Mama's Got A Brand New Bag

Warhol now, Warhol then. His new logo, or should I say, new for me, I gotta say is pretty cool, I am sure Andy would approve! On this application, for my "new" purse, it is fascintating for me. The tag is thick, and it has a luminosity about it, due to its base and the yellow of the lining. I love the lining, it's bright and you can see what you are looking for in this great new purse. I have already dubbed it my new stash bag. Plus, it came with a banana ditty bag, which is also too cool! So, I knew something was up when my son called me from the Warhol Museum and was asking me a plethora of questions about what I liked about Andy Warhol and wow, I probably couldn't have picked out a better selection than he did for "Mother's Day." Yep, I get home after hubby takes me on a ten minute shopping spree (hubby picked me up late form work - he almost forgot me) at a great one day sale at our local Kohl's and I find me a desperately needed new purse (the big red one, yes, needles and project will fit), new summer hats, one for gardening, one for fun!

So, I get home and hubby's in the door first telling me, "Oh, a package, oh, it's from Josh!" I am thinking wow, what's up, maybe he's sent me his dustruffle to repair. yeah, the box looks the right size? So I grab a knife, open it and my heart starts to rapidly beat as I discover a really cool silver bag with the words, Andy Warhol, I am estatic. I first pull out the Marilyn Monroe Portrait Nite Lite (in another really cool silver bag, yep, that will work, then the really, really cool pink Campbell's Soup digital watch - it has red on pink digital display, which my son pointed out, he has never seen that before! Then, I get to the bag, , open it to a gorgeous yellow lining and then notice the banana key chain holder on the side no need to repeat anymore!

My son must know me or it's in the genes, because he picked up all the cool brochures (which I would have done to scapbook.) What caught my eye was the menu, a cute little pink thing, I loved the menu! I dig on menus because I was brought up in the resturant business (grandpa owed three, and I worked two-the cafeteria across from the courthouse, and the gourmet out on the lake.) Grandpa was president of the Illinois Resturant Association and the local boilermakers for years. He was a great man and served on the Peoria City Mission Board as director for years. Anytime I see I menu, I think of grandpa. Grandpa would gather up the men in the family on holidays and cater in the meals to serve the destitute. It was a great lesson I will always hold dear, I love you grandpa, you have been sorely missed for 36 years now, onto a greater glory, I am so joyous that he is in a better place!

I also loved a letter of rejection found inside the cool bag. It was so intreging and written to Andy from a famous museum rejecting his donation of a work called "Shoe." The letter was writtin in 1956 and little did this famous museum know! It was a real inspiration to me thinking of persons who have decided to reject me for one reason or another - does it really matter? The letter put a very nice smile on my face with more appreciation, gratefulness for myself and what I have accomplished and persons who do love, nuture and appreciate others and give honor to God who is the beginning of all inspiration!

Did I mention, I love my son, Josh, he is a great guy, lives around Pittsburg, and is single, looking for a long-term/married relationship? I also pray for him everyday and am very encouraged by him everytime we speak. We are seriously thinking about doing a podcast of our artsy/fartsy conversations.

Shocking? What is art? Clue Two

Art, well, that's Wikipedia for you (debatable, yet accessible). I believe it means different things to different persons, ethnics, and religions. Cultural diversity finds varying degrees of what art is, or should be, some with tightly focused authority (to me this is pitiful) and other with free expression, and then in between, not really having a sense of what art is or can be to an individual, group, or society. Structurally it has the formula art theory imposes, grammar (line, shape, light and dark, color, texture) and design (Unity, balance, rhythm, proportion) - nine things make up art. Interesting is the number nine. The Beatles wrote about it, our retail system thrives on it, and art is made up of it. What about this number nine or this number nine? Well, now, that could be a comparison thesis.

Personally, I wrestled with my art for years. I have been overly sensitive to the point of thinking, "Only God is our creator, I do not want to offend Him, by taking away any focus from Him," and I allowed myself to be stifled. For years, I walked yearning visions of expression, but in reality, I was suppressing and being oppressed with lies, my own lies, and others lies. My paintings were never finished, never enough, something was missing from them. From self-induced lies, critical thinking, and the rejection from others, I felt banded up, like duct tape over my mouth, speechless. In my case, I stymied myself. I struggled with getting my visions on canvas, or searching for the "right" subject matter. The subject matter was never, and still today I struggle with it being, "perfect." When I get down to it, I only have myself to blame for robbing myself of expression. My own guilt and lack of esteem had brought me to this dreary, colorless, non-expressive place. Then there was light and breath. While studying creation (biblical), I realized God creates us in His image. I then the thought came to me, "As God is creative, and we are to become like Him, then, yes, yes, it's well with God that we can be creative! We can express our joys, our sorrows, and yes he is an understanding, compassionate God! Phew! It is well with my soul. I can go on and give God the glory for my gifts, talents and knowledge. After all, creativity does come from Him (the breath of God/inspiration). In relation to art theory and the biblical number, art may be explained as judgement. Again, wiki leaves me dry. I think there is more to judgement. I thank God it is not the end of things. We can look at it as the beginning to things, or on the fence as others and I have seen.

Andy Warhol may have had it right. Andy's Electric Chair is example. Shocking-isn't it or is it? While listening to a sermon in the past months, the subject of the electric chair is bought up and the question asked, "Would you wear a charm of an electric chair around your neck as a symbol of grace and love?" The sermon went on to expose that in today's society some wear crosses as a symbol of Christianity, when in it's day, it was the sign of execution - like today's electric chair. My mind went immediately to Andy Warhol's Electric Chair. I being a great fan of Andy, I know he had a devotion to his religion (in the traditional sense). I want to believe Andy may have been making a bigger statement about the electric chair than what exposed. That fateful day in church, I thought, "Andy may have had it right!" In symbolizing the electric chair, many persons probably thought, "How quaint, how predictable, HOW SHOCKING! Why are we electrocuting persons in today's society" Or, was it, Andy was rebelling against tradition.... Tradition of crosses, rosaries, DEATH! Why is the focus on death? When you read the word of the Sermon on the Mount, we move to grace and forgiveness of others, realizing our states and the dangerousness of judgement. Putting death in the face of society is saying, "Do you chose death or life?" I think Andy may have also had a deeper thought, "Do you serve a God who is in the grave or the one who has risen and conquered the choice of death for us?"

May I ask, what is art to you?