by admin on August 31, 2010
I have always pointed to my father’s talent as a painter when considering my influences but my mother is another strong branch in my creative tree.
While helping my Mom, Bunny Lanning, go through some of her old things during her big move to the country, she handed me a box that she just hadn’t been able to part with. I peeked inside and saw that there were drawings. I recognized them as hers and said that I would of course take them. It wasn’t until months later that I sat on my office floor, pulling out each one, delighting at the artistic efforts made by my young mother. Here was a simple sketch of whale. This is what she had used to create the beautiful but tragic harpooned whale scene that I had seen hanging in shades of blue most of my young days.
My Mom had taken an art class in college and had excelled in sculpture. Her stone torso adorned my grandmother’s fireplace for years. Her metal “Ghost Ship” sat atop a bookshelf in the den. As the infamous story goes, it was this ship which would make her forgo the prestigious honors society, Phi Beta Kappa. Her art teacher had told her that it needed a base but she was adamant that it was right as it was. She didn’t budge and he gave her a “C”. I like it as it is.
She continued her creativity by creating batiks. Batiking involves making a picture on fabric using dye and wax. They are used as wall-hangings. Many of her batiks were displayed around the house and I grew up taking them for granted. Now, going through this box of sketches, I could understand the beginnings of what had inspired her. She had carefully collected designs from magazines and then put together compositions for a batik. She has an eye for what works and I’ve always been able to count on her opinion. I often send her pictures of my paintings before anyone else so she can tell me if she thinks they are really finished or not.
My mother gave up batiking when she became pregnant since the process is somewhat toxic. She never got back into it. Quilting would be her main artistic endeavor that she continued for years and shared with my sister and me. She also kept us busy with craft projects for every holiday and event. Many family members still have ornaments on their tree that I made with her guidance. I think it was this early routine that has kept my hands making and molding every chance I get.
Here’s to you Mom!
by admin on June 29, 2010
For years, I didn’t know there was a name for it. I associated colors with numbers, letters, days of the week, names and people. Then, a couple years ago, someone said, “Oh, you are a synesthete.” This type of ability to associate colors with abstract objects is called color-graphemic synesthsia. The technical definition for synesthesia as a whole is, “a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.” Grapheme synesthete’s are the most common. It would be neat if I had one of the more unusual forms like people who see colors when they hear music or taste lemon when they say a certain word. Still, it a cool neurological condition to have and I think it must help me on some level with my painting.
I remember sitting with members of my family at a restaurant when I was quite young and telling everyone their colors. They say that the test for a synesthete is whether you retain the same colors for the same objects over time. I’m pretty sure that a “3” has always been green to me and “5” is red. The same is true for people. I remember the responses I gave for my family members and they haven’t changed. Some people may think that I associate things like hair color with a person and that comes into play. Maybe it does to a certain extent but I know of one instance which disproves that. I have two nephews who are twins. They look a lot alike and have blondish hair. However, their personalities are distinctly different and this must have more bearing on their colors because to me, one is yellow-green and white, while the other is red and brown.
Even if I don’t know you, I can tell you your color based on your name. You would think this would help me remember people’s names but it really doesn’t. Often, I’ll be thinking, “Hum, it is something kind of brown,” but that’s as far as I get. Brad is definitely a brown name. It can really mess me up if someone’s name doesn’t suit their personality. I knew a girl at work named Lauren, which is a brownish, woody name but her personality was more white and black.
If you take a look at my artwork, you can see that I have a real enthusiasm for color. I’ve never been one to consult color wheels when choosing complementary colors, it is just instinctive. My brother Dean (Lanning Fine Art on Face Book), is an abstract photographer who is also hypersensitive about color. So it must run in the family-or maybe
I’ve had in mind for years to create little canvases that represent my family members and friends. Then I could duplicate the same project years later and see what has changed. People have different textures to me as well, so I could figure out what types of symbols and forms suit each person. Someday I will get to it!
For now, I’ll continue seeing my world with kaleidoscope eyes.
