Mucha is an all time favorite and at the recommendation of my sister, I've been looking at his flowers. He has such beautiful lines and forms. There is so much to learn here.
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I've continued working on my flower drawings this week. Roses and mock orange. Nothing smells as sweet as the mock orange! Not from my garden but just as wonderful. I've been wanting to add more design to my flower drawings. My sister suggested looking at Mucha and Sullivan for inspiration. I think that is a wonderful excuse to visit the University arts library. I'm not sure how quickly I can get there, but the idea is compelling. I'll let you know how it goes. More to come...  Roses  Roses  Mock Orange
My sister sent me this video with the question: What is art? And what does our art say about us?
https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel
So, what is art? For something I spend a lot of time on, I haven't spent much time defining it. It's something I love making and enjoy seeing. My niece loved it because it was one place that had no rules. Those simple things have been enough.
But when the question is asked, I have to wonder...what is it for? Is it really just one thing or is it many things to many people? And all sorts of people have weighed in on it... 
The Betrothed and Eiffel Tower, 1913
Mark Chagall: Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers – and never succeeding.
Ayn Rand: Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value-judgments.
Rust Red Hills
Georgia O'Keeffe: Filling a space in a beautiful way. That's what art means to me.
Robert Frost: To me the thing that art does for life is to clean it – to strip it to form.
Portrait presumed to be of his jailer
Jacques-Louis David: To give a body and a perfect form to one’s thought, this—and only this—is to be an artist.
Aristotle: The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.
With all that being said...what is art? What is it for to you?  Christmas lights didn't exactly get put up, but they're just as pretty.  Red chile wreath brightening my front door Growing up Christmas wasn't so much about church or religion. It was a time to celebrate with family and bring some brightness into the dark days of winter. The last several years though I found myself lacking the Christmas spirit. This year was no exception. Looking back over the past years, I started to think about old traditions, so I wrapped up my presents, got out some Christmas lights (as you can see I didn't quite get them up on a tree, but they're still pretty), and brought out the red chile wreathes. I'm not sure how it came to be a tradition, but every Christmas Eve my mother made a big pot of beef vegetable soup. So I started a few days ahead making my own beef stock and starting on the soup. It's surprising how traditions can help. I began to feel a bit more Christmasy. Thinking about old traditions, brought me back to the years I spent in New Mexico. The time of celebration started early there. I loved it! Fun from fall straight through to the end of the year. It started in late summer with the harvest of green chiles. The smell of roasting chiles permeated the air. Soon the aspens and cottonwoods were turning gold along the Rio Grande. They inspired Georgia O'Keeffe and always brought me joy too.  Cottonwoods III - Georgia O'Keeffe  Dead Cottonwood - Georgia O'Keeffe Shortly after that the air was filled with color. Balloon Fiesta time! The sound of the balloons firing up, their glow in the chilly early morning air. It was a feast for the senses. Fall also brought bird migrations. Hummingbirds started to head south, cranes too could be seen and heard flying along Sandia mountain. One after the other was a celebration of the seasons. Halloween and Thanksgiving, followed by my birthday and Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas traditions there, was cooking for Christmas dinner. I'd put a fire in the fireplace heating my tiny house and filling the air with the scent of burning piñon and cedar. I'd pull the sofa between the fireplace and the kitchen as I cooked late into the night. Often with a glass of burgundy and my father's version of Boursin or maybe a fine chocolate. One last ritual for the year was going through all my things; closets, shelves, and everything stored away. I haven't done that in a number of years either. Going forward in 2015, I'm going to try to pay attention to personal routines and rituals, and finding ways to celebrate the seasons. I've found some already; riding the bus for my early morning commute, drawing every day, taking walks in the woods or meadows, and seeking out the beautiful winter sunsets. I hope to reconnect to more as the new year plays out.  My street with a colorful winter sky I just set up a new show at Manna Cafe on Madison's Northside. For those of you in the area, please stop by take a look at the art and while you're there why not have some great coffee. Oh and don't miss the chocolate plum rugelach or, my favorite, Hungarian shortbread. 
Cherokee Marsh Art Show April 1 – May 31 Reception, April 11, 6 – 8 pm Lakeview Branch Library, 2845 N. Sherman Ave, Madison WI Raising Crane: Impressions of Cherokee Marsh Sponsored by the Northside Artists Group and Friends of Cherokee Marsh. 
My new painting "Cattail" will be part of the Cherokee Marsh Art Show and was featured on the cover of a local paper. Come by and check out the show if you're in the area. 
This article appears in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of the Northside News. It highlights the Northside Artist Group's upcoming show at Manna Cafe, Madison WI. I'll have two paintings in the show. Please stop by if you're in the area. Take a look at some of our members and other upcoming shows at http://northside-art.org 
Hubbard Art Center in Middleton is hosting A Celebration of Trees Art exhibit. I have two paintings in the show, both receiving 3rd Place ribbons. The show celebrating trees is timed to coincided with the city's Tree Lighting ceremony and Holiday Open House. There's a great variety of art - sculpture, paintings, prints, photography and children's art. Stop by if you're in the area.    by Elizabeth Solomon  Center painting - "Winter Trees" - by Elizabeth Solomon   by Doug Haynes  New paintings have been hung at Kesslers Diamonds on Junction Road. They'll be there for the next 6 months. I hope you'll be able to stop by and take a look at my work and the other artists showing there. Kesslers Diamonds 341 Junction Road Madison, WI 53717     |
Beauty and InspirationThis blog is about my inspirations and my love of art. I welcome your reactions to my work. 
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