Multi-Media Website

Making a Multi-Media Website


    Not long ago I created a new website to combine all the various creative endeavors I partake of, on one website. This new site has residential design, fine art, commercial art, and published works all on one site. Yahoo! So, it's what you might call a one stop shop so that you don't have to go to several different websites to find out what I do. After observing several of my multi-talented compatriots doing this, I was convinced to follow suite. I hope you will enjoy the new site. Below is the link.

www.rossotoart.com

    The beauty of creating your own website is that it allows you make updates as needed instead of relying on, and often waiting for your website builder to update things for you. The site I created was done through a template site and took about forty hours to complete. I didn't have to know HTML or any other language to create a reasonably clean, well organized site. One of the main factors in choosing to go with a template site was cost. What I originally wanted to create through a website builder would have cost between three to five grand (which isn't a bad thing), and of course would have been far more creative and complex than what I was able to do on my own, but I feel the results I got are a reasonable compromise that allowed for a fairly good outcome, though considerably simpler than I would have designed with a website builder. After that long sentence full of grammatical errors, what more can be said?

I would appreciate any feedback you may have to offer about the website I just finished.

Explorations & Meanings

This article is on the absurd musings of a self absorbed artist (me momentarily) in search of the unknown, a sort of holy grail quest, though certainly not as profound as finally finding the philosophers sword......or was that the philosophers stone.........  Maybe some of you have gone through the following process of thought.

Starting a new series of art work is always a challenge, the contrasting elements of academia, intuition, preconceptions and a willingness to explore the hidden realms are often overwhelming for me. In this case I'm leaving years of figurative drawing & painting in the wind and proceeding with the amorphous and ambiguous nature of abstraction. I find abstract work to be much more difficult and am trying to find a way to define my concept in a set of constructs that will communicate something of value to the viewer. When dealing with figurative art there is always the associative thread of physical reality the viewer can correspond with, and even if the work is of little conceptual value there is still something easily associated with. When dealing in the abstract realms it is like trying to explain what another planet looks and feels like without the viewer having ever been there or having seen it.

A better question to ask in all of this is, "does it matter if abstract art means anything other than a pure & true expression of the artist?" If one paints from their heart & soul is that not enough, does everything need a justifiable and intellectual reason for creation as though to substantiate the artist virility, intelligence or purpose, or the viewers reason to look at the art? Is decorative art shallow and lacking in substance? Maybe all art is simply decorative and as artist we create stories about our art to satisfy academia, intellectuals and the audience hungry for a story of interest and entertainment value. I know this isn't really true, but I do ponder what the value all of that academia training tries to inundate us with.

A few of my main premises in all that I create are:
1) Will the viewer be elevated in some way?
2) Will it allow the viewer to dream and explore new emotional or intellectual territory?
3) Does it inform the viewer in some way?
4) Am I communicating what I intended through the medium of art?
5) And lots of other questions........
I should say that these questions arise only when completely lucid, not in the act of creating.......

The main question on my mind about creating this abstract series is, can I start without a concept and work towards one? When starting with a concept, a vision, a reason to proceed and of course passion, there is still an exploration of the infinite within any given subject matter which can take years to explore and define in way that will ultimately convey what I had in mind. If I start with no concept it seems improbable that as an artist anything of value might be produced other than a possible hit and miss sort of progression.

I have so many questions about what I'm exploring right now that it seems the only thing I can do is to move forward and create work or sit still and think about it, neither of which may be of much worthy fruition. After years of working in the figurative realm I am somewhat fearful of venturing into a realm of art that may simply end up a mess, or of course I might surprise myself and end up with a series of work that has some aesthetic and conceptual value......who knows? By the way, I have also ended up with a mess even in creating figurative art, but not too often.

Well, my friends I'm on a quest to search for my own truth, one that will honestly communicate without the interference of academia, mental projections of perceived audience, fearless planting of paint on canvas and paper to hopefully express my given potential, whatever that may be...........

Contributing Your Art

A few times a year I like to donate my art work to various foundations that have a worthy cause. One of the foundations called Chairise the Future lets you pick up a piece of furniture from their huge warehouse so that you make it into a work of art to be auctioned at their fundraiser. This auction raises money and provides furniture and other services for over 3,000 people every year in the Atlanta area.

I've been doing this particular donation for a few years now and I have encountered many questions from artist about giving their art away for free to fundraisers, of which I'd like to share with you.

