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Dear Reader,
PM Notes are my personal ponderings, thoughts and views on love and life and happenings at Millennium Art Gallery. My hope is that you will find them informative and interesting.
RL Johnson
Gallery Director
________________________________________________________________
Saturday - June 12.2004 - ... angelic beings ...
...we are angelic beings ... surfing the span of eons and curvatures of creation ... enraptured by the infinities of our passion ...
...a sweet surge in the vastness of imagination ... an amplitude eternally pulsed ... a locus, a convocation within the arpeggios of One...
Friday - June 11.2004 - ... the world is new ...
The world is new ... a new coat of illusions ... touching on the essence of the deep ... a dream ... perchance to sleep...
You imagine me therefore i am ... your wish is granted sweet dreamer ... you wished and made it so ... I ... the zenith of your dream ... master of all that you desire ... sweet lover of all that you are ... I bring you the twin rings of being and bliss ... i come to the sweet warm of your embrace ... I kiss your face, sweet lips ... i drink your wine, sweet tongue ... you are mine now ... forevermore...
Saturday - Sept 28.2002 - ... at any moment ...
....it is a blessing to remember that all the pain and trouble and confusions of the world are only foam on the surface of an ocean of love...and that at any moment we can merge back into this infinite deep...and remember who we are...
Monday - Sept 16.2002 - ... pieces and torn threads collaged ...
My paintings are channeled in the truest sense of the word, in that I do not calculate their composition or predict their outcome in any way. I really do cast myself into the void and let the paint fall where it needs to and the images manifest as they will.
Are they bits and pieces and torn threads collaged from my life and experiences?
Undoubtedly the prism of my consciousness has colored the manifestations form but, at best, the paintings are true forces of nature and mirrors reflecting a higher order of consciousness. My experience during the process of creating them is ecstatic and transcendental and, if I find myself slipping down into artifice or strategy I stop immediately and recommit to noninterference in the manifestation.
Wed - Aug 15.2002 - ... paint your dreams ...
...why would you want to paint the real world??? ...paint your dreams...paint your gods and goddesses, paint your angels and demons...paint your love of color...paint your childhood...paint your golden Edens and radiant mandalas...paint your angles and courners and moods and visions...paint the paint...paint the magic in the moment...the particular patterns of you...not something but some emotional state...
Wed - Aug 14.2002 - ... painting is a way of seeing ...
I began my vocation as a painter as a water colorist. I loved the way the colors flowed and merged and blended on the paper. I learned all the usual techniques for manipulating the flows and effects of color, and then began experimenting and developing new techniques. Over a four year period of fairly intense interest I developed an intimate understanding of color and image creation.
When I moved to acrylic as my main medium, I found it was fairly similar to watercolor, and i found that processes in watercolor were transferable to the more permanent medium of acrylic on canvas...and that many of the processes could be advanced and improved upon in the acrylic medium. It also allowed me to begin painting larger images.
Over a period of time the process and techniques of my painting evolved into the form of expression that you see today. This way of painting is a way of seeing and a way of doing that is at the root of the animatic creative philosophy I published later on.
Sunday Aug 7.2002 - ... i found myself mourning ...
At a certain point in my development as a painter i discovered my most potent expressions were the ones that i had not tried to create...the so called mistakes of color and line and mixtures on the canvas...at first i tried to reduce them and eliminate them by over painting...but often i found myself mourning for the little mistake that i had so professionally repainted..and it slowly began to dawn on me that the little mistakes were not mistakes at all but the strength and power of the image and the truth of it...
And so i began the process of discovering how to make as many mistakes as possible...to support them, to cherish them...and in the process, i found that i could just let go...and the images would come as if by magic onto the canvas...and i discovered that my imagery of mistakes became a coherent chaos and a creative force of nature...and a manifestation instead of a picture...and that my role as artist was to raise my consciousness to the level of a force of nature during the process of making an image...and that i could best do this by ritual chanting and inner concentration and commitment to becoming One with the creative force of the moment.
By opening myself to the moment I found that i was able to access a pool of universal creative intelligence and allow it to express itself through my art.
Sunday Aug 4.2002 - ...the creation of art is a sacred and spiritual act...
In my understanding of "art", it's primary purpose is to provide the individual and the community with insight into the fundamental nature of reality. And through this to heal and reconnect the ego isolated individual with their community and with the foundation of their being in collective consciousness. In my view, the creation of art is a sacred and spiritual act and the artworks themselves can act as a bridge to reconciliation between the individual and their community.
:)(:
Friday March 15.2002 - ... Feel the movements in your heart ...
(the following conversation is an excerpt from the Book of RL...)
