The Decadent Debutante

Last night I returned from my first ever trip to New Orleans, a city that I have been fascinated with ever since I read my first Anne Rice novel. I loved it! I packed my paints for this trip as I had a session lined up with my friend Holly, who moved there with her husband the year after Katrina. I have known Holly since she was 17 and now….many years later she still exudes a freshness of youth and this is no easy feat in 100 degree heat! Her youthful vitality along with being in a Southern City is why Debutante came to mind.

My husband and I stayed at a place on St. Charles Ave. and we loved our rooms! We could watch the historic streetcars zipping up and down the Ave. and envision the spectacle of the Mardi Gras and Carnival parades from the balcony. Many trees, fences and street wires were still festooned with beads from the most recent parade season. I scouted the perfect location for our photo on one of my morning walks along this route…a decrepit and decayed home of former grandeur that now houses several apartments.  

As we set up to take the photo the door opened and a surly looking man emerged. He eyed us with suspicion and barely grunted a reply when I explained our presence. He shuffled across the sagging weather-beaten floorboards and ensconced himself on the creaking porch swing, promptly lighting up a morning cigar. I had to stifle a laugh since his presence in the background added the perfect touch! I was only sorry that the lighting was not right at that particular moment and we had to return a couple hours later. He was of course gone by then but the light was right and this is the result.

The Off-Kilter K-9 Cop

Dawn and I were BFFs in high school where we played on both the volleyball and basketball teams. 33 years ago she even introduced me to my husband (yet I promised not to hold that against her :)) Dawn went on to a career in law enforcement and her last gig had her in my hometown so every once in awhile Dawn would stop by for a quick visit. Many times it gave my neighbors pause to see a police car parked outside my house for a stretch of time.

When I was conspiring with Dawn about the character for her photo I wanted something quirky and outside the box of what the public views as a typical testosterone driven police officer. Since we both revere dogs I thought it should include a K-9 dog but all I had available was Homer, my trusty and ever tolerant Dachshund. Then the idea took full bloom. Why not use Homer? I sewed a vest for him and painted K-9 on the sides. One day during her shift Dawn stopped by. Much to his chagrin we strapped Homer into his vest and plopped him onto the hood of her cop car for her photo op.

I often wonder what goes through the mind of the casual passer-by who happens upon me posing my FACE victims! I do know that we almost caused an accident one time when I was posing a punked-out cutie in short skirt and bustier. Tires screeching and horns honking caused us to just about jump out of our skins! We did have a good chuckle over it later on. 

The Perpetual Passenger (by Profession)

Mark was my very first pick-up-in-a-bar addition to my FACE project and it was his dancing that drew my attention. He was among a group of 10 swing dancers lighting up the night at a local blues show. I almost didn’t go that night but I left with my face hurting from all the smiling and laughing. I hold his group responsible for this!

I credit Mark with giving me even more insight into my motivations for furthering my study of people.  After finishing his FACE another layer revealed itself. As humans we tend to compartmentalize strangers by assessing their physical appearance and making snap judgments on their character. Quite often nothing is a simple as it looks…the truth is far more complex!

At first glance most people would not guess that Mark is a recent college graduate that comes from a highly educated family with a father who is a university professor. His abundant dreads wrapped up in a bandana give him the aspect of a bohemian.  Stereotyping can be dangerous and it came to me that one of the things I can do with this project is to de-bunk stereotypes.

Mark also belongs to a close knit community of dancers and made a decision upon graduation not to immediately enter into the corporate rat race. Instead he is following his heart and traveling the country. Often it means following his dance muse and going where the dance community welcomes him.

When I choose someone to paint it is usually because I am interested in who they are as a person…they pique my curiosity and while I paint we chat and I get to know them. This enters into my painting and helps me interpret their character. One thing I noticed about Mark was his endearing sideways smirk and wanting to capture this expression I asked if he would hold that smile a few times during the session. He obliged and commented later that it was easy to smile like that…all he had to do was think of his girlfriend!

Mark was in town only for a small window of time and is on the road now. It brings a smile to my face to know he is out there on a grand adventure!

Billy Stapleton ~ Blues Guitarist and "The Curator of Cool"

I met Billy when I went to watch the band "Little Bill and the Blue Notes" play. I had just recently finished a painting of Little Bill and Billy is the guitarist in this vastly entertaining group. After the wonderful show that night I enthusiastically asked if he would sit for a portrait and he graciously agreed.

We really didn’t have a concept ahead of time of what character we would have for his photo op but as we talked it became clear that guitars would have to be a part of it. Billy is an avid guitar aficionado and has AMAZING skills! He gave me quite the education in this department and I enjoyed listening to his life story. It became clear that this guy is the definition of cool, thus leading me the title for his photo, "The Curator of Cool".

