Wrecktangles - Visual Art & Poetry of Robert Terrell

New Web Directories - with Blog and Art Categories

2008-09-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

But I am back now. I have been x-tra computer geeko busy. And that is saying something because I have been known to be that on occasion before.

I have launched three web directories:

BrowserCat Web Directory

BROWSERdog Web Directory

Browsers Best Web Directory

Each web directory has a section for art blogs, and each has a section for art (several categories). So I hope each and every one of you art & creative types out there will add your blogs and websites to the three directories. One thing I have learned in my 21 years as a computerin' dude. That is, backlinks are a good thing! And adding your sites and blogs to my new web directories will get you some backlinks! No questions asked! LOL Of course you have to fill in a couple in the URL submission forms.

Anyway, I am glad to be back posting here in the Wreck!

And, by the way, I finally got something done about my little house problem. That unpleasantness with the PO-lease chase and the crash of the SUV into the front? Well, the insurance company finally paid off. So that was a good thing! Now, I'm trying to get some repairs done, before a. the door falls off - hahaha I think it's good, but it did get a whackin' b. winter comes and blows the cold Texas winds in through a few holes that were created.

I'm thinking those things can happen pretty soon.

Okay, this post is planted in the ground.

Moral Stories-Short Moral Stories-Free Moral Stories-Spiritual Stories-Inspirational Stories-Story on Moral Values

2008-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Moral Stories-Short Moral Stories-Free Moral Stories-Spiritual Stories-Inspirational Stories-Story on Moral Values

An estimate at last!

2008-07-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Soon I will have this house damage off my mind, I am thinking. I got an estimate from a contractor and it was amazingly low - under $10,000. I think the car repairs will be as much or more, but that's not something I have to deal with.

The contractor said that the estimate would include repainting my "living room" which is really my painting studio. The only living I really do in there is to watch NetFlix movies sometimes, and the TV (which I don't really do too much anymore because the computer is now my Master - I must obey!)

This will help me get my art back on a more solid track, I think. I have a rather huge wall sculpture hanging in the space now (two actually). But one of them is on my biggest wall which is about 20 feet long. I don't have to tell any artists who might be actually reading this blog entry that such a wall is invaluable for creating art. The giant wall sculpture measures 8' x 5' x 14". It's not Frank Stella giant by any means, but for the size room, it is.

My Artist's Information Website

2008-06-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

I need to advertise my artist's information website: Art InfoSite. I think it will be very handy for working artists, if not now, then in the future. It is a growing collection of information pages of practical information that artists will find useful.

When I say information I mean how-to information on everything from how to build stretcher frames and stretch canvas, photograph artworks, ship art, etc. The knowledge base is growing and idea submissions and article submissions are definitely encouraged.

Many of us went to art school and learned a lot of this there. But I have found that often there are gaps in knowledge to be filled in. For instance, how many artists know that acrylic paint that has dried up in the brush can easily be removed with ordinary household ammonia which you can buy in the grocery store for cheap? I know this for a fact because I have brought many acrylic hardened brushes back from the dead, many times! Try it!

And while you are at it, please support this website. It's totally for you, the artist. It's my contribution to the art community.

New Feature on Wrecktangles !

2008-06-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to be offering My Blog List. It's a Blogroll. So far, as of now, hahaha, I have two blogs installed. But there will be more, certainly. It shows when their latest posts hit the blogwaves, too.

So I think you will like it. I know I do.

And in case you are wondering if I am ever going to make any new art ... well, yes I am. Right now I'm still working on some website updates and fixes that I really need to get sorted out. That may take some more time. But I do have several new art ideas that I want to get started on. And July may be a good time for me. I had to delay my day job vacation because our woodshop supervisor retired, and I'm somewhat busy with some of that work, in addition to the usually busy summer schedule.

It's what we do at the University when most of the students are vacationing at the beach and the professors are busy vacationing (oops, I mean researching) in Europe.

So at some point, the Bobby59 art train will get rolling once again.

