The Real MacCoy

Wishful Thinking?

2010-04-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

There's something to be said for wishful thinking...intentional, desirable, etc. I am beginning to see that everywhere I go. I am putting some intentional thoughts into manifesting artistic opportunities for myself in a more conscious way. I'm sure there's some corndog saying around this but I'm trying to be very careful about what I put my attention on artistically as well as personally and professionally. I've been mulling around the idea of doing another show soon- maybe West Seattle Art Walk again? It's been a couple of years. I need to create more work based on trees. I dream about it. It haunts me. I walk Lincoln Park so often and place my hands on trunks of the Madronas (Arbutus for us Canadian folk) to absorb the natural energies of the earth. I can honestly say that trees ground me and inspire me to reach my own limbs up into the glorious sky. I attach above "Sphinx Island"...a small island my friends own off of Galiano Island. Yes, they own this island and once upon a time I had an amazing trip over there where I spent the entire time sketching and plotting out paintings based on the fours points of the island as well as from the sea via kayak. It was a very successful and beautiful trip. It was a time of great creativity for me. I would like to find that again soon and get on the "Tree Project"...the intention is set!

Changes, Thoughts and Desires

2010-04-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

Here we are 4 months into the new year and I am finally putting some energy into this blog. A wise friend of mine told me that this is the year to make your desires into reality and for me that's creating art FULL TIME. I am, slowly mind you, putting together a "Business Brainstorm" wherein I make my dreams come to life visually. Being a visual person, I need something very visual to follow and refer to as I create my art plan. My studio, until recently, was a CHAOS of unfinished projects and melee. I spent some time a couple of weeks ago trying to create a space where my artistic pursuits can reign! As a new homeowner, this all seems frivilous as I try to figure out ways to finance the house projects that "MUST BE DONE THIS YEAR" (ACK!). Reality is not my friend let me tell you- I much prefer the colorful world of fantasy where I not only merely exist but also THRIVE as a working and successful artist. That said, I am figuring out the balance, the tightrope as it were, of how to make it all work together. And, truth be told, I have not been very successful at this balance but, as I sit here typing this, my body aching from a weekend of yard work (very fulfilling of course), I think about the dust settling onto my work table in the studio. My first step is to complete the brainstorm and get moving on making it happen. No longer can I fear this step...being overwhelmed by real life doesn't help. And, on a personal note, I have been wracked by panic attacks in the last year and I sincerely think it's because I am letting my art slip by me like a stranger in the night WAY TOO MUCH. Now that I've written that, I can take responsibility for my lack of non-action. Creating art always makes me feel great. Yardwork...well, not in the same way.
The time is now. And I am the one I have been waiting for. Nuff said.

Just for Fun

2009-12-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I came home, put my ear phones on and let paint FLY. It's been awhile since I just painted for the sheer and total chaos of it...I have been trying to formulate a plan in terms of making art more the focus of my life and last night I HAD TO BREAK LOOSE. This painting is the result and frankly, it really makes me feel ALIVE.

Wood Blocks Continued...

2009-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

The wood block work continues...due to popular demand. I had some success selling these at the Fremont Market along with plenty of inquiries about my "bean bird" wood blocks. They are fun to make so I have ventured once again into the world of the BIRD! They are for sale so let me know if you'd like one. These three blocks are 5x5.

New Work

2009-09-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Jewelry!!!

I have found myself making jewelry this summer. I have had some folks wearing it around town and have gotten some great compliments on it. Here are some of my latest pieces. I have done a few commissions for friends and am taking orders...let me know if you're interested! Don't worry, painting will continue this fall...a new studio space is in the process of getting up and running.

Check it out

2009-05-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

An artist friend of mine has finally begun to publish a blog of his work. I am a student of the way he uses colour and form. He's got a brilliant style for expressing myth, legend and humanity. Check it out....

http://ivesart.blogspot.com/

Fremont Market Update

2009-05-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our first day at the market. It was, thankfully, a gorgeous sunny day. We each sold a couple of things but truly, the hit of the day, were Jello's finger puppets. They mesmerized children, drew them into the booth like a moth to a flame. We felt overall that the day was reasonably successful given the economic climate we're in so we're going to back next weekend to see how it goes. The day was broken up with visits from friends and dogs so it went pretty fast.

In the Works

2009-04-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

I am currently working with some very creative friends wherein we each bring our own artistic endeavours to sell at the infamous Fremont Market in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Thanks to our friend, Morgan, we are sharing some space and time together on Sundays starting May 3rd. My friend Jello is making these amazing finger puppets and knit animal hats- he's a knitting maniac and extremely talented. Bunnies aka Sherry is going to make these felted hair clips and I, the lone painter of the group, am now painting on these great little wood blocks. I also intend to sell my greeting cards and prints from past works at the market. We're all pretty excited to be working with a deadline and just getting our art "out there" ain't too shabby an idea neither! Another talented friend of ours, Hula, is a wonderful potter and will most likely join us here and there with her wares. In the mean time, here's a pic of what I am working on...the woodblock art...

Photography

2009-03-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just got a new camera to play with. I have been interested in photography for a long time...my last couple of cameras literally bit "the dust" after Burning Man. I am on the hunt for something more substantial camera-wise but am happy to play with a small point and shoot type. Here's some of my work... a recent trip to the coast with friends and dogs provided more than enough inspiration.

The Wishing Tree

2009-02-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to support this year's Make-A-Wish Foundation Auction here in Seattle. A friend of mine volunteers with them and asked me to donate a piece. I have created a whimsical colorful work entitled, "The Wishing Tree". As I was painting it, I imagined a lot of light and color beaming from it. I hope it brings the auction winner lots of hope and inspiration.

2009-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

This is "Snow Day"....a new work inspired by an amazing outing in the snow with some great friends. It seems fitting that it started on a true "snow day" and ends with more snow falling. Enough already! I rarely work in white so this was a great challenge for me.

At last!

2008-12-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

I am ecstatic to finally post pictures of Sherry's and my Burning Man contribution to our good friend, Ready and Krista's "American Scream". It is so nice to see it on the playa- both pre and post storms. Thanks to Ready and Krista for making the trek with it- there and back. At Ready's last party, Sherry and I got to see it hanging in the living room...complete with a lovely thin layer of playa on it.

Eminus

2008-12-08T08:05:00.001-08:00

With some hesitation, I post "Eminus"...a new work. I intended for it to be a companion to "Limbs Skyward" but, upon reflection, I realize it has a totally different vibe than "Limbs". I painted "Limbs Skyward" over a year ago and certainly I accept that I cannot mimic what I felt then as much as I accept what came out in "Eminus". This is partly what art is for me as an artist- an acceptance of expression- good, bad, ugly.

Certainly, I like the colours in "Eminus" and always love playing with trees and shapes- but "Eminus" has proven to be a highly personal piece... I'm not sure if it will translate in that manner to those who view it but I know, for me, it's got a lot behind it.

To conclude this post, I guess I am saying that things are not always what they seem. "Eminus" may echo parts of "Limbs" but it is rooted in something entirely different.

My Sistine Chapel...or is it?

2008-08-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

When I receive requests for cards or prints, I am frequently asked for "Looking Towards Bowen" (as seen above). This work represents a turning point for me as an artist. I had been painting landscapes happily and came across these Arbutus trees (aka Madronas for all you Americans) with a backdrop of Bowen Island, BC. As I have mentioned previously, I am drawn to trees- in particular those who shed bark like skin (I love the Birch tree!) and reveal an undertone of different colors. So began the creation of "Bowen". It is my favorite work and I am happy to say the original not only sold but has remained in my family. I can see it anytime I want (by travelling 3000 miles of course) and I love that. When I get requests for commissions, I am often asked to replicate the scene from "Bowen" in some way. There really is only one "Bowen" but I do enjoy depicting that landscape in other scenes. I do love this piece so- it represents where I've come from and definitely has catapulted me to new levels.

Two newer works

2008-08-15T10:36:00.001-07:00

My website is out of date. I know it. I'm a technological idiot. Hence, I began this blog so I could ramble on and entertain you with my crazy art life. Someone asked me the other day to post two newer works on this blog so here they are...

The first work is "The Monolith"...my largest piece to date and a tribute to my homeland...I saw this tree in a forest in North Vancouver, BC, whilst on a hike and I had to translate it. It was charred and forgotten and broken...I tried to give it new life with this painting.

