Bill's PurpleCrayon Blog
Bill's PurpleCrayon Blog features riffs galore about advertising, marketing, the Arts and just about anything else that happens to be on my mind at the moment.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
TWISTING AND SHOUTING
Who can forget the scene in the classic 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off where Ferris (Matthew Broderick) stands on a parade float in downtown Chicago and lip syncs "Twist and Shout"?
The whole city, as one choreographed body, dances with him.
It's a show-stopper.
Music will do that.
Very few things in life have music's ability to stop time, build memories, lift spirits, and define entire generations.
The genre of music that scores my life is progressive rock.
Progressive rock is a style of music pioneered in the late 1960s that's usually characterized by complex time signatures, technical virtuosity, epic-length, mostly instrumental songs, and often lyrical obtuseness. Oh, and let's not forget "concepts." If you ever run across a rock album with a "concept" (spanning either the entire album or a major part of it), chances are you're looking at music created by a prog rock band. Not always. But usually.
Examples?
* Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
* 2112 by Rush
* The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis
* Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes
* Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater
* The Odyssey by Symphony X
* Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
* Tarkus by Emerson Lake & Palmer
* A Pleasant Shade of Gray by Fates Warning
* Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche
Whenever I want my thoughts to rise above the norm, I slip on my headphones and listen to a progressive rock classic. CDs such as the ones I mentioned (as well as others by these bands) are so engrossing that I can listen to them over and over and over again -- and always hear something new in them. And, because prog rock is often steeped in long instrumental passages, it makes the perfect companion for writing, daydreaming, or thinking.
Others choose music by Enya, Yanni, or George Winston when they want their thoughts or feelings transported elsewhere. Not me. Give me the energy and passion of progressive rock any day.
No matter what music you prefer, be sure to enjoy some of it daily.
Or, as Ferris puts it: "Yup. I said it before, and I'll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
Who can forget the scene in the classic 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off where Ferris (Matthew Broderick) stands on a parade float in downtown Chicago and lip syncs "Twist and Shout"?
The whole city, as one choreographed body, dances with him.
It's a show-stopper.
Music will do that.
Very few things in life have music's ability to stop time, build memories, lift spirits, and define entire generations.
The genre of music that scores my life is progressive rock.
Progressive rock is a style of music pioneered in the late 1960s that's usually characterized by complex time signatures, technical virtuosity, epic-length, mostly instrumental songs, and often lyrical obtuseness. Oh, and let's not forget "concepts." If you ever run across a rock album with a "concept" (spanning either the entire album or a major part of it), chances are you're looking at music created by a prog rock band. Not always. But usually.
Examples?
* Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
* 2112 by Rush
* The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis
* Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes
* Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater
* The Odyssey by Symphony X
* Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
* Tarkus by Emerson Lake & Palmer
* A Pleasant Shade of Gray by Fates Warning
* Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche
Whenever I want my thoughts to rise above the norm, I slip on my headphones and listen to a progressive rock classic. CDs such as the ones I mentioned (as well as others by these bands) are so engrossing that I can listen to them over and over and over again -- and always hear something new in them. And, because prog rock is often steeped in long instrumental passages, it makes the perfect companion for writing, daydreaming, or thinking.
Others choose music by Enya, Yanni, or George Winston when they want their thoughts or feelings transported elsewhere. Not me. Give me the energy and passion of progressive rock any day.
No matter what music you prefer, be sure to enjoy some of it daily.
Or, as Ferris puts it: "Yup. I said it before, and I'll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
UNHAPPINESS BECOMES US
Last week's poll on Monster.com was fascinating. And unbelievably sad.
The question asked was "Are you happy with your work/life balance?"
I could have guessed what the answer would be. But even I was taken aback by the lopsided percentages.
The final results were 80% to 19% -- with "No" being the overwhelming majority.
Let that sink in a minute.
A staggering 80% of the people who answered the survey (28,932 out of 36,050) admitted their lives aren't satisfying.
This week's poll is equally revealing. The question is "Are you satisfied with your job?"
As of this afternoon, 86% of the people who responded (13,750 out of 15,855) answered "No."
