A blog in which I write about Art, my art, and making art in the following areas
1) Pastel drawings
2) Photography
3) The LGBTQ Pictionary: art about historical figures and language related to LGBTQ people
4) Initial Singularities and Other Universes
3) Digital montages with a gay male theme, and
4) A blog titled Isaac Stolzfuts' Journal
With the completion of the first WAVE in series II, a 32” x 40” pastel painting, I find myself looking at every kind of ocean wave, big, small, clear, dirty, stormy, sunny, smashing on rocks, or slowly rolling onto a beach. You name it, I want to see it and photograph it. The intent is to paint more of these series II WAVES, and I wrote about why that is so in the March 28th journal entry.
So, the other day I went to the beach, camera in hand and shot several hundred photos of the miniature south Florida Atlantic waves one finds when the wind is almost nonexistent and blowing off the land. The water wasn’t quite flat though it definitely looked no bumpier than a large fresh water lake might on a breezy day. It was also the most interesting shade of blue/aqua-green I think I’ve ever seen, very transparent, but with a slight gray shimmer, almost as though a thin molecular coating of milk covered the surface. I include one of the photos here, though reduced in size and detail. The crystal clear fingers of water in the breaking wave are fascinating, and I like the way some shells, and pebbles bend small waves of water around their forms while others are slightly blurred or crystal clear. Ultimately, I know I will choose one or two sections from this photograph to become WAVE #2 and #3 in Series II.”
Another one of my early morning escapades produced this photo among hundreds shot in quick succession as the sun rose over the South Florida Atlantic. I always sit on the beach and change focal length, f-stop, and shutter speed in various combinations. From the moment the first rays peek over the horizon until the sun is well above it - I may fill 4 gigs of memory. Out of all those images perhaps 10 to 15 are used as part of a pastel, digital montage and/or distressed painting. Some like this one I keep as a photograph because I find a special affinity for the image. Perhaps in this photo it is the lonely Pelican, the way the clouds lower toward the right side of the image as the bird slowly rises flying against the storm toward the right. The clouds and rain though threatening are not frightening because the yellow-orange of the sunrise works around, under and through parts of the rain clouds. The picture hints at the possibility of an early morning rain, with a ravishingly beautiful day to follow. Of course, that is my narrative. I’m sure the reader will see it in his/her own way. In fact, I would enjoy having some responses in "comments" as to the story you see in the image.
Music to Accompany Pelican Sunrise - Janine Jansen violin. (added Thursday, April 5, 2012)
Taken from You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmYexIpR5js, 10:30 AM, EDT, Thursday, April 5, 2012. The excerpt below is also translated from the Dutch at the Website.
"The track from the Dutch film Süskind for violin and orchestra was written by the composers Bob Zimmerman and Nando Eweg. The solo part is written for the famous violinist. The track 'Summer 1945' at the end of the film to hear and download on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/7mx8uf2
The film based on the truth of Rudolf van den Berg is about the Jewish resistance hero Walter Süskind. As manager of the Dutch Theater in Amsterdam he was able to prevent hundreds of Jewish children were put on transport to concentration camps."
The music is also appropriate to my feelings surrounding the tragic state of our national argument about the "legal" killing of Travon Martin.
Why is the death of Travon Martin Polarizing America?
His Death is so much more complicated than the dichotomous position most of us seem to be taking. Of course it is a horrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to his family. As to Mr. Zimmerman - he made two mistakes. One he followed an unarmed teen with a bag of candy against police advice. Two, he also carried a gun against police advice. I'm certain Mr. Zimmerman did not intend to kill Travon Martin. However, Mr. Zimmerman is also innocent of committing a crime according to a state law that places every one of us in danger of being killed (Drunk drivers have pulled guns on us on the highway on two separate occasions. If we had been shot, all the killer would have had to say was that we threatened him/her.). It is this absurd, "Stand Your Ground" law that should be on trial, not Mr. Zimmerman. Of course, additionally this controversy is about racism, the reaction on both sides of the issue is incontrovertible PROOF! Additionally, and importantly it is about three things; gun law in general, the NRA, and the Supreme Court's stand on gun law. It is also about the adequate function of law enforcement, character assassination, mixed race and/or ethnicity, crazed citizen response on electronic media. It is about falsified images. It is even about young black men who wear HOODIES for goodness sake (I wear one occasionally, and I'm a 67 year old WHITE MALE!). I include a portion of an excellent discussion of some of the ramifications of this controversy from the Chris Hayes show on MSNBC. It begins with Representative Maloney presuming that Martin is innocent, but the discussion becomes much more involved and complex as it continues. Sorry about the DAMNED commercial at the beginning!
Wave Series II, Variation #1 (32" x 40"), Pastel Painting March 24, 2012
Finally, I’m finished this new Wave. I had done a series of wave paintings several years ago. Those were painted from a much more panoramic viewpoint with sky, surf, and wash onto the beach as well as other waves. However, Wave is the first in a series of extremely close-up (32” x 40”) pastel paintings of waves a moment after they crest. Most intriguing is that infinitesimal frozen time particle when a wave - has flashing light sparks as it begins to bend over on itself, amazing clear fraction-of-a-second views of the sand beneath, pale shields of mauve and periwinkle blue sea foam with connecting streaks obfuscate that view into parts of the translucent depths, and the aqua blue and green of the water with sky reflections blend with the lavender, orange, and ochre of sand - in one brief moment of crystalline purity before all crashes into exploding surf. So much of life is spent just muddling through without thought to function, or reason why, much less looking beyond the culturally constructed self. Nor do we spend enough time searching beneath the surface, into and through the obfuscated structures to the kernel of actual existence beneath. This painting is the first of a series of metaphorical instances that demonstrate the moments of clarity I experience only through hard won thoughtful meditation and/or prayer. I would like to see a room full of these paintings someday, but that is just a desire of the self based on cultural expectations that define success.
