Art Department

I hear this often: "I don't know a doggone thing about art; all I know is what I like." 

I hear this, because I am the one saying it. I'm sorry for those who know a lot about art and what makes some art great and some not so.  They - those who know -  will tell you that paintings of kids with huge eyes, or dogs playing cards, are not great, but a paint-spattered drop cloth is terrific.

Well, ok. It's up to each of us to decide what we like, and go on from there. Do you remember that old movie about Dorian Gray based on the novel by Oscar Wilde? Dorian lives his libertine life to the hilt and remains attractive and youthful, while a portrait of him ages while noting all of Dorian's sins. 

I thought of that story when I saw a self-portrait done by Pablo Picasso at the age of maybe 14. His father was teaching him how to paint, and here is how young Pablo saw himself:

Pretty good for anyone at any age, huh, especially at 14? The only thing I could paint at that age was the shed, and I had to go back and give it another coat when my father noticed several shoddy areas.

Please compare that with this effort. At age 51, Picasso painted what he thought a "Girl Before A Mirror" looked like, and he turned this out:

There's a lot going on here, and frankly, I think he should have called the good people at MyEyeDr for an annual vision checkup. I have seen women looking in mirrors all of my life, and they all had their arms and neck and face right where they belonged. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to frame this picture of Nixon and Elvis.