Category: Paradoxes

July 14, 2016

Is art a luxury or is it something we need right now?

It would seem that enjoying art during the tumultuous times that we have experienced in recent days would be a luxury. Is art a luxury?

There is so much anguish and so many deep seated problems facing our culture right now. How does enjoying art fit with that?

First of all, art is not just for enjoyment. Art is a part of our culture – the expressive part – that gives image and voice to shared experiences.

Art can raise awareness and rally people to a cause. It can give us iconic images that reveal the nuances of an issue, and it can point out the incongruities in our purposes and actions. Without creative expression, social movements would likely blow away in the wind.

Even so, enjoying art simply for the sake of enjoying it is not frivolous either.

We need reprieves from the strife. Sometimes we need to turn off the news and enjoy quiet beauty to refresh our sense of goodness in the world.

And sometimes, buying a piece of art during a time of important change can bring more meaning to the moment when you look back upon it in the future.

Artist Gwen Seemel says art is not a luxury at all. In fact, it is an essential part of who we are, and we cannot live without it. I agree with her.

We spend considerable amounts of money on many things that are not absolutely necessary for survival. Because we consider these things as part of our daily lives, though, we do not consider these expenses frivolous. Cable TV. Video games and mobile apps. Stylish cloths. Home decor. Gardening and lawn care. Alcohol and snacks. The list goes on and on. We spend lots of money on a variety of items that we do not absolutely need.

But how often do we buy original art?

We experience art regardless of whether we purchase it outright. Often we consume art via television or other mass market publishing outlets to get our creativity fix. It costs more to buy original art directly from an artist, though, so we consider it a luxury.

Why is it more necessary to purchase things that are mass produced by corporations than it is to buy authentic creative expressions from an independent artist?

Watch the video below and see if you still think art is a luxury. And think again before you pass up that artwork you really love but think it is too much of a luxury for you.

The painting above is for sale. Regular price is $100, however, you may purchase it for $75 for a limited time. Discount ends Friday, July 15 at 12:00 AM EDT.

“Heart” $75.00 Acrylic Painting on Wood 12″ H x 16″ W US Shipping – $25 Intl – $45

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Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

January 9, 2016

“Officer Down!” Police Dog takes a bullet for his human comrades.

UPDATE: Sadly, Jethro took a turn for the worse and he succumbed to his injuries on January 10, 2016. He died a hero and saved the lives of his fellow human officers. Funds raised in his name will go towards making other canine officers safer as they perform their duties in our community. RIP Jethro.

In Canton, Ohio, we value our canine police officers as much as we do their human counterparts. Canton’s police dogs are local heroes, and they have more than earned that status.

As a city whose population is shrinking, Canton has urban crime rates that rival those of much bigger cities. Our safety forces are seriously underfunded and their numbers are truly inadequate for the needs, so canine officers are frequently called upon to intervene in very hazardous situations. This weekend, one of our canine heroes, Jethro, was struck down in the line of duty, and there are few dry eyes in Canton as a result.

Jethro was shot in the line of duty as he chased an armed burglar. The burglar unloaded a series of bullets intended for human officers and Jethro was struck as he chased the criminal down. He literally took the bullet for his human comrades. Despite being shot at least 3 times, Jethro survived, but he is not out of the woods yet. He is being monitored closely and being provided round the clock care at the Stark County Emergency Veterinary Clinic.

(Jethro’s human partner returned fire, as did other officers, and the burglar was wounded and apprehended.)

Most medium to large cities have canine officers, and they perform a critical service for our communities. These animals often go into situations where it is unsafe for human officers to go, and they can be placed in very risky situations. We need to ensure their protection as much as we possibly can, as they are extremely important to our communities’ safety. Many communities lack the resources to do that, though. Canton is one of them.

Although Canton has bullet proof vests for its canine officers, they are old and heavy, and they are rarely used. Jethro was not vested at the time of his shooting.

We now know that we need to improve our protection for our valued canine officers. We are sorry we didn’t do it before, Jethro, but we are doing it now. Local community leader and dog blogger Beth Philly of DOGGIES.COM has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to cover Jethro’s vet bills and to purchase new vests for all of Canton’s canine officers. If you would like to contribute, we would love to accept your donation.

