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Tweek!

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twitter.jpgI did not post a Tweek last Sunday — I had had a long day entertaining and then spent three hours painting my daughter’s room. I was just too tired — so this post covers the last two weeks.

What else have I been up to? It’s summertime and the living is easy. I am not quite up to my usual studio speed but I do have more time than I’ve had in previous years. I’ve found that my teenager sleeps all morning so if I can get myself in gear, I can pack a couple of hours in.

I have been expanding on my car wash series collaboration with Leisa Rich and set her up a couple of days ago as my first contributing author on the blog. We met earlier this week to discuss what to do with the first piece — but I admit I’ve already put my attention into another piece — a bigger one. I’m almost done with the drafting. Hopefully I’ll have some pictures up on the blog by next week.

These are my tweets for the last couple of weeks. If you would rather follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves. I have several social media icons in the upper right above the menu.

Although leasing work is probably not a good consideration for textile work (given its added limitations on exposure to direct light and its ability to absorb smells), I found this article about leasing artwork to be a great marketing idea for most artists.
Have You Considered Leasing Your Artwork? –

Wise words of Winkleman — he always has a pulse on the art world. As an MBA graduate, I was fascinated by his analysis of why the art market is an exception to many economic principles.
“Applying the Rules of all Markets to Art” Why economic principles don’t apply to the art market & unethical flipping

I found this court case to be disturbing. Although it is wonderful that there will be more books digitized for the blind, I find it unconscionable that a judge would take away the rights of the authors as to whether or not their work would be digitized (and thus its subsequent inevitable pirating).
“Digitized Books for Disabled Don’t Need Authors’ OK – Bloomberg” Good for disabled — bad for authors.

Another author making a case for doing work and not waiting for inspiration to strike.
“Don’t Waste Your Time on Inspiration”

It’s not often that I find a fiber artist highlighted on My Modern Met. Ana Teresa Barboza’s work is striking. I love the one of the fiber lion placing the drawn woman’s head in his mouth.
Inspiration: “Artist Uses Colorful Embroidery to Explore Natural Forms”
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I don’t usually refer people to music videos, but this one certainly qualifies as performance art.
This is genius performance art — check out OK Go’s new music video:

I was fascinated by this article about Gauguin and that he often painted still lifes to bring home the bacon.
Even Gauguin needed to pay the bills. “Previously Unknown Gauguin Reveals a Lot About the Artist”

This is Leisa Rich’s article on my blog about our collaboration. I’ve added a feed from my blog to Twitter. It occurred to me that I routinely tweet articles that I’ve read, but I haven’t been tweeting about my own work. It’s ironic that my first syndicated post is not written by me.
Ruminations on Collaboration

Famed designer Massimo Vignelli who passed recently put forth the idea that all creatives need vision, courage, and determination to be successful.
“Massimo Vignelli: The 3 Traits of Great Creatives” Vision, courage, & determination.

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgI’m into the second week of summer and still trying to figure out how this works with teenagers. I have more time than when they were smaller — but still not as much as you would think. They come get me in my studio, asking for help. I started using the timer on my phone trying to keep better track of my time with all of the interruptions.

This week was mostly administrative. I put a bunch of old studio things on eBay for sale and I entered a couple of shows — a process that ALWAYS takes longer than it should. I’ll write more about that in another post.

This is my weekly wrap-up — and these are a collection of my tweets from the week. If you want to follow me in real time — I’m @vsgreaves — or hit the social media icons in the upper right above the menu.

