My paintings are a visual text of my thoughts and beliefs and are my attempt to document many of the events which have shaped my life. I remember a quote from Mark Twain saying to “write what you know”. I have taken that suggestion as a guide to what I paint, and thus, my art has specific meaning to me. However, as art is also a form of nonverbal, two-way communication, my work can have a unique and/or additional meaning to the viewer. I would prefer to consider my work in light of most non-Western cultures where art and craft are not distinctly separate but are considered part of the whole. Northwest Coast Native art has impressed upon me the need to produce images with meaning as opposed to decorative art. While at the same time, I find pattern-forming design elements to be desirable in some of my compositions and various textile and wallpaper designs have been influential to me. All of these influences have led me to develop a personal, multi-layered style reminiscent of the layers of an onion.
5.1 The core and foundation of my personal style is based on my deep love and respect for Northwest Coast Native painting. It is a two-dimensional style, and I use it to form the overall structure for my designs. Like painters from the past, I choose to paint on wood, preferably western red cedar (Thuja plicata). I use acrylics as my paint of choice and most often pull the brush towards me, as would a carver using a knife. I typically paint in the order of primary-secondary-tertiary/background design elements. Primary formlines are usually painted first, and they are used to create the image I want to project. I employ design elements in reoccurring fashion and rely on cardboard templates to insure design uniformity. I use tracing paper to maintain bilateral symmetry when it is an important part of a particular composition. For some of my designs, I have used negative space to delineate the structure, following Bill Holm’s “donut-and-hole” analogy and often seen in older art objects. Northwest Coast material culture has also motivated me to create screens and boxes as objects for my painting. Finally the spiritual aspect of my art owes as much to Northwest Coast Native culture as it does to my own Italian heritage.
[My personal contact with Northwest Coast Native cultures directly comes from working at the Fishtown, Ozette, and Indian Island archaeological projects in the 1970’s and especially from teaching on the Makah Reservation from 1980 till 2003.]
5.1 The core and foundation of my personal style is based on my deep love and respect for Northwest Coast Native painting. It is a two-dimensional style, and I use it to form the overall structure for my designs. Like painters from the past, I choose to paint on wood, preferably western red cedar (Thuja plicata). I use acrylics as my paint of choice and most often pull the brush towards me, as would a carver using a knife. I typically paint in the order of primary-secondary-tertiary/background design elements. Primary formlines are usually painted first, and they are used to create the image I want to project. I employ design elements in reoccurring fashion and rely on cardboard templates to insure design uniformity. I use tracing paper to maintain bilateral symmetry when it is an important part of a particular composition. For some of my designs, I have used negative space to delineate the structure, following Bill Holm’s “donut-and-hole” analogy and often seen in older art objects. Northwest Coast material culture has also motivated me to create screens and boxes as objects for my painting. Finally the spiritual aspect of my art owes as much to Northwest Coast Native culture as it does to my own Italian heritage.
[My personal contact with Northwest Coast Native cultures directly comes from working at the Fishtown, Ozette, and Indian Island archaeological projects in the 1970’s and especially from teaching on the Makah Reservation from 1980 till 2003.]
CANOE JOURNEY Spring 2012
For an excellent explanation of the formline structure in Northwest Coast Indian art, view Bill Holm's 2006 lecture entitled "Formline: An Evolving Art at the YouTube link below.
5.2 The second layer in the development of my personal style comes from the Celtic art tradition. From medieval illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels, I have incorporated particular design elements such as spirals, swirls, curves, plant forms, and human faces. From the Celtic Revival (and in particular, the designs of Archibald Knox), I have employed entrelac (knotwork or interlacing) in many of my compositions. Celtic art has also provided spiritual as well as symbolic influence to my designs.
[My personal contact with Celtic culture comes directly from seven trips to Scotland starting in 1993 and continuing with visits to our children who currently live in Carnoustie, Angus. Indirectly, I have been introduced to Scottish culture through the historical novels of Nigel Tranter, to my daily visit to the BBC Scotland website, and to my passion for Scottish trad music.]
[My personal contact with Celtic culture comes directly from seven trips to Scotland starting in 1993 and continuing with visits to our children who currently live in Carnoustie, Angus. Indirectly, I have been introduced to Scottish culture through the historical novels of Nigel Tranter, to my daily visit to the BBC Scotland website, and to my passion for Scottish trad music.]
5.3 The third layer to my personal art style comes from the arts of Japan, and in particular, from woodblock prints. The process of printing each color block to create the composition parallels the way I paint, one color at a time (however, I rarely overlay multiple colors). The resulting blocks of color produce a strong two-dimensional quality reminiscent of a print. I have relied on woodblock prints for developing the overall composition for many of my paintings and have incorporated many design elements adapted from them. In addition, Japanese textiles and kimonos have been great sources for design elements and patterns.
[My only direct personal contact with Japanese culture has come from several friends from Seattle. But for as long as I can remember, I have loved Japanese woodblock prints. I also am a big fan of the films of Akira Kurosawa, the animation of Hayao Miyazaki, and the acting of Toshiro Mifune. Most recently, we have been watching Korean TV and watch two to three hours nightly, especially enjoying romantic comedies and historical dramas.]
[My only direct personal contact with Japanese culture has come from several friends from Seattle. But for as long as I can remember, I have loved Japanese woodblock prints. I also am a big fan of the films of Akira Kurosawa, the animation of Hayao Miyazaki, and the acting of Toshiro Mifune. Most recently, we have been watching Korean TV and watch two to three hours nightly, especially enjoying romantic comedies and historical dramas.]
TREE OF LIFE Fall 2008
HE WHO RETALIATES Fall 2013
5.4 The final layer in my personal style provides the overlying structure and gives the philosophical basis for my efforts. This layer owes particular allegiance to the tenets of the British Arts and Crafts Movement as well as to the curvilinear designs produced out of its contemporary, Art Nouveau. I try to follow the lead of Ruskin and Morris in personally doing as many of the aspects required to complete my paintings and to do so with the best of my abilities. I try to do everything by hand and with the minimum use of power tools. The creative process is the key to my motivation. Many of the British architect/designers of the movement have greatly contributed to my efforts and have proved to be a continuing source of ideas, design elements, and inspiration.
[The purchase of a British arts and crafts armoire, a Jugendstil sideboard, and several other pieces of period craftsman furniture led me to research the Arts & Crafts Movement. My interest was also enhanced by the education of my daughter Jessie and son-in-law Adam at the Glasgow School of Art. This led to an appreciation of the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, as well as to many other designers who created the Glasgow Style.]
[The purchase of a British arts and crafts armoire, a Jugendstil sideboard, and several other pieces of period craftsman furniture led me to research the Arts & Crafts Movement. My interest was also enhanced by the education of my daughter Jessie and son-in-law Adam at the Glasgow School of Art. This led to an appreciation of the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, as well as to many other designers who created the Glasgow Style.]
THE EAGLE & THE ROSE Winter 2013
All of these layers of influence have combined to form the structure of my painting style. From motifs and design elements to the overall composition, they have created meaning in my work. They help me to connect the natural world to the spiritual. Northwest Coast Indian, Japanese, and Celtic influences all combine to show my love of working with wood and my reverence for the natural world. They have provided me with a way to speak.
RSS Feed