Why many Artists love to paint waters

Why many artists love to paint waters? And why being close to water whether oceans, seas, fountains or lakes has irresistible and tranquility effect on our minds? Why we all are inspired by water, whether when hearing it, smelling it, playing in it, walking next to it, surfing, swimming or fishing, writing about it or photographing it? Doing any of the above creates lasting memories. Being close to water creates feelings of awe, peace, and joy. 70% of the earth is covered with water! Water contains percentage of oxygen and the blue colour adds serene feelings to the mind. As well, the sensation of hearing the waves is relaxing and described to many for healing.

We however, need to look deeper than these reasons. We spend our first nine months of life immersed in the “watery” environment of our mother’s womb. When we’re born, our bodies are approximately 78 percent water. We depend on water as source of life as we depended on our mothers. From there, we build have innate love for nature as we love our mothers. Most likely, we intuitively are linked to water and nature physically, cognitively, and emotionally as we are to our mothers!

Back to artists and painting waters! There is a link between the need to be close to water and being inspired by it with survival! What we consider “beautiful” or beautiful art is a result of our deep-rooted linkage to the kind of natural landscape that confirmed our survival as a species. When people were asked to describe beautiful landscape in contemporary art, the elements were included; open space, threes, blue, grass, water, which are survival elements!

For each one of us, water provides the most profound shortcut to happiness. Being happy, improves our relationships, helps us be creative, productive, and be effective at whatever we do, builds self-control and ability to cope, make us more charitable, cooperative, and empathetic; boost our immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems; lower cortisol and heart rate, decrease inflammation, slow disease progression, and increase longevity. Research shows that the amount of happiness we experience spreads outward, affecting not only people we know but also the friends of their friends as well. Happy people demonstrate better cognition and attention, make better decisions, take better care of themselves, and are better friends, colleagues, neighbors, spouses, parents, and citizens. Blue Mind isn’t just about smiling when we’re near the water; it’s about smiling everywhere.

In almost all cases, when humans think of water or hear water, or see water, or get in water, even taste and smell water — they feel something. These “instinctual and emotional responses . . . occur separately from rational and cognitive responses,” wrote Steven C. Bourassa, a professor of urban planning, in a seminal 1990 article in Environment and Behavior. These emotional responses to our environment arise from the oldest parts of our brain, and in fact can occur before any cognitive response arises.

Therefore, to understand our relationship to the environment, we must understand both our cognitive and our emotional interactions with it.

We didn’t come into this world but came out of it, like a wave from the ocean, so we are not strangers! Are we?

Beyond our evolutionary linkage to water, humans have deep emotional ties to being in its presence. Water delights us and inspires us

“I need the sea because it teaches me (Pablo Neruda”)

It consoles us and intimidates us (Vincent van Gogh)

And I could not gree more!

©[Mona Youssef - Fine Artist / Writer

Definitions of curator, dealer, collector, gallery and gallerist

Definitions of the above title are what I am about to elaborate and hope that will highlight important points artists may need to know!

In the art world, we often hear or use those titles yet, they are not clearly defined to many, particularly, to Artists! Each of those titles carry meaning and responsibility with it.  I hope that this Blog will help Artist when selecting their galleries, gallerist or curators and how to deal with collectors even though there is much to learn about this subject separately!

Curator: is the person, who selects artwork, arranges for the setting and provides information for artists regarding shipping or documentations needed and responsible for writing labels, catalog themes and other supporting content for an exhibition as well, must have an academic degree in art and art history etc.<strong>.</strong> Such curator may be permanently, hired as administrator director or works as freelancer. In general curator holds a higher academic degree in their subject such master degree of art, art history, Curator also can deliver public talks, publish articles as he/she has the knowledge of the current collecting market for their area of expertise and are aware of existing ethical practices and laws that may impact their organisation's collection. Curator has ability to develops new verity of influences outside of the traditional art world for art installation.  General speaking, a curator prefers to work with a small group of artists and creates variety of presentations. Lately, we have seen artists organizing exhibitions and the artist-curator has a long tradition influence such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, founder of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Academy Royal Academy, London.

