The Art Education Blog: Tim Lefens and my Inspirations

Here are a couple of exposures I took via Global Rent-a-Scope. GRAS is a remote observatory network where the individual can access, control, and take photographs with telescopes at different observatories around the globe. I captured these photos with GRAS-003 located in New Mexico.

There is a great bit of difference seeing these things in photographs compared to seeing them in real time through the lens of a telescope, most times the photos do not do the experience justice. When I observe celestial objects I feel so small and insignificant in relation to all that exists. I sometimes get lost in gazing at the sky for hours. There is a quality of true inspiration I get from realizing these objects in fact are real and observable. One night I spent six hours staring at Jupiter surrounded by four visible moons (of 64 moons total). August of 2011 was the first time I had ever observed the night sky through a telescope. Jupiter was so clear and bright that night and I could see its bands and moons. I felt like I had been missing out on something very important by not having this kind of experience until the age of 27, but I think that sort of postponed gratification gave the experience so much impact.

I was reminded of this experience last night at a lecture by Tim Lefens at SUNY New Paltz. Lefens is the developer of Art Realization Technologies and author of Flying Colors. At the lecture he discussed key moments and theories on his inspiration and success as a painter and its relationship to art opportunities for people with disabilities. The inspiration and creative drive that he theorizes about reminded of the feelings I have when I observe the sky. The first moment I saw Jupiter in focus through my scope gave me a feeling much like Tim felt when he climbed a summit near Jackson Hole Wyoming against the odds of no trespassing signs and some level of danger. Much to his surprise upon reaching his head above the peak he found a vastly beautiful view of a large, snow-filled bowl leading to the Grand Teton Mountains. As he described his experience I felt gratification in both understanding the feeling and having the need to express that feeling artistically. I have never been to a lecture where I agreed with the lecturer more. I find Tim Lefens to be a very inspiring individual and such an important contributor to society.

I hope my imagery provides some understanding of what inspires me and I hope that everyone can find their own things that inspire similarly to what Lefens and myself are describing.

NGC2244 The Rosette Nebula

Photo taken at 4:18am 10/30/2011