The Brilliant Charles Dickens

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Charles DickensA Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens, English novelist (1812 - 1870)

If humans were immortal, Dickens would be 200 years old today. Although, considering the body of work he left behind, appreciated generation after generation, he’s among those who have become as immortal as it gets. I’ll wager that every one of us has experienced at least one (if not a few) of his written achievements, most notably A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and Oliver Twist.

Who was Charles Dickens? A man of great passion, drive and intellect. Among English writers he is second only to William Shakespeare in literary prowess, fame and public recognition.

He was the second of eight children born on February 7, 1812, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. His mother taught him to read, his father considered him a young prodigy. He devoured the considerable amount of artistic and literary works available in his home, enjoyed trips to the theatre and adored stories told by his nursemaid. From age 7 to 9 he was schooled by a Baptist minister named William Giles. He was consumed by ambition and dreamed of becoming a gentleman.

But his youth became marked by hard times when his father was jailed for debt. At age 12 he was sent to live in a boarding house and work among a rough-edged crowd in a blacking warehouse, fixing labels to boot polish bottles ~ a harsh, impressionable experience that would later inspire the semi-autographical novel David Copperfield, and feed his view of society’s inequities.

A few years later, his father was released, and young Charles resumed a couple more years of schooling at an academy called Wellington House. At age fourteen he was employed as a clerk in an attorney’s office. He got his first journalism job at age 16, as a shorthand reporter in the courts, shortly followed by a position as a newspaper reporter.

Fueled by a desire for distinction, Dickens was an unusually hard-working apprentice, and a fast-growing disillusionment with politics led him to contribute essays and short stories to other newspapers and magazines (something he did throughout his entire life).

Connections developed as a political journalist gave him both success and a following, allowing him to begin publishing his own fiction early in his career. His first great success came with his monthly installments of The Pickwick Papers. At the time this was a publishing phenomenon, making the serialization of novels a profitable venture and available to folks who couldn’t ordinarily afford literary works. Within a few years he was regarded as one of the most successful authors of his time.

His novels were often a revealing commentary on humankind’s misgivings, his own disenchantment with the world’s economic drives and social injustices ~ an imperfect world we all know to be true, regardless of our stature.

“Through his books, we come to understand the virtues of a loving heart and the pleasures of home in a flawed, cruelly indifferent world.”

In 1836, Dickens married Catherine Hogarth, the daughter of his editor (although some say daughter of a newspaper co-worker). They had ten children before separating in 1858. Around that time Dickens began public readings of his work, including a series of readings in America in 1867-68, which took a physical toll on his already failing health. Buried in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey in June of 1870, Dickens left an unfinished novel called The Mystery of Edwin Drood (I’d like to read that!) as well as fifteen completed novels, countless short works and an enduring following.

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Super Bowl Ads / Part II: The Forgettable and The Unforgettable

If you’ve read my last post, I stand corrected, thanks to my friend Mary.

There was one more really good, memorable ad besides the Chrysler/Clint Eastwood piece. (I hadn’t seen this one ~ must have been firing up the hot fudge sauce when it aired…) This one’s just a happy hoot! ~ and every bit as good for wit and creativity as the Chrysler ad was for class and message.

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Super Bowl Ads: The Forgettable and The Unforgettable

“Ads are the cave art of the twentieth century.”
~ Marshall McLuhan

If this statement is true, and if we consider the majority of this year’s Super Bowl ads, we’re becoming pretty forgettable.

Super Bowl advertising is eagerly anticipated by millions, almost as much as watching the game. (Some would argue that the ads are the main event). It’s a huge opportunity to hawk wares to a captive audience, and highly regarded as a showcase for some of the best & brightest commercials made.

So, I watched to see what cream would rise to the top, and was incredibly disappointed. Have I just become jaded and old-fashioned? As a reality check, I asked my teenage daughter if she found them entertaining. Her answer: “No.”

