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| Constructed Connections October 12, 2011 Constructed Connections - a new book of vivid and dynamic paintings created by Allan A. Teske. In this series of paintings, he invites the viewer to see from the view of not knowing. The paintings, with their adjacent words activate disconnects to our known knowing. In that space, new created connections are awakened allowing the possibility of knowing from a created seeing. Purchase the book for yourself or as a special gift for friends and clients. The price per book copy is $45.00 / orders of 10 book copies or more will receive a 10% discount. Shipping will be added at the cost of $6.00 per book copy. To purchase books use the PayPal button now or contact Allan A. Teske at ateske821@aol.com | ||
| Mastery in Painting and Yacht Racing December 22, 2010 Although yacht racing and painting conjure different images, the thrill of a successful spinnaker hoist and salt spray over the bow in the former and quiet contemplation and methodical working in the latter, there are qualities and attributes common to people who are masters of the arts of painting and sailing. Creating art and yacht racing may appear to require divergent skills, but the path to mastery is the same in both. Being a fine artist, international sailor, and sailing judge of national and international yachting events has afforded me the opportunity to explore the qualities embodied in mastery among both sailors and artists. Those qualities-passion, focus, strategy, discipline, team work, and will-are essential elements on the water and in the studio. Mastery begins by identifying an intended result. With painting, it is the completed work. In sailing, it frequently takes the form of winning a race or regatta. Those essential qualities function within a be-do-have structure: being leads to doing which culminates in having the intended result. Passion stirs and calls one to action. It is an internal desire that can only be satisfied by bringing the chosen task to completion. Passion forms the foundation because it declares who one is-a thriving artist, a winning racer, an accomplished businessman. Passion gives a Master access to creating the result without the restraints of knowing the intervening requirements. In this realm the Master is free to consider many possibilities and avenues of proceeding. Once an avenue is chosen, the second essential quality, focus, is applied in that direction. The Master does not multitask even though he is making decisions and choices on many levels at once. Such focused action blurs the Master's being with the doing. The physical act of applying paint to canvas connects the artist physically and mentally to the work, and he becomes both the painter and painting. Similarly, the sailor becomes one with the environment, using the boat as the instrument through which to feel the waves, wind, and the dynamic forces acting on the sails and the boat. The amateur can get lost in the bliss of such connection, or flow, but the Master never loses sight of the intended outcome, and whether consciously or not implements a strategy to attain it. Being able to stay focused in the moment and simultaneously keep an eye on the outcome is a discipline that comes from years of practice. As Malcolm Gladwell describes in Outliers, it takes 10,000 repetitions to gain mastery. Time in the boat is how sailors describe it. In art, time is also an integral part of the discipline and strategy. It is through trial and error that the artist comes to know when to use this size brush or palette knife and how to make a tool with the needed spring, shape, and size. In yacht racing, the essential quality of team work is obvious. No sailor wins races alone, since even one's competitors help you to apply and refine your skills. When racing large yachts, the skipper needs crew members with specific skills (steering, setting and trimming of sails, reading wind, tides, and currents) that compliment the boat and each other to create the possibility for attaining the intended goal. In the artist's world, however, the team is not so obvious but is equally as necessary. The artist's team consists of the patrons, collectors of art, art dealers, galleries, and museums that bring the art into the public domain. Until the art is viewed publicly, it is like a monologue in the artist's head. Mastery would not be complete without will-the will to keep going after losing races, after being rejected by art dealers, the will to keep learning and honing one's craft, the will to not give up until the objective is accomplished. Mastery is attainable not just in certain fields but in life. The qualities that sailors and artists have are available to the writer, the broker, or the statesman. As Paul Klee stated, "The art of mastering life is the prerequisite for all further forms of expression, whether they are paintings, sculptures, tragedies, or musical compositions." Allan A. Teske |