Dreams of Elders

Relatives long gone come back from time to time through dreams. It has always been a good experience. It usually makes me wonder what triggered that visitation. Was there a message? A warning? Or, more likely with my family, a joke?

This mask was full of challenges. I had never rendered fabric before. Nor had I ever tried to position multiple, fully-rendered figures on top of a mask. But, what fun is a project without problems to solve. The larger challenge with this one was how to paint it. I’m not sure this photo is fully accurate. The mask has a glow just below the figures.

Mixed media: 21" x 13" x 5".

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A Fish Called Wander

I have been thinking about prehistoric fish for a long time. I created the head for this piece months ago. A recent trip to the Seattle Art Museum to see a collection of Alexander Calder mobiles was the trigger to complete this. I didn’t know if it would swim until I suspended it. A slight breeze will keep it in motion. Now I’m debating whether to add two more fish or let this one swim alone.

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Deja Vu: The Persistence of Possibilities

Time is an illusion. There is no past, no future. There is an infinite “now”. The “Many Worlds” theory of quantum physics acknowledges that all possibilities exist at once. Through normal consciousness, we perceive one sequential path of possibilities. When our awareness encounters one of these infinite other worlds, it feels familiar because it is another version of what we are experiencing. .

That might explain what we experience as of déjà vu. Literally translated from French, it means “already seen.” It describes the illusion of a memory of a scene or event that you are experiencing it for the first time.

This sculpture suggests many things: a dance, a relationship, lovers, twins, opposites, etc. I began this piece with the concept of multiple variations of the personality encountering each other. The term of déjà vu quickly came to mind. When we see our thoughts reflected we are seeing through a portal in reality. I believe our ability to comprehend the complexity of consciousness is a result of how little we actually know about nature.

One surprise I encountered after shooting this video was how that both figures, while rotating around each other also appear to be rotating on their own axis. It’s an illusion.

Evolution of an idea

A recent trip to Mexico was a visual tsunami. I was fascinated by a group of Frigate birds that soared above the beach every day. Their ability to glide with no apparent effort amazed me. Of course, sketches followed. My attention was also drawn to of the more primal imagery of the local artists and craftspeople. At some point, all of the imagery I was ingesting started to merge into a single image. This series shows the progression from inspiration to a finished mask. “Focus” measures 28” x 30” x 11”

Creative Continuity - Inspiration from the past

I make a point of not repeating myself or duplicating previous works. In fact, if I tried to copy a piece, I would quickly find ways to improve the original. Before long, it would be a unique piece.

A few weeks ago, I pulled “Dream’s Cape” from the shelf. The original piece was created in 2019. I always felt it didn’t go far enough. I started sketching alternatives. Within a few minutes another character emerged. While the underlying concept has similarities, the end result is a very different piece with a very different feel.

“Shaman” also required a few new techniques. I visualized a gold leaf interior. However, in construction, that was overpowering. A few glazes of Alizarin Crimson turned the gold to a more copper feel. It kept the richness but subdued the high reflection of the gold.

How to find direction if the path is unclear

“Magician” - 44”H” x 23”W - Watercolor on #100 drawing paper.

My process is very intuitive. I avoid patterns, repetition, and predictability as soon as I suspect their presence.

I came to my studio today in a mood. Not the best approach for creativity. But, I figured this change in attitude foreshadowed an opportunity for breakthrough. It’s happened before. There are no bad days. There’s always another door to be opened. Opportunities to explore. Synchronicity plays the next card.These are not to be ignored.

During the morning’s frustration to find my “groove” I tried several approaches. All ended with a huge sigh and another “What now?” situation.

I decided to find a large piece of paper and cut loose. Paint wildly. Expunge my mood. Digging through my bin of rolled paper, I discovered two large watercolors painted years ago. One spoke loudly. It was a study I did 7 years ago for the very first sculpture of my current body of work.

This figure was one that I wasn’t ready to explore when first conceived. Upon rediscovery, I put it on my easel for examination. That was about 5 hours ago. I’ve been looking at it all day.

Another idea I had pursued earlier today has become a temporary dead end. I shelved it after a couple of hours and moved on to a crow sculpture which I have been considering for several months. I spent almost 4 hours and 45’ of wire to build the armature of a life-size bird. Some satisfaction achieved, finally.

I’m about to wrap up for the day. As I sit here looking at this large watercolor sketch on my easel, I realize I need to know this character more deeply. The way to accomplish that is to take it to 3D. That will be my task for tomorrow. It could be another sleepless night imagining the possibilities for refinements.

The creativity of Lascaux

Cave paintings at Lascaux followed the contours of walls and ceilings enhancing the dimensionality of the figures.

