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	The idea that a creator would escape within themselves and walk around an uncreated landscape, sort of experiencing the unexperiencable, and then have the ability to transfer some of that to a visual form that others might see...it seemed pretty cool and definitely not something everyone can do. Intriguing to me is why you guys bother, why an artist or creator bothers using time and effort and energy/power when more is unknown about the reception of the work than is known...on top of the bare exposure the artist has when showing a work even of a flower in a vase let alone some inner landscape that someone else might recognize either through their own experience or through what they've been taught...it all gets mysterious and exciting to me. And reinforces my idea that some artists might actually end up partial heroes. So, innerscapism. I already bought www.innerscapism.com
	there is a smell in contemporary art because no one wants to think art out. It’s much easier putting bullshit on the wall and adoring it than it is putting dead nuns on the wall and going through the machinations of figuring all that goes with the dead nuns...that’s too hard for the gallery owner, for the idiotic viewer with the wine soaked fingers and cheese dick breath….one time I felt bad for an artist (I don’t know why because I’m generally a red white blue prick) and I said I’d put up his idiotic representative art that really kind of sucked real bad. The ass emails me back after my usual email and said “ hey!! I get 300 dollars for these, you’re crazy”…and I thought you dumb motherfucker about myself, kept saying that over and over to myself so much I wanted to punch myself but didn’t. another time, I didn’t email an artist back and they resubmitted like ten times. Finally, I don’t know how but the artist got my email address and said like “ fuck you, who the fuck are you, you don’t say what’s art, you aren’t the fucking king of art, like some general massing the art army” or something like that. And I said to myself” you stupid fuck “ again over and over about myself until I wanted to drop a big sharp rock on my foot but didn’t. anyway (I’ll shut up soon but you bitched so you deserve it) these two instances are for me just what is wrong with art….as if what I thought should matter to an artist enough to make them mad or as if 300 dollars was worth anything in the world of art. If a urinal can be art then what I think about somebody’s work is irrelevant and if I can attach money to a work then why not just hang the fucking money on the wall. The big bitch about art comes down to this….most people want their art to match their couch. Those people shouldn’t have art eyes, their eyes should go blind when they look at art, like the sun is right in front of them or a laser is stinging their eyes. I can’t blame people for not buying art but when they buy art to match their walls and think they are buying art, they shouldn’t be allowed alone with their thoughts. Everything they think should light up across their chests like a blimp so we could monitor them because they’re crazy bastards and we shouldn’t have to believe anything they say if their art matches their rug, even if it is a coincidence. I better shut up
About George Lloyd Heslet, jr.	George died June5, 2003. He was my first artist and lived nearby in the old steel town of Homestead. We met in early 1999 on the streets and without his unreasonable belief in this experiment, I would have quit long ago. George had nothing except his wife and kids. We visited often, mostly at his house or in Homestead. His little basement cramped at the sides with his art, stuffed to the ceiling, and the dark, damp confines always called to mind a cave where painting clung to walls. George literally scoured the earth for his supplies, picking up the castoffs of a society bent on new and using what scraps he found to craft his art. He earned the name Discard Artist. When he died, he was only around 45 and clean but an early big life addicted to narcotics and alcohol never let go. I miss him and when I look to the early morning sky, I see his color all over again.
About Michel Keck	TheRawArtist Michel Leah. Her art appears to be created by Nature Herself, a glimpse into the unusual world that exists right as creation happens. Other pieces are clearly inspired by faith and hope in the beliefs that push her through life. And then there are portraits, views of herself and others within that show the filtered color of her world. I've tried to look at her art dispassionately, attempting to find the technique of her craft. What I discover over and over is an amazing ability to transfer to canvas that which exists in her thoughts. That is her technique, the clear and complete desire to express fully herself in her work. The Raw Artist Michel Leah is extraoridnary, an alien amongst the natives.
About Beverley Ashe	Titled "Angel of Lost Keys", the painting captures an image of the angel seemingly as it blinks into our world, almost by mistake. Ashe catches the angel holding keys in the right hand, offering them to the viewer almost as a ransom to let the angel escape back into the world whence it came. Be careful about taking them...who knows what they open. The paint, colors, texture, markings, scratches and words all combine to make this less a painting than it is a real thing. I feel like I have an angel, like a scorpion trapped in amber. Fantastic vision to stand before.
