Why Art?

“Autumn Calm” – Sherry Dellaria McGrath

“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” George Bernard Shaw

I lost my best friend to breast cancer in 2000. The first and only time she yelled at me was when I was at her home, looking at the watercolors she had painted lately. I looked at them, sighed, and said, “I WISH I could paint like this!” She looked at me, anger sparking from her eyes, and snapped, “Then what the HELL are you waiting for? You’re not dying. You have your whole life ahead of you! What does it matter whether your work never makes it off the front of your refrigerator? JUST DO IT!”

In 2000 I started my website, Creative Artworks! At first it had only my own work, and then I discovered I could add other people’s work to the site and the only extra “cost” was my time. Since then, I’ve met gloriously talented people – some of them becoming close friends, even though I’ve never met them face-t0-face. How rich my life is now!

 

 

“Without freedom, no art; only on the restraints it imposes on itself, and dies of all others.” Albert Camus

 

“Parrots” Batik Painting

I’m fascinated by art. Some of it only impresses me by the subject or the obvious talent of the artist. But SOME art GRABS me. I’m grabbed emotionally by the subject, the colors, or the texture.

 “Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” George Bernard Shaw

“When I was the age of these children I could draw like Raphael: it took me many years to learn how to draw like these children.” Pablo Picasso

 

“Poppies” Two Painting Set

My husband and I were in a furniture store, looking for what my husband calls ‘froo-froos.” I saw many nice things, but nothing I HAD to have. When I turned the corner in the store, my blood rushed all over my body. I had a fierce feeling of elation! Before me was the two painting set you see above. I stood motionless, simply lost in the paintings. Needless to say, we bought them and had JUST enough room (with only a couple of inches to spare) to hang these over the sofa. Every time I pass them, my heart smiles.

“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.” Robert Schumann 

 

“Waterfall 2” – Meera Bakshi

“The job of the artist is to deepen the mystery.” Francis Bacon

My goal is to fill my home with art. Unless I win the lottery, I must pick and choose with care – choosing only those things that give me  joy every time I see them. It’s a quality of life issue. Since I cannot buy all the art I would like, I also try to create art – even if it’s mainly in ‘crafts’ form, rather than ‘fine art.’ Happily, I derive a lot of joy from hand painting stationery and note cards, etching or painting a glass vase, creating a piece of stained glass or metal yard art with my husband.

I hope you, too, find a way to surround yourself with sights and sounds that transport you from the worries of the every day into the beauty of the ‘could be.’  :0)