Granted, people who go to the Monster site are seeking jobs for one reason or another. So the survey may be a bit biased.
Yet, I'm willing to bet those statistics are fairly accurate for what I see going on around me every day.
People just aren't happy.
These Monster polls have come at an interesting time in my life. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.
Life is short. We only get one. Yet people usually squander it, working jobs they don't enjoy, often for people who don't really care if they're there or not. Why is that?
Possibly because some people think that's what they're supposed to do.
Maybe because companies these days have become colder, harsher, and more ruthless, demanding more from their employees for less money because they know they can get away with it. People know they can be replaced in a second by someone with more stamina -- or no family to spend time with. So they keep doing it. And hating it.
Or maybe it's because people pursue the carrot rather than their passions. They're on a treadmill trying to "get ahead" -- amassing money and possessions for the day when they can retire to enjoy them. It's a race against time.
And some don't make it. They die before they retire. Or go through a divorce. Or lose the love and respect of their families. Or become so jaded and cynical they're no longer able to enjoy anything at all.
No matter what the reason, it's a tragedy.
There's an old saying that no one ever looks back from his death bed and says, "Gee, I wish had spent more time at the office." Yet, that's precisely what people do -- spend too much time at the office.
There's also one of those motivational quotes printed on everything from notecards to refrigerator magnets that says, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Cath the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. DISCOVER."
I like that.
And it reminds me why I do what I do, and why PurpleCrayon Direct exists in the first place: Artists are different.
They paint. Write. Sculpt. Act. Make films. Play instruments. Dance. Sure, they work hard. And there's an occasional deadline that looms. And the ever-present, self-imposed pressure to create. And endless art fairs. And late night concerts.
But, by and large, Artists live their passions. They live the life most of those in the 80% "I'm Not Satisfied" bracket wish they could live. Artists see the world in a different light, looking at smaller parts of it -- sometimes spending time just pondering it.
They create. They produce a thing that if not altogether pragmatically useful (as society defines usefulness), is nevertheless delightfully uplifting. And life enriching.
That reminds me of a quote from a Sherlock Holmes tale. (I'm a big Holmes nut.)
In the story The Naval Treaty, the master detective (speaking, of course, to Watson), says this:
"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion," said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. "It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."
Art, to me, is the rose of which Holmes speaks. It is an extra, an embellishment, a thing by which we measure the very best humanity has to offer.
That's why I like working with Artists. I love the creative process. And I never cease to be amazed by the things Artists produce -- from books and screenplays to paintings, photographs and sculptures.
These latest two Monster polls are shocking. Yet not wholly surprising. (Why do you suppose so-called "self-help" books are bestsellers and store shelves stagger under their weight?)
But the situation isn't hopeless.
I say we should take a cue from Artists. Be passionate. Create. March to the beat of a different drummer. Be in the moment. Enjoy life here and now. (Sounds rather Zen-like to me.)
Maybe if more of us tried to make a living doing what we love and are most passionate about, poll results wouldn't be so depressing.
At the very least, more people would be their own bosses and not live at the mercy of the suits in Corporate America.
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
Last week's poll on Monster.com was fascinating. And unbelievably sad.
The question asked was "Are you happy with your work/life balance?"
I could have guessed what the answer would be. But even I was taken aback by the lopsided percentages.
The final results were 80% to 19% -- with "No" being the overwhelming majority.
Let that sink in a minute.
A staggering 80% of the people who answered the survey (28,932 out of 36,050) admitted their lives aren't satisfying.
This week's poll is equally revealing. The question is "Are you satisfied with your job?"
As of this afternoon, 86% of the people who responded (13,750 out of 15,855) answered "No."
Granted, people who go to the Monster site are seeking jobs for one reason or another. So the survey may be a bit biased.
Yet, I'm willing to bet those statistics are fairly accurate for what I see going on around me every day.
People just aren't happy.
These Monster polls have come at an interesting time in my life. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.
Life is short. We only get one. Yet people usually squander it, working jobs they don't enjoy, often for people who don't really care if they're there or not. Why is that?
