What’s in the past….

August 20, 2014 / skyevans / 2 Comments

Stays in the past, right? Well, sometimes it percolates to the surface. Especially if someone loves it and won’t let it die. Seems like our memories are the last link to something real. If the real thing is gone, then the memory is all we have… when they go, that’s it I guess. If the thing is forgotten, does it cease to exist? It does until it is rediscovered… which makes all of this sound very much like the tree falling in the forest scenario. Let me tell you, a falling tree makes a sound, no matter if you are there to hear it or not. Someone, something, somewhere heard it. And falling trees are pretty loud.

My “falling tree” was a painting I did in my college days. It needs a little background to understand. But first, let me point out that the someone who loves it is my niece, Kathleen. Currently in her 20’s, she is exploring all the nooks and crannies of ones mind and is searching for answers. I know that road. I trod it myself for awhile. This post is for you, my dear!

Me, back in the day.

Back in my 20’s I was soaking up all sorts of information. Not only from my classes at school, but from alternate (read: not mainstream) versions of reality. I read everything I could get my hands on about metaphysics, past lives, pyramids, crystals, aliens and their subsequent alien abductions, psychic energy, eastern and native religions, tarot, numerology, even lucid dreaming. I slowly collected a stack of books that filled it’s own bookshelf in our home for years. The day my son called this shrine to alternate realities “Mom’s Crackpot Books” was the day I had a good laugh and really took a hard look at my self and my beliefs.

I had already moved beyond much of that, and I could see where I no longer needed this reading material to collect dust at the end of the hallway. So I passed on a large box of the books to Kathleen who is currently winnowing through the chaff for some truth of her own. I am still open and willing to believe in something… we can’t really know the cosmos and what’s behind the scenes. God, the Universe, the Great Spirit, the Force, Destiny… whatever you want to call it, I’m sure something is there. But I have chosen to not worry about it and instead pour my energy into being the best person I can be right now.

This painting that Kat loves was a direct result of my exploring days. And probably all the other paintings I did back then. I posted several a few weeks back (Dark Shadows). This painting depicts another world. A world of shallow water. It’s all they have to export and they do, to many other worlds. The pyramids they build are beacons, and docking ports for ships that travel the cosmos. Think of it as an interplanetary airport, and I’ve illustrated the “tower”.

Keepers of the Runway. Oil on Masonite board. 1984

Keepers of the Runway. Oil on Masonite board. 1983

Here’s a close up of the keepers themselves:

The keepers up close. One in the boat, one on the dock. Welcome home, honey!

The past may be just 31 years ago (dear GOD how did that happen so fast!) or it may be last week. Either way, time is relative, right? Someone smarter than me said that. And to quote one of my “crackpot books”, Be Here Now. Now is all we have.

The Doldrums

August 12, 2014 / skyevans / 7 Comments

Well well well, it’s been about 3 weeks and still no work to post. Every week rolls by and I think, I’ll get there! I’ll finally get a painting finished and then I can post it! Ok, today! Oh wait, I have to do this…, so, not today. Ok, tomorrow! Ok, well, not tomorrow either. Something has got in the way every… single… day. It’s disheartening and has really taken the wind out of my sails. The really shitty thing is, that I actually have a painting on my easel. But it’s a few hours from being done. And I don’t want to post it until it’s finished.

This isn’t like my wings projects… those were lengthy and time consuming and absorbing. They were interesting and a new process and there just seemed to be loads to actually talk about.

Fun in the sun.

This painting is small. And unobtrusive. And somewhat mundane. But that is exactly what I like about it. Even though I am currently wasting time in my dining room, typing my uninspired thoughts instead of finishing the damn thing. So, I like it, and I can’t get up the gumption to finish it.

Like a sailor on the sea, I am stuck in the doldrums waiting for a fresh breeze.

