Stone Barn Farm

The first weekend that Alder and I were in New York we took a trip up river to the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. This is where we had a little confusion identifying a pig. In fact before we were close enough to it's wooded enclosure we had thought it was a dog (chocolate lab) and a cow. The center is beautiful and interesting, however you can tell that it is just out side of New York City. While it is free to visit the ground the restaurant that is very pricey. The less expensive cafe is still outrageous it cost almost three dollars for a bottle of water (we were in great need for more water after our hike). However the hikes are beautiful and what they are doing with the farm is interesting so it is worth the trip, as long as you bring your own picnic.

Frida Kahlo

Kevin and I watched Frida last night. For Kevin it struck on the interest in the process of art making and how that often gets lost when you are looking at art and discussing it. Frida Kahol's paintings are intense emotional pieces stemming from her own life. She did not create them for the art critics and historians to dissect. They were created because she had to create them for herself. Yes the topics were of more universal appeal than she would have thought but that only served to benefit her.

The whole conversation got me thinking about imitators. People who are struck by her artwork do it an injustice by copying her style. If they were to truly emulate her they would focus on being true to their own internal monologue. There have been times that she has inspired me to try self portraits but the outcomes have nothing to do with her actual paintings. I couldn't copy her because my experience in life is different.

What I find in her paintings is a sense of strength and vibrancy. This site is a "biography" of Frida Kahlo using her paintings to tell the story. http://www.fbuch.com/fridaby.htm I come away from them with a feeling that one must do not just think about doing. Life is present and if you are an artist you should be making art not just talking about making it.

Yesterday I cleared my art table and I look over there right now and can see the project I am working on. I don't feel spiritually connected to Kahol but my respect to her, as with the other artists whose work I like, would be in creating my own honest work.