Anamorphosis

"Anamorphosis" - the general definition as it pertains to art, from Wiki - "is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image."

There is an incredibly talented artist from the UK by the name of Julian Beever who's been producing sidewalk art - using a chalk medium - for over a decade now. His anamorphic illusions are drawn in a special distortion to create an impression of three dimensions when seen from one particular viewpoint.

Here's one of his completed projects, commissioned by Aveeno ...


Beautiful, is it not? How does he work on his projects without smudging the chalk? Seems as tho it would be an impossible task!

Well, he uses this X-type apparatus - padded at the top - and kind of hippety hops very carefully in and around the work in progress while he adds a touch of color here and a fountain there, as you will discover in this 4:18 video. I'd be willing to bet you'll watch this more than once. Just a fascinating process!



One of the things he likes to do when a work is completed is pose next to it. Here, it appears as tho he is sticking his toes into the water ...


This site has over 50 (!) photographs of his creations, a couple of which show what they look like if not viewed from the proper angle. The photos are very small on the page, but a single click quickly enlarges each of them. Really interesting!

One wonders, of course, how long they would last if it rained! Well, obviously not very long, huh? Probably a little less time than an ice sculpture would last out in the desert.

Once again, I have my friend Beth to thank for apprising me of Julian Beever's work. Thank you, Beth!

Pyramid schemes ... (part four) ...

What I enjoyed the most was matchmaking -- not of person to person, but of people to beautiful art that was then specifically matted and framed to enhance their decor. I carried around little snippets of fabric, throw pillows, -- crayons, even. That was neat, I was good at it, and I had a lot of fun doing it!


One of my best customers was my first husband. I found several nice pieces of art that complemented his patio home beautifully. Once we even commissioned an artist to do an original mosaic -- something like a stained glass window, only this piece would be round, as I remember, and hanging freely -- of a figure representing him, of course, para-sailing. (I think that's the right term. If it's not, I'll come back later and fix it.)

That was an interesting process. She sent preliminary sketches. He and I met to go over the sketches, and he made comments -- he kind of liked this, didn't so much like that, what about adding thus and so? I called her with my report. A few additional sketches were sent, and the process continued for maybe two or three exchanges.

Then, always with the understanding that the finished product might not be exactly the same as one of the sketches (colors had been decided long before), she went to work. When the piece arrived, I couldn't wait to show it to him. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous!! I was so pleased. And he was, as well.


I commissioned an artist only one other time for a particular client. This piece was to be a sight unseen work, no sketches, by Roy Kerswill. Now deceased, Roy's specialty was the Grand Tetons. My client had seen some of his work in catalogs and galleries, and wanted an original of his own for his office.

Roy asked me if there was any particular area of the Tetons that my client wanted to include in the painting. Outside of that, the only constraint placed on the artist was the maximum size (complete, with frame). No color restrictions. My client wanted Roy to have complete discretion.


[A sidebar here, if I may. Roy and his wife lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the summers, and -- on one of their many trips west, always traveling by car -- my father stopped to visit Roy. My dad knew that I had commissioned him to do an original painting.

Now Dad had never exhibited any kind of interest in art, whatsoever, but I had entreated him so many times to stop and just see if Roy was in town that he finally relented. Well, it turned out that Roy was in town, and he had Dad and his wife over to his home, where they had a nice long visit. I never had the opportunity to meet Roy in person, but Dad did. A warm fuzzy.]


My biggest client ever was a direct result of my Welcome Wagon sponsorship. Mike and Daphne Osborne were newcomers in the SugarLand area, and Daphne and I, in particular, had spent many delightful hours together perusing catalogs, cruising art suppliers and in general just enjoying each other's company. She was wonderful to work with!

I had personally placed and hung a grouping of several very fine limited editions on a stairwell landing in their home. I thought it looked great! Mike was not at all pleased with the placement (he wasn't actually there when I did the initial installation) ... thought it was too low. Daphne called, and said it was imperative that I come over as soon as possible and redo it to his satisfaction.

Well, I really didn't want to redo it 'as soon as possible'. As I recall, it was Thanksgiving, and my daughter was here for a short visit. I was disinclined to spend time away from her. But, I went to redo, taking her with me. Mike was there, and he was happy with the end result, he said.

I must admit that it did look good. I liked the first one better, but the customer is always right, right? Well, not really, but you have to be willing to 'give' a little bit.

Less than a week later, Daphne called me and said (something like), "Your ship has come in! Mike wants to see you in his office." I asked, "Where's his office?" She told me, I called him, and we set up a time to meet. I'd not had the VAGUEST idea that Mike was in charge of the finances for the company he worked for, not the vaguest!

It turned out that the company had recently re-located to an office building of perhaps six floors not very far from where I lived. I was to place a piece of art in each of many offices occupied by employees of a certain level, and I was given a list of those, along with hallway art of lesser quality print-wise, but still with custom matting & framing on each floor. I would be doing all of the installations.

Was this a dream come true, or what?? Of course it was.


So what happened? Well, a combination of things, actually, two of which were out of my control.

Pyramid schemes ... (part three) ...

I made it my business to educate myself, to learn as much as I possibly could about etching, embossing, silkscreening, and lithography. Wood-cutting I already understood.

I had some vague awareness of the concept of a 'limited edition', how that differs in value (in 'quality' limited editions, the paper is usually hand-made, oftentimes by the artist himself) from that of a 'print' -- something mass-produced in the thousands by a machine.


Never did I delude myself into thinking that I might come across someone who would want to invest millions of dollars into original art. There was no way, honestly, that I could have helped him, personally. The best thing that I could have done, and would have, would have been to thoroughly research the field and refer that person to someone of integrity who had more knowledge and expertise than I.

I might have realized some sort of "finder's fee" out of it, but there was no way that I could have handled such a transaction. My credentials were simply not there.


As my business continued to grow, I realized more and more that I had to 'expand my horizons'. TransArt had a wonderful line of art, framing and mats, but the selection was limited. I found myself searching for a local framer that I could trust.

I began by just driving up and down the streets in my own neighborhood. I found Michele, who at that time was just renting that space and hoping to relocate in the "Village" -- closer to downtown, and certainly in a more prestigious area.


I asked her if she offered discounts to people who were 'in the business'. She was somewhat skeptical, at first (wouldn't you be?), but then -- realizing that I was seriously interested and 'in' to this business, gave me help out the wazoo!

Heavens to Betsy! The help (not to mention education) I received from Michele was --I find, even in retrospect from this much later date -- incalcuable!! She generously offered not only her time and expertise, instructing me on such specifics as 'museum-mounting', acid-free mats, reverse beveling, etc., but invited me to a private showing on one of my art-buying trips to NYC.

From the bottom of my heart, Michele, I thank you!


Meanwhile, back at TransArt's ranch, they were expanding like mad ... area rugs (I have a very large one in my home to this day that I dearly love), jewelry (Castine's ... I tried to recruit my own daughter to sell this line!), drapes, furniture, etc. Heavens!! I was clearly out of my depth on some of this stuff.


I attended at least two of TransArt's (now TransDesigns) national conferences, held in August each year just north of Atlanta. Each time, I drove -- in a 1984 Honda Civic wagon that was absolutely perfect for transporting art -- and 'camped out' in the Kennessaw Mountains, at a campsite that was available to the general public.

I tried to absorb every last scrap of information that I could about TransDesigns' ever expanding business. I took notes like crazy.


From the very beginning, I had felt a tremendous amount of pressure to 'recruit', as Christina had done me. Initially, I tried -- running ads, 'interviewing' interested persons in my home, etc., -- but my heart wasn't really in it, I don't think.

I wasn't interested in trying to motivate someone else for my own gains, I just wasn't! If they couldn't motivate themselves, I wasn't about to try and do it FOR them!!


TransArt, as I finally came to understand, was what I would describe as a "pyramid" organization. You recruit someone, a percentage of their sales comes back to you in the way of profits, they recruit someone else, a percentage of that person's sales comes back to your recruitee in the way of profits (with a lesser amount to you, as the initial recruiter), and so on and on it goes. Are you confused?? Hope not.

Pyramid schemes ... (part two) ...

The ad read something like, "Major company expanding in this area and looking for qualified individuals." Buzz words and phrases, such as, "If you are tired of someone else telling you what to do and when to do it" ... "self-motivated" ... "creative" ... "independent" ... "work from your home" ... "set your own hours".

I was definitely interested enough to call. I thought, "What can it hurt? At least I will be able to find out what this is all about." I had some leeway at that time, money-wise, and was not in a crisis situation. I was trying to explore all possibilities.


Christina seemed delighted to hear from me, and invited me to her apartment where she would be conducting interviews, she said.

I went. There were perhaps three or four others there, and I expected that all but one of us would be waiting each time while she interviewed individually. That was fine with me. I had anticipated that it would go like that, and was prepared to wait.


To my surprise, however, she invited all of us to sit in the living room of her small apartment, which was attractively arranged with artwork, framing, and mat samples. Then, for the next half hour or so, she showed us what could happen when you change a frame here, pick up an accent color there. It was simply fascinating to me!

I thought, "I can do this!" And then I realized, "Not only can I do this, I would LOVE to do this!"

I had always had an 'eye' for color & placement, I felt, and found myself getting more and more intrigued by the possibility that I could help others achieve aesthetic reality in their own homes and offices.

I was excited, and could hardly wait for Christina to get to the 'bottom line' -- how much it was going to cost me to get into this. I was already mentally compiling lists of anyone I had ever known -- friends, relatives, neighbors, mere acquaintances -- everyone within the remotest possibility of earshot of my voice was going to know that I was now in the business. I wanted to get started yesterday!

That was my introduction to TransArt Industries.


As it turned out, the initial investment was not that great -- less than two hundred dollars, I'm pretty sure -- maybe less than one hundred, I really don't remember. Whatever it was, I could easily afford it.

The initial investment would include catalogs, laminated prints, frame & mat samples, ordering forms, etc., plus a nice-looking case in which to carry everything.

I consulted with Sam Miller, my attorney friend who had handled both of my first two divorces. I asked him if he had ever heard of the company. He hadn't. I asked him how to set up account books. I had never been in business for myself before. He gave me some advice.


And so, I set about my business. I called and wrote everyone, including one of the Hiltons (Eric, I think, who had been married to a gal I knew from the duplicate bridge world) ... I mean, I inundated the world I knew or had ever known (just about!) with my exciting news. I was into this!!

I became a Welcome Wagon sponsor in SugarLand, a fast-growing community not far from where I lived in southwest Houston. I offered a free initial consultation along with a 10% discount on their first purchase. As a WW sponsor, however, I also had to give a free gift. My free gift was a picture hook enclosed in a little plastic baggie, both of which I purchased by the gross. (The thought of having to give a free gift in addition to a free initial consultation and 10% discount on the first purchase really stuck in my craw!)


Little by little, tho, my business grew. I received award after award in sales.

In 1983, I was #1 in Christina's unit for sales. In 1984, I was #1 overall in the greater Houston area. I was in my mid-forties, and in the prime of my life!