The tickets are being printed as I type this.

Art takes time sometimes

2008-06-08T18:06:00.001-07:00

This image, titled, "No Strings Attached" is currently being displayed in the Texas Tech University School of Art 40th Anniversary Alumni Art Show. Taa Daaa. hahaha

Yes, I'm in the show. Everyone who lives within a 60 mile radius of the School was invited. And I do (as I have said in some posts here and there, I am employed by the School of Art - currently am the intermim woodshop supervisor, and a few other hats do I wear as well!)

But none of that is really the subject of this post, except in passing. I was noticing, as I was admiring one of my fine works of art, that even I often have to spend time getting comfortable with some of the pieces I create. And that might be said for quite a few of them, if not most.

Is art a lot like shoes? Does it sometimes look pretty good at first, but not feel so good when you start to wear it? Do you have to get it broken in? And by broken in, I mean, in this case, get the mind broken in, and really used to seeing what's actually there to be seen?

In my art it's true much of the time. Often it seems like the design is somewhat casual to people, as if I didn't really think it through, or whatever. But after a while, they get used to seeing what I have really done with my art, and find that there actually IS something to it. It's not just a bunch of lines and colors. There does seem to be some sort of arrangement to it.

And occasionally someone sees something or some things there that really gets to them. A guy I met years ago, who was in med school, and basically thought I was just some loser artist type living across the street from the woman he and his wife knew (who was a super achiever in law school - more like him and his law school wife) had that experience.

One of my pieces really got to him, probably for the first time in his life. He said it had all the things in it that he had gone through in med school. I hadn't put those in there when I painted it, but it was painted during a really difficult part of my life, physically, mentally, spiritually ... in every way, really.

So, the task is, as always, "How do you get people to slow down long enough to actually LOOK at what you are creating?" For some artists it may not be so important, if their work is more direct. But I suspect that for many artists, they have the same issues that I am relating. Their work has "depth" that often they aren't even aware of. Depth that is waiting for viewers to mine. But getting people to give the work the actual time and space to do that? Not always so easy.

I suspect that my online studio / gallery, which is mostly oriented to the selling of my work, would sell more of it, if I could find a way to get people to stay on my website for more than three mouse clicks. (Isn't that how we measure time now? By mouse clicks and not clock ticks?) I can't say that I don't love computers, though, with 7 websites and this blog! hahaha

But, I wonder if 3 people will read this blog post? Maybe not, but at least it is helping me to get clear about some things. I perhaps need to reorganize some things on some websites. Try to find ways to get visitors to stay just a little bit longer. Slow things down just a little bit, so they don't miss out. I know my art has "stuff goin' on." I can sometimes just look at it for quite a while. I don't need sound or movies, etc.

This can happen for others, too. Back in art school a year or two ago, I had a friend, Salvador Hernandez. He was in school, too, working on his psychology degree. But he was also working for the school. Sometimes on his break, one summer, I remember he would drop over to the art school painting lab to check out what I was working on. He and I would just sit there and look at the huge paintings I had going on! He "got" them. Didn't really need me to explain them at all!

I know there are many people "out there" besides Sal who would, too. Where are you people? I know you all have computers, now. And that got me thinking, too. Where are you, Sal? It's been a few decades!

Installation Art & Other Abstract Wonders

2008-05-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have created several installation art "works." I will do more in the future, as the opportunities arise. And in fact, I like to think of my art lighting (part of the day job) as being a variation on installation art. It is arranging the "space" of light. So it is like an art light installation.

Back and Forth - How Abstract is Abstract?

2008-05-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Who created these two wall reliefs? Why it was I. Both were created a while ago. I drift back and forth, between the landscape and the mindscape. The title of the top image is "Frozen Mind Field." The title of the bottom image is "Sky Connections." I was in a different place when I created each one.

