Artistic Freedom: the Pros and Cons

"Imaginary Landscape" is just that. I decided to have fun and simply create a landscape out of thin air...to see what would happen. It was actually quite challenging, and flexed a few mental muscles for a great work-out.

Living at The Resort Village of Manitou Beach has provided a sanctuary away from all the bustle and over-stimulation of the city. It is peaceful here, but not boring. Really, it is the perfect environment in which to live a creative, alternative life-style. I am always a bit amazed at all of the freedom we have here on a daily basis to create the space needed to dive deep into art and the artistic process.

I recall a quote from Bob Dylan who said, "A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do."


Sure, there are certain responsibilities that go along with that kind of freedom...not everyone is a multi-millionaire cultural icon.


In a world filled to over-flowing with mass-produced, assembly-line products that are designed to be used for only a short time until they either break or become obsolete in the headlong rush towards 'better, faster, cheaper' there is something refreshing about a one-of-a -kind, hand-crafted original. There is a hunger for authenticity that can only be fulfilled by the solitary artist toiling away at what s/he loves best.


It really is possible to build a powerful connection or bridge between Artist and Art Lover, as we have seen first-hand as our experience at our gallery continues to enrich and expand our lives. The gallery IS the bridge that we have built that spans the gulf between us and the world...it is a tangible interface that connects us and our work in many ways to a very wide and diverse community.


With this conduit established we have the freedom now to experiment with more daring ideas.


In a way, we consider G-G's Gallery & Gifts to be a living, growing laboratory where we can try different ideas for immediate and powerful feedback from all of our visitors.


It's EXCITING!