The most often asked question is "why do all these fund raisers use the talents of artist to raise money but give the artist nothing in return" (money and or recognition). It's a loaded question with a lot of viewpoints depending on if you are a "successful artist" (in this case meaning - making a living from your art), or if you are a "struggling artist" (not making a living from your art). If you happen to be fortunate enough to thrive from your passion you generally don't have an issue with giving a few pieces of art work away every year. On the other hand if you are working a full time job in order to support your art and possibly your family as well, this is where most artist feel devalued when it comes to giving away their art. Another a salient question connected to the issue of giving art away for free is about the value/devaluation of art in our society which is a long and sticky topic to contemplate. So I'll do my best here to give some answers to the above questions and hopefully provide a perspective that might help you to see a bit of light in the tunnel of art fundraisers. 

The only fundraiser I have ever been a part of that gave a portion of the proceeds from the art sold to the artist is the Alan Avery Gallery in Atlanta. He feels that artist are worthy of receiving when they donate their art work. He told me he believes that a fundraiser should benefit everyone concerned and that it is important to not to devalue the art and the artist. He was raising money for Owen, a child in need of medical help, a very beautiful cause. I found myself contemplating his viewpoint about having value for the artist and the art. I had previously contributed for years with no expectation of a return on my art other than to benefit others. I think it is important to give and to give from your heart with no expectation of reward or attachment to a monetary outcome. However there are some considerations to be made when contributing of which I will discuss later in this article.

Recently I was talking with my friend, David Mendoza who has some valuable perspectives on doing fund raisers (he has helped to raise money, talent & sponsors for Chairise the Future). He views fund raisers such as Chairise the Future as an opportunity to make new contacts, advance your exposure as an artist, have people own great art and that all of the efforts  benefit a great cause to help people in need. Because of David's effort and several others, Chairise the Future which raises money for The Furniture Bank has been able to get a new warehouse and to continue to benefit many needy people. The upside of contributing your art is the beauty of knowing you can help many people with a small effort on your part. Community effort and the conscious intention to be of assistance to those less fortunate than ourselves is about love, altruism and the joy of giving. 

From another viewpoint, many fund raisers solicit artist to support their cause without the slightest inclination to offer recognition and or a percentage of the art they sell. It is as if artist have no value in this society that is often bereft of aestheticism, elegance, grace, wisdom and creativity. Our culture in the U.S. puts the arts on the bottom rung of life pursuits as though creativity and personal expression are of no value. On the top of the economic structure are the sciences, entrepreneurship, politics, being a CEO, etc., and reaping as much capital as possible at any cost. I have no qualm with making money or pragmatic endeavors, I simply would like to see the arts and artist recognized as a valid, important, potent and necessary part of life in our society. The arts and the artist reflect and help to create the shaping of society. It a spiritual journey many are not willing to explore because often the monetary rewards are not sufficient to provide for the everyday cost of living.

Wow.....I went on quite a tirade there and got off the subject.......sort of. Fundraisers ask artist to contribute on a regular basis because we are an easy target. There is often a belief that artist have tons of unsold artwork in their studios and that they should give it away because they can't sell it. This premise may or may not be true, but I do know that artist are often the first ones asked to donate to a worthy cause and unless a rare bird comes along such as Alan Avery who believes that artist and art have value, we will continue being the bottom of the shoe....good to step on, keeps your feet from hurting, but is rarely seen or recognized for its value.

In conclusion I believe that we (artist) should contribute to worthy causes to help others in need, but in a way I also feel that we deserve some sort of recognition and or a shared percentage of the donated art. On the other hand, the reward of giving is simply the act sharing from your heart without any expectation of being compensated. I am a bit conflicted about fundraisers and present this article as food for thought.  Aside from all this conjectural diatribe, I do hope you give your art to a good cause to help others.

Truthful Musings From The Studio

"MisMusings" from the studio.

As an artist I would suspect that we all experience peak moments of creativity, connecting with the divine, being a tool of that which is greater than ourselves and producing amazing art work. On the days I'm really in sync I can feel a tingle from the bottom of my spine rising all the way up through my crown chakra. Other days when only questions, anxiety, lack of confidence, insecurity, and to many questions come in to play to be of any real creative force I sit waiting for inspiration or simply do something else.

 Sometimes the best thing to do on days when it feels like your forcing the creative process is to do something completely different, take a walk, sleep, climb a mountain, or maybe go roller skating. Other times I find that if I simply make myself pick up my old wood handled brush and weave strokes of wet vivid liquid over the canvas, that I will let go of my inner chatter, circuitous internal dialogue, and find myself happily in the groove of creating, letting go, and free from misconception and attachment to what my mind tells me is real. Of course things can take another direction such as, producing a really ugly overworked painting, but this can also allow for new revelations in the direction you may really want to take.

