Snapshot of Miriam Oberlin

Last time together we explored the personal “Art of Seeing,” that prerequisite cornerstone of all artistic endeavor and appreciation, and even more importantly a key to everyday awareness. And looking back, remember our resolve that day to dig deeper and to transcend CGALSB, that “cursory glance as life slips by”. If you missed that day, or forgot to practice really seeing as we discussed then, you’ve only missed one week in the rest of your life, so ‘reboot’ and take up that practice in earnest, TODAY! [You will find The Art of Seeing under the Blog Archive heading, a little lower and to the right of this post.]

Of course, fundamental as really seeing is, good art entails more: at a minimum you need inspiration, imagination, concept, design, and craft. It won’t all come at once, but your powers will grow over time if you genuinely engage these elements, however weak your grasp today. In particular, an Oct 14 Art Beat post will explore the cultivation of poetic and artistic imagination, so be sure to tune in. [Note: The methods outlined in this coming post will serve adults and children, but the presentation is written especially for children, so if there are children in your life with interests in art, you will especially want to catch it!]

Today though we are at September's end, and simply must close out the remaining two promised follow-ups from summer’s first annual Alley Art Battle, these being notes on the event’s producer and local artist King Oberlin, and notes on Miriam Oberlin, who participated as a photographer. (Follow-ups on other participants have been published sporadically since June 24.)

Regarding King Oberlin there is not much remaining to say, but only because we have noted him so frequently throughout the summer. His last public appearance though has not yet been noted by the Art Beat: it was King who painted the City of Angola’s rain barrel contribution to the recent RISE/Habitat benefit auction, which sold to none other than our famous State Representative Dick Dodge. Congratulations and thanks to both for their civic spirit and support.

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Miriam Oberlin is King’s younger sister and a talented, hardworking artist in her own right who earned a perfect 4.0 grade point in her first three semesters at the Indiana/Purdue Fort Wayne campus, where she plans to resume her studies in graphic design and photography. She remembers always being creative, and her first nature photographs at age 11 or 12 still hang in her mother’s home [not shown here].



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These days she says her favorite photography subjects are people, but I have to say some of her nature photographs are simply exquisite. Just now as I type, looking at her space on Flickr [a popular internet site for photography], I see eighteen August and September photos, of which several genuinely move me … I honestly feel a bodily thrill just looking at these tiny squares on the screen … how indescribably beautiful the enlarged photos must be! Her mastery of color, light, subject, composition, background, drama, and visual perspective present absolute proof that photography is an art and that Miriam is an artist. In these small scenes, which we all so often pass by with little or no notice, Miriam sees the Sublime, and has the skill and the passion to show it to us! This is Art!



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 Miriam participated in the Alley Art Battle as a photographer, and I have used her pictures of other artists in a number of other Art Beat posts … not to mention the great candid photo she took of me that night, which now serves as my Facebook icon and internet blog photo, and  which has won numerous compliments from friends and family. There is no doubt that Miriam has the talent and the capacity for hard work that together should ultimately bring success. Thank you Miriam, and best wishes from the Art Beat.

FYI, more of Miriam’s photos can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/52698642@N06/.

Many are dramatically different from those shown in this post, and are quite worth seeing.

Finally, if you are on Facebook, I welcome friend requests from all Art Beat readers. You can find me by logging into Facebook and then clicking on https://facebook.com/ArtMissionary.

Until the next post, know that the Angola area lakes region is an Art Region, and its towns are Art Towns!

If you would like direct email notification of new Art Beat posts, simply send an email with the words “requesting Art Beat notification” in the subject line to StephenRowe.OriGraphics@yahoo.com

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 Stephen Rowe currently serves as the Angola Regional Artists’ Guild publicity chairman and writes two additional blogs:

     ArtMissionary.blogspot.com
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Stephen welcomes correspondence of all sort per StephenRowe.OriGraphics@yahoo.com