phase 1 redux - develop and appreciate expertise

In July I described art as being like a hydra, and August in relation to the red-crested serpent of mythology. Since I also described art-making as a fractal-ar I tried to build a hybrid of the concept of art as a hydra/red-crested serpent like a fractal - hybrid idea + hybrid materials + hybrid technique = crazy chimera thing.  The eyes open vs closed is my way of showing the fusion of observed reality and fantasy in art.  

An Allegory of Art

(The heads are life-sized, charcoal and color pencil on grey paper - I'm loving my new grey paper :))

From the sidewalk in North Adams

Other art activities of the week - I've been back and forth from North Adams (twice), speaking with students at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and wrapping up the show. It's been fun and time has really flown by (Tempus Fugit!).

I especially enjoyed this - like an art-version of
the rocks in the "Garden of the Gods" in Colorado;
 plus, I think it looks like my eyes are regurgitating
liquid color (and who doesn't enjoy that?! ;p)

Adding to the art-happiness, there is a (free!) outdoor sculpture park at Omi International Art Center between home and North Adams!

I also went aboard this lovely vessel for an excellent guided tour. Forms of transportation are a motif in my work, but while I've studied what planes, boats, and trains, look like, I know very little about what the parts actually do, so it was fun to learn more. I got to thinking - when I start to learn how to draw a creature, I study diagrams of their anatomy. I'm wondering if at some point, I should take a look at the schematics of machines to be able to draw them in the same way (...)
 In terms of appreciating expertise - one question I have is what is an expert? What makes a person an expert and how does one recognize expertise (ok, so maybe  more than one question ;)). Being on the boat with someone who knows and loves it got me thinking that, even without being able to answer those questions in words, I know who I'd want to be standing next to if the ship hit an iceberg (forbid). So maybe expertise becomes most visible when things go wrong? That it's not only knowing a thing or subject, but knowing it well enough to manage creatively when conditions are not ideal? Hmmmmm.

cute photo of my tiny giant - just because :)

On a side note - I'm returning to posting on Sunday night/Monday morning (because my Wednesday nights will soon be dedicated to figure drawing (yay!)).