ART? ART? Bears? What?

deppfan and others - here is the link to that tree thing from the other day

Cool tree thing.
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And for Chicago Bear fans - I put $10 on the OVER for the Bears winning 9.5 games this year.
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I was on an Art Fair Forum and got into a . . . . . . heated . . . discussion with another "artist".

The question was about printing.  A new person to the bigness was asking if we all printed our own work and of the 5 or 6 responders most did.  One guy said

"In my opinion, you cannot be a "art" photographer without also being a "printer"" 

I took slight offense to that and in a politically correct way informed him that I thought he was wrong.

So he says I did not mean to insult you and then basically repeats everything he just said .

"how can an artist not "micro manage" every step of their work if the purpose is to create art and not just sell pretty pictures? "  "The difference is if you want to be an artist or just someone who takes nice pictures and sells them. They are not the same thing."

BUT - he did end the post with "That's just my opinion".

 "That's just my opinion" is pretty much like "However!"  You know, when someone says something and then says HOWEVER!  "You look beautiful today . . HOWEVER . . . . ."

The thing is I do not believe I'm an "artist".  I'm a photographer.  I make pretty pictures and turn around and sell them. The people that purchase them call it art.  They are buying art from a photographer, not an artist.

I just have an issue with being called an artist. Just seems weird and does not sound right.  

With THAT said - here is my latest pretty picture.  I'm putting this in Filene Research Institute.

Big freaking canvas - size is 1/13.7 actual size of a B17

Edward Filene, among other things played a pivotal role in passing America’s first Workmen’s Compensation Law in 1911. However, in this case he is the person credited for creating Credit Unions.

Filene Research Institute  . . and I quote because I got a little bored reading what they do "Through Filene, leading scholars and consultants analyze managerial problems, public policy questions, and consumer needs for the benefit of the credit union system."
  Busy day today (might not make golf tonight) - I have to take 19 images to Trails Lounge in Portage and hang them, then run back, load the trailer with that behemoth and take the bouncy ride to Madison.  Hwy 151 SUCKS when it comes to trailers!  Hideous highway, all smooth in a car but the slabs are perfect for road harmonics when pulling a trailer.
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Obama is slowly opening up a lead now that the Ryan bump is subsiding.  Of the 15 major polls Obama leads in 12 of them. However we all know the popular vote does not win elections (he leads 50.6 - 48.2 and is +0.1 since August 21st). The electoral vote is the key and that race is widening (298.1 - 239.9  +3.0 since Aug 21st).

I watched the RNC for 5 minutes before I started to get angry with the rhetoric on how the right is so so much better with money and will "save" the nation (I really don't think we need "saving").

Lets see
Reagan (R) increased the debt 189%
Bush I (R) increased the debt 55%
Clinton (D)  increased the debt 37%
Bush II (R)  increased the debt 115%
Obama (D)  increased the debt 16%

In the last 50 years

Republicans have held the Presidency 28 years, Democrats 22 years.

Jobs created?  (R) = 24 million  (D)  42 million
Stock Market Returns = (R) 109%  (D) 992%
Gross Domestic Product average =  (R) 2.7%  (D) 4.1%
Income Growth average = (R) 0.6%  (D)  2.2%

There have been 16 recessions under GOP rule and seven under Democratic rule.

Source - Bloomberg, POLITICO and US Dept of Labor  - I have no link.

So don't tell me The GOP is better with money.

I do agree with a good number of their ideas - if we could get both sides to actually work together that would be awesome but no . . . that's not going to happen.

OK OK - step away from the keyboard.

Have a great Wednesday

Rod