arthur's blog

It's an understandable question. I've asked it of artists myself in regards to a certain work. How long does it take to make a picture? How long does it rain? Every picture is different.

Two legendary songwriters, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are sitting at a table in a cafe conversing about song writing. "I like that song you wrote called Hallelujah," Dylan says. "How long did that take you?" "Oh, the best part of two years," Cohen said. They started discussing Dylan's song called I and I. "How long did it take you to write that?" Cohen asked. "Ohhh, 15 minutes," Dylan responded.

On a recent trip to the Tonawanda Reservation I met up with my old friend Leon. We drove over to the old culvert tunnel on the rez. The train line that once ran over it has long been abandoned. But the culvert tunnel was still there serving as a reminder of a bygone time. I wanted to do a painting of this local landmark. Leon has seen me draw many, many times over the years. In fact, we were recreating a scene from our past.

I stopped by to visit my friend Steve. It was late and very cold outside. I still needed to draw something before midnight to keep my streak of doing some art daily alive. I wasn't sure what to draw. I wanted to go out and wander around some...see what caught my eye. But it was so cold outside and so warm and cozy inside. There were kids running around and a choice of hot coffee or cold beer. I really didn't want to go out. I looked out his second story window through the dark night.

"When I was a student I didn't know what to draw," my teacher Juanita Greene Parks once told me. "I'd walk for miles and not find anything to draw...now, wherever I go I see pictures," I knew where she was coming from. I remember what a struggle I used to have picking out my subject matter. Searching for the ultimate subject I would walk and drive around for hours often coming up empty handed and frustrated. Now, wherever I go I see pictures. Often I just need to stop moving. Just be still and look around with a sketch pad in my hand. Subject matter is often secondary.

The Albright-Knox Museum in Buffalo is doing their annual search for new artists in the area. I thought I would give it a try. I am submitting 20 pieces of art on CD. They are all from my recent series of watercolor nocturnes. One of the things that is required is a one page artist statement. I am never really sure what all is required on an artist statement so I just wrote about the art and how and why I do it. This is what I came up with: Half of our lives are spent in the absence of daylight. For the most part the beauty and wonder of night goes by unnoticed and unappreciated.

Last night I visited my friend Al who lives on the local reservation. Al is a big, handsome and friendly Indian who is very likable...but you wouldn't want him mad at you. He always makes me feel welcome and over the years I have done quite a few painting from is yard...often by the light of the fire that often burns in in yard. I once did a painting off his fire as it was dying...behind the fire stood trees that were recently broken by a wind storm. (see pic). One time after doing several paintings from his yard Al spoke to me. "Art", he said.

I carry a leather bag around with me. Sometimes I refer to it as my magic bag. In it I keep art supplies that take away any excuse for painting. I can't say "If only I had a sketch pad or paints I would do some art." Lack of materials can never be an excuse. If nothing else a ball point pen and the back of an envelope will suffice. The Spanish painter Goya said confidently, "Give me a piece of charcoal and I will show you a masterpiece."

What color is snow? The typical answer of course is white. But true white...like true black is rarely found in nature. What color is snow at night? What color is a white house or a sheet on a line at dusk...or dawn? I have been almost obsessed with the color of snow lately. I study and observe constantly and I am amazed at the variety of colors I see. I have been surrounded with snow and my paintings have been mostly snow scenes. Looking back at the paintings I have done I find I have painted snow in so many different colors. Shades of blues and purples mostly....

It's a new year and a new journal. Its been a year since I last wrote down any thoughts for public viewing. I find myself snuggled in for the winter and fighting the bitter cold along with the isolation and inertia that winter brings. Its been an exceptionally cold and brutal winter so far. Easy to stay in the warmth and just lay around waiting for spring like a butterfly in a cocoon. So the battle is on to keep myself going...active and creative. The last year has been sporadic on the creativity front.

My streak of doing art everyday is over. I wish I could say it was because I was distracted by some fem fatale, some siren or temptress. I wish I could say my streak ended because of some sort of great event or tragedy that deemed my art unimportant or trivial. But it was nothing like that. I simply forgot about it one night and woke up with the realization that I had not done any art the previous day. At first I was really disappointed with myself. But the reality was that the streak had run its course and had just fizzled out.