Possibly because some people think that's what they're supposed to do.
Maybe because companies these days have become colder, harsher, and more ruthless, demanding more from their employees for less money because they know they can get away with it. People know they can be replaced in a second by someone with more stamina -- or no family to spend time with. So they keep doing it. And hating it.
Or maybe it's because people pursue the carrot rather than their passions. They're on a treadmill trying to "get ahead" -- amassing money and possessions for the day when they can retire to enjoy them. It's a race against time.
And some don't make it. They die before they retire. Or go through a divorce. Or lose the love and respect of their families. Or become so jaded and cynical they're no longer able to enjoy anything at all.
No matter what the reason, it's a tragedy.
There's an old saying that no one ever looks back from his death bed and says, "Gee, I wish had spent more time at the office." Yet, that's precisely what people do -- spend too much time at the office.
There's also one of those motivational quotes printed on everything from notecards to refrigerator magnets that says, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Cath the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. DISCOVER."
I like that.
And it reminds me why I do what I do, and why PurpleCrayon Direct exists in the first place: Artists are different.
They paint. Write. Sculpt. Act. Make films. Play instruments. Dance. Sure, they work hard. And there's an occasional deadline that looms. And the ever-present, self-imposed pressure to create. And endless art fairs. And late night concerts.
But, by and large, Artists live their passions. They live the life most of those in the 80% "I'm Not Satisfied" bracket wish they could live. Artists see the world in a different light, looking at smaller parts of it -- sometimes spending time just pondering it.
They create. They produce a thing that if not altogether pragmatically useful (as society defines usefulness), is nevertheless delightfully uplifting. And life enriching.
That reminds me of a quote from a Sherlock Holmes tale. (I'm a big Holmes nut.)
In the story The Naval Treaty, the master detective (speaking, of course, to Watson), says this:
"There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion," said he, leaning with his back against the shutters. "It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers."
Art, to me, is the rose of which Holmes speaks. It is an extra, an embellishment, a thing by which we measure the very best humanity has to offer.
That's why I like working with Artists. I love the creative process. And I never cease to be amazed by the things Artists produce -- from books and screenplays to paintings, photographs and sculptures.
These latest two Monster polls are shocking. Yet not wholly surprising. (Why do you suppose so-called "self-help" books are bestsellers and store shelves stagger under their weight?)
But the situation isn't hopeless.
I say we should take a cue from Artists. Be passionate. Create. March to the beat of a different drummer. Be in the moment. Enjoy life here and now. (Sounds rather Zen-like to me.)
Maybe if more of us tried to make a living doing what we love and are most passionate about, poll results wouldn't be so depressing.
At the very least, more people would be their own bosses and not live at the mercy of the suits in Corporate America.
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
WHAT'S YOUR USP?
In advertising and marketing lingo, USP is an acronym that stands for Unique Selling Proposition.
No business should ever open its doors without a substantive, realistic USP.
What USP boils down to is simply this: What is it about your products and services that would make someone do business with you as opposed to doing business with another company? What makes your company unique? Special? Different? Desirable?
Is it price? Product? Service? Customer support? A fun personality?
Marketing guru and Fast Company contributing editor Seth Godin calls this uniqueness being a "purple cow." His book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable is a must-read. You can find it in any book store, or from Amazon.com, or you can win a FREE copy by entering our drawing.
Seth says that to succeed in today's highly-competitive world, you need to be remarkable. You must be different, unique, noteworthy. I believe him. The guy's a marketing genius.
Want a few examples of being remarkable? Here you go:
The Republic of Tea
Apple
Amazon.com
Levenger
Krispy Kreme
Starbucks
Each of those companies has a unique personality -- and a product or service second to none. They've reached rarified heights of success by being remarkable -- bold, quality-driven, passionate, and focused.
If a company can't come up with a true USP -- one that its owners can shout from the rooftops -- then it's sunk...and, more than likely, soon to be out of business.
Here's another example. Beth just returned from grocery shopping and showed me a jar of Bertolli pasta sauce.
