Enter The Kingdom
We search and search and sometimes find ……… A Kingdom!
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
The Romantic and The Realist
Seeing is not only about what you see in front of you.
The Sugar Bowl Cloud Watchers are revealing their personalities more and more everyday.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Before the Rain
Another new acrylic painting on canvas. It measures 30 x 40 inches.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
A Little Light Magic
It’s amazing what a little light can do……in our art and in our lives. Here I have taken the simplest subject matter and played with light. A little change can have a dramatic effect.
Below is the same study in different lights.
A Little Light Magic 3
A Little Light Magic 4
A Little Light Magic 5
As you can see …..a little light can throw a completely different…… “light “………on everything.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Picasso by Burgess
Here’s another portrait I did on the 25th October…… of Pablo Picasso. I did not know it was the anniversary of his birthday until I saw the article shown at the link below.
Recently I am looking at Picasso more and more and relating a lot to his Cubist work. For years I have being doing my own form of Cubism and not realising it. You will see more about this in the future.
The link about his birthday is shown below.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/happy-birthday-pablo-pica_n_2011263.html
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
A Self Portrait
Here’s a new self portrait charcoal drawing. It measure 24 x 32 inches.
I decided to do it as Self Portraiture is a major theme of fine art and for some reason I thought it was about time to do another. I occasionally do them.
Many artists have focused on Self Portraits because you are always available to pose.
How we look to others and how we look to ourselves can be quite different. As an artist you can capture something the camera cannot.
Some of my students have made portraits of me which seem to show different parts of my of character and inner nature. Drawings (or paintings) can reveal parts of us we find hard to put into words.
What do you think?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Still Life – REJECTED
Yesterday I posted this painting of mine which had just been rejected by Judges at a local Art Award Competition. I was upset as I believe this is a very good painting. Also two students of mine were rejected and both had outstanding works. This upset me too.
I tried hard to put a positive side to it and rambled on about “fit.” The post just did not “feel” good to me so I trashed it within a few hours.
Today, after a good nights sleep and without the strong emotion attached to it I am doing another post on the subject of REJECTION. This time showing what I really feel about it.
We all receive rejection at some time in our lives. And as I have always known, most of the really great people of this world have been rejected at first…….simply because they are doing something new. As people we generally trend to reject the new because it threatens our previous ideas and beliefs. Below are a few who had to go through the rejection rite of passage to then bless the world with their art.
A Few REJECTED Artists & Writers
Vincent Van Gogh: During his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting, and this was to a friend and only for a very small amount of money. While Van Gogh was never a success during his life, he plugged on with painting, sometimes starving to complete his over 800 known works. Today, there is a major Museum and Gallery of his art, he is one artist everybody knows all over the world and his works bring in hundreds of millions of dollars.
Monet: Today Monet’s work sells for millions of dollars and hangs in some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Yet during his own time, it was mocked and rejected by the artistic elite, the Paris Salon. Monet kept at his impressionist style, which caught on and in many ways was a starting point for some major changes to art that ushered in the modern era.
Emily Dickinson: Recluse and poet Emily Dickinson is a commonly read and loved writer. Yet in her lifetime she was all but ignored, having fewer than a dozen poems published out of her almost 1,800 completed works.
Theodor Seuss Geisel: Today nearly every child has read The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham, yet 27 different publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
Charles Schultz: Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip has had enduring fame, yet this cartoonist had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff. Even after high school, Schultz didn’t have it easy, applying and being rejected for a position working with Walt Disney.
Steven Spielberg: While today Spielberg’s name is synonymous with big budget, he was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times. He eventually attended school at another location, only to drop out to become a director before finishing. Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA.
Stephen King: The first book by this author, the iconic thriller Carrie, received 30 rejections, finally causing King to give up and throw it in the trash. His wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it, and the rest is history, with King now having hundreds of books published the distinction of being one of the best-selling authors of all time.
Zane Grey: Incredibly popular in the early 20th century, this adventure book writer began his career as a dentist, something he quickly began to hate. So, he began to write, only to see rejection after rejection for his works, being told eventually that he had no business being a writer and should give up. It took him years, but at 40, Zane finally got his first work published, leaving him with almost 90 books to his name and selling over 50 million copies worldwide.
J. K. Rowling: Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry Potter dough today, but before she published the series of novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel. Rowling went from depending on welfare to survive to being one of the richest women in the world in a span of only five years through her hard work and determination.
Jack London: This well-known American author wasn’t always such a success. While he would go on to publish popular novels like White Fang and The Call of the Wild, his first story received six hundred rejection slips before finally being accepted.
Louisa May Alcott: Most people are familiar with Alcott’s most famous work, Little Women. Yet Alcott faced a bit of a battle to get her work out there and was encouraged to find work as a servant by her family to make ends meet. It was her letters back home during her experience as a nurse in the Civil War that gave her the first big break she needed.
