Words

Thursday April 07, 2011

WILSON TEWAQUAPTEWA

Although Hopi katsina carvings have been dated to the 1880s, attribution to specific makers didn’t occur until the 1920s. The first artist to be so recognized was the Kikmongwi or Chief of Orayvi, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873 – 1960). He appears to have begun carving in the 1920s.

His creations are among the most interesting in the history of the Hopi art form for two reasons: First, he was one of the most important political figures in the 20th Century due to his central role in the famous 1906 split which lead to the creation of the Hopi

villages of Hotevilla and Bacavi. Second, he was unique in the history of Hopi katsina carving because he intentionally never made an accurate rendition of a Katsina figure. He deliberately distorted all his carvings because of his religious conviction that accurate versions of the Katsina spirits and dancers should not be sold. Instead, he mixed up or made up all his carvings and sold them to the ever increasing waves of researchers and tourists visiting Hopiland. Ironically, his dolls have become among the most desirable and collectible of all Hopi katinsam, even though none of his creations are what they appear to be.

These katsina carvings are entirely representative of his better work. One bears tableta ears that feature a corn motif, a design he often favored. Two others have crossed eyes, a favorite distortion of his that points to his sense of humor and irreverence. All three have oversized ears – which are desirable attributes because they are dramatic. And one has outlandish polka dots which he invented as a common decoration.

Tawaquaptewa’s creations are not mere carvings. They are important objects of Hopi history which emanated from a unique political figure and artisan.
Barry Walsh
November 2010

Barry Walsh, “Kikmongwi as Artist: The Katsina Dolls of Wilson Tawaquaptewa,” Winter 1998, American Indian Art magazine.

Saturday February 26, 2011

Ouch!

Seth Godin just got me right where it hurts, but where it helps to hear it as long as I act on it. Actually, I have acted on it with my daily paintings on this blog even before I read Seth’s post. But I still have a lot of work to do on the balancing act.

Check out Seth’s post. It’s about writing, but can apply to painting, or just about anything you should or could be doing. It’s short and to the point.

In and out

That’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make today…

Click here for the rest of the post. Then let me know your thoughts in a comment.

Hopi Kachina Dolls Aren’t Toys, but an Educational & Ceremonial Tool
by Sussana Hartigan

When one thinks of a doll, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a little girl’s toy. However, not all dolls are toys, and not all dolls are for girls. In a world that is set up to respect the belief system and religion of its people, Hopi kachina dolls are used as a medium to help train young children how to behave and honor the native tradition. Kachina dolls, known as tihu by the Hopi people, come in various disguises that are designed to represent the various kachina spirits and to teach good moral values and judgement. Since the discovery of the tihu, its form and style have transformed over time to accommodate the changing world. The tihu is not just a doll to the Hopi, but another form of good spirits from the lower world aiding the living in the upper world.

To the Hopi people of Arizona, their religion is their way of life. While they believe in Mother Earth and Father Sun, it is the kachinas that bring good fortune, blessings, punishments, and weather conditions to the Hopi. Kachinas are spiritual messengers of the Creator who can appear in a variety of forms. “…A kachina can be an abstract thing. You don’t know the meaning behind it – all you know is that it will perform for you, it brings rain, it carries messages back to whoever is making rain”, describes Michael Lomatuway’ma, a Hopi man (The Kachinas). Kachinas act as intermediaries between the living and the dead. Hopi men dress as kachina dancers during certain festivals throughout the year and bear gifts to the young Hopi children. One of these gifts may include a kachina doll.

During the winter solstice, Kachinas arrive in the upper world with the living… more

ANOTHER MINI MILESTONE!

We just passed 4,000 hits! We are so pleased with and grateful for the wonderful response our Daily Painting Auction is getting. Thanks to all of you. Watch for our new contest coming up for the month of October, and don’t forget – this month’s most frequent bidder will win a FREE 6 x 9 Inch Watercolor.

