Friday, February 4, 2011

Beauty Matters

No matter how many people (Christians, mostly) tell me that beauty does not matter, I am unable and unwilling to believe this. Their reasoning is that it does not matter to God and therefore it should not matter to the Christian.

That is so bizarre and unthinkable to me. For God to have created all the manifold kinds of beauty He created, and then for that to be to Him either (A) of no consequence whatever; or (B) actually a negative thing, since beauty is such a temptation to idolatry ... is a thought that I hate with my entire being.

I was talking once to Doug Pinnick (of King's X fame) and he was telling me and some other people about a Christian speed metal band that he had heard in Europe. He talked to the band's lead guitarist, who told him that all their technical proficiency, all their virtuosity, all the beauty of their music, was worth absolutely nothing. It was only a means to get their metaphorical foot in the door to preach the Gospel. The beauty of it meant nothing at all. Doug related to us how shocked he was to hear the guy say this; he was in stunned disbelief at what he heard. I agree with Doug.

Beauty is valuable. It means something.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Audioproject2 - Musical Duo from Czech Republic!

Every so often, you strike gold on YouTube.  This is one of those times.  Several weeks back I stumbled on a musical duo (husband and wife) from the Czech Republic, who call themselves Audioproject2.  Their names are Adriana and Pavel.  I love their combination of blues and gospel standards.  They graciously agreed to be interviewed for my blog.



HRA:  It is somewhat unusual to hear the same artists singing blues and gospel. I really like that. You seem to express both kinds of music equally well. Is that a difficult balance to make?

Pavel: Actually,I don't find it difficult. At least not as I personally feel it.  Blues is about everyday life. It reflects ordinary week-days.  Good times-bad times, troubles, love and hate... Gospel - it is Sunday... It's a message. It's a message that you have found something bigger in this world below and it describes the way that led to this finding.  But there are still days of the week. These genres are as close as possible for me. Both of them have the same roots - the heart.

(Every good piece in so-called modern music is influenced by blues or gospel ..)

Adriana: Yes, I agree. I never devided music which I like to sing into categories.  For me the most important thing is the feeling.I believe there's not a bad music style, but just poor songs.  But if I should classify it - blues and gospel are my favourites.



HRA:  Can you name some of your musical influences (both vocal and guitar)?

Adriana:  My musical influences, they were quite a few. For me definately early music of Ike & Tina, she was my idol and I learned almost all her R'n'B songs. Then Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson and Elvis Presley. I love strong and impressive voices. And I must not forget about Johny Cash.

Pavel:  There are many... Paul Anka's Diana was my very first song. I played my guitar and sang it with Czech lyrics. And then, there was a very special genre, we call it "folk" in the Czech Republic.  It's a mixture of acoustic music across old time songs, country, bluegrass and Dylan-like singer-songwriters.  "Spiritual Kvintet (Quintet)" band, offered a bit more than this. They started to play in the 60ies,  i.e. golden age of gospel. Their music was for us at that time a window out of this part of the world, behind the cold war's wall :-). They played and sing about freedom and faith (We shall overcome).

Then SIMON & GARFUNKEL!

And sure, I must mention big rock guitar legends as Hendrix, Clapton, Page and many others during my "Hard and Heavy" :-) years. But most of all DAVID GILMOUR from Pink Floyd was my hero.  Also I admire Mr. Guitar - Chet Atkins, Django Rheinhardt and many others.

I have to say I've found a lot of fantastic unknown and very talented artists on YouTube recently..



HRA:  How long has each of you been doing music? How long together?

Adriana:  My mom says I began to sing long before I could talk fluently :-).  Music was the main reason why I began to learn English....Singing has always been my passion!

But till now – just a hobby, because at first I studied law at The Charles' University and then worked here in Prague. As a child I was singing in a choir, then in several bands, but we performed not so often.

Now we'd like to form a band and play live much more often!

Pavel:  I got my first guitar when I was 10. On Christmas day. I played Diana till the New Year's Eve... :-) Later I played with a rock band, before I met Adriana. We did a lot of gigs in music clubs all around the country. We played a mixture of reggae, hard rock and rap (old school). The band broke up and I was looking for a singer. And I've found her!

But... we founded another sort of a band – marriage :-)) .


HRA:  Do you play live for people at coffeehouses or other music venues? If so, how do you like live performance?

Pavel:  Last spring we decided to start with music again. We are practising and preparing our own songs.  In the meantime, we play some jazz, gospel, and blues standards we both like.  We are glad to share them on YouTube with the others. Hopefully we'll be performing live soon...

Adriana:  Not much experience so far, but I'm looking forward to it!


HRA:  Do you have any idea of putting a larger band together, perhaps with electric guitar and drums?

Adriana / Pavel:  Yes, we are in touch with other musicians and working on it. But also we like acoustic playing especially for minor genres of music.  It's something like a test, if you are good enough to play and sing live, because every little mistake is heard pretty loud!

