To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.

three things we love

James Castle
Self-Taught Artist

James Castle, Stork mixed media construction

James Castle, Untitled, mixed media on paper. This is an example of one of his soot and saliva drawings.

James Castle , mixed media construction. He often depicted clothing and especially coats in his art.

Making things and working with your hands is one of the most satisfying activities one can do with your time, whether it involves painting, cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, drawing, whatever gets the creative juices running. It can even be as simple as building a sandcastle on the beach. Sitting in front of a computer screen just doesn’t have the same effect on one's soul. Along those same lines, I also believe that everyone is capable of making art. That is not to say I think everyone is an artist--like any profession or practice, you need to do it enough to get anywhere and become proficient. But I do not believe you need professional training to call yourself an artist. (I love children’s art often more than most adult art and folk artists are of particular interest to me as they just simply feel compelled to create.)
I recently came across the work of self taught artist James Castle who was born in 1899 to Frank and Mary Castle in the mountain community of Garden Valley, Idaho. James, the fifth of seven surviving children, was deaf from birth and it is debatable whether he ever acquired language. He began drawing at about age six. Throughout his entire life, he created thousands of drawings, paintings, sculptures, and books in a variety of mediums, often using found objects such as cardboard, string, printed paper, and his own spit and soot. Many of these artworks were subsequently discovered hidden in the walls of a modest house where he lived most of his life in Boise, Idaho. He was eventually discovered when his nephew, attending art school in Portland, Oregon, showed his uncle's drawings to one of his instructors. Many James Castle exhibitions ensued. The project of The James Castle House was taken up by the Boise Art Museum and has been reconstructed--a short film has been made about this process. The house is open to the public and for artist residencies.

Black Owned Businesses

According to the website GreenAmerica.org, “beyond enslavement, we can trace the origins of today’s racial wealth gap to Jim Crow-era practices like redlining, job discrimination, and exclusionary legislation, which segregated Black Americans from higher paying jobs and home ownership opportunities that ultimately prevented wealth building. As of 2016, the net worth of an average African American family is equal to less than 15 percent of the average white family’s, and one in five Black households have zero or negative net worth according to the Federal Reserve. If current trends continue, $0 will be the median wealth for Black families by 2053, according to a 2017 report by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs have always been wealth builders in our society. By supporting Black-owned businesses,...Americans can create more opportunities for meaningful savings, property ownership, credit building, and generational wealth. Here is quite an extensive list of black owned businesses from Sophia Conti of websiteplanet.com. Etsy has also compiled their own list of black-owned Etsy shops. And NBC is in on the game with their own List of Black Owned Businesses to support in 2021. Please consider and take advantage of these lists if you want to take an active role in helping lift our fellow Americans out of poverty and financial hardship towards a more prosperous future for them and their families for generations to come.

Petit Rat Documentary

Vera, Fernande, and Deborah Wagman. Photo courtesy Tony Stewart

SIsters/Dancers Deborah and Vera Wagman. Photo courtesy Tony Stewart.

Although my mother Edith Smilow (1918-2013) escaped the worst of the Holocaust and was able to get out in 1937 at the age of 19, I often wonder what emotional parts of me were affected and passed down generationally, left over from the traumas of her experiences growing up in Nazi Germany. Perhaps that is why this documentary film, Petit Rat, attracted me in the first place. Written, directed and produced by Vera Wagman, Petit Rat is a portrait of three women, a mother and her two daughters, bonded by the intergenerational trauma of war and uplifted by the resilience of familial love. The story begins with "a French Jewish girl's dream of becoming a ballerina, cut short by World War II. She vows that if she has daughters, they will become dancers. Nearly 80 years later, they all confront the impact of that pledge." The film is packed with so many themes set amidst the backdrop of the Holocaust such as lives interrupted, parenthood, sibling rivalry, the world of dance, sports psychology and mental health (particularly apropos right now given the recent experiences of Simon Biles and Naomi Osaka). It is a gem of a film and I definitely recommend it. I would also recommend that you watch the Q and A with Deborah and Vera Wagman after you view the film. You can watch Petit Rat virtually beginning this weekend July 31-August 7th, 2021 as part of the Woods Hole Film Festival by purchasing tickets here. You can also follow Petit Rat on Facebook and Instagram .

painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Blue Sea and Sky, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80”

product of the week:
new pouches

Who doesn’t need another pouch? These are hot off the press and they are beautiful. They measure 6 x 8 inches and are great for gifts. Email us directly pamsmilow@me.com to purchase as they are not on our website yet.

Charity of the Week:
CharityNavigator.com

Black & African American-Focused Charities: Click image to discover highly-rated charities promoting black health, education, rights and community development

Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.