This is an interesting discussion of the direction of the High Museum here in Atlanta. In my mind, it should be the center of cultural activity for the arts in the Southeast — but the fact that it is not pursuing the replacement of a folk art curator (and, in my mind, not creating a fiber arts collection) — are all reasons to question their status relative to other museums who are pursuing these directions.
High Museum stalls on hiring new folk art curator; collectors fear interest has waned | ArtsATL

There have been many articles recently about artists fed up with being asked to do work in exchange for exposure — which is to say that artists are routinely asked to work for free. This is fascinating considering the huge sums being made in the art market — largely NOT ending up in the pockets of the artists themselves. A new study in the UK gives us all facts to ponder. There’s also mention of the blog “Who Pays Artists” that has been collecting anecdotal stories about artists being paid (or not) for their work.
“Artists Still Not Getting Paid (But at Least We’re Starting to Talk About It)”

Procrastination — something we all need to deal with. I need to work on making my processes more portable — so I can still be with my daughters but also contributing to projects along the way.
“Dash Your Way Out of Procrastination” — something I really need right now

This article explains the Flame Challenge at the 2014 World Science Competition and the event “What is Color?” There is discussion of the biology of the human eye relative to other animals and how that affects our perception of color. This article also discusses how surrounding colors change color perception — meaning that the proximity of one color to another can affect how it is seen by your eyes — as can wavelengths of pulsing light.
“The Complications of Color, as Explained to an 11-Year-Old” — color is relative

It seems that Harper Lee has reached an undisclosed settlement with the museum of her hometown as both sides petitioned for dismissal of the copyright suit between them.
“Judge ends lawsuit by ‘Mockingbird’ author Lee”

Although this link is in French, the video shows an installation of photography in the Paris Pantheon by the French artist JR. I’m so fascinated with this that I’m considering a similar project with my daughter’s senior class. It’s so wonderfully cool.
French artist JR has covered areas of the int & ext of the Paris Pantheon with a mosaic of 4,000 faces — cool!

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgI just returned from a short vacation to celebrate the beginning of summer so much of my week was lost to the Muses, a respite of intellectual machinations to hopefully be cashed in at a later time. It was restful although I had hoped to spend time gathering inspiration through my camera. Unfortunately, the weather had a different agenda and a lot of time was spent looking at the ocean through large plate glass windows as we were inundated with rain, thunder, and lightening. (I will never understand the logic of people that think playing in the ocean or on a wet beach while lightening crashes around them is a good idea.)

I let my youngest daughter have the camera a good portion of the little bit of beach time that we enjoyed — so it will be interesting to pull them off the camera and see what enduring messages she has given me from our trip.

I did find time to tweet some — here is my weekly wrap-up. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves — or hit the social media icons in the upper right above the menu.

This is a deeply moving series of portraits of dogs that were in service during the chaos of 9/11. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the skill of the photographer the captured the deep pools of their eyes — or if it is a reflection of the horrors that they lived through during that time.
@mymodernmet: Moving Portraits of Surviving 9/11 Search and Rescue Dogs 10 Years Later

The world grew a little dimmer this week as we lost the life of Maya Angelou to the angels. This was her last tweet. May she rest in peace and rise in Glory.
RT @DrMayaAngelou: Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.

I was asked recently — by another artist — “how long did that take you to make?” As artists, we should consider this one as it is an opportunity to market ourselves if we answer it correctly.
“How to Answer “How Long Did That Take You to Make?”” Always a hard one to answer.

As Creatives, we are familiar with working in “the flow” — this book review covers “wu wei,” a similar concept, and why it’s important to use our unconscious brain in other difficult activities.
RT @brainpicker: How to cultivate the paradoxical art of spontaneity in work, life, and love through the Chinese concept of wu-wei

My mom, a painter, never had the back of her art remarked upon — although it’s something routinely considered in fabric art since it’s rooted in the traditional quilting world (whether we like it or not). I think that it presents a marketing opportunity for any artist in any medium if we’re willing to take the time to be thoughtful about it (as well as neat).
RT @ArtsyShark: What’s the Back Story on Your Art? –

A thoughtful consideration of why artists create the work that we do — and in the end, why the answer is probably best left unanswered.
RT @brainpicker: Why do we create? The great Leonard Bernstein on artistic motivation – absolutely brilliant and necessary read

I couldn’t help but share this incredible pen and ink master. Although his inspiration is inarguably baroque, his images are beautiful to behold.
@mymodernmet: Incredibly Detailed Ink Drawings of Winged Insects by Alex Konahin

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgThis was the last week of school for my girls so there was a lot of interruption and not a lot of studio time. I did manage to finish my latest small piece — a still life — but blocking it caused some fabric crocking that I will correct tomorrow. I’ll post about how I do that. I also took some in process pics that I’ll share. I admit I’ve been a little stingy with sharing my studio time lately. I think the truth of it is that I’m a little burned out creatively.

