Tag: artsy

Another World

My Mind's Eye

I have decided to do primarily create “MyMindsEye” images here at MyArtsySide for 2026. If you haven’t guessed already this one is of a couple of the remaining pieces to be placed in a picture puzzle I just completed. I love taking images and making them abstracts. It adds a little mystery to the image.

There is just something about working picture puzzles that calm my mind.

Post-Impressionism

My Mind's Eye

This current sideline of the 2026 project is to learn about the Post-Impressionism art movement.

Post-Impressionism is a predominantly French art movement (c. 1886-1905) reacting against Impressionism, where artists like Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Seurat used vivid colors, thick paint, and distorted forms to express emotions and ideas, moving towards abstraction with symbolic meaning rather than just capturing fleeting light and naturalism.

I became familiar with Van Gogh in my pre-teen years in the mid-1950s and have had his painting “Starry Night” on my walls ever since. There is just something about the vivid colors and distorted forms that drew me in. I am already in the middle of two thick books on this short-lived art movement and eventually hope to mimic it in my own style of artsy.

One of the many stories about Van Gogh is that he suffered from tinnitus and cut his ear off to stop the constant ringing. Of course, it didn’t help. I, too, have suffered from “ringing ears” for most of my life. That gave me the first commonality with this troubled artist. As I learned more about him, many more would follow.

This is the first Artsy post that is doing something besides images. I am learning a lot about artsy and just feel that I have to bring you along for the ride. So, some posts here will go into the “teacher” mode. I hope you don’t mind and maybe even enjoy the ride.

Plain & Simple

Digital Doodles

I have been doing a lot of contemplation about my 2026 project here so I thought I would do something plain and simple for today’s artsy. If I had perfect recall maybe I could remember making something very similar in my early years. But I think my mind is full enough without remembering EVERY detail of my life. In fact perfect recall might be very excruciating.

Speaking of next years’ plans, my last serious thoughts were to make line art the theme for 2026, but I have convinced myself that is too much too soon. I need to go down this artsy path some more before tackling it as an “essence of life” art project

Next week I will give you details on my new projects for 2026. I think I will enjoy them very much and I certainly hope you do too.

Simplicity – Getting to the Essence of what you see.

My Line Art
The 1st Artist – 75,000 BC

I am learning everyday now just what simplicity is all about. For some reason I have been attracted to that word all my life. In fact I have numerous placards around my RetCom apartment as I write these words.

What presently brought this word to the surface of my mind is my decision to focus on line art as my artsy project for 2026. To me, getting to the essence of what I see is the ultimate challenge in my artsy world, but maybe the hardest part is then putting that essence in an artsy form. Accomplishing that is difficult, but once I learn it I believe I will truly understand what simplicity is all about.

Line art is the oldest form of art. It was discovered about 75,000 years ago in the form of images of life in cave-dwelling walls.

Since I am an “elder orphan”, I spent all of yesterday studying what line art is all about. Unfortunately, I have not been able to yet learn as much as I want. But, since

Never Stop Learning

is part of my life mantra, I will not give up this new project.

LA2 – 1st Serious Attempt

My Line Art
MLA2 – Indy Skyline

I’m not sure just when I did this line art drawing. I think it was in 2024. It took several hours to complete. After it was done I guess I let it fall through the cracks so to speak. Or maybe it was just lying in the embers in the back of my mind waiting to get resurrected.

Now its time has come. I have decided to make line art my official project for 2026. So you will see more coming soon. I am currently studying various artists to see what they can teach me concerning line art. Matisse and Picasso are at the top of the list right now. It is not in my nature to “copy” them but I maybe want to use some of their methods in creating my own style of line art. We will see.

DD83 – Out Of Focus

Digital Doodles

In my youth I can remember when everything was out of focus. Dad barely made enough to put food on the table and a roof over our head. Eyeglasses were simple a luxury that we just couldn’t afford. I usually chose one of the front desks in my grade school and high school years. All the other kids thought I was trying to be the teacher’s pet, but in reality I just wanted to be closer to the chalkboards. Finally in my junior year I made enough money at 90 cents/hour putting up hay in the summer to be able to afford a pair. I knew I would need them for college so that was a top priority for me.

This doodle, like so many others didn’t get a title until it was finished. But I kinda think it fits.

DD81 – My Best To Date…

Digital Doodles

This is my most ambitious doodle to date so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it also brings up an ambitious story, or probably myth.

After I finished the doodle a story from my Bible investigation past came to mind. It was the story about how the mammoth curtain in the inner sanctum of the Jewish temple was torn from top to bottom immediately upon Jesus’ death. Other than the Gospel accounts that were finally published 400 years after Jesus’ death this story never became public except to maybe a limited few. There is no mention of this happening in any recorded Jewish or Roman text. Like the story about George Washington and the apple tree it is also likely a myth. But it did make a nice story.

DD69 – The Ultimate

Digital Doodles

This is one of those doodles that I started with a thought in mind. I kinda think the image give you an idea of what the future, but not too future, tennis shoe will look like. I guess they are called sneakers now. They used to also be called athletic shoes, but maybe sneakers is a more appropriate name as most of the people who put out hundreds of bucks for them now are likely playing their sports in front of a game console screen.

DD54 – A Bright Idea

Digital Doodles

This is my first attempt at Doodle-Abstracts. The difference between simple doodles and abstract doodles is that simple doodles start with nothing in mind, and abstract doodles start with a particular thought.

You could say this image is also a self-portrait showing that I am constantly surrounded by bright ideas, especially when I am in my morning shower.

I kinda like how it turned out.

DD58 – StarLight, StarBright

Digital Doodles

I kinda think that if there is a heaven for artists and doodlers this is probably what the stars would look like. 

