Hullart.com Blog for Jim

Beyond the Work of Art

jim@hullart.com — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:00:00 +0100

The author Simon Leys states that "There is something more important than a finished work of art: it is the spiritual process that preceded it and guided its execution". This quote is the opening line in a paragrah about the Power of Emptiness. To Leys the work of art is of secondary importance and is only an artifact of the artists journey. It is the journey that is primary. Here I think he is referring to the true work of art as a symbol of some spiritual insight. It is&nbs [...]

Forever Art and Design Strategies

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:00:00 +0100

There are levels of commercial design strategies that make sense in the development of art that is forever. Meaning, quality, aesthetics and funtion all make up some of the concepts that need to be considered when developing a piece of art that is intended to last for perpetuity. To focus only on one of these is to miss the point. They make up an integrated whole without which he art goes 'wanting'. Blind spots in many paintings are the result of a lack of understandind of this key aspec [...]

A Pattern in the Universe - DNA and Matter

jim@hullart.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:00:00 +0100

Scientists tell us that the amount of functional DNA in our genes is about 3% and matter represents about 4% of Space. So 3% of the genetic material in our cells is responsible for human kind. Four percent of Space is responsible for all of the matter. Does means that 97% of the genetic material and 96% of space remain relatively unknown and purposeless? What kind of pattern of reality does this perhaps suggest. Scientists focus on that part of [...]

Pyramids of Egypt and the Mystery of Size

jim@hullart.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:00:00 +0100

One of the most interesting facts about the Egyptian Pyramids is the 'scale up and scale down' history of pyramid building. In just 60 years, based on historical accounts, the Egyptians went from a pyramid containing 330,000 cubic meters of material t0 one containing 2,600,000 cubic meters of material(Giza/ 4th Dynasty). In addition the complexity of construction progressed on a similar order. In the intervening time frame only two other pyramids were attempted and th [...]

NASA, Space and the New Direction for Development

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:00:00 +0100

I applaud Obama's new direction for space exploration. It provides NASA with a focus for its mission. It will also help to foster the development of the commercial Space Industry. It brings clarity that has been missing in the past. This will allow the creation of new captial investment in Space thus accelerating progress.

Clarity is one of the missions that I always thought was primary in realtion to an effective goverments role. People&nb [...]

The Ruins of Antiquity, the ruins of the Modern Age

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:00:00 +0100

As a part of the Burning Forest series I am creating a series of paintings depicting ruins of old and a vision of what the ruins of today might look like sometime in the not to distant future. The ruins of old in most cases reflect great architecture, character and the great materials used in construction. The ruins are as compelling as tghe original structures ( In some cases more compelling!). Of today's ruins I cannot say the same. In most cases I think they will look like [...]

Pyramids and the Power of Emptiness

jim@hullart.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0100

Lack of information, or emptiness, is one of the key precepts of Chinese aesthetics. It is the experience of having done the work of art that is important and not the work itself. Is that the case with the Pyramids? Was it more important to the builders to have done it than to have recorded the how and why? In the arts it is the undsaid that carries the energy through the piece. As Simon Leys relates in his book The Burning Forest,

" It should be observed [...]

The Mystery of Records and Purpose

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0100

" Extant Egyptian records, whether written or pictorial, throw no light on the methods employed by the builders of the pyramids either in planning or in constructing their monumental works."

So says I.E.S. Edwards in his famous book The Pyramids or Egypt. Logically this makes no sense. But whatever information they used to construct the pyramids on the Giza Plateau must also have been quickly lost as the preceding contructions reveal a lack of the same sophistication [...]

Creation or Imitation

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0100

According to Simon Leys the Chinese esthetic requires not imitation but rather creation or a summoning of nature.

"Painting is thus, in a literal sense, an activty of creation and not imitation."

This is what he says gives pictorial art its sacred character. This runs contrary to the illusionist nature portrayed in most classical western art. It again points toward the capture of the essence of the subject and not all of the detail. It points away from techinque ai [...]

Ruins

jim@hullart.com — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0100

We are all familar with the ruins of anitquity and many of these are captured in paintings on my site. The interesting thing is to ponder what the ruins of our current civilization will look like to those who will ponder them years from now. This idea is the beginning of a new group of paintings on the subject of ruins that I will be working on as a part of the new Burning Forest Series. Ruins of the past and ideas of ruins of the future will portray what I believe to [...]

