Christopher Martin Hoff. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

At the downtown Seattle Art Walk this month, I was blown away by the urban landscapes of Christopher Hoff on display at the Linda Hodges Gallery. Thankfully, Christopher is as gracious as he is talented and I was able to pull him away from his art just long enough to meet up, grab some photos, and talk a bit about what he’s up to.

Christopher is a plein air painter so if you make it out and around Seattle, you may run into him on top of one of downtown’s buildings or hanging out painting in your local alleyway. He works with oil on linen, paints in multiple locations each day (for several hours at each location) and his most recent works contain inspiration from Moby Dick worked throughout. I highly recommend checking out the show this month if you get a chance. While you’re there, pick up the copy of Moby Dick on the counter with all the inspirational quotes for the paintings flagged.

The show is at Linda Hodges Gallery through May 29th, 2010 so get in there as soon as you can.

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So why don’t you start by telling us how you got started in plein air painting?

For some reason, perhaps the weather, some of the best plein air painters in the country just happened to be teaching at SCAD (The Savannah College of Art and Design) while I was getting my BFA from 94-98. I guess there was something about the scale, form, and ever-changing flux that got me hooked working outside.

How important is Seattle as a setting for your paintings? If you had to pick another city to live in and paint, which one would it be and why?

I’d say it’s quite important. The mild climate here suits me. Summers here are some of the best anywhere and I can always count on the consistent gray light of winter to bring to my attention even the most humble objects. As for other cities, I think I’d like to work in Berlin. It’s a city that puts a high value on good design, craftsmanship, and public transportation.

The Blanket, 2010. Christopher Martin Hoff. By permission of the artist. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

How do you feel your work has changed in the last 14 years that you’ve been painting?

I think I’m becoming somewhat more confident in my process. There was a great quote, I think by Rodin, saying that in dedication to one’s craft – the 10,000 hours of work idea – one is set free. I’m sure I obliterated his words but the idea of creative meditation through a rigid painting schedule seems to get pretty close to the core of making something that matters. On some level though, in order to deal with the struggle of making work every day (without “knowing” the outcome), you have to convince yourself that what you are doing is important, even though, in a pragmatic sense, it’s fairly absurd.

What’s the wildest experience you’ve had while out working on a painting?

The time the guy walked up to my painting and started to work right in front of me is probably the strangest but other than that…. I’ve been attacked by a family of seagulls on the rooftop of 19 story building in Seattle (their nest was in another corner of the building) and I’ve had a drug addict punch (nearly put his fist through) a very expensive piece of stretched linen that I had been working on for about 2 months when I ignored his “constructive criticism”.

The Chase, In His Wake, 2010. Christopher Martin Hoff. By permission of the artist. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

With this current set of paintings you’re showing, what themes are you exploring and how did you find it to work “Moby Dick” into your urban scenes?

My paintings have always explored the idea of opposites. For example: the idea of making a group of dumpsters, a construction site, or even a concrete plant beautiful, as if it were some kind of sculpture. I think this is at the heart of Melville’s use of language. It was a place for him to find beauty in unexpected places.

Detail of The Chase, In His Wake, 2010. Christopher Martin Hoff. By permission of the artist. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

Are you seeing the signs of “Ahab” everywhere you turn?

Absolutely! I think part my connection with Ahab was a kind of personal and inexplicable drive to work, knowing full well that the reason there aren’t many plein air painters is because it is nearly an impossible way to make a living. Seeing “the writing on the wall” and continuing, for better or worse, is quite like Ahab.

Detail of Ahab, 2010. Christopher Martin Hoff. By permission of the artist.

How is the new series being received? What are people who know your previous work saying about it?

Most people enjoy looking at the work but I think they usually don’t dive into the content. I thought it was really nice to see how people experienced the work differently once they had heard me talking to someone else about a painting. Good work, for me, pulls you in long enough to want to spend some time there and then invites you to keep digging. So far, the people who have been digging usually feel rewarded once they put the work in context. The people who know my work tend to expect something behind it. They seem to appreciate these subtleties and usually keep their eyes open for them.

The Lee Shore, 2010. Christopher Martin Hoff. By permission of the artist. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

What local artists inspire you?

Living local artists: Whiting Tennis, Dan Webb, Margie Livingston are always inspiring.

Dead NW painter: Vanessa Helder (1904-1968) did an amazing series of watercolors documenting the building of Grand Coulee Dam – truly amazing!

Within a painting that you’re working on, what determines whether or not you depict something figuratively or “realistically”? Do the figurative clues work themselves in over time or do you tend to see the right away when you scout the scene?

It’s usually an ‘organic process’. I’ll usually get an idea only after I’ve spent 40 or 50 hours at a site. Sometimes even much later than that.

Can you tell us a bit about the Ground Zero Project?

Sure. Back in 2003 I received an Elizabeth Greenshields Grant to create a series of 11 paintings which document the numerous construction projects at the WTC site between 2003 and 2013. So far, I’ve completed 3 of these paintings at the site and I’m headed back next month to do paintings 4 and 5. It’s an incredibly difficult logistical problem to get materials to NYC, to stay there for 10-14 days working 10 hour days, and gaining access to the site. Fortunately the Port Authority (they own the property) has been very generous to my project. I was also awarded a grant from Artist Trust (Seattle) in 2006 and another Elizabeth Greenshields Grant this year.

So how do you paint a site that’s in constant flux when the paintings take months to complete?

It really is a challenge. There are sites that I’ve chosen not to paint because they change too quickly. The most unique challenges to paint are typically constructions sites. Here I rely on my experience as a construction worker to anticipate the site’s building schedule. If it’s a site I’m really interested I’ll usually speak directly to the general contractor or an architect at the site about when and how the it will change. Flux is a healthy. It makes you realize what’s really important and what you need to let go of.

Christopher Martin Hoff in front of The Doubloon, 2010. By permission of the artist. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

What’s next? Where is all this painting going? Do you have a gigantic whale, metaphorically speaking, you’re readying yourself to pursue?

