What have we done??

                                               Autumn Ditch oil on canvas 30x48 inches

Some things I see stick with me a long time. At least 10 years ago I was visiting the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and at the edge was an irrigation ditch for a neighboring farm. Swarming with color and reflections I thought, I`ll paint that some day.

The world has five weeks to prepare for the second Trump Administration. This seems to me a 9/11 scale catastrophe, I`ve never been more discouraged about my country. No question Democrats got spanked and 'owned'. No one believes Haitian immigrants eat their neighbors pets and everyone knows how ridiculous it is to suggest children leave home for school in the morning one gender and return later in the day the opposite. But it does discredit Democrats by implying these fringe people and communities matter more to the party than you do. It isn`t true but it`s hard to explain. Decency once was valued more. Trump deserves prison for the insurrection on Jan, 6, 2021 but that never came to trial. So now here he comes again, god have mercy on the world, we are in big trouble.

                                                  

                                                   one of the saddest photos I`ve ever seen

                                                                             John

Twentysome years ago I asked him to get into this tree for a photo and he did it. And again last month when we walked in Tryon Creek State Park. He`s a good sport and a good man and he retires in two weeks! From his graduation from high school to now, he has spent over 40 years in healthcare. My husband soon will rest. This is the only thing I`ve wanted for years.

                                             Northwest Canyon 2 acrylic on Yupo 40x26 inches

I had an older abstract painting in storage that I didn`t want to look at so I thought I would work a collage into it. Soon another slot canyon took shape. I was cutting out interesting shapes and painting them separately for the collage. But I was getting the values wrong, repainting them and eventually I realized I should just make the thing a new painting and forget the collage.

new work;

                                         Camassia Forest 2 acrylic on Yupo 21x25 inches

                                                 Endless September oil on canvas 20x16

                                                   Aquatic watercolor collage 11x10 inches

                                               Wetlands Dusk acrylic on yupo  19x14 inches

                                           Champoeg River watercolor on Yupo 26x20 inches

 "It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty"

Luigi Mangione

These are the two last sentences in his manifesto. 

Like just about everyone, the murder of the insurance executive Brian Thompson, has really got me upset. Children are missing their father and a young man has ruined his promising life. The public response has been overwhelmingly vengeful. I don`t have anything to add except this, if the social, political aspect of this is not kept alive, it will happen again. There is just a sickening amount of income/resource inequality in our country. People will choose violence as a last resort. Or to create a new order.

                                                                      Joseph W Spoor

Such short days and what long cold nights! Even though it keeps trying to kill me, I`ve got to say, I miss the guy. Our pal the sun, the first God. In the north next Saturday, let`s welcome him back.

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I`m not going back

                                        Root Crown and Forest acrylic on Yupo 20x20 inches

 Like everyone I know, I`m consumed with worry about what my country might do. Much of the time I have faith but then the Washington Post refuses to endorse anyone, including the only sane candidate. What in the world could be behind such a public display of cowardice from the owner Jeff Bezos?? That spooks me.  After so many of those who worked with Donald Trump have alerted the world to the dire  emergency his election would be, the polls are tied. After 2016 there aren`t any arrogant Democrats alive with complete confidence the country will do the right thing. I can only hope, we all know who he is. The people will speak.

This moment is striking in the similarities with Nazi Germany. If you replace 'immigrants' from the  language of Trump and Vance with Jews, it`s the same scapegoating in an effort to create anger. That fomented rage is the engine Trump thinks will propel him back into power. It may, or not if reason  prevails.  October began in sheer horror seeing what Hurricane Helene did to the Southeast. The images alone have caused trauma. I can barely imagine the misery in those mountain towns as rescue workers fight to get basic necessities to all those isolated people. Then along comes Milton!

 Having been shocked beyond belief once, I will not make that mistake again. I imagine how desolate life will feel if Trump wins and I try to think of an appropriate response. The fear and dread will be massive, how can I be something positive and helpful? I`m working on that, there are eight days left. One thing is certain, even if the country becomes a Christian nationalist state, I will not shut up and I will not re-enter the closet. 

 

                                                Oceanside watercolor on Yupo 26x20 inches

                                                                        Oceanside

 One of my favorite beaches. The painting is a view of the waves pushing between the giant cliff and the little 'hat box' rock on the left in the photo. As the tide comes in, that passage is filled with liquid drama. We got away to the coast after the Lake Owego Open Studios. Thanks to all that came by, our conversations meant a lot to me.

                                                       Dunes acrylic on plastic 12x18 inches

 A mystery plastic surface, I was looking for a Yupo equivalent in a different size. This did not accept watercolor at all but would take acrylic if medium was added to the washes. It`s called Nara and I guess was formulated for alcohol inks. From India.

                                               Birth of Rainier acrylic on plastic 12x12 inches

                                           October Forest watermedia on Yupo 12x9 inches

The darkness is a definite challenge but once the morning finally begins, it is magnificent outside. Here are a couple of photos from nearby Champoeg State Park from last week;

                                                                    by Jane Hynous

This won by a lot in a competition of student designs for the 'I voted' stickers. She nailed it.