Look at your hands...what do you see?
... lines ... veins ... nails .... skin?... WHY look at my hands?
Your hands are the voice of your heart ... a mirror ... and an expression ... to observe you hands is a way to wake up in your dream.
... so, if I look at my hands a lot, it will help me to wake up from this 'life-dream'?
Looking will help you to see the connection between your heart and your expression ... lets come back to your hands later.
... why can't you just tell me things? ... why do I have to guess at them?
Telling is just words.
... well yes, of course, but then I can take the word concept and try to experience it ... when I don't understand the concept, then there's no place to go with it.
The word concept just boxes it ... the experience is not possible to have with a box around it ...
yes, if you leave it a concept ... but I see the word concept as just a starting place ...
No, it is the ending place...
What are you doing?
I am occupied in your heart...I am moving things around...feel me.
...and who are YOU to move things around in MY heart?
You know who I am, in your heart ... feel the movements ... then you will know the answers ... Love is not a scientific proof ... it is a knowing without proof ... you are a beautiful soul.
... thank you ... you helped me to see that ... is it any wonder that I love you? ...
Do you love me with all your heart?
... yes, I do.
And what does that mean to you.
... that the connection between you and I, is true...
Love is a knowing in your heart...and it can only be fully committed and unconditional ... what are you afraid of?
... maybe I don't trust my heart! ... I might make a mistake.
And what will happen to you if you make a mistake?
... it's just that I've made way too many already ... and I don't want to make any more.
Well...then you don't want to learn any more..is that it?
... I want to learn more ( of course !!!) ... but without mistakes.
It is a mistake to wish not to make mistakes..a paradox of sorts ... you cannot grow without making mistakes ... it is the mistakes that bring the lessons..so bring on the mistakes ... and in truth there are no mistakes ... only opportunities to remember ...
Feel the movements in your heart and you will know.
... at any given time, I can clearly state what I feel and 'know' in my heart ... and at the same time, I am clear on what my intellect is telling me ... and most often, they are at odds!
Your heart knows truths that the reason will never understand.
... well, that's a real piss off !!! ... why can't my reason know the things of the heart, and discern truth??? why not?
A well informed reason will take it's place at the feet of the hearts truths.
....so how does 'reason' become 'well informed'????
By doing just that ... by listening to the intuition and the heart ... there is no objective truth to be known.
... but does one not have to learn to trust the heart's truth ???? ... based on experience?
No, it is not as you have been led to believe ... that is only a random deduction to be undone ... it is a dream...listen to your heart alone ... it is the source of the dream of One ... and the birth place of the Way of Love...
Experience and the intellect are the bricks and mortar of a wall of tradition and doubt that has, as its primary goal, the confinement of the visions of the heart ... a rogue intellect will cast you into an ice age of dualism.
... but, there must be a purpose to the intellect, or it would not have been created.
Yes, but an informed intellect, an enlightened intellect, will sit at the feet of the heart...and listen..and act to express the visions and intentions of the heart.
... but I was taught that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."
Well, you were taught, and now you must unteach yourself ... and remember what you have forgotten ...
You have a lot of Loving and learning ahead of you Sweet One.
... I think I have so many conditioned responses that I don't know if I'll ever be able to break free ... and I so want to be free. I read today that Ghandi said "Fearlessness is the first prerequisite of a spiritual life." ... so, seems I'm below baseline! ... it seems that I might be allowing my fear of making a mistake, to keep me from living.
The choice of free will is still yours, will you choose love and light or fear? ... There is no turning back for those that chose love.
... I don't want to turn back.
Trust in your heart, and love will light the way ... are you hungry for the light ... in your belly ... for a light emotion ... a light emission?
... yes...Hey ... who let you into my heart, anyway ????
You did.
... hhhmmm ... must have been a weak moment!
No, it was a peak moment!..YES !!!!...that is truth !!! (smile)
I am going now, to rest...I will come to you in your dream tonight ... and we will make wild crazy Love ... Sleep Well, Sweet Dream...
:)(:
Friday March 1.2002 - ...a robe of many colors...
...we all need to feel loved...and to feel love in our heart...we live in a harsh material world...a world of I and other...and we are alone in it...but take heart and know that it is not as it appears...it is not the truth....it is only a thin veil of social dreams and protocols...one we can cherish as a human perception...but not one we can draw the living light from...it is a hard dream, if we are stuck in it...if our eyes are locked in it...but NOT if we understand it as a robe of many colors that we wear for a while only...a beautiful veil of illusions...and yes...it is also a cloak of sorrows and loneliness and suffering...but only as a means to a greater understanding and compassion for each other...it is a process with a purpose to teach...you and I...and all of us..that we are ONE, and that by helping and caring for each other we honor our whole Self...who we really are...
