#bless german graphic designers for this masterpiece

[blschaos3000-blog]

Its 11:15 pm dark

A little while ago I was lucky enough to have interview the fantastic artist Louie De Martinis whose drawings of The Shadow just blew my mind. Ever since that interview I have been looking for more artists to talk with but I found out that is easier said then done.    My old friends in the music business will get a laugh about how I met Meaghan C. Kehoe…I found her completely by accident. See,I have been a follower of a small art community center in Oshawa called The Living Room which was founded by the lovely Mary Krohnert for a couple of years now. Once in a while Mary will post on YouTube about community center and upcoming events.    When I saw the Taskmaster Art Challenge video which featured 5 very talented artists creating a project in just 5 minutes and then raffling it to raise money for the center,I knew I had found my next artist to chat with Meaghan.     But securing a interview with a very much in demand artist is no easy task either as Meaghan and I played email tag for while before she able to get a little time to answer her questions.    But the wait was so worth it because Meaghan is pretty damn amazing and I sure am blessed to landed this chance to ask her 8 Questions!!!

 Please introduce yourself and share a little of your background.

My name is Meaghan Claire Kehoe and I am a human, feminist, amateur environmentalist, and some would say artist. I’ve always been excited to create things- things that are visually appealing. From drawing pretty pictures when I was a kid and into my teen years, I started to ask myself where I wanted these pretty pictures to take me in life. I went to Sheridan for Illustration, but dropped out after a year and a half when I found I was bored by the direction the program took me in. After months of deliberation, I decided to go safe and do my undergrad in French at Laurier (choosing this university only because my younger sister was applying there for Business). It turns out I loved the structure of university. I loved the critical thinking of dissecting literature and I loved learning about different cultures across the globe. I took German and Italian as well and was hopeful for a future of globe trotting to fill my life with cross-cultural understanding and meaning. In third year, I was finally allowed to go abroad on exchange. I worked full time for a semester as a barista while on a full time course load and was able to afford one semester in France. I went to Tours (for no other reason than our schools had partnerships for course equivalence), and it was beautiful. A small University city overrun with mostly students, shops, cafes and cobblestone (and of course our late-night shawarma place for post-cheap-wine-and-cheese snacks. But it was a single evening that was pivotal in my life’s direction and probably the reason I am where I am. I had managed to get into a figure-drawing class (really had to fight for that one since it wasn’t a normal elective at Laurier) and I remember surprising my stereo-typically snooty french art prof with my skill in the class- he even stopped me after class to ask about my history in figure-drawing (which was an accumulation of Arts York HS and the stint at Sheridan). Anyway, the experience woke me up again. I felt alive. I remember after the class ended, it was already dark out- a late January evening- I literally skipped back to the cafe where I was to meet a friend. Rolled newsprint underarm, blackened charcoal fingers, and a silly grin, I felt weightless flying over the cobblestone. I knew then, or maybe in the days to follow, that it was time to take this thing seriously.

After 6 months travelling Europe, I returned to finish my final fourth year at Laurier and did so with honours, all the while setting myself up to begin the risky journey of being an entrepreneur and self-employed artist.

 What drew you to art? Was there a defining moment where you knew this is what you wanted to do?

My mum is an incredibly talented artist. When I was growing up, she went from working as a graphic designer for an agency to starting her own business from home so she could spend more time with us. She has always had an incredible eye for composition and a refreshing use of negative space. This seemed to alway translate to her paintings as well. She created gorgeous watercolours with expressive vibrancy, colour and edge. She was obviously a strong influence in my life and I followed in her footsteps though I did not always want to. I knew I had the natural passion and all the learned skill she’d taught me through the years, but I had watched her struggle with the classic entrepreneur hangups: getting clients to pay her, getting clients to respect her choices and knowledge and experience, and… getting clients. I didn’t think I was cut out for it. I was shy and insecure and I didn’t think I had anything original or meaningful to share with the world.

That moment in Tours, France on my exchange really helped me remember why I painted in the first place. It was enough to do it because it made ME happy. And if I couldn’t do that then what else was there?

 What are the pros and cons of getting a art education at a university or college? Some say a “formal” education restricts artistic freedom,how do you respond to that?

