Truth Teller Tribe Returns

During my 40 some years of being an artist and teacher, Tribes of Truth Tellers have manifested themselves in many ways.

I taught Sculpture for many years in public schools and tall, cylindrical sculptural forms showed up in paper maché and clay forms. It was so fascinating to see the variety of expressions that resulted when a challenge was put forth to 30 students and they found 30 ways to express it. I worked along with them in order to teach technique. As always happens, we all inspired each other to make our sculptures unique.

The Tribe has also shown up in layered textural acrylic paintings and in collaged, cut, and layered painted paper forms. These two new ones are acrylics painted on paper with a forest in mind. However, the Tribe inserted itself into my consciousness, so I cut them free from each other and re-assembled them on painted wooden panels. I also cut a tree from another painting to add to the mystery.

There they were in all their glory, telling me Truths I hadn’t known before. As it turns out, the story they tell each viewer is specifically tailored to each individual.

Oh, So Many Choices

Oh, So Many Choices

I have used collage as a technique in some of my paintings for many years. I also keep every scrap of paper left over in case I need it later on in another painting. Needless to say, I have hundreds, maybe thousands of colorful scraps in my flat files.

It struck me that I actually could never need to paint on another clean white sheet of paper again.  Of course, that is an impossible thought because I love those clean white sheets and watching the images appear in the layers of color and texture applied. But I did decide to dive into an exploration of only using already existing scraps to collage together new creations.

With three different sizes of cradle board surfaces to collage onto which gave me some structure as well as variety. I started by letting my intuition guide me to select scraps as anchors or focal points to build onto.

This is where the plot thickens. Every piece I added affected every other decision and the possibilities were so immense that my mind boggled. Since pieces were still loose, I took photos so when it was time to glue, I’d have a map. Well, there was still so much fluidity that the glued results were never exactly according to plan.  

The Home Planet

Being used to following circuitous threads, I am pleased with the results.

North West Watercolor Acceptance

Congratulations Eve!

80th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL OPEN EXHBITION

We are thrilled to inform you that your painting has been accepted into the Northwest Watercolor Society’s 80th Annual International Open Exhibition! Our first ever online International Open Exhibition has been extremely successful with 324 entrants submitting 674 total paintings, from 38 states and 12 countries. Juror Ron Stocke has selected your painting as one of 75 to be featured in this prestigious exhibition. Well done!

Fire and Ice
Fire and Ice 22″ X 30″ Mixed water media on paper $1200

Zoom Inspired !

My friend and fellow Artist, Pam Hounschild and I have been teaching a Water Media Textures Workshop via Zoom. Pam is a more linear thinker than I am which was essential in pulling this off. Our first online class was through the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, CA. We will teach the class again  October  5,8,12,15 with them also. . In the meantime we are also teaching September 14,17,21, and 24.through the Emerald Art Center in Springfield OR.

Its a quite different experience for all of us to not be in the same space but we are finding our way and everyone had fun and produced some great pieces.

Leading up to this new zoom life, I had decided I was tired of cutting mats, handling heavy glass and framing my work: too labor intensive and the glass made it difficult  to view the work because of the glare. So I have been working smaller and experimenting with adhering images on paper to wood substrates and layering on acrylic medium to seal them and applying a final couple of layers  of UV varnish to make them lightfast. I really like the immediacy of images and the detail preserved.  

Here are some examples of the current works.

More Tangents, More Fun

These three Paintings are part of a series exploring a new painting surface as well as new ways to use the layered painting process . They are on wrapped canvas instead of watercolor paper which alters the way of the interactions of surface and paint. It also nudged me to follow the process with exciting new curiosity and awe; keeping the excitement fresh.

Lichen-12×24

To Be Clear -12×24

Heavy Metal 18×18

Various Tangents

These 3 images are part of an experimental tangent of the serendipitous  following of random threads layered onto paper: layered onto underpainting or by creating a new and vibrant base for further exploration.

 

Thicketed Moon 24×30

Fog in Sunrise- 6×9

Cracked Foundation- 6×9

New Small Works

These images are just completed. I’m attempting to move away from cutting mats, dealing with heavy glass and framing my work. I’m too old to deal with it. These are lightweight! I like the immediacy of the images. All are acrylic on paper adhered to wood panels.They are sealed and UV treated for easy care. I’m all for easy these days and am loving the exploration.

New Small Works

“Earth Protectors” 15″X11″

New Small Works

“Red Flash” 15″X11″

New Small Works

“Coral Reef” 15″x11″

New small works

“Eb and Flow” 15″X1″

Shift to the Left

Shift to the Left

My creative life has taken a much needed turn to the left. For the last 15 years I have had the delight of playing a major role in grand-mothering. That girl is now in high school and although we are still very close, she is busy finding her way exploring her new life.

All of this time I have had my Artwork in Art & Soul Gallery in Ashland Or. and for 7years was one of the owners with 3 other women. It was fun to be a part of it all on that level but kept me busy enough that I struggled with getting and staying in my creative groove and following the threads which is the reason to do it. It kept me in my right brain which is not my home. A little more than a year ago, we sold the gallery. I still show there and it’s a lot less stress.

Now, I am finally focusing again on my teaching and creating. The shift has opened up new directions in my expressions. I’ve always been a texture freak but right now I am using physical instead of just visual. It creates an entirely new puzzle to solve and I’m having a blast following the new threads.

My biggest challenge now is with the technical expertise it takes to get the images and information out there. I’ve always referred to it as my “button impairment” but I think it is mostly being two generations too old and being dominantly left brained. So with focused attention and the grace of friends, I’ll function more comfortably soon.

I’ve recently joined forces with a wonderful Artist friend Pam Haunschild to teach workshops in other locations. Our theme is “Using textures to create Expressive Water-media paintings”. We will be teaching at the Emerald Art Center in Springfield OR (Eugene) May 9th and 10th.
Contact them at EmeraldArtCenter.org
We will be at the Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, CA June 20th and 21st. Follow this link for full information: http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Summer20/Haunschild-Withrow
The information is also on my website and posted on our Facebook pages at, Eve Margo Withrow and Pamela Haunschild .I’ll also be teaching more often here in my home studio so stay tuned.

Yupo Curiosity

I’ve just finished some new work to hang the beginning of February at Art & Soul Gallery in Ashland, Oregon. My curiosity took me into the land of Yupo: A non-porous plastic like painting surface. I’ve always loved the spontaneity of working with flow, knowing that here is a potential for more layers. This trick on Yupo just melts the layer before because of the slick surface. Oh My! This may be a short lived adventure but I feel that old familiar tickle asking me “What If?”. Hmmmmmm……..