                                                     Portrait of Van Gogh by Francis Bacon

This is a favorite of Francis Bacon`s psychologically charged works. From early on, painting the darker side of human experience was his obsession. The work before 1960 was particularly strong. This portrait is actually based on Van Gogh`s own self portrait 'The Painter on the Road to Tarascon'. Bacon placed the painter in a box, his feet mired in turbulent mud. An effective metaphor of the troubled artist.

Sort of how it feels to be American right now.

See you on the other side.

work for sale in my studio

Lake Oswego Open Studios-latest work

                                      Summer Wetland watercolor, acrylic and oil 35x23 inches

Soon the Open Studio will have happened and I won`t have to keep announcing it. Promotion isn`t something natural to me. I`ve sent out invitations by email and texts and if I missed you, it`s not because I don`t want you to come. My mailing list is an abomination, that`s why. Sorry, please come visit anyway. I`d love to talk with you and there will be cookies.

5373 Lakeview Blvd, Lake Oswego OR 97035   #25    503 380 4731

 The painting at the top was inspired by a fishing hole on Oswego Creek. I found this out because seven boys waited patiently for me and Mitch to finish painting one morning so they could fish. No parents anywhere! That never happens anymore and it was great seeing unsupervised kids. Anyway, the painting began as a watercolor but I just couldn`t get the open spaces of water right. I re-emulsified the paint many times but could not get a particular transparency I wanted. So I sealed the whole thing up with archival spray acrylic varnish then went in again with oils. Of course it looks nothing like I intended and nothing like the place on the creek. Such is painting, I made something new.

                                      Dark Pool, Mossy Rock watermedia on Yupo 14x11 inches

                                           Across the Lake watercolor on yupo 14x11 inches

This new watercolor was painted after immersing myself in Ann Patchett`s 'Tom Lake'. Oh my what a beautiful book. Listening to it slowly was a highlight of my summer. From all I`ve heard, Michigan sounds like a uniquely special place.

                                           Iron Mountain watercolor on Yupo 23x35 inches

I walk this mountain frequently. This is where the iron was mined for the first iron works in the western United States. The furance is still standing in a different park and the walking trail there was once the train tracks.I wanted to paint dappled light but I may have something here that produces vertigo.

                                          Rainforest Floor watercolor on Yupo 14x11 inches

And a new collage;

                                                Bonfires in the Dunes watercolor collage

The election may be slipping away from Donald Trump. Every time he talks I imagine he loses support.

Good. I wish Kamala would assert herself more, quit talking about lifting people up. That is not going to win her respect or votes. Please tell us your honest thoughts on Gaza? Tough nut, I know. I think it`s possible to be a Zionist, promote a separate Palestinian state and do a lot more to protect innocent life. Make Israel the 51 state if need be but insist on an end to this war.

An employee of Trader Joes told me to buy this yesterday. That they had just come in and people were lined up an hour before opening time to purchase them. She assured me it would make an appreciated  gift.

??. What am I missing? It`s a miniature shopping bag. I own a big one and it`s dependable but can`t say it`s brought me joy.

 I was looking for a book and came upon a box of my mom`s photos.                                                   Here I am at 23 with my sad nonexistent derriere yet so happy to be living on a hill in New Mexico. Over my shoulder is Joan Mitchell`s  “La ligne de la rupture”. Painted in 1970, I tore the image out of an art magazine in 1976 and it was on all the walls I lived within for years. 

Here it is in a retrospective of her work in 2021. This show came to San Francisco and some of my friends traveled down to see it. I was still too freaked about Covid and stayed put which I now regret. I didn`t understand yet just how effective masks were. No one liked wearing them but they were quite efficient despite their controversy. Maybe I`ll see this personal talisman someday, I hope so.

 

Sarah Dwyer is an intriguing artist new to me. I keep seeing them online  but I only now read anything about her. Basically I think the work of the artist is interesting, not the artist so much.

She`s Irish, living in London and studied economics before deciding on an artistic life. What interests me so much is how she depicts forms that aren`t quite human, are mythic without being specific and always with fascinating color juxtapositions. Someone called them abstract surrealism but that doesn`t account for their unique power. They feel to me like nonverbal messages. See what you think;

                                                                            Sarah Dwyer

                                                                       Sarah Dwyer

                                                                          Sarah Dwyer

           

Words to live by.

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Collage and a new year

                                           December Marsh watermedia collage 14x22 inches

                                                  High Pass watermedia collage 14x10 inches

                                                   Fissure watermedia collage 14x11 inches

 Though not a fan of celebrations that terrorize dogs, there is something touching about the hope and optimism of the new year. Again. A mere 12 months since the last yearning for true change this time. If we weren`t so ridiculous it might be sad. 

And another election year, oh boy.