RESPONSE TO A POLL
September 09, 2010

Artist and Author Katherine Tyrell had a poll this morning on her always interesting and informative blog Making a Mark. She asked, “Which performance measure matters most to you as an artist?”

Here is the poll and my response to it:

Which numerical performance measure matters most to you as an artist? The number of…..

* pieces of art you’ve produced
* galleries your work is in
* solo exhibitions you’ve had
* exhibitions including your work
* art competitions including your work
* press reviews you’ve received
* works you’ve sold (all time)
* works you’ve sold (this year)
* collections your work is in
* high status collections your work is in
* gross income this year
* net income this year

Response:

Because I have dealt directly with my collectors for the majority of my 40 plus years as a full-time artist, including owning my on Galleries for 15 years, I would have to say the friends I have made, and the feedback I have received from those who own my work has been the greatest satisfaction.

1a. collections your work is in / high status collections your work is in
So I guess I would have to say, numerically, the important collections my work is in     matter to me most, as every collection I am in is of great importance to me.

1b. pieces of art you’ve produced / works you’ve sold (all time) / works you’ve sold (this year)
Every painting I have done, from the first, through the 22 x 30 foot mural I did for Wells     Fargo Bank in the early 1980s, to the daily 6 x 6 inch paintings that I am now painting for     my daily painting auction blog, A Farnsworth A Day http://afarnsworthaday.com, would     have to place “works I’ve produced” in a tie for first place.

2. net income this year
Because food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities, and travel, when possible, are     important and contribute greatly to my ability to continue painting, “net income” every     day and every year, comes in a very close second to the above.

3. gross income this year
Because it makes my net possible.

4. the Internet / Giclee
I added these two because they have greatly enhanced my ability to share my work with     so many more people, and because they have helped with income, both gross and net.

5. press reviews you’ve received
6. exhibitions including your work
7. galleries your work is in
8. art competitions including your work
9. solo exhibitions you’ve had

Click here to see the poll on Making a Mark, and to read my response, along with several others. I hope you have enjoyed reading this. Let me know your thoughts, ideas, and comments.

John

August 30, 2010

THANKS

Thanks to all of you who have visited A FARNSWORTH A DAY.

Thanks to those who have commented. (I promise I’ll respond to each of you as soon as I get this thing working smoothly. I’m amazed at all the little maddening, time-consuming, embarrassing technical glitches that have cropped up).

Thank you to all who have subscribed, as well as to those who prefer to check in daily, or even periodically.

Thank you, most of all, to all of you who have bid on your favorite paintings, and especially to the lucky winners who are now new or continuing Farnsworth Collectors.

Thank you to those pioneers of Daily Painting blogs and auctions, Duane Keiser, Julien Merrow-Smith,  Edward B. Gordon, and others, who were the inspiration for this relative late-comer to the ranks.

Thanks to you all.

This first month has been a wonderful experience. We started out fully intending to make this an ongoing project with no plan for an ending. We didn’t know, though, how long it might take to make it a viable alternative to our bricks and mortar galleries.

Now we know. It is already working better than we dared hope.

Thea misses the daily interaction with collectors and friends, but we’re planning some studio events to take care of that aspect. Now that we are no longer tied down to the galleries, we also hope to travel more; meet new friends and visit old friends. Maybe we’ll get to see you, soon.

As you probably already know, I’m having the time of my life, painting daily, getting all these ideas and inspirations out onto canvas and into the world. I swear, the old dog is even learning some new tricks.

We are touched by knowing some of you have already dedicated space in your homes and offices to what is becoming your “quilt” of 6 x 6 Inch Farnsworth paintings! Mini-collections. I love it!

I’m hoping to find a little more time for teaching. Thea and I have more time together, now, and we’re even learning to work together in the same space!

This first month has been a rewarding, satisfying, enjoyable, heart-warming learning experience. We are looking forward to many more. We are also looking forward to new friends, new collectors, new adventures, and new challenges.