The top one was created when I was in California. Bottom: Texas! hahahaha

I was in the same "mental" place for both. The creatively exploding brain of Robert! It really doesn't go anywhere. Just me, most of the time. Sometimes I feel like someone else. Then I'm Bob Terrell. Or Rob Terrell.

Yes, it's always me, or a reasonable facsimile of me, painting the art. Wherever I happen to be, in the world. Whatever the art looks like, whether it looks somewhat like something you might have seen "out there" somewhere... or not as much like out there ... it's always forms, lines, colors arranged tto make, well, to make an arrangement. I usually call it a painting.

What do you call it?

What's New?

2008-05-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

I have been quite busy working on my art websites, especially Terrell Art Studio and Abstract Art by Robert Terrell.

I hired an internet service to help me, especially with Terrell Art Studio:
Greenstalk and they have made many, many web directory submissions on behalf of Terrell Art Studio for me. Hopefully many of the submissions will be positively received by the webmasters of the directories.

I want Terrell Art Studio to be a serious ecommerce, art sales, online art studio gallery for me!

And I want Abstract Art by Robert Terrell website to become more and more my abstract fine art website. At first I tried to make it about sales, but I also tried to make it about everything in my art and creative world. Now I intend to focus it on my creative, visual fine art and nothing else.

And I intend to focus Terrell Art Studio entirely on sales of my artwork, when I'm ready to sell it. Some artworks may never be sold. I don't know. But my intention is for robertterrell.com to be about creating art. Nothing else. I will still have links, etc. They keep things lively and moving, and of course Google seems to want them, as well. (And so do I!)

It is Terrell Art Studio that will be my ecommerce, selling outlet! I didn't say selling out! For me, selling the art is a part of the creative cycle. It's the completion of the cycle for most artworks, hopefully. A few aren't going to be sold, but most will hopefully end up in someone's home, business, office space, lobby, etc.

And posting this is good for me. I need to see these words, not just think them.

The Magic of Web Directories

2008-05-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

For a few weeks (few means two) or so, I have been focusing quite a lot on my website, Terrell Art Studio. I hope to launch it like a rocket to the top of Google ratings (and other search engine ratings, too - hahahaha) No, really!!

So I paid for professional directory submissions from Greenstalk.com. I just found their banner by "accident" in my images folder. I guess I accidentally deleted their link a few years ago. So I got curious about them, and logged on. Yes, the little directory is still around, and they do submissions to directories.

I took a chance and paid them some cash to submit to 1000 directories! I thought it might send me way higher in the Google Plex ratings. To number one for abstract art? Well, not sure. There is intense competition worldwide there. But 1000 directories are quite a few! And Google likes the directories, apparently.

See, if this is interesting to you at all... The small human edited directories are out there working away by the hundreds of thousands, or more. And Google is so huge, but the internet is much bigger still! I mean it's gigantic, people. Google can use all the help it can get to "qualify" websites. So it depends upon the countless small web directories to pre-qualify the sites, you might say.

Therefore, if I can get into enough of those, it will help my ratings in Notorious G go higher. How do I do it? By submitting my site to many, many web directories. Luckily a lot of them still offer free submissions. If they didn't, it could get very costly, and costly is a dance I can't join right now.

So the directories that accept my site into their system, link to me, and Google sees with with it's giant all knowing searchbot system. It begins to rank my site higher in popularity because a lot of web directories are linked to me. This is the theory.

With my other art site: Abstract Art by Robert Terrell I spent who knows how much time linking to one art website, online gallery and art resource after another. It took oodles and boodles of time, and I only have a PR 3 website to thank for it. Not that great, really.

So I took a little risk and paid the Greenstalk team to do a lot of submissions for me. What a difference I think it is going to make. The inbound link checkers (you can find many online, show various links coming in so far, from 70ish to 130ish. Either way, it sounds pretty good to me.

And we are just getting it rolling now! There are MANY more inbound links to come, I hope! Maybe 15 times as many or more! Actually there should be more than that before I am through! I am on a roll I hope.

