The Magic Show: What do You Think?

Have you ever been to an art exhibit and found yourself intrigued by a certain painting? So much so that you needed to look at it awhile to allow the mind to interpret what the eyes were seeing? It's that sense that something is "off."

Intriguing the viewer's mind has been the goal of many talented artists. They are like magicians who use sleight of hand to capture the attention of the audience. I thought it would be fun to demonstrate a subtle form of this sleight of hand in a few well-known paintings. (click on image to enlarge)

Degas' painting: "The Bar at the Folies Bergère"


Look carefully. Is that the same girl in a mirror or a different girl?

Manet's painting: "The Waitress"


Where is the person in the top hat sitting?

Degas' painting: "Ballet Rehearsal"


Are we seeing another room in the background or is that a mirror reflecting the rest of the room?

Intriguing, yes?

A Story of Hope, Courage and Gratitude

My first thoughts for the blog was an iconic Thanksgiving art image. Then I received an email that changed my mind. It shifted my thoughts to reflecting on generosity of spirit and gratitude.

Often we remember the worst of the news. Stories of greed, malice, deception and all manner of cruelty that frightens us and keeps us from trusting and hoping. Then, along comes a story of such bravery, courage and gratitude that we are uplifted.

The email was about a 50-ton female humpback whale who became unmercifully entwined in long, heavy crab pot lines in San Francisco bay. She could barely keep her blowhole above the water line. A fishing boat captain saw her plight and called for a rescue team.

The rescuers could tell that the ropes were cutting in so deeply there was blubber in the water. The divers held out little hope for her survival. However, that little spark of hope was just enough for them to risk getting in the water with her.

They knew full well the damage she could do to the divers if she became frightened by their actions. The divers needed time to cut through heavy ropes entangling her dorsal and tail fins and to remove the ropes from her mouth and baleen. (Being near her mouth involved working right in front of her fist-sized eye.) She watched and stayed calm. She knew. She understood.

I can't say how she knew given the history of hunting the humpbacks to near extinction, but she did. Perhaps it was the way the divers approached her. They entered her realm with kindness and compassion - wishing only to help. Maybe she sensed their meaning.

When free, she circled and approached each diver gently nudging them. Yes, she knew.

What if we approached life with kindness and compassion towards all beings? And what if we remembered to show sincere gratitude for who and/or what we've been given?

May every day be a day of Thanksgiving!

(By request,this is a reprint of 2010 Thanksgiving)

The Store is Open... Yeah!

So many people are fans of my "Progressions" series but can't justify buying art in these days of economic insecurity. They are looking at the holidays and those hard-to-shop-for people with no idea as to what to get them. I think I've hit upon something.

What if you could buy practical gifts based on unique art that ranged in price from $10.95 to $32.95? If it sounds like a plan to you, consider these gift ideas:

A tempered glass tray that can be used as a cutting board, a serving tray, a trivet and looks so colorfully decorative in the kitchen.

I've chosen one out of each of the "Progressions" series - Food, Drink & Dessert

How about a hefty 15-0z ceramic mug for hot coffee or hot cocoa with a wraparound design based on "Progressions" from coffee beans to latte? (or cocoa beans to hot chocolate with whipped cream? Yum!)



Then there are ceramic tiles which can serve as coasters or purchased with a lovely wrought iron trivet - which doubles as a wall decoration when not in use.



There are packets of note cards, recipe and book markers - great stocking stuffers! There's even a close-out on cards and a special holiday offering of 10% from each online sale donated to the food bank!

Where is it? It's on my new online store. You can find most of these artful holiday items on the "Boutique" pages. You can go directly at:http://www.r-atencio-annex.com/Gallery/Boutique/boutique.html

The Sphinx of Delft - Part Two

As I mentioned in last week's blog, very little is known about Vermeer (1632-1675). It's as if he arrived a fully-developed master painter into the Delft Guild of Saint Luke. To this day, the identity of his master(s), the nature of his training, and the period of his apprenticeship remain a mystery.

Naturally, this leaves room for speculation. The one thing certain is that styles of art, composition and subjects are a cultural matter and culture evolves slowly.

Artists generally start by copying popular styles and slowly developing their own individual expression. Based on that notion, it is possible to speculate that Vermeer was influenced by several contemporary painters.

Carel Fabritius (1622-1654), who apprenticed with Rembrandt, could have been an influence. His portraits were very similar to Rembrandt and he used perspective in innovative ways which seems to have influenced Vermeer.(left: Fabritius; right: Vermeer)



Another influence often speculated was Gerard Ter Borch (1617-1681), who painted "genre" or scenes of daily life. (Left: Ter Borch; right: Vermeer)



Then there was Pieter de Hooch, who lived in the same town as Vermeer and shared Vermeer's style and subject matter. His paintings, like Vermeer’s, are usually small and display the same great power of composition.



So, there you have it, dear reader. When you compare their styles and subjects, do you agree that Fabritius, ter Broch or de Hooch could have influenced Vermeer?

The Sphinx of Delft

The artist, Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), left no evidence of his biography except for a few legal documents. No confirmed images. No information about his art training. No evidence of having served an apprenticeship. Yet, he is in full bloom as a master painter in 1653 when he joined the Guild of Saint Luke - meaning he had completed an apprenticeship with someone, somewhere.

In fact, on three occasions, he served as head of the guild. So, why is there so little mention of him in the notes of other artists in the guild?

Vermeer needed money to support his wife and 11 surviving children, but it appears that he only produced 3 paintings a year and never took on apprentices. How did he manage?

All the questions led Théophile Thoré-Bürger, the 19th century art critic, to refer to Vermeer as the "Sphinx of Delft."

All the gaps in his background and his artworks have provided authors with a wonderful opportunity to make stuff up. There are many books of fiction about his subjects, his works and his life. If we can't know who was his master, at least we can know something about who influenced him - and that will be the subject of next week's blog.