Dealer: is the person who buys art at the right time with the right price and sells it at the right time with the right price, but not necessary deal with artists on a personal level. A dealer may present artwork and might sponsor his artists fully for mutual benefits. In such case, it works well for artists who accept to work as employees not as free creative individuals for he/she is asked what to paint within a given time.  Dealer has a secondary market; first market is targeting artists with certain artwork, second; is targeting art buyers with his collection to get best prices possible.

Collector: is the person who loves certain pieces of art/paintings and collect art not necessary to sell later but the chance is there. He is also called an art lover with possibility of having a personal project in mind for his/her collection in the future, such as having own museum or use/rent the collection for films/movies and TV shows etc.

Gallery: A simple term applied on an actual and unmovable building, structure, space or a place to display artwork. In our modern days, we have seen unnumbered online galleries where thousands of artists, if not millions, are presented, promoted, selling artwork and even auctioning artwork and entering competitions with prizes. While we’ve seen also, some actual galleries have closed. A gallery, whether physical or online, requires a passionate and knowledgeable gallerist/individual to direct it successfully. Whereas a gallery that made from walls, doors and windows can’t do such job.

Gallerist: A gallerist selects its artists and takes personal interest in each and is directly, involved with the feeding and needs of artists, rather than with the quick turnover of art projects and objects.  Chelsea gallerist; Sean Kelly, conceits himself for his good relationships with artists in his stable. A gallerist is the person who represents and promotes artists in a primary art market, the one with an exhibition space to offer and who raises relationships with collectors and art organizers. A gallerist might own an actual building called a gallery or online gallery to presents artists and might present also, them in different avenues internationally.  A gallerist is partially curator with academic certificate in art filed and provides artists with the necessary information regarding shipping, needed documentation and arrange for the setup/layout of an exhibition. As well edits biographies on behalf of artists, prepares necessary designs and prints out for presentations. It is agreed upon that a gallerist is an individual who is holding a position of responsibility as a director.

Some suggest that gallerist derives from the French word “galeriste” which long used by top gallery personages in France to distinguish themselves from the merely, simple merchant de tableaux or picture merchant. Others say that gallerist came from Germany, where “galeristin” symbolize respectively, a male or female gallery owner.

Andrea Rosen, a newer Chelsea presence, said that she does not find the term gallerist pretentious, but is equally comfortable with dealer. ''I'm a dealer insofar as I work with the secondary market,'' The title gallerist would better suit a “highly creative” curator whose personal expression supplants the art they select to exhibit. Some artists have organized their own exhibitions but did that make them gallerists, curators or galleries? Not necessary but with long experience, they might be.

We heard the term “A gallery owner” but never heard the term “A gallerist owner”.  Isn’t the first term equal to “home owner“? But does it make the owner “Home” or “homiest”? Edward Winkleman is a gallery director who used the title “Gallerist” to designate more active involvement with artist’s work. I would add that a gallerist get involved even in artist’s lives assisting them in every way possible. A gallery can’t do such a task but a gallerist. The gallerist may not have a permanent gallery but is the strong string between artists, art organizers, dealers, collectors and galleries. Such responsibility of a gallerist requires much patience and passion in addition to experience and knowledge.

Having written the above, I wonder; are titles given to us or we give titles to ourselves for what we’re capable of doing and have done? Action is louder than thousands of words.

©Mona Youssef-Realist Fine Artist/Gallerist

Da Vinci and you; are you, can you?