...I know in your deepest heart you are full of kindness and love for All...so let it shine out upon the world for the joy of it....listen, and One will sing this song for you...
I am ONE...my river of life is flowing for you...calling you to come..."come join my flowing sweet love for you...hear my sweet liquid sighs for you...feel my longing and lusting for you...join me...immerse in me...flow with me...be ONE with me...come into my river of Love for you...I am deep and wide....Will you come in to me....sweet one...?...Will you make Love with me for all Time...?...will you sing the praises of our Love...will you be a shooting star...blazing your testament across this tender night...will you come to me...with all strings undone...all things to become...all desires to be One...?"
Live in the Light of Our Creative Spirit...
:)(:
Friday Feb 1.2002 - ...let love be your mantra...
I am feeling a little quiet today, with not much to say...journeying in the land of non-linear and non-verbal reality. I'm preparing myself and my canvas so that when the spirit speaks I will be ready to respond and to clearly express the vision I receive.
Did I mention that I have just received a commission for a new painting from a private collector. It is a painting to be hung in a master bedroom...where I know it will inspire greater heights of intimacy and ecstacy...:-)...I will take a pic after completion and post it in the Medium.
One thing I would like you to remember is that the most important feeling, emotion, purpose is Love...so let love express itself in your daily reality...don't shuffle around it or deny it...let it be your mantra and your truth...and all adversity will be less and joy will flow like a mighty river through your life...just let love for yourself, for others and for the creation express itself in you...and the world will be thrice blessed...
:)(:
Friday Dec 2.2001 - ...gateways to the transcendent...
..our senses are gateways to the transcendent...and our senses are muffled and locked in linear Time...we don't pay attention to them...as a habit...and we don't hear the symphony of angels singing around us, or experience deeply the living, breathing, shimmering world that is moving all around us...and we need to...we need to experience it intimately...and with intensity...to know the wonder of it...
....there is a miracle unfolding all around us...to pay attention even briefly will enliven and refresh us and help us to remember who we are and the joy of our connection...
...and who is listening, looking, smelling, tasting...touching...enraptured by all...
...it is One...with a gift for you...a song of appreciation for your beauty...and when you feel it...then let your joy express itself...as a mighty river...carving its path back to this infinite ocean of Love...
:)(:
Friday Dec 1.2001 - ...in praise of fantasy...
...a recent email I received has gotten me thinking about our ability to access and experience the world of fantasy and imagination...the same world we played in as children...so I looked up the word fantasy in the dictionary and found a whole range of meanings, some that did not seem to apply, but these ones here seemed to describe well what we do as creative people: Dictionary Definition: "Fantasy"...the realm of vivid imagination...reverie...unusual and strange depictions...a visionary world...to make believe...the conjurings of mental invention and association.
As creators we draw our inspirations from deep in the land of our fantasy...we tap into this uniquely human and imaginary realm to find new visions and wondrous ways of seeing and feeling the world...of reconceiving the world...it is our ability and our calling...as creators...as artists...to explore and know the terrain of our imaginations and the realms of our fantasy and to bring the insights and visions we discover there as a gift to the communities in which we live.
As creative people we are called to be effective dreamers...dreaming impossible dreams and making them real...beautiful and rhapsodic dreams and making them manifest...seeing, feeling and perceiving outside of the normal and traditional ways...imagining new worlds and new ways of being that no one has ever seen before...new ways of knowing and understanding our common experience of being human...and then to offer our creative visions, as a medicine to heal and cure the habit bond and mundane views of the mass mind, and as manna...food for the soul...for our brothers and sisters.
Bless you with rich fantasies, effective dreams and the fulfillment of your creative vision! ...RL
Friday Nov 30.2001 - Open Letter to Millennium Artists
I am seeking greater involvement from you in the online activities of the gallery. In particular I am requesting that you make time to attend the Virtual Art Opening Chats, begin Posting and Replying in the Art Forum and leaving your remarks for fellow artists in their Comments books on the site. I would also appreciate it if you could begin sending regular submissions of new works, writings and poetry to the Medium arts magazine, which would greatly increase your profile at the gallery and provide our Members and clients with increased enjoyment and benefits.
Community is an action word. We have a community now of 80 Portfolio Artists and 3500 subscribers and gallery patrons. The benefits to you of being an Artist in the Millennium arts community can only be received through your on going participation, in particular, I feel that getting to know your fellow artists would be well worth your while.