I think it’s too early to tell. Every person who struggles and truly commits to their creative work is chasing a “whale”. History tells us it usually ends very badly, even for the greatest of painters (Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Caravaggio etc.) and writers (Moby Dick sank Melville’s career). I can’t say I’m very hopeful on the matter but Ismael didn’t know what he was signing on to when he joined the crew of the Pequod either.

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me about your work.

Thanks for the good questions.

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Image created by Antonio Delarosa as a t-shirt design for the new gallery.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to open an art gallery filled with artists you know and admire? Yeah, me too. As luck would have it, I heard about NYSea Gallery through a random tweet from another online art site. NYSea gallery is going to be bringing Seattle art to the east coast, initially via a series of pop-up shows and hopefully through its own dedicated space in the near future. I managed to catch up with one of the co-founders for a sit-down before he hit the road on his move to the Big Apple. We continued our conversation after his cross-country road trip to kick this whole thing off.

The following is an in-flight sneak peek into how a gallery goes from idea to reality.

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Hi Bryson, thanks for taking time out to talk to me about your vision of the NYSea Gallery.

Of course! It was a generous offer for you to take time to meet with me and help us to get the word out about our exciting concept and plans for the gallery. Your other features were very well done, I hope to be able to provide the same level of absorbing, informative content to your readers.

Aw shucks, thanks. So why don’t you start out by talking about just what NYSea is and what your next several months look like. How are you locating artists that you’ll be representing through this gallery?

The vision for NYSea Gallery is complex, yet simple. To instill some of Seattle’s arts scene into the New York market through creative branding of retail product lines and the infusion of locally known artists into a broader market such as New York. Essentially facilitating entry for newer, less established names into the rigid, closed environment of the NY gallery scene. I lived in NY for 4 years and longed for something that reminded me of home, eventually bringing me back here. I believe that innate desire for “home” exists within all of us. Our niche will be catering to native Seattleites living in NYC as well as introducing native New Yorkers to what our city and the NW is all about.

NYSea Pop-Up show at Black Ink Gallery. Art pictured is Jesse Edwards and Bill Dunlap. Photo by William Smith.

We just launched a skeleton of our site last month with a party and pop-up event in Harlem at a venue called Black Ink Gallery, which is a sizeable space incorporating both tattoo shop & art gallery. I have been hard at work establishing inventory for the eventual physical location as well as for the website. That means t-shirts, limited edition Giclee prints, pendants featuring the work of local artists – by way of Joey & Luke at Desolette.com – and a solid foundation of original works both for display and purchase. We intend to have a pop-up show once a month going forward to promote the brand and the artists we are working with. The events will be designed to be transposed to the site as well, essentially creating an online version of the environment we hope to have established by July.

So who are the artists that you’re working with so far and what’s the response been like so far?

We have worked with a variety of talents thus far in a wide capacity of methods. We’ve worked with relatively unknown artists like Antonio Delarosa who I met through a mutual graffiti friend and designed our first t-shirt, Forte who I found via Flickr who is 15 out of Atlanta, GA. We’ve worked with people like Ouch, of the duo known as OucHops, and Seedr on ‘NYSea’ pieces to be used in an upcoming video campaign similar to the “Seventh Day” project by Known Gallery out of LA. I essentially contact graffiti artists to paint pieces that spell out the gallery name and film the artists as they paint, edit the video, dub over speech with music and upload to Vimeo or Youtube. Simple, effective, entertaining.

Jesse Edwards's piece at the NYSea pop-up. Photo by Bryson Chin.

Jesse Edwards has been monumentally supportive and helpful, he’s someone I look up to and respect enormously, not to mention talented and unique in the art world at large. Bill Dunlap is probably the most “well-known” artist we’ve worked with thus far, his expertise and skill transcend ours and I anticipate learning more from him as time goes on. I think it’s important to note here that while the concept of bringing Seattle artists to NYC is the main objective, it’s not the only one. It would be foolish to limit ourselves completely to artists that fit this very specific criteria and I won’t allow us to do so. Our life expectancy as a gallery would be greatly diminished and our pool of artists rapidly shrunken. I’d also like to mention The Chicken Kid who is both a street artist and phenomenal photographer. He is currently attending art school for Photography in NYC but grew up in the Seattle area, his photos are incredible and regularly featured in Gothamist NY, The Stranger, and various other online and print publications. The prints we made of his shots came out amazing! I have a laundry list of artists we plan to work with in the future, have not yet contacted, have contacted and haven’t worked with, etc. My intention is to keep the list long enough that I will never reach the end, in this case I firmly believe the phrase, “The more the merrier”, to be a fitting credo.

William Smith in front. Most images by The Chicken Kid. Bottom right image Shawn McClung. Photo by Bryson Chin.

How has your own artistic work informed this project?

I have never considered myself to be an artist. I doubt I will ever be comfortable with that label, I would go as far as saying I have artistic tendencies or sometimes produce art, but to say that I have any “artistic work” is a bit of a stretch. Let’s be honest, I’m a little manic, crazy, creative, and enjoy making new friends. Some of the best friends I’ve made are very talented artists and this more than anything has informed how I shape the project. I have been involved with the graffiti community on varying levels since I was 13 years old. That makes over 15 years! Through that community I have encountered many “writers” with severe “traditional art” tendencies and aspirations. This project has allowed me to enable the legitimate side of their creativity and help them along in the quest for a career in the art business. The more time I spend on the project the more it seems it is constructed and formulated around business principles than driven by the artists I work with. If we cannot survive as a business we cannot help anyone.

Scanned copy of 2001 drawing by Bryson, shortly after September 11th. This is on the back of a photocopied page of Milton's Paradise Lost and was stained brown by a roommate's renegade coke spill.

What’s up with the umbrellas?

