Hiatus

I have to take a break. My apologies to everyone that have become loyal and supportive readers. The comments, notes and questions about my work have been a great encouragement in my amateurish artistic endeavors. I'm amazed at how supportive that established artists can be towards someone just starting out.

You may have noticed that my blog postings have become more infrequent of late. It appeared that I went strangely silent after I finished the "Watch the Artist" series featuring the "Pink Trunks" work. I didn't plan to stop painting at that point. As a matter of fact, this summer has been one of my most creative periods. However, I've gone through a slight personal crisis in the last few weeks. An emotional nuclear bomb is a more accurate description of what happened. Fellow artists can attest that such things are often paralyzing to the creative process. I know that some artists can use such emotional pain to birth new ideas and artwork, but I can't. I've come to believe that beautiful men should be admired from afar and never approached. The combination of a flashing smile, kind eyes and promising words are a lethal combination.

I think Shakespeare describes my mood best in what Hamlet said:

"What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so."

-William Shakespeare, Hamlet

The human animal (especially the male) is the most powerful and dangerous thing on the face of creation. A beautiful, strong, intelligent man is an awe-inspiring yet fearsome thing. For that reason alone it makes the human male a worthy and amazing artistic subject. Shakespeare says exactly what I feel, "...in form and moving, how express and admirable!...the beauty of the world!" Yet, such a lovely countenance can camouflage the most dangerous creature ever made. I'll be more cautious from now on. I would certainly be careful and guarded if admiring a tiger, lion, or other beautiful wild thing. I'll remember in the future that the human animal is not so far removed from the wild. Only the human animal is able to match its capacity for affection with an equal measure of cruelty.

So, having said that and gotten it off my chest, I'll move on now. For a while I'll critique and review other artists' work. But, as for myself, I think I'll stick to drawing and painting still lifes, landscapes, other mundane subjects that don't have quite the emotional impact. But, then again, where's the fun in that?