Blue Sun

1/28/2006

Dear Peoples,

Went to a cool Art Lounge last night called, Bodega. Was great to hang ouT with other creative types and felt at home for the first time in a while. Can't stress the importance of Artists hanging out with Artists. We must be with our tribe otherwise it can be madenning to exist. One woman I spoke to talked about Columbus being an incubator, thought that was huge, so where do I go to hatch? Is my question to myself now. My paintings are ready by thought, now they need to manifest and start clucking around. Ran into old friends and new ones, was a time in space that I wouldn't change. Nice to feel part of something normal to me. What I tell young Artists is, "You are perfectly normal for who you are." So who are you and what Art do you want to produce, now hop to it! I'll have a couple new paintings up in a week or so. Until later then.

-JOSHUA '06

posted at 12:23 PM

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1/19/2006

Hey everyone, how are you today? Feels like Spring after our snow storm yesterday, and that Spring warmth from the sun is coming through too. The weather has been strange this winter, a little global warming goes a long way.

Have had an introspective week or so about Art and life in general. The Wellspring is what I am calling this entry because it feels Spring like today and I believe now that Artists have an energy or force within them that is trying to get out, a Wellspring. Since I just finished The Artist Way by Julia Cameron, feel so much pouring out of me onto paper and canvas that it is overwhelming. So many ideas and so much sadness that this isn't how it is most of the time because of society and it's restrictions on U.S. Feel the Businessman and Soldier society we live in doesn't want another form of masculinity or reality to grow. Yes, masculinity is what I said because I feel that there is a fear from men to look into the dark and use that information to do their Art! Feel the men and women who have that courage to go beyond society and the ordinary world are blessed and the toughest warriors, the real warriors of the inner type.

Am reading a book about The Male God, myths and realities of my gender. I read The Goddess by the same authors about the female genders divinities too! That's why I say it takes a lot of courage for Artists to look into the darkness, or reality of life. These are hard lessons and I am working with a young man through my job right now, and trying to give him a cushion or a shield to help him through those lessons of creativity. Don't believe creativity comes about by having a cushy easy life, it usually comes about by hardships and loss of some sort. That's why today I feel great because I feel I have made it through that darkness and those hardships.

What have I learned? That we are all being loved along the way by a Creator of whatever you want to call it, and that we are never alone, even if we travel alone, like I have, most of my adult life. Funny how when you look back on the path of your life it starts to make sense, all the chaos and changes had a rhyme and rythm of sorts, it just wasn't what I wanted or planned. That's faith in action, I guess. Life is so strange and interesting, but we all get what we need some way or another, I just wish the lessons weren't so hard sometimes.

Like I said, am doing a lot of drawings and working on the next level to my line drawings and symbols, I am so excited to see where it leads that I am ruining all my paintings from the excitement. Can't wait till I calm down a bit to finish a piece the way I want it. Oh yeah, on my Artist date this week, went to the Columbus Museum of Art and thought about what makes Art wall worthy at the galleries? In a museum the theme over and over again was PEOPLE and PLACE. Modern Art is really about ideas, and the visual display of those ideas. My paintings are about ENERGY and the flow of life energy, that idea and what it would look like. How interesting to see me and them and what we are all doing. Either way, the one thing all of our work has in common is a connection to each other. Like Oprah said one day, "Let's get connected!" Until later then.

JOSHUA 2006

posted at 10:48 AM

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1/09/2006

Want to let everyone know I am not obsessed about the Democrat Blue idea. Where I am coming from with my Blueness is spiritual or shamanic. The color Blue is associated with the throat chackra and speaking up, out, and taking action! I would no way want to lower my abilities to mere politics. So Blue Sun is about living in a world where our creativity comes first, what is inside of our hearts and minds comes out for the benefit of society, healing, or use without evil or power based intentions. Now let's enter that world.

Had a great experience at Columbus's Gallery Hop this past Saturday. It was 35 degrees which is tropical for this time of year and the crowds were thin so you could actually move through the galleries with ease. This city has gone from slow to go and now with the Red State mentality sneaking it, it is changing, but still Artistic. Let's look at that. The two shows that had the best work were at the new Katherine Gallery and the Mahan Gallery. Both had modern art that was talented and inspiring. Like I said there has to be a thought, purpose, and technique to the Art for me to like it. Don't believe just throwing paint on a canvas has much to add to civilization as we know it, yes it may be beautiful and that is enough, but come on. Why spend all that money to learn something in college and then just throw paint? I just don't get that.

Back to the Gallery Hop. Met some cool dudes from an artist in residency program in Coshockton, OH at the Mahan Gallery. The show there was on Phobias and the 4 artists involved looked at the darkness of life. Some of the work was Low Browish from Calilfornia, think that is what it is called? A very Tim Burton look to a lot of it. Just amazing. Then there was a show at Roy G Biv. that just was eerie with grotesque mannequins body parts. You just never know what you will run into at the shows and that makes me grateful for having this routine for my 10th year here. Really liked studying some of the work this weekend, always makes it tolerable to make it through another month. The Mid'west can be hard on Artists! No news there I am sure.

Happy to have created 3 paintings this week. 2 worked one didn't. I'll try and get them up for you all soon. They are part of the next incarnation of my line drawings and symbols. Am so excited, now it is just logistics and how to visually produce them so they give the look I want. Love it when something shifts inside but now, oh boy, have my hands full. This week I finished the last week of the Artist's Way. A must experience for any Artist to get your creative juices flowing and focused. Check it out if you haven't tried it yet. No need for another depressed Artist in this world, right? Kinda want to piggy back on that idea and write a Health and Wellness book for Artists with my Polarity Therapy background. Give me some feedback and let me know if you would bite, okay?

That's it for me today. Stay positive and politically aware in these crazy times. Until later.

-JOSHUA '06

posted at 12:18 PM

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1/05/2006

Thanks go to Priscilla for beautifully framing my pics. If you don't know who she is yet, you'll have to check out her writings and films to know she is a force to be wreckoned with. Check her out! Oh yeah, and her hubby to be, Manny is a brilliant writer and playwright as well.
So happy that you all can see more of what I have been talking about in the past posts. It was pure symbol love for me this past year. Loved developing the idea of what can I do to design 4 simple shapes into a form of non verbal communication. Some of my musician friends said it looks like I am composing a song, the way the lines are written. Thanks Charlie and Arv. Yeah, painting can be a way of visually singing. Like that idea a lot.
The primary purpose was to get an energy moving and flowing across the canvas. Felt great composing from my sketches to the painting. I am not a stream of consciousness painter, per se. I do experiment a lot, but usually see the image in my mind before creating. It can be such a curse because, I can't rest until it is on the canvas. My mind constantly calls me to produce while going about my life's responsibilities. Scared me for a while in my early 20's, now I just know to get the images down within a certain amount of time, so I don't go mad... Feel Art is so much of a process and when I respect that process and work with it, instead of ignoring my creativity, I feel great!
Last night, I worked on 3 paintings. I am in the beginning stages of making those images SAY something. That is all I will tell you for now. Can't wait to see where this will take me and want these symbols up in Times Square, NYC someday for an alternative form of communication, plus I think they just look really cool! Well, until later then.

Democracy,

Joshua

posted at 1:09 PM

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Dear Peoples of the USA,

Had wonderful travels to Philadelphia and New York City for Thanksgiving and Madison, WI for Christmas. Saw how quickly the country is changing between RED and BLUE! Turning into different worlds and all I could say was, WOW... the country is really SPLITTING!
It is SAD days for democracy in OHIO. The past 2 months have been devistating. Don't know who or what is pushing the STATE to go fascist. In November the election kept cronyism and corruption in place even with Gov. Taft being caught in the 13 Million dollar scandal and then the law past to have an I.D. to VOTE! Christmas week there was a law that would have given the police too much power. When I heard on the pop station that the STATE tried to pass a law that would require citizens I.D. or papers, if suspected of Terrorism or any crime, would be arrested and imprisoned, if vital statistics weren't current. Now what country am I living in!!!! It got knocked down and were told they were going too far, but the fact that that law was voted on in the state legislature makes me sick. I am frightened for our future and will be moving to a BLUE STATE in the near future. What if the law passes next time!

Democracy and Art for the Future,

JOSHUA

posted at 12:55 PM

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