LOCAL: My front porch!

     We ALL know the world is changing so very much due to technology and the advent of globalization. Artists and art teachers the world over see the benefits of using technology in what we do and many are on the front lines of creating some of that technology, but likewise, we as artists and art teachers love that tactile, gooey, messy, manipulative, molding, shaping, and spreading of media to achieve artistic greatness! (Well, ok, at least greatness to us! Everyone may not think it is greatness!) The real challenge that awaits artists and art teachers is how technology is going to change what we do and I just really don't think we have even touched the tip of the iceberg on that! But, again, Michelangelo created The David with his bare hands, a piece of stone, a chisel and some water. Artists are amazing people who can do amazing things because it comes out of their hearts!
     One of my favorite quotes addresses this quandary that exists between art and technology. "The hand of the artist. That's one of the things that may keep us alive spiritually, before the computer and the machine do us in entirely." -Allan Stone  There is a photo of this quote on the slide show on this post. I did the quote as part of a college calligraphy class about 30 years ago and keep it near me, actually in my classroom. Another thing that continually amazes me is how easily artists can use technology and software applications; it just came pretty naturally for me. I think partly that is because it had to have been designed by some creative people somewhere along the line, but also because as artists we get systems and sequence and logical order and we are experts at putting things together. I really truly enjoy using desktop publishing programs, Photoshop, the many fun apps that let you change and alter images, and so on. Yes, I'm an artist that is intrigued with technology and how I can use it in my art classes and am very excited about some iPad apps and so on. But, I'm also an artist that will never quit using that gooey paint and moving it around the paper or canvas or will never quit molding and shaping something with my hands. That's the heart of art and I hope it never changes.
     This morning I was sitting out on my front porch having a cup of coffee and recovering from knee replacement surgery. My front porch is always a "canvas" for me, waiting to be reborn in the spring after a long winter and in the fall once the summer flowers have faded. We have a large backyard and big patio out back, but my front porch is my little Garden of Eden. It's where I go to relax, just breath, think, and let my eyes be comforted by the color and beauty that surrounds me on the porch. Thinking is a big part of being an artist as well....and an art teacher.
     Another one of my favorite quotes is, "The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep." -Paul Strand  THIS IS SO TRUE!