FLORIDA

It's September so we are off to Florida. 

A lot of people retire to Florida.  Our President retires to Florida quite often and we can only hope he makes it a permanent condition in the near future.

I am thinking of changing my painting routine a bit, or perhaps including some real postcards of my design in the mix of work from the states.  I love postcards and I suppose because of email very few people send them anymore.  It might be a good way to combine more than one image from each state.  Here is an old one from Florida.

Another Delaware artist

Graham Dougherty is another artist from Delaware and he is still very much alive.  He doesn't seem to have a web site however.  Here are some examples of his paintings.  I like the way he uses soft blended color with just a hint of geometry.

Artists from Delaware

Ellen Bernard Thompson Pyle (November 11, 1876 – August 1, 1936) was an American illustrator best known for the 40 covers she created for The Saturday Evening Post in the 1920s and 1930s under the guidance of Post editor-in-chief, George Horace Lorimer. She studied with Howard Pyle and later married Pyle’s brother Walter...Wikipedia

Here is some more personal biographical information from the SATURDAY EVENING POST website.  She was widowed young and supported her large family with these illustrations.

Artists from Delaware - Chalfant

Time to look for artists from Delaware.  Here is a fine artist I bet you never heard of (too many good artists nobody ever heard of)

Jefferson David Chalfant 1856-1931, born in Pennsylvania but moved to Delaware as a young man and lived there his whole life.  He was self taught although he did manage to spend 2 years in Paris where he studied art.  He is probably best known for his still lifes although I could not find too many on line.  Chalfont painted himself into the first picture.  He is on the lower right.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_David_Chalfant#External_links

DELAWARE #6

 Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, five days before any other province or colony.  In 2002, a first grade class requested that the nickname "The First State" be made official....and it was.

DATA OF STATES LAND USE

I think you will be surprised at exactly the way we use the land in the United States.  These graphics are very well done.

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-us-land-use/

Delaware #4

Let's begin looking at art from Delaware by taking a peak at this very old relic of the Lenape.

Even though it was discovered in Pennsylvania, since it was seemingly created by the Lenape I think we should look at it now.  Can it really be a drawing of a Hairy Mammoth from 9,000 to 12,000 years ago?  Here is a lengthy discussion about it.

Here is a more recent piece of art work from the Lenape tribe, an elaborate beaded men's coat.

During the 1600s Delaware was governed by William Penn along with Pennsylvania.  Delaware declared its independence from both Pennsylvania and Britain in 1776.  Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, and has since been known as "The First State".^[13]

At first indentured servants from England worked alongside slaves and often intermarried but as the traffic in indentured servants became smaller because of better economic conditions in England, cast lines hardened.  However, because of the influence of Methodists and Quakers people were encouraged to set their slaves free and since tobacco was ceasing to be the main crop grown, most of the people voluntarily did just that, so that by 1860 91% of the black population was free.

Delaware did not secede from the Union even though they were still officially a slave state and was the only state who did not have a Confederate army.  They freed their slaves officially after the Civil War but did not ratify the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment until 1901.  So Delaware was deeply divided on their attitude towards the rights of African Americans for a long time.

Delaware #2

The Native Americans who were the first people in Delaware were the Lenni Lenape.  They were located all up and down the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.  We have been looking at the art of Native Americans around the country so far so let's take a look at some of their medical solutions.  Most of them seem to involve roots and bark which makes sense since these were at hand.  Some of these remedies seem to have been proved to have merit in other cultures, and since it is always advisable to do something when someone is in physical distress, the mere application of a poultice may have worked restorative properties or drawn out the poison.  Imagine instead of being in a hospital you were in a tent with this ritual going on.  Might be just the ticket to scare away dis-ease!

While looking to see if there was any music on YOUTUBE associated with Delaware I came across this guy who is traveling around the country for real and posting his videos as he goes.  It is only 5 minutes and I found it rather funny and there are some good shots of Delaware as well.
Here you go NOCANTANT in Delaware.

Delaware #1

Delaware is a funny shaped little State nestled between Maryland and New Jersey with a bit touching Pennsylvania and a large coast on the Delaware Bay and part of the Atlantic Ocean.  Since it is summer, and I am dreaming of the seashore, I probably will look for some action along the Rehobeth Beach shore to paint.  Google maps for some reason actually travels along the boardwalk there where I can almost smell the sea breeze.  Here is a link to a spot to start your own trip to the beach.

one last word about Connecticut

Judith Secco did get back to me about her methods for creating those photos that look like paintings.  She does use photo shop and combines various photos with textures and filters.  Having done some of this kind of work while planning my paintings I can tell you this work requires a great deal of skill and she certainly has it!  Tomorrow it's on to Delaware.

Last Connecticut

Today is the last day we will be visiting Connecticut and I think I found a rather unique artist to help us say goodbye.  Judith Secco is a photographer, and yet as you will see from these examples, her images do not look like photographs.  They appear more like super real paintings.  She does not say how she accomplishes this feat but the images are certainly intriguing and beautiful.  I assume it is some sort of Photoshop legerdemain.  i will write to her and see if she will reveal her secrets and let you know.