I also have not had a lot time for reading — so I only have four Tweets this weeks. Remember that if you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves — or hit the social media icons in the upper right above the menu.

I thought it interesting, after writing a recent post Branding Yourself As An Artist, that Winkleman has carried the torch and furthered the discussion. Being a gallerist from NY, he has a lot more wise thoughts on the subject.
“Branding for the Fine Artist : Part I” Wise words of Winkleman.

Brain Pickings presents yet another thoughtful essay on the secret to creative success as demonstrated by the masters — work ethic.
“The Long Game:Brilliant Visual Essays on the Only Secret to Creative Success, from Leonardo da Vinci to Marie Curie”

Although it’s curious enough to follow the bullying ways of WalMart, it’s equally fascinating to ask the question — who own the photograph? Although federal law says that it is the photographer, I have had subjects that are adamant that they are the owners of their own image.
“Walmart Goes After Photographer’s Widow” — who owns the photo — the photographer or the subject?

Harper Lee again takes her hometown to court for copyright infringement as the town continues to capitalize on their claim to fame.
“‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ author Harper Lee heading back to court in fight with hometown museum”

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgAnother week in May. My mom was visiting last weekend and stayed through Tuesday — so I didn’t make my weekly goal of studio time. Always depressing — but sometimes life gets in the way. Hopefully, I will finish my small still life this coming week. I shared a pre-quilting shot of it on my Facebook Page a couple of days ago.

This is my weekly Twitter round up. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves. You can also find me online through my social media icons in the upper right above the menu.

My first Tweet is about a couple that bought a warehouse in DC & decided to rent out space in it to artists for insanely low rents in the name of culture and small business growth.
“Off the Beaten Track provides affordable work space for D.C. artists”
via

Edward Winkleman gives another delightful read — a review after a Christie’s auction. No one is more painfully honest about the art scene in New York.
“Post-Incipient-Vomiting (or, An Analytical Look at “If I Live I’ll See You Tuesday”)” — Artists as brands.

I’ve been told that this has already happened. I suppose once people figured out how to make money on the internet, it was only a matter of time until people developed speed lanes for the giants of industry.
Really really bad changes threaten to put your Internet in the
. Say no at (via )

Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) is a professional textile artists group that has recently opened a new exhibit called Earth Stories at the Michigan State University Museum. I have several Facebook friends with pieces in the exhibit who, once the exhibit opened, were able to share how their pieces were created. It’s an extremely inspiring exhibit — not just on the theme of Earth Stories — but on the incredibly high professional talent in the world of textile art today.
SAQA’s Earth Stories exhibit opening Friday MSU Museum — incredible textile works.

A short article by 99U — but it covers the basics about the importance of starting and continuing.
“Vincent van Gogh & the Importance of Doing” Perserverance pays off — get to work!