Hope this blog post was slightly interesting. I think it is. It's the net being built. It's a structure, for sure, but not like a steel framework for a building. It is built from a lot of wires, in a way. ha ha

Terrell Art Studio - Etsy Gallery is Online!

2008-05-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Actually it has been online for a while now, but as of today, with 13 artworks listed for sale so far, it feels like a real online art gallery. I'm very pleased and excited to have it going so well and so far so fast!

I intend to make this online gallery a real venture - with a lot of art for sale! Whatever it takes, that's what I intend to do. So I'm shouting it out loud, as they say!

And I have some other "ideas" "plans" "schemes" etc. My brain is exploding. So I need to go back to work now. Things might get messy if'n I don't.

Falling into Place (Continued)

2008-05-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

I am in a good place ... as far as my online art "kingdom" is progressing. I just got Terrell Art Studio - Etsy launched. Woo Hoo! It is an exciting time, it is! I am feeling very good about Etsy. I should have known back last December when I first ordered that delicious banana bread from Etsy, that more great things were going to come from the place.

But little did I know then just where it was going to lead. Certainly not to the beginnings of a solid online art studio for me. My spidey sense is really pegging the top of the "go for it" meter on Etsy, I must say. I like how Etsy is arranged, how "Etsy easy" it was to set up my account, how easy it is to upload art, etc. etc.

Anyway, I have installed a link in my Art Links, here, so my fellow bloggers can go check it out. At this point, I have exactly ONE artwork for sale there, but that is going to change, for sure! I hope to have many artworks for sale on Etsy. They are a very reasonable online gallery. It will be no problem at all to keep 50 or more artworks for sale there.

Now I need to keep on keeping on, as I was saying in a previous post. I can't let myself rest now (except for the need for sleep that most of the creatures like myself must have). Besides that, I must focus directly on this art direction NOW.

Falling into Place

2008-05-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

Well I haven't posted for a couple of days because I've been busy with art related work. I ordered 4 sheets of paint grade plywood. I've made who knows how many pieces of art with this wood through the years.

I ordered a Bienfang Canvasette paperpad. It will get me started on my Etsy store artworks that I hope to have available online quite soon. And by quite soon I mean by the middle of May.

I have my new camera, a Canon A590 ordered. It will be arriving quite soon. It's not a dSLR, but I read many camera reviews. It is very highly reviewed, and for pix online, I think it will be quite adequate. A dSLR is in my future I'm sure, but not quite yet.

So, I can only say that all cylinders are firing quite nicely. I have been working like a big dog on the website, terrellartstudio and it is really becoming what I hoped for... My online art sales studio! So visit me there.

Come here too. I like this place!

Abstract Landscapes & Britney

2008-04-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

Everything I create, really, is abstract... something or other. So many of my paintings through the years have begun as "sort of" a landscape. This has been often more of a departure point; a place to begin, rather than saying they are abstract brainscapes. Brainscapes don't pull in the huge Google and Scrub the Web search engine crowds like "abstract landscapes" and "Britney." Those keywords really bring in the masses.

Getting Busy as a Professional Artist again...

2008-04-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

I'm back for sure. Robert Terrell artist is alive! Dr. Frankenstein has done his thing.

Now is the time when I focus on my creative life (and spiritual life). So I'm all about these sorts of things now. And I'm finding more and more online resources to support who I am as a professional artist and spiritual being.

I hope to share these resources with others, too. That would be you, any readers of my blog. So here is a link to my rss feed at Terrell Art Studio, in case you missed it! I will be adding it to my links here, as well:

Terrell Art Studio RSS feeds

I have two feeds currently: NYTimes art feed, and Art Marketing Secrets. I hope you enjoy them...

Add to Technorati Favorites

Keeping on ... Keeping on ...

2008-04-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

It's rather late now...more like early. My computer clock say 3:02am. So I really don't need to be up still. But I was determined to get a few things accomplished on my new-old website: terrellartstudio.com

I did get the RSS feed working I believe. There will be an art feed from the NYTimes on it - so far. Pretty exciting, I think. My plan, for now, is to add one more. That should really be enough. I may just stick with one, though.