For a complete list of 50 Famous People go to
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/02/16/50-famously-successful-people-who-failed-at-first/
Now if that doesn’t give everyone inspiration I don’t know what will. It makes me feel better and I hope it does you as well.
Copyright Burgess 2102 (c) All rights reserved.
A Colored Sketch
Here is a colored small gouache and acrylic sketch (16 x 20 inches) for one of my new artworks. It gives you more insight into the creative process.
The work will probably change a lot before it is finished as change is such an important part of my art.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Studio
Our world is determined by the way we see it. If we see it as ordinary and uninteresting then that is how our lives will be. If we see it as remarkable, dynamic and different our lives will reflect that too.
Art ……ALL ART, is there to remind us that life is indeed -,EXTRA-ORDINARY, MAGICAL and full of EXCITEMENT.
Through ART we are continually being challenged to get outside our comfort zone and see the magic all around us…… in every moment of every day.
Tree
So here are two of my black and white photos which might challenge your vision.
What are your thoughts and feelings about them?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Rider in the Night
When you open the creative door to your “inner self” anything may appear. You have to love and accept these images even if they sometimes do not seem to conform to your other works. That is the Creative Process.
For years I have explained to my students that artworks are like babies. You cannot choose the appearance, character traits or personality of your baby …… only love them regardless. You can however give them every assistance to be the best they can be.
Also one of the biggest lessons in art (and life) is to stop being TOO judgemental of our art. Often I have found the works we do not think much of…….other people LOVE. This does not mean letting other people define your art but realizing we are sometimes way too critical for our own good.
Here is new painting that is not like many of my other works and I have contemplated changing (re-working) it for some time. When I showed my wife she was amazed that I would consider such action.
What do you think?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Glorious Depicticus
Sometimes things just happen. Here is another new painting and…………
I would love to tell you this image appeared in a dream and I scrambled out of bed at 3 am to paint it before the image disappeared. That it is a symbolic image from an ancient people …. maybe Rome. And while I was painting it the lights began to flicker and smoke appeared to rise from the corner of the studio. The nearby TV started up for no reason……. and then went silent. Then finally the whole building began to tremble and shake and things fell to the floor. It was an earth shattering moment in my life.
I would love to tell you this.
But as any good political person knows….you do not deny or confirm anything. Instead let me just say this …….I did paint this image and stuff did happen……… the rest is up to you.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
The Gift
Wonderful things are happening in the world all the time.
Recently I received this magnificent gift of a small but exquisite artwork from one of my bloggers. I am so excited and want to feature it here.
The depth and detail on this artwork is amazing. The actual size is slightly smaller than shown. I love small works and it is difficult to get them to work. As you can see this one “sings” with beauty and refinement. The colors and textural treatment are an outstanding feature of her works.
I strongly recommend you check out more of her beautiful artworks at the following link.
Discover her for yourself!
The Discovery
I don’t know how to begin……….. you won’t believe me anyway.
Still here goes.
I’m walking along and I see this sign. Impossible to read …….. at first. So rubbing my eyes I step back and take another look.
Here’s what I see this time.
The 2nd Look
With my eyes still fuzzy I look again. You won’t believe what I saw this time. Nobody will.
The Truth Revealed
Shocked I stood stunned! Then after a few minutes I thought …….. forget it. Nobody will believe you so don’t even try.
But at least we now KNOW THE TRUTH ………. and that is all that matters!
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Mystery Image No 1
Today there is a Mystery for you to solve. Here are some progressive photos which reveal the image.
Your task is to guess what it might be as you go through them.
Don’t jump ahead. Enjoy the process of discovery. See if you can put it together from the each image.
Here is the 2 nd image. Have FUN.
Mystery Image No 2
Any thoughts?
Mystery Image No 3
Getting warm?
Mystery Image No 4
Well by now I think you might have. So here is the complete image.
The Tree Cutter
So now you see it. Caught this one on a morning walk.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know what you think.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Gloria – A Girl in the City
Another new A3 charcoal drawing. I think I was thinking of Matisse when I was drawing this. Even the balcony window has a Parissianne feeling. Gloria is a laid back, no fuss kind of girl. You don’t mess with her.
But she is wondering who we are intruding on her privacy so I guess she is allowed be a little annoyed.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Sunrise
Sometimes it’s good to give up our expectations and just enjoy the moment
……..even for a Sugar Bowl Cloud Watcher.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
The Thinker
Here is a recent A3 charcoal drawing titled The Thinker. From this you might see I LOVE to draw. It has always been in my blood and I can remember from an early age my feeble attempts to draw. Nobody around me knew anything about art but my father was a musician. He played several instruments. I eventually became a drummer as I also love rhythm.