Again, thank you for joining us in this adventure. Please share it with your friends.

Let us know what you like, what you don’t like (gently, please) and feel free to make suggestions so that we can make this even more fun and exciting for us all.

John and Thea

August 24, 2010

What’s this little thing on the paintings? Three lines? What is it? It’s my new signature. New for my small 6 x 6 inch A FARNSWORTH A DAY daily auction paintings. Farnsworth is a pretty long name, anyway, to scrawl across even a moderately sized painting. It can tend to take over, alter the design, the composition of the piece. And with my Sunface added, it can be even more of a problem. On these smaller images it’s just more than I want to subject the painting to.

So. Here’s the new plan. On the front, I’ll be signing with just my initials, J.F., combined into a sort of “brand”, like this:

and on the back, I’ll add my traditional signature, the title, etc., like this:

making the smaller signature on the front an addition to, rather than a replacement of, my original signature.

I hope you like it. It will make the paintings look better, while maintaining, maybe even enhancing, the recognition factor.

John

Juanaday (That’s what some are calling me, these days)

JF

August 18, 2010

This morning, I received an interesting and thought provoking article in my email. I’m republishing it here, followed by my response. I hope you will take the time to read both, and that you will get back to me with your own comments and responses.

John

Why Do YOU Make Art?

by Lori Woodward

Today’s Post is by Lori Woodward, Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. She is also a contributing editor for American Artist’s Watercolor and Workshop magazines and she writes “The Artist’s Life” blog on American Artists’ Forum. Lori is a member of The Putney Painters, an invitational group that paints under the direction of Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik.  Find out how you can be a guest author.

I’ve been re-reading some of my collection of books by Seth Godin. He’s the kind of author that writes about topics that make you think about the essentials of your existence and not just the “what?” and the “how?” of your work, but the “WHY?” More than a decade ago, Seth revolutionized the way the world markets products by writing about “permission marketing”. Not that the concept didn’t exist, but Seth pushed it to the forefront, and in my opinion, changed the world.

For the last week or so, I’ve been pondering a new series for blogs on Fine Art Views. My goal, as always, is to feed my fellow artists with encouragement, useful information, and sometimes… the plain hard truth about being a professional artist. Today, I’ll begin that new series and I can’t say just what path it will ultimately take because these articles are loosely defined in my mind. If I write a “set in stone” outline now, it will not lead to sharing the best of what I have. Just like my art career goals, my  writing paths need to stay somewhat fluid in order to take advantage of opportunities or ideas that crop up along the way.

Are You Making the Art That You Love?

So let’s get started: The first area that I’m pursuing and would like to present to you has, as I said, nothing to do with what you paint or make, or how you do it, but why you are an artist. What is the very reason you make art? I ask so that you’ll have a firm grasp of who you are from the get-go, that you’ll be able to accept your natural gifts and run with them, not being confused and led astray by what other artists are doing (even if they’re making a lot of money at it).

If you’re going to succeed as an artist, you’ll need to put an enormous amount of energy into that goal, so why not make the process totally relate to your unique personality, strengths and desires? Art is an expression of how we uniquely see the world – what we love and the expression of those things in a medium that can be shared with others. Quite often the result is that an artwork gets shared over the course of many generations. It’s not just about making a product. It’s so much more than that!

Art is the fruition of soulful gifts; not a tool or a commodity, it is almost immortal – having meaning beyond everyday life. It is not needed for survival. But none the less, it is welcomed and treasured.

Sometimes the most meaningful things are those that are not necessary. Is a sunset necessary? Can plants synthesize food with chlorophyll without the sunset’s beautiful array of colors? Can we get vitamin D in our skin without a rainbow? Yes, life would go on. But things like sunsets and rainbows are meaningful in a way that goes beyond our basic needs. These are the things that make pleasurable, vivid memories.