I am not creating Terrell Art Studio site for people to log on and just read (of course reading is a good thing, Martha). It is to be my art production and art sales website. The first art site originally was about selling art, and branched out, but TAS will be entirely focused on sales of my art. This move will make Abstract Art by Robert Terrell a bit more fun for me. Hopefully.

So I'm keeping on, keeping on. As I was looking for a link to replace Reactiv Zone on TAS, which seems to be gone (too bad if it really is) I found two other sites gone, too. Blue Glass Rabbit and Cove. Well, Cove is still around, but is now a dedicated poster site.

Not a problem, but not a site trying to sell art anymore. Of course I am trying to sell some posters occasionally, too. I do understand the need to make some actual money online. I've been trying for quite a while. It's not so easy in art, it seems.

But I am still trying, and so are many other people. We are keeping on..keeping on...

What else is there for us to do? Perhaps they are also bored with television, too?

My new Facebook Group

2008-04-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's for Boomers, of which I am one. There is a topic which has been ongoing for a while. I just got in on the tailend of it, really. It's about creating a top ten list of your favorite songs from "way back when." We all go back that far in the group, and a lot of members felt inclined to make a list, including me!

And it is a topic that always interests me. I enjoy seeing what sorts of music people like. I really did have a good time reading the topics. And what was just as interesting was to see where all the group members are living. Of course many were not living where they are now, 40 years ago or so. But the topic really helped me link up in my mind the idea that people from all over the globe, or much of it, were listening to a lot of the same music that I was. And, were enjoying it, too.

I found this quite enjoyable and enlightening. So it's my first really good group experience at Facebook.

I hope there will be many more. I still only have two friends. I'm glad I do. Mark McBrayer has been my friend since those days way back when, too. And Bobby Fried is my friend for about 5 years now. He's a very creative artist - musician and writer.

So I'm not dissing on the fact that I have two friends on Facebook. But I hope to find more people I know, and perhaps a few new ones, too. I doubt if I'll ever be someone with hundreds of friends, like some of the people I've seen. That's a world I can't really imagine.

Synchronicity Strikes Again!!!

2008-04-17T19:09:00.001-07:00

Yes, it did today. Very interesting, too. I was sitting in my office at work, having an art discussion with Mark. He's working on his MFA in studio painting. I'm working on getting the port numbers for the "illegal" routers all fixed. ha ha

They aren't illegal, just against the University O.P's. We are getting everything copacetic, now, and we'll have a super ethernet system in place! 8^) Anyway... we're discussing the recent events regarding a certain gallery inquiry into my art status, etc. etc. Perhaps you read in a recent post here? ?

I'm working on new paintings that will be easily shipped, in cardboard boxes, and in certain sizes, also to make shipping easier. That can get out of hand in a hurry. Especially with my artistic goals, which are to sell sell sell. That's right, I'm a triple sellout artist! Well, a wannabe!

Mark pulls out a Uline catalog to check out box prices. I'll need to purchase some shipping boxes to have on hand. In case anyone is wondering, they are rather reasonably priced. And UPS will pick up boxes, too. So that all looks very doable; looks very good at this point.

So the synchronicity is for later in the evening. I finish my shift and pedal my bicycle home. What's that in the mailbox? Why, low and behold, as mom would say if she were still here on this planet, "It's a Uline catalog!"

ha ha I was a little surprised by the synchronicity of it. It was a nice touch, really. I have never bought anything from them. Just got on their mailing list, from work. And today, a Uline catalog meant just a little bit more to me than merely a way to make the shipping work better. It had a message of hope for me.

So there it is. Use it if you want.

50 years of Art Experience

2008-04-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. In my first year of school, I had an assignment. Create art! I am not sure what the teacher, Mrs. Fincher had in mind; probably just keep the children occupied until 3:30. But I took that art assignment seriously. Very seriously.