I wish I had saved it. There was an editorial in the NYTimes that made the case that it had to be a rematch between Biden and Trump. The 45th president got 74,000,000 votes. He has to be vanquished once and for all. Biden is still the best guy to do it, just like four years ago. Even if he`s 80. He`s no ones first choice just like he wasn`t in 2020. I remember watching one of the early Democratic debates and Biden was mostly ignored and when he did respond it was like he had woke from a nap. Then the pandemic crashed upon the world, we saw with horror how Trump reacted to this catastrophe and nearly every person in the country with a functioning brain realized Biden was exactly the man to beat him. Because of his experience but mostly because of his decency. He overwhelmingly won the Texas and Massachusetts primaries on the same day. 

Anyway the op ed made the case that the country still had unfinished business. Will we fight to be a democracy or do we want to believe a con once again? The polls say Biden is in trouble but I`m not worried. I wish he would address the country on two issues. Everyone knows the rate of inflation is much better but it is still shocking to pay the new prices. They are not going down. He needs to assure the public that he understands how troubling this matter is and explain how it happened. How he tried so hard to keep the economy healthy during the pandemic, avoid a recession, and inflation was a by product of that effort. Yet it worked. The US has one of the strongest economies in the world right now. 

And I`d like him to explain to the country the difference between Republican and Democratic approaches to immigration. I follow public affairs and I don`t really know. To no ones surprise he is being demagogued to death on the issue by Republicans. Not much of what they say is based in reality but nonetheless the public needs to know where the Democratic party stands on this.

 Speaking of inflation, I know the local solution. Non-northwesterners bear with me a moment. 

Because I didn`t really understand how Winco Foods worked, I foolishly ignored it for years. Even after reading a profile of the company and learning it was employee owned. This past autumn a friend returned from overseas and needed a lot of food to replenish her home and mentioned she had spent a chunk of money there. I started asking questions and my curiosity was provoked. I`ve shopped there four times now, none of them under an hour and a half and without exaggeration, I estimate it`s about 40% cheaper than Safeway or Albertsons. I have yet to spend over $90. It is truly amazing. The bulk foods are a big part of it. I`ve never seen such variety. It`s almost overwhelming and definitely more time consuming bagging stuff up. Not much to look at and it`s busy with many different flavors of society. Purposeful women who understand value abound. Each one an excellent cook, I`d bet my life.

 Look familiar? I knew what it was but I had never tasted one. Winco had a huge display of Dragonfruit and each one was of perfect ripeness, you could tell. $3. So I bought one and it was a delicate treat contradicting its fierce name. The produce here is unlike any I`ve ever seen. They must contract with completely different farmers and brokers. Big bunch of cilantro is $.68. Have I convinced you? If I was young, I might try to work there. A cashier told me the pay and benefits were great. They are hiring.

                                                                       HOPSCOTCH

 Another report for the locals. 

Because it`s winter and the weather too unpredictable, instead of hiking, I wanted to do something with my friends indoors. I had heard about a permanent 'art' installation that was interactive, colorful and cozy. My sister in law was sort of tongue tied in describing it when she returned and now I understand why. Hopscotch is a collection of rooms designed by individual artists with lots of computer driven visual effects that the viewer moves within. It reminded me of the 'light shows' the art club created during our junior high dances in the 60s. Psychedelic! The displays were interesting even if baffling in their intent. Yet as a social activity I think it was successful. Somehow seeing my lovely peers in flashing strobe lights was endearing. I had to be helped out of the trampoline 'environment' when I sank thigh deep into the surface. I`m getting a new knee in February and am not so flexible right now. The only exhibit that really felt like art was the the room of secrets. On entering you hear murmuring, overlapping voices. Three suspended domes hang from the ceiling. When standing under one of them you could hear a solitary voice speak one of their secrets. A soundproof booth to record the secrets was also part of the set up. Listening to the voices anonymously 'confess' was engaging. I could hear the restraint and relief in the voices. This is what I like about conceptual art, it makes me feel in unexpected ways. In the photo 3 above, my pal Kevin is entering a fuzzy dome as I am still getting my bearings. It was fun, not too expensive and a nice place to be with old friends.

                                                Baptism watermedia on Yupo 26 x 20 inches

 My painting is in transition, lots of disappointments. This came from my preoccupation with red and a less demanding attitude. I want my acrylic paints to act like oils. They refuse so I have to work within their limitations. This is reflexive with watercolor but I have trouble accepting the quirks of acrylic, particularly the lower pigment load. The beauty in gestural technique is lost if i have to repaint the movement.

                                                                           de Kooning

 I have been a devout student of the work of Willem de Kooning for decades. He`s been gone a long time now. Suddenly within the last year or two I am seeing work like this which is entirely new to me. How has this escaped my attention? My guess is the original collectors and their heirs have died and the paintings are coming onto the market where they are photographed and eventually I see them. This piece is so rich and stunning I was shocked when I first saw it. I`ve never seen red and orange together like that. The vigorous white areas set off the jewel like colors while the whole composition is tumbling. I would kill to see it live.

 The city of Palm Springs bought this oversize sculpture of Marilyn Monroe based on a famous still photo from her movie The Seven Year Itch by Billy Wilder. She offers shelter from the sun as well as the rain.

Happy New Year!

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