Anne Grgich	Dear John, This is not personal, it is a professional matter: Please remove my art for sale on your site, this was never a condition that we agreed upon, also the price you list has been inconsistent, as well the image is not the right coloring. Also that you have paypal, next to my work, I never agreed to this, maybe you should just take my work off completely. I never thought you'd want to make so much money off the sale of my work, when you gave me the impression you were collecting it. I prefer to not have my work for sale on your site, and that you changed the price, and the work is old work, and the price is inconsistent, and the image looks rather poor. Probably not your fault. I hope your doing good, and that you are having a nice summer, and that one day we may meet and laugh.. Also it looks like your site is really building up... that's awesome, I just was never under the impression you were selling work, this breaks contract, and bothersome legal measures could be involved if a change is not made soon. Anne
About Andrew Masters	Masters lives in France and let me know that he would fly to Florida with the artwork under his arm and mail the painting from the states due to high shipping costs. I never thought it would happen but he became another shining example of the honest generosity of people all across the world.
Outsiderart.info	Please don't take this personal....I will remove the art but I suggest you go ahead with the legal measures as it would entertain me. Please send me a copy of the contract when you get a chance. And look up the definition of collector. I've enjoyed exhibiting your work but would also enjoy removing all of it if that is your wish.
America Oh Yes	I am hoping that you can help me locate Karl Mullen. I have an address for him and could write to him, but I am deaf and my best form of communication is by email. My name is Joe Adams and I have the America. Oh, Yes! Art Gallery. As a matter of fact you have 5 images that we bought from Karl displayed on your website. Anyway, I meet him last year at Folkfest in Atlanta. I would like to buy some more of his small pieces for our gallery, but I would really like to talk to him about is doing a show of his larger works in our DC gallery in 2005. We are already working on the 2005 show schedule so I was hoping to communicate with him soon. If you are not able to provide an email address, perhaps you could forward this to Karl and have him contact me. I didn't want to have to wait in hopes that I would see him again in Atlanta this year. Thanks so much in advance for your help. Joe Adams America. Oh, Yes!
Angela Moore	I am interested in hiring Jesse Reno to do a cover for our magazine. How can I contact him? Angela Moore Art Director The Santa Fe Reporter
Jesse Reno	thanks so much... i made contact today, looks like i got the job!!! a cover for a news weekly about meth addicts... i really appreciate the connection and follow thru...
Outsiderart.info	Sorry for the delay. My real job had taken me away from home and all but work issues but I have returned to the lighter side of life. I am real glad to read emails from you and hope you know that you can send me something to read anytime you want. As for advice...I'm not sure I'm qualified to say what you need to hear but I'll say what I think is right....I know little of the debate with the definition of outsider art and classification of artists. That really is very little concern to me and frankly gets in the way of my purpose with the site. I do know that I am outside the art world and need validation of that fact from noone. You are on the site because I like your art very much, not because you have declared yourself an outsider art, closeted or not. Oh, the horror, to be discovered to have taken an art class! Feel the shame of the discovery of a drawing class in an artist's past! As for defining outsider art using the artists life as a determining factor...its all bullcrap designed to limit entrance into galleries. Thats all it is. Its meaningless as a genre and meaningless as it applies to production of artwork by a human. There exists no more definable outsider artist as there exists one true religion. Here is the important thing...you have discovered within yourself that which has potential to link you to others through the use of color, line and style. You have determined that there may be another language besides the spoken word that you have begun to learn to use. Art communicates, inspires, rejects, embraces, instills, enrages...all with tools designed to reach another through their senses. You are, at the least, a painter, an artist. Your struggle with definition is the same struggle that caused Duchamp to all but quit the painters life even at the beginning of a movement he made famous. Rather than validate the view of others, he literally stopped (after producing a masterpiece so don't throw out your paints yet!) and began to proclaim rather than produce art.....a bicycle wheel on a stool, a pain of glass, a urinal. Instead of succumbing to, worrying over and living by the narrow view of others, he decided that the only view was no view (the historical problem with this is that, of course, deciding to have no view actually is a view but lets not go nuts). I think you are an artist, Fr. Andrew, and you have the same doubts as most people living a regular, non-creative life. But for an artist, the doubts are darker, go deeper. Incrimination filtered through doubt creates despair. And thats no way to be. Think less of what you are and more of who you are. You have a colorful vision to share. Changes to that vision are natural and sometimes painful and the time spent working through those changes at times is too long, too costly. But the