by Marty Coleman | Aug 12, 2014 | Ebony Arwen, Laughter - 2014 |
I was already in the midst of doing a series on laughter when I heard of Robin William’s death. There was no reason to change course.
The Balance
As with many around the planet, I am not just surprised by the news of Robin William’s passing but am surprised by how emotional his death is for me. I see again and again over the past 24 hours people talking and posting and responding to the event by stating flatly their shock, then their sadness, then their remembrance of how he moved them in his various character portrayals.
As I was watching one of the morning programs giving their headlines over to his death in a way not usually reserved for celebrities I was almost brought to tears. But then there was a huge shock. The next story? About the emergency food and water drop in Iraq and the brutal, cruel, barbaric killing going on there. The one after that? The continuing rise in deaths from Ebola. After that? The riot and aftermath in Ferguson, Missouri over the death of an unarmed teen at the hands of a police officer.
Report after report of the most brutal events came, one after another. And then it hit me. There is such a frail balance between joy and sorrow in the world. When you hear and see about such terrible atrocities around the globe, you really rely on those people and events that give you joy to balance it out. Having Robin Williams depart is a big blow to that balance for me. The emotion is even greater because it’s as if all his joyful characters left as well. Luckily, that is not the case, they are on film to be seen for a long time. But the spark that created those characters is gone, and that is almost just as sad.
The Depth
While we love comedy and laughter, and it helps us balance out the pain in the world or in our own lives, it’s important to realize that laughter will never truly mask pain permanently. Pain will find a way out, either directly or indirectly. The more you attempt to go around pain, the farther and scarier your journey to healing actually becomes. It’s tough to face it directly and honestly we all find ways to avoid it if we can, but eventually we have to face it and the sooner we do, the stronger we will be.
From Ebony of Perth
I found the quote I used while reading a blogging friend’s heartfelt response to his death. It touched me because of how it connected William’s death to her own personal story of her father’s death. Here is what she wrote.
For Robin’s family, there may never be a silver lining evident. As someone who has lost my dad to suicide, I want people to know that even in dark times, there is light to be found.
I found out that my dad died the day after MJ passed and virtually suffered in silence as the world mourned a controversial celebrity. He had sent me a message I never replied to and have not been capable of reading since. Despite that, it does get better. We can all heal together.
Today there may be no blessings for Robin’s family. The majority of the world are far enough away from the loss, to be able to see that this can be a lesson on mental health and the fucked up stigma surrounding it.
The shiniest angels sometimes have the darkest demons. What goes up must come down. Ask for help and offer it whenever you feel is right. The answer to an unasked question is always no and ignorance is not bliss any more. Unless you felt good when you heard.
We have lost a warrior, we have not lost the war. May his memory rest in peace and his works remain in history forever.
You can find out more about Ebony of Perth at her website, The Adventures of Ebony.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote and quoted story by Ebony Arwen, 1992 – not dead yet, Australian writer and blogger
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by Marty Coleman | Aug 10, 2014 | Mary Cassatt, Mary Cassatt |
In spite of their popularity during my lifetime, I’ve never been a huge fan of many of the Impressionists. But there are a few that I have loved from the first time I saw their work; Degas, Manet, Caillebotte. Ranking in that top group is the only American and only one of two women (the other being Berthe Morisot) to break into the ranks of first generation Impressionists, Mary Cassatt. She is an artist I love.
Mary Cassatt
Today, she is best known for her domestic scenes of mother and child such as the two below.
Maternity, 1890
At the Window, 1889, Pastel on Paper
But, as is typical of most artists, what she was most famous for was not her style at the beginning of her career. She first painted images using a low intensity palette of color, with grays and browns predominating, as was the fashion in the Paris Salon. The subject matter was somewhat theatrical and staged, removed from elements of everyday life, much like a studio portrait photograph is now.
Toreador, 1873
Spanish Dancer Wearing Lace Mantilla, 1873, Oil on Canvas
Portrait of a Woman, 1872, Oil on Canvas
As refined and polished as these paintings are, you can see in the unfinished double portrait below that she had a very exciting and vibrant brush stroke underlying her work.
Sketch of Mrs. Curry and Sketch of Mr. Cassatt (upside down), 1871
Transformation
Between the early 1870s, when these paintings were created and exhibited at the official Salon in Paris and the late 1870s, Cassatt had an artistic transformation. The catalyst for this transformation was her interaction with a fellow artist, Edgar Degas.