She was out of the room for the only one that I found powerfully memorable and worthwhile. It happened to be a serious ad, and featured Clint Eastwood (I’ll let that fact speak for itself). In case you missed it, here it is:

Aside from this one, I thought: “they just don’t make them like they used to!’ Okay, I’ll admit that the “we go” Budweiser dog ad was sort of cute, and I liked the one about entrepreneurs. So there, I found two more. But by and large there were too many ads and too little substance.

Of course, they don’t have to make them like they “used to”, except for maybe having some more class, more wit, more depth, more intelligent ingenuity.

Am I asking too much? I don’t think so. If the idea is to make a big impression, and get the most bang for the probably obscene amount of monies spent, they might take some tips from some great ads of Super Bowl’s past…

With the wealth of talent and creative energy in the world today, you’d think the 2012 Super Bowl ads could’ve been a little bit spectacular. In my opinion, it just goes to show that technology doesn’t equate with creativity, and bells and whistles don’t make the message.

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“where in the world is peace?” … fantastique!

"Living Large" at Chateau de Pau (Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques)

 

(ps:  you can see all “where in the world is peace?” images compiled on our special “where in the world is peace?” page. Totes, mugs and things are available here. Send your own pictures to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com and we’ll also post them on our FaceBook page. Let’s see where peace goes!)

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What’s In Your Sketchbook?

To be fair, I’ll include a few pages from my own. But here’s the thing with me and sketchbooks: I don’t have an “official” sketchbook.

In truth, any piece of paper within arm’s reach qualifies as a drawing surface. As a result, my doodles and sketches and moments of brilliant insight are strewn about like ashes on a sea. Maybe that’s not such a good analogy. Maybe a dandelion in the wind. Whatever. For all my sense of orderliness, a regular sketchbook falls into a much looser category.

The point though, is that sketchbooks can be truly lovely, as can be seen via the traveling Sketchbook Project. Or in the lush genius of the 2010 publication of Street Sketchbookrecently shared by Brain Pickings (a terrific site with an ongoing must-see collection of wonderful stuff).

Clearly, sketchbooks have been elevated to works of art in and of themselves, and I think, rightly so.

My first sketchbook seduction came from Peter Beard’s marvelous diaries in The Adventures And Misadventures of Peter Beard In Africa. Deliciously detailed and jam-packed with words, illustrations and photos, newsprint and objects, the end-product of his runaway artistic sensibilities, his passion for form and love for Africa was occasionally disturbing, but always stunning.

peter beard

from Peter Beard's collage-work diaries

from Peter Beard's collage-work diaries

By comparison to Beard, or the fantastic pages of Street Sketchbook, my own pages seem tame, bordering on dull. (Except for the random game of hangman.)

But I know, and you now know too, that I haven’t made a ritual of keeping a sketchbook, nor sketched with the intent for those pages to become a final, messy, glorious product. I’d like to someday, so I’ll add it to my list …. in the meantime, the important thing is simply to sketch.

Draw. Write. Cut. Paste. Thoughts, ideas, dreams; record them by hand. It’s a wonderful process – whether in a book meant for sketching, or on the back of a cereal box, or the edge of a client proposal …   express yourself.

So ~ what’s in your sketchbook?

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Roads Travelled

patricia saxton , "searching for buffalo", oil on canvas

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.
Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”

~ Dalai Lama XIV

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“where in the world is peace?”… shelves, walls, ice cream and vineyards

Peace blessings in homes, in vineyards, and reminders to “send peace”! And as ever, my heartfelt thank you’s to those who’ve shared these wonderful images.

Favorite treat in honor of a loved one / near Dayton, Ohio

Send Peace! / Mid-Atlantic States

Influenced by Bob Marley's "3 Little Birds" / Ohio

Peace, Love & Rock 'n Roll

Alfred & Mary's Winery / Mosel Valley, Germany

(ps:  you can see all “where in the world is peace?” images compiled on our special “where in the world is peace?” page. Totes, mugs and things are available here. Send your own pictures to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com and we’ll also post them on our FaceBook page. Let’s see where peace goes!)

