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!

Dogs Rock my World!

 

I adore dogs! I cannot remember a day in my life where a dog has not been in my household. I can be in the most foul of moods and catch a glimpse of a dog blissfully jutting his head out a car window and my temper is instantly lifted. It is like my insides smile! So being a pet artist among other things is a treat for me and one of the perks is spending time with a dog and taking reference photos for a portrait. The other day I met Gwen and her dog Coltrane at Greenlake in North Seattle for a session.

First off Greenlake is one of my VERY favorite haunts in Seattle. My mother and father met at 11 years old as neighbors a block from the lake and one of my grandmothers continued to live there into the early 1990's....so I have spent many a day there since birth. Best of all Greenlake is a doggy haven with a large percentage of walkers and joggers umbilically linked in exercise harmony.

Gwen is a professional dog walker who walks this beat with her charges Monday thru Friday and creates quite the stir. This particular day she had a dozen dogs in tow and at the end of the 3 mile loop it was Coltrane’s moment of paparazzi glory. With the other dogs safely tucked inside the truck Coltrane had his moment in the spotlight and we posed him in the warm afternoon light just off the path about 12 feet from the lake’s edge. He tolerated our commands initially but suddenly he bolted for the lake! Despite our calls of STOP and COME he was having none of it. He was thirsty after his trot around the lake and he had decided it was time for a drink!

Now these are the moments I live for! I tell my clients that we can have all sorts of ideas about how the dog should pose but it is essentially up to the beasts themselves. I give the dog latitude and they ultimately tell me how they want to be portrayed. Coltrane had a heyday in the shallows of Greenlake! He slurped and sloshed and romped and grinned his goofy delight at us. He was in HIS element and we were the lucky spectators. And I was the lucky recipient of his canine joy and over 100 shots of a gorgeous Golden Retriever!

Nostalgia

This year for Christmas some dear friends gave me a fabulous gift...the board game "Masterpiece: The Art Auction Game" which they have searched garage sales for 2 years before scoring a hit. My parents gave the very same game to me in 1970 the year it debuted. Even though I couldn't get any of my 4 siblings interested in playing it, I poured over the 24 color reproduced cards depicting historically grand paintings and became completely enchanted! Today I can still vividly recall how impressed I was! The full color reproductions from El Greco to Edward Hopper planted a sense of art history in my young little brain. I marveled over the differing styles, compositions and colors, not realizing the future impact this would generate. Leafing through them today I am struck by one thing in particular....Mary Cassatt was the only female artist represented. We've come a long way baby!! BTW....last week the 4 of us played the game and had a lot of fun bidding and buying masterpieces. My husband collected the most in value, but overall I think I am the winner!

The Importance of Camaraderie

  We artists can be a quirky and strange breed....most of us are aware of this! Often we march to a different drummer and pay unusual heed to the dictates of society. We spend inordinate amounts of time alone creating art and speculating upon the visions percolating inside our brains. That is why being a part of an artist's group is so essential: it is a safe place for us to carry on with our antics with like minded individuals who understand...or at least pretend to!

My group...Washington Artists Group (or as we like to call ourselves....WAG) have been banding together since 2007 and we all agree our time together is often the highlight of our month. The WAGs meet the first Wednesday of each month over a potluck meal, bringing our quick wits along with our recent paintings for critique. Really we are just a bunch of smart mouthed jokers that love art talk and a good time but it is priceless!

 Last week we had our 4th Christmas party together at the grand home of member Judythe Sherwood and gathered for a group photo. This year was special in that we also celebrated the induction of our guru, Ned Mueller, as a Master of Oil Painters of America....a prestigious and well deserved honor! We are fortunate to have Ned and each other!

Standing in photo: Liana Bennett, Ned Mueller, me, Mark Boyle, Pepper Peterson, Dick Smith
Seated: Patty Forte Linna, Joanne Shellan, Judythe Sherwood