Art is special, it’s like whipped cream on warm chocolate pudding. It’s not essential, but what would life be like without it? Art, in all forms – music, paintings, dance, athletics, makes daily life palatable.

If you’re an Artist, then you have a calling

So what does all this have to do with you? If you are an artist – everything. For a moment, I’d like you to cut out all the marketing, clutter and noise, and think about why you are an artist and why you are inclined to make the particular kind of art you do. It’s important that you know the answer, otherwise you might get dragged off in a direction that will eventually frustrate you.

Just for a minute, shut out all the other voices and think about how you’re unique. What art subjects excite you? Are you currently working on something purely for other’s wants? Can you tell the difference? If you must paint commissions to make a living, that’s OK – all I’m asking is that you understand the difference between art that is generated from creative passion and work that is done only to satisfy the need to make a living. In many cases the two can be combined.

So let me end this blog here with 2 questions: Why are you an artist and why do you paint the subject matter and style that you do?

Sincerely,

Lori

———————————————-
This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews by Canvoo,
a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists,
collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art).

This article originally appeared at:
http://fineartviews.com/blog/22274/why-do-you-make-art

For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com

———————————————–

My response:

Why do I make Art?

I’m not sure why I make art. I always have. I’m terrified at the thought of not making art. I make art to share what I’ve seen, felt, responded to. I make art to explain, examine, explore. I make art to satisfy an inexplicable inner need. I make art to see if I can. I make art to learn and to grow as an artist. And, yes, I make art to make a living. To feed myself and my family, to provide clothing and shelter and the materials, space, time and inspiration to continue making art.

Commissions? I, unlike many others, love doing commissions. Especially site-specific commissions. I enjoy the challenge, the problem solving, the collaboration, the challenge. I love the satisfaction of meeting a goal and a deadline, and delivering something even greater than the client expected. The freedom to work on a piece without financial concerns, knowing that the money, at least half of it, is already in the bank makes making art even a greater pleasure.

I’ve been making art, now, for over forty years. Full-time. I have painted strictly for myself. I have painted to satisfy clients. I have occasionally painted subjects that I thought would appeal to a market. (And been sorry for it). I once did a commissioned portrait of a Thoroughbred race horse. That has led to many years of painting horses in an attempt to learn to paint the essence of the horse. As a result I am most often thought of as a painter of horses. But I am a painter of many things. Have always been. People, animals, still-lifes, landscapes, florals, ethnic studies, urban studies, all have found their way to my easel.

I’ve recently joined the ranks of the daily painters. This is the most invigorating and challenging thing I have done in years. When I first began painting full time, I chose a subject that was important to me and that I knew something about, the Native Americans of the Southwest. Within that larger heading there were many possibilities. In fact, most of the subjects mentioned above could be painted within that framework. And yet that began to feel restrictive, constraining. I began traveling, and as a result, longed to paint non-Indian subjects. I wanted to paint my own people, for instance. I wanted to paint other places, other subjects. And I did. But the horses came along, and because of the challenge, and because of the ready market, they took over the majority of my time and efforts. Don’t misunderstand, they are still a challenge, and I see nothing wrong with meeting a market demand. But balance is important. And that’s where the daily paintings come in. That’s where I can indulge the artist in me without the influence of other considerations.

What’s the old saying? Do what you would do even if you didn’t get paid for it. Well, that’s what I’m doing now, every day. And guess what? I am getting paid for it. My daily painting silent auction, www.afarnsworthaday.com, is less than a month old, and already it’s a success. Collectors whose walls are already full are finding spaces for these smaller, more intimate pieces. Some are already buying multiple pieces; building mini-collections. (They are fun and look good in groups). Those who culd not afford my larger originals are saying they can now own a Farnsworth. Others are seeing them as excellent gift ideas. And, after 15 years in the gallery business in Taos and Santa Fe, it’s nice to be able to exhibit and sell to the entire world on the Internet.

Why do I make Art? Why would I do anything else?

John Farnsworth