The Artist's Life - Horizongate

6 Sep 2023

Art as Incarnation

by markart | posted in: Inspirational, Making Art, Recommended Books, The Artist's Life, The Table of Creation | 2

When I have created something, I think of the mysterious thoughts and moves within a person forming an idea, all that has gone before to make this person arrange mental concepts, images, formulae, memories of sounds which excite the hope of birthing something into the world. The energy of that interior excitement causes bodily action which changes or remixes the exterior world resulting in the becoming of something which was not there before. It is spirit incarnating materiality.

11 Aug 2023

From Space Dust to Cities

by markart | posted in: Books, Inspirational, Poetic, The Artist's Life, Visual Arts | 0

Twenty poems and six essays are paired with thirty-two works of art and photography in this contemplative volume. The poems and essays are drawn from the past decade of my 53 year career as a playwright, visual artist, filmmaker and … Continued

20 Jul 2023

Recover Spontaneities

by markart | posted in: Books, Contemplative, Inspirational, Nature, The Artist's Life | 0

In my meditations outside in Idyllwild, California, before the sun was fully visible five doves alighted calmly on branches above me. I felt the visit of beloved family.

17 May 2023

Relational Wealth

by markart | posted in: Actions, Contemplative, Faith, Inspirational, The Artist's Life | 1

Competition is a basic tenet of society and energizes most people in our endeavors. It is an assumption that is taught to us when we are just beginning to appreciate being members of a world full of people. Early in … Continued

24 Mar 2023

Childlikeness Is Better

by markart | posted in: Actions, Contemplative, Inspirational, The Artist's Life | 4

I have always been aware of and preferred my “original self”. It is the free self which I experienced as a child. I was fortunate to have parents who embraced spirituality in all that they did, including parenting. It was … Continued

20 Feb 2023

Awakening To The Presence

by markart | posted in: Exhibitions & Shows, Inspirational, Making Art, Recommended Books, The Artist's Life | 0

I am always glad to find in another artist a similar experience in the life of creating. Researching last month’s post I began to get better acquainted with poet W.H. Auden who was courageous in his willingness to grow and … Continued

12 Jan 2023

All History Is Right Now

by markart | posted in: Actions, Contemplative, Inspirational, Recommended Books, The Artist's Life | 2

Do you dream of returning to the simpler, idyllic state of the Garden of Eden (Arcadian view), or do you believe we can finally make our way forward to the perfect arrangement (Utopian view)? Usually each of these views is … Continued

19 Oct 2022

Knowing What to Believe

by markart | posted in: Actions, The Artist's Life | 0

Many of us get overwhelmed with the issues and, especially in this U.S. “midterm election” season, find it hard to cope with the barrage of political campaigns. Some just take short cuts instead of thinking about everything; just follow their … Continued

23 Sep 2022

Stories from the Deep

by markart | posted in: Contemplative, Inspirational, The Artist's Life | 0

An old professor of mine, Robert McKee, who has since become the world authority on “Story”, is announcing his last season teaching his groundbreaking 3-day STORY seminars in Los Angeles, New York and London. When I sat under him at … Continued

20 Aug 2022

Becoming Symbols

by markart | posted in: Actions, Contemplative, Inspirational, Science, The Artist's Life | 0

We visited the exhibit “Monet to Matisse” at the San Diego Museum of Art in July. It contained examples of Les Nabis, a group of artists in the late 1880’s, which affirmed the idea that art was not only a visual or sensory phenomenon, but primarily an intangible experience aided by the artist’s creation.

The Artist’s Life