Footsteps

In Spring 2010 I entered the old building downwtown, formerly known as "The Metropolitan".  Abandoned for years, it was just getting cleaned out with a bulldozer parked in the center of the 9,000 square foot main floor.  Dust and debris covered the floor, while treads from shoes of the cleaning crew left their marks.  Some of the tiles looked like abstract landscapes, but the shoe treads reminded me of my history with this building.  I photographed the drab tiles on the floor, most of which are worn, cracked and scarred from years of use, misuse and neglect.  I was getting ready for this space to made into a lively center of arts projects this summer, in which I was to be one of several studio artists.  I was reminded of the history of the many pairs of feet that had trod on this urban landscape, including mine and my mothers, years ago.

My mother, Christeen Bolt, was one of the people whose busy feet walked through the Metropolitan Store when I was young.  Later as a young mother, I brought my own children to buy trinkets and such.  It was an easy challenge to find how many things we could each buy for a quarter -- metal cricket clickers and plastic toys for party favors, plastic french fry baskets, surplus sewing notions, ribbons, bags of marbles.  It was a cavernous store full of all kinds of mostly useless and unattractive stuff.  Probably ugly shower curtains were to be found there, too.  Perhaps it was nicer in its heyday, before I was born.

Mother taught elementary school, first in California, and later in Oregon, retiring in 1986.  She passed away in 1998.  When I later had the sad chore of going through her belongings, I got to what was left at the bottom of her closet.  As I sat on the floor, I found myself eye-level with her shoes, standing straight up in the metal stand, looking ready to go for the day.  In front and center were her worn out tan, leather size 10-1/2 shoes that she had worn on playground duty.  Even after retirement, they remained her go-to ugly-but-comfortable shoes for her big, flat feet.  She used to say that her big feet gave her a "Good Understanding of Life" and always ensured she left a "Big Impression."  It took me a few years of maturity to appreciate her dry wit.

The gaping empty shoes mirrored the emptiness I felt, as I foolishly and fervently wished her feet so suddenly be back in these shoes, with all the rest of her intact and healthy.  Her shoes reflected her journey and passion in life: educating young minds.  Her feet, always so steady and strong as she watched over her students in the classroom and on the playground.  Big feet that pressed the gas pedal in the car, ferrying us kids to music lessons, the library, swimming, and the beach.  Great, beautiful solid feet that carried her as she laughed, chasing her grandchildren.

Although her feet will leave no more impressions, the places those feet took me continue to influence me, my children, and eventually their children.

Now, there are footsteps here in this art space, this Project Space.  Laughter and conversations of those creating art as well as those appreciating and supporting art being made.  Leaving their own impressions. 

Small feet, big feet
Footsteps long forgotten that left no impression
Footsteps from people no longer alive
Footsteps from those who have forgotten being here
Footsteps from some, who will remember.

I am a painter.  I make art, I create.  I photographed several of the floor tiles with the most 'character' to inspire mixed media paintings on 12 wood panels.  Applying up to 20 layers of paint with brush, rag, screens and scrapers, I added my own collaged images.  The finish looks like wax, but is actually 2-3 layers of my own recipe for faux encaustic (wax) that adds a depth and aged look.  Shown above is one of the finished wood panel pieces, showing a division of  4 tile spaces.

For the Wildlife: Washing Our Faces in Oil

I work in a series of paintings, so many ideas spring to mind that I don’t want to put them all in one piece. It is just as easy, and provides more creative outlets for me to do several pieces as a series, rather than just one. I utilize recovered/recycled papers, often using salvaged pages from National Geographic magazine, treating it with a solvent that dissolves the ink, leaving some text exposed, mingled among ink colors dispersed in random patterns. Each 3x3 canvas is sealed with my unique faux encaustic media.

This Quadtych represents the creatures and birds of the sea hoping for rescue and salvation from the Gulf Coast oil disaster. Clockwise L-R are (1) a seabird circling the sun, escaping the oil, yearning for salvation;(2) is underwater view of a sea turtle with the sun shining above, with the turtle’s outline digitally “solarized” to create a glow;(3) is a crested seabird soaring above the water, its wingtips nearly touching those of its brothers and sisters; (4) is a zoom-out of many seabirds randomly flying around circular shapes, now representing the dangers of multiple oil wells threatening the ocean and its inhabitants.

In the process of finishing this piece, I was using the National Geographic pages in another series that I am simultaneously working on (I have to find something to do while waiting for paint to dry). I randomly chose one page out of hundreds that I have on hand, because it had a pattern I thought would work, but I didn’t need the other half of that page. The design didn’t look like anything I would use so when I turned it over to check the pattern on the reverse side, the following text stood out:

“There is only one joy for us,
And this is all we need,
To wash our faces in the new oil,
Of the drilling rig.”