In a few days there will be a new forum going up in the Art Opening area of the site. It will be for you to Post your upcoming Exhibition Schedules and to answer questions from our clients about your artworks. I will send another email to notify you when it is online.
I intend to communicate more frequently with you in the future...and would be pleased to hear more frequently from you.
Warm Regards...
Tuesday November 13.2001
...my weekend was very ethereal and surrealistic...many chance happenings and unpredictable occurrences...all and all...a very magic weekend...:).....and Rememberance Day?...I made a point of buying some poppies from a woman on the street and talking with her for a while about her work...she asked if I would participate in a minute of silence...well...a minute of silence would be like a miracle for anyone to complete...give it a try...those thoughts just keep chattering away...:)...did you take time to reflect on the horrors of war?...if you didn't I do understand...you are not calloused...I know you care and that is clear to me...because you are here...reading this...and who would want to dwell on such thoughts...better to dwell on thoughts of Peace and Harmony...and not just for your own peace of mind...the world is a direct invocation of each of our thoughts....so find peace and harmony in yourself and help the world to find the same simultaneously...:)....
Saturday Sept 29.2001
Summer has come and gone and where have I been in my head? And where have I been in my heart?
Many wonders have I seen and many miracles have I seen. I have found Sweet Light and been lifted to new heights of passion and creative vision. I have been a child in the sun and played as a child in a garden called Eden.
I have welcomed Sweet Light to share my world. I have known the happiness of being Loved through long summer days. I have felt my heart beat quicken as her footsteps brought her near. I have felt the spirit rise up inside me and shine from my face to her face...my heart to her heart. I have been full of tenderness and joy. I have been happy this summer.
And now it is fall. Now I am feeling deep saddness and the emptiness of separation from my Beloved. Now I am feeling tears of sorrow stinging my cheeks. And my heart aches. And I sit and wait and pray for the truth of it to clear me.
I will be The Way, I will be One of One, I will keep my Love alive...a glowing ember in my heart, through fall and winters long night. And I will be a new beginning and my joy will flow again and spring will come again.
Sat - April 7/2001 - I'll be Painting in My Outdoor Studio!
It's been awhile since I have had the time to leave a note here but today I have something wonderful to say...I plan to start painting again and I am very excited about it!!!
Up until recently my daily regimen of duties and tasks at Millennium has kept me busy and distracted from more important and aesthetic considerations. But, most of the design and development of the Millennium site is now complete so I think I can give into my creative desires and break out the brushes and paint cans. Yahoo!!!
As you may know, most of my large canvases were destroyed in a fire at the gallery in the fall of 1999 and since then I have been longing to paint, but have been putting it off to focus all my attention on designing and developing the Millennium Art Gallery site. If you have not heard about the fire here is a link to the articule concerning it, which was published in The Medium in Jan 2000: (just copy and paste into your browser)
http://www.millenniumartgallery.com/medium.cgi?page=inferno.htm
I plan to turn my back yard into a studio for the summer, so I can work on large canvases, and document my daily painting process with text and photos. I will post an RL Johnson studio page in the Medium, so you can join in with me if you like. I'll let you know when the page is going up.
As always, I am very pleased and honored that you are taking the time to visit the Millennium site and I invite you to join in by leaving your Comments and Forum Postings and by sending in your artwork jpegs, articles, poems and short stories to be published in The Medium Webzine.
Wishing you peace and may the creative spirit fill you with wonderful inspirations this year. RL
Wed - Feb 21/2001 - Mail Digest - Sends and Replys
I thought you might find it interesting to read some of the email I have received this week. I normally receive and answer about 300 emails per week, so this is a readers digest view and of course the names of the senders have been altered.
Tue. Feb 20/2001 - RL, you are obviously a man who has been sent by God to proclaim good news to the world. I do not actually have the time at the present to view the Millennium site, but rest assured that it is soon coming and I will do whatever it takes to help you in your quest.
Here is a brief preview of one of the ciglez I am working with, it is approximately 14/18, but I prefer to work it into a 16/20. The last customer I had came in off the terrace patio overlooking lake side Lake Louise and stood in front of this piece and wept. It was my great honor to package this practically one of a kind cigles for her and let her return to her home with this piece for the amazingly low price of $450.00. Of course, with absolute direct wholesale, which is available from me, I am able to work with this price to the tune of about 10%, depending. It is a responsibility and direct commission from God that we uphold and maintain the standard already put in place through His Devine Order. I am grateful that you are a part of His great plan for humanity.
I will be viewing your terms of agreement very shortly in the next day or so, and discuss it with the "Wolf Lady" SC, then proceed to allow the working of the Holy Spirit here on earth.
