Rhapsody Triumphant, Acrylic on Paper,
6 x 6 inches, ©2012 Tom Hlas

Recently I spoke with a friend who is a collector of art. He voiced a concern that some of the art that drew his attention several years ago no longer held his interest.

I reassured him his concern wasn’t a negative thing. In fact, it can be seen in a very positive light. What’s consistent for him is that he loves art and wants to be surrounded by it. His evolving taste in art is built upon the art that delighted him at an earlier time. It’s because of his openness to creativity that he’s able to broaden his art taste.

Just as artists hopefully continue to develop and evolve with their art, viewers hopefully continue to expand their art horizons, appreciating work they perhaps never gave prior attention. Art and art appreciation are not stagnant. They’re viable. They’re energizing. They give life.

So don’t be afraid of art. Buy the art you like without a fear of the future or without being tied to your past. This is your life journey. Revel in it.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Seeing Is Believing, Acrylic and Graphite on Paper,
14 x 12 inches, ©Tom Hlas

This past weekend I started reading, Lee Krasner: A Biography. I hate to qualify her as being the wife of Jackson Pollock since she lived in his shadow much of her artistic life.

An artist in her own right, one can clearly see the influences of Cézanne, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Miró and others in her work as she developed her own art voice. One can also see Pollock’s later influence. But interestingly enough, Krasner created abstract work before Pollock.

As I begin reading this biography, it’s great to note Krasner has finally, posthumously, come into her own. She is no longer a footnote to Pollock’s life.

It often puzzles me why some artists become famous and others don’t. Why some artists show in galleries and others don’t. Why some artists gain recognition and others don’t. I’m not talking about the unique art geniuses. I’m talking about artists of similar quality and talent.

Don’t let someone else overshadow your greatness. Believe in yourself and claim your own success.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Untitled, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 12 x 12 inches, by Tom Hlas ©2012

In every station in life, there are elements, objects and values that are important to each individual. These important items and qualities might not be noticeable or apparent to others. But to the perceiver, one can’t help but be aware and let them infiltrate one’s life.

As an artist, I’m grateful for color. How empty my life would be without the profound relationship I have with color.

Who would I be if I couldn’t revel in the deep, embracing brown of fresh coffee; the dreamy fulfillment of mellow, creamy yellow; or the crisp, lucid green of Depression glass?

What would my days be like if I couldn’t delight in the candy pink and white of bleeding heart blossoms as they hang surrounded by dusty green leaves; the sensual burgundy of a cabernet; or the opulent white of a smooth, glossy porcelain vase?

How else could I explain the joy of being caught off guard by the iridescence of budding, yellow-green spring leaves or the silvery mist of heavy, morning fog?

How do you relate to color?

What colors do you notice?

What hues do you breathe deep into your core?

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Accordance One, Mixed Media on Paper, 14 x 12 inches, by Tom Hlas ©2012

I look at a lot of art, both in the real world and the online world.
 
One might expect this from an artist, given art is what often defines their world. However, looking at a lot of art sometimes gives me pause for thought. Each work of art I view makes some imprint on my mind, I’m sure. This imprint can be considered a good thing, a remnant of one’s learning process.
 
However, as an artist, I’m also concerned that some particular piece of art of some artist’s work will have too much an influence on my work. The last thing any artist wants is to be criticized as having their work look like that of another’s. Of course, in the instances where a person consciously and intentionally copies another’s work is a different matter.
 
I found comfort in an article I read recently. The article pointed to the direct influence the work of Mary Abbott had on one of my art heroes, Wilhelm de Kooning. Perhaps many art lovers have not heard of Abbott. But de Kooning has become a household name among those who have a connection with abstract expressionism.
 
Here is the article: Mary Abbott: A Wake Up Call
 
Do you think de Kooning shared my concern? Or did he just make his art?

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Rhapsody Introspection, Acrylic on Paper, 6 x 6 inches, by Tom Hlas ©2012

Recently I started creating a series of torn paper collage paintings.

Now, I know I’m not the first person to use collage as an art technique. Nor am I the first artist to use torn paper to create a painting. But what I thought was unique was the way I created my source material and the overall look of my work.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the work of an artist online, whom I do not know, whose work looks remarkably like my collage work. There are some basic differences in the way that artist handled the foreground but there can be no mistake that the works are related. I don’t remember the artist’s name, where that artist lives nor how I happened upon the web site that featured the work. So it’ll be a stroke of luck to see that artist’s work again.

While I immediately did a double take, in retrospect, what struck me was the fact I wasn’t upset about seeing another artist doing similar work. Rather, I was reminded there must be some larger, perhaps cosmic, creative source or artistic incubator at work here.