Underneath the words Mediterranean Olive with Sundried Tomatoes is the line "Vine to Jar in One Day."
Whoa. Vine to jar in one day?
Brilliant! Now that's a USP! I love it!
USP isn't just for companies. It works for Artists, too.
What can you do that no one else can?
What do you specialize in? A certain brush stroke? Guitar tone? Vocal range? Dance step? Poetry topic? Oils? Watercolors? Digital imagery? Landscapes? Surrealism?
How about detective fiction? Fantasy or sci-fi?
Are you the great undiscovered actor? Author? Screenwriter?
Again, what do you do that no one else does?
When you consider your Art form, what comes to mind? What do people tell you about your work? What do they feel about it? What do you feel about it?
Once you pin down your USP, take that information -- often distilled into a sentence or two -- and build your marketing and promotional materials around it. Shout your uniqueness from the rooftops!
Uniqueness will help you stand out -- and be sought out.
Sameness is a slow-boat to the land of historical obscurity. It may work in the short run (just look at all the music groups today that sound exactly alike!), but it's a bad idea if you have true talent. You may sell a few more pieces of your Art, but you'll hate yourself in the morning.
So...what's your USP?
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
In advertising and marketing lingo, USP is an acronym that stands for Unique Selling Proposition.
No business should ever open its doors without a substantive, realistic USP.
What USP boils down to is simply this: What is it about your products and services that would make someone do business with you as opposed to doing business with another company? What makes your company unique? Special? Different? Desirable?
Is it price? Product? Service? Customer support? A fun personality?
Marketing guru and Fast Company contributing editor Seth Godin calls this uniqueness being a "purple cow." His book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable is a must-read. You can find it in any book store, or from Amazon.com, or you can win a FREE copy by entering our drawing.
Seth says that to succeed in today's highly-competitive world, you need to be remarkable. You must be different, unique, noteworthy. I believe him. The guy's a marketing genius.
Want a few examples of being remarkable? Here you go:
The Republic of Tea
Apple
Amazon.com
Levenger
Krispy Kreme
Starbucks
Each of those companies has a unique personality -- and a product or service second to none. They've reached rarified heights of success by being remarkable -- bold, quality-driven, passionate, and focused.
If a company can't come up with a true USP -- one that its owners can shout from the rooftops -- then it's sunk...and, more than likely, soon to be out of business.
Here's another example. Beth just returned from grocery shopping and showed me a jar of Bertolli pasta sauce.
Underneath the words Mediterranean Olive with Sundried Tomatoes is the line "Vine to Jar in One Day."
Whoa. Vine to jar in one day?
Brilliant! Now that's a USP! I love it!
USP isn't just for companies. It works for Artists, too.
What can you do that no one else can?
What do you specialize in? A certain brush stroke? Guitar tone? Vocal range? Dance step? Poetry topic? Oils? Watercolors? Digital imagery? Landscapes? Surrealism?
How about detective fiction? Fantasy or sci-fi?
Are you the great undiscovered actor? Author? Screenwriter?
Again, what do you do that no one else does?
When you consider your Art form, what comes to mind? What do people tell you about your work? What do they feel about it? What do you feel about it?
Once you pin down your USP, take that information -- often distilled into a sentence or two -- and build your marketing and promotional materials around it. Shout your uniqueness from the rooftops!
Uniqueness will help you stand out -- and be sought out.
Sameness is a slow-boat to the land of historical obscurity. It may work in the short run (just look at all the music groups today that sound exactly alike!), but it's a bad idea if you have true talent. You may sell a few more pieces of your Art, but you'll hate yourself in the morning.
So...what's your USP?
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
Monday, June 23, 2003
"HERE'S MY SITUATION..."
We've talked to countless Artists in the past month -- from musicians, painters and singers to actors and writers. Nearly all of them have the same story to tell: they're incredibly talented, yet woefully busy. Not to mention exhausted.
Painters brace themselves to do seemingly never-ending Art shows, which are essential. Yet, shows take precious time away from actual painting. Musicians become consumed with gigs, ones that often last well into the early morning hours. Again, essential. But time consuming. Writers typically ply their craft after working a full-time job. The same goes for actors.
