Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Artbeat

When you think of art what comes to mind? Black tie, high brow, rich and snooty people listening to Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, going to watch Madame Butterfly or Nutcracker, or going to see the works of Picasso, Michelangelo or Monet? What about literary art reading Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the poetry of Tennyson or the works of Jane Austin? How many of you immediately thought Rod McKuen, Yanni, Prince or the music from The Little Mermaid, in connection to musical art? What about the paintings of Grandma Moses, Clementine Hunter, Gary Larsen or our own Spot Daniel, or the literary works of Maya Angelou, Tennessee Williams, Steven King or, again, Rod McKuen? Guess what? It's all art. Different, yes. Various styles, yes, but art just the same.

All art is rooted in the desire by the artist to share a personal observation, opinion or emotion with the world, as well as to offer pleasure and entertain. The first book I wrote was influenced by a book I'd read that made me cry. I remember thinking that I want to write something that would make someone else cry, something to touch someone else's life.

The creation of art is a very personal experience. As one writer put it: "Writing a book is like taking off your clothes and walking naked down the street." When a composer writes a song, an artist puts together the elements of a painting, or a writer puts pen to paper carefully selecting the right notes, colors and words. that artist is giving up a piece of himself. Everything that has ever happened, how she or he was raised, their soci-economic and religious (or lack of) and ethnic background, all influences the work, which is why there are so many books about the Civil War, so many 'my baby done gone and left me' songs and so many landscapes of mountains and rivers, and yet they're all different.

Diversity is what makes the world such a fascinating place. So you don't care for Bach? Did you like Grease? Can't abide opera? How about Streisand or Reba? Hated reading Moby Dick but loved The Green Mile? Detested A Christmas Carol, but watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas every year? Welcome to the wonderful world of arts.

In last week's column, part of a line was inadvertently left out. The sentence should have read, "Have you ever noticed the similarities between Celtic music and bluegrass?" Better, huh?

CALLING CRAFTERS: We're still looking for crafters for the craft bazaar which will be held Sat., Nov. 20, from 9:00 to 5:00 at the fairgrounds in the Potlatch building. In addition to local crafters, we have crafts from Murfreesboro and Hot Springs. A 10x10 booth is $20. Contact Heidi Richards at 401 Sherwood, Prescott, or call 887-0140 or 887-8214.

Questions or info? Call me at 887-6241 or write me at 324 East Main, Prescott.