Approximately 7 years ago I came up with an idea someone will most certainly steal and manipulate into a successful business proposition. That was, to open an umbrella-centric store in downtown Seattle that featured only umbrellas & their accessories; customizable umbrellas and limited-edition artist designed umbrellas, umbrella stands, etc. I conducted a fair amount of research at the time and eventually concluded it was not an endeavor I could afford or reasonably undertake. One of my best friends, Kelli Phillips, asked me (or I forced upon her, I forget) for a life plan maybe 6 months ago now. I had been toying with the umbrella idea for some time and was inspired by the success of my friends at Flatcolor Gallery in Seattle to suggest the possibility of joining the two types of business – an art gallery and an umbrella store. I knew of Kelli’s love for the arts and desire to do something slightly unconventional, perhaps in this area, and she went for it. The idea speaks for itself and should we find ourselves with doors open in July I think will give people an interesting retail/art concept that they will find appealing. So far I have received a lot of fantastic umbrella designs from well known “street artists” around the country, I am also reaching out to more traditional canvas-based artists for umbrella designs and ideas. So far I have more designs than I can feasibly produce and am finalizing a budget for their production as well as negotiating with manufacturers to obtain a fair deal.

I know it’s early on, but what has surprised you the most since announcing you intention to open this gallery?

The most surprising part of this process has been the amount of support we have received from complete strangers. I have been able to find artists via Facebook or Flickr or simply by comparing similarly-focused galleries and contacted them directly. For the most part the idea has been well received. Whether it be for works to display at our pop-up event, or for an umbrella design, or gallery owners answering our research questionaire; people seem to want to help which both fascinates me and inspires me to continue working on the project with little in the way of personal stability. I quit my job to drove 3000 miles across country in 54 hours, had 8 job interviews in 2 days, looked at 6 apartments, invested a significant portion of my income in “an idea”, stayed in a crappy hotel by the Newark Airport for 4 nights, that has all surprised me as well. I think too few people are willing to put their lives on the line like that in pursuit of a dream, it may sound corny, but this is really what NYSea is all about to me, embracing the unconventional and repackaging it in a format that is easy to digest. Worst-case scenario: I can say that I gave EVERYTHING I had to this project because I believed in it and still do.

Graffiti provided courtesy of Ouch One. Ouch did an incredible job freestyling this piece under pressure. Photo by Bryson Chin.

Well I hope that your gambit pays off. It’s been a pleasure getting to meet you and find out about your project. Keep me informed of how it all goes! I hope the next time I’m in NYC I get a chance to see NYSea.

Bryson: To me it feels like I over-compensated for my lack of experience in the gallery world and always had an exit strategy. I no longer have an exit strategy, just a strategy to make this work. I hope to be showing you around our space very soon! We look forward to opening in the month of July, perhaps August at the absolute latest. Right now it looks like we’ll end up in the eastern part of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

I plan to have at least the first umbrella design out in time for the rainy, windy fall months and will have as my primary goal a famous person, to be determined, photographed with one of the umbrellas. The opening showcase will be a group show featuring works of fine art created by artists that I know have been active in the world of street art in some capacity and further strengthen the NYSea concept. It’s important to me for us to focus on what we know, and graffiti, graffiti photography, wheatpastes, stickers, stencils, these are the tools of a trade I have known and loved for years. This will both allow me to curate from a specific perspective and to maintain a high level of quality amongst the works I select. I think the transient population will be enthralled by the level of skill these hooligans can flex in a contemporary gallery setting, if not, they should be. Thanks again Eric for your time and interest, I hope that I have satisfied your curiosity and not bored your readers into sleep-crying.

No problem, Bryson. Best of luck.

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Hey, if you like reading profiles of artists and about creativity, it would be a great help if you could say that you “like” this site on Facebook (or you can just hit “like” on the Facebook widget to the right of this post). The more people we engage, the more we can support the local creatives. I greatly appreciate it!

Wenarto at home. Photo by Colin Grigson.

I first met Wenarto at our gym last summer and it quickly became apparent that he was a “one man wrecking crew” of creativity. He paints, sings opera on YouTube, cooks, drinks and does Crossfit – and then he gets up and does it all over again. Where most artists have fear their creative output relative to their creative possibilities, or become discouraged by their failure to reach their own artistic goals, Wenarto plows right on through. Wenarto has sold more than 400 paintings in his life. He’s had art work hung all over the world and has become a YouTube opera phenomenon, gathering support from all the corners of the globe. I wanted to find out what made him tick and what makes him so insanely prolific.

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Hi Wenarto. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me about your creative life.

Thank you for trying to capture a glimpse of my life. I would like to also thank my friends and family who have been very supportive, for dancing or singing on my youtube, helping me film, and providing inspiration. They all know that the key point is to have fun while creating art that will make the public feel happy. We never create any depressing paintings or music.

Wenarto walking me through his old picture books. Photo by Colin Grigson.

You are a bit of a “renaissance man” – accomplished in painting, opera, Crossfit, cooking and multiple languages. Did I leave anything out? Where did you get this multi-faceted nature? How did it all begin?

Oh yes, you left out aeronautical/astronautical engineering and international business. I was at Boeing Sales and am now at Boeing engineering. My career at Boeing, however, is low key; obviously very important to my income but, as an artist, I’d rather not let anyone know about this…

Ha, I think you just did!

As far as where I got the nature, I’ve liked trains since I was 3 and started making paper airplanes when I was 5. I’m still making them.

Music came at age 9 and painting started in 1991.

Wenarto's artistic statement. Photo by Colin Grigson.

Was anyone in your family also artistic? Did you have a lot of support for what you were doing?

My parents were teachers: father taught engineering and mom taught art. Later on in their lives they moved to business and manufacturing. My mom pioneered the dry fruits manufacturing process in Indonesia and my dad had a cigarette distribution business. I lived in the island of Bali, where painting, music, dance, and many other art forms are a part of our daily lives. I, however, chose western opera music… just because it’s more dramatic and more intense – like crossfit.

You certainly seem to have an amazing support structure now. Following your facebook stream is like watching someone live a pretty incredible life. How important are your friends to your creative work?

Friends and family are very important to me, even on facebook when I have never met someone in person, they provide virtual support for my art. I have friends from age 15 – 80 on facebook, and I pay attention to all of their works and comments. People say that I am addicted to facebook but I spend my time paying attention to my friends, not because I’m addicted. OK, well maybe 30% is addiction but most of it is dedication to my friends.