I remember working on it with great intent. My crayolas were melting in my hand as I feverishly slaved over that manila paper. Other students were pulling their desks away from me. Static electricity was being generated in the air around me, as clouds gathered. Lightning struck and as I recall, some rain did fall!

Well, it's my story, and I want to embellish it a little bit. That's because I did work quite hard on my first art masterpiece (well, by 6 year old standards) and Mrs. Fincher held it up for the entire class to see! She even said she was going to keep it and show it to other classes!

Hmmm, well this is the part of the story that gets twisty. I got a big art ego rush out of having my work held up by the teacher. I was only 6! It's not like I had been singled out for things like that too many times.

It is obviously something that made an impression. And I'm glad there was all the thunder, lightning and rain, because it was the last time I ever saw my beautiful drawing again! So you will just have to take my word for it, won't you?

Maybe I just made up the story of "Kids at the Farm" - crayola on manila paper - 12 x 18 inches - 1960.

But now I can see that none of that matters really. What I can take from my little memory is the fact that I became a real artist that day. I have been an artist since 1960, for sure! It doesn't matter what critics say. It doesn't matter what I heard yesterday from a student at Texas Tech University, where I work. (A juror said that at her "art hole" they don't even consider artists who don't have an MFA - like me)... Oh yeah, it was Bite Me University. Now, I remember.

What I take from my first real art experience is the struggle, the feelings, the effort, the "PROCESS" going on in my 5-year old brain and soul. I made that drawing WORK! I had no art professors, teachers, critics, jurors (that's right!!) museum professionals, ANYONE at all, to help.

It was me struggling through the art process, learning how to make it work. For the FIRST TIME. And I pulled it off!!!

After that, I sort of crashed as an artist for a while, partly because I didn't understand what I had done. But NOW I do. I still have Bobby the 6 year old inside me. He is an artist, STILL.

He knows how to make art that WORKS. He has been doing it since 1960! Doesn't need ANYONE to tell him how to do it. He knows inside!

Hand of Providence is Upon Me !

2008-04-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I said it. It's true, I believe. I have been struggling with my office computer as of late. You see, my blogging friends. it was week before last when I made a "somewhat difficult" decision at 4:55p.m.

I wanted to show Mark, who shares the office with me, one of the "Real Men of Genius" ads by Budweiser. I had been looking at them for far too long the previous evening, without incident, other that a lotta hooting, laughing and guffawing on my part.

So the story continues ... I tried to search for one ... but for some reason my computer went to MS search, not Google which I usually use and prefer by far (where is my commission, Google? ha ha).

And what came up was not much in the way of good search results. But I clicked on the first one, thinking it was hopefully a youtube.com video of Real Men, that I was looking for. And, now, my story turns dark and dangerous. (you may need to put the children to bed at this point !)

I got a "message" saying I needed to load "Active X." Well, people, in case you don't know about Active X, you need to hear a couple of things about it. It is a program that MS developed to help with "interoperability." It's like Java, but just for MS, and not as good (my opinion). Plus, it is dangerous sometimes. We are to the action part of the story now, so I hope you have the popcorn ready ! ! Here it comes! !

I have heard for years (being a web designer, and computer semi-geek) that Active X can spell trouble, and it should be used with utmost caution! ! ! Since it is a program that enables "interoperability" between the MS operating system, Windows, and other programs.... well, think about that for a minute. It can be used to enable "operability" between Windows and "evil" programs, such as viruses, Trojan Horses, etc etc.

And so, it's five minutes until my office mate is leaving and I'm hurrying... I have a weird looking program on the MS search result page. Nothing is looking quite like I am familiar with, and a window comes up and tells me that I need to load Active X. AND I DO!

Well...as soon as Active X starts loading, I can see in the address bar that no "Real Man of Genius" is behind the wheel of my computer at the moment!!! Some sort of "adult" website is beginning to load. Alarms are going off in my head, and practically instantly, also, the antivirus program is trying to fix what I did!!!