The Ideal Painting

jim@hullart.com — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0100

This is the first of a series of blogs that I will writing based on thoughts contained in Simon Leys book, The Buring Forest. The book addresses his understanding of Chinese Culture and its impact on the arts and politics. The following is a quote,

" The ideal painting is achieved not on paper, but in the mind of the spectator; for the painter the whole skill consists in selecting those minimal visual clues that will alow the painting to reach its full and [...]

Painting without Sketching

jim@hullart.com — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:00 +0100

I have recently(past year) been moving toward a more spontaneous process with my watercolors. I have stopped creating detailed sketches that I would then paint. Moving away from painted sketches into actual paintings has been a great experience. Since I was pretty good at sketching this was a difficult move to make but it has made all the difference. Rather than having a 'tight' drawing to follow, I now follow the painting itself and it seems to lead me to a more [...]

Art and Religion

jim@hullart.com — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Kandinsky wrote on the sprirtual in art. He said that in all ages their is a subjective outer esxpression that comes from an eternal inner objective need to create. While the outer expressions change from age to age the 'eternal inner spiritual objective' remains the same and is univeral for all. Stated a different way the eternal is one place and one thing for all people and all times. It is held in common and uses the outward subjective to point the way in each era. Is it not [...]

Pyramids and Order from Chaos

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Painting the pyramids made me think in different terms as regards meaning and purpose. As monuments meant to last an eternity they must have some meaning that goes beyond their 'local' purpose. I think it is to represent man who has the potential of being the ultimate order from chaos machine. I have written previously in regards to the structrue of the pyramid and that of man. Knowing that the ancients related the pyramid and its shape to the idea of order from chaos [...]

Distracted

jim@hullart.com — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Recently I read a book called Distracted. I recommend it to anyone who feels that they want to better understand the impact of technology on the human being. Attention is our gift and how and where we place our attention is our choice. Or is it? The author concludes that our attention is captured by todays technology and we no longer are in control. Working on a painting, or a long term creative project, are the only times that I feel that I am attentive and concen [...]

A New Direction for Space Art

jim@hullart.com — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Historically space art has been focused on the lesser of the contents of space. It has almost exclsuively focused on the material aspects of the universe. The ironic thing is that these material aspcets only make up 4% of the visible universe. Why haven't we focused on the other 96%? Because the 4% is more obvious. It is easier to create a representation of material objects than suggest what may be the contents of the other 96%. This leads me to another supposition. If it i [...]

Overdescription in Art

jim@hullart.com — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:00:00 +0100

To over describe with a painting is to lose the potential connection with the viewer. The objectve is to develop a field of energy exchange with the viewer that leads to companionship. This cannont be achieved on a long term basis if all there is to say and do has been layed out before the viewer and does not attract the viewers participation. It is as if the artist is trying to create a long term conversation with the viewer. This requres that some degree of mystery and lack of def [...]

Originality

jim@hullart.com — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:00:00 +0100

C.S. Lewis defines originality in an interesting way.

" No man who values originality will ever be original. But try to tell the truth as you see it, try to do any bit of work as well as it can be done for the work's sake, and what men call originality will come unsought."

So he defines it as any work well done in pursuit of the truth. That is what I feel needs be overcome by anyuone pursuing excellence. If the focus is on originality for its own sake [...]

A Doorway to Forever Paintings

jim@hullart.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:00:00 +0100

Reading a recent book by Ervin Laszlo I came across a passage that he used to describe how he creates inspired as opposed to indifferent interpretations of music. The key for him is to remove conscious effort from the process. First he practices and learns(through conscious effort) and then spontaneously plays and performs the piece without such effort. I have found this to be true with my art. The better pieces had less consicous effort and in fact the best started with no [...]

Logos and the Pyramids

jim@hullart.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:00:00 +0100

The golden section to some has represented logos or the male reproductive action. According to Peter Tompkins, in his book on the Secrets of the Great Pyramid, it not only represents this but also the logos of the gospel of St. John. How did the Egyptians see the golden section and why is it embedded in the construction mathematics of the Great Pyramid? Why do paintings that use the golden section and othe works of art appeal? I think that it is embedded in our sense of beauty and reflects a key [...]