B.C.
What Large Leaf Maples Do At Night
Monday, May 25th, 2009
What Large Leaf Maples Do At Night, 20 x 57 x 4 inches Muslin, glue, acrylics on wrapped canvas, customized LED light system in back.
Alain signed his name on this also, because he spent last week and the weekend designing, soldering and wiring a system of 30 led lights for the back. He was disgusted with the eight inadequate push-lights I was initially going to use to create this Day and Night Art. The electric source is a rechargable 12 volt battery placed neatly in the back, with an easily accessable on-off switch in the lower left corner. He’s not thrilled to ever create another, so it looks like I’ll be learning a little about soldering and electronics, because there are similar plans for the other two canvases exactly like this one. The original plan for it to be hung in any of four orientations had to be revised because of the battery pack in the back, but the option of lighting is much more interesting. Thank you Alain for making this piece what it is!
______________________The original blog posts; process:___________________
New chair started: Salish Wooden Whorl
Sunday, December 14th, 2008
This functional replica of a Salish Carved Wood Whorl re-utilizes a 1960′s plastic lawn chair, 29 x 29 x 29 inches that was considered Art in its own day. The refurbished chair has woven canvas strips and white glue applied paper-mache style over the entire plastic top and bottom. Multiple layers of wall plaster are sanded in between coats. The design is sketched with graphite then painted with acrylics, and drawing is continually adjusted as layering of materials continues.
This is the second chair of four in the historic Art-themed series. The other two chairs are in the earlier stages of progress.
Going for the magic every hour
Friday, August 15th, 2008
Great moments in painting - the addictive kind – are when you completely lose yourself in the work and time is non-existent. I’ve had a good week with this one, partly because of struggles overcoming the habit of trying to control the outcome. Things happen in every painting that are not planned, and the endless choices are part of the fun.
At this phase some solid strokes need softening again; finding a balance between the two. The lighting is the biggest challenge so far, plus making a subtle transition in style from top to bottom and foreground to back that will bring our attention back to the top half of the painting. Now, how do I go about doing that I wondered, I only have a hunch. After adding mid-tones a couple of days ago there were second thoughts about 
doing so, because the whole painting became dull and flat, entirely not what I wanted it to be. Briefly discouraged, I thought this painting would join the I-don’t-know-what to-do-next pile. When unsure I look for answers in the very basics, like concentrating on what I do know for sure, rather than what I don’t.
I do know for sure want the glow of magic, so yesterday took a leap into the darkness with pure colors straight from the tube. There’s a huge sense of freedom trying something out – and ironically the more afraid you are the better it is. It’s the intermittent periods of doubt that spur determination to conquer issues and at the same time entice you to quit!
Painting is considered to be a two dimensional undertaking, but it’s so much more. While lost in the work process we explore all the dimensions of the subject plus the deeper dimensions of ourselves. While painting we discover our convictions and the means to ask how far are we willing to go to stand up for them. Work every day is about continually reevaluating decisions, taking responsibility for choices made, being honest about mistakes, shortcomings and limitations of media and self, and digging deep to find technical and intuitive solutions. It’s about control of all those elements combined with easing up on trying to control too much. All this and more translates onto a flat surface as we hope to give the illusion of depth…if that isn’t magic I don’t know what is!
Links to the progress of this painting on this blog: Started July 17, 2008, progress and specific information about this totem pole in the July 24th post.
Post-dated Note: When choosing this totem pole that is erected in Thunderbird Park at the RBC Museum in Victoria I didn’t realize that it’s the same one that Emily Carr painted in 1928. More magic! Here is a link to more information about this totem, the Gitxsan Pole moved from Gitanyow (formerly Kitwankool) B.C. Also on the July 24th post
The work process
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
Started July 17th, I’ve tried various ways to have our eyes sweep up to the top half, like creating an abstract of wide brushstrokes of dark and light, plus scrubbing areas away that almost hide the bottom characters. It’s covered up since with more paint, but I may return to that idea when the proportions are corrected.
