The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

Finding Art Underfoot

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Found art: A floorboard I nearly tripped over at Barnes and Noble, Calabasas, Cal.

Whenever seeking artistic inspiration, I often head to the upstairs Art Section in my local Barnes and Noble — packed with sleek oversized books on some of my favorite painters and sculptors.

The routine usually gives me a jolt, a creative spark, some much-needed encouragement to make art, even if I feel stuck.

On this day, I didn’t find what I needed. Until —I literally stumbled upon a scratched up old floorboard in the middle of the store. It had the delicate markings of a Twombly, and the subtle stains of a peach-colored Rothko.

Truth is — the intricate patterns were made by scuff marks and general wear and tear on a well-trafficked public floor — but oh, what sweet beauty.

I snapped a pic on my iPhone, and printed it out on dense fine art paper. It totally made my day.

The moral of the story is: when seeking your creative muse, it pays to look where you normally don’t. While you’re exploring the predictable path, your feet could be discovering an artistic masterpiece. It’s always about being open — allowing yourself to really see things around you. And under you. And everywhere.

Found Art = Value Added

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(Pic #1) A fiberglass panel from an unknown shipwrecked boat. Found in Santa Barbara, Cal.
12″ x 50″ Artist: Crashing waves and mother nature. This piece hangs in our entryway.

The most valuable art — just might be free.

Over the years, I’ve collected a few original pieces from fellow artists — some trades, some purchases — and sometimes small works from “guys on the street.” You may not know their names, but they are meaningful to me. I treasure all of them.

But just as significant — maybe even more so — are the pieces I find, sometimes on the street, or in this case, on the beach. About ten years ago, on a weekend trip to Santa Barbara, while out for a jog, I (literally) stumbled upon a couple of chunks of someone’s ravaged boat sticking up from the sand. They were worn and a little dangerous, as the ocean had roughed up their fiberglass edges.

(Pic #2) Original Cy Twombly drawing, 1967.

But they were beautiful. So I had to ask Josh to help me salvage them to give them the TLC they deserved, along with a rightful place in our home. I might have underestimated their weight, their bulkiness, and their spiky edges. It was a tough haul up to the car. But bless his soul, he made it. The one you see above reminds me of the work by one of my favorite abstract artists, Cy Twombly. (See close-up in Pic #2). Twombly created a compelling black and white “blackboard series” (one of which recently sold for $70-million) in the middle of his career.

It’s always interesting to me how art truly can be found everywhere, we just have to embrace those unexpected stumbles.

The Art Of Losing It — It’s A Good Thing

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Confession time. The last thing I do before I go to sleep at night, is think about what kind of treat I’m going to have in the morning. And after breakfast, it’s when can I have my next sweet morsel. I am in fact, much like Winnie the Pooh. Here’s a quote from the star of A.A. Milne beloved’s books.

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

 “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

  “I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today” said Piglet. 

   Pooh nodded thoughtfully, ”It’s the same thing” he said.

But every once in awhile, I am presented with a reminder that the thrill I get feeding my face, is nothing to the one I get when I feed my soul.

 Last weekend we did a video shoot for my new website. We needed some closeup shots of someone painting. That would be me. We had specific needs for the video: which brushes to stack, what colors to put on the palette.  But a funny thing happened once we were rolling. I forgot all about the shoot, and lost myself. When the shoot was over, I found myself still messing around with paint on canvas. It was a better high than the best chocolate I’ve ever inhaled. (Sorry about that, Teuscher.)

So, for the 1,765th time, I am reminded that I shouldn’t wait for a “reason” to do what I love. It’s not expensive, it’s not unhealthy, it doesn’t make you fat. My goal tonight, is to go to bed thinking about what art I can create in the morning — before breakfast.