Creative Advertising

Have you seen this commercial for BMW?

I just saw it a few nights ago. It was one of those rare times when I actually stopped and took notice of a television commercial, because it was so creative. I was captivated by the use of a car and paint to create a large scale art work seemingly inspired by Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionism.

Can Animals Be Creative?

Have you noticed recently that more dogs are wearing clothes? So, it was only a matter of time until animals became artists. Yes, Congo the chimp was famous in the 1950s for his paintings – Picasso even owned one. But recently, other types of animals from turtles to elephants are dabbling in the arts and painting.

Even horses are getting in on this latest art movement! Buddy, the painting pony was trained to grip a paintbrush in his mouth and later using non-toxic paints created abstract works on canvas. Now, he throws the brush on the ground and gravel and dirt end up on the canvas creating mixed-media works. Sadly, Buddy also suffers from a hormonal disorder so profits from his paintings are used for his treatment as well as donated to further research on the disorder.

Can animals be creative? Is art defined by intent or what is produced? All of these animal artists, as expressed through their human companions, are believed to be enjoying the process of creating and and even look forward to the next opportunity to paint.

  • Thoughts?

Image Courtesy of the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project

Susan Danko Artist

During a recent day trip up to the Lake Erie Islands, I stumbled upon a small gallery. At first writing off the shop as another touristy art trap, I was pleasantly proved wrong, when I discovered some small works by Ohio artist Susan Danko.

They were constructed like reverse shadow boxes with the painting on the back of the box providing a hollowed surface to hang the works easier. The dreamy landscapes were layered with vivid colors and lines, which reminded me of contemporary designs

Image  Bonfoey Gallery