But of course the more instruments the richer sound, so we are putting a couple of good musicians with the same musical taste together (which is not so easy,for the majority of people here prefer playing rock and folk).


HRA:  Anything else you would like to tell the readers about you or your music?

Pavel:  We really much appreciate your interest in our music!

Adriana:  I would like to thank the readers and listeners for their time, and wish them all the best! If you find among our songs some that you like we'll be very pleased.  And the biggest THANK belongs especially TO YOU PAUL for this great offer!

Thank you so much.  Adriana Pavel AudioProject2

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Interview with Artist Michelle Geromel

I first found out about the art of Michelle Geromel through a mutual friend on Facebook. She has a website, and writes a blog called Love & Passion. She also has an Etsy store, where you can purchase her work.

Hi Michelle. How long have you been painting?

Hi Paul. I’ve been painting for about 16 years. Before that I worked mostly in colored pencil and pastel.














Did you receive formal training for painting. If so, can you describe it for us?

No I did not. I have taken classes from instructors such as Diane Youngblood and Robert Burridge. But I never went to art school or took classes in college.


You seem to have a few distinct styles. What sort of thing is currently your favorite to paint?

Right now it’s a toss up between the abstract landscapes which I paint with my fingers and my figurative paintings.















Can you say a few words about the materials and brushes you like to use?

From a brush perspective I like to use filberts.

I have three favorite types of acrylic paint. I use a lot of Nova Paints (a small company out of LA). Nova paints are not as thick but keep their color well and are very inexpensive. Plus they have some fun colors to mix with or just experiment with like steel flecked or gold. I also love Golden and Holbein. Holbein has the best color pigments - but their colors are different than standard palette colors - so I mix it up.


Do you paint from life, or from photographic references?

Generally I paint from photos. That way I can setup the light the way I like and also from a practical perspective - I like to paint into the night. I don’t want to have to call a model at 10pm and ask them to sit for me for a few hours.


Do you derive more joy from the process of painting, or from the product?

That’s a really good question Paul. I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that.

Probably the process. If I could paint in my studio all day long, every day I’d be a very happy girl. BUT - painting lots of paintings means you need to put them somewhere. And I do get a great amount of bliss from someone’s happy smiles, or other indications of joy when they see my work/ purchase my work. So the product can derive a great deal of pleasure as well.


Can you tell us a story about someone you have met through an art connection?

I met one of my best friends. She was sitting across from me at Sawdust Winter Festival in Laguna Beach. And she came over and introduced herself. We became inseparable after that. Some of it was because of the art - having a friend who is an artist can be very comforting. All of a sudden all the odd ways you look at the world aren’t so odd, when someone else see them too. And some of the connection was because we were both coming out of relationships at the time and needed a friend who understood that pain. We are very supportive of each other’s art and I see her every week for one thing or another.

It’s funny - and I don’t think I ever told her this. Years earlier I walked by her booth at that festival and I remembered her after that. Out of all the artists - she was the only one who’s art and person I remembered that visit to the festival. And now we are good friends.


Do you find that you need the validation of others (buyers, galleries, critics)? Or do you already know in your heart that a painting is good?

Validation is a double edged sword. If you believe other people’s press about you - then when it’s bad, do you believe that as well? I really try to not need outside validation because that is giving my power away.

Am I hurt if someone criticizes my art? Sometimes yes. But when I step back I realize in most cases that person was threatened by something they felt from my art and/or they are a frustrated artist and seeing someone who is successfully putting paint to canvas bothers them.

I think there are people in my life in whom their opinion matters. A few of my best friends - I do ask their feedback, sometimes about a painting (ie. Is it done? - they always say yes way before I declare it done) and sometimes about a new series. But I have learned even here, a lot of times people I love don’t necessarily see the vision until it’s complete. How can they? It’s not their vision to begin with.

I have also discovered something about my art - and that is- it’s connecting. Some type of art may not be for everyone - but I know it’s good. And I can tell when it’s crap. And generally, even things I think are crap, other people think are good. So I’ve stopped looking outside for that validation and just paint.


If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring painter, what would it be?

Just paint. People will try to mold you into what they think you should do - what subjects you should paint, what your style should be, what color palette you should use. Don’t listen to any of it. Just do what you do - and listen to your intuition and eventually you will find your own voice, your own style.
When you create a painting, do you consciously have the viewer in mind, trying to create a certain set of feelings for that person? Or do you paint for yourself (by which I mean, follow your own vision) and hope that it also resonates with others?

A little bit of both. I started doing my male torsos because people kept asking for them. But I couldn’t start them until I was ready to paint them - with powerful intention. Meaning on the back of every piece I place an emotion, an objective for that piece. And until I could comfortably do that I didn’t paint men. And now I think these are some of my best pieces. However, at the same time, I was told a while ago, by a great expert in art, that I knew nothing about nudes because mine were not lying down. That just doesn’t work for me. It’s not my vision - it’s not why I paint them. I’m inspired by the ancient roman and greek statutes. So while I do listen to what people want, and what resonates with them - it also needs to resonate with me first.

