“…  I want to clarify our understanding of the word ‘art’ – to be sure, without any attempt at a definition.

What I have in mind is that art may be bad, good or indifferent, but, whatever adjective is used, we must call it art, and bad art is still art in the same way that a bad emotion is still an emotion.”

” … All in all, the creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualification and thus adds his contribution to the creative act. This becomes even more obvious when posterity gives a final verdict and sometimes rehabilitates forgotten artists.”

Wow. I’ve been super busy with my day job – teaching college. I am teaching three classes this term and three more next term. It has taken me some time to get on a reasonable schedule that lets me devote time to all of my activities.

I am working on new projects – more later.  In the meantime, I am preparing for a show at a local restaurant that showcases local American and German artists. I will finalize the dates this coming week. You can see a preview of works in the show by clicking the Show Preview link at right.

Regular posting….  As part of my new schedule, I will post to this site on a weekly basis.

I spent a whole day there, gorging on bratwurst and main-lining Glühwein. Heaven?  Close — the Christmas Markets in Cologne. I was there with 847,352 of my closest friends. No kidding. At one point there were so many people pushing against me that if I had hopped up into the air 1 or 2 inches, I would have been carried along by the mass of bodies. Yes, there was lots of shopping to be done, but alas, there were sooo many types of bratwurst and other barbecued meats, all washed down with more Glühwein, that my shopping had to wait. And Glühwein without an added shot of amaretto is like hot chocolate without the hot.

After a morning tour of old-town Cologne, I spent the better part of the afternoon taking in the sights as I moved between bratwurst and Glühwein vendors. So, how many brats can one eat and amaretto-laced Glühwein can one drink?  I am not sure. I was still working on that when it was time to board the bus for the two-hour trip home. I don’t remember the trip home. I lost consciousness shortly after I slid into my seat. (I had an unexpected day off, so I went to Cologne on a USO tour).

This photo of the Cologne Cathedral and Market is from http://personal-shopping-service.com

This photo shows a less crowded part of the market.

Jan Vermeer’s birth/baptism day is October 31, 1632.

Girl with a Pearl Earring c. 1665-1666; Oil on canvas, 44.5 x 39 cm; Royal Cabinet of Paintings Mauritshuis, The Hague

The project is finished. The Rodenbach farmland marked the end of the project. There are 10 images. to see all of them click here.

It’s late Fall in Germany and I wanted to capture a bit of the coor that is left in the trees so I took a few minutes and I went exporing today. I found this farm a little ways north of Kaiserslautern. Conveniently, there was parking nearby so it was a short walk to the field where I stood to draw this. Good scenes = next to parking lots. Great scenes = next to parking lots and a place to sit.

Farmland near Rodenbach (digital, 10x8in, 2011)

No, not Santa Claus. The church. This chruch, St. Nikolaus Catholic Church, is in the village of Ramstein, Germany.

St. Nikolaus Catholic Church (digital, 10x8in., 2011)