trick is to make the changes anyway. To stick to it, if creating art can't be stopped. As for the brothers, I think you ought to do more with less. Politely thank them for their past financial support of your art but inform them that you won't need it, or as much of it, as in the past. That you have discovered another way of creating based on use of less materials to create a more intense artwork. They won't know what you are talking about, will think you mad and will let you alone to do as you please. The artist that inspired me to continue the site at my darkest moments amde his art from what he found and scrounged, out of necessity. He lived a meager life mostly because of his mistakes and excesses. He always said to me "You can't quit because someday you will do good for me and me for you. And if not for me, then for somebody deserving good more than me. I know you can't see that now but I can!" He barely had cover from the rain but felt the need to make me know that someone believed. And so I do to you. I believe in your art. I wish I could do more, be more of a patron and perhaps someday I will. As for Mikey Welsh and Andrew Masters... Mikey explodes art and paint, has moved to creation with his hands and would love to hear from you. He may not email you back immediately but please write him. He is on to something and just can't stop. He's a great guy, He was bassist for a band called Weezer, disappeared one August 2001 and reappeared as a painter-artist. Please contact him. Andrew Masters carried the painting he gave me on an airplane from Paris to the US. It is a work on paper laid on wood and traced with wires, rods and wood. Its hard to see online but the work magnetizes me. He's a great guy and would love to hear from you. He's taking a small truck to the Raw Arts Festival and you may be able to give him some hints. I better shut up now, have talked too much...... I hope you find intrigue, comfort and inspiration in my words to you as your art does that to me. peace

Outsiderart.info	Hello again, Hope all is well. Periodically, I have to make decisions on the site and sometimes those decisions involve removing some of the galleries. Mostly, it is a business decision and nothing to do with the merits of the artwork. I exhibit the work for a period of time and then the site popularity creates a need for space. Because I like all the art I exhibit and the artists I write to, the decisions are hard for me and for the artists, too. I recently removed your gallery and the galleries of five or so other artists. The process will continue over time. When making the decision on which to remove, when the artwork itself is equally appreciated, it comes down to the scope of the artwork sent. Your pieces that were sent are appreciated but do not approach the size, quantity or representational quality of the work in the images you sent me from your exhibition. Nor do they measure up when compared to most of the artists on the site and all of the recent additions. I want to make this clear....I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE ARTWORK. Anyway, I've probably said too much and don't wish to cause you any trouble. If in the future you are able or willing to submit work and send along artwork representational of the bulk of your work, let me know.
Outsiderart.info	I realized about five years ago that the public would use the term outsider art as a search word when the looked for new and innovative art that didn't look like ,nor was created in the manner of, traditional art. Even if they did not understand the term "outsider art" they would use it! So I knew that I was really outside the art world and captured the name. I wanted outsiderart.com but it was taken by a software company. I began to structure the underlying code of the site to be recognized by Google, as I knew then that noone could beat Google for use. Soon, Google was indexing the site from top to bottom and picking up names of the artists. I never really asked for links from other sites but they began to develop on their own. And artists began to find the site and want to be a part of it. My only intention ever was to expose their art to a wide audience. Over time, because of the quetions on why there was no fee, I began to ask for an original and it worked. All of the artists presently on the site have sent originals. Now, the site comes up very high in Google search because of the great art, traffic to the site and superior links. It has all happened pretty much like your drawings....somehwat unconsciously ( I know that doesn't adequately describe the way your drawings are created but ...). I receive submissions regularly and have determined that I have a responsibility to the artists already on the site when consdering new exhibitions. I want to open a gallery, I think every day about it. It is the next logical step and will allow me to help the artists with commerce. The website can only do so much. Thanks for your email. It gave me a chance to write some things I've thought to write. I'll shut up now. peace.
Aster	I have made two originals just for the purpose of connecting to you and the venture directly. I intend to draw one more. I will send you all three in a day or so. Aster
Billy Bob Beamer	I am curious--and saddened--that you removed me from the outsiderart gallery. Is it because I had not updated my gallery? Or some other reason? I had really been getting a lot of good response to my appearance on your site, and in fact was writing someone tonight to refer them there, but...I had planned to send an updated disk of recent works when it is finished. I have had a series of health problems that has slowed me down, along with some other things. Perhaps you would be willing to give me some feedback. ?