Having spent a portion of my childhood as a people pleaser, I found Anne Lamott’s words really resonate with me. She also addresses the evils of perfectionism, another of my early faults that I thankfully excommunicated (having children really killed any remaining piece of that I still carried in my personality). “Shoot the moon.” I plan to get a copy of this book soon.
The Definitive Manifesto for Handling Haters:Anne Lamott on Priorities &How We Keep Ourselves Small by PeoplePleasing

Like many nuggets from Brain Pickings, I was unaware that anyone had ever declined the National Medal of Arts. I found Adrienne Rich’s letter to Bill Clinton interesting. I had a friend tell me that I have truly missed out by not reading her poetry — which I hope to rectify soon.
RT @brainpicker: Why Adrienne Rich, born 85 years ago today, became the only person to decline the prestigious National Medal of Arts

Not to get too political — but I did tweet this link about a Christian woman from Sudan who married a Christian and became pregnant. Because of Sharia law, she is considered Muslim because her father was, and so her marriage isn’t recognized — and after the birth and weaning of her child, she will be given 100 lashes and then  death — unless she recants her Christian beliefs. (There is disagreement about her degree of Christianity — but I’ll let you read the article and draw your own conclusions.)

This is a video about a man who went into the profession of a courtroom sketch artist — and how technology has made his skills increasingly obsolete. It is fascinating to consider the opportunity for an artist to make a living wage — and crushing to see it taken away and the artist morph into a security guard in order to pay his bills.
Watch: The Rise and Fall of a Courtroom Sketch Artist
via

Irish artist Brian Maguire traveled to Juarez, Mexico and spent four years documenting some of the 1,400 women killed and lost in this area of Mexico. We like to think that this is a remote problem that doesn’t concern us — but I live in Atlanta and it has become a weekly occurrence for teenage girls to disappear into sex trafficking in our city. Maybe it takes the resounding drum of artists to give faces to the missing and exploited.
“Art from Anger: Portraits of Ciudad Juarez’s Lost Women” The importance of social justice art.

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgAnyone with children can attest to the fact that May is different. School is almost over, exams are coming, spring sports are ending, routines are changing. Everything is in turmoil and unpredictability is the order of the day. I know in my heart that it should be easy to find 15 hours in my week to devote purely to the studio — but the reality isn’t always what we want it to be. I am glad that I finished my large piece Worn in April or I would be stressed trying to finish it. At this point, I am working on a small piece that I can easily pick up in the odd half hour I can pick out of my day.

Which is to say, I am not currently in a normal week. I did find some great articles to share on Twitter though — hopefully the other Creatives out there will take the time to peruse them. This is my weekly wrap up. If you’d rather follow me in real time, I can be found at @vsgreaves. Social media icons are in the upper right above the menu.

My friend Leisa Rich writes a compelling argument on her blog for the responsibility of the artist for the longevity of their work.
“Lost Integrity: Where did yours go?”

The person recently found with a large collection of art confiscated by the Nazis — has died — creating a legal labyrinth of ownership problems.
“Cornelius Gurlitt, Hoarder of Nazi-Era Art, Dies [UPDATED]”

Lisa Call — an inspiring artist that I have followed for some time for her artistic marketing acumen — has quit her full time job to becomes a full time artist. She was already a powerhouse — I know that her full time commitment to her art will create even more opportunities for her.
“The power of commitment” Let’s hear it for Lisa Call & her commitment to her art!

I have been to hotels and cruises that sold limited edition prints of famous people. I’ve looked at a few and wondered their true worth — and it seems that my skepticism was warranted.
“Rip-Off Alert: Art forgeries cost victims millions”

Inspiration — a photographer that experiments with homemade light tools and long exposures to create stunning photographs.
RT @ArtsyShark: Art on Fire! The amazing portfolio of light paintings by Jordan Kjome

As a huge Dr. Seuss fan, I was surprised to come across this review by Brain Pickings on a little known book of nudes by the famous author of children’s books. The book was published for adults and yet the illustrations are completely innocent.
RT @brainpicker: The Seven Lady Godivas – Dr. Seuss’s little-known, body-positive “adult” book of nudes

Inspiration — a photographer captures stunning macro photographs of water droplets.
RT @mymodernmet: Stunning macro photos of water drops by Shawn Knol

If you aren’t failing, you aren’t trying hard enough. Not matter what the world throws at you, go make art.
RT @brainpicker: “Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before.”Advice from Neil Gaiman

Tweek!