This one is tough for me to respond to since I never finished my post-secondary art program. All I have to say is that it is likely like any other program. It has to be the right one for you, but also there is no program out there that is going to satisfy your needs %100. It takes a lot of guts to go against the grain or the prof and take from the experience what you need as opposed to what is provided, but its worth it to do some digging and soul-searching to make sure you don’t conform for the sake of conforming. There are a lot of opinions out there about what constitutes “real” art, but they are all just that. Opinions.

 What does “mixed media” mean? 

Mixed media means you are no sticking to strictly one medium in your work. For example, you are not using just oil paint or just acrylic paint. There are some fantastic contemporary artists using mixtures of paints, pastels, papers, photography, and even found objects. (Anya Mielniczek is a great one for this- she’s a good friend of mine who is also an environmentalist and up-cycles trash to create beautiful works).

 What is your typical day like as an artist? How do you get your creative ideas?

I’d like to say my typical day is a romantic sepia-toned dreamy sequence of me in cute overalls with a smear of paint on my nose, a brush through my messy bun that I’ll continually be losing and looking for, and a giant canvas on my wall splattered in passionate marks that somehow emerges as a perfectly balanced masterpiece. And it is. Is the lie I’ll tell Spielberg when he interviews me for the biography he’ll shoot about me one day.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of stuff I have to do that sucks my soul (like in any job). I usually start with a to-do list, then emails, any phone calls I need to make to clients, sometimes brainstorming/conceptualizing/sketching designs for corporate murals, sometimes cleaning up the mess of spraypaints I’ve dumped in my studio the night before after a project. There’s taxes, invoices (which reminds me I still have a couple to do today), and walking my dog. I actually get a lot of my best ideas this way. A walk alone with my thoughts, 50 minutes or so, gets a great creative brain-flow going and puts me in a better mind set to get work done when I get back in the studio.

 What is your take on “art critics”? 

Well, I’ve never been critiqued by one yet- I suppose my work isnt legitimate enough for them. But thats the thing, isnt it? My art isnt for everyone. Nor should it be. Like I said, opinions are opinions.

 Do you ever go to museums or art galleries yourself? If so,do you look as a fan or an artist?

I do go to museums and art galleries, though I feel most compelled to visit them in Europe. They’ve put a lot more value into their arts and culture than we have in North America (as well as a longer and richer history) so there’s a lot more to see. Plus, they’re usually way cheaper or FREE! It’s like they actually want their citizens to appreciate art!

 What was your first drawing and what was the first piece that you sold?

I really couldn’t tell you what my first drawing was. My mom says I was drawing perfect circles before I could talk. But my first piece I sold was probably when I was 16. I was commissioned to create the cover of Salvation Army’s ‘Faith and Friends’ Christmas zine. Though my mom will tell you that I painted a piece in grade three that all the teachers tried to buy off her. She had it framed and it hung in our dining room for a couple decades.

You have done art in over 50 Starbucks in Canada,how did you get that gig and do you have complete freedom in what you paint?

I got the Starbucks gig through a connection (my sister’s friend’s then-boyfriend was an interior designer for Starbucks and looking for more muralists at the same time I had decided I wanted to get into large-scale wall-art). It was a match made in heaven. I honestly have never had so little control over my work than I did with Starbucks- they are very particular about their branding, but they were really professional and respectful and compensated me well. I had so many jobs with them over the span of a few years that I was able to do things like quit my part time job, buy a car and put money into savings. I owe them a lot.

 Are graffiti taggers artists or vandals?

Yeah this one is a tough one. I have to go with both. It’s funny because a certain few street or graff artists have become famous internationally (e.g. Basqiat and Banksy). Their work questioned societies norms in a way that was clever and beautiful and spoke to people. If that isn’t art, then I don’t know what is. But were they vandalizing property? Sure. But many graff artists would say that property is a societal construct and imposition that should be challenged. Personally, I can see it from both sides and its a constant dichotic conversation for me.  

   You do a LOT of charity work, what drives you to give your gift to others?   How did you get involved with Mary Krohnert and The Living Room?

I think one of the most universal human struggles is finding meaning in one’s life. That doesn’t change when you become an artist. In fact, it is only amplified. Everyone has their own gifts and talents and for me it is crucial to find out why I ended up with mine. The answer is that I still don’t know, but if I just keep helping out where I can, I’m sure I wont get further from answering that important question. Or maybe its just the childhood catholic school guilt… Who knows?!