To be fair, I have been off doing the other things I do… keeping busy with summertime social obligations and activities. I am coming to see the ebb and flow of the creative process that seems (for me) to be very weather dependent. Rainy days are good for getting inside work done. I am not a plein air painter. If you read my last post, you know why I need to be outside. So, needless to say, the horses have been getting a good work out and so has my social skills. Seems like everyone wants to throw a potluck or a barbeque or a wine tasting party. Which is what summer is all about.

But I sure am jonesing for the rain to come back so I can hole up in the studio with a good book on CD, a sleepy dog, a blank canvas and a fresh palette.

Must I finish this little experimental painting? Sigh, I must. Here’s why: It speaks to me. It’s all about the mundane. It’s about elevating the mundane into art. You see, a few weeks ago I was doing a chore I find tedious. The laundry. I know, some folks love it. I find it boring and dull and insipid and all sorts of bland little adjectives. But I was doing it because I have to. Just like most everyone in the world. Unlike many, I am lucky to have my own washing machine and a nice one at that. Unlike some, I am unlucky in that I don’t have someone to do it for me. Dang it.

Anyway, long rambling aside, I was standing there staring at the washer when it occurred to me that the machine itself was actually a lovely bit of design work and I really should be more appreciative of it’s lines and what it can do for me. So I took a picture of it with my phone, went to the studio and using the digital image I sketched out some rough lines and got to work. A total departure from my usual pattern, but I was on a roll. Here’s where I left off:

NOT finished… why is this taking so long???

I thought about it quite a bit while I was off doing other things in between whining to myself about NOT working on it and drinking another glass of wine. But then there was tonight. It rained a little bit… I sat down to waste some time drafting my post. No intention of actually posting since I didn’t have a finished piece. Went out to take a picture of the unfinished project and you know what happened? I picked up the brushes and got busy. SO, after much ado… and lots of silly ramblings… here it is: The Washer. A Thing of Beauty.

The color cycle.

Dark Shadows

July 20, 2014 / skyevans / 6 Comments

Being outside heals me. Outside is bigger than all the sadness in my head. Getting out of my head is a good thing. I spend far too much time in there. -Me

Dear readers… this next post is personal. Since my blog is The Work and Ideas of Sky Evans it seemed time to post some ideas. But maybe it’s more of a confessional? Either way, if you like my art more than words, and you want to skip this wordy post, rest assured you aren’t missing much in the way of visuals. The art I used to illustrate this post is from my early years. Not very good IMO, but interesting to see this other side. Having said that, bear with me while I try something new. Not instructional, or piece specific musings but thoughtful, as in full of thought.

I can't remember when I did this dragon in the clouds... but I kinda like it!

It was 1983 when I did this dragon in the clouds… I never really cared for it, but for some reason I kinda like it now!

In the past few weeks I had the art show in the vineyard and summer time visits with relatives, (both most enjoyable) but lately the weather has rolled in HOT HOT HOT which makes it hard to get much done if you don’t get up early. I like the cold, it sharpens up my brain. Hot weather has me laying around with sweaty glasses of ice tea clutched in my paw, moaning about the heat.

Okay, so it’s not that bad. But the day after the show I did wake up and sigh. Not a “oh woe is me” sigh, or “damn I am about to be evicted” sigh or even a “the world is fucked and my life is ruined” sigh. Just a soft, weak, puppyish whimper… (I invoke the puppy image hoping to come off as cute instead of pathetic). It was a “what now” sigh that I have come to associate with the let down after a long slog uphill. The long slog was all the effort and energy getting ready for the show. Which was good, and productive but definitely falls in the “uphill” category.

My display at the show. All the hard work paid off.

My display at the show. Doesn’t look like that much hard work, but still….

Eight days later and it’s still not all put away. I seem to be having trouble getting my rhythm back after revving my engines for a week in anticipation of that 5 hours at the show. The hot weather does not help.