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It’s been an exciting week. I started on a new albeit small piece for a special exhibit and I had the opening reception for Georgia Artists here in Atlanta at which I was graced with a first place ribbon. Don’t blink — life can get fast. I just need to remember that while I am isolated in my studio during the week with little human contact except on the computer.

Here I present my weekly Twitter tweets. If you would rather follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves. You can find icons for my Facebook Page and Twitter account in the upper right above the menu.

I love Elizabeth Gilbert — she wrote Eat Pray Love — and in this TED talk, she discusses dealing with success and failure and how to recover from both of them.
Home is where you love something more than yourself. Elizabeth Gilbert: Success, failure & the drive to keep creating

It’s hard to tell from the title but Winkleman is asking why people buy art and what they as a consumer gain from that exchange. If we hope to sell them our work, it’s a good idea to know how this question is answered.
Winkleman: What job do people today hire fine art to do? “My Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard”

The High Museum here in the ATL has received several million dollars of donations to use for a permanent collection space dedicated to photography.
“Atlanta’s High Museum of Art receives nearly $4 million for photography « AMA”

Inspirational photography:
RT @mymodernmet: Brooke Shaden dazzles us once again with these beautifully surreal photos

Winkleman writes an interesting argument for equal access to an arts education, and although I take issue with his discussion of income inequality (which reeks of communism), the truth as my capitalist heart knows is that our republic has been devolving into an oligarchy and only the rich will soon be able to pursue a degree in the arts. What great art will we miss if everyone isn’t given the opportunity to create? Will we miss the next Michelangelo?
“Equal Access to an Arts Education” Art education & the economic realities of an oligarchy.

I am a huge proponent for arguing that you should fail — and if you aren’t failing you aren’t trying — and this review of the book Creativity Inc. on Pixar’s cofounder covers a discussion of what kind of strategies managers need to bring risk and ultimately big successes into their companies.
“Pixar Cofounder Ed Catmull on Failure & Why Fostering a Fearless Culture Is the Key to Groundbreaking Creative Work”

This is a quote from the article above — the review of the book on Ed Catmull, Pixar cofounder.
RT @brainpicker: “In a fear-based, failure-averse culture, [people’s] work will be derivative, not innovative.”

This is another book review from Brain Pickings — on Letters to a Young Artist — in which the author discusses the importance of self-esteem in the creation of art.
“Letters to a Young Artist: Anna Deavere Smith on Confidence and What Self-Esteem Really Means”

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgIt’s time for my weekly round up. In the studio, I’ve been determined to finish my latest piece by the end of the month. I have a show deadline in May that I would like to meet — so I’ve become something of a hermit. (I hope my friends and family will forgive my absenteeism.) I finished quilting, and added the binding with all of the machine work — and now I’m down to the hand sewing part. I always find this hard. My skin is not tough & I typically push the needle through at least one finger — there’s blood and swearing — but eventually it comes to an end and I can proceed with the photography and computer work. That’s where I’ll hopefully be by tomorrow afternoon.

I delivered two of my pieces, Golden Moment and Worry, to the Abernathy Arts Center in Sandy Springs, on Thursday. The Georgia Artists exhibit opens on Friday — reception is 7-9 pm — hope to see you there! Since it’s local Atlanta, it’s one of the few openings I can attend in a year and I look forward to meeting all of the other artists.

By the way, they have installed a new bronze sculpture outside Abernathy Arts Center that I love. It’s made by Don Haugen. Isn’t it charming?

Don Haugen

I also had a few opportunities to tweet. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves. All of my social media links are above the menu on the right hand side. 

I present, as usual, a summary of my tweets for the week.