My introduction to Mary from The Living Room was another serendipitous moment in my life. My partner and I moved to Oshawa two years ago and one day I was sitting on my porch and a pretty lady with a cute dog walked by. So I chased her down to meet her pup (a shy hound named Alice), and found  out they were my neighbours from a few doors down. Mary was really excited to find out I was an artist and the friendship bloomed from there. I really believe in what Mary is doing with The Living Room. Any way I can help out, like in the latest fundraiser event where I got to be a part of their very own ‘Task-Master’ episode (a spin off form a British series), is the least I can do.

What is a art battle?

Art Battle is an event that was started around 8 years ago by two guys, Chris and Simon, that began with a competition of two artists painting live and being judged by audience vote and has evolved into a world-wide organization with monthly contests all around the globe between 16 artists at a time. There are three rounds: 1) 8 artists paint for 20 minutes; 2) another 8 artists paint for 20 minutes; 3) the top two painters from each round voted by the audience paint a new painting for 20 minutes and the audience votes for the final winner. There’s a DJ, a bar and a lot of excitement. The winner goes onto the regional competition and the winner of that goes onto the Nationals. I’ve won the Toronto regionals twice in the couple years I painted at art battle only to be beat out at Nationals twice.

 The cheetah and I are coming to see a exhibit of your latest work but we are a day early and now you are our tour guide,what are we doing?

Oh my goodness! Okay! Well we’d have to go the the Robert McLaughlin Gallery for sure. If it was the first Friday of the month, I’d take ya to the RMG fridays event where they also feature some local live music. That would be after grabbing dinner at Spicy Affairs (my favourite Indian restaurant in Durham and its right near my house). Before that might be an afternoon at the Botanical Gardens. Oshawa Creek runs through there and in the right season you can see the salmon racing upstream to spawn. They’re huge! Theyve also got cool sculptures and some playgrounds for the kids around there. Before that we would go to Isabella’s for coffee and snacks or to Berry Hill for brunch/lunch. And at the end of the whole night, we would end up at Riley’s for a pint and a couple rounds of pool.

 THE END.

I like to thank Meaghan for chatting with me. I think you have a true gift and that you share it with the world is tremendous. You are definitely doing what you were meant to do here,never doubt that for a second.

You can follow the wonderful Meaghan Claire Kehoe by visiting and bookmarking it by going to her website here.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy these interviews as much as I do. I have many more in the pipeline that I think you’ll really enjoy.

Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll make sure to pass it on to Meaghan.

8 Questions with…………..artist Meaghan Claire Kehoe Its 11:15 pm dark A little while ago I was lucky enough to have interview the fantastic artist Louie De Martinis whose drawings of The Shadow just blew my mind.

#8 Questions With #art #artist #artistic #Canada #gifted #Life #Meaghan Claire Kehoe #Oshawa-Canada #painting #talented #The Living Room #volunteering

[ecotone99]

[RF] The Curator

A globally recognized Museum of Art hired a new Museum Curator. The Curator had no formal training and no experience. He had been reluctant to apply to such a position. His hope for a new start ended up defeating his meagerness as he thought, “I know I’m not the most qualified, but the only downside to applying would be another rejection. Other than that, what's the worst that could happen.”

He felt there was a small chance of at least being interviewed since the ad in the paper read, “Only local applications accepted.” He was taken by surprise when he received a, “You’ve got the position”, phone call from the Museum Director.

****************************************

The Curator started his first day with a can-do attitude. The Museum Docent introduced him to the staff, gave him a tour of the museum, and provided an employee orientation.

The Docent spoke with an abnormally high pitched German accent, During the tour, the Docent stopped in front of a painting.“Ze mosseum acquired zis painting sshortly after ze grand opening. It vas created by a, at ze time, young and fairly unknown artisst, Picazzo. Ze painting vas placed in zis corner of ze mosseum, and here it haz ssat for the last 100 yearz. Familiarize yourzelf vith all the artwork in zis section, but zis is one of the most precious pieces of art in the world. Take every precaution to ensure that ze people continue to admire and visit zis painting” They continued the tour.