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2012: Year of the Dragon

“The Dragon is magnificent. Symbolizing power and wealth, the Dragon is flamboyant, attractive and full of vitality and strength.”

rough sketch of dragon face, © Patricia Saxton

In Western literature, the Dragon is a symbol of great fortune. In Eastern culture, he represents extraordinary power. In Chinese tradition, the Dragon is considered divine. In every culture, this fantastic beast is “larger than life”, mysterious, passionate and fearless.

So in this Year of the Dragon, special honor is given this legendary creature. And if myth and tradition hold true, it’s probably fair to say that we’ll feel Dragon’s commanding presence in some pretty dynamic ways.

saxton_dragon

"Honor the Dragon" sketch, © Patricia Saxton

 

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Addendum to “The Lost Pen”

Remember those last 3 “most magical of markers” I told you about, the ones that are no longer made? Well, I found one more… must have dropped it in the backyard garden. (You never know where things’ll show up!)

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Pop Peace

“I’d like to teach the world to sing….in perfect harmony… ”

Week #59 / 52 Weeks of Peace (squared) / © Patricia Saxton

Interesting what the mind holds on to and randomly pops back out. Here’s a link to the ad that inspired the idea for this peace sign (all these years later!). Some of you will remember this one well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-Qiyklq-Q&feature=related

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What is Creativity?

Antique Illustration, Artist Unknown

Rhythm and rhyme, poetry, painting and piano. These things I got from my mother. Order, practicality, patience, deliberation and self-reliance ~ these came from my father.  Sometimes the blending has an excellent, really pleasing effect. Other times it’s conflicted, my free spirit feeling trapped inside its Virgo shell.

But however these traits play out on any given day, (perhaps depending on the star’s alignment), I can’t imagine life without a pen for words, a pencil or brush for pictures, without the ability to make music, or dance my own dance. Maybe it’s DNA, maybe it’s God-given. All I know is that it’s all just there. Demanding my attention, every day, at all hours.

So at some point in life, I accept and embrace the call, resign to the destiny that DNA or God (or both) bestowed. I know it’s not a hobby, a fancy of youth, a moment in the sun. This thing called creativity throbs with every pulse. I choose to honor it, even though I’m not so sure the choice is mine, and even though it would be so much tidier to work at something with obvious beginnings and ends. But such, it seems, is not my fate.

Of course, I have no corner on this thing called creativity. There are many of you out there, and you know exactly what I’m talking about!

There are, however, many of you out there who also live and breathe creativity and (I think) don’t know it. You think it requires the painting of a picture, the writing of a story, the composing of a song, the designing of a home or the sculpting of stone into an angel. I don’t believe that it does.

What about the teacher who gets through to an otherwise struggling student, by using an original approach? What about the doctor who discovers a unique treatment? What about the accountant who produces an efficient software program? What about the farmer who figures how to grow a tastier tomato or develops a new fertilizer? What about the pilot who dreams of a better aircraft? What about the engineer, like my father, who measured things with facts and figures, and invented industry-changing processes?

I think that “this thing called creativity” runs through all our veins ~ it just manifests in very different ways. (Thank goodness for that!) And whether or not it’s nurtured  ~ and whether or not, like a muscle, it is used and strengthened or becomes limp from neglect ~ simply makes it seem more real or not.

© Patricia Saxton


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In Praise of Black and White: Part III

Almost like clockwork, my mind turns to black & white imagery… as it did last January, and the January before that. I hadn’t realized that! In truth of course, it’s not just a once a year thing ~ I’ve always been drawn to the power and beauty of black & white art, probably from the first time I picked up that favorite tool of mine (the #2 pencil), and sensed that magic was held within its lead.

So, once again I’ll post the original text (which remains meaningful to me), and share some choice imagery. (If you want to skip to the pictures, I won’t be offended!)