This article was written by a black photographer, discussing the racially biased calibration of both cameras and film development processes. Having spent many hours struggling with my camera to accurately photograph some of my pieces, I understand that cameras are not as accurate as the human eye — although many people assume that they are. Extreme value changes cause shifts that can be impossible to overcome without splicing the picture in Photoshop — so when I came across this article, I realized that I had never before considered the possibility of camera limitations in terms of photographing value shifts in skin color.
“Teaching The Camera To See My Skin” I’ve struggled w/ light&dark in my camera-never realized it’s calibration biased

Edward Winkleman never disappoints in his intellectual discussion of the modern art world — and in this blog post, he approaches the subject of long term value of contemporary work.
“Determining Long-Term Value” A thoughtful discussion on historical significance from Winkleman.

As I mentioned last week, Pearl Paint in New York was set to close. Now it has. A real loss to the art world — in terms of its iconic position, its supply to artists, and the building’s worth as an architectural piece of history (as they plan to tear it down).
“Pearl Paint Closes” Sad.

My mother, an oil painter, always signed her last name on the front of her artwork. When she remarried and her name changed, which name she would use on her work became an issue. She also never added a date as she felt that would date your work and buyers always wanted your freshest pieces. Since my work is rooted in the quilt world and its different conventions, I never sign on the front. I always sign on the back and add a date. This article presents a discussion of signage and dates on the actual artwork.
RT @ArtsyShark: Where do you sign your artwork?

As someone who spends time studying the human profile, I found this discussion of silhouettes compelling — that deleting extraneous details can lead the artist to a truer interpretation of their subject.
RT @ArtsyShark:The Value of Silhouette

Facebook is at it again — it plans to change the format of business Pages — compelling all of us to redo our banners and profile pics to account for a new presentation.
RT @abstanfield: New Facebook Page Timeline: 4 Things You Need to Do Now to Prepare

Tweek!

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I have been in a mad dash to finish my latest piece and hope to be in the final stages this week — but I did find time to tweet quite a bit. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves — or hit the icon in the upper right above the menu. A link for my Facebook Page is there too.

In preparation for tax day, Hyperallergic shares a list of countries with far more progressive tax systems for artists than the US.
“Tax Tips for Artists” Just finished filing my taxes — it’s a shame I don’t live in a more forward thinking country.

You just have to see this to believe it. Someone took an old typewriter and replaced the keys with pigments.
A typewriter that paints — I want one.

Yet another Banksy siting — this one on the wall of a youth club in Banksy’s hometown in the UK. Unfortunately, the owners have moved the artwork and plan to profit on the piece — Banksy’s intentions unknown.
RT @mymodernmet: Update on Mobile Lovers: Man who removed Banksy artwork says he has been issued with death threats

I appreciate a good argument for the gray areas of life — and this article looks at the different sides of photojournalism: Is it art? Is it right to profit from the sale of pictures that you take as a photojournalist, or does that mean that you’re profiting from exploiting your subjects for money?
“The art of photojournalism – Art – How To Spend It” Is documentary photography art & is it moral to sell it for big$

This is another gray area of life. As a Christian, I have my own points of view. I’ll let you review the article to develop your own opinions.
“Sculpture of Homeless Jesus Sparks Controversy” how art fits into the larger scheme of religious org’s &at what cost

Beyond the pain of seeing the death of yet another brick and mortar bookstore, is it right to hasten the demise of a business in an architecturally historic building in order to tear it down for big money modern condos?
“The Last Gasps of Rizzoli Bookstore” “greed=the destruction of our architectural heritage”

I retweeted this graphic as a reminder of recommended sizes for Facebook pics (banners, profile pics, album uploads, etc.).
RT @abstanfield: All Facebook Image Dimensions: Timeline, Posts, Ads [Infographic] – Jon Loomer Digital

As a non-MFA artist, I would (of course) argue that art schools are not necessarily to best way to learn.
RT @ArtsyShark: Are Art Schools the best way to learn?

