Creative Duet: Kurt Vonnegut

The book cover I’m wrapping up for author Sam Moffie has an interesting story on the back relating to Kurt Vonnegut. Hearing Vonnegut’s name triggered the memory that he was not only a successful author, but an artist as well ~ making him fit snugly into my “creative duet” series.

Dubbed “America’s greatest satirist” back in the late 60’s, Vonnegut’s best-selling, and most powerful novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, is pretty much considered classic literature at this point. His novels are dark, complex, persuasive, and controversial.

I can’t say that his art strays far from that description, either. There’s no hint of romantic artistic fancy here, but a continuation of the Vonnegut mind, a unifying sense of something off-beat that intimates deeper meanings despite a deceptive simplicity. His art is as unconventional, and almost as successful, as his writing.

Vonnegut stepped into the graphic arts with illustrations for Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, his favorite tool being a felt-tip pen. Later he developed a greater passion in art for its own sake, creating silk-screen prints, which I find have an intriguing, “Picasso-esque” feel. And a kind of cool tidbit of note is that his 2004 album cover art created for (the band) Phish is included as part of a traveling exhibit for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Vonnegut’s career as novelist and essayist spanned nearly 6 decades. He died in 2007 at the age of 84.

(More art prints and more about Mr. Vonnegut can be found at vonnegut.com. There is also a lengthy, informational page at Wikipedia)

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A Plethora of P's / #21: Perspective

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

“People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped.”  ~ Author Unknown

So much of life is about our point of view. Are you so close to something that you miss the bigger picture? Or do you soar above, taking in a broad view, missing the details?

Is your view softened by “rose-colored glasses” or do you see only the hard, harsh angles? When you walk, do you look up, look down, look straight ahead?

Are you near-sighted? Far-sighted? Do you look back, look forward? Do you see what’s right in front of you? Do you consider situations from all sides?

Our perspectives change, of course. But like all thought, we can direct that perspective towards the best possible light.

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Dragon Evolution

Soon to be a revolution – or maybe a revelation! – or then again, just another dragon tale. Either way, thought you’d enjoy the illustrative progression. (see prior dragon entries)

Garth / © Patricia Saxton


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A Plethora of P's / #20: Power

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

I know, not the image you might expect… Power often connotes masculinity; a certain brawniness. It also gets mixed up with things like control and willfulness. Or conjures up motors and engines, watts and voltage.

But the essence of power is energy. It’s that energy that creates the ability to do great things. It’s a force that inspires and sustains. And it’s a force that’s strongest when it comes from the heart. Uncontrived and elevated.

Power is neither masculine nor feminine, and doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, fat or thin, black, brown, white, red, yellow, green, purple….  We all have power within ~ power to give, to heal, to love.  We have power to generate, and accomplish, the stuff of dreams.

(Tell that to your mind.)

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Pet Dragon

I think I’ll keep this one as a pet. Maybe I’ll name him Ted. Although he looks more like a Bartholomew. Or maybe Garth. Yea, Garth.

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Creative Duet: The Mind-Boggling Antoni Gaudi

Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi is known for his engineering genius, but there are clearly so many other elements at work in his work that he is far more than “architect”.

He was an artist. Buildings were his canvas. And those buildings are grand treasure troves of design and unbridled creativity.

Revered worldwide as one of the most important modernist style architects, Gaudi lived from 1852-1926. “Over the course of his career, Gaudi developed a sensuous, curving, almost surreal design style which established him as the innovative leader of the Spanish Art Nouveau movement. With little regard for formal order, he juxtaposed unrelated systems and altered established visual order. Gaudi’s characteristically warped form of Gothic architecture drew admiration from other avant-garde artists.”*

Gaudi takes “thinking outside the box” to whole new levels. His extraordinary works, many of which reside in Barcelona, are movement and dance, they’re delicious sugar-laced monuments with creamy frosting; they’re all marshmallows and gingerbread, sand-castles, stone, glass and iron; they’re original, dramatic, striking blends of angle and color.

I marvel at the ingenuity and the boundlessness. Fantastic. Illogical. Stunning.

*References
Dennis Sharp. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture. New York: Quatro Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0-8230-2539-X. NA40.I45. p61.
Muriel Emmanuel. Contemporary Architects. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1980. ISBN 0-312-16635-4. NA680.C625 1980.
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A Plethora of P's / #18: Pizzazz

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Sure, sometimes we just need a nap.

But … sometimes what we really need to do to recharge is to add a little pizzazz; a little flair. A pep to your step, some get-up-and-go spirit. A dash of red, a splash of purple, a pinch of pink, a lime-green wink. A great big bunch of wildflowers set on the table, a beaming smile when you feel a frown.

Put some strut in your salad, some punch in your pasta, panache on your pizza. Break out of the mold for an hour, a day, a year…

Let some sparkle light your world, welcome splatterings of zing and zeal and zest amongst your thoughts. Work the muscle in your attitude. Dance in your kitchen. Use new words. Paint with different colors.

A touch of pizzazz is feel-good stuff. So, go ahead and surprise yourself. Go ahead and shine.

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Eggs in a Basket

Not all your eggs, just a green one and a purple one. And not exactly in the basket, but on it (one on either side). And … okay, not really a basket, but a tote ~ spreading the message of peace.

Happy Easter!

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A Plethora of P's / #17: "Preparation"

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Well before a harvest, you’ve got to tend the garden. Before tending, you’ve got to sow the seeds. Before sowing the seeds, you’ve got to prepare the soil.

Anything we want to grow ~ a business, a home, a lifestyle, an idea, a dream; heck, even a good day! ~ involves cultivating the soil. Yes, there’s the physical work. But first, before an ounce of physical effort, long before toiling under a hot sun, is the preparation that goes on in the garden of our mind.

To create the best environment for seeds to take root, it’s best to clear the space, remove debris, turn over our mental soil (our thoughts) and fertilize with nourishing attitudes.

Good preparation, you see, makes all the difference in yielding a fine crop.

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Google Does Charlie Chaplin

Google dazzles with its doodling again ~ this time with some fancy animated footwork in honor of Charlie Chaplin’s 122nd birthday, and it’s a clever one. Enjoy!

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