How has becoming a YouTube sensation changed your life?

I spend a lot more time studying music and making music at home. I no longer go out spending money to drink. I spend my time at home creating.

Well that much is pretty obvious. When we came over the other night, you had just returned from a trip to Venice and mentioned that you were going to do a painting to commemorate the trip. 2 days later, I look at youtube and you’re singing in front of a brand new painting of Venice, which is gorgeous by the way… Why did you choose to commemorate your trip this way? Are you happy with the results?

Yes. I actually did crossfit at Piazza San Marco. It’s a special place to me, and as you probably saw, my crossfit at that piazza was on Crossfit Seattle’s news section. I put 4 dots on my painting to represents us. I am happy with the results….places I visit inspired me. I also made 24 YouTubes while I was there.

Wenarto's most recent painting - Venice. Photo courtesy of Wenarto.

What drives you to produce the quantity of creative work that you’ve put out there?

When I get creative no one can stop me. I go to crossfit 5 days a week and I used to paint 2 paintings per week. I’m not painting as much but I’m making 3 to 5 music videos a week.

What advice would you give to an artist that has a lot of ideas but not a lot of follow-through in capturing them? What advice can you give somebody looking to get more done creatively?

Just do it. Pour your idea into the canvas or video or any of your media. Do not hold your ideas in and procrastinate. When you feel the right moment, it is the right moment! The challenge is when do you stop putting color on your paintings? When do you stop making video where every notes has to be correct? This is the hard part, you must let it go, finish at the right moment. When? You decide….however, the more you procrastinate, the worse your results will be.

What was the most rewarding creative endeavor you’ve ever been a part of?

Most rewarding? With painting, I’ve been able to get work hung all over the world. In music, many opera lovers and singers can take a break from their serious work and relax to watch my funny creations.

Fish detail by Wenarto. Photo by Colin Grigson.

I guess I was trying to ask, if you had to pick one creative work that you’ve done, whether musical, cooking, artistic or whatever, which one would it be and why? What single artistic breakthrough has brought you the most joy?

So far, for now, my single largest artistic breakthrough for me was to paint “Venice.” I poured my heart, my experience, and feelings into millions of colors in the painting. It is my first big painting, I’ve never painted that big, and I am so proud of it. Looking at it makes me happy that I have captured my music experience, my crossfit experience, and every bit of time I have spent in Venice, into that single painting.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. I really appreciate it…

Oh no, thank YOU…..I am honored to be interviewed by you. I hope I can contribute and inspire others.

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For more Wenarto inspiration, check the following links:

• Main art site
• Wen on YouTube
• The 2009 Scrapbook
• The 2008 Scrapbook

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Hey, if you like reading profiles of artists and about creativity, it would be a great help if you could become “a fan” of this site on Facebook. The more people we engage, the more we can support the local creatives. I greatly appreciate it!

I would like to introduce you to Seb Barnett. She is a multi-talented artist who you can meet this Friday during the Center on Contemporary Arts (CoCA) 2009 Art Marathon at the Fremont Abbey. Seb uses her art to convey and release her emotions. The images that appear when she closes her eyes, thus the pieces she creates, have their own illuminating language. The Puget News is fortunate enough to get into her mind and behind her eyes as she prepares for this Friday’s event.

Seb Barnett, ladies and gentlemen…

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Seb, have you done anything like the Art Marathon before?

Nope!

What are you doing to prepare for the event?

Well, I’m looking around my studio at what I can bring with me, wondering what is reasonable to pack around, also looking through sketchbooks and looking for inspiring imagery. I’m really excited because I don’t usually let myself do art just for the hell of it, and this time I’m not limiting myself to the idea of “it has to fit in a body of work, or it has to be within this subject.” Its going to be a lot of fun.

Do you have an idea in your head as to how the 24 hours+ is going to shake out?

I’ve got an idea of how it will go for me as a person, but not how it will go for the whole situation. I haven’t done the marathon before, so it’s going to be interesting. I know I’ll hit the “what the hell do I do with this?!” point a few times, get frustrated, set it aside, then look back at it later. There will probably be some wandering around and most likely getting inspired by fellow artists. I’m really looking forward to being around others while they work. Its great energy we get going when we’re all working in one space.

How did you get involved in this year’s event?

I’ve been involved with other shows with COCA and David Francis was considerate enough to contact me with an invite.

I am most drawn to the pieces that have an alluring blend of sweetness, sensitivity and subtle gruesomeness to it. I am referring to works like The Burden of Knowing (oil painting), Kimono (illustration), The Violinist (illustration), and Don’t You Want To Be Like Us? (comic story). These pieces come from your imagination. What is your process of imagining these “scenes”? How do you put yourself in the state of mind to envision these pieces?

The Burden of Knowing is about when I starting [sic] getting intuitions about people I cared about and the harsh things in life they would go through. I couldn’t tell them because it wouldn’t change the situation and maybe in telling them I would change the course of their lives to something less desirable. Not to mention I lost a few friends in trying to warn them of the paths they were on. Nothing changed other than they no longer wanted to speak with me. It was a burden I started taking on silently.

Kimono was an illustration for a book called “Full Metal Kimono” The main character was a lady by the name of “spirit of the mountain.”

"Kimono" by Seb Barnett done in water color, ink, and gouache on paper

The Violinist was also a book cover, and that was one of the stories in the book.

Don’t You Want To Be Like Us was about the rejection I felt as a teenager because I wasn’t interested in fitting in to most groups, and so I did not feel like I belonged.

For the most part my art is me desperately needing to express an emotion that threatens to overwhelm me. When I put it into art it becomes its own object, and no longer eats at my mind so desperately. The imagery just turns out to be a stream of consciousness, I think in imagery, not words, and just closing my eyes for a moment leaves me with imagery that could be expressed through art.

Seb Barnett's "Bonding" done in ink on paper

The most captivating piece is Bonding . It is your most complete execution of an idea, from imagination to image on a page, and is filled with so much love and emotion. That piece was done a while ago. Why have you not done more of this type of work?

