My Blog List

Sunday, March 18, 2012

A Painting for Therapy

I hate changes. They throw me off my feed. This weekend was the worst; my blogging life was totally threatened. My Blogger Custom Domain was sold out from under me after it had been paid for through this year, all my Picasa albums were opened up to the world even though I had them marked "do not share." Then when I removed photographs I did not want the world to see,photographs disappeared from published posts, my list of blogs that I follow isn't on the page at all--all because Blogger/Google has been redesigning itself to be just like Face Book. My sons said, "What do you expect mom? Going on Facebook, Twittering, IGoogling and all those social networks let's everyone in on your life and they screw it up." I knew that. What I didn't know was that photographs I had deleted in my computer were still available to the world when I never posted them anywhere. I'm feeling a bit violated--and a lot perplexed. Not a wonk, I don't know where to begin to resolve the situation. I don't think I can. I no longer care. The whole ordeal left me wanting to just throw some paint around for therapy. I chose to paint the destruction in Hom, Syria inspired by William Daniel's moving photographs in Time Magazine,VOL. 179, No. 11, 2012. There was a man hurrying along in the photograph. I left him out. The street didn't look like a place anybody would want to be. Follow the link, I think you'll agree.

24 comments:

  1. Since I take Time, I read the article prior to seeing this.. I like your rendition of the photograph.. A lot of feeling in yours..and what a way to vent the frustration w/Blogger. If Google keeps infiltrating other venues I may just dump this site by the wayside.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Celeste. Feisty would be a more accurate description.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now that didn't occur to me,Christine. But it certainly is an option. Thanks. The painting served me well--so did going out for dinner to get away from this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So glad your site is back up Linda! I tried to visit but landed on some default godaddy site... so glad you're "back"!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this painting. Whatever got you here might have been worth it (ha). Seriously, it has great energy and excitement.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice works, Linda! The painting clearly transmits the sense of the immense tragedy that is living Homs! Ciao!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Go Daddy was scary Agnes. I couldn't imagine what had happened.When I realized my URL had been stolen, I didn't have a clue as to what to do. Go e-mail a complaint to Google/Blogger. There's a way to spend eternity. It's still not totally back though. I want my list of the blogs I follow on my page. That's how I show followers off, reach you easily and find other sites on your sites that are of interest to me. I'm going to have to keep poking around this new set up. As for getting another "custom domain,"I am hesitant. Google/Blogger didn't honor their custom; they probably sold off the URL to Go Daddy who sold it off--something like that happened. Who knows? I'm going to look into that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well Hallie I was angry at the mess my blog was and is in--but even more angry at the stupid destruction of people's cities and homes and livelihoods, William Daniel's photographs told the horrific story, but are also very beautiful. Very odd combination. They are dichotomy of horror and beauty. The photo gave me an opportunity to lash out, but at the same time perhaps make something beautiful out of the mess?

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's a sad painting Tito. I was angry when I painted it. It makes me sad to look at it--it's not exactly something you'd show at an art fair. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. linda, what is wrong with showing anger in a painting? should just joy be shown? look at all the masters- van gogh shows his inner horrors... there is nothing wrong w/raw emotion

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think that painting really reflects your mood. I'd be bloody angry if all that happened to me. Although I have been introduced to some new and interesting artists there, I think facebook is really a waste of time for promoting art. I think the site is inherently invasive, and I am trying to wean myself from it as much as possible. Way deep down inside me, I believe the best way is face-to-face exposure to people, "potential clients" if you will. How one does that really effectively, I'm not sure yet.

    ReplyDelete
  12. There's nothing wrong with it Christine. Painting is a wonderful release for emotions via pictorial expression. I think that painting is interesting in that I chose to paint it wildly when I was wildly upset about something extremely trivial in comparison to the destruction people are going through in the world. My own angst pushed me to get out the photo and pick up the brush. Daniel's photograph was strong enough to make me save it for a time when I needed to get my head on straight by experiencing (with paint) a catastrophe far bigger than mine. The painting was therapeutic.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Actually Katherine,forget Face Book, I'm wondering if the internet isn't a waste of time and money promoting art? From what I can tell the paintings for sale online are small--small enough to mail inexpensively. Most of them are priced inexpensively too 40 to 100 mostly. I think volume sales is the idea. The Etsy and Ebay shops have more expensive art and some larger pieces--that have been there for quite some time. So the artists are paying Etsy and Ebay per piece to display but how many pieces are they selling per month becomes the question? No one would tell you the truth--at least the one gal I know wouldn't. So far,I'm with you, I like face to face interaction. Portraiture does that for you. That's why I'm interested in the genre. I want to make a buck and I like--adore--children.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sorry to hear of you cyber-issues, that really sucks. However, this is a great painting Linda! Tremendous example of, "don't think, just paint." Great clean colors, love it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Linda- I really like this painting. It's full of emotion.

    Sorry about the whole debacle. I hear you. It's tricky business for sure.

    Sorry too that I've been away. I'm back now and will check in more frequently.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you Michael, I love painting like that--attacking the canvas while the music plays, automatically reaching for whatever color or tool pops to mind, mixing quickly, thoughtlessly WHICH we all know, isn't really true. After a lifetime of painting, we have seen a lot of art and soaked up all the theories and techniques that are out there. All of it is part of us. The trick is to just let it flow.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good to see you Pam. You were missed. Welcome to the new and improved Blogger. I'm here typing so, things have settled down. I was naive about the my photographs. It never occurred to me that if I published a photo on the blog I had liberated it from whatever locked Picasa Web album I had it in. Once published, it's in the world forever. As I surfed L.W.Roth yesterday, I couldn't believe the number of sites that showed up with something I'd written about or painted.I told you mom said my techy son by trade. And he did. So I'm fine with it. I'll be checking in with you shortly. I'm anxious to see where your comic humor has taken you.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Linda, I knew you were having some problems with your blog. Happy to see it somewhat resolved. As for your painting, must say BRILLIANT!!! With all your trials and tribulations, I am always inspired by your talent.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you Joan--more than tribulations. Total frustration--enough to drop the whole thing, but I won't. I like the interaction. I like writing the posts; I learn a lot about the direction I'm going during the composition. But "they" sure threw me for a loop and I do hate that. Google's Blogger remodel was very costly for me. All of my previous posts have been stripped of the photographs. I've lost my initial posts entirely. This painting will not be the only one done in this free-form style.

    ReplyDelete
  20. You made a marvelous painting out from the picture, not for sure a nice place to be, but your painting is great and very emotional , really tells the story! I'm sorry for you having all this trouble , hope it will be solved soon.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I always look forward to what you will do next! keep the paintings coming! :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. ...your struggles with Google/Blogger astound me! I have to agree, if this painting is in response to those feelings, you certainly tapped in! :)

    ReplyDelete