“G-dam! You sure paint strange stuff! You must be one strange lady.” This statement came a few years ago from George, my painting instructor’s wonderful 92-year-old father, a jack-of-all-trades, cowboy artist, and regular visitor at the weekly painting session. He was quite amused by the subject matter of the painting I was working on at the time: several old fuse boxes on the side of an abandoned cafe on a remote stretch of the original Route 66 alignment north of Kingman, Arizona. To this day, George’s comment makes me smile, because he hit the nail right on the head. Yes – I paint strange stuff, and I am one strange lady!
Honestly, I can’t paint a portrait, animals, florals, or a landscape to save my life, but boy do I LOVE painting old equipment, structures, vehicles, and buildings. The engineer in me, I suppose, but it’s also that I’m drawn to subjects that used to have a job to do, are overlooked, unappreciated, or abandoned and are rich in weathered surfaces and textures. I see the dignity and the beauty in these subjects that previously had a life of service.
Weathered tires…. Fuse boxes…. A concrete mixer…. A dilapidated warehouse with the roof falling in… Worn out and beloved boots…. An old sign used as a shooting target… An industrial water supply valve off in the corner of a parking lot… The broken windshield of an old truck parked by a barn. These subjects also pose a fun challenge for me to capture and create the texture of the subject’s material: old rubber, broken glass, cracked concrete, lathe and plaster, flaking paint, old leather, and duct tape.
These are the things that catch my eye when I’m road-tripping and exploring, and the photographs I take (and paintings that result) are closely tied to my experience of being on the open road and the freedom and sense of adventure I feel during those trips. My paintings capture the sense of adventure I felt during the trip, and I’m ultimately painting for myself; but perhaps someone else will be drawn to the subject matter, too, from their own life experience. My fellow “strange people.”
What do you feel passionate about? Embrace it and share it with the world. Wear it like a badge of honor.
Now Showing! Come see these strange creations yourself, at the Redding City Hall during December 2023 through March 6, 2024 (777 West Cypress Avenue, Redding, California). Take some time to wander the halls to see the latest of Redding’s “Art in the City” exhibit, featuring 20 of my paintings. And get yourself a building permit or business license while you’re at it 🙂