After all, it is a rare occasion for an artist to create something that is totally original. Our creations stand on the shoulders of those who came before as well as hand in hand with our contemporaries. As a wise elder told me when I was a child, there is nothing new under the sun.

I wonder if similar occurrences happen in other creative, technical or intellectual pursuits.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Gracious Splendor, Acrylic on Paper, 14 x 12 inches, by Tom Hlas ©2012
 
It’s not always easy to maintain a kind and loving outlook on life and those around you. But it’s extremely important to do so. In fact, it’s probably one of the most important qualities one can cultivate.
 
When you find yourself in a situation that challenges your peace of mind, stop, take a breath and recall the time someone was kind to you. Or recall a moment you were filled with a sense of wonder and beauty. That sense may have been initiated by your surroundings, from nature, art, music, an activity shared with family or friends, or some other delightful encounter. Let that memory carry you through any stress or harshness of the moment.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Untitled, Acrylic Collage on Paper, 6 x 6 inches, by Tom Hlas ©2012

One can read and hear a lot of strategies about setting goals. It doesn’t take an exhaustive search to be inundated with directives. Pick up one of a host of books about business at your local bookstore or library, browse any time management article on the Internet, listen to your manager at work, a parent or mentor and you’ll be privy to a wealth of information.
 
But don’t get hung up trying to sort it out. It’s not that complicated. In your gut you know what’s important to you. Keep moving forward. Notice your daydreams. Follow your heart. And if you look back, do so only for a moment. The past is the past, not a place to live. The present is all one has.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Allure, 24 x 24 inches, by Tom Hlas ©2011

Painting for me is a process of discovery. It’s a commitment to begin and follow through, initially making marks with a single color then taking it from there.

Some of the process is adventure. Some of it is trial and error. But it’s also a process of informed decision making, of taking what I know about elements like form, color, movement, focus, contrast, line, composition and balance and applying it to the work at hand. At times there are fun, serendipitous moments when unexpected elements come together in surprising ways and I think, “that’s a keeper”. But often times I spend more time studying the work to determine what it needs next than I do in the actual application of materials. I guess it’s akin of taking one step forward, then stepping back to assess.

I can only assume other visual artists work in the same manner whether they’re working in an abstract or representational genre. However, my studio practice is a solitary practice. I work alone and in silence. When I’m not actually creating art, I spend many hours examining the work of others, both artists of today and of those who have gone before. And it is their journey and outpourings that carry and nurture me along my own creative path. It’s good to notice while we may proceed as individuals, we are not alone.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Untitled by Tom Hlas ©2012

Sometimes I think one can be too careful. Actually what I mean is sometimes I think I am too careful. Strike that. What I really mean is sometimes I’m way too careful when I create art. Not that I want to create messy art or haphazard art. But I self-edit my work even before it’s created. I hold back. I don’t let the muse flow as she or he wants to flow. I imagine this is not a unique thought but rather one that is shared by others.

It’s a new year. May this new year bring a new freedom to us all. A new freedom to refrain from holding back. A new freedom to let go. A new freedom to self express.

If we’re going to error, let’s error on the side of too much expression, too much beauty, too much loving. Let our banner be an explosion of creativity.

Let’s make a resolution to rally around creative articulation that’s steeped in the greater truth however it’s expressed. It goes without saying that our declarations and outpourings be based in kindness without harm to one another. And if our creativity challenges others to look beyond their comfort zones, beyond what is familiar, may it be an invitation to explore, not a threat.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site

Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)

Steve Jobs died yesterday.
 
Granted, I know many people, rich and poor, died yesterday and the day before. And many will die today and tomorrow. But somehow, Steve Job’s death touched me deeply. His passing is like the passing of an old friend.
 
While I never knew him personally, he somehow worked himself into my heart. Was it his vision? Was it his genius and the line of products he and his company developed, products I’ve grown to love and use daily? Was it his early underdog status, his tenacity to forge ahead and follow his dream with razor-like dedication? Was it his dynamic personality that beamed during his online product launches that I watched faithfully? Or was it his ability to mirror all that is the best in each and every one of us?
 
Whatever the reason, his passing reminds me of my own finality. It’s a call for me, and for all of us, to live each minute as a precious moment. It’s an invitation to do what we love and to love what we do, whether or not it seems like our life’s purpose. The grass may seem greener somewhere else, some other work may seem better, some other person may seem to be “the one.”

But here is where we are. Let’s make the absolute most of it.
 
I, for one, will carry my iPhone and use my MacBook with a new sense of purpose. May they be constant reminders to follow our dreams and, more importantly, to be our dreams today. For today is all we have.

- Visit Tom’s abstract painting web site