After decades of study on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that, for the most part, our religious documents are made up of what people dream heaven will be like. So, why can’t I dream that it will be like peoples’ greatest passions? This one is for artists, and for the ones whose primary passion is hate, it will be called HELL.

DD9 – KY Bike Racks

Digital Doodles
DD9

_______________Stories, Quotes & Lessons of Life________________

The photo that inspired this doodle was of a unique bike rack I discovered in Louisville, Kentucky in 2010. Since our homestead was only a couple of hours away we made several long weekend trips to Louisville over the years. They have quite a few small museums there. I kinda like those types of museums better than those with Renoirs and millionaires’ names above the gallery doors.

MME63 – Red Beauty

My Mind's Eye
MME63 – Mountains Majesty

“My Mind’s Eye” is primarily made up of two distinct things. They are pictures of things we see in daily life but don’t draw our attention. The second category is pictures that were taken and then modified is various ways. Sometimes it is one or the other, and others it is a combination of both.

The picture above is of the 2nd category. It was a majestic picture of the Rocky Mountains that has been changed to show it in a more artistic fashion. I kinda like the effects.

DD65 – Life’s Paths

Digital Doodles
DD65

Some people think that life goes in a straight line from birth to death, but I kinda think it is much more complicated than that. It is made up of twists, turns, and tangents of various flavors. That is what makes life so interesting. Here I am in my 80th year and I still don’t really know what lies ahead. That is exciting and scary for me at the same time.

MME74 – Oh, The Rocky Mountains…

My Mind's Eye
CLA74 – photo enhanced through digital means

The image from which this enhanced picture was taken was in a rural California community on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. It reminded me of the fact that most fires in rural areas result in total loss due to the delayed response of all volunteers fire departments. Most often, by the time the fire fighters get there the building is fully engaged.

But that did take away from the beauty of the area but only for a few hours.

MME70 – I Miss My Critters

My Mind's Eye

I am in a reminiscing mood today, especially about all the critters I have had in my life. When we lived in the homestead surrounded by forests for 21 years, there were countless critters who constantly showed up at our backdoor. Before I go any more forward I need to tell you a little story.

I think if she had to decide between me and one of her critters, it would likely have been me who was shown the door. She regularly fed possums, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs. No body was left hungry, even as uninvited guests.

Let’s get back to this image above. Sophie, like many others before and after her suddenly showed up. She was not feral, but she was quite young. I left all the “critter” business up to my wife, so I don’t really know how she housebroke Sophie. But there were times when Sophie made an Oops as we called it, and it was my job to clean it up. This was one of those times.

Of course, being a female cat, she had to jump on my back to make sure I was doing a good job cleaning up her “Oops”. I have been without a critter for 4+ years now in my RetCom home. Sometimes I think I miss them more than I do my wife. 😁🥴😆.

MME58 – RetCom Drums

My Mind's Eye

Being deaf for 35 years now, I usually don’t pay much attention to musical presentations here at my RetCom (retirement community). But this last April there was one that I attended. 

It was an African Drums Presentation.

Drums are one thing that I sorta can “hear” by vibrations on my chest. I also definitely enjoyed the colorful outfits too.

DD59 – Flying Away, Plain & Simple

Digital Doodles
DD57 – Flying Away, Plain & Simple

Recently, I have needed an escape from my routine. It is there that I generated this digital doodle. I know I am in my RetCom apartment probably 98% of the week. That’s fine most of the time. LOMO (life On My Own) is where I generally want to be. But…

Maybe you could call this period of needing to escape pre-cabin fever, or perhaps because I recently gave up my car, it is a “No Car Dilemma”. Either is a possibility.

In the past, especially the last four years,I have always had the capability of just taking off whenever I wanted. I’m a little down because of all of this, but I’m sure it is a passing thing.

MME10 – Creative Lighting

My Mind's Eye

In the last 15 years I have probably been to at least 40 museums. Some were locals that were usually in a once abandoned building. Others were the million dollar version, where each room proudly displayed the name of a major benefactor. I will let you in on a little secret, all of those in the latter category above were pretty much the same.

The ones I found to be the most creative were the ones sponsored by the city or college in which it resided. None of those that I visited had a Renoir or a Picasso collection that I know of, but they did highlight the regional artists.

I think I am right, but I could be wrong that the image above is from the Ft.Wayne Museum in Indiana. To me, the way that art is presented is as critical as the art itself.

DD53 – Aflight

Digital Doodles
DD53

For those of you who know “line art” you will certainly tell me this is not that. Yes, I admit that I broke many rules in making the image above. But who am I if not a “rules breaker”? I did this piece a few months ago and have been reluctant to show it to you. But I finally decided

What The Heck

This image originated from a photo I took a while back at the Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

DD44 – Allergies…

Digital Doodles
DD44

This is my rendition of what allergies are today. It just seems like many more kids today have serious allergies than they did in my youth. Tongue-in-cheek, I kinda speculate that is because kids now live in a much more sterile environment than I did as a kid..

When I was a kid, we played in the dirt several hours a week and for the most part, if you could afford it, our homes were carpeted.

I can also remember that we didn’t shy away when measles and such happened in our schools. The logic back then was if you got them in normal childhood years, they didn’t give you as much trouble as when you got them as an adult. I know that is kinda convoluted logic, but…

Peanut butter allergies? I never heard of that until I was an adult. But then again, I never heard about autism back then and now they say 4 out of 100 kids have it.

Mosaic of Life #152 – Dali Museum

Mosaic Of Life

I visited the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg in 2022. It was the last time I saw my brother. I was just starting my 4,000-mile final visit to the south and southwest U.S. One of my goals for the trip was to try to understand abstract art. Dali was one of the founding fathers of that genre.

I appreciated the atmosphere but was most enamored of the stairwells, as shown above. They just spoke to me.