Edgar Degas, 1865
Degas, 10 years older than Cassatt, first saw her work at her studio in 1877 and immediately invited her to be part of the ‘independents’ exhibition of artists known as ‘Impressionists’ (a name neither of them ever liked). However, before they had ever met, Cassatt had been enthralled by a number of pastel drawings of Degas she had seen in a storefront window. It was this first brush with his style that freed her to pursue a new direction in her own.
Mary by Edgar
Degas painted Cassatt at least 8 times. He used this one drawing of Cassatt as a basis for at least 3 other paintings and drawings.
‘Mary Cassatt at the Louvre’, by Edgar Degas, 1879, Pastel
Here’s one of them.
‘Mary Cassatt at the Louvre’, by Edgar Degas, 1885, Pastel and Etching
At the Opera
One of Cassatt’s most well known works is this one. Interesting to note the social commentary she’s added to the painting with the older gentleman in the background looking at the woman as she looks at the stage.
In the Loge, 1879, oil on canvas
She also depicted herself at the theater.
Self Portrait at the Theater, 1879, Oil on Canvas
This one is not designated a self-portrait as far as I can tell, but the face does look very similar to Cassatt so I think it’s a good bet it is of her.
Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge, 1879, Oil on Canvas
The one below is not a self-portrait but is of interest because of her experimentation with metallic paint amidst the more traditional material.
At The Theater, 1878, Pastel and Gouache
The Experimentalist
Cassatt was a rigorous experimentalist with her art. She not only embraced a then radical painting style, but she also investigated many areas outside her realm of expertise. She often used the same image (as do many artists), transforming it by using different media. First is a quick sketch of a scene at the Opera. This could very likely have been done at the actual opera house.
The Loge, 1878, graphite on paper
She then returned to her studio and created an oil painting of the scene.
The Loge, 1878, Oil on Canvas
She then created two entirely new pieces using the printmaking techniques of Etching and Aquatint.
The Loge, 1878, Etching and Aquatint
The Loge, 1878, Etching and Aquatint
The Japanese
In 1890 an exhibition of Japanese prints came to Paris. When Cassatt saw the show she was immediately taken by the graceful simplicity of line and color. She started in on a series of prints influenced by this style. She embraced this style and recreated it with a modern French sensibility.
The Child’s Bath, 1893, Etching and Aquatint
Once again, you can see her experimenting. In this case she uses the same Intaglio plate, to print different versions of the same image.
The Child’s Bath, 1893, Etching and Aquatint
Under the Horse Chestnut Tree, 1898, Etching and Aquatint
Woman Bathing, 1890, Drypoint and Aquatint
The Fitting, 1891, Etching and Aquatint
The Coiffure, 1891, Etching and Aquatint
Later work
Mary Cassatt became a very famous and respected artist and collector of art. She was award the Legion d’honneur by France in 1904 for her contribution to the arts. She continued to paint well into the 20th century. Her style by that time was set and she did little further experimentation. Her subject matter from 1900 on was almost exclusively domestic scenes of mothers and children.
Young Mother Sewing, 1900
Reine Lefebre and Margot Before a Window, 1902, Oil on Canvas
She even had 2 prints in the famous 1913 Armory show in New York City. However, by 1914 she was blind and ceased to paint. She died in 1926. Ironically, her reputation in the US was not nearly as grand as it was in France. She was overshadowed by her brother, a railroad magnate, and had an unfortunate split with her sister-in-law over women’s suffrage. As a result her family boycotted an exhibition of her work in Philadelphia. This led her to donate her vast collection of her paintings still in her possession to museums and not her heirs.
Fall/Winter 2016
Winter/Spring 2015
Summer 2014
Winter 2012/2013
Winter 2011/2012
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by Marty Coleman | Aug 8, 2014 | Laughter - 2014, Martin Luther |
Hell yea, it’s day #3 of Laughter week!
Seriously
Have you ever heard this quote from the Bible? “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” Eph 5:4
I went looking for the exact quote to make sure I got it right and found some interesting sites! There’s one that starts out with, ‘Laughter is not joy and humor is not from God’. It then goes on for a LONG time describing in details why jokes and joking and humor are bad and destructive. Ironically, it’s very funny.
There is also a site that asks the question, “Did Jesus ever laugh?” That made me laugh.
Good Humor
I don’t like hearing jokes that are hurtful and mean-spirited. That is why I avoid TV shows and comedians that use their humor in mean-spirited and hurtful ways. Not because it isn’t funny; sometimes mean things are funny, but because it hurts. And yes, I understand there is a fuzzy line between appropriate and inappropriate and the line is different for each person.
