“when it was her time to ascend
she chose to stay on earth” —Barend Paul Barnard
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Every day is a choice. The best we can do is be honest and try to be of help. Be your best self. When I saw “white Tara” by today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Barend Paul Barnard, I immediately thought fierce warrior for good. She looks us in eye –forward, not ferocious. I am inspired.
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Find your inspiration for today in the work of AAAD Artist of the Day, painterBarend Paul Barnard!
“Repetition is based on body rhythms, so we identify
with the heartbeat, or with walking,
or with breathing.”—Karlheinz Stockhausen
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Portraiture draws me in because I crave the human, the humane. But, aesthetically, the geometric and the abstract are the chosen wallpaper of my life. I seek out the repetition of strokes and patterns of lines and symbols. When I came across the work of today’s AAADArtist of the Day,Gyula Sagi, my thoughts went immediately to the human heartbeat and the comfort found in repetition.
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Find a comforting rhythm in the work
ofAAAD Artist of the DayGyula Sagi!
“They knew everything about us though we couldn’t fathom
them at all. We knew finally that the girls were really
woman in disguise.”–Jeffrey Eugenides
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It has been a revolutionary sort of weekend. I am struggling to figure out what to make of the adults in this world. While I am trying not to give up on people who should KNOW better, my heart finds relief in the children that DO better. Today’s AAADArtist of the Day, Richard Brocken, offers a view, often of children, that is reverent and ethereal, sometimes funny or mischievous. Entirely humane.
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Find the humane in the work ofAAAD Artist of the Day,
photographerRichard Brocken!
Reflections no. 4: Politics(mosaic 56 x 15 x 36 cm) byPeter Vial
“Watch from your gut, listen to your soul” —Peter Vial
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We are, in total, comprised of the pieces and parts of our experience –both those celebrated and those survived. The mosaic work of today’s AAAD Artist of the DayPeter Vial speaks to that patchwork in such a visual way. This work is so relatable, even though some of it is incredibly large. I bristle at the ubiquitous Nietzsche what-doesn’t-kill-you quote because it typically comes across as condescension or gaslighting, but Vial’s sculpture is a celebration of life, regardless of circumstance. There IS a difference, and I appreciate that sort of optimistic realism. No unicorns & rainbows. Thanks, Peter.
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Find a map of your own journey in the mosaic work ofAAAD Artist of the Day,Peter Vial!
“Portrait of Artist Rose Eken”(left)& “Portrait of Artist Dustin Yellin”(right)byKelly Jo Shows
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“Shoes speak volumes about who we are. After time
they develop a character all their own.”—KJ Shows
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Community is what you make it. Creative endeavors are often solitary, singular. I have, over the years, developed a love for creating my own artistic community online, worldwide. When I learned of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Kelly Jo Shows, I instantly knew we were of similar ilk. I appreciate how he reaches out to those whose work he knows and loves, but whose person he does not necessarily know at all. Bridging gaps of time and space… with shoes.
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Journey into studios abroad with the work
ofAAAD Artist of the Day,Kelly Jo Shows!
“Gun Won”(acrylic on canvas, 36″x36″) byAnnie Hermes
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“Most homicides in the United States are committed
with firearms, especially handguns.“–fromNIJ.gov
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I live in the South where gun ownership is common. Hunting & recreational shooting are part of the culture where I live. Gun control is a heated debate. Do I believe there are responsible gun owners? Sure. Do I think I have the capacity to be a responsible gun owner? Sure. Would I give up my right to bear arms? Today–this minute. The epidemic of gun violence has to end. Maybe there is an answer to that epidemic that still allows for gun ownership. But, today, as of this minute, no one has found it. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Annie Hermes, puts the question of gun violence in your face, on an enormous scale, in surreal color. Do we have your attention?
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You can’t avoid the questions posed by
the work ofAAAD Artist of the Day,Annie Hermes!
“Current of the Soul”(acrylic, marker & water pigment) byPeter Bragino
“It’s a gift of the intuition that helped me know from a very early age what I would do in life. It’s the first time I fully recognized my soul. That’s why the inner connection to self is so important to me and why my work focuses on celebrating and shining a light on that relationship. I believe everyone has the ability and the right to connect in that way with their own inner knowing. I believe that all personal wisdom and true direction comes from that connection.”—Peter Bragino
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Wading through this year’s schedule of exciting trips and new adventures has also left me mourning a loss of creative time. But I make the schedule. Do I over-schedule so I have a way to excuse lower production. Is it self sabotage? Is it a lack of inner connection to my creative self? The work of today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Peter Bragino, reminds me that the ability to connect lies in all of us, but the will must be our own.
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Connect to your own creativity through the work of AAAD Artist of the DayPeter Bradigo!
“If you approach things with a sense of humor, people immediately
assume you’re not to be taken seriously. But I think truths about
society & human existence can be approached in different ways.
You don’t always have to be deadly serious. Sarcasm & humor
can help you see things in a lighter vein.” —Erwin Wurm
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During this month, during this season, we all need to figure out how to arm ourselves with humor in defense of the heaviness of being. Today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, Erwin Wurm, has such a light touch. The humor, irony even, helps feel pro-active without dismissing the problem. Thanks, Erwin.
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Arm yourself with the work ofAAAD Artist of the Day,Erwin Wurm!
“Assise dans l’instant, armée de vieux papiers, précieux
tissus porteurs d’histoires, portraits intimes que je
transforme, mêlant familles et inconnus, j’assemble,
je couds, je peins, je gratte…”—Cecile Perra
“Seated in the moment, armed with old papers, precious fabrics carrying stories, intimate portraits that I transform, mixing families and unknown, I assemble, I sew, I paint, I scratch…” –Cecile Perra (Please forgive the translation.)
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For many, December consists of meeting after meeting with collages of people. Images and memories laid over philosophy and politics and ultimately framed as a family member. Pieces and parts, both good & bad. Part fiction, part reality; the difference is hard to distinguish. The work of Cecile Perra, today’s AAAD Artist of the Day, mirrors that patchwork progenitor that each of ponders across the table.
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Ponder patchwork familial characters with today’sAAAD Artist of the DayCecile Perra!
“I am interested in re-materializing the sort of objects that history leaves out, utilitarian objects
too common to be recorded or preserved. Historic objects and structures that signify or embody
the evidence of marginalized people who once occupied them. In this way I engage with concerns
of class, gender and domesticity, through analyzing both forms and their position in society.”
—Carrie Mae Smith
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So, I opted out of holiday celebrations this year. I am not feeling particularly Grinch-y; however, it has been a sobering year, and I didn’t feel compelled to fake it. As a result, I am wading through the unnecessary “cheer ups” & the non-stop recipes for snowflake-shaped confections. I think that it is that very sense of introspection about domesticity and gender that drew me to Carrie Mae Smith, today’s AAAD Artist of the Day.
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Discover the value of the discarded & dismissed through
the work ofAAAD Artist of the DayCarrie Mae Smith!