You probably, are another Da Vinci, partially or totally, how would you know? The DaVincis are 10% of the population who can create, take the lead, invent, solve problems, sensitive to surroundings, speak up, seek sensation, are insightful, risk takers, brave, prevision and calculate matters ahead of time, think differently and stand out inversely! Such characteristics can be found in leaders, inventors, politicians, stars, scientists and artists. These ones are highly sensitive, spiritual and feel the need to have purpose in life. They can’t tolerate nonsense or take no for an answer. Therefore, they have the spirit of warrior to correct systems that lacks integrity and is no longer working for the majority. For this reason, they have a fiery inspiring character and strong determination.

The Da Vincis have genetic polymorphism called the DRD4 which increases susceptibility, the alpha brainwave patterns to addictive behavior, ADD/ADHD and bipolar, supports the risk-taking intention, innovation and enriches the problem-solving capability. These individuals are only content when operate at 100% of their capacity, call them perfectionists!! This perfect percentage must include their emotional, mental, physical and spiritual maximum limitations when doing something. When they use the full capacity, they are the happiest people, feel energetic, lively and never hold something back but give it all when they are in such states.

Being known as individuals who lack self-repression, the Da Vincis, may seem, in public, as emotionally unnatural, too spontaneous, different, too good to be true or untrue because simply, they have the spur-of-the-moment attribute. In response to this fact, the DaVincis are strained and hold back the urge expressing their unconscious ideas, desires, spontaneous natural impulses, feelings and thoughts in public. This why they prefer to be alone in most cases.

DaVinci was affected by everything surrounded him even food, places, nature, sex, music, environments and ideas etc. He was example of discovering our limitation, potentials and exploring the unknown areas. When Da Vinci was confronted with negotiable dangers, felt exhilarated and livelier which put him in the Alpha state where his intuition would flow and provided him with insightful solutions. Whereas when a normal person faces such situation he would only, fight or flight which does not open a door for problem solving nor for creativity to be developed. This Alpha or flow state of the unconscious oneself leads to the third option, which some may call it the sixth senses. This must be experienced to learn about it and understand it! DaVinci, knew what to do immediately, as instant realization and fast flash of insightful thought pops up in at the perfect moment.

The 90% of the population are considered the normal type! Therefore, they have it easy and are hardly criticized for the fact that they have little conflict between what they express consciously, and how they act out or conduct themselves publicly. Why? Because they unaware of the entire unconscious matters their brains automatically, repress without any personal efforts. Since they do not experience unconscious thoughts, desires or impulses, although, they look normal to the majority, but they lack the flares and creativity. They easily, follow rules which kill creativity and destroy the ability to perceive matters ahead of time, whereas DaVinci hated to be told what to do and could not follow rules. He utilized his best when acted on the level of personal consciousness free from laws, conditions and social programming or expectations. That is why the Da Vincis may suffer from bipolar disorder, anxiety, procrastination and lack of true success, balancing between oneself and the public standers and its norm expectations, so they have it difficult!

Sigmund Freud had studied the psychology of Da Vinci and found him to be a great and brilliant artist. After almost 100 years past, the medical diagnosis labeled many as the neurotic Da Vinci type ADD or ADHD. As was discovered that the DRD4 polymorphism gene can be activated to have Da Vinci attributes! In general, going under high stress can activate the DRD4 to equip a person to handle a situation at best. Shinohara, Toshimichi, Ph. D. in Brigham and in Women’s Hospital Centre for Ophthalmic Research said We are studying how cells adapt to environment-stress to survive. To survive stress, cells activate multiple genes. When it is activated we feel the need for stimulation, excitement, adrenaline, exploring, discovering and doing something different because we crave the transcendent experience of living on the edge.

So, how about you and I? Are we Da Vinci? Do you wish to be? If not, now, do you know and understand more about different people, talented artists and spontaneous individuals? Can we give them their spaces and stop criticizing their unique behaviors? Deep down, do we know enough about ourselves? How then, would we know enough about others, particularly, about the very small percentage of population? Do we have the right to go around judging others not knowing enough facts in life? Let us discover each other and appreciate one another abilities. Diversity is the spices so life to enjoy.

©Mona Youssef