Even though how they conduct their day-to-day professional lives differs, all Artists have a strong desire to take their careers to the next level. Or even expand their careers into new areas.
Invariably, they begin conversations with, "Here's my situation..." and they end with, "So, what can you do to help me?"
Fortunately, there's a lot we can do.
We can...
* Create brochures, press kits, ads, business cards and flyers
* Establish, update and help maintain a critically important web site
* Take professional quality promotional and sales photographs
* Produce strategically sound direct mail that reaches the people you need to reach
* Build a database of customers, clients, or prospects to boost awareness and sales
* Help draft business plans
* Work with printers and other vendors
What does that mean for you, the Artist?
Essentially, it means we can partner with you to help you manage the advertising and marketing side of your life, allowing you to focus on what you're already exceptionally good at: your Art.
It means we can upgrade or establish a professional look and feel for you and your work, helping you get into desirable galleries (if you're a painter), venues (if you're a musician), or shows (if you're a writer or actor).
It means we can maintain a constant PR vigilance and presence, create a customer newsletter to keep you in touch with those who already highly value your work, provide you with a web site to add instant credibility -- and possibly even a source of income if your work can be sold online.
There's a great deal we can do to help you reach your professional goals and dreams, probably much more than I just mentioned.
After saying all these things, in reply to questions from Artists, the next thing we usually hear is, "This sounds great! You're coming at just the right time."
To which we cheerfully reply, "Yes, we are."
To learn more about what PurpleCrayon Direct can do for you, please visit our web site, particularly our Questions page.
We're looking forward to hearing from you!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
We've talked to countless Artists in the past month -- from musicians, painters and singers to actors and writers. Nearly all of them have the same story to tell: they're incredibly talented, yet woefully busy. Not to mention exhausted.
Painters brace themselves to do seemingly never-ending Art shows, which are essential. Yet, shows take precious time away from actual painting. Musicians become consumed with gigs, ones that often last well into the early morning hours. Again, essential. But time consuming. Writers typically ply their craft after working a full-time job. The same goes for actors.
Even though how they conduct their day-to-day professional lives differs, all Artists have a strong desire to take their careers to the next level. Or even expand their careers into new areas.
Invariably, they begin conversations with, "Here's my situation..." and they end with, "So, what can you do to help me?"
Fortunately, there's a lot we can do.
We can...
* Create brochures, press kits, ads, business cards and flyers
* Establish, update and help maintain a critically important web site
* Take professional quality promotional and sales photographs
* Produce strategically sound direct mail that reaches the people you need to reach
* Build a database of customers, clients, or prospects to boost awareness and sales
* Help draft business plans
* Work with printers and other vendors
What does that mean for you, the Artist?
Essentially, it means we can partner with you to help you manage the advertising and marketing side of your life, allowing you to focus on what you're already exceptionally good at: your Art.
It means we can upgrade or establish a professional look and feel for you and your work, helping you get into desirable galleries (if you're a painter), venues (if you're a musician), or shows (if you're a writer or actor).
It means we can maintain a constant PR vigilance and presence, create a customer newsletter to keep you in touch with those who already highly value your work, provide you with a web site to add instant credibility -- and possibly even a source of income if your work can be sold online.
There's a great deal we can do to help you reach your professional goals and dreams, probably much more than I just mentioned.
After saying all these things, in reply to questions from Artists, the next thing we usually hear is, "This sounds great! You're coming at just the right time."
To which we cheerfully reply, "Yes, we are."
To learn more about what PurpleCrayon Direct can do for you, please visit our web site, particularly our Questions page.
We're looking forward to hearing from you!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
FASTER THAN THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS
In an interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show, author Stephen King admitted he's a big fan of the Harry Potter series. King also said it was encouraging (and surprising) to see that sales figures for the latest Potter book surpassed box office revenues for The Hulk, which opened over the weekend.