But in those early days I loved to just draw. Anything would do. I would copy cartoons even though it would be many years later before I discovered POP ART with Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein who I meet in New York at the Leo Castelli Gallery. Roy asked where I was from and when I said Australia he said …..”how did you get here……swim?” He was so easy to talk to and gave me some encouragement at the time.
Anyway getting back to my story ……around….maybe 9 years of age I began asking some friends to “sit” for me even though I did not know that term at the time. They were my humble but sincere attempts to draw what I saw.
Guess this thinker got me “thinking” about my beginnings as an artist.
How about you? Does The Thinker get you thinking about what you love to do.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
9.19 am
Another perfect day on the Gold Coast
9.20 am
9.21 am
9.22 am
Did you hear about it in the News? No?
Well I guess it must have landed safely ….
at the busy Coolangatta Airport.
What about your flying experiences? What are your best and worst landings?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Painting on the wall – acrylic on board 42 x 60 inches
This is the finished painting of the one I featured in my studio recently. Here is the link.
https://burgessart.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/work-in-progress/
The Painting on the Easel
It was originally taken from the Picasso Still Life Painting shown below.
Picasso – Still Life with Lamp 1936
Pablo Picasso: Still Life with a Lamp, 1936. December 29 is the Poster hanging on the wall.
Picasso loved to take other people’s paintings and make them his own.
I hope I have been able to make something of his.
What do you think or……… feel?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
The Cloud Watchers Make a Friend
Those famous Sugar Bowl Cloud Watcher have been at it again and this time they discovered a Friend.
Suddenly from nowhere this friendly little caterpillar dropped by to say hello.
He did not stay too long and he did not say too much but it was enough to make the Cloud Watchers day.
In 10 years times they will still be talking about the day the Caterpillar became their friend.
It’s amazing what a few kind and friendly words can do……….even for Cloud Watchers!
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
The Waiting Room….Chamber
The Torture Chamber (with protective glasses so they don’t drill out an eyes or two!)
Yesterday I had to visit The Torture Chamber.
Nearly everybody deserted The Torture Chamber while I waited patiently for my turn.
I sat quietly and decided to capture this extreme moment with my constant companion ….. the Sony point and shoot!
I was armed and ready to face this moment but alas………..I only managed to get these images to convey the pain and agony I was about to face.
As the executioner and his assistant plunged deeply into my mouth I could only lay passive, grin (no grinning thank you) and bare it.
Opening my eyes occasionally I could see the pleasure they were getting as they drilled and used their tools of destruction to inflict even more …………
They talked and joked of things totally dissociated from the events at hand.
I guess that is how they manage to do their jobs……….cut off all emotion. Still I had plenty for the three of us.
Well finally they invited me to sit up and wash out the remnants of their mayhem. A near impossibility!
Totally numb I spluttered and splat what little water I could manage to suck into my mouth.
As I exited The Torture Chamber my only regret was I will have to return at a future date for even more……..TORTURE!
Footnote : Some might be wondering why I described this experience such. You get needles to numb the pain so what’s the big fuss.
Yes, I did get needles and they did eventually numb the pain (had to get an extra one in fact). But lying flat on your back for an hour being drilled, probed, prodded and pushed, bite here, there, everywhere, etc. etc. was not fun. Then for the next 6 hours with gums that weren’t mine hardly able to talk or eat was not pleasant either….. and I had a good dentist!
Maybe in the future we will be able to visit our friend the dentist who will put us in a state of “temporal freeze” so we can walk out saying that was such a pleasant experience I look forward to returning again soon……work on it scientists please, make it a reality and EVERYONE in the world will be grateful!
So what do you think or feel about The Torture Chamber?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Some Great Words from Da Vinci
A few words from a great artist.
Someone also said that Obstacles are Opportunities in disguise.
Goldie Horn the actress said this……
Words of Goldie
Now here is something I just did which I think you will enjoy.
I wanted to see what obstacles and opportunities mean in Numerology.
Here is a random free reading from the net for both. I love the way the computer generated name responds with Hello ……..
Obstacles
Hello OBSTACLES,
Your Name number is 31. (4)
This number represents a lonely and isolated person. You may be a genius with high intelligence but you can not get material success. There may be some revolutionary ideas which will not materialize. You will have difficulties in profession and there may be loss of prestige.
(my notes : This is the Number 4 which means steady, hard building….step by step, like a house being built……an outer number).
Opportunities
Hello OPPORTUNITIES,
Your Name number is 7.
This number indicates spirituality, mystery and sensitivity. You are sympathetic to the feelings of others. Your dreams often come true. You have interest in mysterious things like gods and devils. You love reading books and enjoy indoor sports.
(my notes : Number 7 means learning, inner development, study, spiritual development……an inner number)
So….
from this reading I wonder if……….