Billy Bob Beamer	don't mean to sound contentious, negative, or obsessive (though I am that...) but am simply trying to clarify what I have done/continue to do in my art. In that regard, I want to stress that the works in my exhibition--the images I sent you -- were only a small fraction of my show. I sent 2 images: one embodied a group "Messages" project that I conceptualized: works that were created by me over a 2 year period (& placed in plastic bags), and that were assembled by others (for aesthetic reasons as well as my own physical limitations, written about in the show). This image was part of 1 (of seven) mini-installations. Second, I sent you my 'show card' (via email, and by snail mail). This showed a small part (& small works) in another mini-installation, entitled "Messages: Alter/Altar." The exhibition, in other words, throughout, contained Messages pieces and my Messages "aesthetic/philosophy," that I had sent to you in written format at the get-go. (This philosophy has been re-worded over time, and I had about 30 written "Messages" statements posted along with the show). All of my works on your site--except the work I sent you, of course--were in the show. Again, my recent "Word Dust" series is in the Messages vein. I think they are among the most important works I have done. I believe in them strongly, as have a few other artists and others (academics & nonacademics), who have been, for example, buying my stuff. These "Microinteractive/Word Dust" pieces are the images I will send, as soon as help & health permit. Regarding my "Messages" exhibition, an arts professor at Radford University wrote that my body of work was "one of the most exciting and challenging in the 25 year history of the Fine Arts Center"…and caused him "to re-think [his] own conception of art and organization of it." Mostly, John, I continue to be met with incomprehension, derision, or am ignored---a reality, yes, even in the 21st century…I was doing what I do LONG before Jacob el Hanani, Wes Mills, and others of the "Microwave" ilk. Not to say that their works are bad----indeed I love them, and they are fantastic!…But I guess its called being at the right place at the right time. I won't "wander…shaking an empty fist at the moon," to quote you, but I will keep going, regardless... You do not need to respond to this email (unless you want, as I mentioned in my last email, to make suggestions on 'representation quality'.) I will let you know via email when I am ready to send my package. I hope I have not taken up too much of your time with these emails. It's just that you seemed to initially really like what I did, and then, ...I'm not sure...even though you said it had nothing to do with the QUALITY of my artwork. In any event-- again--I am most sincere when I say I do truly appreciate all you did for me, regardless of where things are now, and I wish you and your family a happy and blessed new year.
Melanie Faucher	I also feel really excited, this is the first time someone i don't know see my work and the first time that my work will be exhibited.That's why i'd like to thank you firstly for your website and then for the help you give to artists through your passion.... i am also addicted to art since i was a child, and even if i don't consider myself as an artist i've always wanted to participate to an exhibition ..and maybe meet people with whom i could learn more (i've never been to an art school, or anything like that)... thanks Mélanie Faucher
Katherine Skaggs	Just wanted you to know that I shipped your painting out Tuesday, and it is scheduled to arrive Monday by UPS according to my records. The name of the piece is Mayan Warrior Priest. It is a 16x20” acrylic on canvas. I hope you like it. The piece is very much about strength, yet sacredness and honor. This “being” is direct and about business, making eye contact with intensity. I hope you like the piece.
OutsiderArt.info	over the last hundred years or so, artists like franz marc, egon schiele, liubov popova, august macke......have died in the midst of recreating an art that may have somehow been passed to them. marc and macke died in world war I, marc after volunteering and died at age 27 and macke was drafted and died young. both were important parts of the blue rider group that feel apart after their deaths. more importantly, especially marc, the artwork they were working on ceased developing with their deaths. kandinsky pushed some of it through as he was friends with them but the spirit of their art was lost with them, not forever but rather finding an outlet ( this is just my idiotic theory and develops as i think about it). schiele died at 28 in a flu epidemic of 1918. his art came but never developed. others can be added to the list. that force of art doesn't dissipate with a human passing, i don't think. someone comes along and feels something, moves within a different slice of life than others, and somehow that artwork, or what it has become as it waited for its time, comes out....on canvas...as sculpture...who knows as what, maybe sometimesas music or thoughts put to paper. when I look at your artwork, some of it, i know it is not all of you, that its beginnings are from before the both of us were around. some of the art you make has fallen to you to produce, to create from a jar of color that which otherwise would lay fallow. i could say much more but its probably best that you continue what you are on to without my interruption. i usually hesitate to say much because its not really my place. creation is such a delicate balance between intervention and invention that i think it best be undisturbed from without, that from within comes the brightest light.
Melanie Faucher	Hello,The painting i have sent you is a kind of self portrait ...i explain : i tried to represent myself with the emotions i was feeling at the same time.the body is tortured by the blue and the white .... this expresses how i feel my body. if you look attentively an arm is missing : the body is not uniform(that's why i try to distort the people i represent) and not undestructible ...sometimes you can have this strange sentation that something is missing .... this is what i wanted to show : a crippled body is still a human body that feels, thinks ...this can appear evident but i think it is not for every one ....the hand is like disappearing because i see the body as ephemeral (it is of course but we can sometimes forget it )the face .... maybe the most recurent thing i can paint ...always the same... no mouth or a destructed one.... it may represent my difficulty to communicate, i don't really know ....in the "background" (there is no real one, in fact it is part of the body but i prefer to use this term)so in this part you can sometimes see faces ....as a spirit that follow you .... maybe as a nightmare some poeple told me it was like the spirit of the body wich became more important and more obvious than the material part of Human beings. the colours : i don't pay so much attention to this ...i take one without thinking (of course sometimes i have a particular idea and i try to reproduce it but it is quite rare).some can have a meannig : like green represent Madness to me , white is a colour that can hurt because it is an aggressive one and because it is the first one you see on the painting. i hope i was clear ...but it is difficult to me to express exactly what i want in english....if you have any question i would appreciate to answer thank you Mélanie.