20 Feb

Posted at 15:26h in Blog

“In art it is hard to say anything as good as saying nothing.” ― Ludwig Wittgenstein People who speak harshly of painters, but don't themselves paint, irk me. Even when they speak harshly of mediocre painters. Compared to these critics, painters—even masterful ones—are always more congenial. That's true in all...

14 Feb

Posted at 14:10h in Blog

Painting a "picture" is meaningless. One paints beauty. — David Leffel In perhaps my favorite semester of college, I took a philosophy course on beauty. Philosophers call the study of beauty "aesthetics" and for 2,500 years have  argued over aesthetics questions like "does a painting actually exist?" and...

10 Feb

Posted at 12:08h in Blog

Whatever the objects of his attention, the painter will not make them say what they are without thereby learning what he is. — Jean-Paul Sartre Just when I think I've about had it with party strife, microbes, blizzards, intolerance and inequality, painting comes along to pick me up. Still-life...

09 Feb

Posted at 12:49h in Blog

Whoever is in a hurry shows that the thing he is about is too big for him. — Lord Chesterfield Originally, "slow food" founder Carlo Petrini didn't mean to start a global movement 3o years ago. He merely wanted Europeans to preserve local cuisines. But Petrini's "Slow Food...

05 Feb

Posted at 13:07h in Blog

Tomorrow is Saint Valentine’s day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine. — Shakespeare According to medieval folklore, women should rise early on February 14th—the day the birds mate—because a gentleman always weds the first lady he runs into. Valentine's Day was...