Health Wealth and Prosperity flow into our lives as a massive fountain. We recieve this blessing and share it with others. GTM
MY REPLY TO GTM: - Greeting and thanks for your words and the jpeg of your artwork. I am really struck by the work and the message it carries. Please keep in touch and when possible spend some time on the Millennium site. I also extend an invitation for you to become a Member of our organization by clicking on the sites Join button. Your support in this way would be appreciated and our members receive a range of free benefits and communications that I would like you to have. RL
Mon. Feb 19/2001 - Thanks for contacting me about my artwork and your site. I am definitely interested and will be sending in my application soon. I also have another proposal for you and your site. I am the founder and developer of the New Westminster Arts Club (NWAC)and will be opening my doors in April. NWAC is not just a club but a resource center for hobbyist and emerging artists. It will provide information, run workshops and gallery events for artists of all ages.
My goal is to bring together artists, in and around this area to create an artistic community. The location I have chosen has an historic feel, artistic atmosphere and perfect for artistic growth.
Without going into a lot of detail, part of NWACs goal is to provide artists with a real artistic atmosphere to work, help artists in the growth of their work, help build confidence in themselves and get exposure to what they do. In plain English, NWAC will produce artists that are looking for ways to show their work and if NWAC is in alliance with your site, it would be one of the directions NWAC would point their clients.
I would like to meet with you and discuss any possibilities of working in alliance. DR
MY REPLY TO DR: - Glad to hear back from you. Your NWAC project sounds very interesting and full of potential. Your expressed directions are very much in alignment with those of Millennium. I am sure that there are many ways and possibilities for mutual cooperation and support.
The Millennium site is full of resources that you are free to utilize in any way you feel will benefit your project. For promotions...of artworks, ideas and projects...The Medium our arts webzine is always looking for new content, poetry, articles, artworks...and communications...the site has multiple communications tools including public and private chat rooms, comment books, forums, advice and expert assistance columnists.
We are continuing to reach-out and expand our range of support and services to the public and to enhance our Member services and your participation in the site and your project would be very welcomed.
If you have any specific ideas on how Millennium can be of assistance to your project or how we might work together please let me know. RL
Fri. Feb 16/2001 - I went to your site and joined but it said that I was not registered as an artist was I in the wrong section? Please help I would love to be associated with the gallery. Please advise? CM
MY REPLY TO CM: - Nice to hear back from you and thanks for joining as a Member of the gallery. In answer to your question, the Artist Section is reserved for artists represented by Millennium. It contains a complete suite of communications modules including chat lounge, forum, live office, and accounting that allows our artists to track sales of their artworks. The note I sent yesterday had information about becoming a represented artist and I look forward to hearing from you in that regard. RL
Thur. Feb 15/2001 - Hi, this is Enid Pethericks daughter. I would like to buy a copy of the above painting for my birthday. I accidentally deleted (just two days ago when i was cleaning up my email!!) the gift certificate form which enid emailed me around xmas time -is it possible to have another #? also, a while back i remember enid saying something about the quality of the reproduction not being as good on the larger sizes. Would i be better off to buy the 8 x 11? maybe it depends on the original photo or was she refering to the old type of reproduction that you used to do? please advise ..i would like sharp image ..thanks so much ..i plan on hanging the painting in my Katimavik ( my work) office. AP
MY REPLY TO AP: Nice to hear from your and thanks for the "Moon Over Red Indian" print order. Quality will not be a problem as we have nice large scans of all of Enid's images now. I will credit your purchase with a 25$ Gift Certificate.
I am curious...What is a Katimavik? I see you are living in Quebec now, how are things going for you there?
I will have your print in the mail by Monday at the latest so you should have it by the following Friday. Happy Birthday and Best Wishes, RL
Wed. Feb 14/2001 - Although I like the concept of your website, I am bothered by your casual use of the term "original fine art". An original work of art is NOT a limited edition reproduction print, no matter how superb the technological verisimilitude. Reproductions have a place in the world, but should not be confused with one-of-a-kind artistic expressions. Such distortions of the truth do a disservice to those of us who create only original fine art. MP
MY REPLY TO MP: Nice to hear from you and thanks for the input. After some spirited consideration of your concerns we have decided that they have merit and have altered our presentation to reflect that. In the future, to avoid any possibility of confusion, we will not refer to the Art Miniature's we offer as being Originals.
Our original idea (pun intended) was to stress the fact that the images being offered are original images created by Millennium artists.
To be fair, I think we have been clear beyond possibility of confusion that the Art Mini's are reproductions. As a general understanding we see two types of reproductions...Open Edition, which do not have the artists signature or proofing prior to sale and Limited Edition, like the Art Mini's, which do. Our position has been that Limited Editions, because of the artists involvement in the process, are original artworks, regardless of the fact that there are more than one of them in existence.
