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If you will listen to this while you read maybe the thoughts will meld together with some rhyme and reason.
The writing of history was for my children and so far Rhonda has been the one to enjoy so much the stories about her Grandfather, Grandmother and Great Grandmother she has never seen, and that’s a good thing.
As I browsed through the book store this evening I noticed there was so much written on the history of the area since I started in 1986 after Dad left these antique photographs to me. Then, it dawned on me maybe some other theme should be forth coming. The need to keep a happy environment in the midst of all the fear promoting things going on in the world is needed, I feel. These thoughts floated through my mind as I browsed through the intelligence of those authors in the store.
It occurred to me art has been the happy, high points in my life. The discipline, learned, the immense latitude of the art world, the immeasurable number of artists, then and now, all these elements I’ve learned and appreciated. What else is more valuable, other than the Christian Scriptures. I love the scriptures, but how much better is it to point out the beauty of God’s love and creation through art.
The reason for the theme song of Dances With Wolves? The beauty of that film was obvious what isn’t easily seen is how “John Dunbar, Kevin Costner,” kept detailed sketches and artwork of the world around him in his journal. The character though fictional, as all stories are, but based on true happenings. The man in the story had to have studied art at West Point in order to do the drawings he made.
“Do you remember Dances With Wolves?” I ask my student. And then, often use this scenario to get their attention. “Did you see how Kevin Costner kept a journal by using artwork.”
So now, enjoy the bagpipes and the music, and I hope you will take delight in this turn in my writing. A bent toward writing about art as we go into the year of 2011.