Its really funny to me that you think Bonding is one of the more captivating pieces I’ve done. In my opinion its rather simple. I’ve done more of that kind of work, but not bothered to scan it in.

Mark here. I’ve got to respond to this one. Bonding may be simple and it’s because of that simplicity that the illustration is successful. The clean and crisp aesthetic works so well. And the composition creates visual depth. When I see metal, flesh, and a rose petal done this well I want to continue to look. I want to explore. I can’t help but make up a story for these two. All those simplicities are positives for Bonding.

What do the birds say and what does The Girl Who Spoke With Birds say to them?

The Girl who Spoke with Birds was illustrations for a short story, it was never said what she said to the birds. Just that it was terribly sad, and that she couldn’t say it with human words.

Thanks much to Seb Barnett for giving up her time just days before the big Art Marathon. Seb, we look forward to talking with you at the event. We wish you well and you should know that you have our collective support.
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TPN invites you to come along for the ride. I’m bringing my sleeping bag and pillow along with my camera!

Seattle painter Virginia Howlett in her studio. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

Virginia Howlett is a Seattle-based painter of “Universal Landscapes” – landscapes which are generated from a very specific place and time but which have broad and comprehensive relevance to anyone that explores them. She’s been looking up at the sky, painting it, and building narratives out of it, for years. She graciously invited us into her studio to talk to her about her work and grab some photos, just after it got dark outside, naturally.
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Hi Virginia, thanks for taking the time to talk to me about your work. You’re known primarily as a landscape painter but you generally paint a very specific type of landscape. Can you tell The Puget News readers about what you paint and why?

I paint skies and abstracted landscapes – both individual paintings and large installation pieces made up of multiple panels. My work is meditative and peaceful because I’m trying to convey that universal quiet feeling we get looking at the sky, and landscape. Skies are like huge beautiful color fields that are constantly changing – I like to try to capture that gentle feeling of time passing, clouds moving.

Floating World, by Virginia Howlett. Photo courtesy of Virginia Howlett. All rights reserved.

How do you go about capturing subject matter that’s so fleeting and transitory?

Photo by Mark Albonizio.

Then I take the big paintings and use them as raw materials for my large installations or collaged landscapes – I cut them up, and re-arrange them. I spend a long time on that – before I glue them down and seal them.

Virginia Howlett. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

Now that I’ve seen a good deal of the work hanging in your studio, it strikes me that have developed your own entire language of expression through these visual landscapes. How has the in-depth study of your subject matter changed your interactions with the world?

I look at the sky a lot! I also look very keenly at the light, the colors and shapes in the world around me, everyday, all the time. The outside visual environment is a rich source of study for me. But it’s also being tuned to the feelings that come from different kinds of light, different skies, different places. We all know we feel differently under a solid gray sky — the way it makes the light dull, and colors muted, than we do when the sun shines brightly and all the colors around us seem to pop out brilliantly. I like to think about how to translate those feelings into paintings.

I try to capture a universal sense of place, because I’ve found that realist paintings of one place, in one moment, are limited. They don’t have the layers of meaning — I want the viewer to go back and back to the painting and see new things. New shapes, new colors, new feelings.

I guess what I was trying to get at in that last question is whether or not your development of this “landscape language” has impacted the way you personally engage with the world, your friends and family. When you wake up and the sky’s grey, do you feel the day is out to get you? Do you ever have conversations with people about what you’re seeing and have them look at you like they have no idea what you’re talking about?

Well I can tell you one thing that happens over and over again: people who get to know my work tell me something like this: “Last night I saw a really amazing sky and I thought of you – I knew you’d really love that sky.” It’s fun for me — it’s like my work opens something up for people. We all admire a beautiful sunset, but after talking to me about my work, people remember me, and my engagement with skies, and I think they enjoy the moment even more – it becomes a shared experience with me, in a way.

Virginia Howlett. Photo by Mark Albonizio.

Which of your works has proven to be the most influential on your own development as a painter?

The first painting I did in the “Windows” series – these were the pre-cursor to my big grid installations. It’s called Michael’s Eyes – it took me months and months to do, and I sold it even before it was finished. It started that whole series of work that I’ve been involved with for about 10 years.

Cascade Mountains, by Virginia Howlett. Photo courtesy of Virginia Howlett. All rights reserved.

These paintings are all made of rectangles of skies – some that go together, some that don’t – that recall window panes, and yet, are something else again. They take me a very long time – to construct the composition. My largest is Ninety-five Windows – it’s 23 feet long, made of 95 panels.

Ninety-Five Windows installed in Virginia's Studio. Photo courtesy of Virginia Howlett. All rights reserved.

Ninety-five Windows by Virginia Howlett. Photo courtesy of Virginia Howlett. All rights reserved.

What’s it like to compose the multi-panel pieces? Did you know that you were going to get in 95 panels deep on your largest or was it just something you kept working on until it made the right statement?

Composing the multi-panel pieces is just hard – it takes a very long time, trying out ideas, adjusting, making new pieces for certain spots, moving things around. I do start with an idea, and it flows from there. Ninety-five Windows developed organically – I wanted to fill the wall, and I picked a height, then it evolved left to right, with adjustments along the way. I knew I wanted it to have a narrative, I wanted it to change horizontally, like time passing as you move along it. Seeing Through (which is about 1/3 the size of Ninety-five Windows) was one idea from the start – a sort of looking through to deeper space, with other panels bringing you back to the surface. For me it’s also about water, and the way water reflects the sky.

Seeing Through, by Virginia Howlett. Photo provided by Virginia Howlett. All rights reserved.

Who are the local artists that inspire you and what kind of work do they do?

I’m very inspired by several of the artists in my building, Building C Studios — AJ Power, with his ineffable African scenes and animals; also Andree Carter, whose totally abstract works made of color and texture are so strong and vibrant, and Mary Iverson, who does powerful paintings with abstractions of cargo containers and amazing landscapes.

Do you have any shows coming up that you’d like people to know about?

