The BLUES? …No, I am not talking about depression here or “singing the blues”. I’m discussing a cheerful subject: All those wonderful shades of blue in nature and in art. Coincidentally, my very first musical composition at age 13 was entitled “Shades of Blue”. That was when I discovered the Blues Scale (which has some blue notes in it). Blue has always been my favorite color and now that I’m an artist, it’s an important element in my paintings.

Here’s one:

Blue Paradigm by Scott Steelman

And here’s another:

Blue Boulevard by Scott Steelman

Most humans derive a sense of calm from the color blue. It reduces stress and brings a tranquil feeling. “Picture yourself in a boat on a river” or gazing up at a magnificent cloudless sky. Or on a beach, contemplating a panoramic scene of a seemingly infinite ocean. Feels good doesn’t it? And blue has often been associated with trust, peace, relaxation, security, confidence and wisdom. Chase away those bad blues with the good blues

The buyer of my painting, “Blue Cloudscape” was drawn to it by the peaceful feeling it gave her.

Blue Cloudscape by Scott Steelman

 

Cave paintings didn’t usually have blue, but there are exquisite examples of ancient blue art. How about this 4000 year-old Egyptian sculpture?

“Blue hippo with decorations of aquatic plants. Made of faience with blue glaze. Middle Kingdom.(2033-1710 BC)”

There were some famous blue paintings throughout art history. In the more modern era, Pablo Picasso had his celebrated BLUE PERIOD (1901-1904) when he cranked out numerous mostly blue works.

Here is one I always enjoy seeing at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

“The Old Guitarist” by Pablo Picasso

Vincent van Gogh made these notable contributions to the catalog of ‘Famous Blue Paintings”. 

Paintings by Vincent van Gogh

And the MOST famous blue painting of all time!!!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE. . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

 

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Oops….JUST KIDDING!

Speaking of famous images… Here’s the NASA image of our “Home, Sweet Home”. Since this photo is so recent, almost all humans that ever lived did not realize that we inhabited a BLUE WORLD.  (It’s actually a series of photos stitched together, back when only NASA could do that. Now it’s a basic Iphone function.)

 

Explore the Universe of ART

with Scott Steelman

The place to look at some cool BLUE glass sculpture is the Website of Dale Chihuly. He is the preeminent glass artist in the world. And you still have time to check out his current exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. See more about the NEW Chihuly Exhibit Here. Pictured below are some of his blue works.

Below you will find few more “Shades of Blue” in a collection of my own BLUE paintings.

One blue day while drinking a Blue Ribbon and listening to bluegrass music, I had a blue chip idea. It hit me like a bolt out of the blue – the kind of inspiration that only happens once in a blue moon. What was it? To use blueprints to make art! First I got my hands on some vintage blueprints (turns out that blueprints aren’t really blue anymore) and then I got to work. And the result…of course, it’s blue!

This seems like a good place for my composition entitled, “BLUE 2“. Abstractness is my specialty in music as well as art. This piece may confuse the ears of those who are unaccustomed to hearing strange new music. This is a “theme and variations  based on a standard BLUES form, using synthesized instruments to play modern harmonies and rhythms in a somewhat jazzy style. But the main thing is…

It’s WILD and WEIRD!

FUN and FUNKY!

 

ART

IS

FUN

One last BLUE thought!

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Thanks for coming along on my BLUE Art Adventure.

Feel free to send any comments, questions.  …ask about anything:  information, motivation, inspiration, collaboration, rumination, alliteration, syncopation, manifestation of visualisation, ovation for my orchestration, remuneration for art creation, complication of computerization, explanation of hallucination experimentation, consultation for continuation of constipation or even the obliteration & cessation of civilization.

Really…anything!