Yesterday was a good full day in the studio. My first project to tackle was a painting for our Splash Critique Group show next month. Each artist will interpret the Lake Oswego Reads book The Whistling Season
by Ivan Doig. I didn’t want to miss doing this exhibit because I absolutely loved that book. I’m looking forward to meeting the author in a few weeks! You can read an interview with the author here:
http://www.harcourtbooks.com/WhistlingSeason/interview.asp
It was a challenge for me to decide whether to focus my painting on the characters or the setting of rural Montana. There were so many wonderful characters in this book that I had a hard time choosing, and finally decided that the landscape was the one common factor to their experience. Doig has a great gift and I must borrow words to help me explain how this book made me feel:
Before me lies the edge of the world. I am on my way there running. – from a Papago song
I rarely do landscape, so this was both a challenge and a joy. Montana is a place that I love to visit. I have family there, and my impressions of its vastness are filled with nostalgia as well as the simple, natural beauty that emptiness and space can inspire. I hope my interpretation holds some of that emotion, through my exaggeration of color and my choice to leave any trace of human touch on the landscape out of the painting. Let me know what you think!
Smooth Buttered Plain 12x12"
While I was working in the studio for the first time in a long while, I got a call from the RiverSea Gallery in Astoria. They want to do a solo show of my work in March! (Of this year!) Oh My! That is coming right up, and I will have to work my tail off to get enough quality work completed. Yikes. I guess I needed a deadline.
Finally, I wanted to share some more links of artwork for the 100 Artists show at Mary Lou Zeek. Mary Lou has posted some more on her blog, and here are some other blogs of artists! Check them out!
http://www.thesteelfork.com/wordpress/100-artists-show-the-honeybee/
nice landscape painting… and love the blog connections… and congrats on the upcoming one man show in the gallery– now get to work! 🙂
donna
Thanks for writing this and for the link to the interview with Mr. Doig. I am giving a speech tomorrow about Lake Oswego Reads The Whistling Season and I will share your comments about having a hard time deciding what to paint. I look forward to seeing you and your art on Feb. 4th at Graham’s Book Store!
Thanks Donna and Cyndie! After I posted this I realized I’d forgotten to give the time and place for the exhibit! Oops. I will look forward to seeing you there 🙂
Hi Ruth,
So good to see your work again. I think you did a phenomenal job of creating the vastness of the plains. Congrats on the show. You will be sweating it out to be ready by March!
Hi Ruth, Congratulations on the show in Astoria! That is a wonderful gallery. Your landscape fits the title!
I love Riversea Gallery! How exciting you’ll have your own show there. My parents are moving from Astoria next month, but we’re going to do a Garage Sale, most likely in March so I’ll have an opportunity to run into the gallery and see your body of work!!
I love this painting, Ruth. Simply beautiful!
Thanks guys! I’m excited for all three upcoming shows. I’m hoping to see lots of folks at the artists receptions.