A thought and this post has been percolating away in my head since waking up with a “what-now-blues” feeling. It’s about temperament. Specifically, artist’s temperament. Somehow, somewhere, I picked up the notion that there was such a thing. And that kind of temperament meant that artists were moody, prone to jags, hard to get along with and somewhat bi-polar, though in the old days, we called it manic/depressive. As far as old days go, I am, literally, a child of the 60’s. Andy Warhol and Peter Max were household names. Jackson Pollock’s death and eccentric style was still in the forefront, and the music of the era included Don McLean’s famous “Vincent” which sparked a fresh look into Van Gogh and his famous mental illness. (His work is among my personal favorites.) Maybe these kinds of artists perpetuated the idea of the “artist’s temperament”. Regardless of where it came from, I somehow grew up with the notion that there was such a thing. And I was determined to prove it all wrong.

I Am The Endless Sky 1985. Gravity defying tubes of paint and the cosmos.

Determined is a good word to describe me. Not the only word, but a good one. It irked me that artists were considered touchy and had to be “handled” for some reason. Fuck that shit, I was as normal as normal could be. Wasn’t I? With a flip of my locks, I would snort derisively. I was determined to be happy, healthy, smart and together! Reasonable, logical, empathetic, someone who was kind, a good person. I wanted to be the best person I could be… I would not be a stereotype. No dark shadows here!!

If I was reading this aloud, here’s the part where I would laugh. Knowingly. Maybe even sarcastically.

Because no one is really normal. Normal doesn’t exist. Decades later, I am finally coming to the realization that normal is an average and averages are made up of numbers that are added together and divided by themselves. How can people be normal? The world is a crazy place (watching the news will prove that) so normal must be crazy. Maybe we should just embrace the crazy and applaud those who manage to cope and thrive amidst the chaos.

So then, is there an artistic temperament? For a long time I didn’t even want to admit to being an artist. Even after I had a degree in Art, one in Art Education and had been an art teacher I was in denial. I think I was denying the stereotype… but often stereotypes exist because they ring of truth. Sigh. So okay, here goes. Here’s my truth: I sometimes dance on the edge of depression. Not a “dancing with the stars” thing, but a little tap dance. I don’t believe I qualify for a full blown depression as outlined in the DSM-5 (not that I’ve read the description… I’d actually rather not know to what level I may rate) but little dark clouds have been a part of my life for a long, long time.

My Life, circa 1985

It’s my version of normal, those little dark shadows. When I was a pup myself, it was like waves of sadness. In my childish mind, I could image I even heard voices whispering to me. Nothing bad, but lonely and very sad. I told my mother about it once; bless her for not minimizing or ridiculing me in any way. I felt safe telling her about it. But that was as far as it went. Which may have been a good thing as it set me up to believe there wasn’t anything wrong about it and so, I didn’t worry about being sad. My coping technique at the time was to sing. I memorized the words to the Eagles song, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and would invoke it whenever those shadows came a calling. It always worked. One run through and my brain was back on track and feeling peaceful and easy.

The inside part.

Well, I grew up and out of my imagined whispering and as life got busy and hectic, the shadows ebbed and were kept at bay with activity. Alcohol in judicious amounts is also a tool for ignoring those small voices. I never was much of a drinker though, I have a fine line for it’s toxic effects. I’m basically a cheap date. Instead I hiked or rode away the sadness. Being outside heals me. Outside is bigger than all the sadness in my head.

The Zoo 1984 In this piece, the protagonist is covered in flowers, she’s an exhibit in an alien zoo. She wants to escape her companions, the fuzzy slugs. But at least she’s OUTSIDE!!

But here’s the funny thing about little dark clouds. They come back around when you aren’t looking. You wake up in the morning and there they are raining on your personal parade. They leave you with a low grade sadness that is aptly named “The Blues”. As a color, I like blue, but as for “The Blues”, well, they fuel my passion for leaving them behind. If I get up and get moving and do something I can outrun them. Maybe that’s why runners run. I’m not a runner, but I can paint. And when I paint, or create, I get out of my head. Getting out of my head is a good thing. I spend far too much time in there.

Fishes and Wishes
Oil on Canvas
12″x16″

In effect, I create because I have to. So maybe there is something to this Artist’s Temperament after all. Am I an artist because I have the temperament or do I have the temperament because I am an artist?

