“Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper. Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They’re huge and abstract. And they’re very beautiful.” ― David Lynch, Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity Whitefish, Montana has been under duress with an alt-right, part time resident making hateful and ugly remarks concerning ethnic people . Montana is fighting back in many ways, reminiscent of Billings 'Not in My Town'. One peaceful participatory action is the gathering of handmade white banners by people supporting Whitefish residents and the values they represent. Pictured are my offerings, and Friday night we as a family each made a flag. Thank you Barjon Books, Vicki, and all the unsung organizers of this endeavor. Flags are being sent to Whitefish from all around the state and U.S. to visually show our support. RESIST! This last September, during the crazy unrest of the elections, and Trump's insane remarks, I took a Sunday walk to help de-stress. On the way home I noticed pages of a paperback being blown down the gutter. I picked a page up- 'The Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany'. Shudder. I felt it was a creepy premonition. I carried a few pages home with me, somehow knowing they would be part of a larger visual dialogue in the future. I have never been as concerned and wanting to stand up for our democracy as during this present time. Small acts, when combined with others, can and do make a difference.
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GILDED NATURE is the title of a day workshop I'll be teaching August 31 on the coast of Oregon. Sitka Art & Ecological Center is an amazing destination-the art/music/ecological offerings, world class resident artists and scientists, the view and location...UTOPIA! Peruse the catalog and website, you'll see for yourself. Better yet, take it in person! My first experience at Sitka was a few years ago when I participated in a 4 day enameling workshop. Magical. ONLINE DESCRIPTION:
Do leaves hold stories? Learn a new artform with this beautiful ancient style/contemporary method of gilding natural deciduous leaves onto stretched canvas. By embedding the leaves with gesso on canvas support, undercoating with renaissance red paint, and carefully laying gold metallic gold leaf/foil onto the canvas, it becomes a beautiful work of art. Add richness and depth with layers of transparent acrylic wash and resin glaze. You will leave the workshop with finished artwork. Leaves for embedding can be gathered at Sitka, or you can bring leaves that hold your story. ONLINE BIO: After a lifetime of making art, Karen Tanner says she views her art as her voice: "I begin with layering washes, showing the visual passage of time by building depth and texture. The layering and subtracting of paint uncovers my message. Recently I've been exploring inner life symbols. I often work with metal foils. They represent the dueling of the spiritual/material worlds." Retiring from a career teaching fine and graphic arts, Tanner explored her professional art life and its direction. She emerged from this period of self reflection a more authentic, more purposeful and ultimately more influential artist. |
KTAs a working artist/retired art educator, I've always lived the artful life. Let's share! |