****************************************

The Curator was released early after the orientation. He went home and prepared for work the next day. That night, the Curator studied a sheet from the orientation package which showed all the different positions at the museum.

Director – In charge of the Museum.

Curator – Oversees objects in their work areas.

Registrar – Keeps track of all Museum objects.

Museum Educator - Plans tours and other programs for visitors. Manages the Docent.

Docent – Guides and teaches visitor on tours of the Museum.

Graphic Designer - Design brochures and posters for the museum either by hand or on the computer.

Public Relations Officer – Writes/distributes press releases for schools and the community

...

...

There were other positions on the sheet, but the Curator thought this would be a good place to start. He went to bed early, and immediately fell asleep.

****************************************

He returned to the Museum the next morning early and eager to get started. He spent the first half of the day walking through his section of the museum memorizing every fact he could. After lunch, the Curator began to witness something strange about the visitors.

He thought to himself, “The museum is full of people. They spending time at each exhibit except for the Picasso. They walk past or around, but never stop to admire the masterpiece... never so much as grant the Picasso a glance.”

****************************************

He went to the Museum Directors office. "Good afternoon, sir... there's a tremendous piece of artwork, a Picasso painting, at the far corner of the East wing, but nobody seems interested. Why is that?”

The Director said, "That's an interesting observation, but it's not my job to answer your questions." The Director smiled and let out a short laugh, "Son, I'm the Museum Director. I'm in charge of the museum and all of it's workings. Why don't you go speak with the Museum Registrar.” The Director paused for a moment, then continued, “Don’t you know what the registrar does here?

The Curator began to speak, “Yes sir, the registra..”

The Director interrupted, “The registrar keeps track of all the items in the museum.” The director smirked and raised an eyebrow, then continued, “If you knew that, you would have gone to her in the first place. But, I understand, you’re new here.”

The Curator turned to leave. The Director raised his finger, “One more thing, please don't tell me my business. I know this museum has a Picasso" As the Curator passed the door, the Director added, "Remember, anything you need, stop by my office. Oh, and please report back to me what you find out about the painting.”

As the Curator proceeded down the hall to the Registrar’s office, he heard a whale of a laugh coming from the Directors office.

****************************************

The Curator approached the Registrar's office greeting her with a, "Good morning ma'am...I mean, good afternoon. There's an incredible painting in the back of the museum, the Picasso, but everyone skips past it. Why is that?”

The Registrar said, "Hmm, you know...”, tapping her pen to the corner of her mouth, “I know you're new here, but I'm just the Registrar.” The registrar slowed her speech, “I keep track of all the pieces of art in the museum.” Her speech returned to the normal speed, “Bless your heart. I know that painting. It’s special, but I wouldn't know how to answer your question. Besides, isn't that your department?”

"Well, yes, and that's what I'm attempt…."

The Registrar interrupted, "Why don't you ask the Director?"

The Curator said, "I've already asked the Director. He.… "

The Registrar interrupted again, this time with a little more amusement on her face, "Oh, I don't know what to tell you then. Maybe you should talk to the Museum Educator?"

“Okay, thanks." Beads of sweat started to form on the Curator's forehead.

The Registrar replied, “Have a good day.”, as the Curator turned to leave.

The Curator headed to the Museum Educators’ office. A few moments after leaving the Registrar, he heard a monster of a laugh coming from her office. Around the same time, a woman walked past him in the hallway headed the opposite direction. He heard her whisper, “Picasso”, just after passing by. He paused for a moment, but shrugged the odd comment away from his mind as he continued to the Educators office.

****************************************

He thought before approaching the Museum Educator, "Maybe if I act more cheerful, the Museum Educator would be more willing to speak with me than the others. "GOOD MORNING SIR!"

The Museum Educator looked irritated by the excitement. “How are you?

The Curator replied, “I’m doing just fine.”

The Educator had a questioning look on his face, “Just fine? What's that supposed to mean?”

The Curator decided to rephrase his response, “I’m doing well. How are you?”

The Educator replied, “Just fine.”

The Curator ignored the strange start to the conversation and began his question, “Sir, as I’m sure you know, there’s a Picasso painting in this museum. It’s the most interesting, and probably unique painting I’ve seen. I’ve noticed though, that no one is visiting the painting. Why is that?”