OBSTACLES are created in the outer or material world to lead us to the OPPORTUNITIES which are WITHIN US in the spiritual, unseen inner world.
It’s also a fact that when we improve within with better education, knowledge, study etc our outer world improves and new opportunities are open to us.
What do you think….ANY COMMENTS?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
SOHO Works 1
The work below is very complex and took several years to complete.
SoHo Works
These were images from a show I had in SoHo New York in the 90’s.
These particular works are very different and you could find them hard to understand. I do too, so it is only natural you do.
My works often go in directions that are “out there.” But since I am attempting to take ART into new directions how could it be any other way.
The world will catch up eventually and if they don’t……. so be it.
Vincent Van Gogh’s work took time for people to accept and come to enjoy. Everything new is hard at first.
Still, as you can see, many of my works today are still in a similar format.
I would love to get your comments about how this work makes you feel. Love..hate…whatever.
UPDATE: Writing this is clarifying my thoughts as I go. The works I did in NY were the equivalent of Picasso’s Analytical Cubism. Not feeling but learning my craft. The real FEELING is beginning to manifest NOW. Look out for my latest painting.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Flower One
Flower Two
These are a couple of flowers I noticed recently and wanted to share with you.
The second is the Strelitzia Reginae or Bird of Paradise and here’s more info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia_reginae
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
New Art No 1
New Works
New Art No 2
Today’s post has been hard.
I have had different options and finally decided on these two images. They are combined works with many processes including photos/digital/drawing.
Hope you enjoy them.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Work in Progress
The above is a painting which I have been working for some time. You might see 29 DECEMBRE in it. This came from a Picasso Still Life.
At an earlier stage
Today I’m giving you a rare insight into my studio to see one of my paintings in progress. I have been working on it for a year or two.
The silence which I featured recently went through stages such as this before it was finished.
It reveals my love of colour and energy but as artists will understand ….. there is so much going it is hard to resolve.
There have been times when I simplified things such as A New York Show
Not at present….. now the struggle goes on.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Fastest Charcoal in the World
I know this looks like a small piece of………charcoal. But…. it’s much more than that……
It’s The Fastest Charcoal in the World! Well it would have been.
It was going to be the lead character in a movie made a few years ago. The movie was the amazing story of how an Australian unknown piece of charcoal wanted to be the fastest charcoal in the world. So it went to the USA to the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats and under great difficulty and against all odds became the fastest charcoal in the world.
As you can see this was going to be a story of great inspiration, drama, emotion and achievement but for one thing……….it had no human interest.
So at the last moment the producers changed the story to a New Zealand bloke called Burt Munroe who developed a motor bike called the Greatest Indian and got a famous British actor Anthony Hopkins to pull in the viewers.
The movie was a big success ……..but nothing like the original far more exciting story of The Fastest Charcoal in the World.
It could have been charcoal
I’m not promoting the movie but here is a trailer on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW61Qiko4sg
or the IMDb review here
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/
Just remember how much better the story would have been with the original casting.
Must admit………..it still is a real good movie.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Wow!
The Sugar Bowl Cloud Watchers were again seen recently. And they just kept saying……………… WOW!
I think we all need a lot of “WOW” in our lives …… everyday. Don’t you agree?
May you have a least 1 big “WOW” experience today or tomorrow. If you find it hard just sit and look at some clouds for a while……… soon you too will be saying “WOW”.
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
The Silence by Burgess 2012 (c)
This is a 6 panel acrylic on board painting overall size 42 x 60 inches or 107 x 152 cms.
Here it is with a black background.
The Silence on Black
I have been reluctant to show this artwork of mine because it does not seem to have a lot going on in it. Well the title The Silence came to me and that changed everything.
The silence should have nothing going on with it. But as I examine this painting and compare it to silence it is buzzing with activity, noise and energy, colour and movement. It is just not as bold as my usual work so maybe it means silence for me.
I’m not sure how The Silence comes across the internet. Maybe you need to be in front of it to get the full effect……….of silence.
Do you find it more silent with a white or black background or is there any difference?
Can we ever be truly silent?
Any thoughts?
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
Words
Words come, words go
All over the place……. like snow
Drifting and swirling,……….. light and airy
No meaning to behold
except when they consolidate ………….like ice.
Now they melt with meaning
gleaning, streaming
Their power solidifies, unifies, testifies to their purpose
And just as we hold them preciously in our hands……………….. they melt
Even to become more precious as they are drawn from the well
to quench our thirsts in the heat of summer
Their true purpose is now revealed
as they sustain our…………. very existence.
So celebrate them……. every day
for without them all would be barren and ………dry
Words with Purpose
Words by R. J. Burgess 2012 (c)
Copyright Burgess 2012 (c) All rights reserved.
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