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Artspiration

Perspective Matters

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

~ Edgar Degas


I remember reading James Gurney say, “I’m more interested in the commonplace subjects that we screen out of our visual awareness, such as parking lots, supermarket interiors, gas stations and back alleys. They’re not mundane for me. They have a weird luminous power over my imagination. About twenty years ago I painted a commercial strip with a Blockbuster sign. Back then, when I showed that painting to art students, I would say, ‘One day this world will pass away like the dinosaurs.’ They just laughed because they didn’t believe me. Sure enough, that has happened, and the wheel of time keeps turning.” That comment and image has always stuck with me.

  • This week’s artist is – Kristen Vardanega– whose work I ran across via an interview. In it, she was asked, “Why do you do what you do?” and she answered. “Simply put, I love making things and I love making people smile. I inject a lot of my perspective and humor into my work. When I started doing observational work like sketching things from my daily life, the world around me came alive. I started seeing colors and compositions that sparked my interest everywhere- that perspective and joy are invaluable to me.” Which I thought was just lovely and had to share. Find more on her website and instagram!

As artists, we have the opportunity, and power, to point out things that are otherwise overlooked. We’re keen observers, with a trained eye. We see things in a different way than others. Like Gurney and his blockbuster sign, like Vardanega seeing the world differently when she started sketching it, and like these photographs of Cairo. We may all create differently, but we’re still creative people (artists). Your perspective matters. The world needs your art!

Matthew & the Art Supply House crew

P.S. – Next month is our spring clean art supply drive. We’ll be accepting art supply donations from April 1-29 (new or used) – so if you have art supplies and materials that you aren’t using, drop them at the store and we’ll distribute them to an organization or two who can really put them to great use!