CONNECTICUT

This trip across our country has unearthed a lot of information that I didn't know and today I made a wonderful discovery that I am happy to share with you.

In 1933, four years before Disney's ground breaking and beautiful SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS premiered there was another animated version of this story created almost entirely by one man, Richard Crandall from Connecticut.  This is only a 7 minute film, but it took him six months to complete.  Actually that seems like a short time considering that each cell was created by hand and there are hundreds needed.  It is a wonderful piece of early animation with some great music and imaginative ideas galore.

BETTY BOOP IN SNOW WHITE

CONNECTICUT #10

While searching for Connecticut artists I found Irene Reed who made some fabulous art using crochet as her medium.  You have to give it to an artist who dared to use this homey form with such finesse that it was elevated to "Fine Art" because of her imagination and skill.  Here is some more information about her.

Connecticut #9

Alexander Calder, Sol Lewitt, and Jasper Johns were all born in Connecticut.  They all seem to like primary colors.  Something about the light in Connecticut or the era they live in?

Alexander Calder

Sol LeWitt

Jasper Johns

CONNECTICUT #8

Frederick Edwin Church, perhaps the best known painter of the Hudson River School, came from Connecticut.  He did not limit himself to painting the Hudson River area however as he and his wife traveled around the world and he painted wherever he went.  His story is interesting. He was very popular when in his early and middle years but the Hudson River School went out of style in his later years as modernism took the public by storm.  His reputation has only grown over the years however and his work is certainly monumental and  deserving of the greatest respect.

CONNECTICUT #8

It seems to be time to look for artists in Connecticut.  Let's begin with the original people.  These are examples of their art.  The first handsome dude is an example of why the original settlers thought the native Americans were so strong and healthy.  Their face painting was quite spectacular.  I would like to get my hands on one of the beautiful Bandoliers to carry my cell phone for special occasions.

CONNECTICUT #7

Connecticut is one of the richest, perhaps THE richest state in the union but apparently it is not going to stay that way for long.  The majority of the wealth resides along the gold coast and comes from the financial world. The great insurance industry has produced many millionaires and in recent years lots of hedge fund people make their money in New York and commute to Connecticut to live.  Unfortunately like other cities in the United States this wealth lives beside great pockets of poverty.  Also like many cities in the Northeast the population is flowing West and South for better climate, lower taxes and cheaper real estate.  And so it goes with Americans who can move great distances without a passport.

This article from the Atlantic gives you the full picture.


Here is the final paragraph.

In the biggest picture, Connecticut is a victim of two huge trends—first, the revitalization of America’s great rich cities and second, the long-term rise of hot, cheap suburbs. But Connecticut’s cities are not rich or great; its weather is not hot year-round; and its cost-of-living is not low. The state once benefited from the migration of corporations and their employees from grim and dangerous nearby metros, but now that wave is receding. To get rich, Connecticut offered a leafy haven where America’s titans of finance could move. To stay rich, it will have to build cities where middle-class Americans actually want to stay.

CONNECTICUT #6

In 1636 the Piquot Indians were defeated in the Piquot War.  The Piquot eventually were dispersed to reservations and other States with some still living in Connecticut as citizens.

In 1662 Connecticut's original Charter granted it all the land to the "South Sea" - that is the Pacific Ocean.  Connecticut took its grant seriously and established a ninth county between the Susquehanna River and the Delaware River named Westmoreland County.  This resulted in the brief Pennamite Wars with Pennsylvania.  Eventually all the land originally claimed by Connecticut was broken up, ceded to the United States or grabbed by its neighbors leaving the State borders that remain.

Our country was founded on one war after another with boundaries of the States shifting with the tides of human greed.  We take for granted our country with its neat boundaries around States, with governments in place for quite a while, but it was not always so and one wonders how long it will last as it is.

CONNECTICUT #5

The President's pick for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, went to Yale University.  Yale of course is in Connecticut.  This article talks about the way Connecticut Governor Danel P. Malloy feels about this appointment.

“Everything from marriage equality, civil rights, workers’ rights, protection for preexisting conditions (and) inadequate gun safety laws would be in peril if President (Donald) Trump’s nominee is confirmed,” said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

The question in my mind is whether this guy is bad enough to make a fight over, or if he is not approved, would the next nominee be worse.  Can the Democrats keep fighting until the mid term elections or a possible inditement or impeachment of Trump?  Or should they save their ammunition for a more winnable fight later?

What do you think?

Connecticut #4

While examining the states so far I have been increasingly curious about the switch in the philosophy of the two parties.  The Democrats began their lives as slave supporting, small government advocates and the Republicans were big government supporters of infrastructure improvements and liberal treatment of slaves.  How did that big switch occur and why?  Here is a good article about it.

https://www.livescience.com/34241-democratic-republican-parties-switch-platforms.html

So it all has to do with business really.  The Republicans have not really changed.  They were always for what helped big business!