January 22

Lots of treasures in here.

I hit the jackpot today. A staff member got me permission to take wood “trash” from the Port Townsend Woodworking Center here on the Fort Worden Site. I have been over twice with my paper bag and stuck my head in the can, gathering little treasures. I must admit that these pieces are more formal than my previous material but I see the growth potential. Here is my first one out of the bucket.

Standing Tall / found wood / 11 × 1 × 1 inches

I decided to stay with my “small and mighty” theme. It seems fitting as a push back to all the political turbulence swirling around. I completed two more landmarks on the Pacific Coast of Washington. First, the sketches, then the finished pieces. The small scale of the image, surrounded by the void of space is like a whisper. And a whisper can be more powerful than a shout. I hope these images honor these amazing natural landmarks.

January 23

On my studio wall at home, I have a sign that says paint sound,, not noise ( I have probably mentioned this in every residency blog but time to mention it again because I still haven’t paid attention to it.) Today, I have been moving paint around, making messes–a lot of noise.

The book, “On Art and Mindfulness- Notes from Anderson Ranch” by Enrique Martinez Celaya has been sitting on my bedside table. I picked it up this morning and found this quote:

Consider painting as a noun not a verb. Think of it as an object of the mind rather than a vessel for, or a record of, the things you do to it. Those who view painting as a verb tend to approach it in terms of actions–strokes, gestures, movement. Those who view paintings as a noun tend to see the work as a mental state, which widens the scope of what the painting can be.

This quote is worth pondering for a painter as well as the viewer. That said, I do believe that a noun and a verb make a sentence— a statement. Strokes, gestures and movement are the pathways to that mental state.— which widens the scope of what the painting can be.

With that in mind, I am going to walk you through my painting process today. The photo on the left, the layering of logs on the beach create these strong compositions of light and dark. I put a white panel on the easel and started applying paint, building up color and texture. I did not have a detailed sketch for reference. ( a lesson to remember to play with the composition first)

I placed it on the floor and kept my eye on it all afternoon, (middle photo) A pile of vertical logs against rocks, bluff and water in the distance emerged. (Anyone who keeps up with my work knows there will always be water and rocks somewhere). Last night, I put the image in Procreate (digital/visual app) and started doodling with lines and color. (right photo - color more intense) Is it working? Who knows? I do know that I won’t walk past those majestic logs again without a nod of appreciation.