Seen Art ?

 I have spent many hours, but never enough time, looking for art in our world. My favorite book to express art is called SEEN ART by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. Each time I read it to myself my mind goes on its own path of remembering and finding art in my life. 

The National Wallace Monument was built in Scotland between 1861-1869 to commemorate William Wallace, who defeated the English on September 11, 1297. To the Scots he would become a hero. To his enemies he was an outlaw, a murderer, and a traitor.  The Victorian Gothic style design features crown spire, turrets, and gun loops, and the statue of William Wallace.  

Why is this art? In my own terms because the castle shares a deeper meaning of man and humanity. It tells the story of light and dark through its structure, its origins, in contrast with the beauty of the landscape surrounding it. The statue of William Wallace represents man's struggle against man. 

Seattle offers an outside art museum near the heart of downtown.(Olympic Sculpture Park)  What a treat to sip on hot tea while strolling through a landscape of art. On one of our trips to Seattle we toured  many places filling our eyes with deas, my camera with images, and our stomachs with tasty delights until we simply ran out of daylight.  

Seattle's Space Needle can be seen from so many perspectives. I thought this one was most unique. 

We don't have to travel far to see art. Simply taking a moment to enjoy the leaves changing colors and falling from the sky is moment enough to feel art. 

Jack Chapman, artist, on display at The Resonator 

On an evening Art Walk stroll in downtown Norman, Oklahoma I spied a wall full of art in the Resonator.  I couldn't take my eyes off this collage sculpture. The dice can be found in one of our game drawers, the Japanese fan in my golf bag to use on hot days, the ribbons in a box a decorations, the fake pearls in strings in my art bag from the days of puppetry. The shoe. It's the shoe I don't own. I think it belongs to Cinderella's wicked step-mother. Then again if I owned that shoe would  my mind and hands put these items together to give people a chance to stop, think, imagine, and smile or would I be wicked?

Will Rogers portrait painted by Mike Wimmer, shown in the Will Rogers Museum. 

"A man only learns by two things," Will Rogers said, "One is reading, and the other is association with smarter people." I see the painting as rendering the personality of Will Rogers and the space he filled on our Oklahoma prairie. I often think of Rogers' ability to entertain and communicate with everyman as the real art behind this picture. After all Will Rogers was highly talented, click here to view his skills with the rope: Will Rogers--The Ropin's Fool.

My sister-in-law, Vreni, has shown me over the years how to find art in very day life. Her art walks during COVID captured my imagination and taught me to look deeper into even the smallest of objects. 

Sometimes art is right before your eyes 

There may be a fool born every minute but I'm not one of them. The other day I actually found Art, not where he usually is, but under a tree.

Art, what are you doing under that tree instead of playing down the fairway, where I usually see you? 

Perhaps, Bucchianeri was correct when he said, "Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation."