My first commission completed and delivered to its new owner today. I am very pleased that the painting was so well received and that it has a new and happy home. Yay!
Memory of Dog Mountain, 22"x28", acrylic on canvas
6/9/16 Heartening →
A very timely article for those wondering if they even have a trajectory - which I do wonder about at times. Just keep trying to do the work. As Ben Franklin would say "Every little makes a mickle!" And yes, “mickle” is a word, even though my third grade teacher didn't even think so! The Scots, though, know better.
://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/nov/15/seven-ages-of-an-artist-laura-cumming?CMP=share_btn_fb
6/7/16 Mending Brokenness
This from my good friend Andrea Rosselle this morning (https://www.facebook.com/andrea.rosselle?fref=ts). Andrea is a sculptor, and a wonderful teacher, and teaches ceramics in the Middle School at Oregon Episcopal School. It was very moving to me.
I received a wonderful letter from a parent yesterday. This year someone in one of my classes made the choice to break 5 of the clay gargoyles that my students had made. It was obviously intentional since they also took the broken pieces with them. I was distraught, I usually spend a long time making sure things remain intact and make it home as safe as possible. But this year on top of the few breaks that always happen with ceramics, I had these ones which were intentionally broken as well. I decided due to the number of broken pieces that I needed to alter this act of vandalism or the happenstance of mistakes by repairing the pieces and adding gold to them, in the tradition of Kintsugi. A practice where you fill in the broken spots with actual gold. I ordered a small bottle of real gold paint online and repaired every gargoyle in this tradition. We then displayed them- broken gold filled places and all.
This past week I had the kids wrap them up to take home, and yesterday I received an email from a parent explaining that when her piece arrived home, he knew immediately what the gold meant, having seen the practice before. What was even more wonderful was how he explained that while his daughter was confused that someone would intentionally break her art, that she wasn't angry at all, that with the gold it was somehow new and more special. The father was grateful, and wanted me to know how much more the gargoyle now meant. It's wonderful when something that was never meant for good, turns into good anyways!
View From Dog Mountain
5/29/16 Prepping
I had thought I would paint this landscape without drawing first. I expected it would be quick and easy, as the shapes in the Gorge are fairly repetitive and simple. But - it didn't work. I was bored, tried to convince myself the work was OK, and then finally, in desperation, I was driven to really look and find the relationships between shapes. How inefficient, to have all these steps! However, how much more inefficient it was to skip them! So. Now, I'm back in the game. Today I'll spend time with the relationships of colors in a different study. I was looking for shortcuts, but none to be had. Instead, I'm making progress.
2/25/16 Gleaned
Great studio visit with the wonderful Kim Lakin today. Her collages, fashioned from hand cut materials gleaned from garbage dumps (!) are riveting, dynamic and minimalist. Love her work.
Detail, painting in the Columbia Gorge.
2/23/16 Detail
Am struggling a bit here, so I haven't posted much. The painting is changing a great deal, and remains unresolved. But - c'est la vie! Am going to work on something else for the next few days and see what happens.
2/5/16 A Little Bad Ass Inspiration
I love this story about Katherine Bradford. She had a show in Portland two years ago - I wish I had seen it! She inspires me.
The article is posted on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/myraclarkart/.
Or you can cut and paste the url into your brower: tohttps://medium.com/the-art-of/how-about-a-little-badass-inspiration-cb34ac5c6ca6#.nmyo9cbz9
See more of her work at: See her work at: www.kathbradford.com/
4/28/16 iPad Sketches at Langeais
The iPad was my primary sketchbook when I was traveling in France. I loved it - sometimes it was faster than drawing on paper, sometimes slower, and the colors are so instantly gratifying. I fell in love as well with Anne, Duchess of Brittany, while in Langeais. She was commandeered by the King Charles of that time, who was determined to add Brittany to France. Furious and helpless over his acquisition of her body, not to mention her inheritance, she defiantly took her own bed with her to Langeais for the wedding - quite a statement. Eventually, she gave birth to several kings to be, and married King Louis of France when her first husband died (as arranged through her original marriage contract with Charles!), producing yet more heirs and royal marriage partners. Ah, the role of women. This is titled "Memories of Langeais."
4/25/16 Draw Like a Boss
Daily Drawing, 4/25/16. After Giotto, "Lamentation," 1304 - 1306.
Giotto brought humanity, emotion and a keen expressiveness to all his work. It is hard to believe that he was doing all of this during the early 1300's - but not as hard to realize that he was a towering influence in his time period and far beyond. I can think of few masters that would be better to make transcriptions from for the human form, composition, painting and the drawing that underlies all of his work. He was an extraordinary artist and I am definitely inviting him into my studio and into my practice.
4/24/16 Radical idiosyncracy
Life of Christ: Crucifixion (detail), 1304-06, Giotto di Bondone. Giotto's paintings are so visceral. I see the influence of the iconographic tradition without doubt, but the emotion that permeates his work is a wildly unexpected departure from the almost expressionless faces of that time period. I saw a phrase last night that is expressed here - art that is radically idiosyncratic. So ancient, so modern, so compelling.
4/23/16 Three Years Ago
It's hard to believe that just three years ago I was having my first solo show at Gallery 114. This painting was based in the experience of a cognitive function test during which the numbers of 6s and 9s on multiple pages are determined. The test was given as part of an assessment to determine the effects of traumatic brain injury. The painting is my reflection on these tests, may you never have to take them!
4/20/16 Updated
With the website update, there are some older works that many of you won't have seen. Enjoy! and let me know what you think.
4/16/16 Influence →
I just posted an article with an interview of Graham Nickson. While it is an older article, it captures much of the rigorous philosophy and beliefs about art, drawing and painting that come through during the New York Studio School Drawing Marathons. Graham has been an amazing influence on me, and has kicked my art skills and understanding up the stairs every time I have attended. Hope to be back there again this summer or fall.
Another major influence right now - post show, post work, post everything let down. A time of lower energy, but also an opportunity to get my studio back in order after some flooding, not to mention the minor art hurricane that hits getting ready for an exhibit. Back very soon to my daily drawings and studies for some additional big paintings and a still life that are all on my mind.
Last Two Days to See My Show are Friday and Saturday
Just two days until the take down for "Disrupted!" Gallery 114 is open noon - 6:00 on these two remaining days, and I hope you will come by!
3/26/16 - 4/2/16 Last week to see "Disrupted!"
This is the last week to see my show. Someone whose opinion I really value said "this is different from what I am usually seeing in paintings - I'm glad I came by. Very refreshing." A reminder that it is at Gallery 114, 1100 NW Glisan between 11th and 12th across from Blick's. We're open Thursday - Sunday from noon - 6:00 p.m. I'll be personally hosting the last day, next Saturday.
The Member's Pop Up Show is also up, with work by members Richard Boswell, Linda Tross, Heather McGeachy and Jeff Leake.
Sailboat and Osprey, study for "What If?"
3/22/16 "Flight of the Wild Swan" finds new home
I am so thrilled that "Flight of the Wild Swan" has found a new home. It was painted upon return from a trip to Ireland, where I was mesmerized by the whiteness of swan feathers against the dark waters. I did a series of 9 swan paintings - this was the largest at 30"x40". I found the fortress of Kinsale was one of our most important stops on the trip, even amongst the host of beautiful, inspiring and compelling places we visited. The site of the last stand of the Irish against English rule, the clan chiefs were beaten solidly and fled the country with Ireland, the clans never to rise again. The leadership's exodus was known as the "flight of the wild geese." I have Irish heritage, and the entire trip, especially Kinsale, was very poignant for me.
3/20/16 Guest comments on "Disrupted"
Here is a comment from a guest to the gallery for my show - I felt so honored. It is a gift beyond words when the work resonates so deeply. There are many reasons to paint, but one of them for me is the hope that a painting will speak to someone and bring up thoughts and feelings that are uniquely their own. The show is there until April 2nd, Thursday - Sunday from noon - 6 at Gallery 114 on NW 11th and Glisan, right across from Blick's. I hope you will come and see it/experience it too.
Laura Foster and Myra Clark take a little break at the opening of their shows "Disrupted" and "midden."
3/14/16 Meandering
With the opening of "Disrupted" behind me, I am looking forward to the "Writers Read" event at the gallery this Friday. In the meantime, I am writing notes, updating mailing lists and doing business-y stuff as I unwind from getting ready for a show that opened only one month after leaving my community of 18 years at Oregon Episcopal School. I've been feeling that lost feeling that happens in this situation, especially as it was a very good and caring place to be. I love my peeps there! However, it is now time to be enjoying building up a new daily community and pattern. I am totally sure that this is all the right thing to be doing.
3/4/16 The Morning After - No Regrets At All!
The morning after the show! I was too tired to post yesterday, but it was a huge turnout for First Thursday. Thanks to Everyone who came. My favorite part was all the opportunities to talk with people (whom I often had not met before) about the work. People were interested in the materials and the process, and also very engaged with the thoughts that came up, such as the response of women to their life situations (was Diana's reaction to Actaeon seeing her nude justified, for example), the parallel of painting to dreaming, and the animal nature of claw-footed bathtubs. So fun!
If you weren't able to make it, the show is up through April 2, and Gallery 114 is open from noon-6 p.m. Thursday - Sunday. I have some specific times I'll be at the gallery (Friday, 3/18, 3-6; Saturday 3/12, noon - 6; Saturday 4/2, noon-6). April 2nd is take down day, so if you are coming that day, please come before 5, or the show will probably be in the process of coming down.
2/29/16 Love to do a still life
There will be a couple in my show.