A camera captures all the details, but when we look at something our eyes focus only on one area at a time. In a photo, with the bottom portion of the totem clear it makes sense, but not in the painting. Most of the detail will be toward the top of the statue, but the bottom deserves as much attention, just of a different kind. The colors are starting to come together in a way that will imply light from the sunset and moon glow coming from opposite directions.
A word here about Artists’ appropriation of First nations or any other cultural/historic works: subjects are painted with due honor and respect, with purpose to study and draw interest to the importance of appreciating our multi-cultural world and the unique characteristics of each and every culture…this is what Artists do. Our differences as cultures are reconnected, as there are many common traits and themes expressed through Art through all of time, everywhere.
Robert Genn and readers of The Painters’ Keys have some very interesting comments all around the board about this topic.
Magic Hour, progress
Sunday, August 3rd, 2008
Magic Hour detail image, top half of 60 x 40 x 3 inches Acrylics on canvas. I decided not to lighten the background after all — am leaving the background as is with loose brushwork in contrast to the totem pole which will be much clearer. To achieve the weathered look I’m using a dishwashing scratch pad to remove some of the paint. Work in progress.
Magic Hour – work in progress
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Art history is human history. What we call Art is the expression of individuals finding connection with our humanity; who are we? How do we respond to our surroundings and who are we in relation the things we depend on for survival? Standing in front of the Totems I realized that the answers we sought long, long ago are the same, and the things we love now are the same things people have always loved. As Artists and Art Viewers we’ll never Museumventure far from subjects that speak to the heart.
The originals of all the totem poles erected in Thunderbird Park on the grounds of the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, Canada are now protected from the effects of weather inside the museum. The totem portrayed in this painting is a replica of the Gitxsan Pole that was moved in 1958 from Kitwankool, BC. This version of the pole is named Skim-sim and Will-a-daugh, belonging to Chief Wiha (Wee-kha, Ernest Smith), the chief of the Wolf Clan: only the top 3/4 of the totem is portrayed. Due to deterioration caused by weather, the originals of all the totems in Thunderbird Park are now erected inside the museum and are replaced with replicas carved by Mungo Martin, chief carver, Henry, Tony and Richard Hunt (this one 1960).
Symbols/crests: The bird at the crown is a giant woodpecker (wee-get-welku). Legend reads that a female ancestor kept a pet woodpecker, feeding it so much it grew to be a giant monster that ate everything made of wood until it was killed. It sits atop 5 human figures who stand on the head of the Mountain Eagle (Skim-sim), who kidnapped and mated with a woman then devoured their offspring. The eleven small figures are humans fishing through holes in the ice. Under them and not pictured in the painting is Will-a-daugh, also known as “Person With a Large Nose”, holding her child who was conceived from a wood grub.
July 19th: Magic Hour - 60 x 40 x 3 inches Acrylics on wrapped canvas. Phase 3, work in progress.
Salt Spring Island Fog
Monday, July 14th, 2008
Salt Spring Island Fog 18 x 24 inches graphite, eraser, dry pastels, colored pencils on paper, framed size 28.5 x 34.5 inches, accepted for VAST’s 2009 Calendar. All accepted original works will be displayed, meet the Artists and purchase a signed calendar (or more!) November- December, 2008 at The Chestnut Tree in Denton, TX.
Post-dated Note: Article published in the Denton Record Chronicle, Entertainment section February 8th, 2009
Salt Spring Island
Friday, January 18th, 2008
Salt Spring Island, B.C. early morning - 18 x 24 inches – pencil, eraser, dry pastels, colored pencils on paper, framed size 28.5 x 34.5 inches. Drawing details:
Credit to my Dad, Jim Drury for the photo references.
Salt Spring Island – WIP
Thursday, January 17th, 2008
Salt Spring Island, B.C. – 16 x 22 inches pencil, eraser, dry pastels, colored pencils. Stages1 and 2 in progress:
