Hi Folks. Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a good week. Jack and I have two new paintings for you this week.

The first new painting for this week is a 9 X 12 inch acrylic on watercolor paper called:

Expression 1067. This is minimalist sort of abstract expression with an interesting texture I think you’ll like.

Lastly this week we have an ACEO called:

ACEO 1066. This little painting has a number of planes and movement which I hope you’ll find interesting.

I turned 60 this week, and that’s gotten me thinking about a lot of things.
I suppose I should be getting concerned with mortality, but, being a Buddhist, I already know what will happen on the other side. Since I’ve tried to live by the Dharma even before I knew what it was, death really doesn’t scare me too much, and besides, maybe my paintings will sell better then.

I have however, been thinking of all the changes that I’ve seen in my lifetime.
For instance, on the day I was born in 1950, Picasso, Matisse, and Pollock were all alive and still painting; Harry Truman was President; Ted Williams was playing baseball; and here’s a good one, there were three computers in the world; today I have more than that on my desktop. We used to worry about the Russians bombing us, now we worry about the Chinese foreclosing on us.
Oy, what a world.

One interesting thing is that, I have absolutely no concept of myself being this age. I simply can’t envision myself as 60 years old. I feel it occasionally, but I still can’t believe I’m this old. I guess you could say that I have a 25 year old mind sitting on a 60 year old body. The spirit’s willing, but the flesh is weak. I remember what to do, but I’m not quite sure why….lol.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I will say this, I’ll stop painting
when they pry the brush out of my cold dead hands. I want to go like Renoir, dead at the easel.

If you happen to be in the Brandon area, please remember that I’ve got six paintings hanging in “The Art of Hair” salon at 10963 Causeway Blvd., in Brandon. So, I hope you’ll drop by and check them out, and maybe get some great hair styling while you’re them.

If you’ve got a few bucks to spare, how about spending them on Haiti. There are a lot of good programs going on, my two favorites are, as always, Doctors without borders, they’ve got a link below. Also, The Clinton-Bush Haiti fund.

Here are a couple of sites I hope you’ll visit and support:
Doctors without Borders.
Katsel Tsi Chen Cho Kyi Ling Buddhist Meditation center.

I’m also on Twitter
Myspace and
Facebook
Look me up there if ya feel like it.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and prosperous week. See ya next time.

Rod

Here’s some links I hope you’ll remember:

For original paintings, or to inquire about a commissioned painting, just email me at info@rodzart.com

My original paintings can also be acquired through: http://www.socurio.com/myloft/rodzart Socurio.com.

For original paintings sold at auction go to:
http://www.artbyus.com/auctions.php?a=6&b=85

Original works on paper can be purchased at:
http://rodzart.etsy.com

To buy prints on paper or canvas, mouse pads, mugs, refrigerator magnets, etc. check out:
http://www.artwanted.com/rodzart>
http://rodzart2.deviantart.com/gallery/>

For other cool stuff like T-shirts, clocks or travel mugs try my Cafepress site http://www.cafepress.com/rodzart

To obtain fine art prints, framed or unframed:
http://rod-schneider.artistwebsites.com
http://rod-schneider.fineartamerica.com

Every now and then I have people look at one of my paintings and ask “what is it, what does it mean”. So I thought I’d try to explain my take on abstract expressionism in particular and art in general.

What is art?
So here goes the big one. What is art? In my personal view: Art is a sensory input that evokes a mental, physical or spiritual response from the beholder. Now, this leaves a lot to interpretation, and intentionally so. The simplest way I can put it is this: one man’s crap is another man’s masterpiece; it’s all up to the individual. If its art to you, then its art.

While we’re on the big subject let me just say one more thing. I do not believe that art should be harmful to any living thing in any way. Personal opinion coming up here… starving dogs, recording suicides or cutting goats in half may be art to some people, but to me it’s just sadistic butchery…end of personal opinion.

What’s the scoop on my paintings?
I paint mainly in the “Abstract Expressionist” movement. There’s tons of good literature written on this so I won’t even attempt to explain it fully here. I paint in this manner because I enjoy it, and because I seem to be fairly good at it (a matter of opinion of course).

A painting doesn’t necessarily have to be a picture of something to be art. Most art to be sure, is representative of something, a tree, a bird, a person, whatever. I take that once step further, so instead of reproducing something that exists in reality, I paint feelings, emotions, or an image that happens to be in my head. There are also times, when I let the painting dictate the painting process, and I simply follow along. This is sometimes called “action painting” and quite a few of my paintings come from this particular source.

But, keep in mind, there is nothing random in any of my paintings. Every molecule of paint is deliberately applied. I don’t just throw paint at a canvas to see what happens.

So when you look at one of my paintings and ask: what is it? What does it mean? The best answer I can give to that is: that it is whatever you see it as being, the meaning is whatever you feel that it means.
Some paintings will make you feel good; others will be disquieting to some people;
some folks won’t like them at all, which is perfectly valid too; my work is not for everybody.

Just look at the painting and try not to look for an object, relax and look at them with an open mind I think most people will have a rather pleasant experience.
Remember, the only true freedom we have, is what goes on inside our minds.