New Painting at New Brow PDX

The 2nd Annual "New Brow" show opens Thursday at Portland Center for the Performing Arts as part of First Thursday.  I am pleased to be a part of what's happening in Portland, thanks to the awesomeness of Chris Haberman and Jason Brown.  Love what they do! 

Along with 49 other Portland artists which include my personal faves Chris, Jason, Anna Macgruder and Brett Superstar, see one of my new paintings, entitled glacial.  Plus enjoy a cocktail at Art Bar with yours truly.

Just sayin'...

 Show runs until Sept 30th.

subarctic animalia

These new creatures were generated in the midst of my three week stint in interior Alaska...and thanks to my friends, the inhabitants of a land where wildlife abounds.  (I realize the one key player I am missing is the elusive moose....)

'lynx' from totem series

Lynx reveals secrets of hidden and the unseen, lies and falsehoods.  Lynx offers keen sight, trust of intuitions & teaches ability to access secrets, mysteries and hidden aspects of yourself.

'hummingbird' from totem series

 Hummingbird shows endurance & healing ability, enhances awareness.  Hummingbird shows how to accomplish what seems impossible and how to bring the miracle of joy back into your life.

'dragonfly' from totem series

Dragonfly: lightness of body,expression of emotional and mental aspects, fresh air and new perspective, allows inner light to shine through. Teaches a mastery of moving quickly with precision, breaks down illusions, heightens visual depth and aids in changes that are swift with emphasis on the emotions and un/subconscious.

'bear' from totem series

Bear represents the sub/unconscious mind, strength, grounding, inner energy of soul to find answers, caution and defense, and inner quiet/calm.

In a Time of Change: The Art of Fire

Today I was invited to traipse around the territory of an "experimental forest", or Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, called Bonanza Creek, just outside of Fairbanks.  Along with a few of my fellow artists, others who had been chosen for this artist residency: In a Time of Change: The Art of Fire ( see artist's call here), I spent a happy sunny day learning about the myriad of ecological factors- wildland fire being just one of them- that have an impact on the precious boreal forest and its five tree species: birch, aspen, balsam poplar, white spruce, and black spruce.  I was particularly interested in the 'carcasses' (i.e. remaining fallen dead trees) of birch, and the way the birch skins seemed to wrinkle up and separate from the core of the tree (which rotted), but [the skin] remained intact:

It did seem carcass-like, corpse-ian even, like elephant legs left from a massacre.

But while I was photographing these carcasses strewn about the forest, I began to notice that growing on  them were tiny little micro-cosmic landscapes:  mushrooms and cladonia were like "trees" in this world in miniature, and variants of green mosses were like the tundra tussocks or grasslands.









 
Sometimes old carcass bark even served as a mountain range in my mini landscapes:

I did my best to focus my attention, every moment be engaged, and let my brain act as a sponge absorbing all of the science jargon so far from my vocabulary and vernacular, to feel connected to the forest and its components both momentous and minute, and gather fodder over which to stew, to create this body of work for show a year from now (Aug 2012) regarding wildfire, ecology, the boreal forest and climate change.

totem-building

by the way...

"A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.
Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem. Normally this belief is accompanied by a totemic myth...
In modern times, some single individuals, not otherwise involved in the practice of a tribal religion, have chosen to adopt a personal spirit animal helper, which has special meaning to them, and may refer to this as a totem." (wikipedia)

  
New additions to the spirit animal column:

 

'seal' from totem series

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seal lends to hearing and balance of paying attention to the inner voice. Association with water which is the creative, feminine, imaginative. Helps the inner creative imagination and inspiration balance with outer realities.

'cardinal' from totem series

 Cardinal aids in manifesting dreams and ideas by focusing intentions, adds color and balance to life, aids in understanding and helping you find your own song in life, renews vitality in life and returns joy, brilliance and balance to the mind, body and spirit.


~Keep them coming...

calling all spirit animals

...'the owl story', as it has since been coined, has led to the creation of a whole new series of animals that hold meaning- spirit animals, if you will...totems.

"owl" from totem series

I couldn't not ( yay, double negative!) honor the owl as a creature after my experience...as I mentioned, I made that totem back in December of an owl and a wolf and an elephant at my mother's house, not knowing that they would come to me in dreams over the course of the next few months.
Wolf:

"wolf" from totem series

["I was walking with a close friend through a natural history museum where habitats and climates were recreated, and living animals dwelled inside.  Particularly I was walking through the forested tundra in the spring after the snow, with tall tall trees...all fabricated by the museum as a habitat for animals to live in...I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare and endangered black seal/wolf, which lived in this area.  Traipsing toward the animal's dwelling quietly, anticipating the fortune of seeing this creature.  To my surprise, the creature came right up to us, hastily like an excited dog, and stopped just in front of me, calmly, looking. It had shaggy ears like a dog and thick long black fur, but it had flippers for its front two feet.  I moved in closer, feeling so grateful and fortunate to see this rare and special species.  I kept moving closer, closer, softly, sweetly, and reached out my hand to touch it gently on the head.  It allowed me to do so.  My friend was unimpressed by the wolf-seal, at least to the degree that I was, and seemed more to be along 'just for the ride'.  It seemed to me that the wolf-seal and I had a special connection, that it wanted to tell me or show me something by approaching me, rather than making me seek it out..."]

Elephant:

"elephant" from totem series

The elephant has long since been significant to me.   I've always been intrigued and enamored by their sensitivity, recognition, and memory.  The archetypal importance and mythological powers that elephants hold are kind of universally known.  I recounted the story of Ganesh, not long ago.  Yet, Ganesh found me in a dream, where I slipped on a pair of firefighter's pants and the head of an elephant to go traipsing around town with two teenagers who were also in costume.  We dressed ourselves and headed out, rounded the corner next to the open lot with the chain link fence.  It was almost like we were on parade...

"buck" from totem series

People have started sharing their animal stories with me.*  In turn I have started adding their totem animals to my series, like 'buck' (above).  They will be on exhibit at the People's Art of Portland in late September with a bunch of other artists who recycle.   All of the totem animals are collaged from recycled materials, with mixed media. Go green art! 


* Send me your spirit animal and/or totem animal stories and I will create a totem animal to add to the series from your tale! I'll post them as I create them....next up: cardinal, seal....?