First, my six month old son Brendan spent a day in the emergency room and a night in the hospital, after the cold he had been fighting for the past three weeks evolved into what the doctors first thought was pneumonia, but later diagnosed as acute viral bronchialitis. He’s home now and doing much better. Over the weekend, however, my wife and I experienced how gut-wrenchingly difficult it is to be the parent of a very sick baby who is suffering when you can’t do anything to make it better.
Of much lesser importance, I was challenged on two posts I had made here regarding a lecture on color by Graydon Parrish that I attended. In an excess of enthusiasm, I had shared my lecture notes on this blog, even though attendees were asked to be discreet. I was asked in no uncertain terms to take the posts down, which I did immediately because it was Graydon’s stuff and he did not want it out there. I received considerable criticism on the Cennini Forum for having posted in the first place, which I accepted because I was wrong to have done so without asking permission first. I would describe the experience as an excellent character-building exercise, but no fun at all.
I’m sorry I have not posted anything about art here in the last week or so. I’ll get back to that soon.
p.s. In the midst of the posting fiasco I was also accused of presenting myself as having some kind of direct connection to Graydon Parrish. I don’t think I have done so, but I’d like to state here unequivocally that I have absolutely no relationship with Mr. Parrish other than having attended a lecture by him and participating on an internet forum where he posts from time to time.
p.p.s. I am very thankful to the people who have written to me to offer their support.
All the best wishes to you and your wife. I hope that Brendan is back to good health and normal baby stuff soon. I remember sleeping with one eye and both ears open when mine were sick. I also remember being thankful when they were back to doing the annoying things they do when they were well. It is amazing how having children keeps life in perspective.
The Cennini group is a tough crowd. I, personally, would never have heard of Graydon Parrish had you not posted about him.
Thanks, Anna.
I wish your baby Brendan a speedy recovery, I am a father of a 17 year old, who drank some stuff when she was a baby, and I know what your going through. They are very resilient and strong beings, before you know it he will be asking for the car keys to go out with his friends, and a whole new set of worries will be racing through your head.
Cheers.
Happy to hear your baby is better. That sort of thing definately puts everything else into perspective. Don’t sweat the Parrish thing. I’ve read of similar stuff from other sources (New Criterion). There is a certain whiff of the “true believer” hanging around those folks. I never got any sense that you were passing yourself off as a member of the inner circle. Maybe just a little bit of hero worship. Admiring someone’s skill doesn’t require admiring them. A lot of artists, classical, modern or otherwise are ahles. Make the art you like, admire who you choose and take care of your family. I enjoy and learn from this blog. Keep up the good work. (Don’t let the basds get ya down).
Thanks, Jeff. After his brief hospital stay, Brendan picked up some kind of stomach thing in addition to the cold, so we’ve had lots of fun over the last few days. Fortunately, he is slowly getting better.
Thanks, Bruce. I didn’t get slagged by Graydon, but by others who criticized me for posting information from his lecture, which I should not have done. I am happy to have the episode behind me.
You were unfairly maligned. You were singled out and made an example of publically, when a discreet, private email to you in the first place would have resolved the issue. I suspect the parties involved were trying to suck-up to Graydon. You have shown tremendous humility and contrition during all of this in your responses. I don’t know how you were able to do that, considering the circumstances. Anyway, I hope you will continue to fuel your blog with the kind of material you have in the past.
Glad your baby is on the mend. I remember our daughter, when she was a little older than Brendan, developed a high fever and had a febrile seizure that landed her in the hospital for a couple of days. You never get over that sense of helplessness you experience.
Best wishes,
Scott,
I, too, wish the matter had been handled via private email.
Thanks very much for your support.
My comment is entirely off-topic– Learned of your blog from Charley Parker’s link at L&C, just wanted to say great blog, great resource. Hope your little one is fully recovered.
Thanks, Mark.
I’ve encountered your site before and have it bookmarked. Your work is beautiful, and the demos are really well done.
I am sorry that you had to endure the wrath of the worst internet troll out there—Rob Howard is clearly a megalomaniac. He gags me. Witnessing your public humiliation was terribly painful. Isn’t there somewhere else on the web that has great info and great classical painting products? Cennini Forum is in my opinion the worst kind of tar baby. You shouldn’t have to put up with it— you are a wonderful artist, a husband, and a father in your own right.
William,
Although under the circumstances I think I should not have posted the information I did, I would certainly have preferred if the issue had been addressed privately. But no, actually, I don’t know of anywhere else on the web with the kind of practical information that is routinely provided at the Cennini forum. It’s a very tough crowd, but I continue to find it worthwhile.
Thanks very much for the support.
