Research

Realizing it's been some time since I wrote here, I'm getting back to it. Here are some of the books I've been reading as I consider visits to natural and restored prairies this summer. Research has always been a foundation for all my creative endeavors, and sometimes it's easy to remain immersed in that part of the work, following a thread of interest through history and numerous writers and other interpreters.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I am reading PrairyErth for the first time. I bought the book for my stepfather shortly after it was released and intended to read it myself. I didn't. Now it's more than 25 years later, and I am reveling in this deep map and looking forward to where it might lead me when I emerge from between its covers. Next up will likely be Deep Map Country: Literary Cartography of the Great Plains, as I want to read most of it before I hear author Susan Naramore Maher speak at the symposium "Flat Places: Deep Identities" at the end of the month.

The wheat stalks shown in the image above came from the last crop my stepdad planted in 2010. They are held in a textured ceramic vase my daughter made in middle school. The silk scarf of autumn colors and turquoise highlights is a new favorite, a recent gift from my mom, who also gave me Wander: The Kansas Flint Hills in Words and Images. It's comforting to me to have these tangible reminders of family connections, even as I wander. 

Step-by-step

As part of my role as a teaching artist in the Midwest Artist Studios project, I had to provide an illustrated step-by-step description of creating a painting. Project founder Frank Juarez collects such descriptions from each artist and writes a curriculum around them to share with high school art teachers throughout the region. In our conversations, I discussed the importance of prairies and fostering a love for terrain and native plants in this distinctive regional landscape. I also talked about finding inspiration in your surroundings. My studio is in an old warehouse district of Omaha where native plants sometimes take root in empty lots and along chain-link fences. At this time of year, the sun creates blazes of color on the brick buildings late in the afternoon, and this painting is inspired by the view right out my studio window. Below are a few of the images of the painting as it progressed. 

detail shot of painting in progress to show pattern achieved after pressing textured paper into the surface

scraping with a utility knife to reveal underlying colors 

getting close to done...

Reduction

Most people imagine adding layers of color when you tell them you paint. My work on this piece recently was all about scraping and scratching into the surface to reveal colors underneath. The idea of reduction -- taking away -- is one I learned in printmaking. In that medium, one approach is to carve away sections of block after each color layer until the last lines are darkest outlines or shadow.

In current paintings where I use wax mixed with oil colors, I can build up layers, scrape down and build up again until I'm satisfied with the results. I've been working on this 20x20" panel as a way to avoid attention to pieces destined for the CostaRica-themed show I'm doing in September. At the same time, working on this piece allows me to experiment with colors, shapes and techniques that will likely appear in those paintings, too. 

Work in progress, oil and cold wax on 20x20" panel  

Small paintings and bits of progress

Getting into the studio has been a challenge with our summer commitments, but I was able to spend a few hours today working on paintings intended for a show in September. I'm still unsure how they'll all develop, but here's one of the 8x8" panels I'm working on today. It may change a lot before it gets to the gallery. 

Painting in progress; 8x8" panel

first solo show

I'm so excited to show 25 recent paintings in my first solo exhibit: "A Prairie Perspective". The paintings, which range from 30x30" panels to small framed paintings on paper, are abstracted views that explore color, texture and line, inspired by landscape. The ESO Gallery is curated by artist Rachel Mindrup. The gallery is in a physician office, located in a strip mall just west of 78th Street on the north side of Davenport. The VFW is on the south side of the street. Brazenhead Pub is across 78th. Look for ESO or Eye Specialists of Omaha signs, and you'll know you've found it. The space offers large walls and intimate hallways to show artwork. We'll have a reception 1pm to 4pm Sunday. Details about the event are posted on Facebook here. I'm very proud of the work and would like more people to see it!