Conceit 2016-W17

Perhaps based on interpretations from the Bible, or perhaps merely arrogance, some humans harbor a conceit that we are the only "animal" that can feel or express certain emotions — human emotions, if you will. Many other humans know better; further proof was delivered by a moving episode of PBS program Nature, where we see a number of reunions between animal orphans and their carers.

The reunions happen after the animals have transitioned to partly or fully lived lives in the wild. We aren't so surprised by the gorilla... after all, they're primates as are we. As it happened, the gorilla seems rather "matey" and waved his horde of wives in to meet his old friend and carer. More surprising were the elephants. And the man who raises elephant orphans, whose devotion inspires. In this reunion, we see not one but two excited young elephant ladies and a bit of a girl fight over their long unseen carer.

Very surprising to me was the cheetah. Long story short, she allowed a human to be near her litter of cubs. And even let them clamber and explore her human friend as he lay back. Whatever emotion she felt toward him is nothing we can fathom — we aren't cheetahs. But what is clear and incredible: her emotional bond with the human put her at ease in a situation where she by nature would be her most vigilant and dangerous self.

Lastly the chimpanzees, and as with gorillas we expect them to act like us. They practically are us, after all. While those reunions unfold as expected, the stunning surprise here arose from a different situation. As she was caged, being transported for release to the wild, a chimp was comforted by a woman the chimp had never met, and only knew for the hour or so that the boat ride endured. Ashore and released from the cage, the chimp explored this new space and then leapt atop the cage, near the woman who gave her comfort. And then the chimp hugged this woman so tenderly. A virtual stranger who made an immediate emotional impact on this animal.

We can never know exactly what this chimpanzee was thinking or feeling. We can't say what message she meant to convey to her source of comfort. But we can say that what the chimp felt was the equal of any of our more lofty human emotions. Maybe "human emotion" should be retired as a meaningless phrase.

I'll tackle another meaningless phrase in the next post. Meanwhile, here's a recent abstract study. I think at the time I gave it a jokey name like Square Planets in a Warm Galaxy but I withdraw that. I enjoyed deciding which side was up... see if you agree!

Abstract Study

That's More Like It 2016-W15

Last week/last blog I stopped painting at a point where I liked what I had about as much as I thought I could like that particular painting at all. And I liked it well enough but in short order I decided to do it again this week and I'm much more satisfied.

As I started to write the blog, my 20-month old neighbor let rip with quite the volley of noes before launching a level four wailer of a meltdown — not sweet, but it was short — and after it ended I again felt satisfied. (She's moving soon and I'll miss seeing her toddle around in the back yard. Good luck, little lady!)

In the week between versions of the ninth banshee, I had two lunches. Each with a former workmate who's now a friend. Always nice seeing them, and even more so this week as I shared how much I enjoy doing the work I'm doing now. That was satisfying.

It sure is nice to be back on the sunny side of the street. I'm looking forward to the coming week. Hope yours is a good one, and enjoy (or don't) today's painting!

Substantive Variation on Banshee IX

Damn Right, Linda! 2016-W13

Recently I was YouTube surfing one evening — as you do — and I can't recollect if the all knowing Google recommended this video, or did I just stumble acrost it? Never matter, the point is I watched it all the same. So what was it?  Near as I can tell, it's an hour of raw footage of living legend Linda Ronstadt being interviewed for TV circa 2012. If you don't know who she is, GET OUT NOW.

Along with the heartbreaking news that, due to her Parkinson's she no longer can sing, I also learned that she is a voracious reader and (I think) has a very good head on her shoulders. But that isn't why I landed on her as today's topic.

More than once in her interview, she said emphatically that everyone should sing. Brilliant artists — and she named several but excluded herself, even though she dropped 8 straight platinum albums, boom — brilliant artists exist to inspire the rest of us. And we enjoy their great talent but that should never stop us from making our own music as best we can.

I sing not so great. Fortunately, as long as my youngest brother is nearby I have plenty of scope to avoid being dubbed "worst singer present". (If not "ever".) And the same goes for painting. I have previously written posts on my painting motto, which is: keep up the bad work!  If you do, eventually you make one that's pretty good. So very satisfying when that happens.

Still, even the bad ones have their charms. After all, I'm the only one who could have created them. I was startled to hear that Linda rarely listens to her own music, because each recording is a static snapshot of art that she feels evolves each time it is performed. She hears all the flaws in her recording of Blue Bayou, which I think most other music lovers would call a triumph. Even baseball fans recognized its genius: "Linda Rondstadt" is now synonymous for a fastball. Because, you know, it "blew by you". Har har.

We all of us should pay heed to Linda's admonitions and keep singing, or dancing, or painting, or whatever it is that you're not world-famous for. Life is too short to worry about how it will be received by others; what's important is that you put it out there.  As for Linda not loving Blue Bayou, well that's just Crazy — which is my favorite of her many brilliant solo recordings even though it was only the B side on the single. Go figure.

Today's subject is a hate monger but ineffectual so I decided to not name her and deny her that empowerment; she isn't nearly as pretty as the painting. I had planned to take today's painting a bit further but stopped here because it felt right. I don't know if I'd call it A-side material, but even if it's a B side I like it and I hope you enjoy it too.

Banshee IX