Either way, it’s also telling to me that I spend the most time with people who I believe fall on the low end of the crazy spectrum. I can do edgy people, but only in small doses. But if indeed it is normal to be a touch crazy, then that puts me in the small doses band for everyone. In other words, I can only “do people” in small doses. Which makes me an introvert. And indeed I do need alone time just to recuperate from normal social interactions. Sometimes trying to stay dry under my own clouds is about all I can manage.

Sweet Earth Show

July 16, 2014 / skyevans / 1 Comment

Sweet Earth Vineyard show 2014:

I wound up with this corner to myself. Center table for my prints and cards, then sheets over cases of wine made a good display for the chairs and paintings.

Last saturday was my first show in a vineyard. Well, actually we were in the cold storage room at the vineyard. Thank goodness because it was HOT as hell outside! But only if you definition of hell is in the mid 90’s. That works for me as my melting point is 90. I am no good in a sauna, a sweat lodge or most hot tubs. I am good with snow, but we won’t see much of that for the next few months.

Art Show at Sweet Earth Vineyard was wonderful!

One of the great things about showing is getting a chance to meet your audience and other artists. It’s always nice to sell a piece or two as well as swap ideas about technique and marketing. Making these kind of connections is worth the effort. One of my fellow artists had seen my winged chairs on my blog! I was thrilled… looks like my work is being seen. Which is in keeping with my personal philosophy of art… it’s meant to be shared and seen. If you are an artist trying to make it on your own, you need to market yourself. Not always a task artistic minds are willing or even able to do.

Old friends and new stopped by!

My display at the show. All the hard work paid off.

Even though the show ran from noon to 5, it was weeks in the making. Or years if you go back to when I actually painted a few of the pieces. Then there were days spent getting ready for a 5 hour show. The matting of prints, reframing certain pieces, going over my inventory, creating and finishing new work. After which it was pack for the show, haul to the show, unpack and set up…. do the show then pack up and go home and put it all away. A mighty effort!

The Winged Chairs got sat on! Thanks to my dear friend, Danette P. who worked on staging with me.

Tot sized chair.

It was fun seeing people’s reactions. They really got a kick out of sitting in the chairs. The few times I demonstrated how sitting in the chair did something to the work itself (by actually sitting down) the reactions were priceless! Most were surprised at how I had suddenly sprouted wings. They had to give it a try.

Great shirt, adds to the piece!

Laurie H. makes the chair work.

I do find it hard sometimes to figure out what people want and then weigh that against what I want to create. As an example, the winged chairs make people happy but should I keep making them? Do I have room to store them all? Should I take my friend’s advice and sell them or better still, donate them to a children’s hospital? Now that the idea has taken flight, where should they fly to?

I’m currently trying not to worry about the big picture. I think it will come to me eventually. Having spent much of my art career considering what to create that will SELL, I am forging new pathways in my mind. I’m now focusing on creating for the sake of my SOUL. Creating as a form of expression, a link to my self, a personal journey. And along the way, I’ll be happy to sell a card or print or portrait. Monetary compensation is a form of appreciation and does much to keep the artist (or anyone for that matter!) motivated.

If you are interested in any art seen on my blog, feel free to contact me of course… I have prints and cards for sale. I’ve done Etsy in the past, but you have to really work that site to keep it going and you have to provide your own materials (prints and shipping). But soon I’ll be on an art print site where you can order directly the size you want, including frames. I promise to post that link as soon as it happens.

Melding the artist mind with the business mind is tough. Right now, all I’m thinking about is getting back to my easel. I have an idea that needs painting!

I Am Here

June 25, 2014 / skyevans / 1 Comment

I love maps. There is just something about them, something about knowing where you are. The possibilities of where you can go. Where you have been. I’ve been collecting maps and even drawing rough maps of my local hiking and riding trails for years. When we go on road trips, I’m the navigator. I like to see where we are heading and plan out the best routes. I’ve even dreamt about maps.

