A Certain Blue

27 Art Blogs To Watch 2010

Artist Donna Zagotta, of Notes From the Studio, Donna Zagota's Art Blog, asked her readers to name their favorite art blogs so that she "could create a list of hot art blogs to watch in 2010." The Colorist was one of the 27 Art Blogs to Watch in 2010, posted February 15th., 2010. If you follow the link you will be astounded by the many kinds of art blogs that she has noted. I am proud to be on the list and I had a great time reading and following the links. Thank you, Donna!

Artist Mary Anne Cary has also given The Colorist a Sunshine Award, which I gratefully acknowledge. I have an idea of how to pass on this sunshine, which I will be working on soon. Thank you, Mary Anne!

Next post: How To Mind Map Your Blog.

Have I Ever? 100 Memories or Not

Casey Klahn - What Did I Do?

This meme is going around the art blogs, and it is much fun. It gets you thinking, especially at this time of year. I enjoyed seeing this one at Tina Mammoser's and at Harry Bell's and Tracy Helgeson's. I did happen on a new blog, for me, and the author, Finnish-Canadian artist Marja-Leena Rathje (December 10), seems to be the one with the most accomplished. Way to go!

The ones that I have bolded are what I've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii [ long lay-over at the airport :-( ]

5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain [ dozens ]
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea [ I grew up very near the ocean, but can't directly recall this- I mean I didn't see the beach from my house ]
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning [ but self-diagnosed ]
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort [ on Mount McKinley! ]

25. Held a lamb [ and fed, and given medicine to ]
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise [ I did the Alaska Inside Passage from Tacoma, but it wasn't a cruise ]
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors [ just my father's pioneer birthplace ]

35. Seen an Amish community [ my neighbors are Hutterites, which is a type of German speaking Christian community somewhat similar to the Amish. A Hutterite reader has informed me that I need to parse this closer, so I gladly yield to that request ]
36. Taught yourself a new language [ I have lived for a few months on my own in Japan and Costa Rica, and I began the languages, but that's all ]
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person [ Darn! Just barely missed it! ]
39. Gone rock climbing [ hundreds of routes, including slept on them ]
40. Seen Michelangelos David [ another just missed! A pattern! ]
41. Sung karaoke [ with a group at a bachelor party ]
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted [ ohh, good one. I did my self-portrait with Photoshop. Some would count that, but I think it needs to be painted. Darn. ]
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie [ T.V. many, many times. Dang! I knew this guy once, who jumped from the collapsing tower in The Green Berets.]
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies [ Boy Scout ones, though ]
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving [ no, but I have jumped from helicopters at @ 7 feet ]
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp [ no, but I did see an atrocity location where they burned a church full of citizens ]
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter [ All kinds, including one long trip in the co-pilot seat ]
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt [ helped a few times ]
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book [ self-published ]
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car [ received a new Ford Ranger from family ]
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible [ Bible college graduate, I read it, wrote on it and studied ad infinitum ]
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating [ deer, turkey and upland bird - I ate venison stew last night ]
88. Had chickenpox [ can't remember, but I had mumps and measles ]
89. Saved someone’s life [ mountain climbing, and on the mission field, and in the Army ]
90. Sat on a jury [ dodged that, barely, twice - including a big, grizzly murder trial !!! ]
91. Met someone famous [ Bill Gates - and I secured his life at 65 feet in the air by a rope ]
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby [ although I am wholly disqualified to have a baby, I did see my son and daughter a nano second before my wife. She insists she had more intimate involvement, though ]

95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit [ witnessed at a few, but I have not sued or been sued ]
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Obviously, I stretched a couple to get in a yes, but I judiciously omitted a number that were marginal. I have, technically, been to Hawaii, but it was hardly a visit. I must have witnessed lightning over water, but can't really recall. I filled in the Amish visit because I have had a lot of interaction with the Hutterite community who own property on three sides of me, and know them all by name.

Contemporary-speak had me actually saying, "I had a baby" when my kids were born, but I couldn't post that with a straight face. I can't say I pulled anyone from a railroad track with a train bearing down, but I have climbed and adventured countless times, including some very scary technical climbs. It is arguable that someone may have died without my hand, but the preponderance of incidence forces me to say yes to this one. I did guide my lost party out of a trackless jungle at night, and have rescued and self-rescued in the mountains. I pulled five live mortar rounds that were mis-fires out of the mortar tube, but really all of that army stuff was just the job.



Did you find this blog for the first time at this post? Thank you for the visit. My list of the Top Ten Art Blog Posts of 2008 is found here. A very interesting series of recent posts is Artist's Traits, which had a large readership participation. And, fine art shopping for my work is found here.

Arte y Pico

Arte y Pico Award

Thanks loads to my blogger friend, JAFABRIT, for this exciting and handsome award. Blogger bling is much appreciated, and I always enjoy being sent some kudos. Go here for the citation, and for the rules. When I award my five, they must read the rules and follow the meme. Or, some bad thing may happen, such as the lost opportunity for more readership!

