drawings – Page 5

I’ve always wanted to find a way to ask a few of my favorite authors over for a nice, leisurely Sunday brunch, and that became the idea for this blog.

Each week I plan to invite a couple friends to this blog so I can ask them a question. My friends will share their answers with me and you, gentle readers, can give your answer to my question in the comment section below. I’ll choose one random person from the comments and reward them with an ebook surprise, it’s that simple! Comments are moderated, so don’t despair if you’re not posted immediately! All commenters will be entered into a drawing, so don’t be SHY!

Last week’s winner is: druuuuuuumroll please: Chris Muldoon! I’ll be sending you an email asking which ebook you fancy pronto! Thanks for playing along.

This week I gave my authors a tough assignment. It’s actually a question you’ll find in theory of knowledge classes, and very few people who signed up for my brunches wanted to take it on! Fortunately, in the three people here I have some very awesome authors who aren’t afraid of a challenge, so without further ado, I’ll ask this weeks guests to:

Define Art.

What is Art?

I saw this on a medallion at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach, CA this summer and loved it so much I just have to quote it. It comes from artist, Jennifer Yane, and considering that I write the Beautiful Boys of Romance, it seems perfect to me:

Art is spirituality in drag.

: ) – Author Tara Lain

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Art is all about making an emotional connection. It may hit you only subliminally and you may not quite be able to put your finger on what it was about this piece of art, be it a book, painting, play, movie, musical composition or whatever, but you know that it touched you in a deep way, struck a chord in your heart, perhaps invaded your dreams, left you feeling something. Intellectual connections are fine, but for me, true art connects with your feelings in a visceral way. It speaks to you. It touches you. And if it’s truly great art, it awakens your sense of wonder.

That’s it. I hope this works for brunch. I can always make my famous soft scrambled eggs with green onions and cheese instead. – Author Rick Reed (editor’s note: YUM)

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Like obscenity, most people think of art as something they know when they see it. I have vivid memories of my father glancing over my various art class textbooks and commenting on Duchamp’s Fountain, “That’s not art!” The Society of Independent Artists would have agreed with him — back in 1917.

Yes, my dad is a little bit of a throwback, but he’s not unique in confusing quality with personal preference. The default position for a lot of us is, “I don’t know anything about art, but I know what I like.” So it’s probably natural that the logical thought progression would be that if you like it, it must be art.

But that’s a dangerous position: the notion that if you like something it must be quality or that if you dislike something, it must be flawed. I personally struggle with the concept that all art is subjective, and yet clearly concepts like Beauty and Good and Obscenity vary from culture to culture — and even within any given culture over a period of time.

I think the essential problem with the idea of art as subjective or personal, is that within that construct, the responsibility for what is or is not art lies with the audience — whereas I believe, by strictest definition, it actually lies with the artist. For me, whether something is, or is not, art is strictly to do with artistic intent.

The moment an act is performed deliberately in order to bring about a reaction from one’s self or another, it becomes art. Well, no. Because by that definition both murder and masturbation would be art. So I suppose I would have to qualify that to: the moment an act is deliberately performed to provoke an aesthetic — positive or negative — reaction from one’s self or another, it becomes art.

The catch is that what would be considered aesthetic at any given time is subjective. But the intent to provoke or stimulate the reaction is not subjective. – Author Josh Lanyon

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Now, Gentle Readers: Tell us how you define art HERE on my website for a chance to win an ebook from one of these fabulous authors!

One of the best things about my writing career is all the wonderful friends I’ve made over the years. Many of my internet pals have become in-person friends. We share adventures in writing, and often we have the opportunity to meet up at conventions like Romantic Times Book Lovers’ convention or GayRomLit.

I always wanted to find a way to just ask a few over for branch, and this became the idea for this blog.

Each Sunday I’ll invite a couple friends over and ask a question. My friends will share their answers with me. You, gentle readers, can give your answer to my question in the comment section below. I’ll choose one random person from the comments and reward them with an ebook surprise, it’s that simple! Comments are moderated, so don’t despair if you’re not posted immediately! No comments last week? Commenters will be entered into a drawing, so don’t be SHY!

This week’s question:

You’re a geneticist allowed to create one fantasy animal, describe it?

When I was sixteen or so, I started reading Anne McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern series. Those flying, sentient, telepathic, fire-breathing beasts were magnificent! A companion, a protector, best friend, and well, flying! C’mon, who hasn’t wanted to fly?!? And as a burgeoning adult (as well as upon later rereads) I was able to appreciate the influence on sexual and romantic relationships. Not with the dragons! Minds out of the gutter! The dragons’ sexuality influenced their riders’ libido and choice of spouse. It was fascinating and hey, there were gay dragonriders, too. Go Anne McCaffrey! Seriously, I still love the idea of those dragons.

But, as a kid, I also wanted a pet cheetah I could ride to school, instead of having to take the school bus. Not sure why I never wished for a horse or a pony like most young girls, but there you have it. I wanted a cheetah. To ride. Apparently I have some sort of transportation fetish. This may explain why I’m so proud of having ridden a horse, a camel, and an elephant.

Anyway… any geneticist worth his or her salt ought to be able to come up with one of those Pern dragons, right? And it’s not asking too much to have it sometimes shift into a sentient, telepathic cheetah, right? I bet I’d have people lining up around the block to get one of my lovely creations. — Author KC Burn

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So, if I was a geneticist, and I could create anything I wanted by gene splicing or some such, I would create….this:

Zam said to describe it, but this seemed easier all around….hope I didn’t stray too far from the parameters of the assignment….lol! (Plus, we just finished watching Harry Potter, Prisoner of Azkaban again tonight, and I realize now, this is, like the opposite of a hypogryph. Go figure…) — Author Jaime Samms (who is also a great artist)

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And for a third author at our brunch table today: due to a slight miscalculation on my part, you only get me, (sorry). My Ideal Genetically Modified And Enhanced Animal would have the face of a llama, and maybe the body of a sheep, and some fluffy white wings. I love Llamas. There could be nothing better than a short fat fuzzy llama with wings.

Llamas hum when they’re content, and when they’re anxious they make this psycho honking sort of noise to alert their pals. They’re playful, and they pronk. Who wouldn’t love one of those especially if it flies? — Author Z.A. Maxfield

Let’s get started on our fantasy animals now, shall we?

Sunday Brunch Blog – 9/22/2013

Sunday Brunch Blog – fantasy animals…

What she said…

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