The second work is "Limbs Skyward". This is a piece that I feel expressed color so beautifully. I love the way the tree stretches to the sky. Currently, it is hanging in my living room with an electric blue boa around it (courtesy of my friend Ready- who said "It's the only way to frame this piece" and I went for it). I feel so happy when I look at it. I love madrona/arbutus trees! There's something beautiful about the way they shed their bark...a sense of renewal and rebirth or something.

Also in the works...

2008-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Sherry and I created a rendition of Munch's "The Scream" as a contribution to a friend's art project for Burning Man. While neither Sherry or I are heading to the playa this year, we were delighted to create an element of our friend's project, titled "American Scream". The theme for Burning Man this year is "American Dream" so we took the original "Scream" and morphed it using only red, white and blue and of course, adding the flag. It was a lot of fun to put together. I did the sky and most of the back drop while Sherry did the Man, the lamp posts and perspective. I am really going to miss Black Rock City this year. In the past two weeks, I have really felt the loss.

I'm a little behind on posts but here's the latest...

2008-08-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been working for most of the summer on a piece of artwork to give as a present to a friend for her wedding. Two years ago she gave me these great old Craftsmen windows from a remodel in North Seattle. I never thought I would paint on glass but lo and behold, I did! The work was challenging to say the least- I had to literally paint the scene backwards. Layers and layers of paint. Lots of time. But they're beautiful and proved to be an excellent opportunity for me to stretch my artistic muscles. I hope to do more work on glass- this piece looks especially amazing when back lit. I had a little help from my friend on the lettering of the barn (where the couple if getting married) and the bumblebee. It was hard to let them go. I had a little moment but overall, it was an incredible experience.

2008-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

It was the summer of 2004. I was bored at work. I brought in some painting materials with the intention of creating something decorative for my office. I picked up a pen and started drawing a tree. I found myself unable to stop. I was at work. I'm sure the phone was ringing and people were wanting things from me but I was on a roll. What you're seeing here at the left is the first attempt. It's called "The Tree of Life".

I was suprised and somewhat amused that I could make a tree come to life on canvas board.

So I tried another one.

This one is called "Sisters" and it was an exercise in line and color. I like the way they are conjoined by energetic reds.

I found myself painting furiously at all hours of the day and night. I couldn't stop. It was an outlet that helped me "deal" with my crazy life. I had gone to theater school and been an actor up until I moved to Seattle. I had mostly let the theater world go...and hence, with that, a creative outlet to make me feel alive.

And now I was painting up a storm.

So I tried my hand at subject matter in the abstract.

Here we have "Bottles".

I was pleased with this one but knew I had to get back to what I crave...connection with the natural world...in particular...trees and ocean landscape.

With that...I whipped out the following work:

This piece at left is one of my proudest moments as a new artist. It is called, "Three Trees" and it depicts a scene

from an amazing backpacking trip I took into the Carmanah Valley on the west coast of Vancouver Island. I have some very vivid memories of my hikes in that wonderful area. The colors are like no other. The trees are the biggest old growth I've ever experienced.

With "Three Trees", I feel I turned a corner creatively. I knew I was onto something really significant for me as an artist. Over the next year, I found myself aiming for participation in my first artwalk.

Welcome...

2008-04-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

Bear with me people. This could be volatile. Me, in control and posting to the world-wide-web...(insert evil laugh here). But, after some consideration, I am finding myself interested in not only publishing my work and commenting on it, but sharing my thoughts about art and life in general. I am truly a narcissist. ACK.

So, with that, welcome. Here we go...

The most recent news I have to share is that I was selected to participate in the 2008 Art of Dining Event on April 17th. Three of my newest paintings were selected to be auctioned off as a triptych at an evening that paired Pacific Northwest female chefs and artists. All funds received supported the Women's Funding Alliance based here in Seattle. The Women's Funding Alliance helps strengthen communities throughout the region by investing in organizations that support women and girls. I am very honored to have been selected for this event- the paintings in question are part of a series I am working on called "Elemental". The event took the first three of the series- "Earth", "Water" and "Fire". I have since worked on "Air" and it is currently hanging in my bedroom. I hope to finish "Wood" and "Metal" in the next few weeks.

These paintings prove a departure for me in style. I have always enjoyed working more literally and within the lines so to speak. "Elemental" has allowed me to stretch creatively and I think it's an example of my creative growth. I have only been a painter for the past few years, stumbling upon the outlet somewhat out of desperation at a low time in my life, and have been excited by the translations I have created and the feelings of fulfillment I get every time I work on a piece.