Later in life, I took classes on map making, but they were mostly to learn how to use Geographical Informational software, a very complex program that’s replaced traditional drawn maps. GIS is an amazing piece of nerdvana map geekdom and while fun to use and play with, doesn’t fill my visceral map making needs. I’ve been thinking about incorporating maps into my art for some time now. Planning out how and what to map… what I want to show, what kind of information I am trying to impart. But painting doesn’t really work the same way map making does. I generally try not to think or plan too much when I am painting. Exactly the opposite kind of cerebral activity that happens when one is making a map.

A map is ultimately about visual information used to guide someone other than the map maker. It has to stand alone and be clear and precise. A painting doesn’t always have all the answers… it may have more questions than solutions. The two activities seemed to be at odds with each other. So I was stuck with not knowing where to begin and what I wanted it to look like.

Finally it occurred to me, to try something. Anything. To just have a leap of faith… and see what happens.

Here’s what happened:

I Am Here. A map of my trails.

I started with the roads and trails. They aren’t to scale and they aren’t accurate by any means… instead they originate from my home (the large orange circle) and they sometimes follow features and sometimes correspond to actual roads. I wasn’t trying to make a map for anyone else, this map follows an idea of where I am when I hike or ride. Then I added where I remember the water ways to be… they aren’t accurate either. The swirls are back, I used them to show differences in vegetation as well as elevation. They aren’t specific and static, instead they mean different things in different places. But they mean something to me.

This is a personal map. And perhaps that’s where I need to go when I marry my geeky map nerd to my far out painter muse. Just close my eyes and jump!

The Golden Chair

June 15, 2014June 15, 2014 / skyevans / 2 Comments

Chair two took twice as long. I hope this isn’t a trend. The last big problem wound up being color… I couldn’t find just the right color for the chair itself. But after some experimentation and blending, I got it. So, without further ado, here it is!

The Golden Chair!

So far, here is the family of winged chairs. For your imagination to play. Fly!!

Fun in the sun.

Decisions, decisions!

June 12, 2014 / skyevans / 2 Comments

I’m getting a real kick from the new siding on the studio. It’s silly, but it does make me happy to see it so clean and fresh and know I did it myself. I feel very strong and tough and “woman hear me roar-ish”. So this evening I wasted some time taking a few photos now that the flowers are really blooming and everything is looking so gorgeous.

Summer is just around the corner!

When I was done with that, I lined up three chairs and brought out the new wings. You see, unlike Winged Chair #1, I did not start out with a particular chair in mind. I had one, but I never tried out this new pattern on it, or on any other chair. I wasn’t sure how or where they were going to be attached and since I hadn’t worked that out first, my feather pattern wasn’t affected by the shape of the chair back. And now, as I clamped them on the chair I had been considering, I realized why that may not have been the best idea.

They just didn’t fit right in the back… and in the front, well, that didn’t seem right either.

Hmmm, not sure this is the way to go.

I liked how the first chair’s back seemed to integrate into the wings. I don’t want people actually leaning up against the wings if they sit in the chair. And I did intend for people to use the chair… so I did some rearranging. But the wings behind the chair back looks odd too. I moved them back in front, but thought maybe if they went a different way? Well, not so much.

I call this look, The Vulture.

I got out two more chairs and began to experiment a bit.

Interesting!!

Yes, interesting. But the chair seems to be overpowered, even though I like what is happening with the negative space between the wings.

Hank likes the ladderback chair. It's fussy turned rungs seem to go well with the embroidered brocade.

Hank likes the ladderback chair. It’s fussy turned uprights seem to go well with the embroidered brocade.

I like the openness of this chair… the lathe turned uprights also seem to work. The rattan seat, not so much. I may have to cover that in fabric and paint some of the cross bars to match but I think I have the chair that will fit. I really like the curve of the back, they echo the curve of the wings. I’m hauling it all into the studio today so next post will be the finished product. Stay tuned!