100 Years of Solitude is one of my favorite books. When I heard of the death of the author this week, I realized that I have missed out on all of his other works (although I’m fairly certain I’ve also read Love in the Time of Cholera).
“Gabriel García Márquez, Conjurer of Literary Magic, Dies at 87” author of 100 Yrs of Solitude

My mom, who is an impressionist painter, and I have talked many times over the years about the problems with donating your artwork. This blog post by Kate Vrijmoet covers all the reasons why it isn’t a good idea.
RT @abstanfield: The broader economic implications of donating your art via

I’ve seen work by this Russian photographer before — the pictures that she takes of her children are truly special.
Elena Shumilova – Russian Mother Takes Amazing Portraits of Her Two Kids with Animals

Tweek!

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twitter.jpgThis has been a busy week. I’m frantically trying to finish my current piece so it will be ready in time for a specific exhibition entry deadline. As of Friday, it is almost ready to be pinned for quilting. There is just a little bit of stabilizer on the back I intend to rip before I sandwich it.

BUT — I did find time to keep up with what’s going on in the world and managed to find some nuggets to share with other Creatives. If you want to follow me in real time, I’m @vsgreaves — or check out the social media icons in the upper right hand corner above the menu. You’ll find a link to my Facebook Page there too.

Vivian Maier is the photographer recently discovered who made pictures throughout her life but didn’t share them with anyone. I have a certain fascination with her because one of her pictures, recently published, shows a woman in New York that is almost certainly my great grandmother. This article covers a documentary of her life, following Maloof, the Chicago historian who bids on a trunk of film negatives at auction, through what has been discovered about Maier’s personal life.
“Finding Vivian Maier” a fascinating documentary about mysterious street photographer @ArtsATLcom http://tinyurl.com/kqlxafx 

When I was a teenager, my mom and I would travel frequently to New York. On every trip, mom would take me down to Chinatown to browse the aisles of Pearl Paint. To think that they are selling their iconic store is truly saddening.
“Iconic Downtown Art Supply Store Imperiled by Sale” My mom used to take me here when I was a teenager. http://feedly.com/e/sBUQ1vxQ 

As a skeptic, I found the argument in this book review truly compelling. The analogy of a swimmer being helped by the hidden current — and then being hindered by it when swimming in reverse makes the point perfectly obvious. Biases are part of our social fabric and work like hidden currents, helping or hindering our progress.
“The Hidden Brain: How Ocean Currents Explain Our Unconscious Social Biases” http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/brainpickings/rss/~3/5QsM8WlE80M/ 

I reported about six months ago on billboards in Europe holding masters paintings and lamented that we could not have that same exposure to good art here in the US. Now we will.
“National Exhibition Will Fill US Billboards with Art” — just like they’ve had in Europe! Yay! http://feedly.com/e/K6pm3Dd4 

I was flipping through Hyperallergic and came across this article about George Dureau, a photographer from NO that recently passed. Although the majority of his pieces are homoerotic — not a particular subject of interest for me — I truly wanted to weep at the mastery of some of photographs. He obviously developed a very caring relationship with his subjects and that affection comes across in his work.
“Remembering George Dureau” Provocative art — but his photography is amazing. He will be missed. http://tinyurl.com/k7vyzql 

This group of inspirational photographs is captioned by a pic of a young girl smoking a cigarette. It’s like a car accident — you can’t look away even though you know at its heart that it’s wrong — and truly, it pulls you in and makes a story develop for you, the viewer. Most all of these photos are equally compelling.
“The 60 Most Powerful Photos Ever Taken That Perfectly Capture The Human Experience” http://tinyurl.com/kr9lx78  @Distractify

I’m currently finishing up my taxes and was mesmerized by this article about how Mexico taxes artists. Rather than ask for money, they ask for artwork that is then stored, some of which becomes part of the national heritage collection. No valuation of the pieces are made — if a certain number of sales are made, the government asks for one piece — if more are sold, they ask for more pieces. Artists hope to be included in the national collection so they are motivated to provide good pieces for their donations.
What a great idea! “In Mexico, Artists Can Pay Taxes With Artwork” http://tinyurl.com/qa9nodj  @TheAtlantic

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