"Still, John, it would be nice to share the feeling you get when looking into and through waves..." the alter ego reiterates.
Ronald Boender, founder and Managing Partner of Butterfly World in Coconut Creek has turned a hobby into one of the most phenomenal places to visit in south Florida. The Butterfly House, a tropical rain forest complete with waterfalls, ponds, cave and orchids is one of the most ethereal environments I’ve ever been in. Thousands of butterflies, all shapes, sizes and colors fly through the forest. I’ve been to the butterfly house three times, and it is still all I can do to focus on shooting photographs because I just want to sit on a bench and soak in the peace those ethereal creatures generate as they flit from one leaf, flower or branch to another. However, in addition to the butterfly house there are several aviaries with tropical birds of all kinds – humming birds, lorikeets, myna birds, and macaws – as well as an orchid house, rose garden, and Koi pond.
The photos I’ve taken at Butterfly World have given me a plethora of morgue photos of all these wonderful creatures to use in my pastel paintings, mixed media distressed paintings and digital montages. We take visiting friends to Butterfly World, and everyone always enjoys, some even ask to be taken back on succeeding visits. I’ve also posted images from our visits to Butterfly World in the past, and I’ll continue to do so when we make other trips to the magical butterfly house and environs. If you find yourself in south Florida for more than a two day weekend of lounging at a beach side hotel, Butterfly World is a must do, but be sure to bring your camera or video camera with you.
If the video appears to be blurred and jumpy, I suggest the viewer go directly to You Tube to view it.
The paintings - based on my own photographs taken on location at south Florida, Delaware, and Mexico beaches – demonstrate the way water changes color and mood from day to day, season to season, and location to location.
Perhaps I have a flaw in my vision that causes me to see brilliant extreme color. Never the less, I avoid rubbing and smearing pastels together as much as possible because I find that traditional pastel technique muddies and dulls the colors. Instead, I use direct application with the pastel itself to enable the most intense color to develop. Blending is achieved by using two or more pastel sticks to smear separate colors together. For detail I sharpen the soft pastels with sand paper. For broad areas I use the side of the pastel sticks. Sometimes a gel eraser is used to clean and sharpen edges.
I feel most connected to God and the universe while walking on the beach and looking at the vast expanse of ocean and waves. I guess the beach functions as my church, and I hope the pastel paintings express some of that transcendence.
1. In the past I’ve expressed my concern with the mess south Florida beach enthusiasts make of our beaches.
2. The “2010 BP Gulf Oil Spill” caused me to realize that our profligacy and dependency on oil products, whether in liquid form or solid (as in throw-away plastics) threatens the health of our oceans and all creatures living in or near them.
3. I like to play. Ocean provided the opportunity to play with my new iPod Touch.
4. All my artwork - pastels, mixed media distressed paintings, and digital photographic montages - is about salt and fresh water marshes, rivers, seas and oceans. I’ve even given the oeuvre a name, “The Waterworks.”
Ocean is the third video using iMovie and my new iPod. I’m not ecstatically happy with it for several reasons. First, I neglected to make sure the iPod was completely in focus while shooting the beach scenes. Second, now that I’ve watched the finished video, I know that the second beach scene is too long. Third, You Tube informs me that I’m in danger of infringing copyright law with the music track to this video despite the fact that it is not for profit, and I do have the approval for use of “Aria” from the Goldberg Variations by the performer, Konstantin Lifschitz. I followed You Tubes directions and entered all the information I had about “Aria” into the Universal Publishing Group search engine. The result was “No record found.” Finally, I could have used more of my still photos and other artworks mixed with the motion scenes. Never the less, we learn by doing, and this little video is part of a journey toward the unobtainable goal of perfection. Each video experience will bring about improvements.
Removed Video 03/17/12
I have not heard from the owner of the copyright to the Konstantin Lifschitz recording, which is tantamount to saying - "You may not use this recording." I will replace the sound track with coppyright free music and then put the video back on You Tube.
Replaced the Lifshitz recording 03/18/12
I removed the old Ocean from You Tube and replaced it with a new video (the same visually) with an ambient copyright free recording of the Prelude from Bach's Partita #3 in E Major by Gordon Rowland. I found a wonderful Website that has as its main purpose to make all kinds of unencumbered music available to people everywhere.
I received a Judges Recognition Award for "South Florida Sunrise #6!"
By way of an addendum to my post "Art Explosion, 2012" - The hors d'oeuvres were fantastic, especially the meatballs, and the cherry tomatoes filled with dilled sour cream. We had a glass of red wine as we walked around and looked at the artworks. Best in Show, "Big Puddle" by Alfred Phillips was a technical tour de force. His brush strokes make it look as though painting is an automatic process. Best Painting, "Player," by Gregory Little, a colorful and painterly grid with a human figure in front of it, was striking. My favorite though was "Orbit" by Francisco Scheuat, a marvelous construct made out of gum wrappers. "Lovers," a photograph by Gordon Nebeker won for best photograph, though I thought his "Dream," a draped male figure suspended in aqua colored water was his most innovative image. However, the best part of the evening (for me) was that my pastel painting won a judge’s mention, and sold. I am a happy camper this week.