……………

Each year, a new Ansel Adams wall calendar hangs on the door leading to my studio. His superbly articulated, stunning black and white photography reminds me daily of my love for the natural world and the innumerable shades, shapes, shadows and tones that create, change, and emerge from, our world.

Yet the classic beauty and the powerful visual possibilities of black and white are often neglected. Straight black and white design is often passed by in favor of any use of color. As if black and white implied something dull or less important. Which is far from the truth!

When used well, black and white is intensely dramatic, vigorous, elegant and rich. It can make a powerful point without the distraction of colors. It plays on bright or moody, or edgy or slick in ways that color cannot. It can sparkle with cleanliness, and shimmer with subtlety. When used well, it expresses itself with undisguised strength, character and integrity.

Of course, not all photographers have the eye nor skill of an Ansel Adams. Not all designers *see* in black and white. Clients rarely consider it. But it would be nice to see a greater appreciation of the noble duo of black and white.

When people want straight talk, when they want the truth, they’ll say “tell me in black and white”. But people often speak in shades of gray, or dress their language in garish colors for dramatic effect. And so it can be with design – a multitude of colors may become too competitive, potentially drowning in an undifferentiated sea of tones or gussied up so much the point is lost for the color, like shouting for attention in a crowd.

Color, in and of itself, is naturally beautiful. Bold, rich fusions of color. Earthy color, otherworldy color. Pale, cool, warm or dense. It’s vibrant and alive and emotional. But color alone will not make a bad design good. And it’s not so much that color is overrated, but that black and white is underrated. The effects of black and white can be pretty spectacular.

Stripped of color, a million shades become a lansdcape of lights and darks that blend and weave and bounce against one another to create a very rich whole. A striking black and white image often touches us unexpectedly …  refreshing, engaging, and wonderfully inspiring. It’s raw and fundamental – and like a good story, it’s satisfying. Like a good story, it allows your mind to add its own color by filling in the parts left unsaid.

Enough said. Enjoy.

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The Great Gift of Curiosity

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
~ Albert Einstein

I love this! The following is an inspiring lesson on the enormous value of curiosity and wonder, shared through a truly worthwhile video from a community-based online education group called Skillshare. Many thanks to the Skillshare folks for putting this out there!

If you have kids or young adults in your life, share it with them too. Share it with anyone who appreciates learning, life and the human potential, anyone who thinks they’ve “done it all”, and those who may have temporarily misplaced a passion for what makes things tick.

Above all, keep asking questions. Keep wonder alive!

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The Lost Pen

I’m working on a project that calls for a special kind of pen. A marker, to be exact. My favorite marker. I might even go so far as to say the perfect marker.

Then I remembered a sad truth: these most magical of markers have been discontinued. They don’t make them anymore. Which is just wrong. They were the best. They were beloved. They should bring them back.

You think it silly perhaps to mourn the loss of a pen? Maybe if you understood that they had just the right feel, just the right flexibility, just the right fluidity and just the right saturation. They didn’t dry out easily and lasted for ages.

Any professional knows that the right tools matter. For designers, no artist marker held a candle to these.

The good news is, I found 3 remaining markers tonight. In a special box, hidden inside a cupboard, hoarded like secret chocolates. The bad news is that the end is near. It’s the last dance. And I’m not happy about that.

Seriously, they really should bring them back.

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MacNaughton Peace

Because sometimes you feel peace in your roots. Sometimes honor. Sometimes you just like ’em.

saxton.peace_macnaughton

Week #58 / 52 Weeks of Peace (squared) / © Patricia Saxton

And on this day ~ just an ordinary day ~ I wish you peace, and offer a few favorite ancestral words to the wise:

“Love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self.”  /   “One good turn deserves another.”  /  “Fair words won’t make the pot boil.”  /  “Twelve highlanders and a bagpipe make a rebellion.”  /  “Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.”  /   “He was a bold man who first ate a Haggis.”

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