"The artist appeals to that part of our being which is not dependent on wisdom; to that in us which is a gift and not an acquisition--and therefore, more permanently enduring. He speaks to our capacity for delight and wonder, to the sense of mystery surrounding our lives; to our sense of pity, and beauty and pain." ~ Joseph Conrad
My favorite artist, Richard Barlett, spends a lot of time sketching people he doesn't know. On the bus, at a coffee shop, outside, inside, he draws. With oil pastels or black fountain pen, he quietly draws on his sketchpad.
As Spanish writer George Santayana observed, "An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world."
Richard's work captures magic in the ordinary, beauty in simplicity. Strangers are somehow transformed into intimate friends. He is a joy to watch as he gets lost in the process of creation. Richard celebrates life and the people he meets with his heart and hands.
As Leonardo Da Vinci said, "Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art."
Through the years I have watched him develop his spirit and talent. For his eagle scout project, he drew a whale mural at the Kaneohe District Park Recreation Center. As an art student at the University of Hawaii, he made a massive portrait of actor Tom Cruise out of movie stubs, inspired by the work of Chuck Close.
"A work of art," said artist Edvard Munch, "comes only from inside a human being."
Yes, I love this artist and the passion of his work. I feel lucky to know him and have him in my life. He has generously allowed me to showcase his original paintings and drawings on Daily Celebrations. Check it out...
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