Winged Chair #2

June 9, 2014 / skyevans / 2 Comments

With the studio finally re-sided, I could get back to work. I can’t believe how many delays got in my way on this particular project, but I’m in the home stretch now! I was so excited when I found the “new to me” fabric store in Junction City. Remains of the Day is a store full of scraps. Literally! Ok, they have some bolts too, but mostly what they specialize in are the remnants from the local RV manufacturing businesses that kept Junction City booming before the economic down turn. Though some of these big RV builders went out of business long before the housing bubble burst, their fabrics remain all cut up and ready for resale at this little hole in the wall store.

Remains of the Day

Goes on and on…

It’s quiet storefront did not prepare me for the Aladdin’s cave of wonders that seemed to go on and on! I was pleased to find such a local treasure and the owner, Jeff, was very helpful! Facebook link here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Remains-of-the-Day-Fabrics/485790398146044

I had a great time choosing many fabrics for the next set of wings. Once again I walked out with more than I could use on the project, but it was hard to say no to all those fabulous colors and textures.

Helpful Mike! Take note of the fabric he's holding for me. You'll see it again in a minute.

Helpful Jeff! Take note of the fabric he’s holding for me. You’ll see it again in a minute.

When I finally got a chance to work on the wings, rather than re-use the pattern from Winged Chair #1, I opted to create a different set of wings. I perused some of my notes, looked at wings on the internet and sketched out some ideas. Then I made a pattern out of butcher paper and cut it out. I traced the top side on one board, flipped it over and traced out the other wing for a perfect symmetrical set.

New pattern, all cut out and ready to go!

A woodworker friend suggested a new glue for me to try… the hot glue was ok, but not the best solution for long term integrity, so I gave the 3M formula 77 a whirl. I was skeptical at first as it seemed like a sketchy hold, but by the next day, the fabric I tested was holding solid and tight! It took me a few days to hunt down a dealer for this stuff. Some on-line outlets wanted $25 a can plus shipping and you had to order 10. Criminy! Then, while shopping for re-siding supplies at Jerry’s, (our locally owned DIY home improvement store) I found it for the much more reasonable price of $10. There is no accounting for this difference, but it does serve to prove that it pays to shop around. It also mystically “proves” that I had to side the studio before I could finish this project. Hmmmm.

3M magic!

Well the wonder glue has it’s own issues… while it holds well, it comes in a spray can. I couldn’t have worked with it indoors, but with the weather nice, it wasn’t too hard to step out when it came time to spray. Of course, now that means we have another problem… overspray. Sigh. I really don’t like being so meticulous with my work. It slows down my ju ju.

Figuring out what goes where.

I started to lay down some fabric but was making a mess with all the spray business. I thought about my handy little glue gun, but damn it, the spray glue works… and it works really well. So I knuckled under and took the time to cut out and apply an intricate series of masks to each portion of the wing. Then did it again for the other side. All with a one time use. Most tedious.

Masking off areas I don’t want glue all over.

Am I suffering for my art? YES!

I really disliked that part, but adopted a “Que sera sera” approach and just did what I had to do. Through it all, I was listening to an awesome book on CD, so after a chapter or two, I didn’t even notice the wretched task. Once the fabric started getting layered, the wings began to take shape! I was still using the brayer to smooth the fabric, but without the bulky hot glue oozing everywhere, (not to mention burning my fingers from time to time) the profile of the wings were sleek and flat.

Smoooooth!

As I began hot burnishing the edges, I remembered that I forgot to paint the wood. Oops. It worked out ok, I just painted them later… though much more carefully.

Hot burnish.

I propped the finished wings on my easel and took a look. Hmmm…. something missing. I didn’t want to add bric a brac, though I did think about sequins or stones or some other fun application. But ultimately, I am a painter, so out came the paints.

Not exactly fabric paints, but that never stopped me before.

I began letting loose a bit more than the first set of wings. I’m pretty happy with the results so far.

Dots? Why not?

The chair itself is waiting for a thorough going over, and I’ll have to make some decisions to paint or not… but until then, here’s where the wings are for now. Consider this “Stage 1”. Next post: “Stage 2”.

Snazzy!!

The studio gets a face lift.

