Scene Seen

 Oooops!! Over lap.
As soon as I posted this I saw that Pam had just posted one. Skip this one here and go see hers first!



Clarification

Yesterday's post seems to have been unclear. In no way was I saying that all kinds of things that anybody wishes to call art are equally as valid or worthwhile as anything else. Many things that some people call art are certainly not: pornographic images, thrown together trashy stuff, some handicrafts (that while technically fine, are not per se art). Other things might be art, but are bad art, not just "I don't like it," but bad in the sense that it fulfills neither the "good," the beautiful," or the "true" qualifications to be worthwhile.

That being said, many kinds of artistic expression are still valid, even if some people prefer other kinds. Mostly what I was referring to was whether decorative arts can be called art. Yes, they can.

Personally, I love fine figurative sculpture, but I also love dolls. Really. I like simple ones and highly refined ones (but not run-of-the-mill mass produced ones). I see no reason not call refined doll making as much an art as classical figure sculpture.

Wow. A "proper" sculpture, by Phillipe Faraut

Also Wow, in a more fantasy style, same sculptor

Wow. A doll with setting, by Natalie Ruiz

Wow again, a doll, by Ankie Daanen

Likewise decorative faces can be (but aren't always) a form of art as much as realistic portraiture. Each has its place. And in terms of techniques and materials - over which many people can get quite snooty - no one style or medium can be said to be inherently better than another. True, some will certainly fetch more on the market (compare oil paintings to watercolor or pencil works in price), but that does not make them "better." The same goes for scribble lines versus single lines, for carefully blended colors versus patched colors, for collage/stencils/stamping versus wholly drawn images. Each can be artistic in its place.

Seen Today - and Yesterday

The views were lovely, so I want to show you. (Much lovelier than my camera saw...)

Retta looking for a stick

Glarner Alps from the base of the Albis

More Glarner Alps

That is the Zürichsee in the distance

Town and country, Lake Zürich in the background

The Esel wanted to eat where the Schaf was lying

Schwartze Schafe

A separate post will cover the next Face Drawing exercise.