I so much like the looks of this little statue that I may have to Photoshop it on a mantle and frame it for my new studio wall.

I award this meme to the following bloggers that exemplify:

"creativity, design, interesting material and also that contribute to the blogging community no matter what language."

1. Eden Compton
   
2. Vivien Blackburn
   
3. Harry Bell
   
4. Joan DaGradi
5. David Cornelius
   

Thanks again, Corrine.

Blog Awards, Book Tour

Thanks to my awarders for these recent memes. Jafabrit made my day, and Kim Barker grades me an "E" for excellent.

Also, we will get a chance to interview Alyson Stanfield about her new book, I'd Rather Be In The Studio. That will be April 29th. , so be sure to look here then.

Alyson is a spunky, energetic dynamo in person, and prone to the occasional witticism. She has helping artists "in the gut", and it shows in her efforts at the ArtBizCoach, and at the ArtBizBlog. I have sought her help on a number of occasions. Her class on Get Organized is a suicidal month of labeling, trashing, introspecting and interacting. You will suffer. You will cry. You will be a better business person, and be more focused on your art in the studio with fewer monkeys on your back telling you, "what ya' gonna do with that room full of paperwork spread all over the floor?"

I am still convalescing, and wonder if a large hematoma may cause a second surgery. I'll see my physician this week, and may have better news. I am getting in the studio the past three days for @ 3 hour stints of time. Still in bed much of the day, with some pain and nausea. Anyway, that's my excuse for not linking through my obliged award memes, but I will do so soon.

The art is coming along, with a few successes and much discovery. I am developing a "reductive" method that is a lot of fun, but then again that might be my meds...

Art Medal

Introducing a new meme that I hope will cheer the blogging artist world this late winter of '08. Drum roll, please. I have coined a medal in my virtual foundry which will be awarded judiciously to artists who example artistic merit. The intention is to award one a month, at first, but to eventually reduce the frequency to one a quarter. The commendation is written in the quote below, and the merits are described separately.

The object is to commend artistic merit, pure and simple. This medal will be awarded by myself, by virtue of my authority as a rank & file fine artist with Photoshop and a PC. In addition, recipients of the medal may award other artists the medal, by virtue of their own authority as awardees.

What begins as a simple blog froo-fru may eventually have greater merit if the Order of Awardees justify well their choices, and limit the frequency of awards. There is an unmistakable authority in peerage, and an inherent virtue in selectivity and prudent judgment. The scope of those eligible will be limited to the fine artists (those involved in painting, drawing, pottery, sculpture) if for no other reason than that there are more awards these days for the other arts than there are for the old school disciplines.

One aspect of this meme is that there will be no link back to myself or this blog beyond one awarding. In other words: I (Blogger A) award the medal to blogger B. Blogger B will have to explain what they have received by referring to the awarding authority and will link Blogger A. But, when Blogger B decides (if they do) to award the medal to a Blogger C, there need be no reference back to Blogger A. The reason is that it is not about Blogger A. It is to illuminate the recipient of the award!

The medal needs a name. I have posted a poll so that any who wish may participate in naming this award. If you don't like any of these, write me a comment.

The following great virtues have been displayed by the receiver of the medal:

Artistic consistency
Unity of thought
Artistic courage

The following citation may accompany the award:

The recipient of this medal has displayed the finest of virtues in the role of presenting his (insert "her" when necessary) fine art. He has exampled the values of courage, creativity and expression.

This artist's work has inspired the public, and has brought human culture forward. His art has earned the praise of this authority and is hereby recognized.

Examples of art medals are as follows:

Wikipedia on Artist's Medals
American Art-Union Medal (America's first medal series struck in the US)
Gold Medal, American Academy of Arts and Letters
French Legion of Honor (example)
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Medal of Honor
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA) Medal Award
California Art Club Gold Medal
Pastelsblog Best Pastel of All Time
Others include The American Artist's Professional League Medal of Honor and The Allied Artist's of America Silver Medal of Honor.

Morse Medalled
Mary Cassatt Cited
Knip the Kitty Artist
Degas the Master

Decorated Art Heroes:

Artist Samuel Morse (of code fame)
Mary Cassatt
Henrietta Ronner-Knip
Edgar Degas

Self-Decorated Artists:



Future of the award:

Potential directions for the award may be to convene a board of awardees (Order of) to create nominees for the award. Other changes may occur so that, if this award has legs, it may need to be "brought along". I may develop a list of awardees, but will post it on a separate web page.

If the image of the award seems gauche, a redesign may be offered.

Various benefits and awards may accompany this award if it gains cache, and other evolvement may occur with time.

Now that the stage has been set, please stay tuned for the first awardee, who has already been selected.