That's hilarious about the "not lying down" comment. Some people want to inhabit such tiny boxes.



What one aspect of your life in art has brought you the greatest joy?

Great question. Growing up and then working in corporate America, there always seemed to be a “what will people think” question running through my mind. I don’t mean about art - I mean about everything. The color of the rug in the living room, what I was wearing, what decorations I put outside my home etc. And I’ve noticed this internal dialogue in a lot of other people as well.

The awesome thing about being an artist is I’ve learned to turn that off. Because for me there is no way I could paint anything I now paint if I was worried about what people might say. No one got the torso paintings when I first started them. No one got why I would paint a giraffe - but now they love them. This worrying about what other people think is stifling.

And I don’t have that anymore. And occasionally if I forget, friends will remind me that I’m an artist, I can do whatever. So I do. I wear what I want. I decorate my house as I like. I even dyed my hair with pink highlights for a while, because I could. Embracing being an artist has been the best. Because it has been freeing.

Thanks, Michelle. Awesome interview!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Vinsetta Garage Closes - A Sad Moment

Here is a story on the closing of Vinsetta Garage, which is only a few miles from my house.

It has been in business 91 years.  That's right - there were still brand new Model T's being built when this garage opened.  So sad!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

1999 (For All Confirmands)

Here is a poem I just discovered wasting away in a metal filing cabinet in my basement.  I wrote it more than ten years ago, but just put the finishing touches on it today.


1999 (For All Confirmands)

The world is young and in her lover's hands.
She's not the aged spinster some have said.
Regeneration has released the bands
Of Lucifer, who chained her in his bed.

Another lover now caresses her,
Who found her torn and bloody and in need.
And lately he has compassed her with myrrh.
And lately, too, has given her his seed.

Another thousand years will soon be gone.
Another thousand soon to hear his mirth.
A new millennium can safely dawn
With such a lover ravishing the earth.

Come, drink, all you his holy confirmands.
The world is young and in her lover's hands.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Courting Danger

I don't really like safety.  There, I've said it.

One of the great things about hot rods (other than that they are loud, fast, and cool looking) is that they are just a tad dangerous.  That is why they draw the attention of adrenaline junkies such as myself.














I do understand both the feelings and the logic of those who are more risk-averse than myself.  I just can't seem to feel it the same way they do.  And they, in turn, do not understand the fact that I am drawn to situations in which there is an element of risk. 

Yesterday some friends, who had been without heat in their house for four days, called me with an urgent request.  The man was coming to their Hamtramck house to turn on the gas, but they were delayed while helping a relative, and were trapped out of town.  They asked me to go over to the house and let the gas man in.  "But I have no key!" I objected.  Oh, you can just climb in the front window and let yourself in that way.  This is not something I was at all comfortable doing.  So ... I did it.  Partially to help them, and partially for the thrill of it.

It is exactly as I wrote the other day, here:
I need to feel myself a rebel in some sense, and part of a conspiracy. At the same time, I need to feel that my actions are righteous, and that I am fighting on the side of the angels.
And this "mission" filled the bill quite nicely.  It was a mission to help some friends not freeze at night ("fighting on the side of the angels":  CHECK!), but at the same time it was breaking into a house in broad daylight in a not-very-nice neighborhood ("feel myself a rebel in some sense": CHECK!).
 
But I was supposed to be talking about hot rods, wasn't I?  One of my (and my son Eliot's) heroes is Wild Willie Borsch.  You will notice in these photographs that, though drag racing is intended to be a straight-line sport, the car is usually sideways.  Do you think Wild Willie got out of the throttle during those crazy losses of control?  Not on your life.  Then he would have been "Safe Willie" Borsch, or perhaps "Mild Willie" Borsch.


















In summary, I don't want to hurt the people around me.  I don't want to die before my time.  But if you are going to be my friend, you are going to have to watch me get sidewise every now and again.  I can't live any other way.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Splendid Sparsity (Part 2)

Here is another of those splendidly sparse songs.  The kind that works magic on your heart, but falls to pieces if you try to take it apart and see why it works.  Under analytical scrutiny, there doesn't seem to be any reason why this song should work so well.  But it does.

Today, I Started Loving You Again

Today I started loving you again
I'm right back where I've really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
Then today, I started loving you again

What a fool I was to think I could get by
With only these few millions tears I cry
I should have known the worst was yet to come
And that crying time for me had just begun
Cause today I started loving you again
I'm right back where I've really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
Then today I started loving you again
Well today I started loving you again
I'm right back where I've really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
Then today I started loving you again
Then today I started loving you again
This song has basically two unique verses, and only one idea.  But I bow before its majesty.  My only clue is that it works by putting the hearer to work.  The listener hears what the song is about, and fills in all the voids with the sad tincture of his own sorrow.  At least, I do.