Good luck.

Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble by myself to relax a little bit. I perused the shelves slowly. Reading all sorts of binding. From classics, to the disturbing latest teen books, to the poetry... As I gazed down the isles I felt collected and calm. That is, until I had a visiter while enjoying the art books. A woman stood beside me and started to tell me about an art book sale at some store. That was nice, so I thanked her. She then asked if I was serious about art. I told her yes, that I'm planning to major in art at college. "What do you plan to do with that?" She wondered aloud. "My dream is to become an Art Therapist. But we'll see." I replied. Her answer? "Ha! Good luck with that one!"

Back away from the tactless woman.

Good luck with that one? Really? I didn't let her less-than-encouraging attitude bother me. I just allowed it to perplex me for sometime. I just wonder what was going on in her mind in those moments. Do I look like a lost cause? Are hopes and ambitions pointless to her? How sad to think that she feels so hopeless about reaching for goals that she'd say that to someone else. It came out of her mouth in such a casual way, she had to be used to saying things like that.

Anyway, I also had a man ask me how much I made in two years. Um. None of your business. And the guy staring at me while I was trying to read a book made my concentration (and enjoyment of the book) fly out the window. Barnes & Noble alone is not the trip I was hoping for. Oh well. I guess I'll start going there when I need a good laugh, or a few creeper stories.

xoxo, madeline claire

P.S. I bought a book titled, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankle. He's a famous psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. The book is about his journey within the concentration camp. I'm very excited to read it.

pajamas. painting. perfection.

I just sat down with my coffee. It's almost 11:30 and I'm still in my pajamas.
Oh well.

Tonight I have art class, the last official class of the summer. My art piece still isn't done but it was the first time I've ever attempted a oil portrait, so there's room for grace, right? But grace or not, I'm a perfectionist and I find myself lying awake at night thinking about every detail of the portrait. I've been to both the Getty Museum and the Getty Villa in the last week and I keep comparing my work to the works of the greats... A bad idea all together. Why would I do that if they had plenty of practice and I've only tried once? It's so hard to build on experience when in my head I see all the sketches and paintings I would do if I had the courage. I'll find it, I know that. Courage comes throughout the journey, you don't often have it at the start. And that's okay.

With the words of my favourite, van Gogh. Cheerio.

xoxo, madeline claire

Art for the day:

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks

iconic.

xoxo,
madeline

My muse.

I've posted a few works that Vincent van Gogh has done, but I just can't get enough of his talent. Awhile back I got to go to The Getty museum and see the Irises painting, (see below) it was incredible to me. I may seem a bit emotional, but I teared up. It was there, right in front of me. If you look in the corners of the frame you can see where the painting stops and the old canvas begins. So many years ago this was painted, and now we get to see the history, an insight into the past. It gives me chills.

If you put me in a room with many movie stars on one side, and a work of Vincent van Gogh's on the other, I would go for Vincent. No doubt. He struggled a lot in his life but never stopped painting. He could paint beauty, even though doctors and specialists would say it looks like he was Bipolar and had Epilepsy. It never stopped him. That makes his work even more important to me. I wonder about what kind of feelings went on in his mind as he painted. He was horribly depressed sometimes, which eventually led to his suicide, but he almost always panted with the brightest, most vibrant colours.

"As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed."

"I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed."

"I see drawings and pictures in the poorest of huts and the dirtiest of corners."


"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."

"If you hear a voice within you say, 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."


-Vincent van Gogh


xoxo, 
madeline