Obviously the matter is a subject of differences of opinion...artists creating using lithography, screen print, intaglio, wood block, photography, digital media, etc, would probably feel inclined to consider their multiples to all be original images.
Painters, sculptors, etc would care to differ. RL ________________________________________________________________
Sunday - Feb 4/2001 - Dragons and Windmills
Today I am feeling a bit like Don Quixote must have felt as he viewed the giant dragon-like windmills in the distance. He knew he had to free the land from their threatening presence and win victory for his one true love and the people, yet he feared he could not possibly prevail against such powerful foes and must therefore prepare himself for defeat upon the field of battle.
Because of his dream and because of his love DQ could not choose other then to plunge headlong into what must have seemed certain doom. I wonder if I can be so fearless and so brave.
My "one true love" would be the creative Muse and the dragon windmills would be the prevailing forces of inertia, apathy and doubt concerning the importance and value of creative expression.
The Millennium dream is to build a powerful and vibrant global organization of culturally creative people. People who believe that the power of creative expression can affect positive and profound changes in their home communities.
So far 3800 people have been inspired to support this vision. My goal is to help these wonderful people find ways to contribute to and support the Millennium dream so it can continue to grow and expand its influence and benefits.
Millennium artists deserve our respect and support. I can tell you for a fact that they have each committed enormous personal resources and willingly sacrificed many other opportunities to be able to create the beautiful and inspiring artworks viewable throughout the Millennium site. And like DQ they have done this because of their love and because of their dream and despite the almost certain indifference of the home communities in which they live. I think we should all treat ourselves to some new artwork for the home and office, and let them know we appreciate their efforts!
My main message to Members today is simple: "Thank You", for your interest, your involvement and your support. It means alot.
________________________________________________________________
Sunday January 14/2001 - Your Support is Necessary
Well, it's been awhile since I have made a new posting here. Not that I haven't thought about it, but good intentions are often moved to the bottom of the list as new daily demands spring up. The daily demand that has been consuming me of late is how to generate increased sales revenue.
We are pushing on in our efforts to build and maintain the Millennium site but sales are really slow right now and this is cause for concern. I'm hoping I can interest our members in buying some art so we can continue our plans for expanding and developing new member services.
I would like to make it clear to all that Millennium Art Gallery is not a mega-corp with stock market dollars to burn. We are a private, artist owned and operated web business that is funded entirely by sales.
I know that everyone who is involved with the gallery on an operations basis, staff, artists and associate sites, are all doing what they can to ensure that the Millennium is a wonderful and interesting site to visit, but the bottom line does periodically rear it's monstrous head and roar its huge "I Am Hungry" roar.
We will continue to search for the magic formulae that will allow Millennium to bloom, but we do need your help. We can't do it alone. Simply put, the best way you can help is to buy some art.
Take a look around your home and office. Don't you need some nice original art to decorate with? Think about the gifts that you give at Christmas, Valentines, Easter, Birthdays, etc. Wouldn't it be nice to give some artwork? Your thoughtfulness would receive thanks from the gift receiver, the artist and the Millennium Art Gallery...now that would be spreading your best wishes around.
________________________________________________________________
Sunday Nov 5/2000 - Site Enhancements
I've been working on a multitude of site development projects over the last few months. But one very important project has been completed and implemented in the last few days so I thought I would give a brief overview of the key concepts.
Members Section Upgrades - Associate and Artist Sections
Two new sections launched on Nov 1/2000 are dedicated to providing enhanced professional services to our registered Artist and Associate members. These are secure areas accessed through the Members Section and provide our financial partners with information resources, communications modules and Transaction Account Statements.
Some Thoughts on the Sections:
Up till now Millenniums relationships with Artists and Associates has been primarily through email communications and one on one. These new sections will enable the building of common interest communities. The new sections feature Forums, Virtual Lounges for text and voice communications, Live Office and detailed historical Account Statement Reporting.
We are in business relationships with our Artist and Associate members and we want our business relationships to have the greatest possibility of success for all concerned. We think the best way to accomplish this is through the creation of common interest communities.
Our Artists and Associate members have creative and business concerns that overlap. Artists require sales of their artworks to support themselves and their projects. Associates require sales of artworks to members they have referred to raise funds for their various charitable and for profit projects. Both communities have a common concern that sales of artwork take place and a vested interest in helping to insure the growth and development of the Millennium Art Gallery.
I see one of my most important tasks, as gallery director, is to inspire a greater participation by Millennium partners, artists and associates, in the areas of business development and collective success.