The Educator rolled his eyes, “Man, I don’t know why people choose to… or choose not to look at things. This is a museum of art. We are globally recognized, by the WORLD for our art. If I have to stop and think about why people do this or don't do that I’ll never have time to do my work. I bet you don’t even know what I do here.”

The Curator started to reply. He thought for a moment, “Is this guy going to wait for me to reply just so he can interrupt me?” His pride took over. He told the Educator, “Of course I know what you do here. You.” He thought for a second. He had forgotten what the Educator does. “You educate... the people coming in here about...”

The Educator started, “No, that’s not quite it. It sounds like your just taking the literal interpretation of my title. I plan the tours and other programs for the museum visitors, and I oversee the Docent.”

The Curated wanted to impress the Educator with his knowledge of the staff. He replied, “Maybe the Graphic Designer has an idea why...”

The Educator interrupted, “Yes, that’s the first good idea I’ve heard from you today. Go see the Graphic Designer.”

As he headed to the Designers office, he heard another laugh. This time it came from the direction of the Educators office. After the laughter ended, the Curator heard the words, "Just fine." in a sarcastic tone coming from the Educator.

****************************************

He reached the Designers office. The Designer was away from his desk. The Curator chose to wait a few minutes to see if anyone would show up. He took a seat next to the Designers desk and proceeded to wait. He looked around the room and noticed items on the Designers desk. "A candy dish, an action figure, and a rubix cube... Interesting."

The Curator focused on the candy dish. The candy had a shiny gold wrapper, and the label read toffee. He took a piece, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. There wasn’t a trash can visible, so he placed the wrapper on the desk.

Next, his attention moved to the Rubix cube. The cube was unsolved. The Curator, in a previous life, had mastered the Rubix cube. There was a time when he could solve it without looking, but he wondered if his skills were still sharp. He grabbed the cube, fiddled around with it for about thirty seconds, and had the cube solved.

He grabbed the action figure, and made it hope over to the rubix cube which he had placed back on the desk. “Rubix cube, your days of confusing the masses are over… pew… pew...pew”, the Curator said to entertain himself while waiting.

The Designer entered his office and sat down after greeting the Curator. “What can I do for you, man?” The designer pulled out his phone and began to stare.

The Curator went into his explanation, “I know what you do here. You design brochures and posters for the museum either by hand or on the computer. I was wondering after having spoken with the Director, the Registrar, and the Museum Educator, what your thoughts were about the Picasso painting."

The Designer, still looking at his phone, gave no indication that he was listening. “Nobody stops to look at the Picasso. Why is that?”, said the Curator.

The Designer replied, “Yeah, I’m very interested in that issue. And, yes, you are correct, I create brochures and stuff… “ The designer finally looked up from his phone. “Wait, what happened here? Did you solve my Rubix cube? What the hell, man. I’ve been working on that for weeks. And, did you leave trash on my desk? You know, I think you need to leave my office….”

The Curator replied, “I’m sorry. I meant no offense.' The beads of sweat that formed earlier on his forehead began to stream down his face, and he felt moisture trickling down his arm pits. “I-I-I got bored while waiting for… I’ll go”

The designer yelled as the Curator left, “Come back when you’ve learned some manners.”

As the Curator was in the hallway moving away from the Designer's offiece, he heard the Designer make a comment, "I don't know why the Director insists on hiring losers."

****************************************

The Curator was devastated by the events that had taken place after lunch. He had never been treated like this in all his life. He thought to himself, "There were a few occasion, growing up, where I was bullied at school. Those were immature kids, though. I outgrew that awkward phase years ago? Why do I feel, all of the sudden, that I cannot do anything right?”

There was still a desire to prove himself. “I’ll find out why nobody will visit the Picasso. The last person that may be able to help is the Officer of Public Relations”

****************************************

He stopped at the door frame and managed to bring the words, “Hi there”, to his lips.

The Public Relations Officer returned the greeting with a friendly, “Come on in. How are you doing this fine day!", and a waving gesture.

The Curator said, “I’ve… come in here… to speak with you about the Picasso painting since you are the Officer of Public Relations...”

