Art of the American West

Western art, a subgenre of Realism, began in the mid-1800s and continues to be popular today.  It focuses on life in the Wild West, primarily from a historical perspective; however, artists today continue to capture the men and women who embody the spirit of the American West.  For more information: https://www.worthpoint.com/dictionary/p/fine-art/realism/art-of-the-american-west

The Rodeo Art program in Houston adheres to the ideals of Art of the American West by depicting a realistic view of life in the Western United States.  Everything Western – from work, play, competition, and life in general make up a vast body of work created by artists of all ages.  Western Art continues to be enjoyed by people young and old and is a proud heritage of Texas Art.

Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926) was referred to as “The Cowboy Artist” producing bronze sculptures, and over 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Native Americans, and landscapes.

He became an advocate for Native Americans in the West, backing the landless Chippewa’s effort to create a reserve for them in Montana. The Rocky Boy Reservation was established by law enacted by Congress in 1916.

Texans are fortunate because we can enjoy Russell’s work at the following galleries:

·      Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas,

·      Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth

Realism - Gustave Coubert

Realism has been recognized as the first of the Modern Art movement.  It was a time when the traditional notion of art, literature and social organizations was being rejected.

It grew out of the 1848 Revolution in France that established people’s “right to work” and focused their works on worker’s rights.  However, this movement was not confined to France.  Artists from around the world contributed to a large and beautiful body of work that continues to influence artists today.

Realism artists painted, drew, and sculpted people as they existed in their daily lives.  They didn’t try to hide their flaws, suffering, and imperfections, which was very different from the art of the Romantic period which focused on the human ideal of beauty and perfection.

Gustave Courbet was regarded as the greatest proponent of Realism as an art movement in France.  One of his greatest works The Stone Breakers, is an attempt to bring to light the harsh reality of peasant life in France.  Many realism artists work to bring awareness to social conditions around the world.

For more information, https://www.artst.org/famous-realism-paintings/

Which is More Important - Talent or Effort?

I watched a TED talk recently that was very thought provoking.  It got me thinking about some of the responses I’ve been receiving about my handiwork on social media – whether my crocheting, sewing, woodworking or any other activity I do.  Many people praise me for my talent, and I appreciate the words of encouragement, but I don’t think they understand what it takes to get “talented.”  I love working with my hands, creating things, learning new skills.  For me, the results are blankets, bowls, booties, paintings and any number of products, but they don’t come from 90% talent and 10% effort.  When I am able to accomplish a project that satisfies me and prompts me to share it with friends and family through social media, what is unseen are the projects that came before, the projects that didn’t turn out like I had hoped.  A skilled craftsman may be born with talent; but the result on display come from hours and hours of practicing the craft.  I think it’s safe to conclude that the extent of my talent is the result of a number of important things.

1.     Interest.  I love what I do.  I get excited about learning new things that allow me to use my hands to create useful, beautiful things.

2.     Perseverance.  Almost every project I have ever created has had a moment where I just wanted to throw it in the trash.  I have torn out more crochet stitches than there are grains of sand on the Galveston beach.  I have patched, repainted, and sanded until I couldn’t hold my arms up, but I never quit.  I determine to take each project to completion, no matter how long it takes.

3.     Openness to learn from others.  I used to have a problem in this area.  I thought I needed to be an expert from a short amount of practice, but I was wrong.  Being open to learning from others, accepting criticism on my work has helped me immensely in fine-tuning my craft.  It’s also been a relief to know I don’t have to recreate the wheel every time I want to try something new.  Someone has gone before me and perfected the very activity I am attempting and I would be crazy not to learn from the masters.

4.     Give myself permission to fail.  Yes, folks, you heard it right.  Failure is a very important part of learning.  It’s from our mistakes that we learn all the ways not to do things.  That’s why I complete everything I begin, not matter how bad it turns out.  Through the process, I will learn more from a “rejected” project than I will from one that turns out acceptable.  An added bonus to this important decision is that I am willing to take more risks, try new things, and get out of my comfort zone, which often results in some pretty amazing projects.

I would show you pictures of failed crocheting, but I tear down yarn and begin again until I have a final product that I’m satisfied with. If I had photos you would see the rejected bowls that have come before those that I post on social media or sold.  

I hope this blog has encouraged my family, friends and those that follow me on social media to reconsider the idea of talent.  All people are born creative because we are all create in G-d’s image and part of that includes His creativeness on which we can build our own skills with time and practice.