June 2, 2014June 3, 2014 / skyevans / 3 Comments

I was really motivated a few weeks ago to get my next chair project started. I had found a new, and close by (which is important if you live in the country where everything is at least a half hour away) fabric store where I added to my color palette. I also got some glue tips from a local woodworker, so I thought I’d try out the new glue system while I was at it. The sketches were finished, the wings cut out, the model made… when the unthinkable happened.

It stopped raining.

The sun came out.

And the grass started to grow.

Sigh. In the Pacific NW you had better start mowing when this happens. Soon all hell will break loose and if you have a lawn or two or three, you better get to it while you can. A frenzy of rapid fire growth coupled with dry weather means you actually can cut it before it gets out of hand. So that was task one. The lawn tractor saw some serious action.

Then the garden and the weeds and all that pruning I had meant to get to, got gotten to. While slaving, er, working in the garden around the studio, I remembered another task I had put off for years. Residing the studio. Yes, it’s quaint in pictures. But in reality, it’s a haven for wasps and other crawly things and needed to be repaired and caulked. The cedar shakes were thin, worn out and curling… the fir half rounds were dried out and peeling away from the building in places. The more I looked at it, the more I realized repairs alone wouldn’t cut it. All new siding was in order.

Sigh… again.

My son is home from college (easy labor), the sun is out (the studio won’t get wet without clothes), the lawn is mowed (damn it), so no more procrastinating. We ripped it off.

We started slow, like a band aid.

Here she is… stripped bare to the late spring sunshine!

The old Tyvek was showing some signs of wear.

Actually, the pink house wrap had done a pretty good job. But it did little to deter the insects that crept through the cracks and crevices. So I got some heavy tar felt (30# for those who know or even care!) and gave her some heavier undergarments!

Winter undies!

The same thoughtful woodworker friend gave me a valuable tip on where to locate affordable lumber. Off I went to procure… a decision was made as to dimensions of board, then another regarding vertical or horizontal application. Vertical won… with the hopes it would shed rain better. And I was ready for a change.

Vertical stripes make you look slimmer. Or so they say.

With the two of us, it really didn’t take that long. The weather was gorgeous, and I was pleased to see the studio didn’t have any structural damage. Mostly just cosmetic. So I must have done something right!

Not too bad!!

Then we moved on to what I consider the front… though really not sure why. The West side gets lots of hot sun when we actually get sun, so most of the damage to the shakes happened here. All went into a scrap pile for kindling this winter.

Side two went much easier. All squares… no angle cuts!

Just a few odds and ends to finish, but pretty much done!

It’s kinda strange to see the studio this way… it looks nice, but it’s like looking at an old friend you haven’t seen in ages and they lost a ton of weight and had a serious make over. You know it’s still them, and they look fantastic, but damn, they don’t quite line up with who you thought they were. It’s going to take a little getting used to, but she sure is pretty! I’m liking the new you, sister!

Next post will feature new work…. spoiler alert, I got a big head start on the new wings.

Swirls

May 13, 2014 / skyevans / 2 Comments

Now that I am writing about my art, I find that I am thinking about the process of creating art . Not only current artwork, but projects from the past. I’m starting to see trends and themes that I never really saw before. When you have a body of work to pull from, you will invariably have threads of your creative process that show up in more than one place. Thus the title of this post: Swirls.

I had just finished an incredibly realistic painting of a wolf howling, so detailed, you could see his breath and practically every hair. It’s nice, but I think I painted it to prove to myself I could be “tight”… it was an exercise in skill. How good was I? Well,after it was done, I thought, pretty good! Here it is, judge for yourself:

Full Moon Song Oil on canvas board 18"x24"

Full Moon Song
Acrylic on canvas board
18″x24″

It was a painstaking process and after I was done, I felt the need to loosen up. To stretch a little, as it were. I built a large canvas out of unbleached duck (a grade of canvas) and set it up on my easel. Hmmm, now what? For some reason, I didn’t prime the canvas. I don’t remember what possessed me not to apply gesso… maybe I was out. It was a long time ago and we were barely scraping by, living in a run-down (read death trap) trailer and sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

I stood in front of the raw canvas and closed my eyes for a minute. Took a deep breath and hoping something would come to me, did a mini meditation. Nothing. Another deep breath and this time I said, “Ok… Whatever is in me or around me that paints through me, now’s your chance. You can do whatever you like… I’m tapped out of ideas right now, you give it a go.” Or words to that effect, it was (literally) decades ago.

