Sketches- The WhyART.com Newsletter

	SKETCHES - The WhyART Newsletter "Transforming Education Through Art" October 2005
Welcome to SKETCHES, Michael Gerrish's WhyART.com newsletter. I offer thoughts to stretch your mind and spur your actions to produce positives for you and those you touch. Author Daniel Pinkwater said, "I believe it is impossible to make sense of life in this world except through art." Artist Francis Bacon said, "The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery." This "talking head" sees truth in both statements; let's start making sense by exploring and expanding the mysteries which surround us!
My Favorite Hangout...The Why and More... "To ask for paintings which are understandable to all people everywhere, is to ask of the artist infinitely less than what he is capable of doing." Jack Tworkov "Face new challenges, seize new opportunities, test your resources... and in the process, discover your own unique potential." John Amatt Every once in awhile, I throw a ringer into my Art History lessons. Hidden among the reproductions of masterworks selected to show Elements and Principles of Art and Design, I sometimes place a thumbnail of one of my own paintings. I usually do this in classes where I've heard "I can't do Art" or, "I don't understand Art" at the start of the school year. Why? Well, opening up individuals to the possibilities available for them in the arts is easier if they encounter an artist face to face. Even skeptics can be curious if you frame their experience to include a variety of unknown outcomes. Humor helps, too. But there's more to it. I often challenge my students with the phrase, "If you say you can't you are right. If you say you can, you are right. Try." So many young people (old ones, too) are afraid to step outside of their comfort zones. Public failure can be painful, but public success through the arts will heal the wounded and help the spirit soar. That's the why...and more. Part Two...redux Hurricanes come and go faster than we can prepare for their destruction, but when the winds and water recede, we still respond. Here is another tale of how some are working to bring communities back together. There are still so many ways to help. Look around; choose a path; Add your energy where it makes sense. Think you can't? Remember what I tell my non-artists...Try! Artist Surf I know I will never learn enough Art History! Perhaps I can make up for it by sharing information about someone you may not know well. This month's star is Jack Tworkov. Born in Poland, he moved to the US as a young boy. Schooled as a traditional artist, Tworkov worked in the WPA, where he met and befriended Willem DeKooning. During its heyday, Tworkov was a member of the Abstract Expressionist movement. However, unlike many of his peers, his work featured rhythmic strokes and harmonious colors. Beginning in the 1950's Tworkov spent a number of years teaching at a variety of colleges; he ended his teaching career at Yale University, where he was the Art department chair from 1963 until 1969. Google him to learn more. "Sometimes when you finish a painting, you look at it and it looks all right and that's a touch of grace." Jack Tworkov
Sketches is a free newsletter of WhyART.com and is available by subscription. Your contact info will not be shared, and you may unsubscribe at any time. I appreciate your thoughtful comments. Michael Gerrish • 159 1st Street • Troy, NY 12180 • (518)266-0304 • mrg@whyart.com ©WhyART.com 2005