Raw Vision Smitten

"The General" by artist Mikey Welsh
Self-taught artists crudely illustrate their stories and, in doing so, create hauntingly beautiful images. Fortunately for us, periodicals cover them. Raw Vision Magazine editors contribute to Ovation Channel's "Driven by Vision" series. Naturally I had to see what Raw Vision saw. RAW has, among other things, links to steer you in a myriad of directions. DRIVEN is an unbelievable television series, by the way. Genius might best describe it. Oh yes, Ovation's show, Art or Not, is fascinating too. For some, Outsider Art sparks debate. Is it art or not? What do I think? It's absolutely some of best there is.

Personally, I have my tail between my legs. I like to think of myself as an artist. I think that even the tiniest of artists, aka children, are brilliant so I guess I'm deserving of the title by default. Here's what I know as fact. There are many who humble me. Really humble me. Most have no training. They just possess the urge to create. I remember a long time ago, seeing one of my brother Pete's framed artworks which blew me away. Then he told me it was his daughter, Missy, who had created the scene in primary colors. It was unbe-freaking-lievable. Truly.

Exposure isn't limited to magazines or parent's walls. There's a wealth of links to whet the appetite. Looking for inspiration, I found this link, OutsiderArt.info. If you're not sure what this genre is - take time to check it out. Mikey Welsh's The General, shown here, is featured on Ioema Collection's ( International Outsider Exhibition of Modern Art) link on OutsiderArt.info. The beautiful thing is that he's just one of many talenteds featured there. Artists are also welcome to submit their works and some are then chosen to join the honored group. I hope Ioema keeps on keepin' on, in all its primitive honesty. A beacon for so many. Thanks, Ioema.