elainemills

Art is...

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To talk about paintings is not only difficult but perhaps pointless too. You can only express in words what words are capable of expressing— what language can communicate. Painting has nothing to do with that.

                                              Gerhard Richter

Art is the highest form of hope.

                                              Gerhard Richter

I drew the above portrait of Richter while watching the film Gerhard Richter Painting.    It is one of the few movies that allows you to see an artist process and in this case it is unique and a wonder to watch.I would highly recommend this film to all of my artist friends as well as those who are curious about how a painting evolves.

                                                 www.elainemills.com

For JP upon receiving – Elaine’s Tape

Listening

Track after track

To steal a phrase

Watercolor memories

Of a million

Or maybe

Just forty years ago

Not fair

Not fair of you

To dare

Stir the bottom

Of my heart

Buried emotions

Flailing to the surface

Not fair

Low blow

Wouldn’t act

Couldn’t act

Afraid or incapable?

Reserved or guarded

Or just terrified

Of it being too much

A pot boiling over

A heart bursting

Souls merging

Not fair

Not fair of you

To dare

Stir the bottom

Of my heart

Still listening

Track after track

To steal a phrase

Watercolor memories

Of a million

Or maybe

Just forty years ago

                              Elaine Mills

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Moon Rise for JP 

Absolution

made my peace with God

that sunday morning

while the golden sea

showed it’s’ calm smooth temperament

i watched your nude

aristocratic hips

in the early morning shadows

my heart swelled with joy

the beauty of it all

absolution had been granted

sinners don’t have such mornings

                                Elaine Mills     

                                Fall, 1972 

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www.elainemills.com

Midnight Riots in #Ferguson

The last two nights I have stayed up and watched so called “riots” develop in #Ferguson.   These are not riots these are a group of rowdy young men who are the neighborhood trouble makers.  I have listened to Rachael Maddow impatiently wait for Chris Hayes of #MSNBC to report that something was happening.  Yes the police were dressed in riot gear and yes a water bottle was thrown, it is all captured on video, but to call these punks rioters is to elevate their status.   I remember the real riots, the ones in NYC, LA, and Chicago where thousands participated. 

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AT WAR AGAINST EACH OTHER

Although my series on guns was not in reference to their use by police perhaps it should have been.   We in Missouri are living with the consequences of polices forces that have been given weapons and vehicles designed to be used in wars.   Department of Defense weapons/vehicles are now being used against citizens. Just yesterday an AME minister was shot with a rubber bullet for standing between police and protestors. The weapons change the dynamic, no longer are police given the job to protect the people but to be at war against the people.

Just imagine the number of small towns in Missouri that are KLAN governed being given such weapons.  Explosive situations happen.   People are shot in this ‘us against them’ environment.  International news sources are showing a war zone in “Ferguson”.   People around the world are shocked by video and photographs coming out of America.   It is time for a major reappraisal of what we are doing with the excessive amount of weapons left over from unnecessary wars.   Do we really want to arm the police like an army? Are we so desperate to be at war with someone that we are willing to be at war against our fellow citizens?

                                                                                     Elaine Mills

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Exploring Composition

Finally received my copy of Mastering Composition by Ian Roberts.  My friend Joyce Rotondi recommended it some time ago and I have been waiting what seems forever for it to come back in stock at Amazon.  Now that i have it in my hands I can see that it was well worth the wait. 

I am one of those artists that never had the opportunity to be formally trained and it appears from the first couple of chapters that this book is going to fill in some of the blanks for me. I will keep you posted on how it goes the further I get into it.  For now though I am going to start doing A Sketch a Day which should improve my drawing skills and my attempts at representational painting. If you would like to check out this book you can find it at :    http://goo.gl/us4RaU

#elainemills #artistelaine #JoyceRotondi #MasteringComposition #IanRoberts

Gun Madness

Gun Madness is sweeping this country. Twenty six people dead, most of them children, at an elementary school and our societal reaction to this horrific tragedy is to pass more conceal and carry laws. Those of us who do not feel that it is necessary to go shopping carrying a gun are no longer safe at stores like Nebraska Furniture Mart, a store that welcomes shoppers who carry guns. We as a nation have not taken to the streets to protest this madness; instead we sit passively by while the NRA bullies win victory after victory in statehouses across the country

I don’t think the Founding Fathers wanted us to value our guns more than our children.

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Afternoon Temptation

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Afternoon Temptation

Sitting in close proximity

to her subject

This warm July afternoon

The seductive scent of

summer permeating the studio

Tempting lush rosy curves

rising into golden cleavage

Mouth watering in anticipation

of sucking the sweet sticky flesh

between her hungry lips

Juice dripping from her chin

On to the paint stained shirt

The Sweet Dream Peach

gave her all, both

subject and substance

No more to be painted

only remembered

in the poorly

rendered painting.

                     E. L. Mills

                    7/11/2014

www.elainemills.com