The Public Relations Officer started to make strong eye contact with the Curator. He interjected, “Ah, your the Curator... Yesss, the Pic-ahsssso. I love that painting. It’sss crazy. It really makesss you wonder what was going through that guysss mind. Like he must have been really crazy and paranoid. I heard that he wasss a hard one to talk to, like everyone he talked to would get this weird vibe.” He said excitedly, “What a weirdo”, still maintaining strong eye contact. "Oh, by the way, it'sss Public Relationsss Officer, not the other way around."

The Curator lost all focus of the point of his visit, He thought to himself, “The eye contact. Why is this guy peering at me?”

The Public Relations Officer says, “I’m a real PRO when it comesss to public relationsss.”

“Huh?”

“Public Relationsss Officer, you know P.R.O.? That's an easssy way to remember.”

“Oh, I see. Yeah that’s clever. “

“Come over here, and take a look at what I’m working on, bro.”

The Curator moves to the other side of the desk and stands next to the PRO. The PRO shows him a press release that he was getting ready to distribute to the community.

The PRO grabs the Curators forearm and says, “Look at thisss one. It hasss the Pic-ahsssso.” He finally release his hand and the Curator walked back towards the door. His face had gone white.

The Curator turns before leaving to thank the PRO for his time. Before he had a chance to speak, the PRO said, “Man, look at you. Your face is ssso pale. I didn’t realize you were ssso… sssick", while maintaining the eerie eye contact?"

****************************************

Finally the Museum Curator gave up. He sat in front of the Picasso painting, and thought to himself,

"Well, if no one else will give this painting it's due respect, then I will."

The Curator sat there for twenty minutes, admiring and searching for details and hidden meanings of the painting. It calmed him down, although his thoughts kept returning to the earlier events of the day. He thought to himself, “What did he mean by, ‘I didn’t know you were so sick', and what was up with the staring?’”

****************************************

The Museum Docent approaches with a tour group. The Docent stopped the tour in front of the Picasso and began speaking to the group in a normal accent, "Attention please, everyone. You are in for a treat. We have asked you, and all visitors today, to please refrain from looking at the Picasso painting.” The Docent points to the Curator. "This is a 'Museum Curator'. The Docent made air quotes while saying the words "Museum Curator". We hire around three to four ‘Curators’ each month. This Curator was ‘hired’ yesterday. He has been the subject of a performance art piece that we call ‘Curator’s Curiosity’."

"With this subject, you will get to see what happens on the other side of the road. What happens to a seemingly confident man when he is taught that he is never right, when he becomes a person that nobody listens to, when he becomes a person that is never given an ounce of respects.“

“After a new 'Curator' is hired, he is given a tour of the museum. He is shown the Picasso you see to your right. Over the course of a day, we orchestrate a series of events which are deigned to inevitably lead the Curator into having a nervous breakdown.”

“There are cameras all around the museum, as you all should know. We also have cameras installed in all of the employee areas and offices which has allowed us to capture all aspects of the performance. The series of events that led to the Curators misfortune is currently being edited down to, probably, a ten minute wideo.” The Docent pauses for a moment to hold back a laugh, “Which will be available, for your viewing entertainment, at the end of the tour. As always, please feel free to inspect the art, but do not interact with the art."

People on the tour take turns commenting, “Look at those sad eyes", “Yes, and see how he has this look of disappointment", “No, that’s not disappointment. He has clearly given up. His whole demeanor reeks of defeat”, “It is a commentary of how people treat each other in a post modern society.”

The Curator sat there stunned. He started to reply, "No, your a commentary of a..." The muscles in his chest began to shake, “What’s real?”

The Docent turned toward the Curator as his face started to snarl. It was the look you always see before someone sneezes, The Docents shoulders jerked forward and he yelled, “Hat-shoes”.

The Docent then decided that enough was enough. He began to give the 'Curator' words of encouragement, "It's okay buddy. It was only an exhibition. There was no real harm done, right? You'll get paid for the day, and you can go on with your life like none of this happened."

The Curator continued sitting after the crowd dispersed reflection on his life. “I suppose that’s the worst that could happen.”, he thought to himself. As he walked towards the entrance of the museum, he passed a crowd of people who were standing to the side. A few of the onlookers started in unison, “Pew… Pew… Pew."

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