It's busy trying to get rid of the TROJAN HORSE VIRUS I JUST LET ON MY COMPUTER through the Active X program I installed.

And I'm busy trying to click off the window that's trying to open... but alas...too late. The damage is done. The antivirus program, Semantic, is busy as can be, taking about 3 Trojan Horse viruses off. I'm really worried now, of course. Not too sure that everything is fixed, so I'm trying to run a scan.

Then I noticed that I have a NEW desktop, that says my computer may be infected with spyware and if I "click here" it can be fixed. Of course I'm not going to do that. I already did the damage and it's obvious that a virus (Trojan Horse) is on my system.

To make this story shorter...our computer supervisor was unable to help me. IT help desk at the University was unable to help me. I tried loading a Spyware destroyer software, but that didn't get it because it was not spyware.

If you are still reading this you may be wondering, "Where is the Hand of Providence in all of this?"

It's here... I had to have Windows reloaded. When I got it all back, with a brand new (well new - old operating system) I started things up and of course the first thing I did was to take a look at two of my websites: my two main art websites. And, they looked seriously messed up!

This is the Hand of Providence because...the reason they looked wacked out is that the computer is now running Internet Explorer version 6. I don't have that on my web design computer. I run version 7, the latest. The websites look fine in it, and Firefox, too.

But there are who knows how many millions of computers that still run IE version 6? And since I am still determined to work on websites, I need to know these things. It's important to me! so, through a very convoluted and "mysterious" labyrinthine process, I found out how they look, and now I have a computer that I can check websites out for compatibility. I don't "have" to make them compatible. I can just let it go if I choose. But I needed to know, and I needed this capability.

Funny how things go. A Trojan Horse Virus helped me out? Weird

One Last Poke at the Art Bear - this go round

2008-04-14T19:41:00.001-07:00

Well, the gallery finally did respond to the email I sent over a week ago.
They didn't respond to any phone calls, I sent, but anyway, I finally did get a reply to the email.

Just remember, folks, THEY CALLED ME FIRST. THEY SAID THEY LOVED MY ART.

Why do I really do this? I don't know, but I feel like doing it. Here is "part" of the email...

"Hi Robert:
Thank you for taking the time to send over all of your available works. We would like to consider introducing your work into the gallery in the near future, but at this time we don't have a specific time frame. We would like to stay connected with you as the gallery comes into a position where we can showcase your work. Please keep us updated on your newest pieces."

From calling me, and saying that they had been looking at my work for a couple of days; that they loved my work, that they pay soon, that they call the artist as soon as they make a sale because they are really excited when they do; that I should send all my available works so they can cherry pick the ones they want to display...

I'm not stupid, but ... it was a polite way to say that after looking more closely, they don't LOVE MY ART as much now. ha ha ha...

Will I keep them updated on my newest pieces? Of course I will. I went through a "you don't love me anymore "junior high thing" for a little while, but I'm way passed that.

And now, those of you who are reading this blog, all five ! ha ha, of you (maybe a few more) I am signing off to do my thing, which is work on websites, tonight. I like that, even when it is totally frustrating. Art is a good thing, too. Sometimes it gives my ego a good whacking. That isn't much fun, but it helps in the long run.

Yanking on the Art Bear's Chain!

2008-04-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Did I fall off the art dummy wagon, yesterday? ha ha First rule of being an artist ...

Rule #1: Believe it when the check is IN YOUR HAND!

I was told this by a wise artist, Ron K. Smith, back in Houston, Texas in about 1983 or 84. Yes... that was the year of the big snows. All the livestock died that year and we were snowed in until spring. We had to boil our shoelaces and eat dirt. Barely stayed alive! Yes, things are different, today.

