Do you ever think about when you were young, 14 or 15 maybe, and how exciting everything was? The world was so full of possibilities, without limits, and without being tainted by cynicism or reality. Remember meeting that special boy? How wonderful that was, and holding hands for the first time, and exchanging that first sweet kiss.

And can you remember being even younger, 6 or 7, and what it felt like at this time of year, waiting for Christmas? How exciting, and magical it all was. Christmas was all about Santa Claus and presents, and the Christmas feast and goodies and fun. And even though everyone kept telling us that there was more to it than that, that%92s all we could see, in our excitement.

How sad that we lose that sweet innocence as we grow older. The realities of life rob us of that sweetness and taint the way we see life and people, and ourselves even. They steal, or at least diminish, much of our hopes and dreams, if we let them. And it%92s hard not to do, after all that%92s what being grown up is about, isn%92t it? Seeing the world with realistic eyes and adjusted expectations.

Sometimes I wish we could retain that rosy view of the world, the belief that we can do anything, that all is right with the world, that the future is full of possibilities just waiting for us to show up. Life experience is valuable, but it does rob us of our innocence, doesn%92t it?

So at this time of year, Christmas time, it%92s nice to try to reconnect with that part of ourselves, the sweet innocent child full of joy, and hope and dreams, still open to all possibilities and expecting nothing but the best in life.

And that%92s what I wish for all of you, a Christmas full of joy, sweetness, innocence, hope, and mostly, love and happiness. Best wishes to everyone.

Suzette

“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” (Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States, 1872-1933)

PS: As this will be my last blog this year, I also wish you a Happy New Year and I%92ll be back on the first of January with my annual gift, my printable Art Calendar for the coming year. All the best to you.

There isn%92t a world of art out there, there are many worlds of art. I say this because I often come across things %92artful%92 that leave me feeling completely befuddled. So I started to think about this and realized that the world that I know is only a very small part of the world of art out there.

There%92s the world of art which I know and where I fit. It%92s the %92local%92 world of art. It%92s made up of local artists who work at home, belong to a local club, participate in local shows. Our prices are low and our sales modest, neither of which are any reflection on the quality of the work, which is sometimes fabulous. Some would call us hobbyists, but I resent that name. We are simply local artists who have not yet reached beyond our local community and built up more of a reputation and a following.

There%92s the %92in%92 market, where the artists have managed to achieve a higher level of recognition, and with that a higher level of both prices and sales. Their work is sometimes very good, or sometimes just trendy, but they have managed to build up a following for their work. Experts, and buyers, declare the work to be good so therefore, prices can reach well into the thousands.

There%92s the %92nice%92 market, for so many people who want something that looks nice in their living room, usually in colours that match the sofa, or the wall colour. These are often reproduced in canvas transfers and sell all other the place, even in unusual places like Rona or London Drugs, for a very reasonable price. The people who buy in this market don%92t care that there are a million copies of this painting out there; all they care about is that it looks nice above the sofa.

There%92s the %92important work%92 world, where experts declare a work to be %92important%92 or %92significant%92, or %92a good investment%92 and the work%92s prices can reach into the millions. It can be as simple as a yellow dot on a canvas, or a red and a blue stripe, but the experts call it important, therefore it%92s worth millions. I find this world to be snobbish most of the time and occasionally a lot of nonsense.

Then there%92s %92conceptual art%92 and %92installation art%92 . What can I say about these? From what I%92ve seen, these usually have nothing to do with skills, learned and practiced over a long time, nothing to do with the artist, through his/her hard work, capturing a moment in time and touching the viewer. It%92s all about shock value, making you think, creating a reaction. To me that%92s not art, it%92s a political statement. As Ilse Fourie of South Africa recently said (on Robert Genn%92s Painters%92 Keys site), it%92s %92garbage displayed with a title%92.

There are indeed many different worlds out there. I find that realization helpful in understanding my world and where I fit in, as well as where I want to fit in.

"Art is what you can get away with." (Marshall McLuhan)

Your comments are always welcome.

Suzette