naw it's not you.. it just needs to be worked on..

I don't think Dave Grohl was putting down the creative spirit - just how it's presented, wrapped up and thrown at us... either you catch it or you don't. If you gonna be creative; be honest about it. If you wank a note; fine... I think as a society whole - we see that as failure. When it just shows you're human. That's why Adele put everyone in their place with her voice problems after she put out her album - she couldn't do a thing. But the music spoke for her until she was healed. Dave feels like alot of artists that we are not connecting anymore. As humans with any medium. And it's not just the successful ones - uber rich - it's all over the map.

So as I think about the efforts put in to music, art and even sports – there’s a humanistic part of that method or approach that is uniquely yours. You might beg, borrow and steal from around you but it’s you. Your brain, your eyes, your heart and above all your time.

I think when you hear a singer like Whitney Houston or Dave Grohl or Hank Williams, there’s a rasp or drop in the note tone, you hear that and you think, “What is wrong with them?” Go back and hear George Jones, who once had perfect pitch sing in the 60’s and then now. Blech. He sounds like a warbling old lady in church. Go back and hear how Elvis grew into a totally new voice. No one TOLD him to that he just had reached a point of not able to sing the same way he had when he first sang Hound Dog. Try listening Etta James, her voice wrecked but what? Her demons. What about Janis? Demons. I could go on and on. I am preaching to the choir on most of this and trying to convey to the congregation that it's ok to be imperfect.

As a visual artist, you are at the mercy of the walls in the gallery when sometimes you don’t hear a word. So you are left wondering, what am I doing – until someone tells you – yea or nay. And sometimes a simple closed door or no sale or a glowing review is all you need. We have to wait it out.

As a culture we are driven for perfection to the point of in humane. We don’t account for failure. Why? Well when an artist – any medium – doesn’t prevail like we want them to, we get let down and tell that artist by booing them or not buying their works or talking smack. What makes us do this? Are we insecure of ourselves that we look towards them to make us feel better? And if they didn’t well then forget it? Why doesn't any one respect us as artist to be honest with us? THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU COULD DO...

There are plenty of passionate artists out there that have thick skin and move on trying to regain their level of importance. It’s scary to make that journey - some make it some don't.

There’s an old rule in the music band business: Don’t piss off the soundman. It’s been replaced by: Don’t piss off the fan.

You may never see the light of day again.

So back to Dave Grohl, even HIM went back to ‘correct’ himself. You know the other rule, if you have to explain the joke – it’s not funny.

At all.

COLOR WHEELS AT THE DEFOOR CENTRE!

The Defoor Centre Blooms into Color Wheels

March 18^th Party for Artists

March 18^th Reception from 2-4PM

Atlanta, GA- Color always blooms at the Defoor Centre for Spring and this season is the one the most quirkiest and playful yet. With creatures, flowers, dream-land subjects we will be mesmerized with them. There are some local artists, Philip Myrick, Jennifer Squires, Suzanne Huff, Carla Powell as well as Rebecca Caringella from Salt Lake City and Ashley Cooke from Maryland. The exhibit will be up from March 18 to May 31 with a Sunday afternoon reception on March 18^th from 2-4pm. The event is free and a cash bar will be open.

The Forum – Philip Myrick – local artist and always using great combinations of found objects and textural paint this will be a huge endeavor for Philip being in the big room. He will be showing his creatures called the Dunces – who look mischievous and silly but always questioning us- as well as some new works with found objects. The different things he finds and tells a new story from them is quite a conversation.

The Encore – Jennifer Squires – as you view Jennifer’s work you will get the sense that she dances as she paints the movement and the vitality of her brush strokes are contagious so you begin to dance too. Jennifer’s work comes from within, as she states, “I work until the paintings have acquired an essence of time, depth, presence and, most importantly, grace.”

The Rhombus – Rachael Caringella – The girly girl from Salt Lake City, Rachael takes her fondness for tea parties and her love of the tree, and depicts these quirky faces, trees and other subjects turns it in to poetry. She is an avid Etsy seller who takes all her favorites things, including her pink hair and makes a day of it. Visual poetry – isn’t that was it all about?

Bar/Café-Suzanne Kennedy Huff – Our art teacher from Hiram, GA ! Who uses escapism in her visuals by using birds, dragons, swirling colors and many lines to that make them attention grabbing. She has been a graphic artist, a sign creator and hand painted clothing! Her work has been seen and bought from all over the southeast. A very encouraging person at heart and I bet her students love catching her spirit!

The Gatsby - Ashley Edmonds Cooke – a psychologist from Annapolis with a macro-lens for an eye towards flowers. She like Georgia O’Keefe meets Kodak – up close. The element of abstract and expression of the images that come after the photo has been taken are quite adventurous. This is like a personality test in a way for when viewing them, for there’s a question being asked: are they talking to you or you talking to them? If you can pass their test they are yours….for life.

Lobby – Carla Powell – Using a process that is used commercially, Carla takes sublimation to another level. Sublimation is a chemical process that transfers the dye by transforming it directly from a solid state to a gaseous state and then back to a solid state, without ever becoming a liquid. As a creative mind, Carla uses satin to create a mono print type image, using it alone or freehand embroidery or the loom. The final result is elegant and one of a kind.

These artists are a wide vast of the many materials, surfaces and colors that are used to get their pieces just so. I encourage you come and have your breath taken away, your eyes transformed and your whimsy tickled. Come out for lunch, a coffee and a dessert or just to stroll around to see what is going on.

About the Defoor Centre:

The Defoor Centre is located off Howell Mill Rd in Atlanta in the reviving Westside neighborhood, where a lot of local vendors that cater to the interior designers have been going to for years. The Centre has been a growing facility hosting major fundraisers to corporate meetings to private weddings all in house catering with a full bar. 100 years ago this place was a hospital for the soldiers fighting at the Battle of Peachtree Creek and to this day they are “still there.”

For more information on the Defoor: www.defoorecentre.com or just come by Tues-Friday to get something to eat and browse – 1710 DeFoor Ave Atlanta GA. On Facebook-www.facebook.com/defoorcentre or search for the Defoor Center ARTS group!