Last night on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice, It boiled down to an aggressive businessman Piers Morgan and a steady Cowboy Trace Adkins. It’s quite a contrast and I personally believe that either one could win on any given Sunday. I picked that saying up from my football loving friends.

So, either one could win that’s true. And did the show build the tension? Piers has always been able to pull something out of a hat when push comes to shove. Last night, he was under the gun and things didn’t look good.

He was grabbing some great items to auction from some of the top celebrities in the world. But, it didn’t seem as if he was going to be able to deliver the money. Those items are no good without the money to back it.

Trace Adkins on the other hand was bringing in his celebrities and they were on the ground before we even knew Piers was going to be able to bring any at all. Phone call after phone call and a handful of Cowboys were in the limo. Piers was still scrambling.

But, that’s show business. Build the drama to lead you to think one way when actually things are going a completely different. The winner? Well, first of all the charities won big. They were the reason for it all and they won huge. It was a great thing to see so many people care so much.

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund View Here

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network View Here

Those were the big winners.

And the other winner? Art. Art won in every category. Play tickets were going for huge dollars. Musical instruments from various celebrities were going for big bucks.

Everything that had anything to do with art or the arts were big ticket items bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nothing else can do that. Nothing else evokes as much emotion as a great work of art whether that be a song, a play, a dance or a painting.  It is the breath that gives us all life!

Piers is not a bad guy.  He played the game his way.  And he was driven to win.  But, to see the look in his eye when he talked about his charity.  No, Piers just wanted it that bad.  If he had to play the bad guy to win, he would have to do just that.

Watching him win was a little heartbreaking because of the love everyone including myself feels for Trace.  But, a game is a game and Piers played to win.

National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C., announced on March 11 that they would like to hold a competition for the design project of civil rights engineer Rosa Parks.  If anyone is interested, they need to submit an application by May 30, 2008.  Then, the selection process will begin.

Up to 10 Semifinalists will be chosen to produce small scale models of the proposed Rosa Parks statue and also submit a portrait drawing of her.  The final artist will receive about $250,000 to complete the bronze statue.  Once finished it will be put on display at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building.

This is a great opportunity for the artist who can create a beautiful sculpture.  The artist’s name will forever be known and doors will open that were previously non-existent.  It’s opportunities like these that artists need to recognize when they become available.

Being able to do honor to a great historical figure and to have your work prominently displayed before the eyes of the nation is a proud moment for any artist.  Many of us work on art for own happiness and fulfillment.  But, our art is for others to enjoy as well.

It’s a dream to be acknowledged as a great artist, and even better yet while we are still alive.  If any of you can produce top quality sculptures or know someone who can, go to the Arts Endowment website and follow their instructions.  There are always great opportunities.  Keep yourself informed!

If any of you know of any opportunity at all, please feel free to comment here or email me.  I  would be glad to share it with everyone.

I love when I stumble upon the most unique expressions of art.  It makes the creative juices flow.  Sometimes you wonder where in the world the artist first came up with such ideas.

Take a look at this unique design from Guido Daniele.  Let me give you a hint: there are hands in there.  Guido Daniele is one of those artists who constantly challenges us.  His body painting projects are in a complete realm of their own.

But, body painting isn’t the only way in which Guido has earned his fame.  Look at this beautiful artistic design.  Hint: there’s a door and a bed in there.  That’s what I mean when I talk about unique artistic ability.

I wanted to show you an equally impressive room painting by another artist, but I ran into it so long ago that I can’t even remember where.  But, it struck me because it had simple elements that brought it to life.

It was a bedroom with no windows.  So, the artist painted the walls as if they were brick and painted windows as if you could look out and see a world outside.  I loved the design because it took a dull room with nothing particularly interesting and brought it to life.  Psychologically, it is a more comfortable room.

That’s the mind of the artist.  I love when an artist sees something and decides to duplicate it on canvas or in a sculpture.  But, I also love when an artist sees something that isn’t there yet and makes it happen.  That’s the eye of the artist at work in a deep mind.