COASTAL
Original paintings, collages, bookmarks, prints, and a zine focusing on the distinctive Oregon Coast.
COASTAL is the accumulation of many, many trips to the rocky Oregon Coast. This place is at the top of the list for atmospheric landscapes. It’s not a gloomy place, but a grounding place.
True, the shadowy terrain is haunting, although not with ghosts. Standing at the edge of the sea provides a brooding backdrop to the deep questions of life and history. Before getting too serious, though, a sealion will pop its head from the foamy waves. A reminder not to get too serious about what might have been.
The mystery of the coastal landscape begs to be explored. Begs me anyway. As many times as I have sketched my favorite places along the shores, it took a while for the stormy seaside wonders I love to feel right in my artwork. I think these paintings are just what I want to say. They show how I feel about this ethereal area.
This harsh environment and the creatures who live within it interest me deeply. The very air, with its briny, salty texture, gets into my blood.
Who doesn’t love a tidepool? How can a person not be entertained by the crabby, grunting, sleepy sealions?
It’s boundless. Swirling, rough, expansive, turbulent, and tranquil all at once. My work with acrylic, gouache, and watercolor paint, layers and collaging, figures, line work, and shapes blend within COASTAL. Monoprinting also appears in this series. This method, new to me, produces the most imperfect/perfect linework – exciting to work through.
Please enjoy COASTAL. Remember all the trips to Depoe Bay, the Newport sealion docks, Neptune Beach, candy shops, and seashell treasures. Think about the history, and maybe how Bigfoot is lingering on the trail. Explore.
“A gorgeous bird is the pelican, whose beak will hold more than his bellican. He can put in his beak food enough for a week, but I’m darned if I see how in hellican.”
What I hope you can see
Beyond seeing abstracted coastlines in these paintings, I would like you to see the natural world. I hope you feel the spirit of exploration. Please recognize the cold rain, rich air, shifting shadows, and birds who shout from the rocky shores. I’d like you to know how special I think these places are, without explanation. I hope the layers you see come across as fleeting images over steady landmarks. I hope you can recall this without ever having been there.
