“Beauty! Where shall one begin on a subject so vast, one that has stirred so many celebrated writers? What a theme! An endless one, and let it be said in passing, just such questions as these are the most interesting, because with them, the last word is never said and because everyone can have a different opinion.”
—Eugene Delacroix
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Part 4 of The Search Beauty Video Series – Muse
Here’s part four of my video series, ‘The Search For Beauty.’
In this episode, I examine the history and meaning of the word ‘muse.’
You can find the rest of the series on my vimeo page: vimeo.com/ianrobertsartist
Part 3 of The Search Beauty Video Series – Form
Here’s part three of my video series, ‘The Search For Beauty.’
In this episode, I examine the history and meaning of the word ‘form.’
You can find the rest of the series on my vimeo page: vimeo.com/ianrobertsartist
The Vessel for the Mystic Journey
I finished the boat. Or at least the model — 65 inches long. Crafted of 1/8″ birch plywood and basswood and glue. I had intended to cover it. I tried several tests with heat-shrink dacron. I would have had to construct the vessel differently to allow that to work. Then I thought of veneer. Either large pieces or thin strips. I abandoned that too. As it happened the more I looked at the skeleton structure of the vessel the more liked it.
I took photos all the way through construction. I want to make a slide show of that, quickly showing the fabrication.
The Muses
I am building a boat. Not a fine wooden skiff for sailing the marina. Nor a ketch to circle the world. Mine: a vessel for the mystic journey. Thin, sleek and I hope beautiful. Yet useless, at least as a vessel to navigate water.
Why, you might ask? I have to blame the muses. The idea surfaced in 1986 — long, over 18 feet and made of cedar strip. The complications, craftsmanship and time required all undermined its creation.
Yet every few years the idea resurfaces. Until this spring. Having surfaced again, I gave in.
Below the drawing you can see the four large circles and then intersecting smaller ones that dictate the placement of the ribs of the boat.
Boat Drawing from 1987
Nothing to fear but fear itself
This is the last of thewhispered video clips. The question, in case it starts after that, is What hinders creative authenticity?
Finding Authenticity
Heading home tomorrow after almost five weeks in Provence teaching painting workshops
This is another short video on authenticity. Sometimes the question, posted on the screen, gets cut. It’s “Is there an antidote [to not being authentic]?”
I’ve got one or two more of these thewhispered.com interview videos. Then I’ll have a few paintings from Provence this year.
Mastery
Another short video clip from the whispered interview. Two minutes. For some reason the first few seconds get deleted from the video, where the question is posed. The question here was, Is mastery of any sort a process to creative authenticity?
I’m posting these clips because to my mind a strong co-relation exists between expressing beauty in an art form and finding a deep communion with spirit within, the foundation of our authenticity
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Beauty and Authenticity
Another short clip from the whispered interview. This one, three minutes.
Finding Beauty
Sorry about the video not being in the last post. The preview looked fine, then the video disappeared when I published the post. Apparently I’m not the first person to have this happen looking at the help page.
This is another short clip from the whispered interview.
The Search for Beauty 