{"id":2962,"date":"2014-01-24T15:13:59","date_gmt":"2014-01-24T20:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=2962"},"modified":"2016-04-03T20:49:35","modified_gmt":"2016-04-04T00:49:35","slug":"awakenings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2014\/01\/awakenings\/","title":{"rendered":"Awakenings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you remember your first encounters with great art? I vividly recall my introduction to certain artists–life-changing discoveries that revolutionized my views about art.<\/p>\n

\"Balzac<\/a>
Balzac by Rodin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The composer Berlioz recalled his introduction to Shakespeare this way:
\n“Shakespeare, coming upon me unawares, struck me like a thunderbolt. The lightning flash of that sublime discovery opened before me at a stroke the whole heaven of art, illuminating it to its remotest depths. . . .”<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio Oct. 14 2012<\/span><\/a><\/div>

That’s what I’m talking about.<\/p>\n

Rodin.<\/strong> In my sophomore year of high school, I came upon a book of poor black and white reproductions of Rodin’s sculpture. The austere, lofty, and profound images leaped off the page and jolted me out of my school-boy slumbers. It was my first inkling of what really great art could be. Rodin immediately supplanted van Gogh as my favorite artist, and he still remains in my personal Pantheon.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Stephen Pentak at Bonfoey<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Picasso.<\/strong> The Cincinnati Art Academy used to be physically connected to the Cincinnati Art Museum. One side effect of this<\/p>\n

\"Etching<\/a>
Etching by Picasso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

arrangement was that mere art school freshmen could wander through the museum when it was closed. Early one morning I tiptoed past the dark, deserted rooms of Renaissance furniture to the library where I discovered a book of Picasso etchings. These were the works he did between the wars with classical references. The elegance of the simple-looking line drawings defined art for me then and still does to a large degree. That was also the birth of my love of prints and printmaking.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio—10\/28\/12<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Bob Dylan.<\/strong> One night during the wee hours I was painting in my tiny Manhattan apartment while listening to the radio. In those days, I painted during the night because it was the only free time I had from my taxi job. Desolation Row<\/em> came over the radio. I had never heard it or anything like it. I dropped my brush; I was riveted. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. In my 19 years, I had never experienced the real power of honest, vulnerable poetry. I still listen to Dylan even though he is largely a parody of his earlier self.<\/p>\n

Balzac.<\/strong>  Rodin’s magnificent monument to Balzac was my introduction to the writer. Immediately after reading Pere Goriot<\/em> I launched into the rest of the titanic Human Comedy<\/a><\/em>, and after reading Lost Illusions<\/em>, I was hooked for life. Balzac is the best novelist who ever lived–it’s not even close.<\/p>\n

\"Scene<\/a>
Scene from Fellini’s La Strada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Read more<\/span>Hurricane Sandy<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Fellini.<\/strong> On a lark, I bought a ticket to the Fellini festival at the St. Marks Cinema (NW corner of St. Marks and 2nd Ave. in Manhattan.) Unfamiliar with Fellini, I was inexplicably drawn to the day-long festival. It was unlike me to go to such a festival. Who could sit through movies for that long? I don’t think I moved once during the five hours it took to watch Satyricon<\/em>, Roma<\/em>, and La Strada<\/em>. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Why didn’t anyone tell how good movies could be? I had no idea. Fellini redefined cinema for me during the course of that one afternoon.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you remember your first encounters with great art? I vividly recall my introduction to certain artists–life-changing discoveries that revolutionized my views about art. The composer Berlioz recalled his introduction to Shakespeare this way: “Shakespeare, coming upon me unawares, struck me like a thunderbolt. The lightning flash of that sublime discovery opened before me at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,139,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","category-bio","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/balzac1.jpg?fit=332%2C587&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1925,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2013\/06\/review-virgie-ezelle-patton-at-william-busta-gallery\/","url_meta":{"origin":2962,"position":0},"title":"Review: Virgie Ezelle Patton at William Busta Gallery","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"June 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The works in Virgie Ezelle Patton's show at William Busta span the last two decades. That's a lot of time to cover in a typical exhibition, but not enough time for a retrospective, especially for an artist born in 1928. All works on view were done after the artist reached\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Patton 'Two Women'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/patton1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10782,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2022\/07\/protectors\/","url_meta":{"origin":2962,"position":1},"title":"Protectors","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"July 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Some artists have goals similar to my own. Among these artists are some I find especially sympathetic--my protectors. My protectors are the artists from whom I learn the most. My protector list is different from the artists that influenced me when I was young. My youthful influences include Rodin, Monet,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "aesthetics"","block_context":{"text":"aesthetics","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/aesthetics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dav-2.jpg?fit=679%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dav-2.jpg?fit=679%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dav-2.jpg?fit=679%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8785,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/04\/grounded\/","url_meta":{"origin":2962,"position":2},"title":"Grounded","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"April 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't mind being grounded by the pandemic. After all, I already spend most of my time isolated in my studio working. But I'm not alone; I'm in constant contact with the world--the current one the past one. It's not work either. Working on art nourishes and refreshes me. 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I regularly get this question. Gifted teachers are rare. The first real art instructor I ever had when I was 13 possessed the gift. Her words imprinted themselves on me and unlocked the mysteries of drawing.\u00a0 I experienced something similar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/muchPaint2.jpg?fit=533%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/muchPaint2.jpg?fit=533%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/muchPaint2.jpg?fit=533%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":466,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2012\/12\/thumbs-up-bonnard-thumbs-sidewaysvuillard\/","url_meta":{"origin":2962,"position":4},"title":"Thumbs-up: Bonnard; Thumbs-sideways:Vuillard","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 19, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Vuillard Have you dated someone whose online profile scored highly, only to be\u00a0disappointed\u00a0upon\u00a0meeting her\/him? \u00a0I've never used an online dating service (my wife has strong opinions on this subject), but my relationship with Vuillard feels like a\u00a0disappointing\u00a0blind date. \u00a0At different times I've studied him closely. \u00a0He has a beguiling profile\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vuillard: White Room","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/the-white-room.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/the-white-room.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/the-white-room.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12890,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2024\/02\/youtube-art-instruction\/","url_meta":{"origin":2962,"position":5},"title":"YouTube art instruction","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"February 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art history"","block_context":{"text":"Art history","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/art-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/zzzbrushes.jpg?fit=800%2C839&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/zzzbrushes.jpg?fit=800%2C839&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/zzzbrushes.jpg?fit=800%2C839&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/zzzbrushes.jpg?fit=800%2C839&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-LM","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}