Painting for fun vs. "making art" — what's the difference?

How can it be "making art" when a whole class ends up painting the same picture? But then again, isn't that what I did in the 60s at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy? Then, each student was expected to render his/her interpretation of the live model—we were each painting the same subject but in our own individual way.
 
At the Paint Bar on Newbury Street, participants are guided step by step to paint the same subject — and they all paint it in the same way. Big difference from my days at the Academia.

But who cares if you're having fun and getting a little tipsy while doing it? And maybe the fun of doing it inspires someone to go on to paint "seriously." For a night out at The Paint Bar, there's no artist angst about what to paint. You sign up on line based on what scene you see on their calendar so you actually know what subject you'll be painting ahead of time! And this month is SOLD OUT!

As a long time struggling and often starving artist, this seems bizarre to me, but to all the participants at The Paint Bar tonight, it didn't matter one brush stroke worth, they were all having fun.

What do you think?

Boston Night Riders . . . buck naked!

They left their convening site at Boston Common Band Stand at 10 p.m. tonight, June 29, and hit the road on their Fourth Annual World Naked Bicycle Ride Boston to raise awareness! It worked. I was walking from the Kendall Sq. movie, just in front of MIT on Mass Ave., when a slew of nude cyclists flew by. I fumbled for my camera to catch some skin before they passed.

One guy was on roller blades with all his glory swaying in the evening summer breeze. Amazing the sights one can see for free around Boston and Cambridge!

Is there any meaning left to: It doesn't matter whether you win or lose but how you run the race? Go Boston Bruins!

If you click on this picture you can really appreciate the players

Somewhere under the rainbow people shine . . .

As I walked home from a meeting on Peterborough Street past the Victory Gardens heading toward the Prudential, the light shining through the rain told me there had to be a rainbow somewhere. Once I hit Boylston Street, there it was, a double rainbow, too. Everyone stopped to record the phenomenon with their smart phones. Everyone smiling, chatting with strangers at the miracle. Happiness everywhere. What is it about a rainbow that makes us all giddy?

If you look closely you can see the second, fainter rainbow arching across the sky.

Proclaim your rarity to the world . . . Gay Pride, Pirate Cruising, or Animé . . . Boston offers a parade of opportunities for self-expression.

The Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence full of Pride.

In spite of the 7-hour power outage that blackened my neighborhood this morning around 3 a.m., I love living on Boylston Street! Even without checking the papers or websites for Boston events—just walking out my front door— I run smack into surprises.
Last month there was the Annual Animé festival where thousands of people dressed up as popular animation characters.

Yesterday I encountered folks preparing for the Gay Pride parade and the Pirate Cruise and Pub Crawl, two events that always happen on the same day every year. Once again, I wanted to show you some of the characters I tend to meet on a weekend amble along Boylston.
But what all of these "characters" have in common is a burning desire to create an alter ego that in some way enables to them to leave the every-day self behind. So much of our lives we do try to fit in, do the right thing, be responsible, and that is all very worthy, but where are the moments of wild abandon when we can find a way to display our creative fireworks and to burn them brightly? Being part of a community, a movement, a parade, a culture that supports that self-expression is what these festivals and exhibitions of inhibitions released are all about. Nurturing our individuality out there in the real world even if it's only one day a year can open up not only ourselves, but the people who come to witness us as we proclaim our rarity to the world.

Characters from Comicopia.com ready to join in the gay pride parade.

On her way to the Pirate Cruise and Pub Crawl

Images from the Marathon Memorial and Copley Square

For the last few days, I've been wanting to post some of these images from Boylston Street and the memorial site in Copley Square. Often, as thoughts mull around in my brain I get a sense of what I want to say in the post, then  let myself ramble on towards some kind of conclusion, but this time I want to give those of you who can't be there in person, a glimpse of the outpouring from people around Massachusetts and the world—individuals and groups—who have sent healing thoughts our way. If you click on the images you'll be able to read some of the words.