My building — Building C Studios in Ballard — is having a huge Holiday Show and sale on Saturday, December 12th from noon- 9 PM. We’ll have 22 artists with their working studios open to the public, and holiday treats – even a jazz duo in the evening. It’s going to be a lot of fun! And, I’ll be showing my big piece: Ninety-five Windows, as well as lots of smaller work.

Whorls, by Virginia Howlett. Photo provided by Virginia Howlett. All rights reserved.

Thanks again for meeting with me and allowing access to your studio. It’s been really fun and I appreciate it.

Hey, Eric, it was so great to meet you and have you visit my studio! Thanks so much for coming and asking all these good questions!
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Hi readers. If you like what you read on The Puget News, please subscribe via email or RSS, leave a comment below, or share it with your friends. I look forward to seeing you all out and about town!

Tracy Boyd is a Seattle-based painter and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Her most recent paintings showcase a real breakthrough in her progression as a painter. She’s gone bigger, bolder, and more aggressively abstract. I think that it’s working out for her (as you’ll be able to see by the photos below). Tracy agreed to be interviewed by The Puget News and that has made me very happy indeed.

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Hey Tracy, thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed by “The Puget News.” I’m super pleased to have this opportunity and I’m a big fan of your work.

Thanks Eric for spreading the word about all the great art going on in the Northwest.

People reading this won’t know it but I was at your studio last month while you were still working on the painting you call “EVEN.” Looking at the final product, that’s now officially my favorite. The highlights you added since the last time I saw it really make it pop and add contrast to the color composition. Well done.

Thanks for checking it out this past First Thursday Art Walk. I really think this is a groundbreaking painting for me. The scale – 6ft x 6ft – is becoming my favorite size to work in, and I’m really beginning to paint more epic paintings that you can almost step into. I was really trying to create a strong sense of movement.

“EVEN” Description (from Tracy Boyd): This large painting with shocking imagery with sporadic bright splotches of bloody paint almost spurting out the the human form create a disturbing scene with many unanswered questions.

How do you describe your painting style?

I would describe it by saying that I’m a large-scale expressive figurative painter that is primarily focused on representing men, and sometimes animals, creating a strong impact on the viewer through the scale and in-your-face poses that stare right at you.

Through my strong strokes it is my desire to show movement, anger, and a real reaction to our world. I create my work by painting, and scraping away, and reapplying the paint, creating a complex surface. I often focus on one subject in a painting which has never been conscious. I have tried adding other subjects but it never feels right or true to my vision.

When you say, “never been conscious” are you referring to the fact that you’re exploring a subject you didn’t know was there until you saw it in the abstract developing surface of your painting – or are you saying something else?

Yes, I am referring to a painting developing as I work on it. I think that is what I love about painting is how difficult it is and how sometimes I have to let go and let it evolve without feeling like I have to control every brush stroke. One thing that is consistent in my work is I usually limit my subject to one, which I believe comes from wanting to be a purist and really allow the complexity to come through in the way it is painted and through strong visuals. I think filling the canvas with multiple elements might create unnecessary confusion and art that is scattered and made with little thought.

You generally paint pretty large format. What’s the reason for that?

My artwork has evolved in the past 5 years to this larger scale between 6ft – 7ft. and I have a couple canvases 8ft waiting to be painted on. I do sometimes paint smaller (around 2ft to 4ft) but I’m most comfortable painting larger because I can really use my entire body to create my vision. The scale just feels right to me to convey the strong impression I hoped to will impact on the viewer.

I’ve noticed that your paintings seem to be trending more and more abstract. On your website, you can really sense that progression. Can you describe that exploration and transition a bit?

I’m really trying to evolve and find my voice right now to really express how I’m feeling about the world. It’s my belief as that artists we are given a gift to convey what cannot be said in words and to really make people think. I could just rest on my past style but I see myself as the type of artist that really wants to leave a mark.

Some of my influences are Francis Bacon and, more recently, Jenny Saville; a large scale figurative artist that focuses on very large women in an angle that often fills the canvas. Like both of these artists I am looking to paint my authentic work and not just fall into the path some artists do, which is to create a style that they know will sell and that people are comfortable with. I currently belong to The Seattle Group; a group of primarily painters that really are discussing who we are right now as Seattle artists and where we’re going.

Do you have any favorite local artists you’d like to point out before they get big and famous? Who are they and what are they doing?

I have some local favorites including Mark Tracy because of his original painting style and his passion. Some of my other favorites are the Modern Chinese Artists like; Zhang Xiaogang, Zhang Dali, and (especially) Yang Shaobin who is one of China’s most famous Contemporary Oil Painters. He is a leading figure in the movement known as Cynical Realism in which he takes figurative painting to another level depicting violent scenes of men entwined in red masses. It is his political and cultural statements through his work that grabs me the most.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just finished some smaller paintings. I’m now considering kind of some studies where I’m trying new painting techniques and a more limited palette.

Any shows coming up that we should know about?

Not right now, but there are a couple things in the works. I have an email list people can sign up for. [Note: Here it is. I usually send out an email a month to let them subscribers know of new artwork, shows, and events I will be participating in - like this interview!

Please check out my blog for the other up-to-the-minute happenings with my art.

If people are interested in looking at your work for purchase, what's the best way to do so?

All you need to do is email or calling me to set up a studio visit at The 1020 Building, right next to Qwest Field, and I can show you any number of paintings and even discuss commissions which I have recently been doing. I know people have specific spaces and interests. I think anytime a potential buyer gets to see the space the work is created it's just another step in creating a long-lasting relationship.

I've sold paintings online by people just emailing me about availability and costs and I've also done the transaction without ever meeting them in person.

Thanks again for taking the time, Tracy.

No problem.

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More Tracy Boyd Links:

• Subscribe to Tracy’s Mailing List
• Tracy Boyd’s website
• Tracy Boyd’s blog

Renda Dodge is a Seattle-based author who just published her first book, “Inked” in October. During the month of November, she is participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) – for the 5th time! Renda is also the South Seattle Municipal Liaison for NaNoWriMo which means she’s helping a bunch of less experienced NaNoWriMo-ers come to terms with their task and then plow through their roadblocks. Hers is a noble calling. She took time out of her very ambitious schedule to talk to The Puget News, and for that I am very grateful.

