The work that I create at least a large part of the work I create is something that I call "Philoism" in a nutshell this is philosophy based artwork. Generally I like to take various happenings in my life and other peoples lives and look at both sides of the coin the pros and cons and see where it is that I feel the middle road lies. Sometimes extremes can be exciting and it's a great idea every once in a while to take something to the extreme just to get that jolt out of life that we all sometimes need. That little rush that tells you that you're alive!
Middle ground for me is a place where I find the path of least resistance. Life is too short to be driving yourself all the time. We must take time to stop and savour where we are and whom we are with and what they mean to us. Through my work in "Philoism" I hope to help others find some peace in their lives.
Some people may look at my work and say well it's just surrealism the images may appear dreamlike but there are definite reasons for the various elements in my art there is also a written dialogue which accompanies them. Surrealism for the most part is non objective, make of it what you will. I'm not saying that my interpretation of my work is the only way to interpret the piece but as an analogy if you listened to the music of a song say the Beatles "The Long and Winding Road" without the words the music would be beautiful but would we ever Know what the song was really about? A picture is worth ten thousand words my dialogue merely gives you one path on which to travel through the work.
So few of us take the time to genuinely weigh a situation in our minds before we make decisions and I believe that's why so many bad decisions are made by people daily. It takes a great deal of practice to step back from a life challenge on a regular basis because of our high speed lifestyle we think we have to make decisions on the spot right now right away and this is just not so ninety per cent of the time. Rome wasn't built in a day as the old saying goes.
The artworks you see on the site are examples of my work if you would like to see more and read the dialogues written for these works I invite you to peruse my website at http://www.artistalanrutherford.com/
I would love to hear from my fellow artists that are pursuing a similar vane in their works.
Till next time.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Breaking in my Techno Shoes
Hello:All
As a new blogger I have a great deal to learn not only about blogging but all the other techno stuff that goes along with it. What a great opportunity! Whenever I find myself becoming frustrated by the whole process I just step away from the computer for a while and do something creative I find losing myself in a totally different process allows me to step back and look at any given challenge in a fresh light, I've already had several encounters with my lack of patience today but hey I'm learning. Every little nugget of information I find really builds my self confidence. For a long time I would rely on someone else to step in and help me out, in reality even though well intentioned they were not doing me any favours.
When that little light goes on and you finally comprehend what the devil you are doing it's a great feeling. But if you are constantly being spoon fed you learn nothing. I have always found computers in general to be very intimidating as I was never allowing myself to figure things out for myself I always had something else that was more important, that's just a lame excuse. A pair of shoes will always be uncomfortable if you don't break them in, so I will continue my walk through the unknown and keep in mind that it quite possibly could be a very exciting trip.
Till next time.
Alan
As a new blogger I have a great deal to learn not only about blogging but all the other techno stuff that goes along with it. What a great opportunity! Whenever I find myself becoming frustrated by the whole process I just step away from the computer for a while and do something creative I find losing myself in a totally different process allows me to step back and look at any given challenge in a fresh light, I've already had several encounters with my lack of patience today but hey I'm learning. Every little nugget of information I find really builds my self confidence. For a long time I would rely on someone else to step in and help me out, in reality even though well intentioned they were not doing me any favours.
When that little light goes on and you finally comprehend what the devil you are doing it's a great feeling. But if you are constantly being spoon fed you learn nothing. I have always found computers in general to be very intimidating as I was never allowing myself to figure things out for myself I always had something else that was more important, that's just a lame excuse. A pair of shoes will always be uncomfortable if you don't break them in, so I will continue my walk through the unknown and keep in mind that it quite possibly could be a very exciting trip.
Till next time.