A link on the MSN.com home page this afternoon reported that the release of the latest Potter book was one of the biggest literary and sales events of the year. The U.S. publisher estimated five million copies were sold in day one.
"Some retailers had worried that even an enormous first printing, 8.5 million just in the United States, wouldn't last long enough to keep up with demand," according to the MSN story.
You go, Harry!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
In an interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show, author Stephen King admitted he's a big fan of the Harry Potter series. King also said it was encouraging (and surprising) to see that sales figures for the latest Potter book surpassed box office revenues for The Hulk, which opened over the weekend.
A link on the MSN.com home page this afternoon reported that the release of the latest Potter book was one of the biggest literary and sales events of the year. The U.S. publisher estimated five million copies were sold in day one.
"Some retailers had worried that even an enormous first printing, 8.5 million just in the United States, wouldn't last long enough to keep up with demand," according to the MSN story.
You go, Harry!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
THE ART OF EMOTION
This was a busy weekend for Art shows!
Saturday, we attended the Reed's Lake Art Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan (also known as the Clothes Line Art Fair).
Sunday, we drove to the Leeper Park Art Fair in South Bend, Indiana.
At both shows, we met fascinating people and saw incredible works of Art. There are an amazing number of highly talented people in the world who have much to say through their work.
For example, in Grand Rapids I spent about 45 minutes talking to painter Bruce Wilson, of Fairfield, Iowa. Bruce's abstract paintings and brilliant written descriptions touched something in me. If you haven't yet seen Bruce's work, please do. He's superb.
We also spent time with Kimiko Petersen, a delightful lady who lives in Richland, Michigan. Kimiko's "Moon Over Richland" painting (a large abstract that I oohed and ahhed in front of for 10 minutes) is one I'd love to own. Kimiko has a great sense of a humor and a breadth of talent with abstracts as well as more traditional still life watercolor scenes.
I also enjoyed the incredibly imaginative and whimsical (in an almost surrealistic director Terry Gilliam sort of way) Art of Bruce Holwerda. And let's not forget Grand Rapids Artist Jeff Condon. Very nice work.
Another Artist of note at the Reed's Lake show was Hazel H. Palmer of Cedar Springs, Michigan. Her watercolors caught our attention immediately. Beth fell in love with a cute painting of umbrella-capped kids in a rain shower, while I gravitated to an abstract of a murky mountain scene, in which a small group of people stood together next to a nearby path. "Who are these people?" Hazel said in reply to my question about the painting's origin. "Why are they there? It's all a mystery."
Indeed. And a mystery I'd love to ponder at length.
The Leeper Park show contained a staggering depth and breadth of Art on display.
Although we wandered the 100+ booths for 2-3 hours, we spent the most time at the booths of watercolorists Win Jones and his wonderful wife Judy Barnewolt Jones. Win is a gem, a truly engaging, humorous (if sometimes Eeyore-ish) artist whose work I own and proudly hang in my home.
Judy's work is no less compelling, and I'm sure I'll be acquiring a few pieces of hers as well in the near future. She has an uncommon talent for distilling emotions into words as well as pictures. Her Art touches me deeply.
Other Artists that caught my eye at the South Bend show were John Leben and Rick Ott. Plus, you really must see the exquisitely detailed wood butterflies crafted and meticulously painted by the Sand-Barr Studio in Warsaw, Indiana.
I noticed something about myself this weekend: I prefer abstract Art.
Or, more accurately, I prefer Art that allows me to conjure up my own feelings, thoughts, and mental imagery.
That's why I'm a Win Jones nut. And a Salvadore Dali fan. And why Judy Barnewolt Jones' doorways and windows (especially "Shades of Empty"), as well as her poignant writings, stir something inside of me.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think it takes any less talent to paint landscapes, or bowls of fruit, or portraits. My drawing abilities only take me into the realm of stick people. So I appreciate good Art wherever I find it.
However, my favorite pieces are those that don't show me what exists in the world; they show me what only exists in my mind and heart.
And imagination.
Art that moves me does so on a visceral level -- although my imagination is also fully engaged. I get a feeling from something. And then I stand back to see if my mind can project me into the painting. If a painting provides a space for my mind to wander, and repeatedly, I'm hooked.