Hi Renda, thanks a lot for taking the time to be interviewed for “The Puget News.” I really appreciate it, and congratulations on the publication of your first novel, “Inked.”

No problem, and thank you!

So it’s November, which means it’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). How is that going for you so far? Is this your first time participating?

No, actually, this is my fifth year participating in NaNoWriMo. I started in 2005 and have done it every year since. I spend a lot of time in the writing reference section of the bookstore and I came across “No Plot? No Problem!” by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. The book details, in a fun and humorous way, how to succeed with writing a novel in 30 days. I actually happened upon the book in October, and surprise, National Novel Writing Month started less than a month later.

My first year, I did it alone in my home office. I didn’t reach out the huge community, and I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t hit the 50,000 word goal. I wrote about 24,000 words, but I was so proud of myself. Even after attending college as an English major, I’d never written anything longer than 8,000 words. But, after one month I suddenly had the bones of a story to work with. So, when November 2006 rolled around I was ready to tackle, and “win”.

One of the great things I’ve experienced, and also seen with other writers, is what NaNo does for them. It takes them from someone who really wants to write a novel, to someone who has, and each success is another to build on and learn from.

As far as this year goes, it’s only the 3rd of the month, and I’m a little behind in word count. The goal, of course, is 50,000 words in one month (equal to a short novel – some famous examples of books right around 50,000 are “Fight Club”, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Catcher in the Rye”) and that equates to 1,667 words per day. So, to stay on track I should be at about 5,000 words and I’m at about 2,500. But that’s ok, I’ll catch up.

Spoken with the confidence of somebody that’s done this a few times.

Definitely, 50,000 words isn’t as daunting when you’ve conquered it a few times.

Outside of participating as a writer in NaNoWriMo this month, you’re also serving as the “South Seattle Municipal Liaison.” What exactly is that and how did you get that gig?

Well, in 2007 I contacted the Office of Letters and Light (the parent non-profit for NaNo) and asked what I could do to help. I was offered the position of Co-Municipal Liaison with Amanda Cherry. We thought it was easiest to split the region into north and south, because it’s a huge region. We have almost 3,000 people signed up to participate in NaNoWriMo who list Seattle as their home region, and for the last three years we’ve lead every other city (and even whole states like Maryland) in the regional word counts and in donations. So, here in Seattle we write a lot and we are also generous with our donations – which is an excellent combination.

What I do as ML mainly revolves around cheer leading, running events (such as write-ins – a gathering of writers in local coffee shops for fellowship and word count) and helping people make it to 50,000 words. It’s a volunteer gig, but I have so much fun with it. I have met so many interesting people, and I have been a part of so many people reaching their goals. It’s so worth it.

For example, Monday night the King County Library in Covington I helped them kick of NaNoWriMo by presenting the basics of High Speed Plotting to an entire group of NaNo newbies, several of which went home to start writing immediately. It’s really awesome that I can be a part of that.

I’ve found NaNoWriMo to be one of the few things that can take the solitary task of writing and instantly injects you straight into a very inviting community. Everyone is so supportive.

Moving back to talking about “Inked” for a minute here, what moved you to make this your first novel? Was it sitting there, cathartically waiting to be written, or did it take a lot of time to develop?

Well, I wrote “Inked” as my fourth NaNo novel, but I attacked it differently than I had the first three. For one thing, at that point I had written three full length novels. I had a really good grasp of what worked, and what really didn’t. So I was able to plan “Inked” out and it was really an easy story to write. I deliberately dug deep inside of myself for this book though, and when I came out on the other side I had a very personal story I was proud of. It was the first draft I had ever finished that I was excited to work on. I didn’t want to shove into a drawer and never look at again. The huge difference with this novel is that I allowed myself to pull into my background and experiences to create a character with a very diverse story.

I would say it took awhile to develop, 30 days to write a first draft, however the re-writing, revision and editing process took months. I worked on it for hours a day. I did five full revisions from beginning to end (and that doesn’t count the spot revisions) and I had 10 readers, all who went through it with a fine tooth comb. I’ve lived and breathed this novel for a full year.

The one thing I tell everyone is that the title “National Novel Writing Month” is a little deceptive, you’re not actually going to walk away with a novel that’s ready to publish. What you will walk away with though is a first draft. And that’s like starting with an empty plot of land and building a house in a month. You go from having nothing to a house. However, you still have to finish the walls, pick paint and wallpaper, and furnish the house before you can sell it. It’s the same with NaNoWriMo, but how many people sit around saying “I really want to write a book someday”? Well, NaNoWriMo is that chance.

Well, consider me jealous of your stick-to-it-iveness. I read the first chapter of “Inked” (Editor’s Note: available free here) and I’m compelled to continue on. How will your next work differ from “Inked”? Are you going to stick with similar subject matter or take us someplace totally different?

Thank you! I’m glad the first chapter was intriguing enough to continue on! My current project is a bit different from “Inked” in the fact that, for one thing, I’m writing from a male character’s point of view, and instead of tackling one person’s struggle for identity in current America I’m dealing with a whole household of diverse people as they try to find themselves. I’ve also made a personal pledge to have a few more moments of levity while still tackling some heavy themes, such as modern relationships, drug-use and modern family, because well, sometimes you have to laugh at life, right?

Starting with the assumption that millions of people will read this interview and click over to buy your book, where should they go to do so?

Of course, that’s always the assumption in the digital age of the internet.

The best place to purchase my book is directly from my publishing press and the store can be accessed on my site but it’s also available on Amazon. Or, I’ll have some available for purchase at the reading on November 6th (Editor’s Note: see bottom of this post for more details on the reading). I’m also working on getting it into some independent bookstores in the Seattle area soon.

Thanks again for talking to me. I know you’ve got a really busy month ahead of you and I want to make sure you get your real work done. I’d love to check in in early December and see how things went for you and the other folks you’re helping with NaNoWriMo.