I put some paint on my palette, picked up a fan brush (which I never use, so that was new right there) and began painting these swirls. I scrubbed paint into the dry and porous surface, rubbing in every bit, letting the canvas soak up the pigments and oil. I hardly used any turpentine, just some linseed to help the paint flow in places. I scrubbed and scrubbed and wore the brush down to a nub. By the time I was through, this had emerged:

The muse painting.
Oil on Canvas
2.5’x3′

It was pretty cool and very different from anything else I’d done before. I liked it! But life got in the way after that. I set aside my paints as we moved, got new jobs, had a baby. I poured my creativity into other outlets. I gardened, sewed baby clothes, drew small illustrations, took up basketry and jewelry making. One day I realized it had been almost 10 years since I had painted… how on earth had that happened?! Well, enough time had gone by, so I built an easel, set it up in my laundry room and got back at it. I painted a couple of horses and some small landscapes. And you know what? Those swirls began to pop up where I least expected.

Oregon High Desert
Oil on Canvas
24″x18″

The above painting used to be twice as wide and featured my horse running in the desert. But it wasn’t very good… and to top it off, I had some issues with that particular horse. One day, in a quasi exorcism from him, I cut up the painting and cut him out of my life. The best part of this painting had never been him anyway. It was this half with all the swirls and flow.

We moved again and now I had my studio set up in the one car garage. I worked small but I kept swirling about. An avid backpacker, I began to paint where I’d been.

Mary’s Peak
Oil on Canvas
12″x18″

The Steens Oil on Canvas board 8″x10″

Three Fingered Jack

I even hid things in the swirls. See if you can find the three sisters… they’re not hidden very well.

Three Sisters
Oil on Canvas
22″x28″

It looks like I went through a landscape phase here. The swirls began to get more prominent.

Purple Leaves Oil on Canvas
24″x36″

I even explored some illustrative themes. I rarely paint people. The 3 Sisters were a place, but also something spiritual. With that in mind, I painted this next piece. But it’s somehow too personal… the figure looks sadly troubled. I probably should stay away from people… they never are quite what I expect them to be. This one seems to be ignoring the spiritual wisdom that is being doled out to the fish in the stream. Yes, yes, lots of symbolism here.

Fishes and Wishes
Oil on Canvas
12″x16″

Throughout all this, the bristles on my brushes got smaller and smaller. But I kept working on prepared canvases, ones where the surface is primed. I decided to see if I could recreate the original flavor of that first swirly painting. So I stretched out a couple of huge canvases and decided to return to the original raw/scrubbed in format. By the time I got to this point, my husband and I built my studio. Right on top of the garden. I was actually kicking tomatoes out of the way as we measured off the space. Gardening took a back seat and rightly so.

Orange Swirls
Oil on raw Canvas
36″x48″

Rainbow Swirls
Oil on raw canvas
36″x48″

I was feeling pretty good about these, though they are somewhat overpowering when hung in a small room. Especially the rainbow one. So I toned it down with some smaller paintings.

Blue swirls.
Oil on Canvas
18″x24″

Small Orange
Oil on Canvas board
8″x10″

I did a few more small ones, where I explored purple and green, they weren’t very exciting, so no pictures. Believe me, you aren’t missing much. I think I was running out of steam for pure swirls. I returned to painting horses. The Red Flame horse is a prime example of swirls in my work (you can find it in the horse art gallery). They continue to slip into my paintings, so I know my muse is still with me in spirit. She does not disappoint. Most recently she returned with, well, not a vengeance, but with a will!