"What am I in the eyes of most people - a nonentity, an eccentric, or an unpleasant person - somebody who has no position in society and never will have, in short, the lowest of the low."
Vincent van Gogh, 21 July 1882, in a letter to his brother Theo.
Writers write because they must: the fire burns deep inside. Painters paint, sculptors sculpt and creators create because our reservoir of creative spirit, like oil reserves deep in the ground, push violently to the surface and explode.
This could be van Gogh's story. It probablty is. It could be my story and for sure, it is. And I invite you to join me as I search the small villages, towns and cities of Andalusia, from Seville to Malaga, from Malaga to Motril and in the narrow streets of white-washed Moorish villages in the mountains of Costa del Sol.
In 2005, struck by volcanic eruptions in my life--death of my mother--and the ugly spectre of death all around me: the 7/7 London bombings, my sudden plunge into poverty in Competa and Corumbela, art offered salvation, therapy and hope.
I exploded, madly painting in acrylics, holograms of my dreams or nightmares, my resounding rage against George W. Bush, Karl Rove, the tragedy and cancer of terrorism and the west's war against it. And my passion to recreate my Self.
After my first exhibition at the Competa Art Gallery in 2009, I continued collecting a few works from artists who I thought maestros, largely unknown but enormously gifted.
I will share my observations, my life and times--slices of life--in Canillas de Albaida and elsewhere in Spain, both when I became infected with the Spanish soul in 1967 and 1968 when I worked in Madrid as a journalist but more importantly now as I search for independent Spanish and expat artists living here.
You will learn about Jaime Adan and John Barrett and many others as I take this journey with yuou. Enjoy the ride.
"Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony and music inside me. I see paintings or drawings in the poorest cottages, in the dirtiest corners. And my mind is driven towards these things with an irresistible momentum." van Gogh, 21 July 1882.
Rock on and practice peace.And check out ArtTraveler's videos: http://bit.ly/h1vruw
Stefan, the ArtTraveler(TM)
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