No, wait! They aren't. It's still the same. I still hear lips moving, whether they are lips "in my face," "on the cellphone," "online" (lots of e-lips flapping the b.s. like sheets in the wind!), and if the telegraph system was still really in operation, I'm sure there would still be plenty of dot dot dash dash blah blah blah (translated something like, "We LOVE your art, and as soon as we get some money .... we are INTERESTED in your art ... how much for this piece? ... etc. etc. etc.)

There are so many variations but it's mostly the same theme coming out of "ordinary" people. The final result is almost always, well..... NOTHING WHATSOEVER.

And of course there is the other "tack" used by the "well-wishers." (good thing hardly anyone I know reads anything I post online, or checks out any of my websites! har har!) This is the "helpful" advice. It is fulla permutations . . . Use the bright colors, landscapes, shiny, smaller, lighter, etc etc.

But now I gotta apologize . . . Because, I may help in the "cause" of helping me. But not entirely. So I sort of take it back. Sort of. It seems that it is important for me to be labeled an artist by the world, like an ex-con gets labeled and can't get a job.

Yes, I am one of those I guess (ex-con? no) Artist? Well, I am what I am. Who said that? An artist can't change his dots, I guess. Good thing I have always liked dots. You can see a lot of my dots here:

Robert Terrell Artist

And, since I have decided to continue down the dotted line of life as I have been, even though the "gallery" I was referring to in a previous post didn't ever call me back, or return any calls, or emails (Thank you so much you lovely gallery people - for making the life of the artist so much really fun!) ... they did poke the art bear hard enough to get him outta hibernation. Even the gen-public couldn't do that, it seems.

And now, after my little mini-pontificato-ranto ... I will say, honestly, I am cranking up the Terrell Art Studio machine again. It was a tiny bit creaky (not too much really).

See the new website, which isn't new exactly. It is a resurrection, a phoenix resurrected from the ashes. Why do I keep saying that? hahahaha

Terrell Art Studio

I am very happy with it at this time. And... not to be outdone by myself. I have some art projects in imminent approach to the runway. On the taxiway, that is. Soon to take off!

How's that for all the poking and prodding. See, friends, family, strangers, less-strangers, gallery fun folks, etc? Maybe your influences have been good, even when they weren't.

Robert Terrell Artist - Rises from the Ashes

2008-04-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my office - day job office, yesterday. The cell starts vibrating, but I can't answer because I'm in the middle of a work deelie. hahaha (I just wanted to say deelie cause who says that anymore).

After the coworker leaves, I check the phone, and on the voicemail it's a gallery calling me from the west coast! What the .... uhhhh? They are saying they LOVE my art, and are interested in talking to me. And I don't mean just having a chat, no not even.

So this post is going to be short because I have to get motivated now. I am getting the list of all my art that is available for sale together so they can look through it. This might actually be a real "something." How about that? Not just an internet scammer emailing me pretending to be interested in one of my artworks.

Well, for anyone who might be reading this post...wish me luck with this. It's not that often that a gallery contacts me! I hope to make a go of this. If you have actually looked at a few things on this site, you will notice that I do create art from time to time. And actually, I am a "for-real" artist, ready to start up the full-time production with a gallery, and several galleries. Whatever the situation turns out to be. That's Robert Terrell Artist!

http://www.robertterrell.com/

That's me! Go take a look if you are interested. Apparently a gallery out in California IS!

Sense Surround

2008-03-28T03:13:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I see things
Everywhere I hear things

Am I seeing things?
Have you heard the latest?

Do I know you?
Have we met?

Higher Coding

2008-03-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

A coder in the web world,
suits some lone wolf outland hider.

The father gave it up - he earned his reward.
Another space-time relative past. far away now.

long hours connected and alone
a world for virtual self expansion,
replete with clicks of approval.

The favorites, locked and loaded.
The routines. kept close as always.

Stop now, the darkness seeks to overwhelm.

A blackhole adder deep,
and dreary.

There is an out. And now!

upon hearing the clicks of approval,
stop the dreadnought spirals...

Climb to higher ground...

Find an opening...

rollover this domain.