Billy was born and raised in the San Francisco area and came of age in the 1960’s. His first instrument was an accordion which he began lessons on at age 7 but he quickly moved onto guitar. As a teen he worked in a music store and belonged to the typical boyhood bands. This gave him plenty of exposure to the emerging music scene of the times. He frequented all the local concerts bringing him into contact with a vast array of bands and personalities many of which became legends. 

Billy regaled me with fascinating stories of rubbing elbows with the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. I was particularly smitten with the story he told of getting backstage with a $10 bribe to see Jimi. Once there he was star struck and couldn’t move from the doorway into the room. Jimi noticed and grabbed a coke and brought it to Billy with hand outstretched in welcome. Billy was certain that nothing but garbled noise escaped his mouth!

Billy’s website is chock full of fascinating stories and information. Check out his Guitar Stories for sure! Little Bill and the Bluenotes, the band he is part of, was just honored with the Washington Blues Society’s “Best Traditional Blues Band” award and a schedule of their gigs is listed here. If you live in the Puget Sound region you gotta go see ‘em!

Back to School

Ever short on inspiration or need a boost of energy? 

Just visit a school classroom and you’ll find it in surplus! Last week I visited a 6^th grade class where my sister Lisa teaches and I went away not only motivated, but also impressed on so many levels. It never ceases to amaze me what teachers accomplish on a daily basis with society’s most precious commodity…our children. And it is these children that give me the most hope, joy, renewal, inspiration and sense of commitment.

My original intent was to take a photo of Lisa with the portrait I had recently finished of her. For varieties sake and because it is so much a part of who she is I thought it would be fun to put her in a classroom setting. From there the plan evolved into a lesson in my FACE art for the kids. They had recently learned about caricatures and had even drawn some of their own so this was a natural segue.  

I brought my easel and a drawing of a FACE of my niece (Lisa’s daughter) to do a quick demonstration on. I explained my concept and process and after the demo we passed out FACE paintings for each child to hold in a group photo. This is where they had the most fun of course! Choosing a FACE and then pretending to be this person was a wee bit like Halloween I suppose. Although they couldn’t see the results until I sent the picture to my sister later that day.

For me it was refreshing to witness that art is still alive (at least at this particular school). The kids were amazing, smart, polite and very respectful in handling my portraits. Art is not just for the artist alone or for one client that happens to pony up the currency to purchase a painting; it is meant to be shared and interacted with. To all you artists out there….contact a school nearby and share your talents with the kids. 

It will revitalize your spirit and encourage you on this journey we are all taking together!

Little Bill Engelhart ~ Jazz and Blues Legend

Sometimes I have to stop and pinch myself I have so much fun in this business of art! Especially since starting my FACE project last July. To date I have painted 50 portraits which I call FACEs. (read about  it more here) Recently I met and painted a man who turns out to be a Pacific NW legend in jazz and blues, Little Bill Englehart. For 3 years I have been sweating it out in aerobics class with his wife Jan and had not a clue until a few weeks ago who Bill was. I guess I really don't mind being clueless in this way...it makes for happy surprises and no prejudgment along the way. My time spent painting Little Bill was delightful! He told me stories of his life and I slathered paint!

Last weekend my husband and I took some friends to hear Bill perform with his band Little Bill and the Bluenotes and my life got even better! Without this project I would not have met so many wonderful people and I would have missed out on the privilege of knowing Little Bill and experiencing firsthand his astounding talent, gentle nature, vast story-telling skills and generosity. And his wife Jan is such a dear person who has the energy and spirit of a young girl!

Every painting is a self portrait

"The greatest tool an artist can use is their emotion!" This is the strongest lesson I brought home from St. Petersburg Russian after a 4 week study trip in 2006. Everything we feel is channeled from our souls and out the end of the paintbrush. We cannot avoid it even if we tried!

“EVERY PAINTING IS A SELF PORTRAIT”

I don't know who to credit this saying to but I have heard it plenty of times in my artistic career and whether one is painting a still life, landscape, animal or figure it rings true! Over the past couple of years I have tested the notion to it fullest and now that I am healing from the pain and incapacity I have suffered I can see it more clearly.

The work I produced in the midst of my pain reflected the inward struggles I faced. For the most part the color was a bit dead, the compositions were off and the values wavered in the middle range. Not every painting came off poorly during this time but I now refer to it as my own personal "Dark Ages". Now I am hoping that history repeats itself and I can enjoy a personal Renaissance!

Recently I was lamenting this period to a new artist friend and she gave me a complete new perspective. She said it was good fortune that I had an outlet for my frustrations and pain. If I did not paint my issues out then they would have bottled up even more. So…I am thankful for my art in a whole new manner and will continue to paint “self portraits” with even more passion and freedom!