Five Things You Don't Know About me

Link
My Grandfather, Max Klahn, is the young boy pictured @ the top right. See a story about him below. Next to him at his left are Henry, my Great Grandfather and Charlotte, my Great Grandmother. Location: Quillayute Prairie, WA. Date: 1895. This God-forsaken place is about the rainiest spot in the US, and less than 5 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. And we love it there.

Here is my response to the tag meme where I'm supposed to name Five Things You Don't Know About Me. I was tagged by Alyson and when I read my tag mates' links I was rather shocked to be in such classy company.

Ahem:
I pre-heat my coffee cup in the morning before I put the coffee in.

I was an Infantry Captain in the Army National Guard.


My German immigrant Grandfather, Max Klahn (1879-1937), periodically walked over a hundred miles down the rugged Washington Coastline to go to work during the Great Depression. There was no road whatsoever, and the beach hiking involved paying Indians to raft you across the rivers that you couldn't ford. He had thirteen children.


My father, maternal grandfather, older brother and I used to go to work in the woods (AKA logging) when I was four years old. I remember mud-holes that would mire us, and nearly swallow the trucks.


On our honeymoon, Lorie and I were bumped upstairs at the grandest hotel in Seattle because I knew someone in management there. It turned out to be the Presidential Suite, their best room. The loose-lipped luggage boy let me know that the last two to stay in the room were: Janet Jackson, and before that the Sultan of Brunei. The Sultan didn't stay, though, because there was no kitchen. Yeah, but there was a bathroom the size of a semi. Oh, I forgot - there were two of those!

I think I've only been tagged a couple of times, so I'm not tired of them like some of you are. Anyway, if you are wanting to opt out, please do so. Otherwise, my victims are:

Kim Coles
Charley Parker
Gabriella Jonsson
Margaret Dyer
Gesa Helms

Der Farbenkünstler

Der Farbenkünstler

That's the German for The Colorist. This is a shameless post to try and net more readers from Germany. Do you ever look at your StatCounter and groove on all of the places that your readers come from?

I notice a number of things about my StatCounter. It doesn't catch all of the lurks out there. I wonder what the percentage of captures to misses is? It reveals that my audience (all of our audiences, probably) is heavily balanced with Americans. No doubt, the English-language is responsible. But, the plain fact is that Americans are "hooked-up" to the Internet in large numbers.

Speaking of English, the UK, is a large percentage of my non-American readers. Also a goodly amount of New Zealanders and Aussies. But, that stuff makes sense, given language. Canada is a little under-represented, but one forgets that Canada has a large land-mass, and a small population (my idea of heaven on Earth).

Now, this is interesting. I have a very good amount of Italian readers, and a fair amount of Spanish. Also Romania, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Poland, France, you get the idea. In fact, Europe is very well hooked-up, as they say. But way under-represented is Germany. I think that's odd, given the size and economy of Germany. Where are you, German readers?

I wonder sometimes if the German ISPs just do a really great job of hiding their referrals. Any ideas out there?

So, I am trolling for German readers here, as an experiment. I can't wait to see what happens. BTW, it has been said that Berlin is a world center for modern art, which is another reason for my curiosity about this.

I might as well list some of my other fun "hits" from the StatCounter. Those who read here that have mega-audiences, like Katherine and William, will be bored silly by this. But my readership is pretty modest. I am pleased when I see the ticks of page loads go over a hundred, and the Unique Visits go over 60 or 70. My averages are 70+ loads and 40+ UVs. I suppose a guy could spend more time on promotion, but that would come out of my content-producing time. To say nothing of my time in the studio!

Other interesting hits:

Brunei ( I have a "brush with fame" relating to the Sultan, but I'll save that for another post)
Anywhere in the Middle East
Russia
The Ukraine
Korea
Japan (not surprising)

My favorite all-time visit came from the Guggenheim Museum in Venice. That was a spit-your-coffee at the the CRT moment. In case anyone wants to know, I am open to the Venice Biennale...anybody? Anybody?
(Sound of an echo chamber here)

Tagged Again!

The meme where bloggers are tagging each other to produce 7 factoids, and then tag 7 others, has come back around to me. I am opting not to play according to the rules, as I don't want to be a "double-dipper" in the well of tag mammon.

Tina Mammoser, London Artist, has tagged me this time. So, because I really like her blog site and her art, I will do a tag-back. Maybe that will become a new rule for this game: "If tagged a second time, the taggee may tag-back the tagger".

I introduce Tina Mammoser, who is an American ex-pat in London. Check out her wonderful web site as well.
She does contemporary abstracts in acrylic, which remind me of landscapes in the broader sense.

We are probably long lost cousins, I think. Her work involves water because she has always lived by the water. I get up-tight when I get too far from a body of water-something to do with growing on at the Pacific coast. She is exploring horizontals, while my own landscapes find interest in vertical elements. Can you tell I really love her work?