We can be a winning team and do valuable work for our home communities and cultures in the process. If we understand the potential of Millennium to build a global community of millions of arts and culture members. If we envision cash flows into our lives and projects based on creative and cultural development and if we join-in and imagine the Millennium as a global showcase for the creative spirit in the 21st century then our collective imaginations will make it happen.
And through our collective endeavor the creative vision of Millennium, to support and nourish creative expression around the world, will be realized. Join me and lets imagine! :-)
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October 25/2000 - Changes and Rearranges
As usual, many new developments......Rog has taken an extended leave of absence to pursue some projects that were moth-balled during his service at Millennium. However, he will be returning next month to edit the Dec/January issue of The Medium...a three week effort, then off to Toronto to make a recording of some songs he has written.
Many members have written to express there shock and concern about his departure. I have a little of the same feelings but I know the effort and energy Rog has been giving to the Millennium project over the last year and a half and it has been super-human. He deserves to rest and refresh and hopefully after he has stretched a bit he will be inspired to continue on in a part time mode as the editor of The Medium.
I wish everyone could understand just how much Rog and all past and present staff and volunteers have contributed over the last two years. No one is working here because of a pay-check....but because they believe in the Millennium mission and have wanted to contribute and be a part of something they considered important and necessary and purposeful.
I have been feeling a little peckish for the last few days...I just left a Posting in the Art Forum which berated those members who choose to not participate in the sites many communications mediums.....the Art Openings ... Forums ... Comment Books ... Medium Submissions, etc.
I have worked so hard trying to create a special site for members to mingle in that the tendency of most members to take a passive and non-participatory approach to their membership irks me. I feel that I have fallen short and need to do more, say it more clearly, be more inspiring in my communications...and I have doubts as to my ability to do so.
I just received a letter a few seconds ago from Fran Barrault and as it is very apropos to this writing I will repost it here:
Dear Rick,
If I can quote WB (White Bull) on issues like this which confront all of us, "keep on keeping on". We HAVE no choice - we were committed to this work before we were born. I find it hard to keep casting bread on the waters with minimal visible or tangible return - but then I realize that having 'expectations' would be rather like attaching a string to the bread....
WB says it's likely to get progressively more difficult especially for light workers, and therefore he always reminds us to Live in the Now: "now' is the moment of creation; and the operative word is 'trust'.
And of course I shall need you to remind me of these thoughts when I get disconsolate! As Ian would say to me "courage, mon brave!"
Love and Light, Fran
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Thanks Fran, for your encouragement and support...it lifts my spirit and gives me strength to carry on. And to you who have read this far, thank you for taking the time and I wish you all the best.
Peace and Love, RL
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October 7/2000 - How it is Done
Today I will be starting work on several new artists portfolios, getting their images and text ready for online posting. I was talking to someone about the process yesterday and they were amazed with how complex it was. They had thought it was just a matter of scanning the images onto the Internet and that was it. Actually, it takes me from 10 to 20 hours to get a new artists Portfolio online. I thought you might be interested in an overview of how the process works.
Well, it starts with a package arriving in the mail. In the package I usually find 10 photos/slides of artworks, a floppy disk with text, a photo of the artist and a letter detailing the contents and who has send the package.
I begin the process of preparing this new artist for representation and exhibition at the gallery by creating a series of new files in my digital filing system. These files will be used to store all information concerning this artist and their artworks. Here is a list of the files I set up for each new artist that joins the Millennium site:
New Artist Files
Accounting Records
Communications/emails
Mem-Registration and Modifications
Misc. Info
Art Set-up - Working Tifs
Art Set-up - Back-up Tifs
Art Set-up - Print Masters
Art Set-up - J-pegs - Portfolio Display
Art Set-up - Gifs - Portfolio Display
Art Set-up - J-pegs - Bio and Review
Art Set-up - J-pegs - Screensaver
Art Set-up - J-pegs - Art Opening Display
Art Set-up - Gifs - Art Opening Display
Art Set-up - Headshot Tif and Jpegs
Art Set-up - Text - Image Info
Art Set-up - Text - Statement and Bio
Art Set-up - New Submissions Temp
So each artist has 17 files created to store the information concerning their representation by the gallery.
The next step is to scan the photos/slides as large format tif files and save them into the Working Tifs folder. Once they are all scanned in, I then open up PhotoShop 5.5 and start calling them, one at a time, into the program to begin the image preparation process.
I must do a careful job of preparing, or as I call it, tweaking the tif scan of each image, because it is what will be used to create print orders and for production of all the other types of image displays, sizes and formats I will be creating for Internet display. If the tif is not good then all the rest of the work will suffer.