Food Poisoning
So, when am I responsible for my response? I liken it to eating something poisonous vs eating something rotten. I can eat something filled with poison but not know it. then I am dead or really sick. Bad luck for me. I can also eat something where there is something a little off about the taste or smell. I chalk it up to you being paranoid and eat it anyway. Then the food turns out to rotten and I end up with food poisoning. In that case, I am to blame for not heeding my better instincts and avoiding the food.
The same is true with humor. Sometimes I don’t realize the humor is hurting someone and I just laugh. Sometimes I understand it is humor between friends, meant in an affectionate way and no offense is taken. But other times I do know it is hurtful and I choose to listen and laugh at it anyway. That’s not a good thing in my book.
While I am not a big believer in the idea of heaven in the first place, if it does exist I hope it’s filled with a lot of fun and laughter just nothing mean and hurtful.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Martin Luther, 1483 – 1546, German monk, founder of the Lutheran Church and foremost Protestant of the reformation era.
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If you’re not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don’t want to go there.
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by Marty Coleman | Aug 7, 2014 | Laughter - 2014, Victor Borge |
It’s cracking me up that today is day #2 of the Laughter Series!
The Great Dissolve
I have a lot of friends here in Tulsa and around the country who are conservative Republicans. I am not. Sometimes on Facebook or elsewhere we can get in some pretty intense debates about stuff.
But when we get together (online or in person) and something funny is said or happens, our political affiliation immediately disappears and we just laugh. That is a good thing.
I also have friends in other countries with widely differing understandings of the world. But when something is funny between us, it’s funny there in South Africa, Russia, Korea, Australia, Slovakia, Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, India, and Norway.
Wars aren’t started by people having fun and laughing in a positive way. Laughing is good.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Victor Borge, 1909 – 2000, Danish musician and comedian. He was a favorite of my parents and was one of the funniest people I ever saw or heard.
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by Marty Coleman | Aug 6, 2014 | Anonymous, Laughter - 2014 |
Laugh all you want, but today is day #1 of the Laughter series.
Men, I Tell Ya
I recently became more active in a Dad Blogger’s Facebook group. One thing I noticed was how much ribbing goes on there. It’s not that men aren’t asking or talking about serious questions, or that they aren’t opening up about sensitive things, they are. And there are plenty of answers and discussions that are equally serious, sensitive and helpful. Guys are surprisingly vulnerable there, mostly because they know they will be heard and not condemned as they might in another venue. But they also know that within all the sensitivity and helpfulness there is going to be some serious making fun of them. There will be some ‘what a wimp’ or ‘Man, your wife is one unlucky woman’ type statements. The men who put themselves out there and get those sorts of responses understand that within this group, cracking a joke, especially at their expense, is an essential part of the bonding and fun between everyone. It can go on and on and on for days.
The One Liner
BUT, right along side this ribbing are some truly sensitive, helpful, vulnerable and positive responses, from the same men who are doing the ribbing. This can happen while the group rallies to raise money for one of the guys with cancer. This happens when one of the guys is blindsided by a wife asking for a divorce. Truly terrible and heart rending situations that the men take seriously. But they also know a good one liner when they hear one and will often insert it because, well, how could you waste a perfectly good one liner just because a guy is getting a divorce, right? The truth is that guy getting a divorce, the one devastated and demolished? He understands that and, from what I have seen so far, truly appreciates the camaraderie and brotherhood exhibited by the joking. He knows the deep care that is there and that makes the joke (even a lame one) something that draws them closer, not farther, from each other.
Women Being Made Fun Of
This group pretty much backs up a belief I have. Men, in my experience, can take a joke better than most women. Men get ribbed more and understand in advance that it is not likely that the ribbing is serious. Even if it is serious, they know best way to respond is to laugh it off and allow others to laugh at your expense. Women, more sensitive in general (in my opinion), and less likely to have been around a world where making fun of someone is done with affection, are hurt by this sort of ribbing. They take it personally and feel unloved and uncared for when it happens.
Danger
Having said that, when someone does not take ribbing or being made fun of well, it will likely be a man who overreacts and does something seriously stupid and/or dangerous. A woman might get depressed about it all but a man can, and too often does, get angry and violent. Their ego and pride has been bruised, they want revenge, they want to get even. I am not saying women never have that reaction, just that it’s more likely that men will react that way. This is the downside of the male being made fun of.
This dilemma is illustrated by another napkin drawing I did a number of months ago. Click in the napkin to go to that blog post.
The Key
The key in my mind is learn that it’s ok to be made fun of, you will survive it. You will survive it even better if you take it with a grain of salt and let it go.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote (first napkin) is Anonymous
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