YouTube art instruction
If you are looking for art instruction videos, YouTube is loaded with them. That’s the good news–videos for every taste and interest. The bad news is that the quality is–to put it charitably–spotty. You get what you pay for. Of course, you know this, so why am I taking the time to discuss something so
Grumpy book review: Lapvona
I don’t fit into the intended audience of most contemporary fiction reviewers so I try to avoid them. But a recent YouTube reviewer had one of my favorites, Blood Meridian, on his top fiction list so I stupidly followed one of his recommendations. If I had researched contemporary author Ottessa Moshfegh better, I would have
Do not be an art appreciator
When I hear someone say, “I appreciate art,” I cringe. The speaker means, “I understand that this boring subject is somehow important to you,” or, “I see how much effort you put into this pointless activity.” If you say, “But that’s not me! I really do appreciate art; I visit museums,” I still quarrel with
Turn toward realism?
Realism is becoming popular once again in painting studios. This development is welcome but it’s also sobering. Looking at the growing number of realists demonstrates how much has been lost. Much of it is Impressionism-adjacent which is not a good path. And for many new realists, Sargent has an oversize influence, which is also a
Peace, Brothers
As a Christian, I hope all people of goodwill will join me in praying for peace in Ukraine. The longer the conflict continues, the more chance there is for an accident that triggers an inferno. I urge all parties to move to end the conflict as quickly as possible. As a US citizen who remembers
Woolybear
The annual Woolybear Festival in Vermilion was yesterday. The weather wasn’t perfect but that didn’t stop 100,000 festival-goers from converging on the little town of 10,000. I went armed with my Nikon Z7 camera and managed 875 pictures in 2.5 hours. The annual festival began in 1973 and has occurred every year except for the
Ketman
People who are out of step with the prevailing authority practice ketman to avoid trouble. Ketman is a way to dissemble. At a minimum people practicing ketman must self-censor their speech. When silence isn’t enough, ketman-practitioners find ways to appear to actively support the regime. When ketman-practitioners cannot escape the oppressive regime, they develop ways
World Press Freedom Day
May 3rd is World Press Freedom Day. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been confined for 10 years. It’s time, on this important day, to bring Julian home. #BringJulianHome