David, Now that this episode is behind you, how do you move forward in terms of adding new content to your blog? I know on Cennini you mentioned being more careful about attributions and getting prior consent before posting some information. Do you feel your hands are tied now? I personally felt you provided sufficient credit for all the content you posted previously (short of footnoting everything). My personal take on most art related blogs is that they are personal journals of work, processes, interests and influences. It needs to be more free-wheeling than composing a thesis or writing an article for publication. Most content would fall under a “fair use” classification because it is for educational purposes, not personal profit (although you may want to drop the “Donate” button). I hope in the future you’ll continue to fuel your blog as you have in the past, with abandon and passion.
One final request, more posts on Tempera and Tempera Grassa!
David— The web is huge and I think you will find that the same—or better—information from other sources that will not browbeat you in the process. It is commonplace for rebuked accolytes to return chastened to the master for more. What a snowjob! Cennini has no corner market on this information. Most successful artists that I know and admire have created their masterworks without the permissions of Mr. Howard and his minions.
PS— You say you don’t know of any further sources of information. By that, you mean ” at present”. But I assure you, what you seek is out there and probably closer than you think. The notion of someone asking you if YOUR site will be curtailed because of restrictions on information via Cennini—- that is a horrible thought and tantamount to intellectual slavery, if true. You can find what you seek elsewhere without permission or approval. And with people who won’t kick you like a dog whenever it suits them. Rest assured, you won’t be the first— or the last— to feel the Howard lash. But it really is all so pointless. What you need is right there for you, among civil people— even among friends. ;)
William,
There are many sources of information out there. While every internet art forum, including Cennini, has lots of BS, I don’t know of any with a better signal to noise ratio. I have learned more there than from every other site on the internet combined.
I have no intention of being subservient there, here, or anywhere else. I’ll defend myself when I think I’m right. I will be thoughtful about what I post here, but my intention is still to provide a site where useful information on art is available to everyone.
But thanks for helping me think this through.
David— I’m sorry, but I just don’t see why it is necessary to associate with people who revel in humiliating and causing other people pain, all for a misguided feeling of power. You erred in publishing notes that you had no permission to make public. It showed a lot of character for you to apologize as you did under the circumstances. But the response was more than overkill. It was meant to humiliate you in public. That was not necessary. More than mere overkill: it was cruel.
As I said, all of the past and modern masterpieces of art were created without the aid of your forum. But if you feel you need it to be an artist and move forward, then by all means go there. Just remember the old adage about playing with snakes….
Tony Ryder: The New Thomas Kinkade?
I see that the haters over at the Graydon Parrish Sociey ( Cennini Forum ) are in rare form this morning—making ludicrous comments about Tony Ryder, Jacob Collins, David Leffel, and Marvin Mattelson.
A Rob Howard gem:
“Learning to draw from Ryder is not like learning from Raphael or Degas. It’s a helluva lot closer to Thomas Kinkade as far as level of aesthetics is concerned. ..”
http://forums.studioproducts.com/showthread.php?t=28035
William,
I certainly do not agree with everything said there (or anywhere). I respect Tony Ryder (and his book), although I, too, sometimes find his work a little fussy. Having studied with another student of Ted Seth Jacobs, I think have a slightly better sense of where he is coming from than most folks who just look at his web site or his book (though I have never met him). I could point out that, later in the post, Graydon Parrish wrote a very reasonable defense of Ryder (and Collins).
In my experience, it is the nature of the internet for discussion places to tend toward either firm politeness or a sort of open bitchiness. Cennini is one of the latter.
Many people just can’t stand that kind of discourse. It sticks in their craw every time they read a series of unnecessarily mean or thoughtless comments. I grew up with people who talk like that in real life and some of them are still among my best friends. I am aware of, yet generally willing to tolerate, their faults. When they act like jerks I ignore them; or sometimes we choose to get mad at each other. Then we get over it.
If you are not comfortable with people who act like that, then Cennini will drive you nuts. That’s OK—don’t go there. As it is, I just skim many threads because they get so silly or narcissistic. But then I hit one that contains amazing gems of information. Those make it worth coming back, at least for me. Your mileage obviously varies.
Hello David… Just stopping in as I am a new lurker at Cennini and an old poster at WC…
Sorry for your troubles of late…the one at Cennini was handled with style and grace on your part. Hopefully it is the last you will hear of that…
and like you, I skim the threads looking for gems of information.
I am,however, so glad I found your argument and looked you up and found your blog…another wonderful wealth of information!
Hope you and your little one are better and can move on to better health and quieter days!
I will definitely check back here regularly to absorb more of your wonderful information!
Not that it is unheard of….but, Rob has now banned Graydon. After all the sucking up that rob did to Graydon…wow…in my opinion, rob is nutttts!!!!! And, I think jealous. I bet he will take credit for the whole Munsell discovery, now. And, I hear that Richard Murdock was also banned. Did I get the last name right?