I am, at this moment, talking myself into painting, picking up those beautiful brushes, mixing the sensuous chromatic liquids, brushing across the gleaming linen that beckons for me do something, anything!

Today I am working on a collaborative project and musing about my new Polo equestrian series. This is the first time I can recall being apprehensive about how to proceed with my art. Possibly, to much thought and to little action are at play as I look at the sketches on the walls, wondering how I want to approach them with paint and brush. Part of my mind plays the familiar tune of, simply apply action rather than thought, and the other half says that I might want to think some more, make more mock up paintings and be more sure of the direction I want to take. I'm feeling a bit insecure, wondering if what I paint will be acceptable. Acceptable to who? Acceptable for mass intake? Acceptable for sales. I can't believe these hesitations, questions, and feelings of inadequacy are roaming the my neural pathways, and making me pause from taking action. I have never done this before. I have always felt self assured, confident, committed to creating whatever was in the spirit of creation with no forethought of, 'is this okay, and will it be liked by people?"

Where did this come from? Why am I thinking rather than doing? Why am I consumed by the thought of acceptance and admiration?

To much coffee stimulating my neural network into senseless acts of introspection having nothing to do with reality, or so I tell myself this tale to sooth the savage reaper of non creativity.

The truth is, that I am far outside my arena of comfort. I usually create purely from instinct, intuition, some internal guiding force that I have relied on for the last thirty years, the one that tells me what's next and guides my hand smoothly across the canvas. I felt comfortable from that vantage point, never knowing where I was going, yet ending up in the right place without so much conscious effort. Now I am creating a series for a particular reason, or so it seems........

I am on a path to be purely a "professional artist", to support myself solely from my art work, believing that if I give the audience what they want, I will sell. In reply to previous statement I reply, "rather mundane, simplistic, egoistic, and functioning more in the economic sphere, rather than the spiritual, unseen, the place of risk, adventure, unknown, the possibilities that would not exist otherwise, living truth and expressing it".

Pragmatism and income weigh heavily on my mind when encroaching the idea making my bread from art. Somehow when I do architecture the process seems so much easier. I get a job, work with the client, design, draw the design & mechanics of it, get paid, and done. I see architecture that way, as a means, as creative process ending with bread on table. In painting I have always felt it as a place of refuge, freedom from the litany of responsibilities such as, planning, making money, etc. I am simply experiencing a new concept for my art, and my heart will not sink in doing so.

You are witnessing my thoughts in action here, hope it's not to boring as I make my best effort to try and conclude what I am actually doing with my art and why I am having such a difficult time proceeding, actuating, putting paint to canvas. I hope that you, the reader might find solace if you are lost as I am, and if you are on the other side of the spectrum of creativity I ask that you might share your thoughts.

Saying For The Day: Seek truth, and while your doing it be truthful.

Collaboration With Artist

Moving Mayhem - Studio 4

Working in your studio day after day, isolated from other artist is one way to produce art work, and another method is to get out of the studio, meet other artist, work on projects together, exchange concepts, and have some commentary on each others art work.

Recently I opted to move my art studio at my house to an art space with about thirty other working artist. I hadn't worked in an environment like this since my days at the university, and always thought the best creative condition for me was to work alone. After moving all the stuff and setting up the art space in a small 300 sq. ft. walled space, I started to meet other artist, have conversations, invite guest over to view my art work, and found that I loved the energetic buzz of working around so many creative minded people.

Seeing so many artistic people, styles, and concepts on a daily basis affords the opportunity to expand beyond reading and viewing art work in books, which can be quite illuminating, but does not posses the power of real human interaction which is truly inspiring.

I consider this move on the best I have made and would suggest to any artistically inclined person to find interaction with other artist on a daily basis.

Also, I have recently started a collaborative project with a good friend of mine who is a renowned photographer. He takes the photos and processes them, then I add my painting to the photo work. Sometimes even after I paint he adds more photographs to the art work. Before starting a piece we discuss the concept, exchange ideas about the general direction we feel the piece can take, and then give each other complete freedom to pursue our passion.

This has been a great exercise in letting go of ego, and also I learned that I actually had some fear around working on someones art work, in that I might not be accepted - like, what if they don't like what I did to the art work, or what if I mess it up? After letting go of these fears, and removing the seriousness from this collaboration, we have created some great art work and learned a lot about ourselves in the process.

Saying For The Day: Share your creative spirit with others..........