Gail Sauter

Some things never change, I guess.

Like wanting to look good.

Here are some bas-relief figures from the Necropolis at Thebes. I think the 2 lower figures are male and the upper female. Isn’t it interesting that the faces look the same except for the little beard hanging from the chin of 2 of  them. They even seem to be wearing the same basic style of jewelry.

Today we make such a difference between what is female/male style – girls wear pink/boys wear blue, women wear lipstick/men don’t, women wear bright colors/men subdued etc. Certainly style isn’t everything, but we think our society is far more gender equal than any before….. I wonder.

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Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa (La Giocanda) @ 1503

You know, sometimes all the modern technology that is currently available takes some of the fun out of life. For instance, a study done in Manchester, England using a 240 megapixel camera suggests that the Mona Lisa originally had eyebrows. Leonardo evidently painted them but either the paint faded because of a chemical reaction in the glaze that he used or restoration work done over the past 500 years has simply wiped them away. They also found that the sky was a bright blue and the shape of her face was wider.

Hmmmm. I know its good to learn and make discoveries, but I also think the allure of the painting has a voice that speaks beyond the facts. I like her enigmatic gaze and her missing eyebrows is all part of it. I prefer to think their absence was intentional… and don’t talk to me about Santa Clause or the tooth fairy. Sometimes we need a little fantasy and romance.

Thanks, Leonardo, I love a good story.

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Oil 30x30

Here is my first painting of the new year. Actually, I started it in 09 but I catalogue my work by their completion dates so here is #10-01.

It had a rather interesting gestation. In one of the art blogs I read, it was suggested that we reflect on the work we created over the past year and choose our favorite piece. That seemed like a simple enough idea and I was about to hit the delete button and move on, but instead, I did what they suggested and reviewed my work. However, what I did next was to examine why the painting was special to me.

I looked at what was its appeal. I analyzed it – what worked, where had I failed, what elements are the strongest, what did I learn, where could I push farther/pull back, what techniques do I want to build on in the new year. Hmmmm…

I gave serious thought to the questions, and then started painting. My goal was to expand my strengths and clarify my working methods. I decided to paint entirely from my head without reference material except for my answers to my questions - my subject became the color, the mood and the brushstroke. They were my entire focus. It required my being aware of what  I did BEFORE I did it so that I could proceed consciously and with intention.

Give it a try – you might end up with a painting that becomes one of your favorites.

By the way, this painting is still untitled. If you have an idea for a title, shoot me an email!

Happy exploring.

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His Holiness, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama 

It's hard to believe, but this blog is now 1 year old. I've greatly enoyed hearing from all of you. Thank you for your wonderful emails and comments - keep 'em coming and stay tuned, I'm not done yet! More art tidbits to come in 2010.

I try to create the blog I would like to receive, and, in fact, because I usually write these posts in advance, and then forget what I’ve written, so I subscribe to this blog myself! It’s always fun to get my notification that Gail’s written something – I wonder what I have to say today!

In honor of the New Year, let’s start out with some advice from the Dalai Lama. Here is a YouTube video of his advice to artists. I wish there was a printed transcription because it is a bit difficult to understand what he is saying at times, but here it is anyway: (Click Here)

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Harold Garde in his studio

This is a great video and one that takes us into the future while acknowledging the challenges we all face in getting there. The artist is Harold Garde speaking of his life, his art and the journey he’s been on for the past 85 years. (Click Here for video)

Happy New Year -  And welcome 2010!

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Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890)

This is just so neat I have to share it with you!

Imagine getting a letter from Vincent Van Gogh – in fact, imagine getting letters from him on an ongoing basis. Well, you can!

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has just completed a major project of collecting and collating all the letters he has written – some 6 volumes of correspondence! The project is called ‘Van Gogh’s Letters’. As of October, they started publishing the letters as a BLOG!!

Yup!! You can subscribe to the blog and receive letters from Vincent! They are fabulous. The posts are co-ordinated to the dates he wrote them – so it is like receiving a letter from ol' Vinnie himself. He even does doodles of the paintings he’s working on!

I have to warn you, though, that, as neat as it is to hear his thoughts and opinions on his work, he is not very good about answering back when you ask him a question!

To visit the blog, go to: http://www.vangoghsblog.com/

Enjoy!

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Roman Mosaic

Mosaics are one of our oldest and most permanent art forms. The walls and floors of ancient ruins still live on through their bits of colored glass and stone. The walls of Venice’s Basilica of St. Mark sparkle and mesmerize as the flicker of candles reflect in the thousands of gold tiles on its walls. Its floor undulates but the patterning of her stone mosaics forgive the turbulence and roll with its unevenness.

However, what is most fascinating to me about mosaics is their modernity! For instance, if you look at a digital photograph of something really closely, you’ll see the image dissolve into pixels. Those pixels look very much like the thousands of tiles that go into making a mosaic image.

Perhaps we have reinvented the wheel and have come full circle!

Note: Be sure to click on the image to see it enlarged. The workmanship in this piece is amazing!

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Tiffany – Algerian Shops – location unknown

Yes, this painting is by THE Tiffany – Louis Comfort Tiffany. If you look closely, I think you can see the same mind at work behind the piece – all the shapes are clearly defined - like stained glass. He uses a very concise pattern of light and darks – like stained glass. Each patch of color stays within its boundaries with no wild brushstrokes – like stained glass.

Many artists work in several mediums, but it seems that when they become well known for one of them, we (the public) tend to like to forget their diversity. Somehow actors aren’t ‘supposed’ to sing, sports stars aren’t ‘supposed’ to be paint, painters aren’t ‘supposed' to dance. The list goes on and on. What’s up with this? Maybe it’s just unfair that some people can do several things really well while the rest of us struggle just to master one!!

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