

It's such a shame, what happened to Renée. Oh well.

PIERRE

...Shit.

Popcorn!

Today was my second independent project work day on the film with Jessica J, Emily, and Brian. I am glad to say that I am very impressed and happy with how today's progress went. Jessica, our lovely head writer, pulled together a script for our short film a few nights ago and we went in and cut it up today. Being a first draft, there were obviously a few errors that needed fixing. As a team, we put our noggins together and edited the entire film script.

The meaning of the film changed entirely and another main character presented themselves as we were writing the script. Interesting how these sort of things work out; we weren't even trying to make another character! At the very end, Luke hopped in and gave us some advice that I believe really solidified the entire film.

I don't want to give away too much of what the film is about because I believe that we have really created a little gem here. We still have some tweaking to do here and there but overall, our plot is pretty solid. This is going to be a good project because it's short and completely doable.

I'm excited to see where this film will take us next.

A Short Film

Today was a work day. That's quite self explanatory, isn't it?

We came together and brainstormed for all of the three periods and we were trying to figure out how to go about starting this project. We narrowed it down and gave the film a couple of parameters: First of all, the film will be within 3-5 minutes long. Secondly, it will either be a horror or a dramedy (we're leaning towards the latter). Lastly, we decided that it was going to revolve around a man and one of his childhood memories. Our research included discussing Louis C.K. and his cynical (but brutally honest) approach to the world and watching a couple of his stand-up clips.

It took us a little while to solidify an idea because we were all going off on different tangents and considering different possibilities. However, I believe one of our problems today was that we were trying to collaborate and create this film into a much longer thing than we had time for. Luke stepped in near the end and clarified that to us.

I'm serving as the director/cinematographer/video editor in this project and my vision for this film is to create something that is straight to the point and direct while at the same time being of high quality. While there's nothing quite on par with the short film Porcelain Unicorn, it gives me hope that it's very possible to make a fantastic 3 minute film.

Senior Independent Projects

For my independent project, I've decided to collaborate with Emily, Jessica, and Brian in creating a film. For the most part, I believe that it's safe to assume that they will be the master brainstormers in terms of the script. I volunteered to film and help direct the movie. Tomorrow we're planning on bringing some ideas to the table and throwing them around till we seem to get something that we all enjoy.

Well here goes nothing.

The Accidental Masterpiece: An Introduction

I remember having this book in my possession during my sophomore year- Luke had assigned it to me, but I basically blew it off after reading the first page or so. It looked and sounded like it was going to be redundant and just plain boring. Wow, how could I have been more wrong.

I liked what Luke said to me today: sometimes books come along when you're ready for them. 

When I read the introduction this time around, I was intrigued and fascinated by Kimmelman's innate ability to describe the indescribable. The words just roll off his mind like any other thought- it seemed almost effortless. The fact that I also now have a richer library than I did in my freshman, sophomore and junior year was also beneficial while reading the passage because I finally knew who these artists were! I know who Pierre Bonnard, Edgar Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery are. To have this type of knowledge is irreplaceable because without it, these names are empty and devoid of meaning. 

One quote from the passage that really struck me was how he approached art: 

"I hope to approach the art of seeing here in the spirit of an amateur. I mean amateur in the original sense of the word, as a lover, someone who does something for the love of it, whole heartedly. The best amateur has the skills of a professional but true professionals stay amateurs at heart, keeping a lid on the cynicism and irony that can pass for sophistication in some circles."

This was simply amazing and groundbreaking for me. I loved it so much I wrote it down in my sketch book. It resonated with me because it's something that I want to stand for. Last year during grading time, Luke had us create our own advice. Mine goes as follow:

• Whenever someone asks me why I'm doing something that seems outlandish or unordinary, the only answer I can give them is "Why not?" 

• Allow yourself to experience all that there is and to soak up all the opportunities that come your way. Who the hell are you to say that you are too good to do something? However, you must be wise in what you choose to indulge in because while you say yes to one possibility, you also say no to another, and vice versa.

• I believe that it is truly possible to work in any medium regardless of its quality. Yes, it might piss you off that its not turning out the way that you desire, but who knows- happy accidents may occur. Do not let the physical properties of something put limits on your imagination.

• Most importantly, keep your ego in check. With pride comes a big ego, and with a big ego comes a breeding ground for douchebaggery. And no one likes a douchebag.

In one way or another, our advice to others is quite similar- create and love art for the sake of passion and existence. Let your ego get in the way and you will become a sell-out of an artist.

Rusty

Woo!

Well it certainly has been quite a while since I've posted on here.
This past summer has been quite good to me- I traveled a bunch and was even presented with the amazing opportunity to intern at an actual fashion label as a fashion photographer.

Anywho, this marks the start of my senior year. It's so weird to think that I met one of my best friends in STAC when I was a freshman and she was a senior- now fast forward three years, I'm in her shoes.

The colleges I'm looking into currently include SAIC, CalArts, Purchase, Pratt and Carnegie Mellon. I'm still undecided as to what I want to major in, but I'm leaning towards something like Theatrical Design. I was originally thinking about Communication Design, but I realized that I don't want to be sitting in front of a computer screen for 8 hours a day. I need human interaction and I need people.

This is going to be an extremely crowded and busy semester for me, and I'm going to be honest- it's going to be miserable and brutal. College apps will take over my life and creating an art school portfolio will snap me in half. I also have my PiG class first semester on top of 3 rigorous AP classes and more. I'll really have no time for fun or fooling around- I'll have to lock down. Guh.

Michelle out.