Win and Judy Jones are wonderful people and exceptionally talented Artists. Please seek them out.
While you're at it, check out all the Artists I mentioned. Give them your time and attention. See what their work touches inside of you.
Your life will be enriched for it.
A complete list of all Michigan Art shows for the rest of 2003 can be found here.
Enjoy!
Back to PurpleCrayon Direct.
This was a busy weekend for Art shows!
Saturday, we attended the Reed's Lake Art Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan (also known as the Clothes Line Art Fair).
Sunday, we drove to the Leeper Park Art Fair in South Bend, Indiana.
At both shows, we met fascinating people and saw incredible works of Art. There are an amazing number of highly talented people in the world who have much to say through their work.
For example, in Grand Rapids I spent about 45 minutes talking to painter Bruce Wilson, of Fairfield, Iowa. Bruce's abstract paintings and brilliant written descriptions touched something in me. If you haven't yet seen Bruce's work, please do. He's superb.
We also spent time with Kimiko Petersen, a delightful lady who lives in Richland, Michigan. Kimiko's "Moon Over Richland" painting (a large abstract that I oohed and ahhed in front of for 10 minutes) is one I'd love to own. Kimiko has a great sense of a humor and a breadth of talent with abstracts as well as more traditional still life watercolor scenes.
I also enjoyed the incredibly imaginative and whimsical (in an almost surrealistic director Terry Gilliam sort of way) Art of Bruce Holwerda. And let's not forget Grand Rapids Artist Jeff Condon. Very nice work.
Another Artist of note at the Reed's Lake show was Hazel H. Palmer of Cedar Springs, Michigan. Her watercolors caught our attention immediately. Beth fell in love with a cute painting of umbrella-capped kids in a rain shower, while I gravitated to an abstract of a murky mountain scene, in which a small group of people stood together next to a nearby path. "Who are these people?" Hazel said in reply to my question about the painting's origin. "Why are they there? It's all a mystery."
Indeed. And a mystery I'd love to ponder at length.
The Leeper Park show contained a staggering depth and breadth of Art on display.
Although we wandered the 100+ booths for 2-3 hours, we spent the most time at the booths of watercolorists Win Jones and his wonderful wife Judy Barnewolt Jones. Win is a gem, a truly engaging, humorous (if sometimes Eeyore-ish) artist whose work I own and proudly hang in my home.
Judy's work is no less compelling, and I'm sure I'll be acquiring a few pieces of hers as well in the near future. She has an uncommon talent for distilling emotions into words as well as pictures. Her Art touches me deeply.
Other Artists that caught my eye at the South Bend show were John Leben and Rick Ott. Plus, you really must see the exquisitely detailed wood butterflies crafted and meticulously painted by the Sand-Barr Studio in Warsaw, Indiana.
I noticed something about myself this weekend: I prefer abstract Art.
Or, more accurately, I prefer Art that allows me to conjure up my own feelings, thoughts, and mental imagery.
That's why I'm a Win Jones nut. And a Salvadore Dali fan. And why Judy Barnewolt Jones' doorways and windows (especially "Shades of Empty"), as well as her poignant writings, stir something inside of me.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think it takes any less talent to paint landscapes, or bowls of fruit, or portraits. My drawing abilities only take me into the realm of stick people. So I appreciate good Art wherever I find it.
However, my favorite pieces are those that don't show me what exists in the world; they show me what only exists in my mind and heart.
And imagination.
Art that moves me does so on a visceral level -- although my imagination is also fully engaged. I get a feeling from something. And then I stand back to see if my mind can project me into the painting. If a painting provides a space for my mind to wander, and repeatedly, I'm hooked.
Win and Judy Jones are wonderful people and exceptionally talented Artists. Please seek them out.
While you're at it, check out all the Artists I mentioned. Give them your time and attention. See what their work touches inside of you.
Your life will be enriched for it.
A complete list of all Michigan Art shows for the rest of 2003 can be found here.
Enjoy!
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