Alan
Friday, March 13, 2009
One Door Closes Another One Opens
One Door Closes Another One Opens Hello everyone this is my first blog on blogger.com I'm not exactly a tech oriented person so this is something totally new to me. As the title may suggest I am beginning a new life in a lot of respects. After twenty-one years of operation I am in the process of shutting down my Studio frame shop which for the very short time being is located at 11A Baldwin Street in downtown Toronto. It doesn't matter any more to me why I was taken down this new road in my life I am choosing to look at it as a fresh start.Art has been my life for more than thirty-eight years and it will continue to play a major role. I have a website http://www.artistalanrutherford.com/ which hasn't been updated for a while due to the fact that my webmaster went back to school a wise decision on his part. The studio will be open until March 31st. 2009 at which time I will be seeking employment preferably in my field but whatever it takes to make a living I'm willing to do. I have a family that has been on this journey with me and I haven't povided as much financial input as I feel I should have as far as I'm concerned I have some catching up to do in that area. My Wife and family have always been there for me and I will be forever grateful to them all. So where do I go from here? Perhaps there are some fellow artists out there who would like to share their stories with me I would love to hear from you. Now that I no longer have a bricks and mortar venue the only place you will be able to view my work for the next little while will be on my website which I previously mentioned. One of the ways I fugured on letting people know about what I was up to was by occasionally putting some pictures of my work up on my blog. I just have to fugure out how to do that.
They say that when you lose your job or business it's like a death and yes at first that's what it felt like. After a few weeks to let all the changes begin to sink in the situation doesn't seem quite so scarry anymore one of the tricks I've learned so far that I find most valuable is just to keep your mind engaged in something and focus on only that task. It's especially helpful if that action is a move in a forward direction instead of looking back at the place where you were that in reality no longer exists. Familiar places are oh so comfortable in your mind simply because there are no unknowns it's the fear of the unknown that stops so many people from reaching their full potential.
Now I am hoping to be an example to other individuals of what can be acheived when you no longer let your fears imprison you, creative freedom is borne on wings not weights. Creativity can be expressed in all avenues of your life and that includes how you present yourself as an individual, in a personal as well as business sense. I've never been a good business man and that ironically may be because I have not been creative in my ways of marketing my work. People these days turn for the most part to the electronic media to find or at least get an idea of the finer things in life. An old teacher of mine once told me "When it comes to creativity there is no right or wrong way of doing anything" these words have always inspired me in my work now they will inspire my very life.
I want to learn more about this amazing new electronic media and would be really interested to hear what my fellow "old school" artists are making of it all. I'm sure we all have a lot to learn and always will, that's what they call life. So please come back and join me with your own stories of forward steps and stumbles and after a little staggering we'll all find that healthy balance that we are all looking for in life.
Till next time
Alan
They say that when you lose your job or business it's like a death and yes at first that's what it felt like. After a few weeks to let all the changes begin to sink in the situation doesn't seem quite so scarry anymore one of the tricks I've learned so far that I find most valuable is just to keep your mind engaged in something and focus on only that task. It's especially helpful if that action is a move in a forward direction instead of looking back at the place where you were that in reality no longer exists. Familiar places are oh so comfortable in your mind simply because there are no unknowns it's the fear of the unknown that stops so many people from reaching their full potential.
Now I am hoping to be an example to other individuals of what can be acheived when you no longer let your fears imprison you, creative freedom is borne on wings not weights. Creativity can be expressed in all avenues of your life and that includes how you present yourself as an individual, in a personal as well as business sense. I've never been a good business man and that ironically may be because I have not been creative in my ways of marketing my work. People these days turn for the most part to the electronic media to find or at least get an idea of the finer things in life. An old teacher of mine once told me "When it comes to creativity there is no right or wrong way of doing anything" these words have always inspired me in my work now they will inspire my very life.
I want to learn more about this amazing new electronic media and would be really interested to hear what my fellow "old school" artists are making of it all. I'm sure we all have a lot to learn and always will, that's what they call life. So please come back and join me with your own stories of forward steps and stumbles and after a little staggering we'll all find that healthy balance that we are all looking for in life.
Till next time
Alan
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