This was a lot of fun, thank you for talking with me. Oh and definitely feel free to check back with me. It’s a really fun journey, and I’d love to let you know where it ends up.

Links:

• Renda Dodge’s website: You can read the first chapter of “Inked,” find out what she’s up to, and buy her book right there!
• Renda Dodge’s blog
• “Inked” on Amazon.com
• National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

FYI: You heard her mention her reading but if you’d like a chance to hear Renda read from “Inked”, she’ll be reading at The Hugo House on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 8PM. Please show up and support Renda’s hard work for her readers and the local art community!

Don't miss this reading!

Just a reminder, if you like what you’re reading here, please sign up for our email list! You’ll get notified when this blog gets updated.

* First of all, thank you for taking the time to be the first interview for “The Puget News.” I’m excited to have this opportunity.

As am I. As am I.

* Why did you choose “The Littlest Hitler” as the headlining story for this collection? Was it purely for shock value or was there something you felt that story embodied which encompassed the other stories in the collection?

There were two reasons. One, I felt like it had earned the title. “The Littlest Hitler” is the last story I wrote when I was finishing my MFA at Bennington College. I remember feeling like it was my reward from the muses for working hard for two years, and that the story would somehow take care of me. It’s the oldest story in the collection.

Second, it’s the most widely-published story in the collection. High school debate team kids recite it in tournaments. It’s been translated into Italian and published in Italy. A drama club in Seattle staged a great version of it. So in a purely pragmatic way, it made sense to title the whole book after a story that’s more recognized than the others.

* I was telling a friend about your stories the other night. It took me a minute to come up with an explanation of how they work and how they tied together stylistically. I told him that my first thought when I start one of your stories is typically “now that’s funny.” My next thought, however, is almost always, “Oh my god, that shouldn’t be funny. That’s twisted.” Was this an effect you were overtly going for?

I try to avoid “overtly going for” anything in my fiction. When I have approached a work of fiction with a consciously formulated agenda, I hate the results. If a reader expects to find pleasure in being surprised, shouldn’t a writer? That’s the attitude I try to maintain. But see, there’s the word “try” again, which I object to. I suppose it’s impossible to not sound like Yoda here, but I hope to honor the art spirit by doing as opposed to trying.

* That’s really intriguing and helps explain a bit to me about how the stories in your collection work. So just to reiterate, are you saying that you start writing your short stories without a clear idea of where they’re going? If so, do you find ever find yourself resolving something you started in multiple ways and then seeing which one “feels” the best?

Don DeLillo said it best, that he writes to find out what he thinks. Or the stories start with an idea that feels like it has the potential to develop into something else and I kind of follow it along. I don’t really write multiple versions of something and then line them up and compare them. It’s more there are areas of a piece of writing that start bugging me to the point where I decide I need them to change. I’ve also noticed that by recognizing parts that need to be changed, I sort of ask my subconscious for a solution.

There’s a great scene in that movie Apollo 13 that I think about all the time. The astronauts are up there in their capsule and the guys on the ground have to figure out how to get them out of peril. So they lay out on a table all the things those guys have with them on the capsule and have to figure out what to do with the materials at hand. This seems apt to me especially in the last half of a work of fiction. Introducing brand-new elements after a certain point starts to feel like cheating. It’s much more gratifying to me to be able to take what’s already at hand and come up with something surprising with it.

* You’ve been out on your first book tour. How has the reception been so far? Are you finding people receptive to the stories?

I have had a blast. I just returned from New York, where I had three readings. My agent and publicist sort of pre-emptively warned me not to expect many people to show up at the one reading where I was the only author on the bill, at Astor Place Barnes and Noble. But a good crowd showed up. They had to add more chairs. And the people I’ve had the chance to speak to have been very generous with their compliments on my work. I am very fortunate.

* Past or present, dead or alive, if you could select an author whose work you admire and would like to look over your shoulder and mentor you, who would it be?

John Stewart once answered a similar question by saying something like, “Dead people! Why would I want to meet somebody who was dead!” But there are two artists I would want to meet probably more than anyone else. The first is Bruno Schulz, the Polish writer murdered by an SS officer during WWII. He left behind a tantizingly rich but limited oeuvre of stories. They’re absolutely mind-blowing. And he was working on a novel at the time of his death called “The Messiah” that has been lost to history, though rumor has it it’s hidden away in KGB archives.

The second artist I would have loved to meet is Henry Darger, the reclusive Chicago janitor who created a 15,000 page illustrated manuscript about the adventures of a group of girls in the wonderfully named “Realms of the Unreal.” I just saw an exhibition of some of his work at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle. The illustrations are accomplishments of vision beyond imagination. They had a volume of the novel on display. Looking at it was incredibly powerful to me. My eyes welled up.

* You’re the second person to recommend Darger’s work to me in the last couple of weeks. He was also recommended by a painter friend of mine. I’ll have to check both of those guys out. Are you secretly working on your own 15,000 page opus?

It’s already done.

* What’s your writing practice? Do you write every day or wait for inspiration to strike?

I consciously decide what my writing schedule will be based on the state of the project I’m engaged in. Sometimes I get up at 5am to write and will do that for a few months. Or sometimes it feels more appropriate to stay up late after my wife and son have gone to bed to write. Every day I have to account for my writing and whether I accomplished anything that day. And not writing for certain periods is part of the writing process as well.

* The last time we spoke after your reading here in Seattle, you said that you had wrapped up your first novel. Can you tell us what that’s been like to write? Have you found it be significantly more difficult?

More difficult than anything I have ever done.

* Well you know I want to hear more about that. Was the challenge something brought about perhaps by the process you use to write? Earlier on you mentioned that you look to be surprised in your own writing and for the stories to sort fo find their own way. Was this the root of the difficulty when moving to something larger?

I’ll politely decline talking any more about the new work until it comes out. Thanks for your interest, though.

*Well, I’ll let you have you darned secrecy then. I will, however, ask you after the novel comes out and I get a chance to read it. On that note, thanks so much for taking the time to be the first interviewee for The Puget News!

Thanks for the interview. Look forward to seeing it.