Jethro’s story has touched a nerve in Canton, and it is spreading well beyond Canton’s city limits. When an animal is injured through an act of bravery, it brings us to our knees. Officers from Police Departments across the country have bent a knee and shared prayers and well wishes for Jethro. So have concerned citizens from all over the world. I am told that the parking lot of the Stark County Emergency Veterinary Clinic is full of emergency vehicles with officers standing vigil in the clinic’s lobby for Jethro.

The drug is not recommended to be taken with alcohol, which is quite logical, since although effect is increasing, so does the side effects, including headaches and also the rapid onset of addiction.

My art is dedicated to celebrating the human/animal bond, and never before have I witnessed such a story about that bond. I have decided to create a Premiere Pet Portrait Painting of Jethro to celebrate his bond with his community and his fellow officers. The portrait will be given to Officer Ryan Davis, Jethro’s handler, and his family, who considers Jethro a pet. The bond between Jethro and Officer Davis rises to dimensions beyond the traditional human-pet relationship, and the community’s love for Jethro takes on a whole new dimension. How could I resist the artistic challenge of creating this awesome creature’s portrait?

I will post again about Jethro’s story and the progress of his portrait. You can learn more about his entry into the Canton Police force here, and you can contribute to the GoFundMe campaign here. Follow the DOGGIES.COM blog for updates on his condition and medical progress.

Let’s all hope that Jethro has many adventures still left ahead of him.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

October 20, 2015

Adult Coloring Books – Hope or Hype?

Sample Page from “Artist BZTAT’s Color Me Cats Coloring Book”

Google the words “Adult Coloring Books” and you will find a plethora of results. First you will see zillions of coloring books for sale on Amazon, Etsy, Barnes and Noble, Michaels, etc. Then you will find a number of trending news stories on the topic. There is a lot of interest in adult coloring books these days for a number of reasons.

Psychologists and wellness gurus have linked adult coloring to “mindfulness” and myriad other psychological benefits. Coloring is said to help anxious adults relax, and some experts claim that coloring can be as therapeutic as meditation and yoga. Coloring taps into our childhood instincts towards “play”, the experts say, and it gives us permission to release our apprehensions around adult obligations for a moment, allowing us to “de-stress” from our stressful lives.

Is it for real? Can coloring a line drawing in a book really do all that? Do adult coloring books offer great hope for our stressed out population of grown ups, or is it just a bunch of hype?

I haven’t seen any hard evidence or research on the benefits of coloring on the psyche, but I have no reason to dispute it either. As a former clinical counselor, I recognize that there is great value in simple acts of creativity that require focus but not commitment, and coloring provides that value. It allows people to be creative without the pressure of performance towards an outcome, and that can be relaxing and comforting to many people.

Most non-artist adults that I encounter enjoy creative experiences, but they tend to be hyper-critical of their abilities to draw. Coloring an existing image in a coloring book offers them the joy of creating without the apprehension of having to draw something themselves, and it can be a fun way to unwind. Adult coloring books typically have more complexity in the images than children’s books do, and they have less juvenile themes to make them more interesting and challenging. The challenge is not stress inducing, though, so it holds one’s interest without causing frustration.

Coloring can be relaxing and, thus, it can be therapeutic. I suspect that some of the over-the-top claims are more marketing than they are clinically significant tenets, but there is no harm in adding coloring to your wellness regimen. It is no panacea, and it won’t fix society, but it won’t hurt anything either.

Truthfully, there are some people (myself included) who do not succeed with other forms of relaxation and mindfulness. Personally, I am like the Aflac Duck when I attempt yoga and meditation. I am awkward and self conscious with such mind and body practice, and it does not fit my style. We all need to find what works for us, and if coloring does that, then I say go for it.

If nothing else, Coloring can be a fun thing to do, whether it is therapeutic or not, and that is value enough. It was fun for us as children, so why should we stop doing it when we grow older?

I created my Artist BZTAT’s Color Me Cats Coloring Book because my fans and collectors asked me to. Each one had a different reason for wanting a BZTAT coloring book, but whatever the reasons, I have found it to be a fun new way to share my work with others. If it is therapeutic for some, then that just makes it more fun.

In answer to the question, “Hope or hype?” I say, who cares? What difference does it really make? Relax, enjoy and surrender to the process if you so desire. You just might have a bit of fun.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Order Artist BZTAT’s Color Me Cats Coloring Book here!