This, I discovered, was a page from an article pertaining to Russian oil drilling, however, I knew the text could not have appeared in my hand by accident, and the words were meant to be part of this piece. So, maybe I should call this a “Five Tych” since the words of the fifth element are a necessary part of the whole. The title of the piece, had to be: “Washing our faces in the New Oil”

Each original piece of art will be sold on a Special Wednesday night event on July 21, from 5-7:30 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the National Wildlife Federation. Location: Project Space, 150 Liberty Street, Salem, Oregon. For information, visit www.saaprojectspace.org.

Art Speaks, Project Space and More

A 2-1/2 week exhibit called "ART SPEAKS: Are You Listening?" turned into a two month interactive exhibit, and coordinating about 30 artists in a magnificent museum like setting was something, and gave me a new appreciation for gallery owners. Sales were good, the location was fantastic and the rent was better than excellent (donated by Salem's premier patron of arts and culture). This summer begins with PROJECT SPACE in downtown Salem. If I could figure out to do the easy link I would, but it is at saaprojectspace.org. Working as a studio artist in a 6000 square foot building, with several other wonderful artists. I feel privileged to be a part of this space. With a brief break I am going to a family reunion, and will return refreshed (yeah right) and eager to enjoy a warm summer with collaborative artists. We're also doing an art benefit for "the birds" in the gulf, more to come on that at the website referenced a few lines up there. Life is good, always good, today.

Lost and Found

When google mail changed to gmail I lost my way... then I lost my password, and so forth and so on. So I'm back, able to blog. I continue painting and showing up for life. Facebook has taken over for keeping up on my life, so please find me there, and I guess I'll get back here again someday.

Winter

Rex the Border Collie waits for dryer, warmer weather when Mom will toss the ball for him again. In the meantime, a harsh winter was survived only by thoughts of painting, and acting on it. In January, some friends and I took a week long workshop with William Park. I also could look forward to teaching a repeat of my fall session in mixed media. Next: the results!

A Gala Evening: Winter 2008

A challenge was handed to me: paint at a live event (for pay). I had a month or two, to think about my approach. Like anything else, you're never sure how things will turn out. On December 10, however, I was on stage in the Salem Conference Center, at this gala benefit auction for the Boys & Girls Aid Society. Beautifully adorned Christmas trees and accompanying room settings complete with toys and gifts were auctioned off; I was to paint the scene of the gala affair during dinner and the auction, which ended with the auctioning of my finished painting. I had a couple days before to set up and sketch and get a feel for my direction.
With 4-5 quick sketches it fell into place: it would be like my landscapes, with rows of tables (instead of rows of vineyards or crops) surrounded by trees. I took an actual photo too, just to put it into perspective, and did a quick color study that afternoon. Then the evening arrived and I began....
A bad photo of the room; then laying in my "rows" on a 40x40 canvas. Then I filled in tables, trees and "sky". There I am onstage, with about 500 happy diners watching. Lastly I added people, shown in the final painting at the top of this blog. The evening flew by, and before I knew it, my painting was the final Item 15 on the block. I was really pleased with the result, it turned out exactly how I hoped.

Making Art: lessons in creativity

This was my first free week after finishing up teaching a 5 week course. I will always remember where I was the night Barack Obama was elected president: I was teaching that Tuesday night with several stalwart students. We have mail-in ballots in Oregon, so no lines or rush to vote. My husband promised to text me when Barack hit the 270 mark, and my students were dying to hear when my phone kept buzzing and buzzing. So, shortly after 7pm we took a little break, i looked at my phone and, well we nearly danced a jig. It was hard to focus back to painting. But paint we did! The theme of the term was doing a series, and I'll be repeating the class, with opportunities for advanced students in Winter term. I was so impressed with these students, some beginners, some younger, some older, some returning to painting after several years of sabbatical. With their permission I took photos of their work with a promise to post at least one of each on my blog. Everyone had such wonderful, individual style. I humbly present this art, applaud the talents, and encourage them to keep "making art". Shown first at the beginning of this blog, is one of my class demos that I finished up. Some students were quite prolific, with series in birds, trees, abstract landscapes, and nonrepresentative paintings. it was a great exploration, with lots of talent. I forgot to put labels on each photo when I uploaded, so I credit Jessica for her birds and trees; Geoff for his landscape and starry night; Liz for her swirling purple creation, and so much more of hers I could have put here; Randy's balanced shapes with his wonderful colors; Maribeth's textured zenlike beauty; and LouAnn's passionate sunsets. May you all keep making art.