John Mellencamp, observer

I was looking at this month's Nashville Arts Magazine while waiting on a delivery this morning; it has an interview with John Mellencamp that I really enjoyed. His paintings frankly aren't to my taste, but his observations about math and baggage and hypocrisy all spoke to me -- I like how grounded he is.

Math? you ask. From the mouth of Cougar? Why, yes:

As much as I hate to admit it, math is very important in everything, in music and in painting. If your math is incorrect you're not going to get the results you're looking for. ... I'm not saying you can't make a beautiful painting without math or without certain rules, but I couldn't get the results I do without following them.

And on spectators who don't take his painting seriously because he's a rock star:

I get that. I do the same thing. I'm human. I'm like, what is this actor doing with a guitar in his hand; he can't even act. I totally understand, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter to me. ... people who know nothing about art say, "I could've done that, but the point is, they didn't. It's like someone walking up to me and going, "Hey, I could've written 'Pink Houses,' but you know -- they didn't. I did. Same with my paintings.