Preparing the tif is a time consuming process, for many reasons, but in particular because of the size of the scan files I need to create in order to make high quality large format prints. I am working on files that are from 30meg to 50meg size and, even though my computer is super fast, each image takes time to open and to accomplish the manipulations required to make it presentable.
This "making it presentable" process can include minor cropping, repair to the digital image due to scratches or fingerprints on the photo and color and contrast manipulations to try and match the digital image as closely as possible to the photo image.
I think I am probably boring you by now...so I won't continue with the details...but suffice to say that each artists Portfolio you view online has been labored over intensely.
A FEW LAST THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER. An interesting thing occurs for me during the 10 to 20 hour preparation process. I start to feel a deep understanding and bonding with the artist and their artworks. I am spending a lot of time working with the images. And it's not a mechanical process of replication. I am co-creating, in a way, the images you see online. It is a partnership process, very much like the partnership a print-maker has with an artist. The final outcome is a collaboration and only as successful as the creative input we have both brought to the table.
So, at the end of working with an artists images and text in this creative way, I feel I somehow know the artist and their images well, like old friends, but the odd thing of it is, the artist is usually totally unaware of the bonding that has occurred. So, if you are an exhibiting artist reading this note...Thanks for allowing me to work with your images. Its been good getting to know you. I invite you to spend some time with my images and text, and hopefully the understanding and respect will be mutual. Cheers.
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Sept 30/2000 - Wacky as a Fun House Mirror
The big news of the day is, of course, our notorious Art Forum Poster, "Fun House". He has been creating quite a stir with his acerbic wit and willingness to offer his brutally honest analysis and self expression. He has brought a bit of excitement and interest to a previously unrealized page. I am hoping his efforts to stir up the soup and to challenge views will continue to provoke and inspire participation in the forums.
Rog erLee and myself have been work-horsing long overtime days to get The Medium out on schedule. We have been holding daily meetings for the last three weeks, discussing new design elements, content and layout. We were wondering if we had enough member contributed materials to make for an interesting issue. Deadline for final submissions had passed and we had still received very little input. Then, of course, just when we were making plans to find content elsewhere, the submissions started to pour in. Is it too late was the usual question! Well, we were glad of this, better late than not at all.
Artist Enid Petherick and her par amour, poet Ralph Van Drielen, stopped by the Millennium offices for a visit yesterday. I spent a few hilarious hours with them conducting an impromptu Virtual Art Opening training. They are both very excited about the technology, but essentially newbies to the whole computer thing. Enid brought a few new photo images for her gallery and also brought in a small 8" x 11" pastel for direct scanning.
Rog erLee is heading off on a well deserved two week vacation to Toronto, just after publication next week. It will be a little quiet around the offices with out his humor, wit and wisdom, but he promises to keep in touch by email.
In closing, a little prayer I wrote a while ago:
Thank you One, for blessing me with conscious awareness.
And for your great gift of unconditional love.
To honor your gift I will pass it on to all whom I am.
At peace in the knowledge that in giving I am increased.
Your unity has healed my wounded heart and now I pledge.
I will work to manifest greater joy and harmony in our world.
I will honor your presence in all of creation.
I will listen for your inspirations and guidance.
We Are One.
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Sept 26/2000 - Whitman and Song of Myself
Well, my first entry to this PM journal will be a few lines from one of my favorite poets, Walt Whitman.
I first discovered Walt when I was sixteen. His beatific vision and words helped shape and inspire my early explorations into self discovery. Below are a few stanza's from one of my favorite poems:
"Song of Myself".
I know I have the best time and space, and was never
measured and never will be measured.
I tramp a perpetual journey (come listen all!),
My signs are a rainproof coat, good shoes,
and a staff cut from the woods,
No friend of mine takes his ease in my chair,
I have no chair, no church, no philosophy,
I lead no man to a dinner table, library, or exchange,
But each man and each woman of you I lead upon a knoll,
My left hand hooking you round the waist,
My right hand pointing to landscapes of continents
and the public road.
Not I, not anyone else can travel that road for you,
You must travel it for yourself.
It is not far, it is within your reach,
perhaps you have been on it since you were born
and did not know.
Myself moving forward then and now and forever,
gathering and showing more always and with velocity,
I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content.
One world is aware and by far the largest to me, and that is myself,
And whether I come to my own today or in ten thousand years or
ten million years,
I can cheerfully take it now, or with equal cheerfulness I can wait.
My foot hold is tenoned and mortised in granite,
I laugh at what you call dissolution,
And I know the amplitude of time.