Cave paintings like those at Lascaux often conformed to the dimensional features of the cave walls. The artists took advantage of bulges and cracks of the irregular surfaces to create dynamic images. Deep inside the caves, a flickering fire was the only illumination. The movement of highlights and shadows produced an illusion of animation. The earliest artists understood multimedia.

As art “advanced” to more sophisticated techniques, cave walls gave way to cathedral walls and ceilings. Pigments and brushes evolved to offer artists broader choices. Wood panels became the substrate of choice, later replaced with stretched canvas or linen. There are many reasons for this transformation. Transportation of images may have been a primary driver for stretched fabric.

Somewhere along this evolutionary path, the viewing experience suffered a serious setback. Flickering storyboard images across an undulating cave wall created an interactive experience. The regularity of a flat, rectilinear canvas restricts the creativity of the artist. Our Flatland of perception isn’t limited to the canvas. Look at your phone or a TV screen. Flat images confined to a right-angled box limits your view and your imagination. Thinking “outside the box” suggests an extension of the X and Y axes. Bigger boxes or irregularly shaped boxes still severely limit your perception.

Of course, not all artists subscribe to this limitation. Rene Magritte, Joan Miro and many others explored painting on 3-dimensional surfaces. The Y axis changes everything for artists and their art’s relationship to viewers. Moving from 2D to 3D changes how the brain perceives and expresses ideas. A painter tries to create an illusion of depth and space on a 2-dimensional surface. A sculptor works with real depth and space to create an experience that physically moves viewers in and around the multiple surfaces.

Creating sculpture is synonymous with creating interactive space. Engaging the viewers’ brain beyond the boundaries of a flat surface is an experience that literally has more dimension. The walls of Lascaux may be high relief instead of actual sculpture, but the masters who created those images understood the multidimensionality of perception.

Artist Talk from “Notes for Travelers” show

This event was more like a conversation. Don Gray and I used this opportunity to share observations on our ideas, techniques and our relationship. Although we have different approaches, we share a similar palette and style of brushwork. Our September 2023 show at Art at the Cave in Vancouver, WA was a surprise for both of us when we saw how complimentary our pieces are. Thanks to Sharon Svec who curated this show and shot this video.

"Comfortably Numb" erases the boundaries between dimensions

Some pieces create themselves. When that flow begins, it’s an amazing experience. Most artists know this magical spot though it doesn’t happen often enough. At some point, you realize you are not creating, but acting as a conduit for the creation of a work of art. It’s thrilling, humbling, mystical, spiritual…

Comfortably Numb: 36”H x 42”W x 14”D - Sculpted figure mounted off the surface, casting a real shadow on the background.

“Comfortably Numb” was one of those pieces. From a couple of brief sketches, I saw the concept and its execution clearly. The figure took very little time to create. The gesture came together effortlessly. The canvas had to support the sculpture invisibly for the illusion to work. Even that was a short problem-to-solution step.

I did a rare thing at that point. I stopped working on the piece. I stepped back to enjoy what was happening. When a piece practically creates itself, the experience passes too quickly. The magic passes in a short, intense moment. With “Comfortably Numb,” I chose to enjoy the process completely. So, I set the canvas aside unpainted with the sculpture mounted to the surface. And I looked at it for a week or two.

Then, in a very short session, I blocked in the 2-color background. It was a simple wash of Manganese at the bottom and Pyrrole Orange across the top. It had a Rothko vibe. I left that alone and simply observed for another week or two. Thinking but not doing. One morning the rocks and clouds became. Gradually, through the next week, the reflection and refraction of light appeared. Effortlessly. The most playful part was enhancing, but not fully rendering a shadow cast onto the surface by the figure. Suggesting waves near the horizon, the illusion was complete.

I have studied the illusions created by Rene Magritte. The geometry of Comfortably Numb is spatially similar to several of Magritte’s 2- and 3-dimensional works. Equally important are his titles. Each image makes a statement. Each title offers a different perspective. Between the viewer, the art and title a question is forged. And you are engaged.

The title of this piece was illusive. On one level, it might be a pollution or climate change statement. On another, might be comment on our current media/political game show. It’s could be a dream sequence. Or a mirror.

While packing sculptures for “Notes for Travelers,” an exhibit at Art at the Cave in Vancouver, WA, it came to me. Comfortably Numb reflects our shared personal predicament. We are moving blindly through space. Maybe intentionally. Maybe not.

It’s hard to define where an idea begins. But the idea is just the beginning. View this 3-minute video for a concise explanation of what happens between the initial idea and the finished sculpture.

How ideas become sculpture

It’s hard to define where an idea begins. But the idea is just the beginning. This is a concise explanation of my creative process - what happens between the initial idea and the finished sculpture.