Art for Art's Sake

From Oxford Grove Art - Aesthetic Movement:  Term used to describe a movement of the 1870s and 1880s that manifested itself in the fine and decorative arts and architecture in Britain and subsequently in the USA. Reacting to what was seen as evidence of philistinism in art and design, it was characterized by the cult of the beautiful and an emphasis on the sheer pleasure to be derived from it. In painting there was a belief in the autonomy of art, the concept of ART FOR ART'S SAKE, which originated in France as a literary movement and was introduced into Britain around 1860.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/aesthetic-movement-3#ixzz1Q3cv1SIP

As an artist, I see the world in colors, shapes and patterns.  As an independent and free spirited person, I have never been one to conform or follow.  I create, but not on demand.  Something deep has to inspire me.
I had tarot cards read to me back in the late 80's and I was told that I am the type that does not only want to see the time on the clock, but I want to know how the clock works.  That pretty much sums it up.
I love simplicity, yet I love the beauty of the complex in those simple things.
Always one to love antiques, as a child I was drawn to the houses that looked the "creepiest".  We have all seen them, like in The Adam's Family.  The old Victorian mansions with the peaks, gingerbread and gorgeous old wavy glass in the windows.  The heavy furnishings with carvings, the patterned wallpapers and the the heavy curtains.  The more elaborate, the better.  I did not really have knowledge of the period or precise style that I loved the most, I just knew what I liked when I saw it.  Modern "upgrades" or additions were something I absolutely abhorred.
I would poke around in abandoned houses and barns, usually with the company of a not overly enthusiastic friend to look at the architecture and any interior remnants of years gone by.
It was not until I moved to southwestern Pennsylvania in May of 2010 that I rediscovered this part of me that I had decided to give up on just a few months prior.
This blog is a journey of sorts.  It is a part of me that I knew, but did not yet know.
I hope someone finds it enjoyable.